She was surrounded by the familiar dark green of trees, the sun providing full brightness from above. Pavement was felt beneath her feet, and salt wafted in the air. In that instant, she knew their way back worked- against all odds, it actually worked.
Exclamations of excitement could be heard from Will, then Ruby, then her father. Glancing around at her surroundings, Caroline's heart soon skipped a beat as she whipped around, met only with the bold orange line signifying the edge of town.
"Zelena?" The ten year old called out, receiving nothing but silence in return.
"She's... gone," Robin marveled, seeming just as shocked over the whole ordeal as his daughter.
"Guess she didn't want to take that prison offer after all," Will said, "you think she's out there wrecking havoc with her magic?"
The answer to his question was painfully unclear.
"She couldn't get us closer to town?" Ruby grumbled, the first out of the four to pioneer forward down the road towards civilization. Everyone else trailed behind, leaving the mystery of the wicked witch within the forest.
Their steps quickened as the seconds passed, the promise of what lay ahead too exciting to waste any more time.
Caroline was soon enveloped by the familiar markings of Storybrooke, her heart brimming with excitement as she gazed upwards at the clock tower, still ticking away like nothing had changed. The four most heavily talked about people in town suddenly reappearing after so many weeks quickly gained attention- confused yet thrilled glances, all from familiar faces.
As they continued farther down their street, they broke out into a run, the enthusiasm beyond control. When the white paneled house came into view, Caroline's emotions began to take hold of her. They were absolutely exhausted, yet somehow the strength to push further remained. Within seconds they were standing on their front lawn, the snow vanished and replaced with sodden grass beneath.
"Regina! Roland!" Robin shouted, his voice carrying strongly between heaving breaths.
Time seemed to slow as the events began taking place- everything she had dreamt and pleaded for was finally happening.
The door swung open, revealing her mother- her beautiful mother- eyes wide with shock as she surveyed the scene before her. Caroline had no time to react before she felt her secure embrace. It was a whirlwind of hugs and cries; nobody could find the words to properly capture what they were feeling.
Caroline glanced upwards and watched her parents hold one another tightly, tears flowing freely. With that brought a new level of comfort inside- one more thing was right in the world once again.
She broke out into a smile when she caught sight of Henry nearly tackling their uncle in an embrace, Will rebuking by telling him "I told you so" over and over again. Roland almost looked taller, with a certain glow about him that the girl couldn't quite place.
Emma's yellow bug was quick to arrive, followed by David's battered pickup truck. Soon, there were people everywhere- family, friends, and neighbors. Caroline had never felt more loved.
There was soon a crowd of familiar faces on their front lawn. Everyone wanted to know what had happened with the 'mysterious crazy witch' that had kidnapped her. With both her emotions and physicality depleting quickly, she had absolutely no idea how to answer each time the question came her way. She was more than thankful when Granny approached her, sending some of her exhaustion.
"You've sure had an eventful day," she mused, easily welcoming the girl into her arms. She held her tightly, remembering back to when they communicated through the looking glass- it was nice to know that those desperate times were behind them.
"How about some hamburgers, my treat."
Her words caught the attention of Robin, whose eyes widened dramatically at the thought. "A burger is literally all I could ever want right now."
Granny got straight to work in their kitchen, doing what she was best at with ease. Robin and Regina had convinced the crowd outside to disperse for the time being, promising a town hall meeting once the dust had settled. Emma, Hook, the Charmings, Neal, and Tinkerbell came through the back door as to not cause a scene.
"Everything is the same," Caroline said, analyzing the house from floor to ceiling. It was strange to know that just a few hours ago she was doing the same thing at her mother's childhood home, forty years in the past.
"Of course it is," Regina smiled, hugging her from behind. She rested her chin on the top of her head, taken aback when she caught a whiff of her hair- it was undeniably the faint aroma of the Enchanted Forest.
"The house was so quiet without you and your Dad."
Caroline had a thousand questions for her mother, so many that she didn't even know where to begin. She decided then to put all those worries aside and stay in the present, mostly because she wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answers.
"I can't wait to sleep in a real bed for once," she said, "and go back to school, go to the beach..."
Just then, Granny announced that the burgers were ready, resulting in a collective outcry from the small crowd. Regina found it so amusing to watch the four newcomers devour their burgers like it was their very first time, savoring each bite.
"We're all dying to know," Hook began, the first to break the silence, "how did you manage to keep that wicked witch from killing you and changing the past?"
Will, Robin, and Ruby all exchanged cautious glances, unsure of that the truth was themselves. They knew that Zelena was a sore subject to say the least, considering how things ended with her and Regina.
"Lots of things happened back there," Robin said, "I guess her plans... changed."
"Where is she now?" Asked Emma, "did you..." she slid her finger across her throat.
"Of course not," Robin interjected, knowing Caroline was close to blurting out something she shouldn't. "She vanished right when we got here."
The group fell silent, unsure of how to feel about Zelena being out in the open with her powers in tact. Caroline felt a wave of worry return while thinking about Zelena and everything they had been through. She couldn't tell if the worry was about her being alone or about the havoc she could cause with her magic. Pushing away her negative thoughts, the girl focused on the untouched burger sitting on a plate in her mother's hands- she looked up at her with telling eyes, the plate quickly handed to her as Regina continued talking with Will.
By then, several side conversations had begun all around her, everyone eager to hear what had happened during their extended stay in a foreign land. Caroline listened to pieces of each conversation close enough for her to hear, the stories sounding more like scenes from a movie than what actually happened.
Seizing her chance, Ruby walked over towards her grandmother, who assumed her usual job of washing the dishes that were strewn across the kitchen. She had begrudgingly promised the Charmings that she would talk to Dr Whale about her shoulder, although she swore it didn't hurt as bad as it looked. Already the day felt overdrawn.
"How's business been?" Ruby asked, beginning to dry the washed dishes next to her.
Granny gave her a dubious look. "Three of my loyal customers vanished into thin air- practically everyone showed up to see if there were any updates on the situation, like I would know."
Ruby couldn't help but smile, missing her witty personality. "Because you always know everything," she began, choosing her next words carefully, "you're a leader. I... met someone while in the past that knew you. Another wolf, actually."
Her words caused Granny's rhythmic washing to abruptly stop, her attention resting solely on her granddaughter. "Really? Who was this person?"
"The same person that did this," Ruby gestured to her shoulder.
Granny couldn't help but hover her fingers above the wound, her face showing concern.
"You've never really talked about your original pack," Ruby continued, "and now that I've discovered my hidden talents, your past interests me."
Taking a deep breath, Granny held her gaze firmly. "I suppose you're right. In my defense, up until a month ago you had absolutely no interest in indulging your werewolf side."
She couldn't help but chuckle, knowing her grandmother was right. During her teenage years and well into her adult life, all she cared about was listening to her music as loudly as possible and how to have a good time after her shift was up. All that changed when she began dating Will.
"Please promise me you'll get that checked out, though- if whoever did that was really a friend of mine, I'd be a bit more worried."
She reluctantly agreed, her mind soon recapping the events that transpired with the mysterious wolf.
The hours had flown by as if they were minutes- the sun was well past set by the time everyone had left. With only the Hood family remaining, Regina couldn't help but reminisce in the comfort that came with all four of her family members under the same roof once again. She wished she could revel in that quiet moment forever, but it was clear that everyone was exhausted.
"I'm gonna take a shower," Caroline announced, giving her mom one final tight hug before ascending up the staircase. Her two brothers quickly followed her example, seeing the opportunity to finally get some sleep. Soon, only Robin and Regina were downstairs.
"I think I'm going to go for one of those showers too," Robin said, leaning forward to kiss her. So much relief flooded through him when he did, everything he had been missing was found again.
"I'll finish cleaning up down here and meet you upstairs," she smiled, holding her hand up against his face.
After all the unexpected craziness the day brought, being back in his own bed felt like a dream to him. Having Regina next to him again made his accumulated stress and worries practically melt away.
"The last time I saw you everything was..." he began, the memory of her lying motionless on the ground fresh in his mind.
"I don't want to think about that," Regina said in a hushed tone, "you're back- that's all that matters."
She pulled him into a kiss, quickly deepening as her hands roamed beneath his shirt. Their movements were quick and urgent, the desire for one another stronger than ever before. As Robin put more of his weight on top of her, trailing his lips down her neck, Regina soon felt a paralyzing sensation from within her, overtaking all of her passion almost instantly. Fear moved through her, causing tears to well in her eyes as she began to panic. It took a second for her to find the strength to speak.
"Robin," she managed to get out, her voice breaking, quickly gaining his attention.
Seeing the look of terror in her eyes garnered a concerned expression. "My god Regina- what's wrong?"
She sat up, giving some space between them before bursting into tears, her devastation uncontrollable. One glance at her husband's expression was all it took- she was weak, and she hated herself for it.
His arms were soon wrapped around her as she sobbed, the warmth of his chest providing some comfort. Forcing herself to calm down, Regina pulled away from his embrace.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry," she whispered, kissing him again.
The wetness from her tears felt cold against his face- this time, he was the one providing distance between them.
"You don't have to be sorry- I love you, no matter what."
His words practically burst any strength she had left, leaving her with nothing but the disapproval she had for herself. Surrendering back to his arms, Regina cried until falling into an exhausted sleep, leaving Robin alone with his racing thoughts.
Things were far from okay.