As you know this year has been hectic for everyone. I was labeled essential personnel, plus my work was short of staff at the start of all this. I found myself too tired to write, and could only get bits of chapters done in small bursts. I had two or three finished chapters for a while now, but if you know me, I like to do a big update with all my stories, and today I finally managed to finish Shattered, which was one of the two taking the longest as it requires a lot of my attention to getting the feel just right. Happy reading Enjoy!
Chapter Four
Cave Basement Regina and Emma's dream house
"She's beautiful guys, congratulations," Regina told them as she held her niece. Zelena was watching her wearily, but despite living in a cave and cage, Regina had afforded her every comfort with more than enough time spent outside of the place especially with her baby. Well, the entire cage was like a little apartment with no more bars for her baby's sake.
"You're not going to take her, are you?" Zelena asked.
"No, she's yours, what did you guys name her?" Regina asked gently passing the baby back. She was already seven months old and thriving.
"Zuri Locksley," Robin said smiling at his daughter. Regina nodded.
"If you think that you can forgo revenge for the joy of raising your daughter in peace, I thought you might want to move back to your farmhouse," Regina said. "I bear you no ill will, like you I have more important things in my life now. I don't want any of them to grow up like we did mistreated, angry, and alone. I want them to know how perfect they are just the way they were born, and I want them to feel all that love we both missed out on. I can't make right what Mother did, but I do know I'd like to make my wish for a sister come true."
"I would like that," Zelena said.
"As a show of trust," Regina said. Regina removed the cuff. "As soon as things settle at home for me, we'll do dinner. In the meantime, you and Robin take care of Zuri. She and I are going to also have Auntie and niece time." Regina waved her hand and disappeared back to the house.
Mifflin Street Regina and Emma's house
"I can't believe you released her," Emma grumbled as she painted the apple tree brown, Regina went back to adding details to the tree she had already painted brown. Each wall would have an apple tree done according to the four seasons. Including two baby swans in the background getting bigger with the seasons until they were adults on the wall where their beds would be. The swans got little crowns on them with their wings spread out as colors of red for little queen's magic, yellow for Viveka's magic, blue for Henry's magic, purple for Regina's, and white for Emma's magic. Regina would add a Storybook to represent that part of Henry that was lost to them, well hopefully not anymore.
"Robin said she's changed since she's become a mother and I want to give her a chance. Besides this cuff might be more useful on Hook right now," Regina said. "I still have the wand I can send her ass back to Oz if I need too."
"All right well if you had a backup plan in case this blows up in your face, which I think it will," Emma shrugged. Regina rolled her eyes as they worked. Once the children were awake from their nap, they stopped working, she'd forced the older Henry to have quiet time in his room because she couldn't take the glares.
"Mom I want McDonald's," Henry whined.
"McDonald's?" Regina asked as if she hadn't heard right.
"Yeah," Henry said. "Since you can leave town so freely, I want McDonald's."
"No, do you not see the storm raging out there, we're not having McDonald's."
"Then I want Granny's," Henry snapped. Regina raised an eyebrow at him, and they glared at one another for a long time.
"There's beans on the stove until dinner," Regina replied as she settled Viveka to nurse from her on one side and little queen on the other.
"Ooh beans!" little Henry exclaimed. The older Henry huffed and waited for Regina to finish with the twins before he whined about being hungry again. Regina put cheese between two tortillas and put them in the pan, well for four in all for each child, before she pulled them apart put hot sauce on it and rolled it up into little rolls and stuck it in a bowl of warm beans.
"You want beans, Emma?" Regina asked once Neal was good to go too.
"Uh no, I was annoyed having beans for breakfast this morning," Emma replied.
"Well we have to wait for our groceries," Regina said as Little Queen sat on her hip and Viveka was content on Emma's.
"I know, but it's beans you know," Emma said.
"Not really no," Regina said eating her own food one-handed. "My beans are really good." Little Queen reached for the tortilla in Regina's hands, and Regina fed her a bite.
"Emma take me to Granny's we can get real food," Henry pleaded. Emma frowned.
"Your mom already made beans and you were not respectful, why should I treat you?" Emma asked him.
"Well then take me to see Grandma and Grandpa," He said.
"No, not today, you know they're at Granny's because their loft is out of the zone, I'm not stupid Henry." The image of Rumple appeared and snorted.
"You're the dumbest person here, the babies are smarter than you," Rumple told her.
"Whatever he's saying it's not true," Regina interrupted Emma seeing she was focusing in on a figure that wasn't obvious to the rest of them.
"Whose saying anything?" Henry asked confused as he finished eating. Despite his whining, he'd cleaned his bowl.
"Nothing, no one," Emma said. She took a bite from Regina's bowl of beans.
"Hey, between you and Little Queen, I'll never eat," Regina snapped, but she pushed the bowl to her fiancé none the less. She made more and gave both versions of her son more before they could ask.
"What are you making for dinner?" Emma asked.
"Hmm…Pozole I think is what Carlos said we had ingredients for," Regina replied.
"Oh no, we're going to be eating that all winter," Henry whined.
"Yay Pozole!" Little Henry cheered.
"Good, we'll save rations for everyone else in town," Regina told her.
"I don't like this, this is some trick, I bet if I get outside the storm will just disappear."
"Henry don't do anything dangerous!" Emma snapped. Henry's eyes went wide and little Henry started crying.
"Mama I'm not doing anything bad," little Henry cried.
"Oh no, no honey I'm sorry, I'm sorry I meant to yell at big Henry, not you," Emma comforted.
"You've done something to Emma, she doesn't yell," Henry accused Regina.
"I haven't done anything to Emma," Regina said.
"Oh yeah, then why is she hearing voices and now yelling at me?" Henry asked.
"Because I stupidly allowed the apprentice of Merlin to release the darkness from Gold!" Emma snapped. They had wanted to hide it from Henry, but Emma would not have Regina being accused in her home. "The darkness attacked our family, and so I tethered it to my body in order to control it."
"We have to get rid of it!" Henry yelled.
"We've already tried that kid, and I didn't do anything but infect your sister, and nearly get your mom killed in the process. Not to mention you and Henry." She kissed little Henry's head.
"You were kidnapped to get us to give Blue the dagger," Emma told him. "Your mom is a good person and it's time you started acting like it."
"NO!" Henry yelled. "This is a lie!"
"It's not a lie," Emma said.
"Where's the dagger, I want to see it?" Henry asked.
"No one sees the dagger," Emma replied. "I can't trust you at all." Henry looked taken aback before running out and upstairs to his room. He slammed the door.
"Oh, he's going to be an ass," Regina muttered.
"You mean he hasn't been being an ass?" Emma asked. Regina sighed.
"Nope he just escaped out of the window," Regina said. She walked to the front door with little Queen and opened it. Visibility was zero, but she could just make out a blurry little figure now crawling around the house. Emma gave her Viveka and stomped out into the snow, she dragged her son back in who was shaking so hard as Regina got him wrapped in a blanket on the couch and two hot water bottles before she stroked the fire.
"Emma go make some tea," Regina ordered as she rubbed his feet. The girls pouted and cried next to her.
"Calma chiquitas, I'm right here," Regina told them as she rubbed Henry's feet. She turned back to him. "I hope you learned your lesson going out in a blizzard." He nodded as he still shook. "And no shoes on!" If he wasn't already so blue, she was sure he'd go red with embarrassment. Emma brought him some tea before she took over with the girls, but Rhiannon just screamed harder.
"It's like that today?" Emma asked.
"Little Queen shush mommy has to take care of Henwry," Little Henry told her. "Here play cars." He gave her the small car and she grew so she could move the car back and forth while she lay on her stomach.
"This girl," Emma muttered. Viveka's yellow magic surrounded her and she pouted until Emma put her with her sister.
"So impatient," Emma muttered.
"They're fine, why don't you go get the groceries from Claudio, and I can make Pozole that will warm him up best."
"I can do that," Emma said happy to be helpful. She turned to Henry. "You behave and don't do anything stupid; you don't deserve the care Regina gives you with your attitude." Emma disappeared without another word.
"Oh Mami, Neal is stuck," Henry said. Regina went into the kitchen and freed Neal before she conjured up thick socks for the older Henry and put them on his feet. She got a third water bottle to go near them.
"Better?" He nodded, and she could already see his shaking had gotten a lot better. "Good drink your tea."
"But Mom what if the darkness made Emma poison it?" Henry asked. Regina took the tea and drank some. "It's safe, and Emma wouldn't hurt our family."
"It's not Emma anymore," Henry pointed out. Regina sat down so they were at eye level.
"I know that the darkness can take over all that you are, but with Emma it's different. She is so strong and made from the purest true love that she could control it. Your Ma was so strong, and with our true love magic Emma and I, we balance it, as much as the phantom that is Rumple tries to corrupt her, it cannot. Not while we're a team."
"But she said she corrupted one of the girls," Henry pointed out.
"When she saved Viveka and me, she didn't know she was pregnant with Rhiannon. We tried to save her, and Rhiannon transferred herself to me, we nearly died. But in the end, the darkness still clung to her and solidified once we had finally given her a name. But I believe that because Rhiannon is made from true love and most of it is tethered in Emma, she is not affected in the same way."
"How can you be sure?" Henry asked.
"I suppose I can't be one hundred percent, but just trust that I know magic and I know my child. Everything is different now."
"Can I please talk to Grandma and Grandpa tomorrow, they're the only ones that didn't change. And well Granny." Regina nodded.
"I suppose, but I need you to trust your heart instead, Blue used fairy dust to make them turn against us. Haven't you been wondering why Neal is here if he's Emma's brother?"
"I did find it very strange that they would let him stay here if it were true."
"Neal's barely seen them since he was a young infant, well first when Emma was pretending to be evil, she kidnapped him. I will admit that, she left him here, so he was taken care of, and then when I finally convinced her to take him back, instead of taking Neal they attacked with no regard for either of them. They haven't asked after him until suddenly they brought back Little Henry who had been kidnapped by Blue and left you at the convent."
"But why?" Henry asked.
"You're the truest believer, did you read your storybook?"
"Not all of it, I got stuck at the part where I meet my dad, but now I don't understand why Emma lied, she said he was a firefighter and now he's somewhere in town?"
"Oh," Regina said.
"Oh, what do you mean oh, did you not know?" Henry asked.
"No, I knew, I found out when you found out, it's just your dad he's…" Henry frowned.
"Oh, right you keep saying it's so much later than I think…he's dead right?" Regina frowned and nodded. Henry gave her back the cup and curled up more on the couch. He cried for a bit.
"Don't cry Henwry we gots Mami and Mama, we don't needs dad," Henry told him. "We no know him." Regina frowned.
"Henry you remember your dad?" Regina asked. Little Henry nodded.
"Yeah he hurt Mama," Little Henry said.
"What else do you remember?" Regina asked curiously. "About yourself."
"Um…dats I wrotes a lot before," Henry shrugged before he bounced back over to his sisters.
"Why don't I remember?" Henry asked.
"Because that's what she wanted, she wanted you to hate me again," Regina said.
"Mom I wanna remember my dad," Henry cried. He cried until Emma came back and then he glared at her and ran upstairs.
"What just happened?" Emma asked.
"He uh read the Storybooke until he got to Neal, and he's been processing the fact you lied, and Neal was alive. But then he realized he must be dead now." Emma cringed.
"I never wanted that for the kid," Emma muttered. "I thought it would be bad enough explaining it to Little Henry later on."
"Apparently we don't need to explain anything to little Henry. He remembers Neal," Regina said as they went into the kitchen. Emma's mouth fell open as she took a seat on the island and watched Regina get started on cooking after washing her hands.
"What?" Emma asked. "I don't understand."
"I'm not sure, I was pretty sure he didn't remember anything, but again I don't know what Blue has done. It's possible she unlocked his memories somehow, but only in Little Henry. It might not have been intentional. I still need to consult all my books."
"Of course, can I help you?" Emma asked.
"Not here, it's fine if you care for the girls' needs and the boys Regina said as Neal started crying. He came in and pointed at his diaper, so Emma took him to get changed while Regina worked.
"I tried to talk to him, but he wasn't interested, he told me to get out," Emma frowned as Regina chopped onions underwater to avoid tears.
"I'm sorry, I think he just needs time to process it, he also needed time back then to process after New York." Emma nodded.
"Can I have Kush tonight?" Emma asked. Regina chuckled and nodded.
"Sure, after they're in bed, I'll get you some," Regina said. "Tomorrow I agreed he could speak with your parents though."
"What no, why would you agree?" Emma asked.
"Because he needs it, I'll make sure Granny doesn't leave them alone," Regina said moving the cut onions into a bowl that had a lid and spun to remove excess water from vegetables, usually lettuce. "Give that a spin until the water is off." Emma saluted her and did so while she cleaned and cut up the radishes and placed them next to some limes.
"What's this for?" Emma asked indicating the toppings.
"You add these to the top of Pozole to make it taste even better," Regina said. "We also have oregano, chile piquin which is chili powder, and cabbage sometimes it's lettuce, but I prefer cabbage."
"Oh, is this going to be really hot?" Emma asked pouting.
"No, honey of course I made it milder for your sake." Emma gave a sigh of relief to hear her say it.
"Oh and no shrimp?" Emma asked.
"No, no shrimp," Regina replied. "It's pork, but you can make with chicken too. Now come, let's sit on the couch and cuddle while that cooks and the kids play." Emma nodded. It was just nice to sit and enjoy their little family. Big Henry eventually came back down with his Storybook. He didn't say anything, but he did keep reading.
"I don't understand," big Henry said when they were setting the table.
"Understand what?" Regina asked securing Neal in his highchair.
"How heroes can name their precious baby after a bad person, you saved the town a lot, and still, we treat you badly. But I'm supposed to believe that one good deed makes Neal worthy of all the praise?"
"That's why I had to stop fighting kid, I didn't believe that anymore. And I was able to love your mom." He frowned at her.
"No, you're no better!" Henry yelled. "You left us, you were just as bad as him, Mom was lucky to have me. I don't trust a lot right now, but I trust myself and I trust the Storybook, it hasn't lied to me yet. I can't believe you got her pregnant and just left." Emma's eyes burned with tears and shame.
"I know kid, I know, I'm so ashamed," Emma told him.
"Good," Henry said.
"It's okay now Henry we chose to forgive Emma, and she's worked very hard to make it up to us as a family."
"Not to Charlotte," Henry snapped shaking his head. "It's not right."
"Charlotte became Rhiannon, and I assure you she reminds me every day," Emma told him. "There's a reason she doesn't like me like your mom."
"But you said she came from you at first," Henry frowned.
"Yes, because remember how Charlotte died?" Regina asked. He nodded. "Well her soul clung to us magically, and she had to wait for an opportunity. Except when the opportunity came when she could jump to me, Viveka was there. So, she ended up growing in Emma, not that she was very happy about this at all. She tortured your mother until she managed it to the detriment of us all to get to me, so I gave birth to her."
"And I got the aftermath," Emma grimaced.
"This is all so confusing," Henry grunted. They nodded.
"Let's not worry about past wrongs right now, let's focus on where we are now, and now this family is in a good place."
"Yeah, well sort of, when we are done with this war and Hook," Emma grunted.
"We'll talk more about Hook later, now who is ready for Pozole?" Regina asked.
"ME!" both Henrys cried in the end. She had made his favorite which was the green Pozole. She added some tostadas to the table which were hard tortilla shells and deep-fried pork skins she'd found hiding in their food box. She topped the food of the younger children with everything just like her own and the older Henry's. Although she and Henry both dumped more chili powder on it.
"Why didn't you make it hotter?" Henry asked when she'd brought out fresh chili peppers that they smashed into their Pozole.
"Your mother can't handle the heat," Regina said. "So, I have to make everything milder for her." Henry let out a whine.
"What's the point of eating good food if it's not hot?" Henry asked as he glared at Emma.
"I'm sorry, my tongue just burns okay," Emma huffed. "And it's already so hot, I don't even understand how you can add more." Regina and Henry snorted.
"This hasn't even begun to be hot," Regina told her feeding a little bit to Rhiannon. She cried and then reached for more.
"Says the woman burning the mouth of the five-month-old," Emma pointed out.
"She's fine," Regina said. "There are babies raised on hotter food, believe me, plus Henry is perfectly fine." Indeed Little Henry already had an empty bowl and big Henry was not far behind. She served them more.
"I'm going to see King after this, you think you can handle the kids alone?" Regina asked. Emma nodded.
"I don't think Little Queen will give me too much trouble no," Emma replied. Regina nodded. "And you don't have to ask me to watch them, I am their mother too. I will do it because it is my job."
"Hmm…not really so much a will you kind of question, but if you feel like mostly Rhiannon will cooperate, in which case I would rather just take her with." Emma nodded her understanding.
"I don't want to stay with her," Henry said glaring at Emma. Emma looked down.
"It's okay, Regina, you should take him with you, let him see a different side." Regina frowned but nodded.
"They should go down for another nap now, so it shouldn't be too much fuss," Regina murmured as she started to clean.
"No, no, I'll get the girls down and clear the table, you two go." Regina gave her a kiss and handed her Rhiannon who was already nodding off after nursing. She kissed Henry, Neal, and Viveka before she took big Henry's hand. He wasn't too excited to use magic, but he didn't want to admit it was a little cool to disappear from place to place.
"My Queen, what are you doing here?" Cox asked in shock. "You should be resting after all, you've been through!"
"I've rested enough," Regina replied. "Where's King, I need to check on her."
"In her room, I'll get her up and out here for you to examine her."
"No, if she'll allow it, I'll examine her in her room, so she doesn't have to overexert herself," Regina said. Cox nodded and hurried off as others started cleaning up the space. They'd all moved into one place to try and save space for other citizens.
"Please my Queen, sit," They said dusting off an already clean spot.
"This place is immaculate Tate stop fake dusting." Tate looked shocked.
"Why I would never your majesty, only the cleanest spot for my Queen, and her prince," He said before carrying himself off dramatically to the kitchen. Henry sat nearby with a small frown on his lips.
"Who are they?" Henry asked. "I've never seen them here before."
"They came back with us, they are the blackguard, they were left behind, I thought when the curse broke, we would go back we did not. And then they were turned into flying monkeys, turns out, I have a sister the Wicked Witch of the West, we'll go over her story later. Anyway, they came back with us when we went after Emma." Henry nodded. "This isn't all of them though, seventy-five percent are women, but we have men too."
"My Queen," Tate said returning with two mugs of tea. "Does the Prince have the same tea tastes as his mother."
"Not really, I like fruity," Henry answered. Regina cleared her throat. "Sorry I mean I like fruity please." Tate nodded and took his mug back; he soon came back with fruity tea to Henry's delight. Despite it, all King came struggling out with two people on either side of her.
"King!" Regina scolded as she stood up. "You should have stayed in bed."
"And let you see my mess, not a chance my Queen," King grinned.
"And I'd bet good coin that your room is spotless," Regina quipped as King tried to bow and they forced her not too. She tried to skirt around them a curtsey, but she was off balance.
"You see what we're dealing with my Queen," Cox sighed once they had gotten King on the couch.
"Has she not been resting properly?" Regina asked frowning.
"Not at all, we constantly getting her back to bed." Regina crossed her arms and glared at King who tried to glare at Cox.
"Don't glare at Cox, they were right to tell me how you've been acting, I see you'll need to be under my direct supervision."
"Yes, I will protect you…" King said.
"You'll rest," Regina ordered as she checked the wound, as Harper brought over the first aid kit. Regina looked at King's arm which looked quite bad, but at least wasn't poisoning her.
"What happened?" Henry asked peeking around his mother as she carefully removed dead tissue from the wound.
"Hook happened my Prince," King grunted. "How did my Queen break the enchantment on my Prince?"
"I didn't," Regina answered. "She split him from Henry, now there are two of them, but she only brought him back to ten years old when he was suspicious of me. If he had been twelve, she couldn't have lied to him."
"I'll kill her when I'm well," King declared, and the others agreed.
"You leave the magical beings to me," Regina told them as they all pouted.
"Oh, but my Queen," They whined.
"No, what are you all a bunch of children?" Regina asked even though there were murmurs of perhaps.
"Only until you allow us to break out the Tequila my Queen," someone laughed, and Henry couldn't help but giggle with the others.
"They're funny, and they aren't scared of you. Everyone is always so scared of you," Henry said.
"This is what it looks like when your Kingdom…"
"Queendom," Cox corrected. Regina rolled her eyes.
"Fine, Queendom, sees you as inherently good, there is no reason to be afraid," Regina replied.
"Even though you are the Evil Queen?" Henry asked. Regina frowned.
"Only to her enemies," King told him. "Your mother fell victim to the White Kingdom, but we of the Black Kingdom have only known kindness and stability with my Queen and she was a sweet Princess. Her dark curse saved a lot of people from the plague my Prince, without her a lot of us would have died. She even managed to save my own daughter for a time, but then she was too weak to fight the flu after the plague." Everyone frowned and those nearby put a comforting hand on King.
"Oh, I'm sorry she made it so far and got sick again," Henry frowned.
"Aaliyah was a strong girl," Regina replied.
"Aaliyah's dead?" Henry asked. He started crying and Regina frowned at herself, she hadn't realized at that moment that this Henry both remembered Aaliyah and would of course mourn her death.
"Oh Honey, I'm so sorry, I didn't think," Regina said.
"But I was going to ask to go play checkers," He said. Regina finished removing the dead tissue from King's arm.
"I know, but Aaliyah isn't suffering anymore and that is the best part, right?" He nodded.
"Did she at least get to see you?" Henry asked King. King looked sad but happy to know that Aaliyah had someone else who missed her.
"Every day, that was the thing about the curse, it made her think your mom was me so she wouldn't forget me, and think I was there with her all the time."
"But what about when I was there?" Henry asked confused as he looked at Regina.
"When you came we were her Aunt and cousin to her," Regina replied as she carefully cleaned the wound. She tried to heal it with magic, but it was resistant to it. Instead, she let Harper hand her a kush herbal mixture that she packed into the wound and began to wrap King's arm.
"I'm glad she wasn't alone here then, that was a nice thing you did in the curse." Regina smiled at him and nodded.
"You'll find my Prince that the dark curse isn't as dark as the White Kingdom might have you believe. There were some things that weren't good, but you'll also find little things like what my Queen did for me," King told him.
"My Queen!" Collins cried coming out of the kitchen. Everyone turned towards him. "Please, please save my Pozole, I've messed up." Regina chuckled along with the rest and it was a group effort to save the large pot of red Pozole.
"Whoa you're going to definitely make it through winter on this and part of spring," Henry cried looking at the large pots.
"Two weeks tops, I give it," Collins told him as they started loading soup bowls and the few magic users, they were usually small time started delivering them to various soldiers on guard duty.
"Who is out in this weather?" Regina asked them upset.
"Uh…." They said
"I want them home now, they aren't getting anywhere in this Blizzard and even so you're nearby, you can all get out of the homes quickly and into formation, yes?"
"Yes, my Queen," They replied.
"Then what are you waiting for?" Regina asked. "Vale!" she clapped her hands and they hurried to get the others in except for the person on watch at the diner since they were perfectly comfortable and safe. Henry didn't think it was possible, but it was full house sitting down wherever they could to a warm meal of Pozole.
"My Queen?" They asked offering her a bowl.
"No thank you, I made green pozole and we ate at home." Still, they insisted until she was eating, and Henry sighed in happiness.
"Oh, it's spicy not at all for Emma's taste buds." Henry sighed. Regina snorted into her Pozole.
"We're so sorry my Prince," They said. After the meal and Regina had given King something to help her sleep and heal, they left to go visit Maleficent. Henry was a little scared, but relaxed when he saw she was in human form reading with her daughter. He learned a little about their story and her resurrection.
"Grandma and Grandpa really did that?" Henry asked as Regina was cooking in Maleficent's kitchen making a fish stew she was fond of.
"Yes, but I'm just so grateful thanks to your moms that we were able to reunite and become a family," Maleficent said. "I want you to consider me your Aunt just like the girls and little Henry. I'll always be here for you." Regina came in and sat down.
"It'll be ready for you by dinner, I have it on low heat, so turn it off in about an hour," Regina instructed. Maleficent nodded.
"Thanks again for cooking, Lily isn't into whatever I burn on the forest floor all the time."
"Thank you, Aunty!" Lily exclaimed. "Can I go play with Henry?"
"Sure, but use your inside voice, I think the babies are asleep, okay?"
"Okay!" she exclaimed before disappearing on her own to Henry's shock. Emma sent a message to let them know that she had safely land on top of her head quite literally. They chuckled a bit.
"What's the update?" Maleficent asked.
"Not much, I sent the guards in and not out in this weather, one guard on watch though by Granny's and I think one more by Claudio's house actually. They're inside though because someone built a little tower as a reading room," Regina shrugged. "Claudio sent aid out to the rest of the town well as much as he could without sacrificing us from his text. I'm hoping the weather calms so we can take back the town at least before Hook arrives." Maleficent nodded.
"Solid plan, I'm ready when you are, I could set fire to a few buildings and provide light and warmth so we can attack earlier." Regina raised an eyebrow and Maleficent grinned. "Oh, Reg you're absolutely no fun."
"Perhaps, but we don't potentially kill innocent people anymore, remember?"
"Whose innocent in the town hall these days, two birds with one stone," Maleficent shrugged.
"Everyone except for Blue, every time I've come up against the fairies without Blue they have chosen to back down. They don't want to fight me. If I thought I could trick Blue, I'd ask Tink to go and undermine her control." Maleficent shook her head.
"Definitely too dangerous for Tink, and we don't want that."
"I don't understand why Blue doesn't like Tink," Henry said. He knew about Neverland and therefore Tinkerbell, and Hook.
"Because she helped me once when no one else would. She almost changed my destiny and stopped me from becoming the Evil Queen."
"Whoa, but why didn't it work?" Henry asked.
"Well she thought the fairy dust led her to Robin Hood, who would be my true love, but I never walked into the tavern to meet him. And later to avoid Pan's curse I met him, but we didn't click it wasn't right, I knew that. It turns out that Snow was actually in the tavern that night." Henry cringed so hard at her words, and she couldn't blame him. "No, no it wasn't like that." Henry put a hand on his heart as he panicked a little.
"What, but the fairy dust and it's not wrong and…and…oh my God…" Maleficent outright laughed.
"Yeah that's the general reaction to that part of the story," Maleficent commented.
"Believe me I get your panic you think I didn't panic too; I threw up three times until I sorted it out with Tink, the truth." Henry looked at her. "Later on, my Daddy convinced me to use cupid's arrow to find Robin Hood. Instead, it took me to Snow and David's wedding sort of where the storybook starts talking about the dark curse." Henry nodded.
"You burst into their wedding to threaten them," Henry said. Regina shook her head.
"That was just a front, I was looking for the arrow, I thought it would land on Robin in the crowd, but actually it was just flying aimlessly overhead. I had to put on a show even if I still planned on casting the curse, I hadn't even wanted to go to their wedding. Anyway, I left with the arrow and I was just as confused and angry as ever."
"Wait so how do you know it's not Grandma?" Henry asked.
"The arrow didn't strike her, and it was aimless, because Emma didn't exist yet, and back then the fairy dust did the best it could, by leading me to Snow. If I had walked into that tavern back, then and tried to meet Robin and Snow had seen again. I can't fathom what my future would have looked like, she would have told her father."
"I'm sorry I reacted badly about you and Emma before, but that was before I knew how I would feel about you and Grandma," Henry said. Maleficent and Regina chuckled.
"Yeah you aren't alone in that sentiment," Maleficent told him. "Are things a little clearer for you?" Henry shook his head.
"I'm angry all the time, and I can't sort out who I should be angrier with, mom for the curse, or Emma for what she did to us later, or Blue but she's supposed to be the example of good. How do I know who is lying and who isn't? Is what's new in my Storybook all a lie now, but it sounds like me, I don't know I know it's me. Can I trust myself?"
"Give it time, and let your heart do the sorting," Regina said. Henry nodded as Regina's phone went off. She answered it. "Hey Robin, yeah sure, I'll be there in a second."
"What's Robin want?" Maleficent asked.
"Bored, all the Merry men are separated, they're all stocked up, but wanted to know if he and Roland could come over. I'm sure he'll convince me about Zelena and Zuri too."
"Oh yes, we can get a workout in and have a game night. I bet he's got beer; I'll take the fish stew to your house. What are blizzards for if not gathering."
"Quiet time, reading, sleeping," Regina added but didn't stop Maleficent from turning off the stove and picking up the medium size pot.
"See you at home," Maleficent said disappearing. Regina snorted.
"Do you want to come with me, or shall I send you home?" Regina asked Henry.
"I'll come with you," Henry said. She took his hand and they disappeared and reappeared inside Robin's cabin.
"Regina!" Roland cried running over. He was naked and covered in chocolate. Robin looked like he needed a beer.
"Come on Roland, let's get you dressed, and we'll go play with little Henry." She lifted him easily like a sack of potatoes making him giggle hard.
"Yay!" He cheered as they went for his room.
"Uh hi, I'm Henry," Henry said nervously.
"Hi Henry, I'm Robin please excuse the mess, Roland is wild, I gave him chocolate like an idiot." Robin moved two bags, a keg, and his food box to one spot. They didn't talk much.
"You're a thief," Henry said.
"I was a thief, I work for the police department now," Robin said. "My partner is even Nottingham if you can believe it."
"Not really, you two are bitter enemies."
"Nottingham has a good life here, he's changed a bit, and he's afraid of your mom." Robin said the last part as if it were a secret and Henry had to laugh.
"Is there anyone not afraid of mom?" Henry asked.
"The literal entirety of the Black Kingdom, I swear they get all teary-eyed when you mention her fireballs because she's so awesome." Regina came back with a cleaned and dressed Roland. "Did I mention she's like super mom."
"I am not," Regina said.
"Well to me you are, now let's pick up Zuri and Zelena….PLEASE." He gave her his best doe eyes and Roland joined in as Regina rolled her eyes.
"She's got her own magic, you invite her over," Regina told him.
"Oh good, I already did, and she agreed if you were really okay with it," Robin said. Regina flicked him.
"Did you at least text Emma?" Regina asked. Robin looked guilty as she sighed. "Everyone grab hold." They touched her arm and she made sure to grab the stuff before they disappeared into the foyer, where Emma was clad in all black and glaring at Zelena.
"What are you doing here?" Emma growled.
"I was invited by my sister, what are you doing here?" Zelena asked on purpose as if Emma didn't deserve to be there. Regina hurried forward and stepped in between them after putting Roland down. She put a gentle hand on Emma's chest.
"It's okay, I want her here," Regina said. Emma untensed a little but she was still clad in black. "Come help me take the food in the kitchen now." It took a lot, but Emma forced herself to lift Robin's food box and go towards the kitchen where Maleficent was stirring her fish stew.
"Go make yourself at home in the living room please Zelena, you are still welcome, she's just on edge as always." Zelena nodded and went to the living room after handing Zuri to an eager Robin.
"All right, I'm sorry," Zelena said.
"It's Robin's fault you don't have to be sorry, he didn't tell anyone you were coming until after the fact."
"Robin really," she snapped at him as she headed into the living room after him. Regina went into the kitchen where Emma was letting off dark smoke and pacing heavily.
"I don't like this, why is she here?" Emma asked.
"Because we are a family and we are trying to do better," Regina reminded her.
"She shouldn't be family after what she did," Emma grumbled.
"I think we've all done quite a few things we regret in this family; didn't we say that Storybrooke is about second chances?"
"No, I'm sure we did not," Emma snapped. "She shouldn't be here."
"Then I shouldn't be here, or Maleficent or even you," Regina pointed out with a frown. Emma froze finally to big Henry's surprise; he had never seen Emma like this. Emma started sniffling and Regina was able to wrap her in a hug and rub her back.
"I just don't want her to harm our family," Emma cried.
"And she won't, she won't hurt our girls just like we won't hurt Zuri," Regina reminded her. "Now Robin's going to come begging anyway, will you feel better if I let you have Kush."
"Yeah, you promised, and you didn't give it to me yet," Emma now pouted.
"Watching the Dark Savior pout is endless entertainment," Maleficent chuckled.
"Oh, and someone sent what looks like Pozole, but it's red, it burned my mouth worse than yours, I just wanted to taste."
"It was the guards, and it wasn't hot at all Emma, why is your tongue so sensitive." Henry had to giggle.
"It was red Pozole Emma," Henry informed her.
"Sorry you had to see me all dark like this kid," Emma said as her clothes were changing back to normal.
"It's okay, you were just pacing not more," Regina reminded. Once Emma looked like her normal self again, she allowed Regina to release her.
"Well the babies are still sleeping at least, but I'm sure little Queen will…" Emma was cut off by a cry from the baby monitor and soon a second one joined her. "Speak of the devil."
"Why don't you go take a moment to calm them and bring them down then." Emma nodded and disappeared after taking a breath.
"Are you sure she won't hurt them?" Henry asked furrowing his brow.
"I trust her completely with them," Regina told him. "Now let me introduce you to Zelena and Zuri." They left out of the kitchen to go introduce Henry to his family.
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