Chapter 19:
When she escaped her padded cell, Regina went straight to her house, ready to throw a fireball at whoever would have dared moving in during her absence and once she made sure that it was empty, that nobody had dared moved in what was rightfully hers in her mind, she rushed to her vault. Since nobody had had the idea to place guards in front of it, she was able to find everything she had left behind and to plot her revenge quietly. It needed to be good, definitive and it needed to hurt everyone that had gone against her. At this point, she didn't even care if she lost Henry for good. He had failed her too. He was never able to love her or trust her so why waist her time? She'd be able to adopt another child later, or maybe even to break the curse she had placed on herself. She didn't care about the price of magic anymore, someone else could pay it.
Determined and confident that she'd get what she wanted, Regina finally found what she was looking for: an old hat box that she had stolen from Jefferson when she condemned him to live in Wonderland with her mother all those years ago. She knew enough to know how it worked and it was perfect for what she had planned. Their land was gone, Rumple had told her so before she cast her curse. All she had to do was send Emma and Bella through this portal. Without them to lift everyone's feelings up and to spread hope, she'd be able to gain control over the town once more. Snow White and her husband wouldn't fight her for long, they'd be too heartbroken over the death of their daughter.
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"What's going on? Any signs of Regina?" Bella asked Emma when she called to say that Henry needed to stay away a while longer.
"Yes, she's been seen in the woods near her vault, we're going to try and get her now." Emma told her friend.
"I'll drop Henry off with Granny and be right there." Bella told Emma who in turn gave her a more precise location.
Before dropping Henry off, Bella grabbed a backpack and placed the book she had just received inside along with a bottle of water and a few snacks, just in case the chase lasted longer than planned. She was about to go when she noticed a knife that August had forgotten at her place when he had engraved her desk to personalize it. With a smile, she placed it in her belt, thinking that it might be useful at some point.
When she arrived, Bella saw that there was just Emma, her parents and Graham there.
"Where is everyone else?" Bella asked, knowing that a large group was looking for Regina throughout the day.
"Leroy and the other dwarfs went to finish the cell so we can lock Regina without her breaking out again. Gold went to help them to speed things up." Snow replied.
"Sounds to me like we might actually need Gold's help to stop her, especially if she has magic." Bella frowned.
"We've stopped her before without his help, we'll be fine, don't worry. They'll join us when they're done." Snow replied confidently, trying not to think about the fact that before, when they had stopped her, they had fairy dust on their side.
"I wish I'd had more time to read the book about magic that was dropped in front of my door, I'd be able to fight against her. So far all I've read is that Love is the key to my magic." Bella commented.
"Too bad you won't get to try it out then. I hear you lost your new found love. Too sad really, I would have cried if I had cared." Regina's voice rang behind them.
After that, everything happened very quickly. They all turned around and while David and Graham took their guns out and pointed them at the Evil Queen from different sides, Regina threw the hat on the ground, making it turn as she did. She immediately backed off and watched with great satisfaction as Bella first, then Emma, were sucked inside the hat. Graham, David and Snow had been too far to be affected by it but Snow rushed. She reached the hat too late to catch her daughter so she jumped right after her, screaming that she couldn't lose her daughter again. Graham managed to get a hold of Regina who couldn't move her arms and had trouble using magic as freely as she did in the enchanted forest.
When Snow jumped, Gold and Leroy arrived and managed to hold Regina back with Graham. David didn't waste any time and tried to jump after his wife but the portal had already closed off and he fell over the hat, breaking it.
"Where did you send them?" David yelled in Regina's direction.
"Home." Regina smirked.
"I thought it was destroyed!" Leroy exclaimed angrily.
"It is. They're dead." Regina replied, still smirking.
"No, it's not. I told you that it was destroyed but I lied. Our land is fine. Maybe in bad shape, maybe with broken castles and broken houses, maybe invaded by ogres in some places but it's still there and they survived the landing. I'm sure they'll be fine. They'll survive and find a way to reach us, to come back to us." Gold replied, reassuring David and taking Regina in.
"So you're going to work with the heroes now? You really think you can do it?" Regina asked him as they led her away.
"I'm going to do what's necessary to help my friend, Bella, and I'll do my best to do things the right way, for my Love, Belle. I'll do what I can to make sure than when I find my son, he can be proud of me." Gold replied.
"Oh, so you managed to make a friend and everything changes? I don't believe it. You'll be back on the bad side, I know it." Regina declared before he used magic the shut her up.
"We'll take her to the cell David. Don't worry." Leroy assured the prince.
"I'll go with them to make sure she can't escape anymore" Graham added, looking at a distraught David.
"Find me at Granny's later? We need to tell Henry what happened." David replied with a nod.
"Of course." Graham nodded back.
In the short time since he had moved in with the entire Charming family, he had become a full part of this family and he wanted to be there for Emma's son and her father until she came back, because he knew that she would.
.
Henry was quietly reading at Granny's dinner, ready to hear that Regina was under control and that he had nothing to fear anymore. When he saw David getting out of his truck, he smiled, only to frown a few seconds later when he realized that his grandfather was alone and looking worried.
"What's going on? Where's mom and Bella and grandma?" Henry asked, running to David and catching the attention of everyone in the dinner.
"Regina used Jefferson's old hat to open a portal to the Enchanted Forest. Bella fell in first. Emma tried to hold her back and fell right behind her. Snow jumped in not to leave them alone. I tried to follow them but the portal was closing down and it broke the hat. Don't worry though, I'm sure they're fine." David explained.
"What about Regina? Did she escape again?" Henry asked.
"No, we've got her. Graham is taking her to her new cell with Leroy. Gold went to check on Belle and to look for a way for us to communicate with your mother." David replied.
"Bella has her new book about magic with her she'll use magic." Henry assured him.
"I doubt she can open a portal through realms. They'll need something else." David shook his head.
"She did the hat for Jefferson, with the right material she can make another one back there and bring them here." Henry nodded.
"I like that you have faith, kid. You're right, they'll probably be home soon." David nodded before they both sat down and ordered hot cocoa while waiting for Graham to join them.
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As soon as he had checked on Belle and told her what had happened, asking her to start researching for ways to contact the missing women, Gold went back to check that Regina had been placed in her jail cell. When he arrived, they were trying to push her inside but she was resisting with every bit of strengths she had.
"How is it going?" he asked Graham.
"She tries to resist but thanks to that bracelet you've procured for us, she can't use magic." Graham replied.
"She can't take it off either, not unless someone does it willingly for her." Gold added with a smile.
"Good to know." Regina smirked as she was about to enter her cell.
"Nobody will be able to open this cell for you, not without the five keys." Leroy replied with a confident smile, not revealing that the keys would be spread between David, Gold, Graham, himself and Granny.
"Well, I guess it's a good thing that I came ready." Regina replied before managing to free one hand long enough to reach inside her pocket.
There, she grabbed the sleeping powder she had hidden and threw it around her, glad she had thought of it and taken an antidote. Quickly, they all fell to the ground, even Gold and she was able to run away. Of course she couldn't use magic, she couldn't take off that bracelet that Gold had cursed on her but at least she was free. The day the Evil Queen would rot in a jail cell hadn't come yet.
A few minutes later, Gold was the first one to come to and the first thing he did was to use his magic to awake the others.
"Where's she?" Leroy growled.
"She ran." Gold stated.
"At least she can't use magic." Graham sighted.
"Yeah, the town is relatively safe. Right?" Leroy asked Gold.
"Yes. I think warning people that she's out but can't use magic will be enough for now. Our priority should be to find a way to contact Bella and the others." Gold replied, surprising them all.
"You really care about Bella, don't you?" Graham realized.
"She gave me a real chance, trusted me and treated me like anyone else, without assuming I'd do wrong or betray her just because I'm the Dark One. She trusted me to help her, didn't lie to me, didn't try to use me and she helped me get my Belle back. She's one of the best people's I've met and one of my best friends. She helped Belle get acclimated and became her friend. She gave me hope that my son might be able to forgive me. She'll always be important for me and my family." Rumpelstiltskin replied.
"Let's hope they'll be fine wherever they landed." Leroy nodded, accepting that the Dark One was changing and that he could be trusted, at least in some circumstances.
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As soon as she was away from her captors, Regina rushed in her house and locked the door. She might not have her powers but she had a few potions that she could use around her house and she used them to block her house's entrance to anyone she didn't invite in. Even Henry wouldn't be able to come in and get his things, not that there was much left according to what she had seen when she checked the house earlier.
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When he joined Henry and David, Graham told them the bad news and even though Regina was free once more, the town wasn't too scared. They had faith in David to lead them and to protect them. As for David, as long as Regina behaved, he didn't see a reason to humiliate her further and drag her down to jail once more. He knew that already she wouldn't be welcome anywhere and have to run and hide. Right now, they needed to focus on getting Snow, Emma and Bella back to them.
.The sorcerer's thoughts.
Regina crossed the line once more. I know that she can be redeemed but I don't know if she'll ever get there. Maybe it's my fault, maybe I should have done something a long time ago, when I had the chance.
I can't help but smile at Rumpelstiltskin's actions and about what he said concerning my daughter. I knew there was hope for him and he just proved it. As long as he doesn't betray my daughter, I will also believe in him and in his redemption. Maybe he will be the one to hold the power of the Dark One and to clean it, make it light again and undo what Nimue created. I guess only time will tell.
Before I went to check on my daughter, I sent a message to my apprentice to ask him to keep an eye out on the very promising young boy that is Henry. I can feel that he is destined for great things, far more than being simply my author, and with Emma missing and David concentrating on bringing them back, I want to make sure that he's fine.
What did you think of this one? Sorry for the delay but life is busy right now and writing takes me longer these days. On the plus side, I have several ideas down for new stories. I'll try to work on them all so they can be ready as soon as possible, but it will take a while still.
Review please?
Lorelei Candice Black