This will be a long one guys. Thanks to Holly. OUAT belongs to ABC. Memo to Hayden: Please let the OUAT producers be reminded of your last show. NBC didn't listen to the fans either. et tu, Heroes...

Storybrooke City Hall

Town/War Council

Mallie's POV

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

I had to apologize right after I said that. But I could not do that. First, we just started as a...well, "we." I've had too much loneliness and unhappiness in my life. Gods, I died twice.

But Holly is special. In the last few days she has touched my heart and very few humans have done that. So as much as she wants to live her own action movie, I can't let her in on this. Cora may be involved, and that's almost too much for me.

So before the meeting I kissed her and I gave her niece Maddie hug. I asked Kathryn Nolan to take them to the mayor's mansion and stay there for a few days. I know that Reggie and Emma would need the company (and the possibility of Reggie walking around butt nekkid in the house was enough to keep her occupied until I was done. Kept me occupied many a night myself...but that's another story).

The meeting got down to business. It was quick, because we only had one thing to plan. We needed to rescue Nova, and we needed to do that tonight.

Storybrooke Hospital

Mr. Gold's Room

Gold...Rumple...lay in his bed. Belle had been at his side since he arrived at the hospital. Neither really heard the door open when Regina and Emma entered. Belle and Gold looked up, said nothing. The Mayor and the Sheriff flanked the bed. They were both all-business.

Regina was the one who spoke. "Rumplestiltskin. My father is here in the hospital. So is Graham. I know they were both connected with whatever you cooked up in Boston. I know you were worked over by four people. I just want to know one thing." She leaned closer to the injured imp for emphasis. "Was my mother one of them?"

The Rumple who answered was not the one of snappy retorts. He was the one of anger and want for revenge. "Dearie, I can not only confirm it was your mother. I can tell you who else was in on my...accident."

The three women now looked with interest at the wounded imp. "Most of what you see was the handiwork of Mr. Jones. Man almost got his crocodile."

Emma, stoned-faced: "Who else?"

"Well, my child, there was our lovely district attorney."

Regina looked at Emma: "Spencer...King George. Why am I not surprised?"

Rumple then turned to Emma himself: "The other person would be of particular interest to you, Sheriff Swan..."

And when Gold mentioned that person's name, Emma Swan's face went totally white.

So did Regina's.

When Regina and Emma left Gold's room, Snow was waiting for them. Snow hugged both daughter and soon-to-be-daughter in law, the filled them in. The good news: that Holly and Maddie were in Storybrooke, they were waiting at Granny's. Regina talked to Mal earlier while she was taking a break from sitting with Henry Sr. Regina agreed that Mallie and her two companions would be staying at the Mills mansion until she can find a place for the three of them. The not so-good news: tonight they plan to rescue Nova. Mallie had already said she was in, along with Snow, James, and Red, and Blue. The Giant, Anton was recruited. And Leroy was coming along as well.

"Are you drafting us, Mom?"

"Now, Emma. Just you." Snow winked at Emma, which generated one of the few smiles Regina had all day.

After agreeing to meet at Granny's, Snow left, and Emma and Regina looked at each other.

"Well, Gina, wanna wrestle to see who gets to tell my mother that, A...her dad's alive, B...he's here, and C...he's the bastard that helped beat up Gold?"

"Nope, no need to. You do A and B and be the good guy. I'll take C." Regina took a sigh. "Here's hoping I don't kill all the good I've done.

The Mills Mansion

Later that afternoon

Regina's POV

The first thing I yelled when we got to the house was Henry's name. Why Kathryn was still my friend after all I've done to her I could never figure. But then, so was her insistence to be called Kathryn and not her real name from the Realm, Abigail, though she told me once that when her memories came back, she realized that she didn't want to go back to the woman she was, that she like what she is. And what she is right now is a dear friend...and Henry's babysitter while I was at the hospital.

Emma and our new temporary housemates (I AM stressing the word temporary), Holly and Maddie were outside getting the baggage belonging to our guests from Boston. It's been a very rough day. First, finding that Daddy was alive. Not to mention that he still loved me. He knows some of the things I've done, but not all. Or at least I hope he doesn't. And if he does, and he still loves me...just one more thing that doesn't makes sense...

After meeting with Snow (I've learned to love her in her Mary Margaret mode, all heart and no brain...but then that heart is a big as the universe. So many times I've apologized for calling her an idiot. Her husband? Another matter...another story, I guess), we went to check on Ginger, the woman who had been sending us the messages in our dreams that started all this. Whale has been caring for her at the hospital. In fact, I've never seen him more attentive to anyone. Physically, she's going to be fine. Emotionally, Whale says that she has major issues. And before I could say what I wanted to say, he told me that he knows about her reputation...rightly earned...as the child-eating Blind Witch, but he also sees she's trying to change.

He used me as a model. Thanks, Dr. Frankenstein.

Henry bounded, in sporting a big 1000-watt smile and almost tackled me when hit me with a hug. I had been away in Boston only a few days (but what days!), and my heart melted when show showed how much he love me.

Then Emma came in with a couple of duffels, and she got the same Henry-hit. A couple of years ago, I would be jealous. But that was then, this is now. We are family.

Kathryn was just standing there, watching, smiling. I ran over and gave my friend a big hug and a thank you for watching Henry. I never realized how good of a friend she was. And I wish I was a better person to her. Oh well, nice thing about redemption...second chances.

Emma comes over to me. She looks really pained when she tells me she has to run back to the station: Mallie, Blue and the Idiot Patrol (reminder...gotta be kinder to Charming...got to be kinder to CHarmimg... GODS, that's going to take a lot of work!) are going to try to rescue that fairy tonight. Emma's going to make sure they don't botch the job.

But before my darling leaves, more duffels. This time attached to Holly and Maddie. It becomes a hug fest as my Boston sweethearts drop their bags and start hugging everyone. I then introduce the two visitors to our son. Of course, I taught our son well, he was a perfect gentleman. That is until it was time to shake Maddie's hand.

He looked transfixed. Last time I saw his eyes like that, Emma got him an Xbox 360 (I gave him a regular Xbox, and he gave me the cold shoulder. For two months). Now, granted, Maddie was a real cute girl. But there are a lot of cute girls in Storybrooke, and he never had this reaction (of course this was from the little child that thinks it's gross every time his moms kiss..). And Maddie just kept shaking his hand...slowly.

Emma smirked, Kathryn just smiled, Holly rolled her eyes, and I was just asking myself two questions...will Emma come home in one piece tonight...and who's going to have That Talk with our son?

Later that evening

Mills Mansion

Holly's POV

This place is HUGE. I mean I've seen some big houses in Brookline and Cambridge. But this is almost like a castle (I mention that to Regina, and she giggled. And I didn't peg her as a giggler).

She showed us to our rooms where we would be staying until we get settled...or at least until Mallie and I figure things out. Both we huge and all decked out, each having a a semi-big screen, and all the fixings (Which will be fine on those nights when I want to watch Grey's Anatomy and Maddie immerses herself in the sea of Glee. And with my luck, Mal would probably watch MSNBC or some crap like that...seems the type).

After we put our stuff away, Henry took us on a tour of the house. It was almost antiseptic. Henry told us that his mom was a bit of a neat freak and she likes things just so, though she's lightened up a bit after being around Emma. And of course, all the time he was looking for a reason to ask Maddie something. She was nice, although she took me aside to express her annoyment. "He's a cute kid and all, but...I think he has a crush on me..." Maddie said the word "crush" the way I used to say "pop quiz." I reassured her that it was alright, and besides, she was a very cute girl for 12.

"But Auntie, he's 11."

"Let's face it, Chicken...you're a cradle robber!" Maddie rolled her eyes at me for some reason...

Dinner was amazing. Regina Mills was not only a woman of magic, but a woman of magic in the kitchen. I was going to ask how she knew that Eggplant Parmesan with meat sauce was my favorite! And her homemade cider...stuff should be illegal. (the kids got homemade sparkling soda...seems one of the things she got for the holidays was a SodaStream).

Later we sat and talked. As much as I love Mallie, there was still something about Regina that could blow you away. Her smile...the way she winks at you...ahhhhhh...

Anyway she was giving me the Cliff's notes on Storybrooke. Now let me see if I get this right...the town shrink is Jiminy Cricket...the town pharmacist is one of the 7 dwarves. So's the town drunk. The Blue Fairy used to be a nun, now she is just the headmistress at the school. And so on...

Considering one week ago all I could say about myself is that I was head rugrat wrangler at the Little Humans Daycare Center, I was surprised at all this that my head wasn't exploding. Regina said that she and Emma would sit down with me tomorrow and give me lesson one on Storybrooke 101.

Emma...when she said her name, she went silent and bit her lower lip. She was worried about her companion. I could see that she was deeply in love with Emma and that she wished she was there in the thick of the action. "That woman needs me."

I told Regina that Emma and Mal would be alright. I had to say that one aloud because I was worried too. And like Regina, I was wondering what was happening.

The most Mallie told me was that she and a bunch of the Brookies were headed to the outskirts of town (that's my name for 'em...I mean they have townies in Boston, right?). They said that they could find this person named Nova who was kidnapped a couple of nights ago. (So I guess they name their kids after Chevys around here).

Anyway, Henry went to the bookcase and got the book that was almost as big as he was called "Once Upon A Time." "That's the book that started all the trouble!" I guess Regina was kidding when said that. But Henry said that almost everything in the book came true...and those that didn't, but book changed to cover it. I was long past the point this week to say if anything was not impossible.

Henry started skimming through the book. It talked about Snow White and Prince Charming and the Evil Queen (When Regina said she was the one in question, Henry corrected her: "You changed, Mom."

As Henry skimmed through the book and mentioned some of the characters in the thing. Henry did express some surprise that there were a bunch of empty pages in the back that he didn't notice before. (BFD, I used to work at Barnes and Noble for five minutes...they do that all the time.).

So Regina, Henry, and I were talking. Regina definitely loves that kid, and it looks like its a love that's returned. Too many kids are in positions they have to fear their parents. I felt lucky that never happened to me, or, apparently, to Henry, and I will never let that happen to my Chicken.

Ahh, Chicken. How many times have I noticed the kid was usually the smartest person in the room, but because she was young, almost no one would listen.

"Hey, guys...this book." It was Henry's beloved book, so he listened to Maddie. And since Regina loved Henry, she listened. And because I was curious, I listened.

"Henry, what's this story. Its near the end of the book..maybe I missed it when you showed me..."

Henry and Chicken were both looking at the book. He seemed puzzled because he had never seen the story before and it looked unfinished.

"And so, one night, a courageous group of men and women gathered outside a house in the woods outside the new kingdom to rescue their friend. They included the new king and queen, the monarch's main guard, their fairy protector, a giant, a dragon, and..."

"The savoir..." Regina gasped the words open-mouthed.

And that dragon...could that be...?

"Wow, the book is writing itself? This is happening right now?" Henry was a mixture of excitement and panic. If the book was writing itself, and it was writing what was happening on the mission that Emma and Mallie were on...

They were about to find out, for new paragraphs were starting to fade into blank pages...

TBC

I wish the ending was better...but the next chapter will be kick-arse! Action, a rescue, and a BIG REVEAL!

I would like to thank everyone who has left a comment. I'm just also saying that the next chapter may be the final one in this volume. A second one will start soon after, with maybe some supplementary stories put in. Then, hopefully, I will write using what I learned on other stories...and I swear it will not be as long as this!