The mansion loomed in the distance as Kieran and Charlie made their way down the street. Em stayed behind at the station to finish paperwork but promised to come over with Henry later that night. Apparently, he didn't have school the next day due to teacher planning, and Kieran promised him that she would talk to Emmett and Bella about maybe putting a movie day together so they could hang out. Henry seemed shocked at the offer, and Kieran knew he hadn't been sure how they would treat him after everything, but she was happy when he seemed excited about it.

Nevertheless, Charlie volunteered to walk Kieran home while Killian, who was a little disoriented when Kara dropped him off, decided to meet up with Granny at the Bed and Breakfast to give her a heads-up about Snow and Charming. He promised to text Ruby on the way and wait at the Town Hall to catch Sam before she left for the evening. And while there was no fear that Snow or Charming would attack so soon, it was unspoken that none of them wanted to take the chance. Because of that, Kieran was stuck wondering if Kara would be better off staying around Em while they were at the station. Kieran didn't particularly like having the Kryptonian out of sight, but beyond Kryptonite, the number of threats toward her in Storybrooke dwindled to two. Rumplestiltskin was an unknown factor despite his assistance in getting them home, but the Blue Fairy was someone Kieran didn't want around Kara. Sure, Snow and Charming didn't have magic. But the Blue Fairy did, and she had proven time and time again that she would do whatever was necessary to keep "good" in the winner's circle.

Then there was Henry. As frustrating as it was, the moment Snow mentioned him at the station, Kieran knew that he would become a bargaining chip, and no matter the circumstances, Henry was their little brother. He was off-limits, and Kieran needed to speak with Emmett about convincing Regina to move him back into the house. Emmett and Rosalie didn't sleep, Kara required very little to function, and Ruby slept with Sam and Jess anyway. Kieran could either move in with Regina or Bella temporarily, and Henry could take the room that Emmett claimed. They would find a way around the space in the mansion because they had no intention of letting Snow separate them again.

Never again.

Kieran hadn't realized Charlie stopped walking with her until she turned around, and he stared at her with concern.

"What?" she asked.

"I've been calling your name for the last few minutes," he said, walking to catch up with her. "Are you okay?"

"Yes? Why?"

"Because you're leaving ice."

Kieran looked down, and sure enough, there was a thin sheen of ice on the concrete. She rubbed her forehead and sighed.

"I'm sorry. I have a lot on my mind," she said.

Charlie rubbed his chin and said, "You know, when I came here, I never realized how," he paused, "fragile your situation truly was."

"What do you mean?"

"It- I don't mean to be rude, but it seems like there's more to the story than I was told. Because your reaction back at the station was –

"Impulsive?" Kieran guessed.

"And you aren't the impulsive type. It felt like the Snow White thing wasn't about the portal thing…"

Kieran looked at the sky, releasing a long breath and said, "Most people tend to see Bella first. She's the oldest, of course, which makes sense. But it's more than that. Her personality can fill a room without her trying. Yes, she can come off rude or sarcastic. But she's a sweetheart. And I admit it's strange to see someone talking to birds and wild creatures with ease, but Bella can be so," she paused and smiled, "intoxicating the moment she decides to let her guard down. All you'll want to do is be in her presence."

Kieran stopped and bowed her head, toying with the edge of her shirt.

"But me? I like when I can catch people off guard. I like being unexpected and underestimated. I don't need to be in your face because I know that I can do, take, and say what I want when it matters. Or, at least, I try to. But that's not my point. My point is, you're right. It is about more than the portal thing. So, to answer why I reacted so strongly to Snow, I was fourteen when it happened. That means the worst part of my puberty and so forth happened away from my family. I had to grow up with a group of people that were emotionally, mentally, verbally, and physically abusive. I matured a lot faster than I should have, and I admit I'm stunted in some ways. I hide it because I've had years of practice, but there are things I don't understand because I learned all the bad stuff about this realm in spades. All the good stuff came once I was past maturity when I was blessed to find Sam and Ruby, to have Jess in my life, and ultimately, to find Kara. I don't think my family understood why I am the way that I am until we went into my realm. And they still never quite got the whole story. And it's hard to let go of twelve years of abuse. I blame Snow for what went wrong in my life. So when she denied us, denied me, it made things so much worse."

"Did she not know about you guys beforehand?"

"No, not at first," Kieran said, shaking her head. "The King and Snow couldn't know about us."

"What would've happened if he found out?"

"It would have been a death sentence for all of us," Kieran murmured. She cleared her throat and added, "Another reason I reacted so strongly to Snow's comment was her naivete about her father's marriage to Mom. The King wanted an heir that wasn't a girl, and that was Mom's responsibility being his wife. Mom was only seventeen when they got married, which meant she was," she grimaced, "fertile enough to give him what he wanted. But for reasons we were never told, Mom can never and will never have the option of giving birth. That wasn't something she ran and told the King. So he tried night after night. Eventually, he became frustrated and took from her whatever he desired whenever he desired. It stopped being about conception and more about domination."

"Oh. So the gender roles and expectations were antiquated," he said.

"The entire realm is stuck in the medieval ages," Kieran laughed. "You don't realize how much indoor plumbing can change your life. I almost cried when I had my first shower."

"Not to mention the food, the cars, the media, and –

"The alcohol," Kieran said. "A good glass of scotch changed my life."

Charlie snorted, and Kieran started their walk again.

"Something that I doubt most people understand is that Snow demanded so much from Mom. She took and took until there was nothing left. Mom gave all that she had out of self-preservation, and we got what remained. And there were times when what was left wasn't enough. But she tried, and that meant more to us than she realizes. She did the best she could, and sometimes it had to be enough for us. But we would go days without seeing her. Bella and I once snuck into court just to catch a glimpse of her. And I'm not saying my childhood was awful. It was incredible and frustrating in equal amounts. My trauma takes up such a small portion, and most of it comes from National City and Metropolis, honestly. But our life – my life – in the Enchanted Forest wasn't as grand and romantic as the stories and books make it seem. Snow's father was a tyrant behind closed doors, and he was a ruthless and heartless creature who paraded as a savior for the people. And Snow was no better. She was a spoiled brat who wanted what she wanted when she wanted it. So when the King died, few people in the castle mourned him. And when Snow left, it was almost a celebration. We felt like we could be free, and we were."

"Until she split you all apart," he said.

"Yes." Kieran flicked her wrist and levitated a stone the size of Charlie's head. It was a decoration piece in someone's yard, and she floated it between them as if it were a feather or made of air. "Don't misunderstand me. Bella is the impulsive one, and she always will be. But I hide my anger toward Snow White better than her. My sister wants Snow to suffer. She wants her to burn from the hottest fire and have her skin melt from her bones. I, on the other hand, want to drop the weight of the world on her shoulders and see how long she can take it before it inevitably crushes her."

Kieran made a fist, and the rock exploded into tiny shards. Charlie swallowed and took a subtle step to the side. Kieran noticed but said nothing, smirking to herself.

"Poetic and retributive justice," she said. "Two sides of the same coin, just like Bella and me. Though, people tend to forget that ice is just as dangerous as fire when used properly."

"Noted," he said warily.

Kieran grinned and opened the gate to the mansion from down the street. They made it to the driveway before Charlie spoke again.

"I'm sorry that I look like him," he said. "I don't know how much it bothers you, but I know it bothers Emmett and Bella."

"Thank you. While my relationship with Charles was not the same as it was with Bella and Emmett, he was still the only father that I knew," she said.

"If you ever want to talk some more, I'm a pretty good listener."

Kieran squeezed his shoulder in response and walked through the door. Bella met them in the foyer, and Kieran closed the door behind them. Bella's eyes went to Charlie's face, and she frowned.

"What the hell happened to you?" she asked, coming up to him.

"Ran into a door frame," he lied.

"Charlie," Kieran sighed.

Bella put her hand over his eye. When she removed it, his black eye was gone, and Charlie blinked a few times. She turned to Kieran, expectant, and Kieran folded her arms.

"Charming thought he was Mom's evil henchmen or something here to bring doom to the town."

Bella sucked in a breath and turned on her heel. She went up the stairs two at a time, and Kieran sighed to herself.

"Don't panic," she said.

"What?"

A cloud of purple smoke appeared in front of Charlie, and his hand went to his gun. Kieran touched his wrist in exasperation.

"I just told you not to panic," she said.

"That wasn't a warning! That was a public service announcement."

Regina cleared her throat, and Kieran and Charlie looked at her. Emmett came down the stairs with Tinkerbell, Rosalie followed a moment later with Bella, and Kieran breathed a sigh of relief when Jess nor Ruby came down. Bella caught her eye and mimed covering her ears, and that told Kieran neither would hear the conversation.

"Thank you," she mouthed.

Bella nodded once, and Kieran refocused her attention on Regina, who was looking right at her with her eyebrow raised.

"What?" she asked.

"Are you going to tell me what happened or make me guess?"

"I'm not going to stop you either way."

"Kieran."

"Sorry. Charming ambushed him and punched him."

"Why? And are you alright?"

"It's not the worst punch I've had," Charlie said. "But he seemed set on getting me to admit you're up to no good."

"He usually is," Regina sighed. "I've done nothing but wrong in his mind."

"Ninety percent of it is fabricated by his soulmate," Bella said. She added, "Also, where's Supergirl?"

"With Em and Henry," Kieran answered. "Killian is with Sam."

Emmett cocked his head and studied Kieran.

"What else happened?" he asked.

"You're assuming something did."

"It had to because you essentially have Killian and Supergirl on protection duty."

Kieran looked down at the floor. Charlie squeezed her arm in support, and she sighed.

"Snow saw me. She knows I'm here."

"Kieran!" Regina exclaimed.

"I didn't do it on purpose!" Kieran huffed.

"Then why did you do it?"

Kieran clamped her mouth shut, and Bella stepped forward. She held out her hand, and Kieran shook her head.

"Hey," Bella said softly. "It's just me."

"That's not what I'm worried about," she admitted.

Bella wiggled her fingers, and Kieran grabbed her hand. Almost immediately, Bella yanked it back.

"Fuck, Lena," she said.

"I told you."

"What is it?" Emmett asked.

"Yeah, whatever Snow said seriously pissed her off, which tells me it was about one of us or Mom." Kieran twitched at the end, and Bella added, "All right, it was something about Mom. Great. As if I need another reason to kill that bitch."

"Isabella," Regina said. "Enough."

"Why do you always take Snow's side?"

"I do not!" Regina said, her face and eyes wide in disbelief. "I cannot believe you just said that."

"Then why are you always telling us not to joke about killing her? Newsflash, Ma, it is not a joke."

"I do not want any of you killing anyone. And you, Kieran, regardless of what was said, you should not have revealed yourself. I explicitly told you three to stay away from Snow and Charming."

"Oh, I'm sorry I went somewhere in a town where she fucking lives. I'm sorry I accidentally ran into her, and I'm sorry I stood up for you. Remind me never to do that shit again."

"Watch it," Regina warned. "Remember who you are talking to."

"You should do the same."

"Whoa, hey, that's enough." Bella moved between them, grabbing Kieran's wrist. She rubbed soothing circles on Kieran's skin but had her attention on Regina. "It is not fair for you to be upset about this. I get that you are worried, I am too, but you cannot expect us to stay silent when people disrespect you. That is not who we are nor how we were raised."

"I do not care if they call me the second coming of Satan, I do not want you three protecting me if it puts you in danger."

"Fine." Bella's head snapped to Kieran in surprise, and Emmett winced. Silence fell in the living room, and Regina reacted as if she'd been physically struck by the words. Kieran took her hand back from Bella and opened the door without turning around. "If you do not want my protection or support, fine," she said. "You won't have it anymore. I'm done."

Kieran left and slammed the door behind her.

"Em," Bella said.

"I got her," he sighed, shaking his head.

Emmett was gone from the room in the blink of an eye, and Bella cleared her throat.

"Rose, you mind making some tea for Charlie and Tinkerbell?"

The question was obvious, and the three of them went into the kitchen, leaving Bella alone with Regina. She ran a hand over her face and thought through what she wanted to say.

"I have to tell you that it hurts to hear you scold Kieran for doing what any of us would have done. Need I remind you that Kieran is not the same little girl from the Enchanted Forest? She has had a shit journey from there to now, and you have to remember that, Ma. I have to remember that, and so does Emmett. She was treated like crap. Her opinions did not matter to the Luthor family, and her self-worth was shot to Hell and back a million times over. So when Kieran stands in front of a bullet, you know damn well she wants it to hit her. She needs it to hit her because if it doesn't, that means it hit someone she loves, and she cannot fathom that. Her heart is too big for that, and my sister would rather shoulder every ounce of pain than let one of us feel it. This is common knowledge, so it blows my mind that you stood there and condemned her for doing what she has always done. You made her feel like it was a mistake. Like defending you was a mistake. I get it, you are afraid of losing us, but how afraid do you think we are to lose you?"

Bella flexed her fingers and stared at the floor.

"We already saw you on your deathbed once. Do not make us do it again because you are too stubborn to realize we are not children anymore. We have bled, we have lost, and we have gotten our hearts broken. We have fallen in love, fallen out of love, and we have searched for our purpose in the lowest of places. We have gotten hurt, and we have healed. I know it is easy to fall into old habits, but there must be a recognition on your end that while we are still your children, we are old enough to know right from wrong. And old enough to make decisions that come with no influence from you. So when I say this, understand it is coming from a place of respect and love. But you are being foolish, and I have never known you to be a fool. How can you stand there and say it is okay for them to say what they say about you? I know you want to get rid of this Evil Queen persona, I get it. You have been carrying the title for decades, but that does not mean you have to let these people treat you like shit under the expectation that if you say or do anything in response, you will be that person again. Standing up for yourself is not evil, it is common sense."

"Isabella –

"No. Stop. Just stop. Because it is not fair that we have to watch you hesitate to go into a town you call home. How dare you think it is okay for them to call you names and belittle what you have been through? None of those people out there know what you gave up to be here! They have no idea what you lost and sacrificed. But we do! We know about Daniel, about Cora's abuse, about your Dad, and Charles and Liana." Bella swallowed and added, "And we know that you gave a piece of yourself to Liana when she was pregnant with Kieran. You were afraid that she would not be able to carry Kieran to term, so you combined your magic with my Dad's to save Kieran's life. You can lie and keep that a secret all you like, but we know. Hell, even Kieran knows."

Regina faltered, and Bella exhaled through her nose.

"How dare you ask that we not protect the one parent we have left? And more importantly, how dare you ask that of her? Kieran would not be alive if it were not for you, and to take it further back, think about Emmett. You gave him a home when he had nothing left. And me? Mom, you took me in and gave me a life that I would have never had if it were not for you. You let us grow up without fearing our powers, and you gave Emmett a purpose. You gave all of us a purpose!" Bella stood up straight and clenched her fists. "So do not fucking tell me, tell us, that we cannot stand up for you when our entire life, you have been the one taking every hit and punch so that we would not have to. I refuse to obey that rule, and I know damn well Emmett feels the same. And despite what she said, Kieran will always protect you. You gave us everything. Everything. And I will be damned if I ever let that bitch fix her lips to disrespect you in my presence. I will not play nice. I will not back down. And if Snow or Charming or whoever else even so much as looks at you wrong, I will fucking kill them. Damn what you say about it."

There was a beat of silence before Regina waved her hand. Bella watched her go and deflated once she was left alone in the foyer. She ran a hand over her face and screamed in frustration. Hands wrapped around her from behind, and she knocked her head against whoever it was, already knowing it was Kieran.

"For someone who can't talk like a normal person, I think that was well said."

Bella looked over her shoulder, and Kieran pulled away.

"You left," Bella said.

"I know."

"You never leave."

Kieran sighed and folded her arms. "Snow called Mom a limp fish in the bedroom," she said. "And she implied that Mom killed our parents and forced us to live with her."

Bella nodded to herself and put her hands in her pockets.

"You did the right thing."

"I never doubted that."

"Then why did you leave?"

"I forgot where I was and who I was with," Kieran admitted. "It was easier to run than talk it out."

Bella brought Kieran into her arms and said, "I love you, okay? I love you. I love you. I love you. I'm always going to love you, and I know for a fact that the life I live wouldn't be worth living if I didn't have you in it. Don't ever question that. You're my baby sister, and I'm always going to love you and protect you. Never forget that I'll fuck up anyone that hurts you. Including that Kryptonian of yours."

Kieran hugged Bella back with just as much strength.

"Hell yeah!" Emmett appeared and picked them both up. "We're a team forever," he said.

Kieran and Bella yelped in unison, and he swung them a bit.

"Put us down, you neanderthal!" Bella laughed.

"Fine, but you know we gotta do our thing."

"No."

"We are not bringing that back," Kieran added.

"Yes, we are. Come on, hands in."

"Emmett –

"Hands!"

Kieran and Bella sighed before putting their hands out. Emmett put his hand on top and grinned.

"On three?"

"This is so embarrassing," Bella grumbled.

"All right, team us on three. One, two, three-

"Team us," they said in unison, two voices decidedly less enthusiastic about it.

"We'll work on it. Where'd Mom go?"

"She ran just like Kieran did."

"Guess that's where she got it from."

"Okay, screw you both. I'm going upstairs to check on Jess and Ruby."

"Sure, sure. She's running again, ladies and gentlemen."

Kieran shook out her hand and placed it on Bella's neck. Bella screeched and jumped back, rubbing at her skin.

"You BITCH!"

Kieran ran up the stairs, and Bella sprinted after her. Emmett watched them go and rolled his eyes before turning on his heel. He knew exactly where their mother went.

"Go away, Emmett."

"Ouch."

Regina sighed and lifted her head. She was in the vault, as expected, and Emmett jogged down the stairs.

"What do you want? To yell at me too?"

"No. I'm here to bring you home."

"I'm not ready to go back."

"You are. You're just hiding because you're scared."

Regina flinched, and Emmett sat down in front of her.

"How long have you known about Kieran?" she asked.

"Liana left us letters. She told us not to tell you that we knew until it mattered, so here we are."

Regina nodded to herself and wiped at her eyes.

"I get scared at the thought of losing you again. I know you guys are going to protect me. You always will. But I'm your mother. I'm going to worry and want to keep you safe."

"And we want the same."

Regina wrung her hands together and released a shuddering breath.

"I think Kieran hates me," she whispered.

"What? That's ridiculous."

"I know she blames Snow, but some part of her still blames me. I can see it in her eyes sometimes, especially when we were in National City. She's so angry that I didn't find you guys sooner. But the truth is, I didn't find you. Rumple did. I searched for years, Emmett. I used every spell in the book, and I exhausted myself for hours hoping for some sign that you were alive. But I never could, and I gave up. I admit that. But Rumple used his power to help. He took that risk for you, not me, and I will always live with that guilt. But I want you to know that I looked. I never stopped." Regina bowed her head and sniffed. "But it started to hurt, and I couldn't keep putting myself through it. So I stopped."

Emmett frowned at her and disappeared before coming back with Kieran. She blinked away the dizziness, and Emmett pushed Kieran forward.

"Tell her what you told us," he said.

"About what? Wait, when?" Kieran asked, frowning.

"When she went to Town Hall a few weeks ago, and it was just us at the house."

Kieran rubbed her forehead and said, "I said that while I wished Mom had found us sooner, I'm glad we came when we did. Learning how to grow up without her made me appreciate having her around more, and I love her more than I did before. Snow will always be the monster who separated us, but Mom is the savior that kept us all together."

Emmett glanced at Regina and asked, "Still think she hates you and blames you for what happened?"

"Wait, what? You think I hate you?" Kieran kneeled in front of Regina and shook her head. "I don't hate you! But if it's something you need to hear, then I'll tell you. But I don't blame you. None of this is your fault. I was being a brat earlier, and I reacted poorly. I wanted to hurt you as much as your words hurt me. But I don't hate you at all, Mom. I love you, and that hasn't changed and won't change. You're my rock, and I'm nothing without you."

Regina covered her mouth with the back of her hand to muffle her tears, and Emmett got down with Kieran.

"Mom, you have to let go," he said softly.

"I can't," she cried. "I should've protected you better. I should've seen the attack coming."

Kieran frowned and said, "Mom, you couldn't have predicted that someone in the castle would tell Snow about us. You couldn't have predicted she would have those beans, and you had no clue some of the soldiers were on Snow's side. What happened was Snow's fault, not yours."

"And you better listen to us, because if I have to get Bella, she's not going to be as nice about it."

"Get Bella about what?"

Emmett flinched hard, and Kieran shot him a look before looking over his shoulder. Bella ate a bowl of grapes as she entered the room, and Regina groaned under her breath.

"Surely you know by now I don't like being left out of things," she said. "What are we talking about?"

"How did you not hear her coming?" Kieran asked Emmett.

"She used her magic until the last step," he huffed.

"Duh." Bella ate another grape and nudged Regina's knee. "Why are you crying?" she asked.

"She thinks Kieran hates her and blames her for what happened, but in reality, she thinks the same for all of us."

"That's stupid. I saw you fight to save us and keep us from being sent away, and that's more than what we could ask for. Why is this something you're worried about now?"

"She's scared Snow is going to separate us again."

"Nah, I put tracking devices in your shoes." Bella bent down and looked Regina in the eye. "Stop being silly, mother. We don't blame you. We don't hate you, and we find you as deplorable as you find us." Regina shot her a glare, and Bella smirked. "That was a compliment," she said.

"We think you're the greatest mother in the world," Kieran said.

"You're everything to us," Emmett added. "There's no one on this planet made for us other than you."

"Okay, now this is sounding creepy," Regina sighed.

"Good, we're doing our job," Bella said.

"Are we okay?" Kieran asked.

"We will be. Not tonight, but we will be. I'm sorry I reacted the way that I did," Regina sighed.

"And I'm sorry for leaving," Kieran said.

"I'm sorry to be related to both of you," Bella quipped.

Emmett put his hand on Bella's arm and squeezed his fingers, and Bella's shoulders jumped up.

"Stop that!"

"Apologize or I double it."

"Emmett," she whined.

"Say you're sorry."

"Ugh, fine! Fine, I'm sorry!"

Emmett removed his hand, and Bella shuddered.

"Asshole," she grumbled.

"Want me to tell Rosalie about that time you-

"I will set you on fire," Bella warned.

Emmett stuck out his tongue, and Kieran mushed her hand into his face.

"Leave my sister alone."

"Does your sister know that you intercepted her letters from Pocahontas?"

"Emmett!"

"Kieran!"

"You were spending too much time with her, and I missed you," she huffed.

"Oh, my gosh. You are such a brat!"

Regina stared at the three of them with amusement and affection, and she opened her arms.

"Enough, you three. Come here."

The trio moved forward, and Regina kissed each one on the head.

"We'll be okay," she said. "I promise."