"I need both my daughters for what I am planning to do." Cora's voice was well known to everyone in the room. Whispers were almost inaudible, but she could hear every word they pronounced. "I need your attention, otherwise we will never get out of this poor town!" Suddenly, all eyes turned to her, as dozens of mouths closed at the same time. The only thing they could hear now was their breathing, their heartbeats. Not a single voice. Cora was above all of them, the most powerful of all the villains in the room. One villain was missing. The one that could bring them all happy endings.

Zelena walked through the crowd, joining her mother with a smile. She was finally the one that mattered and though they needed her weak, emotionally unstable sister, she was the more powerful one, and if what the Dark one said was true, she was more powerful than her mother was, than her mother ever will be.

Cora took Zelena's hand, raising it high in the air and looking into her eyes with pride. "This is my firstborn child, Zelena!" She expected an applause or something like that, but no one said a thing and people simply started looking at each other in confusion and the whispering started again.

And then the voice, louder than others, explained what all this was about. "Cora, dearie, we have no intention in following all your rules. The time when you were a queen is buried back in the past. We are all in this together, equal. There is no queen, nor king in this war."

The voice was well known to everybody in the room. His face changed, or better to say, to them it stayed exactly the same. Green skin with darker and lighter dots all over his body and face. Messy hair and too long nails for a man. A monster. A beast. Rumplestilskin.

"We must have the leader, now, don't we?" Cora was deeply insulted by this, tho she expected no more from an ungrateful wizard. He always thought he was so much more than anyone else could ever be. And look at him now. Thrown away from the woman he loved, stuck with other villains, tho he could have sworn he would get himself a happy ending. What he did to Zelena, how he tried to use her didn't make things any better. He was a power addict, and now when there was someone who had it more than he did, he felt insecure, afraid that he might fall in the shadow of the most powerful witch ever.

"I think we all need to consider our possibilities and talk about them together. I don't think you are aware of the power these people from the town actually have. It's a lot stronger than you think. And your daughter…" he couldn't help laughing "Is actually a good guy. She is a hero. She has a son and a husband and I honestly don't think she would give it up that easily for a happy ending she already has. Besides, she wouldn't do it for us, neither, since she hates most of the people in this room, or some she had never met." With that, he finished his little show and pulled back, leaning against the wall. This was something interesting. All the villains from all the stories, brought up together. They will make the whole world be their kingdom. They will take their happy ending, even if that means changing the book, breaking writer's rules.

"I don't think we had a chance to talk." Daniel said, as Regina started taking the dirty dishes from the table to the sink. That morning was unusually normal, comparing to all the other ones before. Those were silent and dark and Regina would usually go to her room once again, not wanting to talk about what happened a few days ago. Now, suddenly, she was making pancakes after Emma came and he could have sworn he heard her shouting at her. What was the good mood about than? Not that he was complaining.

"I'm sorry." Regina said, after a deep sigh, turning to him and leaving the plates. "I know I've had these moments… I know I've been acting awkward for the last couple of days, but I do agree we need to talk. About everything. About us, in the end."

"Don't do that." Daniel said, as he approached her, lightly pulling her by her elbows. "You know I love you. And we have Brianna and we are a perfect family. We are happy. Don't give it all up for someone who doesn't even know you." It was a desperate move, to beg her not to leave him, because he knew what was happening. He could feel it in her words, in every move she made, in all nights she spent next to him, whispering other's name.

"I don't know if I can act everything is normal anymore, Daniel." She said, pulling away a bit, holding on to the sink. Hurting Daniel was the last thing she wanted to do, but letting him live in a lie was even worse than telling him the truth. "I'm sorry." But sorry was not enough. Words were just an empty sound coming out of someone's mouth. Sometimes, they could mean more than anything in the world, but right now, it was a whisper, barely audible, something that'll stay forever in someone's memory, but will mean just a heartbreak. Because with a single word "sorry" most stories ended. And so was this one. "But he has to know."

"She's mine as much as his." He shook his head, his eyes slightly watering. Because of a single guy, he was losing everything he had. For the second time. And this hurt even more because a child was involved. And he was aware of the fact he was losing the people he loved. For the first time, he at least didn't have to see them every day happy with someone else, he didn't suffer, just for a bit, just for a moment, until he was gone forever. Well, actually, since two years ago when forever ended somehow.

"But… He's her biological father. It's not fair to him. As it wasn't fair for Emma not to know about Henry, tho she even chose it, at first. He has all the rights to be her father, Daniel." She turned around, not able to see him in that condition. Was that really all she knew how to do? To hurt people? To make them suffer? Cause it seemed like it. "And I'm not saying you're not her father. I'm just saying he is, too." And suddenly, she could understand Swan completely.

He nodded, frowning a bit. And that was it. That was how his story was supposed to end. "So what now? We… Divorce?" He asked, trying to sound calmed and strong. He was doing well so far. Tho he was barely managing to hold back his tears, he was standing straight, decisive to at least keep what was partly his. He didn't even want to try to make her stay anymore. She loved someone else. How could he ever possibly live with that thought lingering in his mind every single day? He always loved her and he always will, but this was what his destiny was supposed to look like. Happiness that is first simply given to him on a silver plate and then taken away, wrenched right out of his arms. And he accepted it.

"I guess we do." She whispered. It hurt her too. But she was relieved at the same time. No more pretending, no more games. She had to tell Robin what was really going on. She had to tell him the truth. She had to let herself be happy. She had to run for her own destiny, before it was too late. And although she loved Daniel, she loved Robin more. He was her soulmate.

"Very well, then."

She could hear his footsteps, her soon to be ex husband leaving the room. How did she get to this point? How was all this happening? How was all of this possible? Could it be that she got two happy endings at the same time and it was up to her to choose who she will be with? Why did this happen, and more importantly, how?

An awkward, bad feeling crept down her bones. Something was happening. She had it again. Two man she loved were back. She had a daughter and a son. Everyone was back. Except for the villains. What happened with them?

"I'm here to accept the offer."

"Oh, you are? After all this time, my daughter finally played you? Her true love is back, in the end, no? And you're just not the one she loves more." Cora's laughter broke the silence. It was a laughter of a mad woman.

"I just want my family back. If that's what you guarantee I will have…"

"You'll have your happy ending, Daniel. All I need from you is a bit of help to bring my daughter to us. To make her work with us, get villains happy endings." Now her voice was a bit more serious. This was what they've been waiting for the whole two years.

"But…" Daniel, stammered, frowning, approaching his Queen. "Regina already has one. And she is a villain. How is it possible, then, that none of you can have it too?"

"It took us a lot of time to bring him back, Daniel. It took us a lot of time to bring us all back here. It took a great power. But consequences are left. You see, villains, nor anyone who was brought back to life, cannot leave the town. And if we want to hold the whole world in our hands, if we want to rule it all, we'll have to cross the town line. Without a bit of a sacrifice, without the help of both my daughters, I can't do it. And once we're done, you're going to be the first on our list to repay." Proud was very obvious in Cora's voice. Tho she needed a lot of time and a help of many people, she managed to do what no one ever has – to bring dead people back to life. And not only she brought them back, but she will rule the whole world, the whole Earth soon enough.

"One more thing I don't understand… Why didn't you, for the whole two years, come for your daughter by yourself? Or you could have at least sent some of your people?" Daniel asked, taking the apple from the plate. Allegedly, apples in this family were a murder weapon.

"I wouldn't eat that if I were in your place." Cora said, smiling a bit. "Darling, this is the last question that will be answered. People can't know villains are back, too. If they did know, they'd attack us and our plan would fail if we separated. For this, we need every villain living. And the only one missing right now is Regina. I need you to bring her here. I don't care how, but it better be soon. Sooner you bring her, sooner you'll have your happy ending."