SLIGHT TW for mentioned SA. Very slight.

The mansion loomed in the distance as Kieran and Charlie made their way down the street. Emma stayed behind at the station with Kara, and Killian went to the diner to give Ruby and Granny a heads-up. He planned on stopping by Town Hall on the way there, hoping to pass a message to Sam. Jess and Ruby were safely at the house, unharmed, and it would stay that way as long as Kieran had a say in it. She would even go as far as sending her best friend and family back to National City if need be, knowing that the threats in their world were easier to navigate. And while there was no fear that Snow White or Charming would attack so soon, none of them wanted to take the chance. Kara promised to keep her ears tuned to the city while helping Emma with whatever needed to be done at the station. Kieran didn't particularly like having the Kryptonian out of sight, but beyond Kryptonite, the number of threats in Storybrooke dwindled to two. Rumplestiltskin was an unknown factor despite his assistance in getting them home, but the Blue Fairy was someone Kieran didn't want around Kara. Sure, Snow and Charming didn't have magic. But the Blue Fairy did, and she had proven time and time again that she would do whatever was necessary to keep "good" in the winner's circle. Thankfully, Emma knew the Blue Fairy enough to give Kara a head start.

Then there was the whole Henry thing. The moment Snow mentioned him at the station, Kieran knew that he would become a bargaining chip, and no matter the circumstances, Henry was their little brother. He was off-limits, and Kieran needed to speak with Emmett about convincing Regina to move him back into the house. Emmett and Rosalie didn't sleep, Kara required very little to function, and Ruby slept with Sam and Jess anyway. Kieran could move in with Regina temporarily, and Henry could take the room Emmett claimed. They would find a way around the space in the mansion, and they had no intention of letting Snow separate them again.

Kieran hadn't realized Charlie wasn't walking with her until she turned around, and he stared at her with concern.

"What?"

"I've been calling your name for the last few minutes," he said, walking to catch up with her. "Are you alright? You kind of left behind a trail of ice."

Kieran looked down, and sure enough, there were small puddles of water that matched her footsteps. She rubbed her forehead and sighed.

"I'm sorry. I have a lot on my mind," she said.

"Yeah, I bet. You know, when I came here, I never realized how," he paused, "fragile your situation truly was."

"What do you mean"

"Not to be rude or pushy, but it seems like there's more to the story than you're letting on. Your reaction back at the station was –

"Impulsive?" Kieran guessed.

"Exactly. I just – I feel like the Snow White thing isn't just the portal thing…"

Charlie trailed off, and Kieran looked at the sky, releasing a long breath.

"Most people tend to see Bella first, and me second. Her personality can fill a room without her trying. Yes, she sometimes struggles to get her thoughts across, and she can be silent. And I admit it's strange to see someone talking to birds and wild creatures with ease, but Bella can be so all-encompassing the moment she decides to let her guard down. As for me, I like when people are caught off guard by me. I like being unexpected and underestimated. I don't need to be in your face because I know that I can do, take, and say what I want when it matters. Or, at least, I try to. But that's not my point. My point is, you're right. It is more than the portal thing. So, to answer your unasked question on why I reacted so strongly to Snow, I was fourteen when it happened. That means the worst part of my puberty and so forth happened away from my family. I had to grow up with a group of people that were emotionally, mentally, verbally, and physically abusive. I matured a lot faster than I should have, and I admit I'm stunted in some ways. I hide it because I've had years of practice, but there are things I don't understand socially because I learned all the bad stuff about this realm. All the good stuff came once I was past maturity when I was blessed to find Sam and Ruby, to have Jess be in my life, and ultimately, to find Kara. I don't think my family understood why I am the way that I am until we went into my realm. And they still never quite got the whole story. That leads to my fragility, as you said. It's hard to let go of twelve years of abuse. And I blame Snow for what went wrong in my life. So when she denied us, denied me, it made things so much worse."

"Did she not know about you guys beforehand?"

"No," Kieran said, shaking her head. "The King and Snow couldn't know about us."

"What would've happened if he found out?"

"It would have been a death sentence for all of us," Kieran murmured. She cleared her throat and added, "Another reason I reacted so strongly to Snow's comment was her naivete about her father's marriage to Mom. The King wanted an heir that wasn't a girl, and that was Mom's responsibility being his wife. Mom was only seventeen when they got married, which meant she was," she grimaced, "fertile enough to give him what he wanted. But for reasons we were never told, Mom can never and will never have the option of giving birth. That wasn't something she ran and told the King. So he tried night after night. Eventually, he became frustrated and took from her whatever he desired whenever he desired. It stopped being about conception and more about domination."

"Ah. Gender roles and expectations were antiquated," he said.

"The entire realm is stuck in the medieval ages," Kieran laughed. "You don't realize how much indoor plumbing can change your life. I almost cried when I had my first shower."

"Not to mention the food, the cars, the media, and –

"The alcohol," Kieran joked. "Mead and wine can only go so far. A good glass of scotch can change, and has changed, my life."

Charlie snorted, and Kieran started their walk again.

"Something that I doubt most people understand is that Snow demanded so much from Mom. She took and took until there was nothing left. Mom gave all that she had out of self-preservation, and we got what remained. And there were times when what was left wasn't enough. But she tried, and that meant more to us than she probably realizes. She did the best she could, and sometimes it had to be enough for us. But we would go days without seeing her. Bella and I once snuck into court just to catch a glimpse of her. Now, I'm not saying my childhood was awful. It was incredible and frustrating in equal amounts. My trauma takes up such a small portion, and most of it comes from National City and Metropolis, honestly. But our life – my life – in the Enchanted Forest wasn't as grand and romantic as the stories and books make it seem. Snow's father was a tyrant behind closed doors, and he was a ruthless and heartless creature who paraded as a savior for the people. And Snow was no better. She was a spoiled brat who wanted what she wanted when she wanted it. So when the King died, few people in the castle mourned him. And when Snow left, it was almost a celebration. We felt like we could be free, and we were."

"Until she split you all apart," he said.

"Yes." Kieran flicked her wrist and levitated a stone the size of Charlie's head. It was a decoration piece in someone's yard, and she floated it between them as if it were a feather or made of air. "Don't misunderstand me. Bella is the impulsive one, and she always will be. But I merely hide my anger toward Snow White better than her. My sister wants Snow to suffer. She wants her to burn from the hottest fire and have her skin melt from her bones. I, on the other hand, want to drop the weight of the world on her shoulders and see how long she can take it before it inevitably crushes her."

Kieran made a fist, and the rock exploded. Charlie swallowed and took a subtle step to the side. Kieran noticed but said nothing, smirking to herself.

"Poetic and retributive justice," she said. "Two sides of the same coin, just like Bella and me. Though, people tend to forget that ice is just as dangerous as fire when used properly."

"Noted," he said warily.

Kieran grinned and opened the gate to the mansion. They made it to the driveway before Charlie spoke again.

"I'm sorry, um, that I look like him," he said. "I don't know how much it bothers you, but I know it bothers Emmett and Bella."

"Thank you. While my relationship with Charles was not the same as it was with Bella and Emmett, he was still the only father that I knew," she said.

"If you ever want to talk some more, I'm a pretty good listener."

Kieran squeezed his shoulder in response and opened the door. Bella met them in the foyer, and Kieran closed the door behind them. Bella's eyes went to Charlie's first, and she frowned.

"What the hell happened to you?" she asked, coming up to him.

"Ran into a doorframe."

"Don't be an ass, Charlie." Bella put her hand over his eye. When she removed it, his black eye was gone, and Charlie blinked a few times. "Who hit you?" she asked.

"Emma's sperm donor ambushed me this afternoon."

Bella sucked in a breath and turned on her heel. She went up the stairs two at a time, and Kieran sighed to herself.

"Don't panic," she said.

"What?"

A cloud of purple smoke appeared in front of Charlie, and his hand went to his gun. Kieran touched his wrist in exasperation, and Charlie grimaced.

"Oh, right. Magic," he muttered.

"I told you not to panic," she said.

"That wasn't a warning! That was a public service announcement."

Regina cleared her throat, and Kieran and Charlie looked at her. Emmett came down the stairs with Tinkerbell, Rosalie followed a moment later with Bella, and Kieran breathed a sigh of relief when Jess nor Ruby came down. Bella caught her eye and mimed covering her ears, and that told Kieran neither would hear the conversation.

"Thank you," she mouthed.

Bella nodded once, and Kieran refocused her attention on Regina, who was looking right at her with her eyebrow raised.

"What?" she asked.

"Are you going to tell me what happened or make me guess?"

"Well, if you're down to –

"Kieran."

"Fine. As Charlie said, Charming ambushed him and punched him."

"Why? And are you alright?"

"Eh, not the worst punch I've had, and I doubt it'll be the last," Charlie said. "Though he does seem set on getting me to admit you're up to no good."

"He usually is," Regina said. "I've done nothing but wrong in his mind."

"Yeah, but like ninety percent of it is fabricated or a lie by his precious soulmate," Bella said. She added, "Also, where's Supergirl?"

"With Emma," Kieran answered. "And Killian stopped to see Sam before sitting with Ruby and Granny."

Emmett cocked his head and frowned.

"Wait, I don't see why a punch garnered so much response," he said. "I get being angry, but you essentially have Killian and Supergirl on protection duty."

"Unless something else happened," Bella added.

Kieran suddenly lost her nerve about telling them what happened, and she looked down at the floor. Charlie squeezed her arm in support, and she sighed.

"Snow saw me. She knows I'm here."

"Kieran!" Regina exclaimed.

"I didn't do it on purpose!" Kieran huffed.

"Then why did you do it?" Regina asked.

Kieran clamped her mouth shut, and Bella stepped forward. She held out her hand, and Kieran sighed. She grabbed Bella's palm. Almost immediately, Bella yanked it back.

"Jeez, okay. So whatever Snow said seriously pissed you off, which tells me it was about one of us or Mom." Kieran twitched at the end, and Bella added, "Alright, it was something about Mom."

"Later."

"Fine, but I won't let you forget it. All I need is another reason to kill that bitch."

"Isabella," Regina said. "Enough."

"Why are you always taking Snow's side?"

"I am not taking her side," Regina said, her face and eyes wide in disbelief. "I cannot believe you just said that."

"Then why are you always telling us not to joke about killing her? Newsflash, Ma, it is not a joke."

"I do not want any of you killing anyone. And you, Kieran, regardless of what was said, you should not have revealed yourself. I explicitly told you three to stay away from Snow and Charming."

"Oh, I'm sorry I went somewhere in a town where she fucking lives. I'm sorry I accidentally ran into her, and I'm sorry I stood up for you. Remind me never to do that shit again."

"Watch it," Regina warned. "Remember who you are talking to."

"You should do the same."

"Whoa, that's enough." Bella moved between them, grabbing Kieran's wrist. She rubbed soothing circles on Kieran's skin but had her attention on Regina. "It is not fair for you to be upset about this. I get that you are worried, I am too, but you cannot expect us to stay silent when people disrespect you. That is not who we are nor how we were raised."

"I do not care if they call me the second coming of Satan, I do not need or want you three protecting me if it puts you in danger."

"Fine." Bella's head snapped to Kieran in surprise, and Emmett winced. Silence fell in the living room, and Regina reacted as if she'd been physically struck by the words. Kieran took her hand back from Bella and opened the door without turning around. "If you do not want my protection or support, fine," she said.

Kieran left and slammed the door behind her.

"Em."

"Yeah, I got it."

Emmett was gone from the room in the blink of an eye, and Bella cleared her throat.

"Rose, you mind making some tea for Charlie and Tinkerbell?"

The question was obvious, and the three of them went into the kitchen, leaving Bella alone with Regina. She ran a hand over her face and thought through what she wanted to say.

"Before I say anything, I have to tell you that it hurt to hear you scold Kieran for doing what any of us would have done. But I should go a bit further and remind you that Kieran is not the same little girl from the Enchanted Forest. She has had a shit journey from there to now, and you have to remember that. I have to remember that, and so does Emmett. She was treated like crap, Mom. Her opinions did not matter to the Luthor family, and her self-worth was shot to Hell and back a million times over. So when Kieran stands in front of a bullet, you know damn well she wants it to hit her. She needs it to hit her because if it doesn't, that means it hit someone she loves, and she cannot fathom that. Her heart is too big for that, and my sister would rather shoulder every ounce of pain than let one of us feel it. This is common knowledge, so it blows my mind that you stood there and condemned her for it. You made her feel like it was a mistake. Like her defending you was a mistake. I get it, you are afraid, but how afraid do you think we are to lose you?"

Bella flexed her fingers and stared at the floor.

"Mom, we already saw you on your death bed once. Do not make us do it again because you are too stubborn to realize we are not children anymore. We are not amateur magic practitioners and a soldier. We have bled, we have lost, and we have gotten our hearts broken. We have fallen in love, fallen out of love, and we have searched for our purpose in the lowest of places. We have gotten hurt, and we have healed. I know it is easy to fall into old habits, but there must be a recognition on your end that while we are still your children, we are old enough to know right from wrong. And to make decisions that come with no influence from you. So when I say this, understand it is coming from a place of respect and love. But you are being foolish, and I have never known you to be a fool. How can you stand there and say it is okay for them to say what they say about you? I know you want to get rid of this Evil Queen persona, I get it. You have been carrying the title for decades, but that does not mean you have to let these people treat you like shit under the expectation that if you say or do anything in response, you will be that person again. Standing up for yourself is not evil, it is common sense."

"Isabella –

"No, Mom. Stop. Just stop. Because it is not fair that we have to watch you hesitate to go into a town you call home. How dare you think it is okay for them to call you names and belittle what you have been through? None of those people out there know what you gave up to be here! They have no idea what you lost and sacrificed. But we do! We know about Daniel, about Cora's abuse, about your Dad, and Charles and Liana." Bella swallowed and added, "And we know that you gave a piece of yourself to Liana when she was pregnant with Kieran. You were afraid that she would not be able to carry Kieran to term, so you combined your magic with my Dad's to save Kieran's life. You can lie and keep that a secret all you like, but we know. Kieran knows."

Regina faltered, and Bella exhaled through her nose.

"So you see? That is why Kieran was so upset, and why she left. How dare you ask that we not protect the one parent we have left? And how dare you ask that of her? She would not be alive if it were not for you, and to take it further back, think about Emmett. You gave him a home when no one else would. You took me in and gave her a life that I would have never had if it were not for you. You let us grow up without fearing our powers, and you gave Emmett a purpose. You gave all of us a purpose!" Bella stood up straight and clenched her fists. "So do not fucking tell me, tell us, that we cannot stand up for you when our entire life, you have been the one taking every hit and punch so that we would not have to. I refuse to obey that rule, and I know damn well Emmett feels the same. And despite what she said, Kieran will always protect you. You gave us everything, Mom. Everything. And I will be damned if I ever let that bitch fix her lips to disrespect you in my presence. I will not play nice. I will not back down. And if Snow or Charming or whoever else even so much as looks at you wrong, I will fucking kill them. Damn the consequences."

There was a beat of silence before Regina waved her hand.

Bella watched her go.

"For someone who can't talk like a normal person, I think that was well said."

Bella looked over her shoulder, and Kieran came further into the foyer.

"You left."

Kieran looked away and folded her arms.

"Snow called Mom a limp fish in the bedroom," she said flatly. "And she accused us of being peasants, that Mom killed our parents and forced us to live with her."

Bella nodded to herself and put her hands in her pockets.

"You did the right thing."

"I never doubted that."

"Then why did you leave?"

"Because I forgot where I was," Kieran admitted. "It was easier to run than talk it out."

"Come here," Bella sighed.

Kieran crossed the room, and Bella wrapped her arms around her.

"I love you, okay? I love you. I love you. I love you. I'm always going to love you, and I know for a fact that the life I live wouldn't be worth living if I didn't have you in it. Don't ever question that. You're my baby sister, and I'm always going to love you and protect you. Never forget that I'll fuck up anyone that hurts you. Including that Kryptonian of yours."

Kieran hugged Bella back with just as much strength, and Bella knocked their heads together gently.

"You're stuck with me forever," she whispered.

"Hell yeah!" Emmett appeared and picked them both up. "We're a team forever," he said.

Kieran and Bella yelped in unison, and he swung them a bit.

"Put us down, you neanderthal!" Bella laughed.

"Fine, but we gotta do our thing."

"No."

"We are not bringing that back," Kieran added.

"Yes, we are. Come on, hands in."

"Emmett –

"Hands!"

Kieran and Bella sighed before putting their hands out. Emmett put his hand on top and grinned.

"On three?"

"This is so embarrassing," Bella grumbled.

"Alright, team us on three. One, two, three-

"Team us," they said in unison, two voices decidedly less enthusiastic about it.

"We'll work on it. Where'd Mom go?"

"She ran just like Kieran did."

"Guess that's where she got it from."

"Okay, screw you both. I'm going upstairs to check on Jess and Ruby."

"She's running again, ladies and gentlemen."

Kieran shook out her hand and placed it on Bella's neck. Bella screeched and jumped back, rubbing at her skin.

"You BITCH!"

Kieran ran up the stairs, and Bella sprinted after her. Emmett watched them go and rolled his eyes before turning on his heel.

"Go away, Emmett."

"Ouch."

Regina sighed and lifted her head. She was in the vault, as expected, and Emmett jogged down the stairs.

"What do you want? To yell at me too?"

"No. I'm here to bring you home."

"I'm not ready to go back."

"You are. You're just hiding because you're scared."

Regina flinched, and Emmett sat down in front of her.

"How long had you known about Kieran?" she asked.

"Liana left us letters before she passed. She told us not to tell you that we knew until it mattered, so here we are."

Regina nodded to herself and wiped at her eyes.

"I get scared at the thought of losing you again. I know you guys are going to protect me. You always will. But I'm your mother. I'm going to worry and want to keep you safe."

"And we want the same."

Regina wrung her hands together and released a shuddering breath.

"I think Kieran hates me," she whispered.

"What? That's ridiculous."

"She does. I know she probably blames Snow more than she blames me, but some part of her still does. I can see it in her eyes sometimes, especially when we were in National City. She's so angry I didn't find you guys sooner. But the truth is, I didn't find you. Rumple did. I searched for years, Emmett. I used every spell in the book, and I exhausted myself for hours just hoping for some sign that you were alive. But I never could, and I did give up. I admit that. But Rumple didn't let me, and he used his power to help. He took that risk for you, not me, and I will always live with that guilt. But I just want you to know that I looked. I never stopped. I celebrated your birthdays, I bought you guys Christmas gifts, and I drew what you'd look like a million times.' Regina bowed her head and sniffed. "But it started to hurt, and I couldn't keep putting myself through it."

Emmett frowned and disappeared before coming back with Kieran. She blinked away the dizziness, and Emmett pushed Kieran forward.

"Tell her what you told us," he said.

"About what?" Kieran asked, frowning.

"That night we were supposed to be sleeping, the first night we spent here together. Tell her."

"Why do I –

"Tell. Her."

Kieran rubbed her forehead and huffed.

"I said I wished Mom had found us sooner," she sighed. "But at the same time, I'm glad we came when we did. Learning how to grow up without her made me appreciate having her around more, and I love her more than I did before. Snow will always be the monster who separated us, but Mom is the savior that kept us all together. Happy?"

Emmett glanced at Regina, and he said, "Still think she hates you and blames you for what happened?"

"Wait, what? You think I hate you?" Kieran kneeled in front of Regina and shook her head. "I don't hate you! But if it's something you need to hear, then I'll tell you. But I don't blame you. None of this is your fault. I was being a brat earlier, and I reacted poorly. I just wanted to hurt you as much as your words hurt me. But I don't hate you at all, Mom. I love you, and that hasn't changed and won't change. You're my rock, and I'm nothing without you."

Regina covered her mouth with the back of her hand, and Emmett got down with Kieran.

"Mom, you have to let go," he said softly.

"I can't," she cried. "I should've protected you better. I should've seen the attack coming."

Kieran frowned and said, "Mom, you couldn't have predicted that someone in the castle would have told Snow about us. You couldn't have predicted she would have those beans, and you had no clue that some of the soldiers were on Snow's side. What happened was Snow's fault, not yours."

"And you better listen to us, because if I have to go and get Bella, she's not going to be as nice about it."

"Get Bella about what?"

Emmett flinched hard, and Kieran shot him a look before looking over his shoulder. Bella ate a bowl of grapes as she entered the room, and Regina groaned under her breath.

"Surely you should know by now I don't like being left out of things," she said, settling next to Kieran. "But what we were talking about?"

"How did you not hear her coming?" Kieran asked Emmett.

"She used her magic until the last step," he huffed.

"Duh." Bella popped a grape and nudged Regina's knee. "Why are you crying again?" she asked.

"She thinks Kieran hates her and blames her for what happened, but in reality, she thinks the same for all of us."

"Well, that's stupid. I saw you fight for us, and that's more than what we could ask for. But why is this something you're worried about now?"

"She's scared Snow is going to separate us again."

"Like hell. I put tracking devices in your shoes." Bella sat forward and rested her chin on Regina's leg. "Hey, all jokes aside, we don't blame you. We don't hate you, and we find you as deplorable as you find us." Regina snorted and looked up, shooting Bella a faux glare. "What? That was a compliment," she said.

"Ignoring her, you have to know that we think you're the greatest mother in the world," Kieran said.

"You're everything to us," Emmett added. "There's no one on this planet made for us other than you."

"Are we okay?" Bella asked.

"We will be. Not tonight, but we will be. I'm sorry I reacted the way that I did," Regina sighed.

"And I'm sorry for leaving," Kieran said.

"I'm sorry to be related to both of you," Bella quipped.

Emmett put his hand on top of Bella's hand and squeezed his fingers, and Bella's shoulders jumped up.

"Stop!"

"Apologize."

"Emmett," she whined.

"Say you're sorry."

"Ugh, fine! Fine, I'm sorry!"

Emmett removed his hand, and Bella shuddered.

"Asshole," she grumbled.

"Want me to tell Rosalie about that time you-

"I will set you on fire," Bella warned.

Emmett stuck out his tongue, and Kieran mushed her hand into his face.

"Leave my sister alone."

"Oh? Does your sister know that you intercepted her letters from Pocahontas?"

"Emmett!"

"Wait, you did what? Kieran!"

"You were spending too much time with her," she huffed.

"Oh, my gosh. You are such a brat."

"Duh."

Regina stared at the three of them with amusement and affection, and she opened her arms.

"Enough, you three. Come here."

The trio moved forward, and Regina kissed each one on the head.

"We'll be okay," she said. "I promise."