What Child is This?
Hazel's cries woke Regina. She rolled over, groaning when she saw her clock reading 3:30 AM. Beside her, Robin shifted. "I'll get her," he said, voice thick with sleep.
"No," she croaked, patting his arm. "You've taken this feeding all week."
"Because you were up early and home late. You needed the rest."
She smiled, sitting up. "And I can sleep in in the morning. So let me go and you get some rest. Got it?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," he sassed, giving her a bright smile. He closed his eyes as Regina wrapped herself in her robe. Before she even reached the bedroom door, his soft snores filled the room.
Regina padded down the hall to the nursery, walking into the room they had hastily thrown together when Emma had accelerated little Hazel's entrance into the world. Over the past couple months, though, the family began to properly decorate the room for her. The walls were painted a light pink and an apple tree had been added by Robin when she wasn't home. Henry had written parts of everyone's stories in fancy gold wording around the tree, which had touched Regina when she saw it. Roland's contribution was the little plaster sign with "Hazel" painted on it in childish lettering that hung over the girl's crib. She herself had added a roaring lion on the headboard as a tribute to Robin.
Hazel's cries died down to whimpers when she saw Regina, who picked her up. "I know, baby girl, you're hungry. Let's go downstairs and I'll fix that, okay?" Regina soothed.
Once the bottle was made, Regina carried Hazel into the living room. She clicked on the Christmas tree and let its multicolored lights illuminate the darkened room. Regina positioned herself on the couch so that Hazel could watch the lights, which they learned since putting up the tree fascinated the young girl.
As Hazel watched the tree, Regina watched her. She was three months old and starting to settle into her looks. Her eyes had stayed blue, clearly her father's rather than her mother's. Both Regina and Robin had been relieved about that, though guilty that they had doubted if they could love her if she had Zelena's eyes. There were a few more things that they could trace to Robin but not much they recognized from Zelena. And Mary Margaret swore Hazel had Regina's smile and nose. "It's possible," she had said. "You're her aunt so she could have some traits from you."
But her hair puzzled everyone. When they had left the hospital with her, Hazel had brown hair that had seemed closer to Robin's color than Zelena's. When they returned from the Underworld, they had been surprised to find it had darkened drastically. Henry had held her and said, "It almost looks like your color, Mom."
It did seem to be closer to Regina's color out of all of them. She and Robin had watched the girl sleep that first night back and tried to figure it out. "Maybe there was a gene somewhere between either you or Zelena for black hair and it became prominent," Regina suggested.
Robin had frowned. "What does any of that mean?"
"It just means..." Regina sighed. "I don't know. It just makes the most sense."
There was one other theory but Robin didn't want to entertain. Emma had voiced it though, ever blunt: "Robin, are you sure you're Hazel's father?"
"Yes," he replied, terse.
Emma dropped it but Regina could feel Robin's anger continue throughout the day. That night, he had vented to her. "She is mine. There are too many similarities."
"I know," she said.
But Robin wasn't done. "I feel horrible to admit that some part of me would like to think she isn't mine because then we could get that witch out of our lives for good. But then I remind myself that I can't let that sweet girl fall into her clutches. She's not fit to be a mother."
"Of course not." Regina stood, wrapping her arms around him. "We both know that Hazel is yours. And we're going to keep her far away from my sister. Together."
He sagged in her arms. "I am so lucky to have you in my life."
"That's debatable," she replied. "I'm still the reason Zelena targeted you like she did."
"Stop beating yourself up over that." He kissed her and that ended the conversation.
Still every so often, the thought popped into her mind. Like now, as she rocked Hazel. The girl had finished her bottle but was still fighting sleep. Regina smiled as she watched the girl's eyes flutter closed and then open again. "It's okay, baby girl. Go to sleep and have pleasant dreams. Dream about the Christmas tree and sugar plums and everything good. Because you deserve it."
Regina began to sing a Christmas carol softly, one she knew Henry had liked when he was a child. Hazel's eyes fluttered closed and stay that way as she drifted off to sleep. Smiling, Regina kissed her forehead. "Sweet dreams. In a few weeks, you'll have your first Christmas as well as your daddy and your brother. I promise you, it will be magical."
Mary Margaret called her one day to invite Hazel over for a playdate with Neal. Regina rolled her eyes even though she knew Mary Margaret couldn't see her. "They're babies. Not much playing going on."
"It'll be fun. Come on. You can bring Robin. He and David can go hang out together."
"Fine," Regina said with a sigh. "We'll be there in a half hour."
When they entered the loft, Mary Margaret spirited Hazel and Roland away. Emma sat at the table and she beckoned Regina and Robin closer. They approached as dread filled Regina. Something seemed off with her blonde friend and she wasn't sure she was going to like why.
"I have something for you," she said once they sat down. "And don't be mad."
"Well that's a guarantee you did something I didn't want you to do. What was it?" Regina asked.
Emma pushed a manila envelope toward them. "I ran a DNA test on Hazel."
"I'm her father," Robin insisted.
"You are," Emma said. "The tests reveal a ninety-nine point ninety-eight chance that Robin is Hazel's father."
Regina slid the envelope back. "Then why tell us this? We knew Robin was the father."
"But you need to look at the results. I didn't just test Hazel against Robin. I tested her against Zelena as well."
"Why?" Robin asked.
Emma shrugged. "Call it a hunch. And guess what? The tests reveal less than a twenty-five percent chance that Zelena is her mother. I had an old colleague of mine look it over and he said that if he had to guess just from the results, the person was a relative of Hazel's parent. But not full-blooded."
Regina furrowed her brow. "Emma, what are you saying?"
"Regina, you and Zelena are only half-sisters," she replied. "I don't know how, but she isn't Hazel's mother and I think you are."
Silence stretched on for several minutes before Regina let out a strangled: "Have you taken leave of your senses?"
"Regina!" Mary Margaret chided, coming in from the other room.
"No, Regina is right this time." Robin fixed Emma with a glare. "This is just cruel."
Emma frowned. "How is this cruel? Zelena's not the mother and Regina is. We can run another test to prove it and you'll see I'm right."
"Emma, I can't have children. I cursed myself years ago," Regina said, tears streaming down her face. "And even if I had conceived despite that, how would Zelena have taken the child from my womb? When would she had done that?"
"I don't know. Belle is looking into it..."
"Belle?" Regina's eyes flashed dangerously. "You told her about this?"
Emma shrank back a bit. "Not exactly. I didn't mention who it was for. I told her I just needed to do some research into it since babies tend to be a hot commodity around here."
Robin placed his hand on Regina's back, rubbing soothing circles into it. "I think we need to go home. Give ourselves time to process this."
"Process what?" Regina hissed. "This is ridiculous. There is no way Hazel is my child biologically. And I'm okay with that, even if some people aren't."
At her withering glare, Emma excused herself. Mary Margaret stepped forward again, arms crossed. "Look, I know it was wrong for Emma to run this test behind your back..."
"Good. Stop there."
"But what if the tests are right? What if Hazel is really yours? Are you going to go through life without knowing?"
"It doesn't matter. I'm raising Hazel with Robin, so she is mine in every way that matters," Regina said, picking up her bag. "Now, I'm going to get my daughter and go."
Mary Margaret sighed. "I know you're not about vengeance anymore, but if Zelena did take Hazel from you, don't you think she should be punished?"
Regina paused before picking up Hazel. She called for Roland, who came running down the stairs. He looked up at her. "Are we leaving already?"
"I'm afraid we are. Come on, baby. I'll make us all hot chocolate at home." Regina smiled as Roland cheered, urging him to take his father's hand. The family left the loft without another word.
"Here you go." Robin handed her a glass of whiskey.
Regina took it, giving him a tight smile. They curled up on the couch, watching the lights on the Christmas tree twinkling in the dark of night. A fire roared in the fireplace, where five stockings hung. Regina stared at Hazel's, her thoughts all jumbled up. Was she really the girl's mother? Had she and Robin somehow broken the curse she had placed on herself? If so, then how did Zelena steal her baby from her?
"Are you thinking about what Emma said?" he asked.
She nodded. "Are you?"
"Yes," he admitted with a sigh. "I am still upset that she ran the test without our permission but..."
"You're wondering if what Emma said might be true."
He sighed again. "I studied Hazel when I fed her tonight, looking for any traces of you."
"Did you find any?"
"I found some, besides your hair." He toyed with one of her dark locks. "Mary Margaret is right. Hazel does have your smile and nose."
"But I am her aunt. While Zelena and I aren't full sisters, as Emma pointed out, we share a mother. A mother who I have often heard I look like."
Robin pulled her close. "Do you think, though, that it's possible? That Hazel is ours, truly, and Zelena stole her?"
"I don't know. I've gone over it time and time again. There doesn't seem to be much time since we unfroze fake Marian and when she had to leave town. Not enough for her to steal an unborn baby."
"She gave me a day to think things over, to make my choice," Robin said. "A whole twenty-four hours. Which included a night I didn't spend with her. In fact, Marian...Zelena...insisted on getting a room at Granny's."
Regina frowned. "So there are a lot of hours we won't be able to account for Zelena's whereabouts."
"A lot of hours for her to do something underhanded," Robin said. "Like stealing our child."
She groaned, leaning against him. "Are we really entertaining Emma's ridiculous notion?"
"It appears so." He kissed her head. "It couldn't hurt to hear whatever Belle discovers, right?"
"It might," Regina whispered.
She could feel Robin's frown. "How so?"
Regina shook her head. "This is something good. Good things generally don't last in my life."
"I've lasted. Roland's lasted. Henry's lasted. Hell, even Snow's lasted." He tilted her head up so her eyes met his. "Once upon a time, good things didn't last in your life. But now the good things are fighting to stay in your life. So start believing in us a bit more, yeah?"
Letting out a soft chuckled, she pulled his head down so their lips met. "I believe in all of you."
"Then it's time to believe in yourself, love." He nuzzled her hair. "It's time to believe that miracles can happen to you."
There ended up being quite a few spells that could transfer a baby from one womb to another, any one of which Zelena could've used. "This is actually very alarming," Mary Margaret said, looking over Belle's research. "Who knew people were stealing babies from wombs?"
"It seems it was commonly used to blackmail wealthy men," Belle said. "They would take the child of someone else and show up pregnant, forcing the men to pay or they would tell their wives."
"And now Zelena may have used one to steal Regina's baby in order to hurt her," Emma interjected.
Robin frowned. "But which one, if any, did she use?"
David shrugged. "Should we ask her?"
"Like Zelena is just going to tell the truth now?" Regina asked, shooting him a look. "She's not going to give up Hazel when she can still use her to hurt me. If she ever did tell the truth, it'll be at a time that will hurt me the most."
Robin took her hand as Mary Margaret held up the DNA test. "But can she continue to deny it in the face of such proof?"
"Like a piece of paper is going to matter with my sister. We saw her give birth. That's all she is going to hold on to."
Squeezing her hand, Robin intervened. "It's almost Christmas. Why don't we get through the holidays and figure out what to do next after the New Year?"
Everyone nodded as Regina leaned against him, watching their little girl sleep in her carrier.
Regina tried to focus on everything Christmas. She made a gingerbread house with Roland, baked about a pound of cookies for Henry's class, and introduced Robin to coquito. She bought them Christmas outfits to wear-red sweaters, white shirts and gray slacks for her boys and red dresses for her and Hazel-and they took their first official Hood-Mills family photo in front of the Christmas tree. Robin held Hazel in the crook of one arm while he wrapped the other around Regina's waist. She placed her hand on Henry's back as he stood on her other side while Roland stood between Robin and Regina. The tree twinkled in the background as the camera's flash went off. Regina checked the shot and beamed as she declared it "picture perfect."
On Christmas Eve, they joined everyone at Granny's for "Cookies, Carols and Cheer." Regina brought a tray of her gingersnaps as well as some of her coquito for the Cookies and Cheers. Roland eagerly joined the other children for the "Carols" part, singing along to several Christmas songs as the adults stood around with silly smiles on their faces. When the children then were led to their own table to decorate cookies, the adults broke off into small groups as they enjoyed the cheer. Regina and Robin stood with the Charmings, Hook and Belle as Robin rocked Hazel. She was content to watch the activity going on around her.
A sticky little hand tugged at Regina's skirt and she looked down to find Roland beaming up at her. "Come see my cookie, Gina," he said.
"I'd love to," she said, letting him lead her back to the table. She oohed and ahhed over the Santa with a very thick frosting beard and about three eyes. "It looks too good to eat."
Roland giggled as a hush fell over the diner. He looked around her before burying his head in her skirts. She knew without looking herself that Zelena had just entered the establishment.
"Don't stop the party on my account," her voice said, sounding happy at the thought she was ruining the party. "I'm here for some holiday revelry as well."
Everyone looked to Regina for guidance. She could turn, say Zelena was not welcomed and watch as the others rallied to toss her sister back out onto the street. It touched her how far she had come with the people of Storybrooke and she finally felt like their leader.
But it was Christmas-time for peace and goodwill. Regina could offer that to Zelena for now. Even if she didn't deserve any of that.
"Come in," she said. "But you have to be on your best behavior or I won't stop the mob."
"Of course," Zelena replied, smile tight. She approached Robin and held out her arms. "I'd like to hold my daughter."
Robin tightened his hold on Hazel but handed the baby over to Zelena. This was not the time and place to start slinging accusations. So Regina had to watch her sister bounce the little girl, her usual sick feeling magnified tenfold with the growing proof Hazel was hers rather than Zelena's.
Sending Roland back to decorate another cookie, Regina made her way to Robin's side. She grabbed onto the back of his sweater and he rubbed her back, looking as sick over this as she felt. They supported each other as Zelena rocked the girl.
"Hello, my little munchkin," Zelena cooed. "Did you miss Mommy?"
Hazel turned her head, eyes locking onto Regina. She waved her arm toward the dark-haired woman, wriggling in Zelena's grasp.
"Don't you want to be with Mommy?" Zelena asked, growing frustrated. "Why do you want to leave me?"
Her tone upset Hazel, who cried and kicked her feet harder. Regina swooped in and took her from Zelena, rocking her. Hazel calmed down with seconds until she was only sniffling and hiccupping.
"You've turned her against me!" Zelena lunged at Regina but Robin held her back.
"We've done nothing," he insisting, struggling with the witch. "I think you should leave."
Zelena stopped her fighting. "Not yet. I have a present for her and I want to watch her open it."
"She's a baby, Zelena," Regina replied with a sigh. "She won't be able to open it anyway. Leave the present with us and we'll open it in the morning."
"I will not be kept from my daughter!" Zelena yelled.
Hazel started to cry hard again and Regina turned, rocking and soothing the girl. Behind her, she heard David and Hook wrestle Zelena out of the diner as Robin returned to Regina's side with Hazel's favorite apple pacifier. The girl started to suck and her whimpers died down, tears still filling her blue eyes. Regina kissed her forehead. "It's okay, sweet princess. She's gone."
"I think she knows," Mary Margaret said, coming up next to the couple.
Regina frowned. "You think Zelena knows we know about her deception?"
"No. I was talking about Hazel. I think she knows you're her mother."
Robin wrapped his arm around Regina. "She's always been Hazel's mother. She feeds her, changes her, bathes her, soothes her, sings to her. The only thing finding out the truth of Hazel's parentage could change is Zelena's involvement in her life."
Touched, Regina leaned against him as Hazel's eyes closed. She fell asleep, rolling closer to Regina as a little fist closed on her shirt. Robin and Mary Margaret were both right-she was Hazel's mother, no matter what any test said, and Hazel knew that.
And that's all that mattered.
Christmas morning came fast. Robin took Hazel's midnight feeding so Regina felt it was only right for her to get up when the little girl started to whimper at almost seven in the morning. She wrapped herself in her robe, covering up the Christmas themed pajamas she had worn to bed. Her pajama pants were red with little reindeer on them and Hazel seemed fascinated by the reindeer on her pajama shirt, which peeked out through her robe. Hazel reached out a little hand, trying to grab Rudolph's red nose as Regina turned on the tree. She chuckled and handed the girl a plush reindeer. "There, you can play with this reindeer," she told her daughter.
Hazel began gumming the reindeer's antler as Regina heard little feet bounding down the stairs. Roland darted into the room, stopping when he saw the pile of presents under the present. His eyes widened as he turned to Regina. "Is one of those for me?" he asked.
"There's more than one," Regina assured him. "But we have to wait for everyone else to wake up, okay?"
Roland nodded before following Regina to the couch. He climbed up and sat next to her, watching Hazel. "Will she remember this Christmas?"
"Probably not," Regina replied. "But we will. And there will always be pictures."
"I guess." Roland tickled his sister's stomach and she laughed, kicking at him playfully.
She heard the snap of a camera and looked up to find Robin taking a picture with his phone. He smiled at her. "Sorry, I couldn't resist."
"Papa! It's Christmas!" Roland stood up on the couch, arms outstretched toward Robin.
He picked up his son, chuckling. "Yes, it is, my boy. And I see Santa came last night."
Roland nodded. "Regina says we have to wait for everyone to wake up to open their presents."
"She's right," Robin agreed. "It's only fair."
"Well, there's nothing saying we can't wake anyone up. After all, the rest of us are up and if we leave Henry to his own devices, he'll sleep Christmas away," Regina said.
Not needing to be told twice, Roland wriggled out of his father's grasp and ran upstairs once his socked feet hit the floor. Robin leaned down to first kiss Hazel and then Regina. "Merry Christmas, my lovely ladies."
"Merry Christmas, Robin," she replied softly. She handed Hazel to him and he cuddled with his daughter, who cooed happily at him.
Roland returned to the living room, dragging a bleary-eyed Henry behind him. "Can we open the presents now?" he asked.
"Are you up for it, Henry?" Robin teased the older boy, who let out a groan in response.
Chuckling, Regina stood and hugged her oldest. "Merry Christmas, Henry."
"Merry Christmas, Mom," he whispered back. Pulling away, he sat crossed-legged by the tree as he turned to Roland. "So, which present do you want to open first?"
Soon the living room was covered in torn pieces of brightly colored paper and gifts strewn about the floor. Roland immediately opened his new bow and arrow, wanting to use it right then. Robin and Regina managed to convince him to wait and open up more of his presents. He was soon distracted by his new video games from Henry and the older boy promised to teach him how to play them. Regina was proud of him, knowing he would rather curl up on the couch with his new comic books.
Robin put on the watch Regina got him, smiling. "Thank you, love."
"You're welcome," she said. "Perhaps now you'll be on time."
He gave her a look before kissing her. Robin handed her a square package. "Your turn, my dear."
She pulled off the wrapping paper to reveal a black velvet box. When she opened it, a gold apple with an arrow through it rested inside. She gasped and looked at Robin. "This is beautiful but how did you...?"
"I've been doing some odd jobs at the jewelers for it," he replied, nuzzling her. "It's much better than the one you got in Camelot, if you ask me."
"Oh, it definitely is." She took out the necklace and handed it to him, turning so he could put it on her.
Once the necklace was on, he handed her a thin package. "I think you'll like this present even better."
Raising an eyebrow, she opened her present to find a pen inside a wooden case. "It's lovely, Robin, but I don't think it quite tops the necklace."
"Well, there's a part two." He handed her a manila envelope.
She opened it and pulled out what appeared to be legal documents. Frowning, she looked up at him. "Robin?"
"Emma helped me find someone to draw these up," he said. "They'll let you legally adopt Roland."
"You...You mean it?"
Robin nodded. "If you want it."
She glanced at Roland, who was busy playing with his toy car and had no clue what was going on beside him. But Henry did and when she met his eyes, he gave a slight nod to her. Regina took a deep breath, removed the pen and signed the papers. "Merry Christmas," she said.
"Merry Christmas," he echoed again, kissing her.
Robin and Regina hosted Christmas dinner. There had been a bit of a fight between Mary Margaret and Regina over it but in the end, everyone had agreed that there was just more room at the mansion. So once the presents were opened and breakfast eaten, Regina set her boys to cleaning the house while she started the turkey and Hazel napped.
As she slid the bird into her oven, Robin wandered in holding a present wrapped in bright green paper. "Zelena's gift to Hazel," he said. "What do you want to do with it?"
"Burn it," she replied before sighing. "But I guess we should open it. See what she got her."
Robin nodded as he tore open the paper to reveal a black box. He lifted the lid to reveal a tiny broomstick inside. Nothing too sinister but deemed inappropriate for Hazel's age. Robin closed the box and went to go put it away, offering to wrangle up the boys so they could get ready.
Henry carried down Hazel, who was dressed in her red Christmas dress again. Robin had brushed her black curls and held them back with the matching headband. Her apple pacifier was in her mouth and her blue eyes focused on Henry's tie, fascinated by it. Regina chuckled as she opened the door to greet their guests arrived for dinner.
They all sat down at Regina's dining room table, Hazel now strapped into the carrier resting on a chair between her and Robin. Neal was old enough for a high chair and he banged his hands on the tray as David tried to calm him down. Henry took the seat on the other side of his mother so Emma claimed the next two for her and Hook. Everyone was falling into place as Regina stared at the one thing she'd never expected to have-a large family gathered around for dinner. Yes, they were a ragtag group but they were held together by more than blood. Their bonds had been forged through conflict and cooperation, making them stronger than anything else.
She raised her glass and the others followed suit. "To family," she said.
"Family," they echoed, taking sips of their drinks.
Regina sat down and turned her attention to her dinner. Conversations echoed around her but she was content to sit back and let them wash over her. Robin leaned past a now sleeping Hazel and took her hand. "Are you happy, milady?"
"Very much so," she replied, squeezing his hand. "Maybe one day I'll get used to it."
After dinner, they exchanged presents. Most went to the children. Hazel and Neal were happy just tossing about wrapping paper as the adults gave each other small presents. Regina set aside her new gloves from the Charmings to go get dessert ready.
"Regina, wait." Emma followed her into the kitchen, holding a wrapped present. "I wanted to give you mine in private."
"You did? Why?" Regina took the package but made no move to open it.
Emma sighed. "You'll understand when you open it."
Curious, Regina tore open the wrapping and opened the box. A dreamcatcher sat inside and she frowned. "Emma, what did you do?"
"I went to Zelena and got the memory of how she got pregnant," Emma replied. "It'll answer your questions."
"But this is dark magic, Emma."
She nodded. "That's why I wanted you to open it in private. I didn't want to concern my parents. You know they'd take it the wrong way."
"And I won't?"
"I knew you'd understand it better," Emma explained. "That sometimes dark magic can be used for good."
Regina sighed. "I do. I hope this was worth it."
"You can let me know after you watch it. Merry Christmas, Regina."
"Merry Christmas, Emma," she replied, smiling at her.
Henry went home with the Charmings that night so Robin and Regina just had to tuck in Roland and Hazel. Once that was done, they curled up together as Regina showed him the dreamcatcher Emma gave her. He kissed her forehead. "Do you want to watch it?"
"I don't know," Regina replied. "What if we don't like what we see?"
"It involves Zelena, love. That's pretty much a guarantee."
She sighed, getting comfortable in his arms before raising the dreamcatcher. As it glowed gold, she said: "Here goes nothing..."
Regina puttered around her kitchen, trying to keep her mind off the fact that Robin was making a big decision that night. Hazeln had given him an ultimatum: her or Regina. He had to choose between love and his honor code. She didn't know which would be victorious in the end.
Knocking interrupted her musing and she hurried to the door, wondering what could've happened now. She opened it and said: "Please don't tell me a monster is raging through town."
"No, it's nothing of the sort." Marian stood on her stoop, holding a container. "I wanted to talk with you. May I come in?"
Regina stood aside, letting the woman in. Closing the door, she turned to Marian. "Can I take your cloak?"
"No, I'm good."
"I'm a bit confused. Why are you here?" Regina asked.
Marian smiled. "Robin's off pondering his decision but I think we both know he's going to choose you. And I've accepted that. So, I thought I'd come and bring you a gift. Something to show that there's no ill will between us and I hope we can at least be civil to each other for Roland's sake."
"I'd like that." Regina smiled as well. "Come into the kitchen. Can I get you something? Coffee? Tea?"
"I'm good. Thank you. Why don't we try that pastry I bought? The baker assured me it was very good," Marian said.
Regina nodded and pulled out two forks. She opened the box to reveal a piece of key lime pie. "Guests first," she offered, pushing it toward Marian.
"Oh no. I bought it for you. It's only right that you should have the first bite." Marian pushed it back toward her.
Nodding, Regina scooped up a bit with her fork and took a bite. As soon as she swallowed, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she passed out on the floor. Marian came around the island, twisting the necklace she wore to become Zelena. The redhead smirked as she took in her unconscious sister. "Oh, Regina. One would think you of all people would be warier of eating food you didn't make."
Zelena crouched down, looking over Regina. "I guess this is the part where I tell you my diabolical plan. Especially since I have time before the second part of my magical pie kicks in.
"I don't know how Rumpelstiltskin covered it up, but he tried to kill me. But you didn't think to crush my necklace. Stupid move on your part but a great one for me. My spirit was able to get my magic to open my portal but only back to the point it had been when you had closed it. Which wasn't far enough back to erase your existence.
"I haunted the woods and tried to figure out my next move when I spotted the Savior and her one-handed pirate. They were arguing about taking this woman back with them and I thought-what luck! I could use her to regain my body and take on her form to get back to Storybrooke. Once here, I could find a new way to destroy your life I figured. And the chance just dropped itself in my lap when your forest-dwelling boyfriend stood, calling me Marian. What better way to destroy your happiness than to take your soulmate? Putting up with him and his brat for a little bit seemed like a small price to pay until you let your own destructive habits destroy everything.
"Of course, I didn't count on getting frozen, on you really committing to this hero thing, and on Robin's love for you being stronger than I ever thought. Even strong enough to undo your fertility potion." Zelena placed a hand on Regina's abdomen and smiled. "Almost ready."
She sat back, her smile taking on a crazy quality. "You probably don't know. Actually, judging by the alcohol I found you guzzling this afternoon, you definitely don't know. I hope that doesn't affect the baby. Tsk, tsk, Regina. Well, you can have all the alcohol you want soon enough. Because I'm going to take your baby...now."
Regina's body began to glow a soft gold color and Zelena held her open palm over her abdomen again. She closed her blue eyes, concentrating as a tiny bubble rose up from inside Regina. The bubble floated into Zelena as she opened her eyes. "There we go. Now I'm pregnant and you can go on as many benders as you want.
"Here's my grand plan. Robin is going to choose you, that's quite obvious. So I'm going to fake that the ice has returned. You and Robin won't let poor, defenseless Marian go over the town line by herself. So your new little family? Say goodbye to them. I'm taking Robin and Roland with me. You'll probably be able to figure out a way to get them back, but by the time you do, Robin will know I'm pregnant. He won't leave his child so I'll get to watch your face as he chooses me and breaks your heart. And then I can raise your child to hate you. That will be worth the wait, for that reveal right before this little tyke does you in."
Zelena stood up and waved her hand over Regina, sending her to bed. She waved her hand again and the pie disappeared, leaving no evidence of her visit. With a twist of the necklace, she became Marian again and he let herself out of the house.
Regina was shaking by the time the memory finished. "She...She stole my baby. She stole Hazel from me."
"I know." He kissed the side of her head. "I saw it too."
"Hazel's ours. We made her in the vault and then she...Oh god." Regina bolted from the bed and darted into their bathroom. Her knees hit the tiled floor as she retched into the toilet.
Robin knelt next to her, rubbing her back. When she finished, he handed her a wet facecloth and regarded her with concerned but determined eyes. "So, what do you want to do now?"
"I want to kill my sister."
"Okay."
Surprised, Regina turned to Robin with wide-eyes. He was usually the one to talk her down from her violent tendencies. "You mean it?"
"I do. She stole our baby just to hurt you. Hazel was the only thing keeping us from hurting her. Now that she's no longer her mother...We can be rid of her," he said.
He was right, Regina realized. They had agreed that Hazel should know her mother out of the hope that motherhood would change Zelena the way it had changed Regina. The revelation that Zelena wasn't even Hazel's real mother threw that out the window. They could finally rid themselves of Zelena. All it would take was a flick of the wrist-Regina could snap her neck or Robin could pierce her heart with his arrow. Either would work.
And yet...
"No. Heroes don't kill for vengeance," she said, taking Robin's hand. "We'll figure out something else."
Robin smiled, kissing her. "I trust you, love. Now let's go to bed."
Regina sat at her desk in the mayor's office, Robin standing behind her, as Zelena entered. She smiled as her sister approached. "Thank you for coming, Zelena."
"Well, I must say I was quite intrigued to get your message, sister. What do you wish to discuss?" Zelena asked.
"Hazel," Regina replied, "and our agreement."
Zelena's smile grew. "Have I been a good enough girl? Will you let me spend more time with my daughter?"
Robin glanced down at Regina before looking back to her sister with a smirk. "We've decided that you will no longer be able to see Hazel, starting immediately."
"What?" Zelena strode closer to the desk, her face almost as red as her hair as fire burned in her blue eyes. "You can't do that. I'm her mother."
"Except you're not," Regina replied. "I am."
Zelena was breathing heavier now. "Is this that 'You're the one raising her so you're her real mother' bullshit again? I'd be doing that but YOU WON'T LET ME."
Robin leaned forward, growing just as red as she. "With good reason."
"Robin," Regina warned, motioning for him to stand back. "Don't let her get to you."
"You heard her, Robbie. Besides, I have a feeling this is between me and my sister." Zelena leveled Regina with a hard glance. "This reeks of your doing."
Regina stood to meet her sister's eyes, smiling. "This is all your doing, Zelena. It's time to own up to your crimes."
"Which crimes are we talking about now? There are just so many..."
"The crimes against me," Regina replied, tossing down the manila envelope containing the DNA results. "This is a paternity test Emma ran on Hazel."
Zelena rolled her eyes. "As much as it pains you to think that your soulmate moved on so quickly, he is Hazel's father."
"Yes, he is. The test proves that. But Robin wasn't the only one tested. Emma had your DNA compared to Hazel's. And guess what it discovered? That you're not a match to be her mother. According to the results, you're at best a distant relative." Regina pushed the envelope closer to Zelena.
The witch ignored it. "You're going to believe some test that can be faked? Robin saw me give birth. Didn't you?"
"I did," he confirmed.
"See? I carried her and I gave birth to her. I'm her mother." Zelena leaned closer to Regina. "So you will not deny me the chance to see her."
"You carried her. And you did give birth to her. But here's the thing...You didn't conceive her."
Zelena laughed. "Because a piece of paper told you so?"
"No." Regina held up the dreamcatcher. "Because this did."
She watched as the color drained from Zelena's face and her sister recoiled as if burned. "Where did you get that?"
"It was a Christmas gift. From Emma."
"Looks like she still has some Dark One in her." Zelena's sass though lacked its usual confidence and Regina saw beads of sweat form at her hairline.
Regina's smile grew more triumphant. "Seem nervous, sis. Afraid of the memory inside?"
"Of course not," Zelena replied. "You might be disappointed though. Are you sure you can stomach watching Forest Boy over there making love to me?"
Robin frowned. "It wasn't making love. It wasn't much of anything."
Regina cleared her throat. "Do you think we would've called you in here, making grand pronouncements if we hadn't already watched the memory? If we hadn't watched you knock me out and steal my growing embryo, the child Robin and I created in the vault?"
"Of course. You're getting everything. Again," Zelena spat. "Just let me have this one thing."
Robin frowned. "Hazel is not a 'thing,' Zelena. She's a baby girl. Our baby girl-my daughter with Regina. And you stole her, made me think I fathered a child with you. I will have to live the rest of my life with knowing I slept with you-not by choice-but I no longer have to share my darling princess with you."
Zelena smirked. "Well, you'll always have the memory of our night together."
"Not really," he admitted, frowning. "It's always been a bit of a blur."
"Anyway, it's time to make sure you can't hurt anyone I care about again. Make sure you can't get anywhere near any of my children," Regina said.
Her sister crossed her arms. "How? You going to lock me up again?"
"No. I was thinking of something more permanent." She pulled out the wand the Apprentice gave them so long ago.
Zelena paled but remained defiant. "You can work that, remember? You weren't strong enough."
"I wasn't dark enough," Regina clarified. "But last night, after watching this memory, I wanted to kill you. I may be more hero than villain now, but I am still both. If I harness what powers my darkness, in this case my absolute hatred of you, I believe..."
She held up the wand, which now glowed with her purple magic. "Well, look at that."
"I'll see you at home then?" Robin asked her, eyes shining with pride and love. He kissed her before leaving, glaring at Zelena as he passed.
Zelena stared at her sister and Regina noticed the fear behind them. "What now?"
"Well, we're going to go someplace I don't mind a twister damaging." She flicked her wrist, bringing them to Ingrid's abandoned ice cream truck. "Look. You can even have a snack on your way back to Oz."
Straightening her shoulders, Zelena glared at her sister. "Well, what are you waiting for? Do it!"
Regina shook her head. "Not yet. You've nothing, Zelena. We know the truth about Hazel and you're about to go back to Oz. So I want you to tell me the truth. Did you really sleep with Robin?"
"Fine," Zelena snapped. "No, I didn't. Happy?"
"Only if you're telling me the truth."
"I am. Your precious outlaw never cheated on you. Even disguised as the wife he was trying to start over with, I couldn't get him to do that. Not in the short amount of time I had before I couldn't hide my pregnancy symptoms. I had sent Walsh to New York with some potions. I retrieved one that knocked Robin out and made it easy to plant false memories in his mind. So he really wasn't much in bed with me."
Regina's heart skipped a beat and warm relief spread through her. "Thank you for that, Zelena. Enjoy Oz."
She raised the wand and gave it a few waves before flicking it. The ground began to shake and Zelena grasped onto the driver's seat. Regina smiled. "Goodbye. Sis."
With a flick of her wrist, Regina transported herself to a safe spot. She watched the green twister cut through a swath of trees before picking up the ice cream truck. It rose up into the sky, disappearing with a crack.
Zelena was finally gone.
Regina returned home to find Robin waiting for her, pacing the foyer with Hazel in his arms. He stopped when he saw her, eyes wide. "Well?"
"She's gone," Regina confirmed. "Out of our lives for good."
He breathed out in relief, tension leaving his body. "Thank the gods."
She rushed forward, letting him engulf her in a one-armed hug. Hazel was caught between them, sandwiched by her parents as she slept on. As Robin rocked her, Regina told him of Zelena's last confession.
"I knew it," he whispered. "Somewhere, deep down, I always knew I didn't betray you like that. That I knew something was off and didn't want to rush things."
"Hush. It's over now. It's all over." She stroked his cheek.
Robin kissed her. "I love you. And our family."
"I love you too." She ran a hand over Hazel's back. "Can I...Can I hold her?"
"Of course. You're her mother." Robin handed her the baby girl, who wriggled a bit before getting comfortable against her shoulder.
Regina smiled. "I am, aren't I?"
"Shall we go throw out everything Zelena ever gave Hazel?" Robin suggested.
"I have a better idea. Let's bring it into the backyard and I can burn it." She felt giddy, like a young girl. "I'll enjoy watching it all go up in flames."
Robin laughed. "Let's make it a party. I'll go get the boys and we can roast marshmallows over it."
"Then we can have some hot chocolate and have a family movie night." She lifted Hazel up and kissed the baby's cheek. "A perfect celebration of everything."
He kissed her again before smiling. "I was just wondering...If we were able to make Hazel, does that mean we could have more children?"
"I don't know. But that would be a very good theory to test out. Once Hazel's older," Regina replied.
Laughing, Robin nodded before calling for their sons. They stood in the snow, watching the fire burn away all reminders of Zelena as Henry helped Roland roast a marshmallow over the open flame. Robin wrapped his arm around Regina and kissed her cheek.
"Happy New Year, Love."
A/N: I wrote this for the OUAT Secret Santa gift exchange on tumblr. While talking with my giftee, I asked if she was okay with including Baby Hood and she was though she wouldn't mind a fic where the little girl was an Outlaw Queen baby. So this was born! It was fun coming up with a plausible way for Zelena to steal Regina's unborn child, which would probably only work in Once. I hope everyone had a great holiday season! Happy 2016! -Mac