Shoutout to JKTO for the idea of including the wedding rings, which I've included in this chapter! Thank you for the suggestion!

Thank you to everyone who has been commenting and reading, much love to you all x

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Blue left the council meeting, feeling rather smug. With the help of those gullible idiots, she would soon have everything she wanted. Now, all she had to do was report back to Snow and make sure the silly woman believed that she was on her side. Opening the front door, she walked into the cottage, "Snow?" she called out.

"In the kitchen," Snow replied.

Blue walked in, and looked at the subdued woman sitting at the table in the corner, "what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? My husband left me, my daughter hates me, and now that I'm an escaped convict, I can't even demand that my son is brought to me for a visit. How can you ask me what's wrong?" Snow snapped, standing up and preparing to walk out.

Blue grabbed hold of her arm, and softened her voice into a tone that she knew would get through to Snow, "I'm sorry, I know this is hard for you. Honestly, I don't think they would agree to bringing Neal for visits, anyway."

Snow glared at her so Blue hastily continued, "I have good news, Snow. News which will help us immensely."

"What is it?" Snow questioned, sitting back down at the table.

Blue joined her, sitting on the other chair, "they are scared of what your next move might be. They have used protection spells and blood magic to protect the mansion."

"How is that good news?" Snow asked incredulously.

"Because I managed to convince them that I was terrified for my life, and those of the other Fairies, so they will use the same protection spells and blood magic to protect the convent too."

"What am I missing? This just sounds like everything will be harder?"

"Snow, in order to pass through a blood barrier, you must either be related to, or carry the blood of the person who cast the spell. They are giving people who need access an amulet, to allow them to pass through," explained Blue.

"It's not like they will give us an amulet for Regina's mansion though, is it?"

Blue sighed to herself, this woman really was infuriatingly stupid at times, "if they give me an amulet for the convent, then the same amulet will be able to be used to gain access to the mansion."

"Oh, I understand now," Snow said, while Blue resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"We have to bide our time and make sure our plan is fail safe. We will only get one shot at this," Blue cautioned her. "If we act too soon, then we may end up regretting our hasty actions."

"Fine. Do what you have to do, but don't keep me waiting too long, Blue. I will go crazy if I have to stay hidden in this cottage any more than a short while."

Blue smiled, what she hoped would be a reassuring smile, "I will do everything in my power to make all the arrangements as quickly as possible."

"Thank you, Blue," Snow smiled gratefully.

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"What's the situation with you and Belle, then?" Emma asked Mal when they arrived back at the mansion. They were the only two sat in the living room, and Emma had decided enough was enough. She was not going to watch these two dance around each other any longer, and waste what could be a really good thing for both of them.

"Straight to the jugular, as always, Saviour," Mal groaned in frustration, "I don't know!"

"What don't you know? Have you changed your mind about her?" Emma asked her cautiously.

"No, not at all. In fact, the more I get to know her, the more amazing I find her. I think I could be really falling for her."

"I don't get it then," Emma said, confused by the woman's reticence, "what's the problem?"

"I have doubts," Mal confessed quietly, "I wonder if there isn't someone else who would be better for her. I don't want to hold her back from that. I like her too much to ever stand in the way of her happiness."

Seeing the obvious discomfort on the older blonde's face, Emma chose not to tease the dragon, for a change, "Belle is a grown woman, Mal, she is perfectly capable of choosing her own path through life. If she has expressed an interest in you, then you should take that at face value."

"She hasn't though. I invited her to the wedding, and we've been spending time together, but I can't tell what she is thinking. I don't know how she feels about me?" Mal tried to explain.

"She is sharing a room with you, Mal. She sleeps in a bed with you. Surely that tells something?"

"We had to, so there was enough space for everyone," Mal told Emma, not understanding when Emma started laughing at her.

"What's so funny, Saviour?" Mal drawled, bristling slightly at the young woman's nerve, as she laughed at her.

"You think she wanted to share with you, to save space in the mansion?" Emma asked her, more seriously this time.

"Why else would she?"

"She wanted to be close to you, you idiot!" Emma laughed again at Mal's pout, as she huffed at Emma's laughing.

Emma continued, "we have a separate apartment in the basement, and two spare guest rooms up on the third floor, Mal," Emma reached out to touch the older woman's arm, making sure she had her attention. "There is plenty of space, and yet she chose to sleep in your bed. What does that tell you?"

Mal blushed slightly, "she wants me?" she whispered, not quite believing it.

"She wants you," Emma confirmed, "now, go be the big bad scary dragon we all love so much, and go get your woman!"

"Thank you, Emma," Mal told her sincerely, before getting up and walking off with a decided spring in her step, much to Emma's amusement.

Mal searched for the woman she was sure she was falling for. The recent events and the undercurrent of threat to their family had made her realise that she needed to go after the things she wanted and not just wait for them to work out in the future. No. Mal was not leaving anything to chance anymore. Emma was right, she had to go and tell Belle how she felt.

Realising Belle was not in the house, she headed out into the garden, and a smile came to her face as she spotted the young woman sitting on the bench swing. Eyes closed, Belle was gently swinging back and forth, totally relaxed. Mal walked over slowly, wondering how to start the conversation she wanted to have.

Feeling the prickling sensation of being watched, Belle looked up and a smile came unbidden to her face, "hey, gorgeous," she greeted Mal, watching an adorable pink, spread across the older woman's cheeks.

"Hi," Mal replied, "may I sit with you?"

"Of course," Belle smiled at her, encouraging her to sit down. Silence followed, as Mal tried to think of a way to broach the topic with Belle, but Belle, of course, surprised her.

"Are you ever going to kiss me, Mal?"

"What?!" Mal spluttered, shocked at the young woman's bluntness.

"You invited me to the wedding, we spend a lot of time together, and we're currently sharing not just a room but a bed. We cuddle up on the sofa together and watch movies, and I always wake up with you wrapped around me in the mornings after we've fallen asleep separately the night before. So I'm asking you. Are you ever going to kiss me?"

"I know… and I…" Mal started.

Belle carried on as if she hadn't started talking, "I thought you wanted a relationship with me? Was I wrong?" a frown crossed Belle's face, as she considered for the first time that maybe she had been incorrect about the dragon's feelings for her.

"I'm sorry," Mal started to explain, "I've not done this for a long time. I didn't want to rush you. I wanted to get to know you properly and for you to get to know me in return. I wanted you to understand who you would be getting involved with. I don't want you to choose me without looking around and seeing what else might be out there for you. I wanted you to understand you have choices that aren't with me. I wanted you to be sure!"

"If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't have agreed to be your date to the wedding," Belle told her calmly, "I don't ever rush into things unless my eyes are wide open."

"We're both so close to this family in different ways," Mal stated, "I didn't want things to be awkward for anyone if it didn't work out between us."

"You were scared?"

"Yes," Mal confessed softly, looking away in embarrassment.

"Mal?"

"Yes?" Mal replied.

"Please look at me?" Belle asked her.

Mal turned back round to face her, hesitating just slightly.

"I'm going to kiss you now," Belle told her confidently, leaning in, and capturing soft lips with her own. Pulling back again, she looked at the dragon, "not so scary, after all huh?"

Mal just laughed. She wasn't sure if Belle meant the kiss, taking the next step, or just that Mal wasn't such a big bad scary dragon as Emma liked to call her. Ultimately, she decided it didn't matter, as she pulled Belle closer and kissed her again.

Willow ran out into the garden, squealing and started singing.

"Mal and Belle,

Sitting in a tree,

K.I.S.S.I.N.G!"

Laughing, the two women pulled apart, as Mal scooped Willow up onto her lap.

"Who taught you that, little dragon? Hmmm?" Mal asked her niece, tickling her and making her squeal louder.

"I'm not supposed to tell you!" Willow giggled, "Mom will ground me!" pointing to the kitchen window.

Mal could see a clearly grinning Emma looking back at her, two thumbs in the air.

Grinning back, Mal just inclined her head in acknowledgement, happiness radiating from her smile.

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That night was a happy affair that found the family once again sat out in the open air, enjoying the garden and each other's company. Tomorrow they had work to do. They would have to go to the convent and set up protection charms for the fairies.

Blue had seemed very distressed at the council meeting, and was terrified of Snow. As her oldest friend and someone that had known Snow since she was a young child, she feared that Snow would be angry about her betrayal the most. Obviously they had tried to reassure the Fairy that she would be protected, but the woman seemed very on edge. Everybody was. Snow was an unknown threat, because none of them had known until recently just how deeply the darkness had burrowed it's way into Snow's heart.

Mal had come up with a clever solution to keep Regina safe, without using her own magic. She had enchanted Emma and Regina's wedding rings separately, to work in different ways. Regina and Emma already had access to each other's magic, because of their bond not just as soulmates, and true loves, but also because they combined their magic in their handfasting ceremony when they got married. However, their bodies automatically call on their own magic first, before searching for additional power.

Mal enchanted Regina's ring, so that it would dampen her own magic just slightly, meaning that if she needed to use magic, Emma's magic would be the one that she summoned first to use. She still had access to her own magic but it would prevent her from draining herself while she was pregnant. Mal had also enchanted Emma's ring so it would magnify her own magic, meaning it would make it easier for Regina to channel.

Regina had been wary about taking magic from Emma, but knew that Mal was right, when she said Emma was powerful enough for the both of them, and probably half the town too.

Feeling secure at last, the family was really able to relax together.

"Aunty Mal, can I light the fire today?"

Mal looked towards the girl's parents seeking approval, and smiled when she received a nod.

"Yes, little dragon, you may," Mal told her affectionately, "have you been practicing with your Mom? Have you mastered fireballs yet?"

"That's stuff for babies, Aunty Mal," Willow rebuked her, as the adults tried to hold back their laughter, "I want to use dragon fire!"

"I'm sorry, little one, I didn't mean you were a baby. Did you know your Mom didn't master fireballs until she was in her twenties?" she said, as she pointed to Regina.

"It's true, little one," Regina added, "you are far more advanced than any of us here, especially for your age."

Willow looked smug, puffing up with the praise.

"Ok, so you know when you transform into a dragon, you summon her deep inside, and then empty your mind to let her take over?" Mal asked Willow, who was watching avidly with a cute expression of concentration on her face.

"Yes, I know, Aunty Mal."

"Well, at the point that you would normally let your dragon take over, concentrate hard and imagine fire coming out of your nose, and it will happen. Don't let yourself transform though, there won't be enough room." Mal warned her.

"Ok, I'll try," she walked determinedly up to the fire pit, closed her eyes and concentrated.

From the outside, it didn't look like anything was happening, until the air around her started to shimmer.

"Now, little dragon," Mal prompted.

Willow snorted, and sure enough fire came out of her nostrils, but unfortunately her aim was off. The burst of flames went straight across the fire pit, and straight towards Emma, who froze, unable to move. Luckily for her, Mal reacted quickly and threw up a shield to protect her, but in the process managed to blast her backwards, tipping her chair over.

"Are you ok, darling?" Regina checked, trying not to laugh.

"Bloody dragon," muttered Emma under her breath, realising too late that Mal's hearing was exceptional because of her inner dragon, and she had heard her.

Mal flicked her wrist, and doused Emma in cold water, with a smirk on her face, "just in case you got burned," she told her, trying to look innocent.

"Where's my sword?!" Emma growled, looking around her as if it would magically be in the garden, making everyone laugh. Unable to keep her own amusement from shining through, Emma burst out laughing too.

"I guess I should say 'thank you' for not letting me become charcoal," she begrudgingly admitted, looking at Mal.

"You're welcome, Saviour," Mal replied, before glancing at Belle, "I owed you one, anyway," she added, confusing everyone who sat round the fire pit.

"Can I try again? Please?" Willow begged Mal.

"Ok, little dragon, this time aim slightly lower, or you'll roast your Mom," Mal grinned.

Willow took her second chance very seriously, and with concentration and determination that made Regina proud of her, tried again. This time it was an absolute success and she jumped up and down in excitement. Her happiness was contagious, and the evening passed in a haze of contentment between them all.

Tomorrow, reality would come back, and they would be forced to face the world again, but tonight they were all happy just to enjoy life as a rather large patchwork family.

Emma realised that her childhood dreams had all come true. She really did have a big family who all loved her, and who she loved just as deeply. No one could have seen this blending of their families coming, but now it had an inevitable feel to it. They were a unit. They were a family. They were ready to face anything, together, and they would always keep each other safe.