New chapter,

Hope everyone enjoys as the next will not be up so soon as the last so this really was a plus. I would like to thank 'Kingdomalith' for commenting on the previous chapter, i am glad you like it - Maleficent is really one of my favorites on the show and was sad to see her so greatly underused, so hopefully did justice to a little background of her in this.

On that note I don't think Angelina Jolie will at all be a good Maleficent, tomb raider yes, awesome Dragon sorceress... nah. Leave that to Kristen.

And on with the story, as I have said it might be a little longer then this before the next one is up so please, I would love to hear what you think.

Happy reading. :)

And as I haven't before and so am thankful to have not been sued yet. I don't own OUAT... Kick Emma's arse for what she did in the finale if that was the case.

"REGINA!"

It seemed to be an ongoing theme for the blonde as she stalked the halls of the large castle. She had woken that morning only to have been told yet again by one of the help, that three rooms on the second level had all had their curtains burned away. It was the sixth time that month, and the Faerie was getting sick of it.

Sure it had been cute when Regina had first breathed fire… back when she was a baby, she recalled that particular memory as they sat at the table in the hall at breakfast – just like any other day the small child was going on eight months and already started to babble with a few words being pronounced almost intelligent enough. She was drinking her milk as usual, when without warning she burped, but it wasn't a normal childlike burp.

The youngish woman who was bustling around them – clearing up, jumped and nearly dropped the plates she was carrying as Maleficent looked on with surprise when a smallish stream of fire left her mouth in place of the burp, Regina who had shocked herself at seeing the yellow flame blinked stupidly for a few moments in place of where the tiny fire had just been before letting out a peal of giggles and clapping.

The other woman stared at the small child with slight fear before turning to look at her Mistress who simply shrugged. She didn't know why she was looking scared; didn't she know who it was she was working for? Did she join the wrong group on their walk up the mountain those several years ago? She had no idea what it was she had to be afraid of, if anything she was still the main threat to anyone around them… a small child was hardly a problem.

Oh how she wished she had taken those words back. At first she had nothing to worry about – the baby still could hardly walk so she wasn't particularly nervous as she let Regina carry on with her latest talent. But just a few weeks later, she was there to witness her taking her first real steps across the room and so it was from that moment on that Regina could walk.

Though she wasn't big on baby's judging by the fawning looks a few of the more sentimental woman around her, she took that as a sign Regina had done something worthy of such adoration… she couldn't see what the big fuss was so the baby walked, big deal, all of them did so at one point in their lives. In hindsight if she were more people inclined she should have realized what a milestone it was, and how she was there to see it happen.

But as she was no such person, all she took from that achievement was the fact that Regina was able to spread terror to every level of the castle now should she wish.

Now that she was semi mobile. The small girl had taken immense delight in toddling around setting things on fire. At first it was only small things, like a pile of leaves when on a walk with one of the servers, but then it turned into bigger things – like clothes… people's clothes… peoples clothes when they wore them. Her own crib at one point; she got such a telling off for that.

Then it eventually moved on to pretty much every curtain she could find. Which was why the blonde could be found moving throughout her large abode. She was on a quest to find the small girl and had actually surprised herself by looking in rooms she had no idea even existed,

She really had to get out more.

"REGINA!"

She came to a stop in the middle of two halls connecting as she gazed around. "REGINA… IT'S NOT FUNNY ANYMORE!" Her only response was in the form of light tinkles of laughter echoing off the stone walls, she closed her eyes and let out a sigh of resignation… why was she doing this again?

"…AS I'VE SAID IT'S NOT FUNNY ANYMORE!"

She looked around once more and was about to shout again when a small purple cloud suddenly materialized in front of her and she looked down to see it swirl around like a mini cyclone for a few seconds before dissipating, leaving a small girl in its wake.

The blonde eyed the tiny child in front of her disapprovingly as Regina looked back at her smiling. "Hi"

The older woman pursed her lips before speaking. "What have I said about doing that unannounced?"

The raven haired girl looked up from under her eye lashes. "Not to"

"Why?"

"Because it scares the helpers around here" Maleficent nodded at the answer, the first time Regina had used teleport magic was when she was one and a half, a feat if she ever saw one and was both a little impressed as well as unnerved at the fact. She had made the new discovery and just like with her fire, took great enjoyment moving from place to place and scaring the help that went about their day.

She never had a headache like the one she got that day when she found herself trapped in her chair and stuck listening to the hysterical woman's babbling about how the dragon child was trying to frighten her to death. She rolled her eyes at the dramatics but promised to talk to her, the next time she scared another server she made a plan and so was ready for when she made her unexpected arrival.

As soon as the purple cloud appeared, a tale – tale sign on the young child. Maleficent conjured a bucket and waited expectantly as Regina jumped from the smog intent on scaring whoever was on the other side, only to shriek when she found herself coming face to face with a bucketful of ice-cold water. The blonde laughed when the tiny child stumbled back flailing, and almost doubled over when she nearly ran headlong into the stone wall behind her.

That night Regina refused to speak to her had been one of the best she had in a long time.

But that was then and this was now as she glanced back down. Regina was waiting patiently, her little feet tapping lightly on the floor her head bowed a little as Maleficent smirked slightly - it seemed she knew the reason why the Faerie had been searching for her.

'Smart girl'

They don't speak for a moment as the blonde is content to let the moment linger, build the tension a little and enjoy watching the raven haired girl squirm. "… Curtains"

She relishes the little gulp that comes from her throat. As she looks to the floor for a few seconds before lifting her head, the blonde raises a brow at the feigned nonchalance almost contrite look on her small face.

"Curtains"

Maleficent nods "Yes dear, curtains… want to hear a little story?" Regina eyes her wearily for a moment but sees no danger in listening and so nods making the blonde smile again.

"Good – well it goes a little like this – one day in a magical castle a bit like this one really, there lived a Faerie. Now this Faerie was quite content with how her life was… sure it may have been a little too quiet – more mundane then watching a tree lose its coloring but it was her life… she was satisfied with it and was happy to keep that going, until that faithful day when an inconsiderate dolt of a man decided to leave a child on my mountain."

The raven haired girl sighed internally but stayed silent as the older woman carried on.

"Now being the kind-hearted, generous and gracious being that this Faerie was-" She were cut off by a little snort and glared down at the girl who had the good sense to duck her head.

"Decided to take in this lonely little baby… take her back to her home and - if you even think about giggling I'll string you up on the nearest mountain point I can find!" She snapped on seeing the tiny body shake slightly as Regina tried to stifle her laughs. She waved her hand once she had calmed enough to let her carry on as Maleficent grumbled under her breath.

"It didn't matter if this tiny girl had disrupted the peace that had been a much-loved commodity, ruined the harmonious sanctum that was this castle."

"I thought this Faerie was meant to be unanimous"

"Shut up"

Regina rolled her eyes a little as they glared at each other.

"Anyway… for all the great points this Faerie had – she had just one little problem." The little girl silently counted in her head as Maleficent bent slightly.

"She had a little beast of a child, who thought herself a mini pyromaniac" She refrained from asking what that meant as the blonde carried on talking.

"Everything from clothing to the bushes outside this little miscreant would take delight in setting flame to… well it drove the poor Faerie nuts – she had no idea just where this unruly behaviour was coming from considering that she was the pinnacle of good attitudes"

She was cut off by another loud snort as she looked at her again as this time Regina didn't even bother to hide her expression as she arched a brow mimicking the blonde moments before.

"You don't really believe your own words do you?"

Maleficent narrowed her eyes at the defiant child in front of her and silently cursed her sassy quips to whatever dark hell hole she could think up in her mind.

"Just listen and be quiet… brat" She ignored the scalding glare coming from dark eyes.

"But if that wasn't enough. The devilish little creature had then decided to move on to the items inside the castle… curtains to be exact - as she went about setting the poor things aflame and danced around their burning bodies"

So many things were wrong with this story as she stood and listened but she chose not to say anything lest she became one of those proverbial curtains that she 'accidentally' set alight

"So many curtains… every room always new victims" Regina rolled her eyes again.

'And she called the helpers dramatic'

"But little did that cretin know that the souls of those curtains she murdered had been plotting. They silently hatched a plan to get their justice for them and any future curtains that fell tragic to her malicious ways." She looked down to see the face of the little girl and grumbled at the look of boredom that covered it.

'…Brat'

"They would wait until the right time… then would sneak up upon her unsuspecting person before ambushing. They would wrap her tightly within their folds and once she was in their clutches, drag her away to parts unknown – never to be seen again."

She looked back down once her tale was over to the dubious look that had now replaced the boredom. "If you really think that then I am glad you never told me stories at night" She crossed her arms and looked the other way,

"… No sleep that way."

"Oh really" Regina looked back to her and nodded. "Yep, how are curtains meant to attack anyway? They can't move."

Maleficent gave her a wicked grin before clicking her fingers and in a flash of blue smoke. Two curtains appeared as they hovered lightly next to her "Not if they had help."

Before Regina could work out what she meant or make a move. The blonde flicked her fingers and the curtains moved quickly to attack. She smiled as a few seconds and some helpless squeals later, one curtain wrapped little girl stood in front of her as Regina tried her hardest to move but found herself unable to and so took to giving the older woman the most evillest glares she could muster.

The Faerie laughed airily before bending down to meet her dark looks eye to eye. "Want to know the moral of the story my dear?"

"Don't get trapped with you in an empty space. Might talk someone to death" She muttered petulantly before squeaking a little from the small bat to the head and turned to see her dark glare returned.

"Insolent little…." She shook her head and cut of her line of thought as she looked back to her, "Stop burning the damn curtains. Do you know how annoying it is to replace them?"

She stood straight once she stopped talking. It wasn't all hard to replace them, in fact it wasn't even a blip to her, but it was a major inconvenience having to hear how half of them had been scorched away and so had to keep summoning new ones. She was a dark witch not a tailor.

Regina huffed a little and tried to retract herself from the tight bindings but still couldn't and so sighed again before conceding. "Fine"

"If you want something to burn there are some rats about outback that are getting cocky." She smiled when Regina did and stepped from in front of her before setting off down the hall.

"Hey! Aren't you forgetting something?" The blonde turned back to see the small girl still struggling. She pursed her lips before shaking her head. "No… don't think so why? Am I wrong?"

She smirked when Regina glared again before chuckling lightly and turned back to carry on down the corridor. Regina looked down at her predicament before shrugging. She saw no help in sight and so with one last look back at the retreating blonde, she grinned knowing just what to say to properly piss her off.

"Thank you for the story, Mama!"

Nearing the end of the hall Maleficent stopped. Her whole body tensing as she whipped her head back around, her eyes boring murderous at the smirking little girl. Regina could feel the heat of the stare that was burning into her body but she doesn't care. She had her way out, and before the wronged Faerie could take a step purple smog engulfed the little girl as she freed herself from the curtain prison before waving and with another sweep of the smoke was gone from the hall leaving the blonde alone with her ire.

Maleficent looked to the place Regina had just been and fumed. Before turning and carrying on her way, thoughts now on how to get even with the smart arsed child as she walked. Another rule of hers that she had made Regina swear to when she was old enough to be able to string coherent words together.

She was. In no way, anyone's Mother.

She had vexed that straight away when the small girl was a baby and they had sat in the great hall. Well – she was sitting Regina was happily rolling along the floor and so not understanding the logic's of a baby's amusement factor she let her, right up until the point when the tiny baby had turned and after dragging herself along the stone floor she looked up to the blonde and smiled.

"Ma..."

Maleficent had nearly choked on her drink and had looked down harshly as Regina struggled to speak. "Ma…"

"No, no… no"

"Ma... Ma…"

"Seriously do not finish that" But as like always the tiny tot ignored her and with one last push. She got her word out. "MAMA"

The dark witch nearly wretched at the dreaded word and closed her eyes sitting back in her chair. The raven haired baby pulled herself up using the hem of her dress and held on to her knee smiling happily with her proud achievement.

"Mama"

"INGRID!"

A few minutes later the door opened and in walked the older woman. She took in the sight of the babbling child holding onto the knee of the slouching woman who looked depressed. She approached them and bowed slightly.

"Mistress"

The blonde lifted her eyes to glance at the quizzical woman and sighed loudly before gesturing to the oblivious baby. "Please tell me her play room is back to normal again."

Still wondering what had made her so forlorn she looked to Regina before nodding lightly. "Yes Mistress – we managed to get the last of them and remove them from the room."

She was talking of course about the toys that Regina had somehow spelled to life. It was a shock to open the door and find all her playthings running around as the baby sat in the middle cheering madly… a poor young helper trapped in the corner guarded by a toy dog.

It had taken a while but finally they had gotten her out with the help of the blonde Faerie who had arrived amused on hearing what had happened as she took in the scene in front of her before she removed the baby from the room as well as the terrified young woman before leaving once more with Regina in tow and back to the hall.

But now she looked utterly downcast so she was curious as to what might have happened in the space on an hour and half. Maleficent nodded grateful on hearing that and so with her hand she waved her to pick Regina up and return her to her room as Ingrid bowed again and went to comply with her wishes. She scooped the tiny girl up as Regina turned to the new woman and smiled as she clung to her.

The older woman gave her a smile before nodding to Maleficent and turned to leave. As she did the tiny baby twisted her head so she could see the blonde again and as soon as she realized she was moving away from the witch she called out again.

"MAMA"

Ingrid stopped in her tracks and turned her head to stare in astonishment at the small tot before turning back to the blonde who was doing her best to look as normal as possible – as if she hadn't just heard the tiny baby call her something that she knows the Faerie hadn't been a part of in a long time.

Family

The dark witch could feel both sets of eyes on her as her throat constricts a little before she licks her suddenly dry lips and eventually looks to them. "Did I stutter?"

The other woman shook her head quickly and turned back to the door, she lifted her hand to lower Regina's and carried on walking until they had both left the blonde witch alone to her thoughts. It wasn't until later did Maleficent come around and tell the tiny baby that she wasn't her Mama… nor was she anything of the sort maternal much to Ingrid's silent discord.

After that Regina knew never to call the blonde the 'M' word… only doing so when they got into arguments and she did it to deliberately wind her up, then in which she had to run for fear of getting roasted, she may have been able to throw a flame or two but nowhere near the bonfire in which Maleficent could when she was angry.

After successfully terrifying the rodents and making them flee on the blondes recommendation. Regina wandered back inside she knew it was close to dinnertime by the way her stomach was internally telling her, and so made her way to get cleaned up as her face were lined with dirt from where she had given chase. She passed Rosalyn who smiled at her and made a gesture for her to hurry up as she passed her by.

She ran to her room and barreled through happy that the older witch wasn't around as she would have surely complained before hurrying to the small bowl on the other side and after washing her face taking care to get all the dirt off she yanked off her shirt and threw it aside before snagging a new one from the bedside and pulling it over her head, narrowly avoiding toppling over before rushing out the door again.

She rushed all the way down before coming to a halt outside the large doors. Taking a breath she pushed on the door and slipped inside as she looked around to the room empty as she shrugged and made her way to the large table. She threw herself down into the nearest seat and waited.

The doors opened once more five minutes later as she looked upon the two servers who entered as they made their way to the table. They smiled at the little girl who waved back before they busied themselves with serving dinner. Regina watched them intensely as they set they set the food down her eyes never leaving the covered dish in front of her, ever since she had been old enough to digest proper food, she had bullied Maleficent into giving her a bit of hers one day with the blonde giving up after much pestering.

She watched the young girl nibble at the deer only to find something inside had awoken – seemingly from that single bite and ever since then she had a craving for deer much like the blonde – who knew it was to be expected and so only mildly protested when she stole the rest of it.

She tapped her hands excitedly on the side of the table much to the mirth of the other two women who had watched her from the corner of their eyes. Once they had set everything out they left the small girl to it as Regina gives them a fleeting glance before her focus turned back to the food in front of her.

She sits like she is supposed to. And waits for the blonde to arrive, which normally she would have by now except that she is late and by proxy, making Regina hungrier, she taps the top of the table again trying to restrain from reaching out but that little voice in her head, weirdly enough it sounds like an angry goblin with a cold… she imagines is telling her to just take it.

It's right there in front of them what was she waiting for? She deliberated over taking its advice and just reaching out. After all, it is going in her mouth soon enough why was she holding back. But something was… something older, much more powerful and were called Maleficent.

It wasn't out of authoritative respect, though she did fully respect the blonde witch long enough to withhold from pouncing. This was different – it felt more… primal.

It had confused her and on asking the Faerie she had been told that it was 'just the way it went' she didn't question it further.

Didn't stop her from being hungry though

Finally after another five minutes the door opened which the younger girl was thankful for because any longer and the blonde would have walked in on a half eaten deer as the older woman walked into the room. Regina watched as she fluidly made her way to the table and gave her a smile before taking the seat opposite her,

"Sorry I'm late"

She slid into her chair and missed the impatient eye roll from the little girl. "Had a last-minute task that needed attending to"

Regina nodded not really caring. All her attention now was aimed on the dishes in front of them as Maleficent retrieved her cup and wine. Another reason why Regina wouldn't eat first is because the blonde always served first… again something that just went and at times she grumbled but didn't argue as she sat patiently one more.

Eventually after what seemed like half an hour of sitting when she first arrived. They finally got down to eating the silence of the hall soon cut with the sound of knives and forks scraping across the plates as the blonde cast a quick glance to the younger girl who was cutting her deer with all the ferocity of if she was eating it with claws.

They may have been one half primitive beasts but the other was still somewhat human and so they were going to have manners like them.

"I am sorry about the curtains" The Faerie paused mid bite to look back to her as Regina smiled sheepishly her own fork lodged in her mouth and nodded her head once.

"It's fine… just as long as you don't do it again." She lowered her fork before carrying on. "If not for me for the servers, they are here because they want to be not because they are obligated; they could leave anytime they choose. Do you wish to see them leave?"

The younger girl shook her head, she liked the help. They played with her when she were bored or allowed her to watch them.

"Then it's important to know that it's not ok to go around ruining their hard effort. As I have said they don't have what we have… it's harder for them then it is for us so please, think about them next time"

The raven haired girl nodded fully intending to listen and take to heart what she had said. She would make it so they would never leave… they were too much fun. The older witch smiled before getting back to her dinner as they fell into silence once more.

Maleficent cast one final glance to her young counterpart and thought about her time here. She had been right those years ago, life certainly hadn't been boring and she had found herself not regretting her choice to take her in… after some serious contemplating the first time she set fire to something that was.

But she had found herself growing accustomed to her face and presence over time until eventually it just became the norm to see a child running about the huge and foreboding castle. She had also provided the blonde with some much-needed companionship, though that was said with reluctance

She may have been steadfast in her saying that she was fine and content in her solitude… help otherwise excluded, but since she had spent the last five years with Regina she had found herself forming a fond attachment to her, dare she say it… something akin to love.

She might have said silence was her best friend, but there really was no counting the company of another person… especially when that person just happened to share in the same talent as oneself.

Besides, apart from Ingrid and the other members of the small group of severs. She was all Regina had ever known… she was under no illusions that she was the first person she had ever saw, but she definitely was the first person to have stayed with her for more than a week without casting her aside.

The little girl needed her, and in some way… she had appreciated what Regina had done for her.

Her path of failed revenge might not have been what she had hoped but she had found herself on a new one with Regina walking it with her,

And she found that she was curious to see where it led.