No Regrets Chapter 11
Operation Juniper
Three weeks later.
"How did the negotiations go?" Regina asked Emma and Snow as they walked into her office.
"Pretty well, she's agreed to the conditions, and incorporating the class into the curriculum." Snow replied
"Although she complained about 'trying to turn the school into Hogwarts'." Emma smirked
"Might be an improvement if it was. Too much ignorance about magic in this town. " Regina looked annoyed.
"I agree. Help magical kids less likely manipulated into dark magic, and help the kids without magic understand what it is." Emma nodded, sitting down on Regina's desk.
"All they get now, at best, are the same vague stories we learned in the Enchanted Forest." Snow added, sitting down in a chair.
"We just need a good teacher, someone who knows magic and really likes kids…" Emma grinned and looked at Regina.
"Me? You want me to teach it? The former Evil Queen, the poster child for someone manipulated into dark magic?"
"Regina, you'd be great. And the class was your idea, after all. Plus, think of how much you'll annoy her- walking into her school every week, to teach a class she'll have no control over." Emma laughed.
"True." Regina smirked.
"Regina, how are you feeling?" Snow asked, concernedly.
"Still nothing more than a slight nausea." She assured Snow. "But please refrain from bringing those awful grilled cheese sandwiches anywhere near me, Emma." Regina mock glared at her.
"Has Henry had any luck finding anything yet?"
"Not yet. So what did Astrid, or whatever she wants to call herself now, say; now she's free to do whatever she wished and still keep her fairy powers?
"She called Leroy and he picked her up. Think they're going to live on his boat now."
"Well, that was quick."
"Not if you know what happened to her and Leroy in the Enchanted Forest. Or what Blue did to them."
"Something tells me it will make me loathe her even more."
"Surprised Tinkerbelle didn't tell you. She told me." Emma said.
"Probably afraid of my reaction. I may not be the Evil Queen anymore, but that doesn't mean I don't get angry anymore, and think about enacting my own justice."
"Likely she told me because it explains why she is so passionate about making sure Astrid was free."
"What happened?"
"Back in the Enchanted Forest, Leroy and Astrid fell in love. Blue forbade romances between fairies and anyone else, but dwarves were especially forbidden. She forced them to break up. That's why Leroy became Grumpy. Astrid said his name was Dreamy before."
"I don't know if I want to witness a sappy romantic Leroy, that's kind of disturbing. But they deserve a chance at happiness just like the rest of us. I wonder what other things that woman might have done. She really is as bad and untrustworthy as Gold, maybe worse."
"Speaking of Gold, any news about him and Belle?"
"Henry got a call from Belle a couple of nights ago. They are in Rome, now, apparently. Belle's enjoying the trip around the world, but she's not sure if she can ever love him again. She cares for him and she's happy about the baby, but she's worried this trip isn't just to woo her back. Belle knows how much he loves power, and he's already said something to her about this world isn't really a land without magic but a land of hidden magic. She's suspicious that he may be seeking out more power in this world."
"Sounds like Storybrooke's not even on his radar anymore. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't come back here."
"I've had suspicions about that too. I've heard rumors about places of natural magic in this world."
"Yeah, there must be something out there, like Stonehenge or something."
"That's one of them; there are rumors of ley lines connecting the sites too."
"Ley lines? What exactly are ley lines?"
"It's a magical line connecting one place of strong magic to another. I used one in the Enchanted Forest to get to Avalon quickly. You have to be a very experienced magic user to do that, and that was in the Enchanted Forest. I wouldn't try it here, even if the rumors are true."
"If Belle's suspicions are correct, and he is trying to pull on this world's hidden magic, it sounds like even he doesn't trust those ley lines, if they exist here."
"I don't know what he's planning, but it can't be good. He might uphold his bargain with me to not cause problems here, but nothing is stopping him outside this town."
"Can we do anything?" Snow said worriedly.
"Right now, definitely nothing. We have no proof he's doing anything, and even if we had proof, neither Regina nor myself have any experience in attempting to find and use any hidden magic outside of Storybrooke. Gold does. We can hope there are other native born light magic users like the Dragon, that Neil told us about. They would have an advantage he doesn't. This world's hidden magic is the one they've used all their lives, Gold only has a few weeks experience using it, and it's a foreign magic to him."
"Emma, you grew up in the Land Without Magic. If we can locate places, if we have to, you should have that advantage."
"Yeah, I accidentally did a couple of times. But I'm barely trained in magic use."
"When it comes to light magic, I'm only a little more than you."
"Sounds like we need a tutor."
"Tinkerbelle is the only one skilled enough here that I'd trust."
"Well that's a start, at least. You two should go to her and learn what you can."
"Wouldn't hurt, and considering this town..."
"Gold's possible actions elsewhere probably isn't what we should be the most worried about. Sidney's still on the loose somewhere. I don't know how much he can access his magic, but he's a sociopath with a dangerous obsessive violent streak. Under the curse that was controlled, but since then…"
"He needs to be found."
"He's done nothing yet, he might have even wandered out of town and be out in the world."
"Chances are he's been hiding somewhere in town, plotting something." Emma looked wary; Sidney had manipulated her while he was still under the curse. He wasn't completely loyal to Regina under the curse either; he'd willingly schemed against her. It was certainly believable he could decide to cause someone harm.
"That's what I worry about. The only good thing none of the magic users in town would trust him. Sidney is only rarely initially self-directed. He prefers to latch onto someone else more powerful and let them initiate the actions, he takes it from there.
"That's probably why he hasn't acted yet."
"I'll tell David to start looking for signs of him around." Snow said. "You probably want to finish up that paperwork and get back home to Robin." Snow smiled knowingly. "I'll go tell David to look for Sidney on his patrols from now on."
"Mom! I found it!" Henry came running into the dining room, still holding Violet's hand. Both teens were out of breath from the run from the apprentice's house. Regina was just about to call Henry and remind him about supper, or maybe call Emma and have her bring Henry home.
Robin stood up and brought another plate out for Violet. "I'll call your father; let him know you are here." Robin knew he was the best choice to talk to the girl's father. Hank Morgan was a bit uncomfortable speaking to Regina, as she was a magic user. Robin called the number "Hank, its Robin Locksley."
"I suppose my daughter is there again."
"She is. Regina will drive her home after supper."
"Good. Glad the boy had the sense to bring my daughter there, not his other mother's."
Hank was even more uncomfortable about Emma and Killian than he was about Regina, though. Robin suspected it was Regina's protective nature around children that allowed Violet's father to accept Regina, with reservations. Violet seemed comfortable around Regina and Regina was getting used to Henry having a girlfriend. Violet didn't entirely trust Emma, because of what happened in Camelot. Hank didn't trust Emma and he had a strong dislike for Killian.
"Regina and I were just sitting down to supper. She was getting ready to call Henry to come home"
"You know they eat like horses at that age." Hank laughed. "Violet praises your meals to the skies. Makes me curious. I've mastered this microwave cooker of your world -"
"You're welcome to join us."
"Perhaps another time. I would like to see how to properly use these electric stoves."
With Regina, Hank Morgan tended toward a pompous manner, although the two were often in agreement concerning Henry and Violet. With him, Hank relaxed, although most their conversations seemed to be about the technology of this time. Apparently, the same went for Hank's conversations with David, who Hank had developed a friendship with, despite him being Emma's father. It was probably for the best Hank wasn't joining them for supper tonight considering what the conversation would be about.
"We should call you sister to come over." Henry asked Robin when he walked back into the dining room.
"It's probably a bit late tonight. Matthew and Roberta will be going to bed soon as well as Hope and Roland."
"But papa, I'm not a baby!"
"He doesn't mean you have to go to bed when Hope does, but your bedtime as well as your cousins is too close to time to invite them over tonight. We'll invite them over or go over tomorrow morning." She looked at Robin and continued, "School's still off on vacation and I can work on paperwork here and go in for my appointments in the afternoon."
"Mom, Robin, Wilfred is in Wonderland. The Red Queen has him."
Robin and Regina exchanged looks. Will Scarlet's true love Anastasia had Wilfred. The Red Queen who had apparently fallen back into the darkness.
"How bad is it?"
"Not sure. Don't think he's being controlled by her and he's still alive. But-"
"It's not clear how unstable she might be." Regina grimaced. Well it had been a well-deserved peaceful three weeks...
"I'll call my sister and we'll work out when to come over."
"Regina, I think we'll to take more people with us this time." Robin said.
"I'm not thrilled about involving others, but yes, we'll need to have enough numbers that Anastasia takes us seriously, but not enough that it looks like we are trying to take over Wonderland..."
"I'm going this time, mom." Regina could see the stubborn set to Henry's face, nothing would dissuade him.
"Okay, but no heroics, is that clear?"
"Yeah, as long as you aren't saying I can't do anything as the author."
"Only as the author, and only if it's absolutely necessary."
Henry nodded.
"My Merry Men will certainly want to help out Will, and my sister, once I tell them about her."
"It might be a good idea to have a healer along. I can do it, but it's not my natural skill." Regina said.
"It'd be good to have a highly trained warrior along too. If Rebecka goes you know Mulan will want to go along too." Robin agreed.
"Mom, I think my other mom should go too."
"She'll probably demand to. Well, Gold's not here to be a threat and Maleficent would probably protect the town while we're gone... if Emma goes I suppose I'll have to put up with the pirate along as well..."
"Okay! I'll text her to come over now."
"Think the Charmings would be better staying here. Don't text them. Snow can take over as acting mayor. I'd rather Tinkerbelle stay here as well; she can be a line of defense, just in case something does threaten Storybrooke while we're gone. The other fairies are more likely to act to help if Snow asks them. But we shouldn't linger anywhere. "
"Operation Juniper." Henry grinned at his mother
"Operation Juniper it is."
"Mom and Killian are on their way here."
Thirty minutes later, shortly after Regina returned from dropping off Violet at her father's house, both Emma's bug and David's truck pulled up to the mansion. Regina sighed; she should have guessed Emma would pass along the information to her parents.
"Hope's asleep and Roland's taking his bath." Robin said, coming down the stairs.
"Just in time."
"Emma and Killian are here?"
"And Snow and David" Regina grimaced.
"Have to convince them to stay here. Do you want me to try?"
Regina hesitated, but then nodded. "With me, Snow will try to wear me down, but you, she's not as good against a debater like you. David's not a problem if we get Snow to back down." Regina had witnessed this during the missing year. That's when the dynamics between Snow and herself started to change. Regina found herself giving into what Snow wanted most the time without much of a fight, if any. Snow hadn't yet developed what Henry called the "Mom glare" but she'd wheedle so relentlessly Regina just found it easier to just give in. Robin though, could reason Snow out of things and once Robin started to gain some ground, David, if he actually had doubts about her ideas, would tend to jump to Robin's side. Letting Robin handle Snow and David would be for the best.
Snow started her verbal barrage as soon as she walked in the door "Regina, David and I are coming along on this, you protected me when I was pregnant with Neal, now it's our turn to return the favor. I know how much that baby means to you."
Regina could feel her desire to give in, rise up. Emma shrugged and gave her a sympathetic look. Regina glared back. Emma motioned with her hand toward the kitchen. Regina raised an eyebrow but turned that direction. Robin took that moment to step in front of Snow and David, blocking them from following Regina and Emma. Killian casually leaned against the doorframe, watching.
"Regina and I are very grateful for your offer, but we'd rather have you both in Storybrooke. Snow, you can act a mayor and Storybrooke still needs a sheriff too. The blue fairy still likes you, and is less likely to do something that might cause us, say, having difficulties getting back to Storybrooke..."
"Snow we should keep an eye on her, she's caused us damage too, just because she thought it was in our best interest."
"I know, but Regina-"
"We aren't going by ourselves this time. But we are leaving Roland and Hope here. They are staying with my sister and their cousins. Tinkerbelle will be giving them magical protection and Regina thinks she can get Maleficent to also guard them, but I'd like both of you to be there for my sister. Rowena's always been on the outside of all this before in Storybrooke. "
"Oh" Snow looked sympathetic.
Robin saw he was winning her over and continued "We're going to try to save a friend of hers, Wilfred of Ivanhoe, who might have been her true love; and try to encourage Will Scarlet to save his true love from her fall back into darkness. Will's true love is Anastasia, the Red Queen of Wonderland. Henry found that it looks like Isaac rewrote their stories. It caused Wilfred to disappear from the Enchanted Forest and end up in Wonderland, a lackey of the Red Queen."
In the meantime in the kitchen-
"Sorry about that Regina, didn't know they weren't going to be a part of this."
"It's okay." Regina sighed. "I think Robin can persuade Snow and Charming to stay in Storybrooke for this 'operation'."
"So what name is Henry calling this one?"
"Operation Juniper" Henry said, walking into the kitchen, pages in hand.
Killian walked in shortly after "Think Robin's convinced them to stay here."
"That's a relief."
Robin walked into the kitchen then with Snow and David. He nodded at Regina. Then he looked at Henry "Let's all sit down. Henry will tell you what happened and we'll talk about what our plan is."
"I was looking through the storybooks, when I touched one that felt wrong. I could tell Isaac had done something to a least one story. I opened it up and it fell open to this- Henry laid the torn out pages on the table."
"So we can see them?" Emma looked at Henry, she'd heard about the author only being able to see what appeared blank to them.
"Yeah. Think it's because it involves someone you've met."
"Makes sense"
"Kind of wish we'd tossed Isaac in jail now, rather than escorted him to the town line and told him he better not ever show his face here again. Who knows how many other people's stories he altered…?" David said.
"I could find out. We don't need him and he'd probably just lie anyway." Henry said
"That would be wonderful, Henry! You could find out what stories were altered and we could find those people and tell them!" Snow exclaimed
"Yeah, grandma, we could fix what was messed up."
"Don't let it take over your life though, remember you have school, and family members who care about you." Regina said, softly touching his shoulder. Regina knew this was one of those moments where she stepped back a bit. Another step in his growing up. Young for this land though, he'd just be turning 14 soon.
"I won't mom, promise."
"So what's the plan?" Emma asked.
Robin began "We tell my sister what Henry found tomorrow. Hope and Roland will stay with her. Then Henry will use the pen to bring us to near the Merry Men's camp. We tell Will Scarlet and the rest of the men what happened and any that want to come along to Wonderland can. With the larger group, and Regina being the only magic user that's been to Wonderland, Regina will use the apprentice's wand to get us to Wonderland-"
"That's where it gets a bit dangerous. But we'll have two powerful magic users, Likely a healer and a warrior- Rebecka and Mulan. I have a prenatal checkup with Rebecka tomorrow afternoon. I'll tell her then. They'll almost certainly want to go…." Regina continued.
"You'll have this handsome pirate, who's rather good with a sword along too." Killian smirked
"Yes, you are a package deal with Emma" Regina snarked.
"As is Robin, for you." Killian shot back.
"Robin is also Will's best friend, the former leader of the Merry Men, sister to Rowena, as well as my husband and soulmate." Regina said with a touch of heat.
"It's okay Regina. I don't mind being the 'package deal' with you." Robin grinned.
Regina's mouth quirked into a smile. Robin had defused her outrage quite effectively, and she had mildly insulted Hook. Not that she'd acknowledge that, especially after he'd insulted Robin, who was central to this 'operation'. She shrugged, looked Robin in the eyes and said "Okay."
The next morning Regina and Robin went over to Rowena's house with the kids. They explained about the pages while Roland played with his cousins in the back yard.
"Robin, I have no fighting experience or magic. I'd just be a liability, but Roland and Hope are welcome to stay in my guest room while Regina and you are gone."
"Thank you."
Rowena was glad they hadn't asked her to go. She hated her narrow life in the Enchanted Forest, and never wanted to return there. Plus she had no fighting skills at all. Mother had never allowed her to as much as pick up a fighting dagger, much less a bow and arrows. And not only did she have no abilities in magic, but it frightened her. She realized she'd passed that fear along to Roberta. But perhaps she'd been too judgmental. There was light magic, and that kind of magic had brought back her brother, after all...
"We'll leave after Roland, Matthew and Roberta go to bed."
"Feel guilty about going off and leaving Hope and Roland so soon after we got back from the Enchanted Forest. I hope this will be a fast trip and we'll be back before Roland misses us." Robin sighed.
Regina nodded. If not for the people involved and the situation, she would rather they sat this one out. But Robin had the closest ties to Will and Rowena of all of them, and the only one of them that had even a distant tie to Wilfred. She knew she'd be the best to try to reach Anastasia. Emma didn't have enough of the experience of falling to the darkness within, and Hook just didn't have the right mindset. That part, she had a strong feeling, would be up to her.
Early in the afternoon Regina explained the situation to Rebecka.
"I'm glad you decided you'd want Mulan and me along for this adventure. Fighters, even magic users, stupidly jump into these things with no healer and then end up hurt or worse. And you know even a fighter with magic; their ability to heal themselves isn't that great if they get hurt." Rebecka said
"Yeah, I've regretted that numerous times. I'm glad you are going. We'll be leaving from Rowena's house after the little ones are in bed."
"It's funny now. I had connection to both Robin and Rowena. Rowena doesn't remember me, but I was one the two midwives at her son's birth. but I had no idea she was Robin's sister."
"Considering all the crazy connections people in this town have, I'm not surprised. So you met both Robin and Rowena at different times and never knew they were siblings."
"Yes." Rebecka said with a faint smile.
It took a bit of looking around the caves outside of town but Regina finally located Maleficent. She explained the situation to her.
"Are you sure you should be going Regina? It means being separated from two of your family."
"I know. It's really making both Robin and I feel guilty. But Henry is determined to go, and he'll need both Robin and me."
"He's a bit young to be playing hero, yet."
"That's both Emma and my influence I'm afraid. I filled his mind with this world's heroic tales, because I liked them too. Then he met his other mother and she was impulsively heroic."
"So are you, Regina."
"I leaned to rein it in."
Maleficent looked at her skeptically. "Those superhero comics you love so much, and what I've seen you do, says otherwise."
"But-"
"You are too heroic for your own good, so's your new husband. But I will say, both of you, in contrast to Henry's other mother, do always focus on your children first. That is the difference. One doesn't even have to be a redeemed hero to do that. Of course I'll watch out for the children while you are gone."
Tinkerbelle readily agreed to watch over Rowena and the children.
"Of course I will! Although You could use my help on this trip too."
"I know. But you missed the chance to be my fairy godmother; I'd love for you to be my children's, no matter how I became their mother."
"We'll you've left me with a dilemma then, because although two are staying here, two are going with you." Tinkerbelle playfully argued.
"Okay, that was deserved." Regina smiled lopsidedly. "This one" Regina lays her hand over the now visible baby bump "is well within my protection. As for Henry, both his mothers, Robin and the others will guard his safety- whether he thinks he needs it or not. But Roland and Hope are here, as is Robin's sister and her two little ones."
"It's okay Regina." Tinkerbelle gives her an impulsive hug. "Thank you, I will protect them all"
"I'm not laying it all on you. I hope you don't mind that I've also asked Maleficent to keep a protective eye out."
"Not at all. I like her."
"You do?"
"Remember Regina, I would have been your fairy godmother. I'm not a common fairy."
Regina laughed. "You certainly aren't! How is day two of Astrid's freedom going?"
"Well! I think we might have the first fairy and dwarf wedding soon!"
It had taken a while but finally, after five bedtime stories Roland fell asleep. Robin and Regina quietly slipped out the guest bedroom at Rowena's house.
"So your boy finally asleep?" Hook said, as they entered the kitchen.
"Yes." Robin and Regina both sighed.
Everyone headed out the back door.
So where to first?" Mulan asked.
"The Merry Men's camp."
"Mom? Can I do this one?" Henry looked at Regina. "I can just write us there."
"Okay. It should be safe."
One second they were in Rowena's back yard, the next they were in the middle of the Merry Men's camp. Unfortunately, that startled them. Robin's former followers leapt up, pointing their weapons at the sudden intruders. Then lowered them with a laugh, when they saw who their surprise guests were.
"Kid, you might have dropped us down a bit outside of their camp, not in the middle of it." Emma shook her head, with a quirk of a smile.
"Sorry everyone" Henry flushed with embarrassment.
"No harm done." Robin patted him on the back reassuringly.
"So what brings you back?"
"As you've guessed this isn't a social visit" Regina began. "It concerns Will and Robin."
"What've you done now, Will?" Little John teased.
"It's not about what he's done but about what was done to him and what he can do now."
"Someone did something to me?"
"Isaac." Regina spat out with disgust.
"What the hell did that wanker do to me?"
"Perhaps we should all sit around the fire and hear this tale. Parts of it go back many years." Robin said.
After everyone was seated, Robin continued. "It was always our policy not to ask each other's pasts. We could tell if we wished or needed to, but otherwise the past was the past." He looked at each person seated around the fire. Regina leaned against him after he looked at her and he wrapped his arm around her. "Now though, I will tell you my tale. Because it's the beginning of things you need to know."
"How far back did this Isaac interfere with our stories?"
"At least as far back as when Robin and I first met"
"Do you want to tell that part?"
"Yes."
Robin began. "My father was a baron. My parent's marriage was difficult. Out of their four children, only my sister and I survived. She was 13 years younger than me. My father was frequently drunk and beat up our mother. When I was 18 I could no longer stand seeing my father beating my mother. In a rage I killed my father…." Robin paused and looked at the men that had followed him for years. Some looked shocked, others looked sad, but not one looked in judgment at him. "My mother though, despite this, had somehow still cared for my father. She disowned me and made me leave that evening. I never saw my mother again and only recently saw my sister, in Storybrooke."
"Did she miss you? Your sister?" Will asked, wistfully, remembering his little sister who died.
"She did. She said she never forgot me, and never forgave our mother for forcing me to leave."
"What happened to your mother?"
"She died of an illness about a year before the first curse."
"Do you miss her?"
"Yeah, despite it all, she was my mother. I don't know how I feel about my father. He was difficult to like."
"Like my mother."
"You want to tell the next part, since it leads into how we met?"
Regina nodded. "Robin told me he spent the next couple of years surviving by being a pickpocket"
"And stupidly drinking away most of it." Robin looked rueful.
"In the meantime, just before my 18th birthday, my mother killed the man I loved right in front of me. Daniel died because we loved each other. "She felt tears well up. "Mother crushed his heart and he died. Then she forced me to marry King Leopold. He-"
"Was a monster." Emma blurted out
"Aye. No one should have to live through what he did to you." Hook said
Regina felt uncomfortable at their comments, Emma's anger at Leopold was bad enough, but Hook's pity was worse. She closed her eyes and continued. "It was hell. I was trapped. Rumplestiltskin was already beginning to manipulate my anger and trapped feelings toward his aim. He was pushing me toward evil, so I'd cast the Dark Curse he needed- without him paying a price. I'd have to instead. At this point though, I was still strongly resisting dark magic. I did not want to be like my mother. I was showing very little talent in dark magic, as well. One day, I was standing at my balcony, a prisoner in the castle I was queen in name only. Leopold had gone on a trip with his daughter. I was locked in the castle. I shoved at the railing of the balcony and it gave way. I fell. I thought, to my death. A part of me was relieved, I realize now. But fright overcame my depression. Lucky for me, Tinkerbelle saw and rescued me, midair…." Regina smiled, recalling the moment "She told me not to kill myself. We talked for a while and she decided to rescue me. She would show me who my soulmate was and I could escape with him. She took me to a tavern and used her pixie dust; it went to a man with his back to me. A man who had a lion tattoo on his arm. Robin."
"This is where Isaac changed our story." Robin said. "We now know we did actually meet and run off together. Unfortunately, neither of us were particularly good at hiding then. Rumplestiltskin found us two days later. He made us forget we'd met. Isaac altered the story to make Regina believe she'd run away from meeting me, and had voluntarily ended up back in the castle locked away in her room."
"Don't forget to add the Blue Fairy played a role in this too." Emma added.
"You want to tell that part?" Robin asked.
Emma nodded. "The Blue Fairy had been my grandmother Eva's fairy godmother. She knew about the curse on Regina's family. She didn't want Regina becoming the savior that would break the curse on her family and save the Enchanted Forest from the darkness. She wanted the savior to be from Eva's family. Snow had no magic, but Snow's children could…. The Blue Fairy knew about the author and where to find him. She convinced Isaac to alter the story so that Regina would not be the savior and a grandchild of Eva's would be."
Henry jumped in then. "Once Isaac altered one story, he started doing others. He altered Robin's sister's story. She and Wilfred of Ivanhoe were meant to grow from friendship to love, but Isaac made him more interested in adventures. Wilfred stumbled into one that threw him into Wonderland and trapped him there. Isaac pushed my grandparents' fear about their baby maybe becoming bad into doing a terrible thing- stealing Maleficent baby, cursing that baby with the dark potential their baby might have had, then sending that baby to the Land Without Magic."
"My friend Lilly." Emma said
"One of the last things he did, while still trapped inside the book, was altering Anastasia and your story." Henry looked at Will Scarlet. "Anastasia wasn't supposed to have fallen back into the darkness. Now that I'm the author we can fix things."
"You think I could save Ana?"
"Yeah. She still loves you."
"God knows I still love her."
"We can save Wilfred too. He ended up working for the Red Queen. He lost hope and just exists, doesn't think his life is worth much. I think we can tell him Rowena cares about him and get him to come back with us."
"So when do we leave?"
"Wonderland's pretty dangerous and unpredictable even during the day. I think we'd be better to go there in the morning."
The next morning the Merry Men joined them on the trip to Wonderland.
"I'll use the apprentice's wand to get us there. I remember a place not far from the palace that wasn't guarded back then.
Hopefully that's still the case. But just in case be ready to fight." Regina said.
They arrived in Wonderland safely, but it wasn't long before someone noticed their presence and they were fighting with both magic and weapons.
"Henry stay in the center with Rebecka!" Regina glanced back and shouted as he edged a bit toward her.
"Just moving out of the way."
"Okay." Regina turned back to throwing fireballs at their attackers. "Out of the way pirate, unless you want to be singed!"
"Perhaps you should be out of the fighting as well; you do have your babe to think about!" Hook shouted back as her slashed his sword to ward off an attack.
"Don't you dare accuse me of not protecting my children; your record with children's welfare is nothing to be proud of!"
"Enough both of you, fight our attackers not each other!" Emma shouted.
"Watch out, they're coming from above now!" Robin shouted, as he shot high at the descending attacker with an arrow.
"Behind you Mulan!" Rebecka cried. "The swordswoman quickly pivoted and struck her attacker, but not without suffering a glancing blow that made her stagger back a step. Rebecka quickly leapt to her side and healed the small cut in her arm through her armor.
Finally the attack was over. Rebecka healed the minor injuries as they continued the walk toward the Red Queens's castle.
Will shook his head in irritation then shouted. "Ana, I know you're watching us! I came back because I love you. What happened wasn't our free choice! The author played games with our story! Please stop attacking us and come here and talk to me!"
Everyone stopped and waited to see if the Red Queen would respond.
"Will, my dearest knave, do you really still love me?" Anastasia appeared in front of Will Scarlet, three armed men stood behind her.
"I do." Will stepped closer to her.
"Why did you leave?"
Regina walked toward the couple. "It wasn't much his choice. The former author decided to alter our stories for his entertainment."
The Red Queen's eyes widened when she realized who this woman was. "You're the Evil Queen"
"Former. I'm Mayor of Storybrooke in the Land Without Magic."
"Why would you give up being a Queen to being a mere mayor?"
"It's a very long story. But in part I became the Evil Queen because the former author altered my story. I was never meant to be her. I fought and struggled out of the darkness because I wanted to be free and be who I was meant to be. My family and my friends helped me."
"Ana, I want you to be happy again, because I love you."
"How can you love me, I'm stuck in darkness."
"You aren't, the author manipulated the story. He can't anymore. We're free."
"Truly?"
"Yes, and we can help you. We're here to help you put your story right and anyone else too."
"Will, say you'll come back with me to my castle. I'll believe you then."
"Willingly. Whenever you want, Ana."
Henry asked one of the men "Are you Wilfred of Ivanhoe?"
The dark blonde haired man looked at Henry in shock. "I was."
"We're here to help you too. The author altered your story too. You we're meant to be with Rowena of Locksley, not here."
"Rowena? How is she? Did father convince her to marry Adric?"
"Yeah, but they're divorced now. She remembers you as her good friend; she hopes you want to come back with us."
Wilfred smiled. "I'd like that. Your Majesty? May I leave with these people?"
Ana shrugged. "As long as my Knave stays, anyone that wants to leave can go. I'd prefer you leave sooner rather than later though. This is my kingdom."
Regina smirked. If the Red Queen's will was that strong, she and Will Scarlet probably had a pretty good chance. "Agreed. Wilfred probably has a few things he'd want to take with him."
"I'll give you one day and night. Ask your question to who you wish in that time." The Red Queen, Will Scarlet, and her two other knights disappeared.
They walked to Wilfred's home. While he was packing up they asked but no one else seemed interested in leaving.
Regina laughed. "She probably knew no one else would want to leave, that's why she was so generous."
"That's generous?" Emma looked questioningly.
"It is for her. She's giving up power, voluntarily and gave us 24 hours. That's generous. She's happy. We've given her hope."
"And that is very powerful a gift." Robin smiled at Regina. No one knew that more than them, hope had indeed saved them.
Wilfred rejoined them. "No one else, huh?"
"Nope." Henry replied, looking disappointed.
"Many people will prefer what they know, as long as it's livable, to an unknown." Wilfred replied.
"Even if the unknown could be much better?"
"It's why I never tried to leave until now. Thought I'd lost everything, and didn't have much to start with. My father had no respect for me, didn't think the woman I liked cared much about me, my adventures always seemed to end up badly. Here I had something, even if it wasn't much. I'm not a smart man, I know. I have a few skills, and could use them here and no one found me lacking."
"But you changed your mind, you are coming with us."
"Rowena is there, and even if she doesn't love me, she cares about what happened to me, and would like to see me. That's worth more than this."
Henry smiled. "Yeah it is."
Regina looked at Wilfred "Ready to leave?"
"Yeah."
"Mom. Can I take us back to the Merry Men's camp again?"
"Alright." Hopefully he had learned from his first experience and would put them down at some landmark a bit outside of the camp Regina thought.
Henry brought out a page and let the quill write. Instantly they were in the Merry Men's camp again. This time, without incident. Alan and Much, the two Merry Men who had stayed behind to watch the camp, just shrugged when the whole party appeared before them.
"Must have let the kid do that trick again." Alan snickered
"Yeah, the Queen would put them back in the woods and walked in normal." Much replied.
Regina overheard the two and sighed, if Henry was going to help others this way he really needed to learn how to not just drop them right into the situation. Thankfully, Alan and Much were Robin's two most mellow followers, very little phased them. They sometimes came across as slackers, which was how she had judged them in the missing year. In Storybrooke she had been less judgmental and had gotten to know their personalities better. Apparently that had worked both ways. Robin's men had been supportive of her during the time Robin was in New York.
Much, in fact, had been the one to carefully collect the ripped pieces of page 23, and bring them to her. Saying nothing, but pain and sympathy in his face when he laid the folder with the pieces on her mayor's desk. She had opened the folder and saw the pieces. From that point on she had looked kindly upon him.
Alan had taken to playing a guitar once a week at Granny's, for a meal not cooked over a campfire, he said. Regina found herself going there on those evenings. He played the Enchanted Forest songs he knew. Regina was surprised Alan had gone back to the Enchanted Forest with the others. Besides Will Scarlet and Robin, Alan had adapted to Storybrooke the most.
Once the Merry Men had settled back in to their camp Regina walked over to Alan, who was idly tuning his guitar.
"Would you like to come back to Storybrooke?"
Alan laughed. "Well, your Sheriffs might just have to throw me in jail. This guitar, I stole it from one of your Storybrooke shops."
Regina smirked. "I already knew that. I paid for it, for you."
"You did? But your majesty, you shouldn't have done that." Alan looked ashamed; he had stolen the guitar on a lark. Wanted to learn how to play this Land Without Magic instrument. It just looked like it would make beautiful sounds, and he'd heard some of what was called recordings of this type instrument and it made him miss his old viol. Lost in a Missing Year attack on their camp. The attack that made the Merry Men reluctantly move into the castle as well.
"Yes I should have. I could see how much you needed it. You were kind to me, so I was kind to you. There's no debt, and please call me Regina. I haven't been a queen in many years, never really wanted to be. I prefer being a mayor."
"Thank you, Regina, then. A part of me would like to go back with Robin and you and your friends, but a bigger part likes this life. I'll always be a thief. Here I'm among others like me. Robin more fell into being one; he can give it up easily for the lady he loves. Will's a bit more like us, but love is over this kind of life. The rest of us, well, we'd like to see you, Robin and your family now and again, but this is our life. "
"I understand. It's not so much the location but the companionship and being able to live the life you choose. That's why Storybrooke is home to me. No matter what dangers we might face. In Storybrooke I can be the person I want to be."
"Will you stay for the night?"
"Part of me would like to." Regina laughed softly at her echo of his words "But we need to get back to Storybrooke as soon as possible. Plus I miss Roland and Hope terribly, and I know they do Robin and me."
"How's Roland doing?"
"Well. He'll be starting first grade soon."
Alan nodded, the school thing that children in the Land Without Magic went to. He looked over at Regina's son, who was looking at them, slightly annoyed. "Your boy, Henry, he's really growing up. He'd be thought of as a young adult here, now."
"I know, and that's much too young. He may be turning 14 soon, but I like how the Land Without Magic lets them grow into adulthood more slowly. He's still my little prince, to me."
"Even though he's taller than you now, and has a girlfriend."
"You know about that?"
"He brought her to our camp before we left. He wanted to hear about Robin from us, and think he wanted his girlfriend to hear our stories too. Regina, you might not want to see it yet, but I think he loves the girl and she loves him. "
"I.. I wasn't much older than Henry when I started to fall for Daniel…maybe you're right, I want to keep seeing him as my little boy, not the young man he's becoming."
"They're smart kids. I don't you'll have to worry about them being foolish."
"Alan, I definitely don't want to think about my son doing that, not even when he's old enough."
Alan laughed. "Well, I think we best stop talking about him then, he's coming this way."
"Oh." Regina looked embarrassed, then quickly schooled her features into a neutral expression as she turned to face Henry.
"Hey Mom, think everyone's ready to go back home now."
Regina could see Henry definitely was, she could see the tell-tell signs of his impatience, she wondered if most of that was impatience to get back to see his girlfriend. She sighed. Not so long ago he would have wanted to stay longer, fascinated by this world his family had come from. "So you'll let me have the honors of getting us back to Storybrooke?" She gently teased.
Henry flushed with embarrassment, so he needed some practice in traveling realms; it wasn't like anyone could easily teach him how to do this as the author.
Regina hugged him then and he hugged her back. "Time to go home."
When they arrived back in Rowena's back yard she was waiting for them on her back porch with baby Hope sleeping in her arms as Roland, Matthew and Roberta chased each other around the yard.
"Regina, going to let my parents know we're back and head to Granny's I really want one of her grilled cheese sandwiches right now" Emma said with a grin as she linked arms with Hook and turned to leave.
Regina grimaced at the disgusting food mention but nodded. "We'll be heading home as soon as Roland is ready to."
"Going back to Rebecka's clinic." Mulan said to Robin. politely nodded to Regina, and then left.
"Yes, I have tests to run and far too much paperwork. Ugh, that's one thing I hate about this realm, all the paperwork, how can you stand it, Regina?" Rebecka laughed.
Regina shrugged. "Used to it I guess."
"Don't forget your next prenatal check-up in three weeks."
"I won't. When will you have the complete results of this one's?"
"You're my priority patient, because of the unusual circumstances. Everything's been very normal so far. If everything looks good the next time, I may change the visits to every 5-6 weeks instead of three. What I saw of your results before we left looked very normal. I should have the full results in a couple of days. I do love the technology of this world; it gives me something to add to my healing magic." She gave Regina a hug and then set off in a fast walk to catch up to Mulan.
"How many days were we gone?" Regina asked Rowena. Most the time, time passed close to the same between the realms, but sometimes there was a time difference, usually minor.
"Two days."
"Did you wait for us yesterday too?"
"Briefly, but I guessed it would take at least this long."
At that point Roland noticed they were back. "Daddy! Mama Gina! Henry!"
Roland ran toward them full tilt. Robin stepped into his path and lifted him up into a tight hug. Roland let out a squeal of joy and then giggled. Robin softly chuckled along with his son. Then let him down. Roland immediately jumped into a hug with Henry. Henry staggered back a step from the impact, but then laughed hugged him back then set him back down. Roland then turned to Regina and let her bend down and draw him into her warm embrace. He patted her baby bump and said "Auntie Rowena says you'll be in Mama Gina's tummy for about six more months. Then we'll all get to meet you."
"That's right Roland." Regina smiled down at him.
While this family reunion was going on, another reunion was taking place.
"Wilfred?"
"Rowena? Wow, you're all grown up and a mom."
"You've grown up too. I'm glad you came back."
"I'm glad too. I heard about Adric."
"Yeah. It wasn't a terrible marriage. I don't want you to hate him. He's not in a good place now. He loves drink better than anything else. I never was in love with him, but we got along okay until he started drowning himself in booze. He never was mean, just turned into a useless lump. I couldn't stand it anymore and told him to leave. He left, didn't argue. He comes by to spend time with Matthew, but that's all we see of him."
"I want to help you and your kids. I don't know this world much, and I'm not very smart, but I want to help."
"I'd like that. I can help you learn. You can stay here in the guest room, if you like."
"I do." Wilfred did feel a bit guilty, but he was already a bit overwhelmed by this world. He needed lots of help adjusting, and the only person he knew at all here was Rowena. Robin had introduced himself, explained that he was Rowena's older brother, offered to help him adjust to this world... But right now Rowena was his only familiar person. Other than Adric, and he didn't know how that reunion would go. He'd prefer to wait on that one.
