Continues on episode 19 of season 3. After they saved Henry from the wicked witch Zelena, Regina kisses Henry on the forehead which breaks the curse. Now the curse is broken their memories are restored. Snow and David remember casting the curse, Regina remembers Zelena is her sister and…
"Lena" Regina spoke softly. Her eyes big and sad in disbelief. Her mouth slightly open. "How could I forget her?"
"Who's Lena?" Henry asked.
"It's the young girl we found in the woods a couple weeks ago" David answered since Regina didn't seem able to.
"What?" Emma asked surprised. It had been weeks and to be honest she hadn't thought about the young girl for a while. "Okay" almost literally shaking away the surprise by shaking her head: "And how does she fit into the story?"
Regina took a deep breath: "I found her in the woods too…in the enchanted forest. Her family died when she was just 4 years old and she survived in the woods all those years.
"Alone?" Henry asked.
"No. She had a friend who found her right after her family died."
"A friend?" Emma asked suspicious.
Regina took another deep breath before saying: "A dragon."
"Awesome" Henry said with a smile.
"I need to find her" Regina said determined.
"Mom," Henry said: "You seem to really care about this girl."
Regina looked her son right in the eyes and nodded with soft smile.
"Like a daughter?" Henry asked.
Regina swallowed. She was surprised at how observing her son was. "Would that be okay with you?" she asked.
"Yeah, of course. I always wanted a sibling" Henry smiled.
Regina couldn't resist hugging her son. "You're amazing, you know" she whispered in his ear.
Henry pulled out of the hug and looked his mother right in the eyes: "Now let's go find Lena."
"LENA! LEENAAA!" Regina kept calling out.
She, Emma, David, Henry and Ruby were walking through the woods searching for the young girl. They'd asked Ruby along since they could use her strong wolves nose and because Ruby and Lena had gotten along very well in the enchanted forest.
"Anything?" Emma asked Ruby.
"I'm not sure" Ruby answered: "I think I found a scent but it's like it's covered up or something. Like something is trying to hide it."
"Let's just try to follow it" David suggested.
After walking a bit further Ruby seemed to smell something stronger. "Over there" she said and pointed to her left. The group started to run in the direction Ruby had pointed to.
They didn't need to go far before they reached a circle of strong oaks with in the middle of that circle the strongest of them all. Underneath the oak was a beautiful den made of woven branches.
"It's empty" David said after checking it out.
"It's beautiful" Ruby said looking amazed at the den: "Did she made this herself?"
"Lena had one like this in the enchanted forest too, remember. It's definitely hers" Regina answered.
"Then were is she?" Henry asked: "And would her dragon friend be here too?"
"I don't know" Regina replied: "Lena is probably somewhere close by, searching for food or something. And for Elliot, her dragon friend…I really don't know. Dragons are resistant to a lot of magic so there is a good chance he is still in the enchanted forest.
A branch snapped behind them. When the group turned around a surprised young girl stood before them.
"Lena?" Regina said softly, taking a step forward.
Lena looked very surprised at the woman before. Regina took another step forward but this time Lena stepped back, ready to run away, up into the trees.
"Lena, don't…please" Regina pleaded. Tears forming in her eyes: "I'm so glad you're alright."
Still the young girl didn't let her walls down.
"It's me…Regina" she tried, thinking maybe Lena didn't remember after living in the woods for so many weeks.
"I know who you are" Lena replied sternly, almost angry Emma noticed: "It's you who didn't remember me." There it was. The reason why the girl was so distant.
"Lena, I…the curse…" Regina stumbled.
"I know it was the curse" Lena said harsher now. Her anger was growing: "But it's not fair. You remembered everyone. Everyone! Snow white, David, Emma,…Henry…But not me. You just forgot."
"I'm so sorry" Regina apologized, now crying.
"I was all alone…again…" Regina felt something bad had happened because of how Lena emphasized the word 'alone'.
"Lena, where is Elliot?" Regina asked, taking a couple slow steps forward.
This time it were Lena's eyes that filled with tears. She quickly looked away, not wanting to show how hurt she felt.
"Lena" Regina spoke softly, standing only a couple feet away from the girl. Regina bend down to come at eyelevel with Lena and waited for the girl to look up into her eyes before continuing. It's than Regina noticed a small difference in Lena's eyes. Small glints of emerald green sparkled in those deep dark eyes: "Talk to me,…please…What happened to Elliot?"
"He…He's gone" Lena said, barely loud enough for Regina to hear."
"What do you mean, gone?"
Lena look up into a pair of dark concerned eyes. She couldn't keep this up anymore. She was just too tired of acting brave and strong. Lena let the tears stream down her cheeks and let herself be embraced by a pair of supporting arms where she let herself fall into. Regina slowly guided them both to the ground where they set down and where she kept the young girl in a tight embrace.
Lena woke up to a soft sound of chatter and a smell she didn't recognized. When she opened her eyes she found herself in a bright open room, lying on a couch. When Lena sat upright she saw the room was mostly white and black, accept for the deep red apples in the bowl on the coffee table. Lena looked around, trying to locate the chatter and smell. They seemed to come from the same room. She slowly and carefully walked towards it. When she put her head around the corner she found Regina, Emma and Ruby standing in the kitchen around the counter. Ruby was first to see the young girl watching them.
"Hey there, sweetie" she said. The other two women now also turned their head towards the door.
"Lena," Regina said while walking towards the girl: "How are you feeling."
"Okay, I guess."
"Do you want to eat something?"
Lena nodded. She looked at the counter and noticed that the scent she had smelt came from three mugs standing on the counter. "What's that smell?" she asked curious.
"This?" Emma asked, holding up her mug: "Hot chocolate with cinnamon."
"Smells good" Lena replied.
"Wanna try some?" Emma asked.
Lena nodded and walked closer to the counter. Ruby pushed a stool back for Lena to sit on.
"I'm Emma by the way" Emma introduced herself while pushing a mug to Lena.
"I know" Lena simply replied.
"Ah that's right. You know everyone" Emma said and winked at Lena.
"And you introduced yourself when you were questioning me at the police station" Lena smirked.
"Right…"
"How did you keep your memory?" Ruby asked straight ahead: "You were standing right next to me when the curse hid." Regina remembered asking Lena to stay with Ruby when she went to help Snow and David to cast the curs.
"Elliot" Lena said and then taking a sip of the drink in front of her: "Wow this is delicious."
"Don't change the subject" Regina said with a smirk.
Lena sighed before explaining: "When the curse started to spread Elliot got anxious. It's like he felt something wasn't going as planned. He wrapped is wings around just before the curse hit us. I'm guessing that is the reason why I wasn't affected by the memory potion mixed in the curse. Memory potions don't work on dragons. "
Ruby and Emma both looked up at Regina.
"Is it possible?" Emma asked.
"I…I don't know…I guess" Regina answered unsure.
"And you're sure Elliot isn't here in Storybrooke" Ruby asked.
"Yeah, I'm sure. If he was here he would've found me immediately" Lena said.
"Ruby, if a dragon was here in Storybrooke don't you think you would smelled that by now?" Emma asked mockingly.
"No actually. Dragons aren't only protected to magic. You can barely smell a dragon. That way other animals can't find them" Ruby answered feeling smart.
"Oh" Emma just said.
"Hey, I think Elliot's protection may have rubbed off on you a bit" Ruby said to Lena: "Because in the woods I could barely smell your scent. Even now I have trouble finding it and your sitting right next to me."
Lena shrugged then turned to Regina: "Can I get something to eat now? I'm really hungry."
"Of course. Maybe we can go to granny's diner" Regina suggested.
"Granny has a diner here?" Lena asked stunned.
They all laughed.
"Come on, let's go" Emma said, jumping of her stool first: "I'm up for a burger and some fries too."
Ruby followed close behind with Regina and Lena on her heels. Lena looked up at woman next to her and smiled. She was happy Regina remembered her again and they were back together but still… There was a nagging feeling inside her stomach because she hadn't told the three women the whole story of what happened with Elliot. Lena just wasn't quite ready yet to tell them her little secret.
Let me know what you think.