I can't believe we're already on the fifth chapter! Time goes by fast when I update twice a week. Get excited, because this chapter is another Caroline/Zelena one ;)
Things had eventually quieted down in the Hood household. It took a good manner of hours for Regina to persuade Robin and Snow to call off their feud; everyone was exhausted, the main cause of their snowball fight becoming blurred. They all called it a night, happy for their bit of fun, going back to their respective houses and immediately drifting off to sleep. It took Robin a good half hour to persuade his daughter to stay in bed, assuring her that her brother would certainly be there when she woke up in the morning. He would be, yes, but Grace wouldn't.
Sometimes it slipped her mind that she wasn't officially a part of their family- though she was treated like one, the college student knew she had a father waiting for her at home.
"Today was the most fun I've had in a long time," Grace smiled, standing in the doorway and retrieving her keys from one of her coat pockets.
Henry grinned. "Yeah, me too. It's great being back home- nothing's changed."
"Guess that means I'll have to come over a lot more often," she teased, "though spending quality time with Regina and your sister is pretty entertaining."
Watching the playfulness shining in her eyes, Henry didn't hesitate to lean forward and capture her lips with his, the sweet taste instantly transporting him back to their high school days, where they would sit in his car after class and simply make out. He loved her just as much as he did back then.
Pulling back for a breath, he took a second to admire her features under the dim porch light. "Can I see you again tomorrow? Maybe... Bring you lunch at work or something?"
He had learned a thing or two about charming a woman from the pirate who dated his mother.
"Yeah, I think so," Grace confirmed, "I'll text you."
As much as she wanted to stay, she knew her papa would start to worry if she didn't return home.
Henry sent her a kind smile. "Alright. Have a good night, Grace."
"You too. But you try having some fun with your family tomorrow, especially your brother."
Rolling his eyes, he watched as the lights to her car flickered. "Of course. Now you drive home safe, okay?"
She chuckled softly. "Okay. Bye, Henry."
"Bye, Gracie."
He didn't realize how cold it actually was outside until after his girlfriend had driven away. Shutting the door gently, Henry made his way up the stairs and towards the room he and Roland still shared, delighted to see his mother had made his bed exactly how she used to.
Roland was already passed out, snoring loudly on his side of the room. But Henry didn't care. A minute later he was snoring peacefully on his bed too.
It was a Sunday morning. As rambunctious as the family was the precious night, the tradition of last Sunday mornings was still something upheld every week. It was the only day that both Regina and Robin had off work. Nobody, not even Regina was up until after nine.
When she did awake, however, she was surprised to hear the voices of her two sons carry up the stairs and into their bedroom. They were having a conversation about something she couldn't quite pick up, but Regina knew exactly what they were doing- playing a video game.
Everything felt so peaceful, as if nothing had changed. Hearing Roland and Henry share an occasional laugh with each other made her smile.
As much as Regina wanted to stay in bed and enjoy the rare simplicity it was to stay in bed with her husband right beside her, she knew life as a mother went on. Letting Robin continue to sleep, she slipped out of bed and traveled downstairs, where she began a simple breakfast of eggs and toast.
Before she knew it, a couple hours had rolled by; her family eventually migrated towards the kitchen where they ate and talked, not a care in the world as they continued to catch up with one another, sharing stories and telling of adventures. It was nice to have their family whole again.
"Do you think Killian and Will would be up for a few drinks?" Henry proposed to his father, putting his empty plate in the sink.
The sudden question put a smile on Robin's face. "Definitely. They're always up for a few rounds."
It was still odd to his parents that he was past the legal drinking age.
"Just don't do anything stupid," Regina sighed, knowing there was no way she could prevent them from going.
"But Henry," came Caroline's voice, still in her pajamas, "I thought we were going to the park today."
His smile faded slightly as he sensed the dismay in her voice.
"I'm sorry, can we reschedule?" Henry asked, in the upmost sincerity, "we've got time."
Caroline wanted to push it, but she knew her brother wanted to spend time with other people too. So she watched him leave with their father, not knowing when they would both return. After cleaning up the kitchen, Regina made herself a cup of coffee, starting a show on tv and curling up on the couch. It was never something she could do, relaxing, so she was going to make it last for as long as possible. Unfortunately, her daughter didn't share her same mindset.
"Can you take me to the park then?" Caroline asked, boredom already clawing at her insides when she saw what show her mother had decided to put on.
Regina sighed heavily. "Sweetheart, you know this is my only day off. And it's cold outside. Can't you play upstairs for a while?"
She was too old to go upstairs and play. And, besides that, Caroline wanted to do something fun; anything but mope around at the house.
"Can Roland take me?"
"Don't know, why don't you ask him."
And she did, but she was met with a closed bedroom door and loud music playing.
She took that as a no.
So she was back downstairs, facing her mother with the same pleading question.
"Can I go by myself at least?"
Giving her daughter an incredulous look, she thought for a moment before replying. After the incident with her falling at Granny's, Regina was hesitant to send her out into the cold alone. But, seeing how passionate she was over going to the park, Regina couldn't possibly refuse.
"Alright, you can go, but only for an hour," she said, her sternness melting away as she reached her arms out towards her. "But first you have to give me a hug."
She gladly did so.
"Now you stay warm, keep your coat on, and don't go anywhere else. And remember to watch your step- we don't need more holes in our jeans."
"I won't, promise!" Caroline reassured, rushing towards the closet to put on her coat and boots.
Not long after, the nine year old was trudging through the freshly fallen snow, headed towards the park that was fairly close to her house. It was such a nice feeling to breathe in the cool frosted air, the numbness to her cheeks, and the slight warmth her jacket and gloves brought to her. Caroline loved being outside, completely uncaged, seeing the snow decorate the town in a white beauty. Still, she felt lonely.
Maybe because she was.
Henry was too caught up with his friends to have time for her; Roland simply didn't want anything to do with her. Her parents both had demanding jobs that kept them occupied, the same went with her other family members.
Caroline scowled down at the stark white snow as she thought about this. She didn't like to feel so alone.
When she got to the deserted playground, she sat herself down on one of the swings and tried to forget the sad feeling she had inside. The ocean was directly in her view, the wind rushing around her as she swung higher and higher, soaring through the clouds; it was easier than she had expected to forget.
Her mother had been right about keeping warm- after a while, the cold seemed to seep through her protective layers and right to her bones. Soon, that was all she could think about. That was, until the distant view of someone walking out of the woods caught her attention.
Curiosity soon sparked within her as Caroline tried to distinguish who it was, the only person that seemed to be out and about on a Sunday afternoon besides her. For a second or two, the girl was stumped. Then she saw the red hair.
She knew exactly who it was.
Zelena, the woman who had shared her cheesecake with her and aided her with her knee, was walking along one of the paths that winded in and out of the forest. The memory struck her, the conversation they had about magic. Zelena had promised her that she would tell her all about the Enchanted Forest, about magic. That was an offer Caroline couldn't refuse.
Slamming her feet down to the ground to act as breaks, she slowed her swinging down until she could safely jump off. Then the nine year old sped towards the woman's direction, leaving no trace that she was ever at the playground.
"Zelena!" She called out towards her, turning her around as she heard her name being said.
Skidding to a stop, Caroline caught her breath for a moment before letting out a weak hello.
"What are you doing out here?"
"Just at the park," the girl shrugged, "what about you?"
Zelena glanced around the snow covered forest and sighed. "Out for a walk. I find that walking does wonders when trying to clear your head. Your town is quite beautiful."
"You should see it during the summer," Caroline told her, "everything turns green and you can go down to the shoreline to swim."
It was strange to think that the tiny, nonexistent town of Storybrooke was all the girl knew.
"Is... Is your mother here with you?" She asked, keeping the smile on her face as she pictured the image of that vile woman in her head.
Thankfully, Caroline shook her head. "No, she didn't want to come. She said I could be here for an hour."
Her smile broadened. Never once did she think it would be this easy to get the child by herself.
"You said you would tell me more about the Enchanted Forest next time we met," she began again, "can you tell me now?"
In honesty, Zelena hadn't spent much time in that realm; she lived in Oz for most of her years. But that was a topic she was saving for another time.
"Alright then, I'll tell you. You can keep me company on the last half of my walk."
Caroline was more than happy to comply- it didn't occur to her that she had barely met the woman a few days prior. The two of them were side by side, starting down the twisted trail that lead straight into the woods.
"Do they really have ogres?"
Her enthusiasm made Zelena let out a laugh. "How would you know about ogres?"
Sticking her hands into her pockets to keep them warm, Caroline returned her glance back up to her. "My brother Henry has a book. It has a lot of stuff in it- princesses, dragons, knights, an evil queen..."
Zelena stopped paying attention after she heard evil queen, a questioning look on her face.
"What do you know about the evil queen?" She challenged, desiring to know what the naïve little girl knew about the subject.
The question threw her off guard for a moment as she thought of something. "Well, her mother forced her to become queen, and because she was angry, she did some bad things. But then she met her soulmate and she learned how to be good. Then... She became my mom, I guess."
The red-haired woman was so caught up in her thoughts, she almost forgot to look interested in what she was saying.
If only she knew the truth.
Inside, she wanted to pin her roughly against one of the trees and shout at her, telling her that her mother was an ungrateful little bitch who stole everything that was rightfully hers; she wanted to do this until she broke down and cried, pleading with her stop... She could so very easily crush her small body with her magic...
"Did you know the evil queen at all?"
Zelena had to blink a few times when she heard the small voice pop up against her own ranging thoughts. "What was that?"
"I said, did you know the evil queen before she became good," the girl repeated.
Forcing another smile, Zelena shook her head. "No, I didn't."
"Wow! Your necklace is glowing! That's so cool!" Caroline suddenly proclaimed, noticing the green magic swirl in the pendant she wore around her neck.
Clutching the necklace with her hand, Zelena was able to quickly settle down the harrowing magic within. "It harbors my magic,"
She explained, trying to calm herself down, "it's what keeps it safe."
It would take her less than a second to snap the girl's neck. But she needed the power she possessed, and to do that, and needed Caroline alive.
"Wow," she exhaled, "so you can use magic anywhere you go in the Enchanted Forest?"
Their walk was soon becoming agonizingly unbearable.
"Yes, anywhere you go. It's a skill that takes lots of practice, though."
"If I had magic, I wouldn't have to worry about any of my problems," Caroline smiled.
Lies. The girl beside her had endured though nine years of lies.
Luckily, they had arrived at the small clearing at the end of the forest then, saving Zelena from coming up with a response. In front of them stood a farm house that looked seemingly deserted.
"You live here?" Caroline asked, astonishment in her voice, "nobody's lived there for years!"
"Well, I do now," the woman responded nonchalantly, growing tired of the fake smiles and pretended interest.
Her response was soon interrupted by the sound of a yapping dog; seconds later, a small black terrier came bounding up to them.
"You have a dog too?"
Her enthusiasm only grew as she fell to her knees and began to pet the excited animal.
Zelena rolled her eyes as she watched the dog roll around on its back.
"What's his name?"
She sighed irritably- he was supposed to be her apprentice, not some drooling lapdog.
"Walsh."
"That's a funny name for a dog," Caroline replied, giggling when the terrier licked her face. "But I should probably go home now so I'm not late. When can we talk more?"
Zelena smiled smugly. "I'm positive we'll end up bumping into one another soon. Are you sure you know your way back okay?"
Nodding, the girl stood up and wiped her face. "I've been through the forest about a hundred times, I know how to get back home."
"You be careful," she told her, "these woods can be more terrifying than you may think."
With that being said, Caroline started on her way back home, leaving Zelena alone with the yapping black dog. It only took a glare to shut him up. Bending down, she snatched the creature by the scruff of its neck, heading towards the house.
"We've got a lot of work to be getting on with," she said, showing her first genuine smile that day.
The reign of innocence was coming to an end; lies wouldn't keep Regina's family together forever.
I thought I'd throw in Toto for a bit of fun. What intentions do you guys think Zelena has for Caroline? Is it just to hurt Regina, or is it something more? Next chapter we'll see a tiny glimpse of her plan as well as a new character I think you guys will like. See you all Monday!
