"I'm sorry," Ava and Nicky said to each other in unison as soon as they returned home from school.
Emma and Mary both look surprised. Neither of them had expected the twins to apologize to each other so quickly and without any more fighting.
That's it? You guys are friends again?
"We decided that there are more important things in life than being mad at each other." Ava stated.
"And also we don't want you to change your mind about adopting us." Nicky added.
Emma smiled fondly at her kids. "Of course I haven't changed my mind."
Mary asked, "But what made you change your mind?"
The twins off at each other for a moment, looking slightly guilty, before Ava finally admitted, "We kind of eavesdropped on you last night. When we heard that you both wanted to be in relationships, we got scared that this would be over. That you'd want to be with those guys instead of with us have your own biological kids."
"Oh, sweetie," Emma walked over and hugged the twins tightly. "I promise, whatever happens between me and Killian, or between Mary and David, nothing is ever going to make us stop caring about you. No guy will ever be more important to us than the two of you."
After they had rested in an inn for a night, it only took a few hours of searching for Mulan to find the person the needed. It was just past noon, with the sun just beginning to lean westward, when they walked into the shop belonging to a witch named Zelena of Oz. She lived and worked in the basement of one of the pretty white and pale blue houses, though the interior was completely different than the exterior. Zelena's one-room home was dimly lit by candles on the walls and smells faintly of something metallic. The small space was crammed with potions and magical instruments that none of the guests were familiar with.
She lived and worked in the basement of one of the pretty white and pale blue houses, though it was a solitary building at the end of a long street. The house's owners were a wealthy and important family who had offered the witch a place to life in exchange for performing spells for them. The interior of Zelena's living space was completely different than the exterior, or from the rest of the house. Her one-room home was dimly lit by candles on the walls and smells faintly of something metallic. The small space was crammed with potions and magical instruments that none of the guests were familiar with.
"I hope you can excuse the mess," Zelena said as she led them downstairs, "I wasn't expecting visitors today. What can I do for you?"
"We were hoping you can open a portal back into our realm," Mulan answered as she and her companions sat down on worn, woolen sofa.
"It's been a while since anyone asked me for that," Zelena replied.
"But can you do it?" Aurora interjected.
"Of course but there is the matter of payment."
"I brought some money and jewels," Aurora offered.
Zelena nodded, "We can work out the particulars after I've finished. Just tell me the name of the realm you wish to enter, I should have a portal ready in an hour or so."
Relieved, Mulan told them where she and Ah Ping were from. As Zelena began working on the portal, she told the trio to wait in the garden in the back of the house. The owners were rarely home and would not mind as long as they didn't disrupt anything. The women sat beneath the shade of a tall tree while Ah Ping began began climbing its twisted, gnarled branches.
"I can't believe after all this time I'll finally be able to go home," Mulan stated, a little excited and a little nervous at the same time. "And I can find out what happened to my village."
"I'm happy for you." Aurora responded.
"Do you... Do you still want to come with us? I can't guarantee we'll be able to get you back here."
"To be honest i'm not sure I want to come back at all. I just found out that my mothers kept the truth from me my whole life, that my parents by Blood chose to make a deal with the Dark One and used me as a bargaining chip. What do I have left in this realm?"
"What will you have in our Realm?"
"You of course," Aurora laughed "You are the best and truest friend I have ever had and I adore your brother as well. I can help you find your family and stay in your realm with you."
Mulan's face warmed at Aurora's kind words. She liked Aurora a great deal, and her heart skipped at the notion that Aurora had chosen to be with her over anyone else. A gentle breeze ruffled their hair and clothes. They sat together for a while, simply enjoying each other's company
"Someone's coming!" Ah Ping shouted suddenly, as he scrambled down the tree. "A bunch of men with weapons are headed right for this house."
"We need to go to Zelena," Mulan decided. The three of them returned downstairs in a hurry.
Zelena, who had been working on the spell, was startled by their unexpected return. "What are you doing? It's not ready!"
"Soldiers coming here with their weapons. I think we're under attack," Mulan stated. She already held a tight grip on her weapon. "I hope you have some good defensive spells in here, because otherwise I'm the only one protecting us."
She turned pale. "Oh this is not good. I'm afraid I've made more than a few enemies in my time, they didn't think they would find me here. In a city with so many magic users, it's easy to blend into a crowd. And here I have connections to a powerful family. I didn't think anyone would bother me knowing I was under their protection."
"Why would you have enemies?" Ah Ping asked.
"Anyone who practices magic long enough eventually gets a few." Zelena explained, "You take a job with someone and their enemies go after you to weakened them. Or a spell you cast has negative side effects and your client tries to get revenge against you. If someone used one of your spells to kill another person's loved one. It's an inherent risk."
They heard the soldiers pounding on the front door. Demanding to be let in.
"What do we do now?" Aurora asked.
"We should at least try to resolve this peacefully before resorting to violence." Zelena said, "Escalating the situation will not do us any favors. Mulan, stay with me in case things go wrong. Two you, stay downstairs. You won't be much help if this does turn into a fight."
The three of them nodded, though they were all afraid and upset.
"Morning David!" Emma greeted as he walked into the police station. Since they had to work together on Flora Xue's case, they had to become a lot closer. Emma wasn't afraid to admit that she thought of him as a friend. She really hoped that his date with Mary went well. They both deserved to be happy.
"Morning," he greeted back. He had just been assigned to represent Ashley's half-sister, Julia, who was accused of shoplifting from a clothing store and had to come to speak to his client. "Miss Bao."
Emma got up to let the accused out of her cell so she could speak with her lawyer in one of the station's private rooms. The Bao family had been through a lot in the last few years, between Mr. Bao's death and Ashley's falling out with her stepmother. Julia was just a kid and she was obviously going through a rough time. Emma remembered at the trouble she had gotten up to when she was about the same age. Looking back, half of it was an obvious cry for attention and the other half was a desperate attempt to feel like she had some control over life. She quietly decided that she'd been an eye on Julia before she did something she would really regret.
After about an hour of Julia explaining her situation to David, they came up with her strategy for her defense. If she could show that she was really sorry and promised to back for what she had stolen, the store might be willing to drop the charges. When her mother got paid on Friday, she'd be able to post bail, but until then she had to wait in her cell.
Before David left, Emma pulled him to the side. "Can we talk?"
"Of course. Is it about Julia Bao?"
"No, it's about Mary."
David looked like he had just been caught doing something he wouldn't. "Right. Did she mention that we have a date?"
"Yeah, and don't worry, I'm not upset that you like her." Emma reassured, "I actually think you two would be really good for each other."
"Oh," David relaxed. "Then what is it."
"I just want you to know that my kids know about this and it's gonna be an adjustment for them. I know you'd never go anything to hurt Mary intentionally, but I was just need you to keep that in mind. She's basically their second mom."
"Of course," David answered sincerely, "I know how much Ava and Nicky mean to her and I won't do anything to get in the way of that."
Emma smiled. Everything about David reaction was genuine. It felt extremely comforting to know at least some guys were humble and considerate. She'd dealt with so many scumbags in the past and wanted better for her friend. She wanted better for herself, too. "You really are a great guy, David. I hope things go well between you and Mary."
"Well, I hope so too," David laughed. Emma laughed with him.
"If you need anything Granny, don't hesitate to let us know," Ruby said as she fixed her hair in the mirror one more time. "We'll be right back."
"Don't worry about me girls, Ella and I will have a lovely evening together." Granny held the baby in her arms as the two young women prepared to leave.
Teddy had invited them both to spend the evening at his house and have dinner with him and his family. After all the time he had spent helping them raise Ella, it seemed only fitting that they spend more time together. He lived on the other side of town with his mother and aunt. Ruby had met his mother once when she stopped by to pick up Ella, but his aunt was more reclusive and solitary. Ashley had not met either of them.
The girls each gave Ella a kiss on the cheek and said goodbye to Granny before venturing into the car and driving off to Teddy's home. When they arrived, they were greeted by Teddy's mother. Rani Mishra was a beautiful woman in her early sixties, with coppery skin and hair that was more gray than black, who wore a bright sari of green and gold. She was very well known and well liked principal of Storybrooke High School. Her husband had passed away several years ago, and she now lived with her sister Divya.
"Ruby, it's so lovely to see you again," Rani smiled and gave her a hug, "And you must be Ella. I have been looking forward to meeting you."
"I've been looking forward to meeting you too. Teddy is always mentioning how great you are and I'm really grateful that you've been helping to take care of Ella."
"He flatters me too much," Rani laughed. "And of course I'm glad to help look after your little girl. She's such a sweet child. Come on it. Dinner is already ready."
Inside they met Rani's sister, Divya. She was much older than Rani, with hair that was almost pure white, and she wore a sari of different shades of blue. Divya was less talkative than her sister, but just as nice. They followed Rani into the dinning room where Teddy was setting down the dishes.
"Hey, I'm glad you guys could make it." He said, hugging them both. Ruby and Ashley hugged him back. They were glad to be able to spend some time with him in a fun, casual setting.
The five adults sat down and shared a great meal together. Teddy had made them pork vindalho served with naan. Most days Divya cooked, since she was retired and felt the need to do something around the house while her sister and nephew worked, but tonight Teddy had insisted on making dinner himself. He wanted everything to be perfect for Ashley and Ruby.
Spending time with Teddy's family and seeing how supportive they were toward him made Ashley think about her own family. She had patched things up with Julia, but her stepmother wasn't keen on letting them have a close relationship. Since Julia was still only sixteen, she was still under her mother's thumb. With her recent arrest, things had only gotten worse. Ashley wished she could do more to help her half-sister, she already had a lot to deal with between taking care of her daughter and trying to put her life back together. A joke from Ruby pulled her out of her gloomy thoughts and Ashley found herself enjoying the dinner once more.
After they had finished the meal and relaxed a little after dinner with cups of mint-flavored chaas, Ruby and Ashley bid goodbye to the Mishra family. They had both enjoyed themselves immensely and couldn't wait to tell Granny all about their evening. Ruby had driven them there, so Ashley drove them home. When they arrived, the lights were still on. Granny had already put Ella to, but she waited up for the girls to make sure they were alright. Once they swore they were and promised to tell her everything in the morning, Granny went up to bed.
Back at the Mishra house, Teddy's aunt helped him clean up after dinner. "They both seem like wonderful girl. Ella is lucky to have them." Divya observed.
Teddy nodded as he scrubbed a dish clean. "Yeah, and they both love her lot."
"So, which one of them are you in love with?" Divya asked bluntly. At the look of mortification on her nephew's face, she shook her head fondly and said, "I know that look you had on your face the whole time. You're father used to look just the same way at your mother. I just can't tell who it was directed toward."
The truth was, neither did Teddy.
