I'm so sorry about the late update, I got all these test and PTA's. But now I have officially vacation so extra time. This chapter will mostly be a flashback from Aila.

Disclaimer: I don't own OUaT (but I do dream about it)

Chapter 3

Aila's POV

'Hey mom. That's the place. The place where I was when I came back.' I said excitedly.

'That can't be possible Aila, there stood my apple tree, just this morning.' Mom said, confusion written over her face.

'But it was really there mom, that exact place.'

'But Aila, that would mean...' I saw mom's eyes brighten.

'What mom? What would that mean?' I asked, eager to understand what stopped her sentence.

'But that's not possible, all these years, all these years.' And she began pacing back and forth. I called her by her name a few times, wanting her to explain, but it was like she was in a trance. She didn't react and mumbled to herself the same sentence over and over again. 'All these years.'

At first I didn't get what she was talking about, but after hearing the same sentence over and over again the realization dawned on me. I grabbed her arm and she stopped pacing. She looked at me and tears began to form in her eyes.

'You were so close to me, all these years, you stood just there and I didn't know.' She whispered and I saw the tears rolling down her cheeks falling onto the grass.

'You couldn't know mom. You couldn't know that I was that tree.'

'I should have known. If I had been a good mom, I should have known.' She was sobbing now.

'You couldn't. It was meant to be this way. It was fate.'

'What do you mean with fate?'

'It was meant to be that I was turned into the apple tree. It was meant to be that I didn't come back until now.'

'What?' Mom asked confused.

'Maybe we need to sit down for this, because it's a long story. Can you first make some food? I'm still hungry.' I said, feeling my stomach grumble in agreement.

'Of course sweetheart.' And with that we walked inside a room, what should be the kitchen. Mom walked to something that looked like a closet and pulled the door open. There was a light in there and food, lots of food. I saw her grab eggs and other things and close the door. What was that for closet? I walked to it and opened the door, I immediately felt cold from that closet. What could possibly be in that closet that could make it cold in there? Magic?

'Mom?'

'Yes?' She answered, while grabbing a mixing bowl from a cabinet and starting to break the eggs on the kitchen sink unit.

'What's that closet?' I asked and pointed at it.

She turned around and looked at where I pointed. 'Oh you mean the refrigerator?'

'The refrig... what?' I asked, confused with the name. I had never heard of a closet with that name.

'The refrigerator, dear. It's for keeping the food cool and good.'

'Why the cold?'

'That's what keeps it well.' Mom said, looking entirely amused with the situation.

'Where does it come from?'

'Electrify makes it that cold.'

'Electrify?' I asked confused.

'It's.. maybe I should explain it later. It's difficult to explain. Maybe you can start your story about this being fate.'

'I think it's better to explain that later. It's hard to explain and you can better sit for this story.'

'Oh okay.' She turned back around and continued with throwing some ingredients in the bowl and mixing it. It was silent except for the sound of the mixing.

'What are you going to make?' I asked curiously.

'Pancakes. Trust me, if your taste for sweet didn't chance, you'll like this very much.' She said while smiling. When she was done with mixing, she grabbed a frying pan from another cabinet and placed it on a stove. Finally there was something that I recognized, that was until I saw her push and turn a button and suddenly there was fire. I could remember that with a stove you needed wood.

'Why don't we use wood for the stove.'

'Gas and electrify. I will explain it all later.'

'Okay.' It was silent again and I was watching while she cooked. After half an hour she was done and was setting the table to eat. Once set and done, I was sitting and waiting for her to bring the so called pancakes. It smelled really good and was ready to taste it. Once mom put the plate in front of me, I attacked it, I was so hungry.

'Mmmmm, it doesn't only smell good, but also tastes good.' I said while devouring the pancake.

'I usually make them with apples in it. Henry likes it that way, but that's a problem now without my apple tree.' She said while watching me eat. She didn't make a pancake for herself. At the mention of Henry I was curious and wanted to ask about him, but I knew that I first had to tell my story.

'I'm going to tell you the story, but don't interrupt me.' I said. Mom nodded and I continued.

I was nearly jumping on the bed from excitement. When Johanna was done with her tasks, I could finally see mom again. I really missed her.

I heard Johanna enter the room and I almost tackled her as I ran to her. 'Come. We need to go to mom.' I said as I grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the door.

'Just a little more patience sweetie. I need to do a few more things before we can go. Just wait a few more minutes.' Johanna said and I huffed. She walked out of the room and I was alone again. I walked to bed and sat on it. I waited a few minutes before growing impatient again. Patience wasn't really one of my skills. I saw a book on the nightstand of Johanna and grabbed it to distract myself. I read about six sentences before I was distracted again. I let myself back on the bed and closed my eyes. Then suddenly I had an idea. I could go outside and pick flowers for mom. She would love that. I could go pick lilies, her favorites. I looked out of the window and saw that it was dark. Johanna said that I couldn't go outside if it was dark. But if I went quickly and just picked the flowers. I knew exactly where they were and Johanna wouldn't miss me a second. With that in thought, I went down stairs to where the kitchen for the servants was. No one was in the kitchen, luckily, to busy with getting everything ready to call it a night. I cautiously walked to the door that led to the courtyard for the servants, hoping that nobody would walk in suddenly and tell Johanna what I was doing. The last thing I needed was an angry Johanna, when I wanted to go to Mom. Not that mom would allow that my time with her would be wasted. But if Johanna told her about my little night walk in the garden, I would have problems with mom and Johanna. And I didn't know who was worse when they were angry, Johanna or mom. Sure mom was strict, but that's mostly because she wanted to protect me. But Johanna cared for me every day and was strict. So I would be hearing longer from her how I broke the rules. Johanna was mostly strict, because if something happened to me, mom would kill her. But that was not the only reason. After my mom gave me to Johanna and I lied in her arms, she immediately began to care for me and love me as her own daughter. And for me she was also sort of a mother. Mom was my biological mother, but Johanna cared for me every day and loved me. So Johanna was really important to me.

It was dark outside and I nearly couldn't see anything, the only light coming from the moon and from the lights inside the castle. I walked fast, but not too fast so that I would trip over a stick or something. The lilies weren't far away, but I needed to be fast, for if Johanna would come earlier to our chamber.

I saw the flowers in the moonlight and walked to them. I crouched to the ground and started picking them. They were beautiful with colors as cream white and soft pink. Mom would surely love them. While I was picking the flowers, I heard a sound behind me. I looked behind me, but saw nothing. I went further with picking, choosing the perfect flowers. But something still didn't feel right, like someone was watching me. I looked behind me again, but still saw nothing. But not really trusting it, I hurriedly picked the last flowers before standing up and running to the door with the lilies in my hand, not so careful anymore for if I tripped or not. I looked straight for me to the door. Just a few more feet from the door. Suddenly I tripped over something that wasn't here before. I fell flat on my face and tried to stand up again, but something kept me to the ground. I looked behind me and saw that a root had wrapped itself around my ankles and was pulling me away from the door. I heard voices come from the kitchen and screamed for help, but no one was coming. I was pulled backwards with the flowers still in my hand. I was scared, roots couldn't move and someone must have heard her screams, but it still happened. Suddenly the root stopped pulling and I tried to stand up again, but it still was wrapped around my ankles, so I failed. I looked up and saw that the door was far away. I felt a hand grab my right shoulder and turned me around. I looked at my side, too terrified to look at the person who was causing all of this. I saw that I was next to the lilies again. I slowly looked up and some that it was a woman. I didn't recognize her. Tears began to well up in my eyes, scared that this were my last minutes before the woman would kill me.

'Who are you?' I asked the tears beginning to fall.

'Has your mother never told about me? I'm Cora, your grandmother.'

'But mom said that she didn't have a mother.'

'Well, she did think I was dead, after she let me kill me by Hook. Or thought I was killed. She just didn't really think that I may be alive.' She looked at me and then at my hand were the lilies were. 'She always loved lilies.' She said and took the lilies out of my hand. She burned them in fire that was coming out of her hand as I looked horrified. Suddenly there was blue smoke around us and when it cleared I was near the apple tree of mom.

'What are going to do?' I asked, getting scared for what her answer was.

'I'll let Regina think you're death. But don't worry, it isn't really going to happen. You are just not going to live in this world.'

'But why do you want to let mom think that I'm death?'

'Because you would cast the downfall of Regina. She loves you and because of that you are her weakness. And a queen can't have any weaknesses to rule her land.'

'But why is loving me a weakness?' I asked.

'Hasn't your mother told you? Hasn't she learned? Even with the dead of Daniel?' Cora asked herself. ' Well then I should tell you dear. Love is weakness and because of that weakness she will murder the king and take the power that belongs to her.'

'Why would she murder the king?'

'Because when you're death she wants revenge. Revenge on the king, because he murdered you.'

'But he doesn't.'

'Indeed, but he has a part in it. He hired me to kill you. But I won't, I'll just bring you in another world.' She said. Why would the king want me death? What did I do to him? And why won't she kill me if she was told so? What wasn't she telling?

'What for world?'

'A beautiful world with the curse of eternity, which you are going to it now.' She said and before I could react she flicked with her hand and I felt myself walking to the apple tree. I tried to stop, but it felt like I hadn't any control over my body. I began to cry now really realizing what was about to happen. If I just hadn't gone to the courtyard for these stupid flowers, I would have been waiting really long in the chamber, but I would be with my mother. Now I didn't even get the chance to see her one last time.

Now standing before the tree I raised one hand and touched the trunk with my fingertips. I felt that my fingertips were going in the trunk and found my foot moving again. One foot in the trunk. 'I love you mom. Forgive me.' The other foot went in and it felt like I became one with the trunk. First there was blackness, then there was a bright light.

So what did you think about it? The next chapter I will continue with the flashback and end it with the present. Reviews are always appreciated.