Deep in the Rocky Mountains, Kieran sat cross-legged in the backyard with a letter in her hand. She found it in the box shortly after they landed and talked herself out of opening it until she had no more excuses. Brainy was with Sam, Jess, and Ruby, helping them cook dinner, and Kieran used the time to finally read what Kara wrote.
Dear Princess,
I couldn't say any of this to you in person. It would've made it harder to let you go. I hate that we never… Well, I guess it doesn't matter anymore, does it? You're going to be leaving soon, and I'll be here in this world, wondering if I'll ever find someone like you again. Everyone else gets a chance at their happily ever after, so if you find yours in your new world, make sure you tell them that you have a superpowered alien that'll do about anything to see you smile for the rest of your life. So they better not hurt you, or I'll toss them into space.
Please be safe.
-Your Hero
Kieran folded the letter and brought her knees to her chest. She stared up at the stars and sighed. The backdoor opened, and she tilted her head back to find Brainy exiting the home. He came and sat beside her, his eyes uncharacteristically serious.
"I was talking with Sam, and I admit that I was a bit out of the loop. I now know that this is more than about going home for you."
Kieran snorted out a laugh and covered her nose. It wasn't funny, but her emotions were all over the place. She turned away from him and looked back at the sky.
"My mother is dying," she eventually said. "And I am running out of time to save her life."
"I see." Brainy reached out and rested his hand on her shoulder. She looked at him, and he said, "Tomorrow morning, we shall use the journal to create a link between you and your mother's magic. Maybe I can amplify it enough for my systems to narrow our search. I will do everything in my power to get you home before the sun sets tomorrow evening."
"Systems?" she repeated.
Brainy smiled and said, "I guess Kara didn't tell you that this house has a lab in the basement. She sent me with you to help out in any way that I can."
"I mean, I knew that, but I didn't know you – Brainy, the odds of you finding her –
"The worst thing would be not to try," he interrupted. "I know what it feels like to be millions of miles away from home but unable to go back. And it will be an honor to do something for you that I cannot do for myself."
"Why would Fate take me from my family, only to give me a new one that I cannot stay with?"
"I like to think that until you were able to return to them, the universe blessed you with one who loved you just as much in their absence."
Kieran didn't know how to respond to that. Thankfully, Brainy understood her silence and went back inside. With him gone, Kieran closed her eyes and slipped into a nearly forgotten memory.
"Gelu?"
Kieran glanced over at her sister, who seemed nervous.
"I think I might- I believe I find- I think-
"Hey," Kieran touched Isabella's arm, giving her something to focus on. "I'm right here," she said. "Breathe through it and try again."
Isabella took several deep breaths before she said, "I think I am attracted to women in the way that I should be attracted to men."
Kieran chewed on her bottom lip and said, "Are you sure?"
Even under the moonlight, Isabella's blush took over her entire face as she nodded. Kieran hummed and rolled over, keeping her hand firmly on her sister's arm. She waited until Isabella looked at her before asking-
"Does this have anything to do with Abigail from the kitchens?"
"No!" Kieran arched an eyebrow, and Isabella sighed. "Was I that obvious?" she murmured.
"So much so that," Kieran paused, "Mom assumed you would ask to court her by the full moon."
"Wait, Mommy knows?"
Kieran shrugged sheepishly and said, "I think the entire family does?"
"What! Why did no one tell me?"
"How do you expect us to tell you what you prefer, Ignis?"
Isabella groaned and erected a wall of grass around her.
"You are being ridiculous," Kieran giggled. "It is not that bad!"
"Shut up. You can barely dress, let alone give me love advice."
"Who said anything about love?" Kieran teased. "And I'll have you know I can dress just fine!"
"You are wearing mismatched stockings."
Kieran scowled and pressed a finger into the dirt, freezing the ground near Isabella. Her sister yelped and jumped up, glaring at Kieran as she laughed. Isabella cocked her head, and the grass under Kieran curled around her body until she was nearly buried in the Earth.
"Ignis!" Kieran shouted.
"Nope. Apologize."
"I will do- oh, for crying out loud."
Kieran concentrated and melted into a body of water. She slid away from the grass and solidified in front of Isabella, who stared at her in awe. Kieran brushed the dirt off her dress and plucked grass out of her hair. Isabella squealed and wrapped her in a hug.
"You did it!" she exclaimed. "Oh, this is so exciting! You have to show mother tomorrow."
"It wasn't that hard," Kieran muttered, turning red from the praise.
"Of course not, never for you." Isabella cupped her face and kissed her forehead. "I am blessed by every deity in creation to have you as my sister," she said.
"Iz, stop it," Kieran whined.
"One day, you will accept the praise given to you by others."
"Whatever."
"You know that I love you forever, right?"
"And ever?"
"Until time ceases to exist."
Kieran yawned as she came downstairs in her pajamas the next morning. She was the last one awake, a rare occurrence, and she entered the dining room to find everyone already there.
"Good morning, your Highness," Sam teased.
"Shut up."
"Mommy says shut up is a bad word," Ruby said.
"Your mother eats your fruit snacks when you fall asleep," Kieran grumbled.
Ruby gasped, and Sam stammered out a response. Jess shook her head and poured Kieran a cup of coffee, which made Kieran groan.
"Jess, you aren't my assistant anymore," she said.
"No, but you can barely open your eyes, and I'd rather not have hot liquid poured on the tablecloth."
"I am capable of taking care of myself."
"You're wearing mismatched pajamas," Sam pointed out dryly.
Kieran winced and shook off the comment. As she sat down, she stopped and frowned. Red sparks jumped from her fingertips, and she glanced around in suspicion.
"Everyone stop moving," she said.
Sam froze, as did Jess, and Ruby leaned into her mother. Brainy stood, prepared for an unseen threat, and Kieran tilted her head before she looked up at the ceiling. Her magic reacted before anyone else, and she swiped everything from the table with a flick of her wrist just as a portal opened above them, dropping a body on the table. Sam scrambled back with Ruby already in her arms. Jess picked up a knife, pointing it at the offender, and Brainy took a defensive stance. Kieran narrowed her eyes as she stared at the man. He looked familiar, but she couldn't figure out why. The man groaned and rose on his elbows, staring at the group.
"My apologies, but by chance, are any of you named Kieran Mills?" he asked, grimacing.
Kieran raised her hand. The man sighed in relief and gave a tired grin.
"Name's Captain Hook, love. I'm a friend of your mother's, and I'm here to get you home."
Oh. That's why she knew him.
"Your face used to be on a lot of wanted posters," she said.
"Different life."
"How in the world did you end up friends with my mother?"
"That is a long story." Killian stretched out his neck and sat upright. "And that was not how I expected to get here," he said.
"Okay, pause. You're the actual Captain Hook?" Sam asked.
"Aye."
"That is so cool," Sam breathed out.
"If I may," Brainy began, "Where did you come from?"
"Better yet, how did you get here?" Kieran added.
"I came from Storybrooke, Maine, and I got here through a portal using a bean, some fairy water, and a dragon's eye."
"Are we talking a literal dragon's eye or…." Sam trailed off. "Also, when you say fairy water-
"Water that's been taken from the home of water fairies," Killian and Kieran said in unison.
"It's hard to come by," Kieran added. "And so is a dragon's eye, which is a stone blessed by the tears of a dragon. Do I even want to know how you, of all people, have one?"
"Maleficent owed me a favor."
"So you stole it."
"Hold on, am I the only one blown out of my mind?" Sam exclaimed. "Like Captain Hook is sitting on the dining room table after falling from the ceiling, and he's talking to my best friend about Maleficent, fairies, and magic beans."
"Is it too early for a drink?" Jess asked.
"Not at all, love. I am a firm believer that drinking- ow!"
Kieran glared at him, pointing at Ruby, and Killian pursed his lips.
"I mean, drinking is bad," he said.
"Nice save," Sam scoffed. "And don't call my girlfriend love."
"My apologies. I meant no disrespect."
"What's in the bag?" Brainy asked.
"Some polar pictures," he said.
"I think you mean polaroid pictures," Kieran said.
"Oh. I thought I had that one right." Killian shucked off the bag and pulled out a stack of pictures. "I brought these to prove my case," he said.
Kieran took the images and pointed to the chair, silently telling him to sit down. Killian huffed and slid off the table, sitting where she told him to. Kieran jerked her head at the others, and they walked to the corner of the room. The first picture was of Killian lying on a ship deck with Regina. Regina wore a hat and sunglasses in a plain, black bikini, and she smiled brightly at the camera. Killian's face was too close, but it was a decent shot. Kieran's eyes watered, and she tapped Regina's face.
"That is my Mom," Kieran said.
"Dude! No way that's your mother," Sam exclaimed. "She's so -
Jess and Kieran arched their eyebrows at her, and Sam trailed off into a cough. Kieran shook her head and flipped to the next image of Killian with Ruby and Granny in some kind of apartment. Ruby flipped off the camera behind Granny's back. Killian was again too close to the camera, but it was better than the first one.
"And that is my cousin, Ruby, and that's Granny," Kieran explained.
"Hey, she has my name," Ruby said excitedly.
Kieran nodded in agreement and continued through the pictures. One by one, they watched Killian grow more comfortable in front of the camera. In every single image, they all wore big smiles. Her mother, especially. But Kieran couldn't shake that something was off about Killian's arrival. She handed the pictures to Sam, and she turned to Killian.
"Come with me," she said.
Killian cleared his throat and stood. She led him out to the balcony and shut the door. Before she could say or do anything, Killian reached into his pocket and removed one last picture. She took it from him, and her breath caught in her throat. It was her mother on her bed with her eyes closed. It didn't take much to figure out what was going on. Kieran sat down on the bench and handed the picture back to him.
"I think your mother knew," he said, sitting beside her. "But I also think she had it under control."
"Did she get my call?"
"It came too late. She has a bad habit of leaving her phone in the car." Killian stretched out and watched the sun continue to rise over the mountains. "When Rumple revealed that he had a second bean that was magically tied to your sister, we were able to open a portal to Isabella's location. We had someone to go in and get her."
Kieran's stomach lurched, and she asked, "Did you find her?"
"Yeah," he said, smiling. "Red texted and said that Isabella made it safe and sound." Killian's face fell, and he added, "But the bean I used to get to you was unstable. There was a small chance I would die trying to reach you. Still, I had to believe that I would get here. We were running out of options, and Regina's running out of time."
"What's my mother to you?"
"She's my best friend," he said, his voice cracking. "She's family, and if I knew there was any hope of your bean getting me to you, I had to take it."
Kieran studied him, wishing she had her sister's abilities, but she didn't. So she took his word at face value.
"Where are you from again?"
"Storybrooke."
"And that's in Maine? I've never heard of it."
"That's because it didn't exist until about thirty years ago, give or take a few years." At Kieran's look, Killian ran a hand over his face and said, "From what I was told and the little that I lived through, after you were taken from Regina, things got a bit dodgy. I was on the sea during most of it, but when I returned to stock up on supplies, I caught up on the gossip. And then I heard the announcement that Snow White was expecting a child. It split the kingdom in half. Some were happy, and then some didn't care. Regina had a following, as did Snow, and it sent the realm into chaos. Seeing as there was an issue with my ship, I was delayed several months. But on the day my men and I shipped out, we were halfway into the sea when this dark cloud enveloped the forest. We watched from the boat as people disappeared one by one until they were all gone. The cloud never reached us, and part of me wonders what would've happened if it had. A few years passed before I got the opportunity to get to Storybrooke. And that's when I discovered that Regina cursed the entire forest and stole everyone's happy endings. She sent everyone to the Land Without Magic and put them in a town of her creation. She and Rumple, plus Ruby, Granny, and a couple of others, retained their memories, but everyone else had no idea who they were or where they came from. The town was frozen in time for decades, people having the same routine over and over and over until the curse was broken."
"Hold on, how is any of that possible?" Kieran asked, frowning. "Mom didn't have magic."
"When she lost you, your sister, and your brother, the trauma triggered a dormant power. Cora had magic and never told Regina, so it was inherited."
Kieran ingested all of the information she was being told, and she asked, "But what led to her casting the curse, in the first place? Surely it wasn't just losing us." Killian hesitated, and Kieran added in a sharp voice, "Just fucking tell me! I need to know why my mother's heart broke so much that it stopped working!"
Killian ran a hand through his hair and sat back. "When the portals closed, your mother's heart was poisoned by her anger. She tried but losing you was the tipping point. Once she became the Dark One's protégé and used her magic more and more, the Evil Queen was born. Your mother wanted Snow White to suffer, and she did whatever she could to make that happen. The curse was the last resort, and it worked. But your mother's heart never recovered."
That night, Kieran dragged herself from her bedroom and went downstairs. After her talk with Killian, she needed time alone. It didn't make sense for everything to have gone as wrong as it did, but it did. And her mother paid the ultimate price for it in the end. Kieran followed the voices down to the basement where the others stood in front of Brainy's machines. No one commented on Kieran's bloodshot eyes or the exhaustion written on her face. Instead, Ruby continued her conversation with Killian, and Kieran made her way to Sam and Jess.
"Was there ice cream in the Enchanted Forest?" Ruby asked.
Killian gave a wry grin and said, "Yes, but we called it gelato."
"Oh, okay. Thanks."
Ruby wrote something down in her notebook. Sam shook her head and leaned back on the table with Jess standing between her legs.
"All right, question. In this Storybrooke of yours, what's the scoop on the folks who live there?"
"I'm not sure I understand."
"She's asking who lives there," Kieran said. "Remember, in this realm, our world is considered a fairytale."
"Ah, yes. Emma told me about the whole fairytale thing."
"Who's Emma?" Jess asked.
"Snow White's daughter."
"Oh. And she's a friend."
"According to him, yes."
Killian grinned at the look on her face and asked, "Still not on board with her yet?"
"My mother has a proven weakness for pretty blondes, so I cannot trust her judgment on this."
"Huh. A weakness for blondes? Why does that sound so familiar?" Sam asked, tapping her chin. "Jess, babe, who else do we know that has a weakness for pretty blondes?"
"Okay, moving on," Kieran huffed. "You were asking Killian to name individuals in Storybrooke?"
"Sure, if it's not like an issue of privacy or something."
"Oh. Well, I had lunch with Prince Eric the other day because he's getting a divorce from Princess Ariel. That was a massive mistake, but you already know that Snow White, Prince Charming, and Red Riding Hood are there. Pocahontas is around the woods somewhere, and Princess Tiana-"
"So basically, the entire Disney catalog got swept up and dumped here," Sam interrupted.
"For the most part, yes. There are a few who were lucky enough not to be taken back home."
"Wait, so Pocahontas is there?" Ruby asked, starstruck.
"Yes, but I should mention that she and Tiana are the only princesses worth talking to. Ariel too. The rest can be," he scratched his neck, "difficult."
"Noted," Sam said. "Keep Ruby away from the princesses. Kieran and her sister included."
Kieran flipped Sam off while Ruby wasn't looking, and Sam blew her a kiss.
Brainy cleared his throat to get everyone's attention and said, "Mr. Hook, the timing of your arrival has been helpful. I admittedly was confused about how I could connect Kieran's magic to her mother's but you have given me something better. I can use the information you have provided to narrow down from the realms previously discovered after the last century or so."
"What?"
"He's going to ask you a bunch of questions about the Land Without Magic so he can find it," Sam explained.
"Got it."
Brainy spun around to his computer, and Killian tried to touch a nearby screen, but Kieran smacked his hand down. Brainy didn't notice, and he typed a few buttons, bringing up a massive screen with thousands of tiny dots on it.
"Now, these are all of the realms known to man and alien. I can eliminate the ones that have larger than usual concentrations of magic, seeing as this realm has none."
Brainy pressed a single key, and several of those dots disappeared, but there were still too many to count. Ruby climbed onto the stool and latched herself onto Kieran's back to see better.
"What else can you tell me about your world?" Brainy asked.
"I know it's 2016," Killian said, shrugging.
"Wow. I never thought I'd add time travel to my list of experiences," Sam said.
Jess nodded in agreement, and Brainy typed something else into the system. The number of dots dropped drastically from about several hundred to ten.
"Good, we're getting somewhere. What else?" Brainy asked.
"I'm not sure what else to give you."
"Who's the president?" Jess asked.
All eyes turned to her, and she shrugged.
"I have to assume it isn't the same in every place," she said.
"That is a fair question," Brainy mused.
"Oh, Emma mentioned some woman named Clinton a few months ago."
"Hillary Clinton became president? What a fucking world," Sam said.
"Mom."
"Sorry, baby."
Brainy added that detail, and surprisingly enough, three dots remained.
"Huh," Sam said. "Good for her."
"Okay, let's think out of the box here." Brainy leaned back in his chair. "We have the only three realms with magic where it shouldn't be, Clinton as president, and currently in the year 2016. There has to be something else that we can input–
"There were big wars in our realm," Killian interrupted. "One and Two?"
"I think everyone had the World Wars, dude," Sam said. "Right?"
Brainy pursed his lips and typed in that information, and one realm was erased. Sam pursed her lips and said nothing else.
"Is there anything more you can remember? It can be the most obscure fact that you recall," Brainy said.
"No. That's all I have, mate," Killian sighed.
Kieran stepped up behind Brainy, focusing on the screens, and she frowned.
"Brainy, why don't you just look for Hook's spike from when the portal opened? This realm has magic, but there has to be a starting point for the energy, correct?"
"I- oh. I did not consider that. Thank you."
Brainy swiped across the screen and pressed the space bar. With bated breaths, they all watched as the realm on the left side stayed dim when the one on the right grew brighter. It was only for a few seconds, but it was enough for Brainy to lock in on the location of the spike. The realm on the left was eliminated, and Brainy and Kieran tilted their heads in unison as the realm expanded.
"It's just a bunch of colors," Ruby said.
"No," Brainy mused. "Those are connections."
"What do you mean?"
"Those are people," Kieran took over. "Those swirling lines connect a singular group of people."
"Storybrooke," Killian guessed.
"Exactly. The magical signature surrounding the town gives off an incredible amount of energy. The magic it took to create this must have been astronomical."
"Regina is more powerful than many people realize," Killian said. "This is what she can do when she doesn't hold back."
Kieran felt a burst of pride for her mother, and Brainy tapped something on his keyboard. The realm disintegrated into tiny particles and began to translate into an equation. He spun around and clapped his hands.
"It will take me the rest of the evening into the morning to create a device that will be able to transport you all to this specific realm," he said.
"Okay, wait, is this happening? Are we seriously about to go to another world?" Sam asked, a little excitement in her tone. Kieran grimaced and turned to Sam, who shook her head. "We are not having this conversation again," she added quickly.
"But you're leaving this world for one that you know nothing about!"
"You are too! So it'll be an experience for all of us."
"And Lex is still an issue here," Jess said pointedly. "We have no choice but to go with you."
"Who is Lex?" Killian asked.
Kieran flinched, and Sam peeled Ruby off of Kieran's back.
"Come on, munchkin. Let's raid the kitchen so Auntie Lena can have a big girl conversation about bad brothers."
His timeline was off by an hour, but Brainy had the devices ready by ten a.m. that morning. But part of him was a bit selfish, so he made multiple watches. He took two and hid them in his bag. His only order was to send Kieran home, but he meant what he said to Kieran. There was no way he was letting someone from his family just disappear without anyone being able to get to her. The garage door opened, and Brainy faced the group. They all had their bags, small things they grabbed in National City, and they seemed excited and wary.
"Right on time. I have finished the portal watch, and it will take you as close as possible to where the Captain jumped from. Kieran, if you would please give me your wrist?" he said.
Kieran stepped forward and held out her arm. He attached the watch to her arm and tapped the symbol on the front. She scrunched her nose as she smiled, and Brainy was proud he chose the right design.
"Press the crest to activate it," he instructed softly. "Press it again once you're safe, and it will close."
"Thank you," she whispered. "For everything."
Brainy hesitated before hugging her, and he whispered back, "We will see each other again."
Kieran nodded and moved away from him. Brainy watched her caress the House of El crest he etched into the metal before she pressed down. The air grew thick with electricity, and a portal opened inches away from where Kieran stood.
"Ready?" she asked.
"Let's do it," Sam said, carrying the bags.
Jess picked up Ruby, and Killian cleared his throat.
"Hey, Ruby? You should cover your eyes," he suggested. "It can get pretty bright in there."
Ruby nodded and covered her eyes, and Sam gave Killian a thankful smile. Kieran reached back and grabbed Sam's free hand, and Brainy waved goodbye as they walked through together.
Kieran's stomach rolled as she went through the same experience from before, but that time, she landed safely on the deck of a ship. Sam, Jess, Ruby, and Killian came through next, and once they were safe, Kieran hurriedly pressed the button to deactivate the portal. Killian breathed a sigh of relief and stretched his arms over his head. The air smelled of salt and trees, and the sun was setting, but there was enough light left in the sky for Kieran to just make out a glimmer off the horizon.
"Is that where it ends?" she asked.
"Yep. Unless you have a way to get through, all it does is bring you back to the docks," Killian explained.
"Uh, sorry to interrupt, but does anyone know why a person is sprinting toward the ship?" Sam asked.
Killian turned first, stepping in front of the group, but then he paused and squinted at the person.
"Wait, is that…"
Bella raced at full speed toward the ship. She'd been going out there over the last two days, waiting ever since the Dark One told them that Killian went to find Kieran, and she took a leap of faith that he would return to the same place he left. And when she saw that bright light, she knew. She knew she made the right choice. She threw off her hood and sprinted up the ramp, skidding to a stop in front of the brunette in all-black. Bella caught her breath when she saw her sister up close. So much time had passed, but so little at the same.
"Gelu?"
"Hi, Ignis," Kieran greeted, her voice cracking.
Bella smiled widely and held out her hand. Her ring glowed between the two of them, and she waited. Tears streamed down Kieran's cheeks as she reached under her shirt and pulled out a similar ring. She slid it on her finger, and they grabbed hands.
"In faith and loyalty, our blood runs true," Bella said.
"And in honor and love, our bond will never falter," Kieran finished.
Bella yanked on Kieran's arm and brought her into her chest. She held her just as she did when they were younger, and she vowed to never let go. No matter what, and never again.
The journey to the mansion took time as they had to walk, and walking meant they had to stay in the shadows. Bella had already risked discovery three times since she'd been in Storybrooke, but they weren't ready to reveal they were back until Regina was awake. Still, they made it to the house in record time, and Granny fussed over Kieran until Bella put a stop to it. Instead, Granny turned her attention to Ruby, who gladly accepted all the affection from the older woman. That gave Kieran the chance to escape with Bella as Sam, Jess, and Ruby stayed downstairs with Killian and Granny. Bella led Kieran upstairs to the bedroom, and inside, Kieran felt like a kid again. But instead of Regina on the bed, it was Liana. Kieran shook her head rapidly, backing away. It was one thing to see it in a picture. To see it for herself was something completely different, and she stepped back further, bumping into her sister.
"Hey, I got you." Bella stepped around her and held out her hand, shutting the door with the other. "Trust me, okay? I promise it's all right," she said.
Kieran looked from Regina to her sister and back to Regina again. She reached out and grabbed Bella's hand, letting her sister tug her toward the bed.
"All you have to do is talk to her," Bella said softly. "She's in there, waiting."
"Don't leave me," she pleaded.
"I'm right here, okay? I'm not going anywhere ever again. I swear it."
Kieran squeezed her sister's hand in response and looked down at their mother. She shifted back and forth, opening and closing her mouth in a few false starts. Eventually, the words poured from her lips. Bella covered her mouth, and Kieran looked at her, confused.
"You should probably try English first, dork," she teased.
Kieran huffed and moved her head away, glaring at her sister.
"Why do you always tease me?"
"Because you make it so easy." Bella then jerked her head at Regina. "And that is why I told you to just talk to her. She can hear everything we are saying," she said.
Kieran's eyes dropped, and she gasped when she saw the purple receding from Regina's skin. Then she frowned and looked back at Isabella.
That still doesn't excuse you from being a jerk," she said.
"Have you always been so sensitive?"
Kieran scrunched her face and asked, "What's with the accent? Were you in the UK or something?"
"I lived in London for three years." At Kieran's look, she added, "That's a long story."
"Are there any other kind in this family?"
"Speaking of which, what is that is on your back? I saw it when you reached down to pick up Ruby." Kieran blushed, and Isabella smiled mischievously, moving Kieran's hair to the side. "And are those piercings? I'm counting, what, ten? Eleven?" she asked.
"I have eleven, and it's not that bad."
"Not that bad? You – oh, hold that thought." Bella reached into her pocket and pulled out a phone. She had to borrow Ruby's, for the most part, to keep in contact with Emma. She answered, "Hello? Oh, hey! Hi, you're here?"
Kieran frowned, and Bella bounced on the balls of her feet.
"Yeah, no. Just come straight up. Ignore the people downstairs," she said.
Bella hung up, and she smiled at Kieran.
"Guess what?"
"What?"
Bella didn't answer, she simply held up her finger, and soon, the door opened. Kieran's eyes widened when Emmett slipped through the opening. He paused when he saw her, and then he rushed forward.
"Gelu," he greeted. "They found you."
"Yes," Kieran said slowly. "Um, why are you so…solid?"
Bella snorted and said, "He's a vampire."
"That's not funny."
"I'm not kidding."
"Wait, are you serious?"
"It's –
"-a long story," Bella and Kieran said in unison.
"Yeah, I got that," Kieran added, rolling her eyes.
"Come on, we're all here, right? Let's wake up sleeping beauty."
"If she were awake, you would so get smacked for that," Kieran muttered.
"But she's not. So."
Emmett and Kieran rolled their eyes, and Emmett walked to the opposite side of the bed while Bella and Kieran sat down on Regina's left side. He was careful sitting down and used one hand to brush the hair from Regina's face. His other took hold of her right hand, and Bella felt for her brother, knowing that the look in his eyes were tears that he would never be able to shed.
"Mom? I hope you can hear me, and I know this sounds like a dream, but I promise we are all here. We have so much we need to say to one another, so much we have to talk about, but we can't do that without you. So you need to wake up for us, okay?"
"And I felt you yesterday," Bella jumped in, swallowing her emotions. "You have nothing to be guilty for. None of this was your fault. Our family is stronger than any distance, stronger than any force that tries to keep us apart, and-" she paused and sighed, "nothing will break us."
Kieran placed her hand over Regina's heart and said, "I know you can hear us. I feel your magic calling out to us, and I know it hurts. But we have so much more life to live together, Momma. So please, please wake up for us. We can't do this without you."
"And we won't," Emmett added, putting his hand on top of Kieran's. "We won't do another day."
"Oh, and there's also some cool people you have to meet," Bella laughed, placing her hand on top of the pile. "Kieran brought a kid and everything."
"She's my goddaughter," Kieran argued.
"Don't worry about her, especially since she brought her girlfriend," Emmett teased.
"You have a girlfriend?" Kieran exclaimed.
"Emmett's a vampire!"
"You said that already."
"I wanted her to hear it again."
"Right because you are so awful at having conversations like a normal person," Kieran teased.
"This is payback from earlier, isn't it?"
"What happened earlier?" Emmett asked.
"Iz was making fun of me-
"Because she was so nervous to talk to Mom that she started speaking in Latin," Bella scoffed.
"Well. You do slip into Latin when you get nervous," Emmett said wryly.
"Ha, team older sibling for the win!"
"Em, you're supposed to be on my side," Kieran huffed.
"I'm on no one's side when it comes to you two."
All three were too distracted to notice the swirl of gold, orange, and red seeping into Regina's chest. Regina's eyes fluttered open, purple fading to brown. Her eyes landed on her children, and they closed again when she heard them arguing.
"Please stop yelling. I slept better when you three weren't around," she rasped hoarsely.
"Holy shit. Those are tough words for someone giving their best Sleeping Beauty impression."
"Oh, maybe we should have taken turns kissing her," Kieran joked.
"Why are both of you the way you are?" Emmett sighed.
Regina tugged at the closest child until they stretched out on top of her. She made a vague motion with her other hand, and she felt the bed dip beside her. Regina was surrounded by warmth on all sides. She smiled and fell back asleep, feeling peace for the first time in years.