I've given it some thought and since this is the last major twist of this story, I think I will end it on Chapter 50. But before you absolutely hate me, know that the next chapter will be extra long and...there may be a sequel with a little time jump. I don't want to tire this story out and I think this is a good last twist, so I'm going to wrap it up and give you some happiness before it ends. Know that I will continue writing King And Queen and perhaps start on a sequel to this story. Let me know what you think of this chapter :) and if you want to see a sequel! xxxx
"I told you I don't know anything about where that mutt is," Regina spat back at David and Emma from her seat in the questioning room of the sheriff's office. Anger surged through her at the accusations their expressions conveyed, but she attempted to remain collected.
"Come on, everyone saw the argument between the two of you at the diner," Emma pressed her hands against the table and leaned towards Regina, "Just admit it."
"I admit to nothing," She replied through gritted teeth, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair in a defiant manner, "Now I suggest you let me go. You can't hold me here without any evidence."
"If you'd answer the questions this would go a lot faster," David spoke up then, hands resting on his hips as he raised an eyebrow.
If she was being honest with herself, it hurt to see him act like a stranger. He'd shown her such gentleness in the brief moments she'd allowed him to that she thought maybe he'd come to understand her in a way. She felt stupid for thinking he'd ever look at her as more than the Evil Queen. He'd just wanted an exciting romp with someone he knew would let him degrade them.
The sneaking around and the things she'd let him do to her had felt sexy and fun in the moment, but made her feel cheap now. She realized he had only chosen her because she was the easiest option. He must've sensed how lonely she was, how deprived she'd been and how she didn't talk to anyone or have any friends that would advise her against sleeping with him. Choosing her as his mistress was a safe and easy bet.
"I already told you I don't know anything!" She nearly shouted at them, uncharacteristically losing her cool. Between the confusing feelings she'd been experiencing the past few weeks and now this, her armor had a few dents in it.
Emma exchanged a surprise glance with David at the Queen's outburst, "You're awfully upset for someone who has nothing to hide."
"I'm not upset," Regina's jaw tensed, "I'm pissed off. I've done nothing to anyone. You think I actually care enough about people in this town to go to the trouble of offing them? Sure, I'd like to. But look where that got me last time," She smiled fakely at Emma, "I couldn't care less about granny or anyone disliking me enough to kill them because I don't care about them at all!"
Davids brows drew down in a slight frown at her words and she gazed his way with a malevolent smile, liking the fact she'd gotten to him with that comment. Good, she couldn't have him thinking she'd actually cared for him and was hurt by his rejection. She'd take that to her grave.
"All right, fine. Where were you last night?" Emma straightened up, narrowing her eyes down at the Queen.
Regina's stomach rolled, lifting her gaze to Emma, "In my vault."
She saw David shift uncomfortably on his feet at the mention of last night and it made her physically ill. He was the only one who could vouch for her whereabouts because he was with her. Still he stood, saying nothing.
"And do you have proof of that? Anyone who can vouch for you?" The Charmings' obnoxious daughter prodded.
Regina's eyes flickered towards David and he stood with a tense jaw, watching her, "No...I don't associate with anyone in this town, who would know or care where I was?" She answered, turning to look back at Emma Swan firmly.
She had no alibi. She had no one who would stand up for her. From the look in the sheriffs eyes, her fate was already sealed. The irony of it made Regina laugh out loud, causing Emma and David to exchange a look of uncertainty, "So this is how it ends? I'm being lynched for a crime I didn't even commit? Hell, if you all wanted me gone so badly why didn't you punish me for the things I actually did?" She flashed a wicked smile to hide the tears welling in her eyes.
"There's been no verdict yet," David stepped towards the desk with a conflicted expression, his hand reaching out for her before going back to his gun belt, "We're still gathering evidence."
"Well then," Regina gave another bitter chuckle as she pushed her chair back and stood, "It looks like we're finished here. You know where to find me when you've finished your make believe investigation."
"We say when this is over-" Emma began to interject before Regina glared and waved her arm, disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke. "Bitch."
David let out a breath, glancing over at Emma, "We technically don't have any evidence against her."
"Seriously?" His daughter rolled her eyes, "You don't think she has anything to do with this?"
"I think that we have to follow the law and that we can't base our case on suspicion, we have to have concrete evidence before we can convict anyone," He frowned at his daughter, "What is with you? You're usually so level headed."
She averted his gaze, huffing a breath as she sat down on the questioning table, "I don't know...something doesn't feel right."
"In what way?" His interest was instantly piqued, seeing the confused expression Emma carried and sensing it was similar to his own a couple weeks ago.
"Mom is convinced it was Regina and to be honest it makes sense," She began, avoiding looking at him as she crossed her arms, "But when I was questioning her...the look in her eyes, I don't know...it felt like I had done this before or something...when she said she didn't have anything to do with it I...I believed her."
"What's so wrong with that? Maybe she's innocent," David suggested, trying not to seem too eager as to draw suspicion. If he was linked with the Queen right now he wouldn't be able to work her case. And he was the only ally she had in this town.
"Because we know what she's done in the past, we know she had motive, and who else in this town would dare do something to Granny?" Emma pressed her lips into a thin, contemplative expression and David knew she was struggling between her logic and her intuition.
"All signs may point to her but...maybe that's what somebody else wanted us to believe..."
"I can't explain it but...I believe Regina," His daughter said quietly and he tried not to let out a breath of relief. "We need to call a town meeting and find out who really did this."
Regina burst out of the police station doors, making her way down the sidewalk with furious steps towards her car. Survival instinct was kicking in and she knew she had to find a safe place. She had to try and find a way out of this realm before the heroes tore her apart limb by limb.
Where would she go? Did she even have enough magic to make realm travel possible? Her mind spun in a thousand different directions as she rounded the corner to the street where her car was parked, her mouth dropping at the mob of town folk around her car. Word traveled fast, didn't it.
"There she is!" Geppetto called out, pointing his finger in her direction and alerting the buzzing crowd of peasants to her presence. Her skin prickled as adrenaline coursed through her, seeing the anger in all of their faces.
She forced herself to continue walking towards her car, keeping her chin up and her shoulders squared. If they smelled an ounce of fear on her they'd have won, and she'd never let that happen. Even if they tried to physically attack her, she could level them all with one swoop of her magic casting hand.
"What did you do to Granny?" Grumpy came marching towards her, causing shouts of anger to be echoed behind him as the mob moved between she and her car.
"Out of my face, dwarf," Regina bit back through gritted teeth, stopping when he cut her off from her driver side door. "Before I make you even shorter."
"You hear that? Now she's threatening us!" Grumpy yelled and the mob jeered at her. All of the dwarves were present, some of the lesser known Merry Men, and the rest of the unimpressive characters in that stupid storybook the heroes talked about.
"Witch!"
"You don't belong here!"
"Get her!"
"Don't come any closer!" Regina warned them when Grumpy and Dr. Whale reached out to grab her upper arms. She was just about to ignite fireballs in her palms as they were reaching for her, backing her towards the building behind her.
"Leave her alone!" A voice called out, causing Regina's palms to spark out before she'd ignited a flame and her assaulters to turn their heads to the corner to see who dare spoke up.
Emma Swan's gangly teenage son stood there with a deep frown on his face, making Regina's mouth drop with the realization that it was him of all people. The young man made his way down the sidewalk, pushing his way in between her and the crowd, facing them all.
"We don't have any evidence," Henry spoke loudly, his voice surprisingly deep compared to his lanky frame that had yet to fill out, "You have no right to do this!"
"We all know she's guilty!" Dr. Whale announced angrily at the boy who didn't seem to let the mob intimidate him.
"No, we don't!" Henry yelled back at them all, "Besides, it's not up for you to decide. Go home and leave her alone," He frowned and they seemed to let out a collective breath of disgust, though they did not challenge him. Regina raised an amused eyebrow at the idiot sheep who began to disperse, taking orders from a teenager simply because he was the son of the savior.
"Are you okay?" He startled her when he turned around and looked down at her with a worried expression.
"I-I'm fine," Regina cleared her throat and frowned, "I didn't need your help, I could've taken them all out if I wanted to."
"I know, but that wouldn't be a good move for you right now, considering," The teenager shrugged his shoulders and shoved his hands in his pockets.
"I suppose," She admitted with a roll of her eyes. The kid was more clever than she thought. "Thank you," Regina mumbled and averted her gaze.
"Don't mention it," He half smiled, staring at her in a way that was starting to make her uncomfortable. It wasn't anything inappropriate, it seemed to be more of a conflicted look in his eyes.
"Why did you help me?" She decided to ask, her brows furrowing together at the way the Savior's son looked at her like he knew her.
"I...uh," Henry suddenly became more awkward, running a hand over his hair and looking the other way, "It seemed like the right thing to do."
Regina let out a deep breath, sensing there was something he wasn't saying, "You heroes and your morals. You should've let me fry those ingrates," She huffed, making her way past him to open her car door.
She looked up when she got in the drivers seat and saw him still standing there as she started her engine. Something was off with this entire town and she knew it by the way her heart started to constrict when she made eye contact with him. The feeling of familiarity in his gaze scared her, so she put her car in drive and turned it in the direction of her apartment. All that mattered now was that she got home and found a way out of this place.
"We don't have enough solid evidence to put Regina away for this," Emma tried to calm the townsfolk after they'd barged into the sheriff station. They hadn't even needed to call a town meeting with how quickly news traveled.
"She threatened all of us!" Grumpy roared and the rest of them agreed.
"She nearly turned Dr. Whale and Grumpy to ash!" Will Scarlet spoke up, crossing his arms in a disgruntled manner.
"Maybe because you were about to manhandle her," Henry frowned as he pushed through the station doors, nudging his way through the crowd to get to the desks where David and Emma stood.
"You what?" David asked gruffly, snapping his head towards the dwarf and the Doctor with a glare. Anger pulsated through him at the idea of them touching Regina, let alone roughing her up. Who in the hell did they think they were? This had all gone too far.
"We all know she did it! What do you care?!" Robin Hood yelled from the back of the crowd, securing his arrow holder over his chest, "I say we go hunt us a witch!"
"Everybody calm down!" Emma yelled out, wideyed now at how wild the citizens were all being. "We can't go after her without proof she did anything to Granny! Snow has been leading a search party all day today, we have to wait until we find some actual evidence."
The door burst open then as Snow charged into the crowded station breathlessly with the search party behind her, "I think that time is now," She gulped in response to Emma's statement. Her hand came up and she held a pair of broken bifocals with a chain around them, exactly like Granny had worn.
"Where did you find those?" David frowned and a foreboding feeling overcame him at the innocent and troubled expression his wife now feigned.
"Granny's glasses..we found them behind Regina's loft in the ally," Snow said with an ominous tone and the place roared with angry voices and shouting.
"Is that enough evidence for you, Sheriff?!" Dr. Whale yelled towards Emma, his face reddening.
"Yeah, can we go kill that witch?" Robin quipped from the back and his Merry Men cheered.
"That's hardly enough to convict Regina for murder!" David yelled, holding up his hands to get their attention. He watched Snow roll her eyes towards him and her jaw set in irritation.
"What more proof do you need?! Motive and evidence!" Snow made her way towards the front of the mob where David, Emma and Henry stood. Emma's eyes were wide and she swallowed hard as if something were stuck in her throat, prompting her to stay quiet.
"Regina doesn't have an alibi, Dad," Emma finally piped in with a quiet suggestion, all eyes in the room resting on the Charming family intently.
"I know she didn't do it," David grit out, his fists clenched by his sides as he stared at Snow. He saw the look in her eyes, knowing they were both aware she was responsible and had him backed into a corner. He couldn't care about what they thought about him now, he had to stand up for the Queen, "I know she didn't do it because I was with her yesterday in her vault."
Audible gasps filled the room and Snow dropped her mouth theatrically as she looked up at her husband. Henry gazed down towards his shoes awkwardly, leaving Emma to stare at her parents in confusion.
"Dad..." Emma began before being cut off by Snow.
"How could you?!" Snow cried out at her husband, "That's who you've been spending your time with?! The Evil Queen?!"
"Snow," He glared at her, "We both know Regina did nothing to Granny."
"How do we know you didn't help her?!" His wife accused up at him, getting agreement from the crowd that now stood behind her.
"Dad, tell me that's not true," Emma was looking at him pleadingly when he glanced at her. He could tell that all of the faith Emma had had in the Queen's innocence was now gone, replaced by suspicion at the fact he'd been involved with her. Now she stood slack jawed and in shock, unable to move from her spot.
"Emma, I..." He started to explain himself before shaking his head and biting his bottom lip. A grasp on his right arm and then his left caused him to look behind him, feeling the Merry Men cross his wrists before starting to loop rope around them, "Henry, she's innocent!" He yelled out to his grandson who stood partially behind his daughter. The teen would probably believe his grandmother over David, but he had to try. He knew Emma was in too much shock over his admittance of an affair to be thinking clearly right now.
"I can't believe this," Snow cried, putting on a show for the crowd as the Merry Men drug him towards the cell while he fought their hold of him, not going willingly just out of spite.
"You're an accessory to kidnapping or murder, you'll be staying put right here until we know which," Robin Hood took an authoritative tone then as his Merry Men shoved David into a cell, causing him to fall backwards and crack his head off of the wall as they slammed the door shut.
"Lets go on a witch hunt, boys!" Were the last words David heard before his world went black.
Regina thumbed through an old magic book, trying to wrack her brain for anything she could use to travel realms. When her original curse failed she'd been left in this godforsaken place with merely the magic she possessed. She didn't have any trinkets or charms or anything enchanted that she could use to her advantage.
She thought about fleeing to the woods, but the Merry Men would find her eventually. She also thought about killing them all and being done with it. The pesky thought of David and his children came to mind and she knew she wouldn't be able to go through with it. Even if she spared them, they'd hate her for killing everyone else.
A sudden gust of wind near her head and the solid sound of something hitting the wall behind her made her jump, looking back to see an arrow stuck in the wooden cabinet. "What the hell?"
Her heart started to beat rapidly in her chest, quickly backing herself against the corner wall and peering out towards the window. She saw the leader of the Merry Men on the fire escape outside of the window, pulling an arrow out of his holder to reload his bow.
"Surrender now, witch! You're surrounded," He yelled inside, making her blood boil. Sheer instinct caused her to form a fireball, hurling it in his direction and setting his arrows on fire. She heard him yelp and proceed to throw the carrier off of him and retreat down the fire escape, but she knew he wasn't alone.
A loud banging started on the door and she saw the light behind it when the wood started to bend with the force of whoever was on the other side, "Give up already, murderer!" A male voice yelled through the cracks.
Regina took to action, gathering her magic books and what little things she did have that might help her. She heard voices from the window outside the fire escape and foot steps coming up the rusted staircase. It was only a matter of seconds before an arrow pierced her heart or the people behind the front door forced their way in.
An rush of heat seared her left arm, causing her to drop the books she had in it when it quickly turned to pain. Blood spilled from her arm where the arrow grazed it deeply in the flesh and she audibly gasped at the sight, feeling like she may pass out. The sound of the door finally cracking under the pressure caused her to immediately turn and fashion a fireball with her good arm, lifting it to throw when she saw Snow and the angry mob rushing in.
"No!" Emma yelled as she pushed past the crowd at Regina, throwing out her arms towards her in an effort to keep her from blazing them. Shocks of white hot magic shot from an unsuspecting sheriff's fingertips flew towards an even more unsuspecting Queen, throwing her back against the brick wall and cracking her head off of the light fixture.
"Oh my god," The sheriff looked down at her hands in shock, almost trembling. Regina felt woozy, feeling liquid trickle from her forehead down her nose and over her lips, tasting the metallic blood.
"Cuff her!" Snow yelled, grabbing them from Emma's belt while she stood in shock of what she'd done, shoving them into Will Scarlett's hands. Regina glanced up at all of them as her world started to spin, seeing them leering. Snow's mouth turned up in a triumphant smile, Emma still stared at her trembling hands and Will Scarlett started to step towards her sunken position against the wall.
If she'd had time she would've grabbed her father's cuff links and Daniels ring from her jewelry box, for they were the only valued possessions she owned. But if she stayed another moment she'd be arrested and mostly likely executed, and she wasn't giving up without a fight. So she abandoned the only possessions she cared about and with a flick of her wrist, disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.
"Grandpa!" David heard a familiar voice coaxing him from the darkness, accompanied by a hand on his shoulder, shaking him. When he opened his eyes his vision was fuzzy, but soon his grandson and daughter came into focus.
He slowly came to his wits, glancing around the jail cell and remembering how he got there. Panic rose in his chest at the thought of what was happening the Queen right now and he immediately started to get up.
"Slowly," Henry warned, holding out his free arm to help David stand from the floor.
"What's going on? Where's Regina?" He asked quickly, rubbing the knot on the back of his head and trying to remain focused.
"I don't know, Grandma told me to watch Violet and Neal while the townspeople went to look for the Queen," Henry swallowed hard, holding the baby in his arms, "But I know Regina didn't do it. I know there's something that we all can't remember and I think Violet is a part of it."
"Me too, Henry," David cupped the back of his grandsons head, bringing him in for a hug, "Thank you so much for coming here and letting me out. Where's Neal?"
"With Belle. I knew we needed to act fast and we probably needed Violet's help, so I brought her," Henry nodded reassuringly when his grandfather pulled back. The baby looked up at her father with wide eyes, obviously sensing his tension, so Henry tucked her blanket around her and held her tightly to his chest.
Charming ran a gentle hand over his daughters head, swallowing hard and looking up at Henry who wore a knowing expression, "So you...you noticed it, too? She..."
"Violet looks like the Queen? Yeah," Henry bit his lip hard, "Lets go help her."
"I know where she is," David nodded quickly, "Come on, my truck is outside."
Regina came to slumped against the inside wall of her vault, downstairs near the fire place. Her arm seared in pain, her head throbbed. She couldn't tell which wound bled more, but her clothing was stained with dark spots.
A groan escaped her throat when she tried to move, realizing one of her ankles swelled right above the back of her high heal. She must've landed on it wrong when she was thrown against the wall. Fucking Emma Swan and her uncontrolled magic.
She knew the mob would probably be here soon once they figured out where her hiding spot was. The trouble was she couldn't find it in her to move. Her vault was already sealed with blood magic but she knew one move from Emma's light magic and they'd all be in here.
Maybe this was how she should go. Maybe it was atonement for all of the sins in the Enchanted Forest, for all of the lives she'd taken and families she destroyed. No one would grieve her anyways, for nobody loved her. She had made herself impossible to love after all.
Regina laid her head back against the wall, resigning to her fate. What did she have to live for? Nothing. Why was she fighting to live in a town where nobody liked her? Still, the stubborn part of her reared its head and she wanted to go out with a bang. If she were going to go down, she was taking a few of Storybrooke's idiots with her.
A muffled banging sounded on the vault door above her, causing her to reach to her side with her good arm and grab the fire poker from its hook. The thudding continued, though it sounded like it was only one or two people instead of a mob.
"Regina!" David yelled through the door, glancing at Henry who stood beside him banging as well. He held Violet now in his arms who watched them both out of curiosity, "Regina it's David, open up. I'm not going to hurt you!"
They stood and awaited a reply in silence before they heard a faint 'go away' frown down below, prompting him to bring his fist up and pound on the door again.
"Grandpa, they're coming," Henry warned, glancing back to see vehicles skidding to stops and the townspeople getting out of them at the entrance of the cemetery.
"Regina I'm trying to help you!" He leaned in to yell through the door, giving it another knock with his fist. He caught his daughter out of the corner of his eye, bringing her tiny fist up in the same manner and hitting it against the door of the vault.
David and Henry both jumped when a clear purple glow radiated over the entire vault, glancing at each other with wide eyes as Violet cooed and giggled at her accomplishment. The door swung open on its hinges, prompting David to reach out with his hand to make sure they could walk through the purple glow.
"Go ahead, I'll try to stall them as long as I can," Henry nodded determinedly when David glanced at him as he stepped in the vault with his daughter. He pushed the door shut behind them and felt the vibration of the purple magic radiate again, appearing to lock back up.
"Good job, baby," He kissed his daughters head, holding her tightly in one arm as he grabbed the wall with the other and started down the steps quickly.
His heart thudded in his ears when he got to the bottom, glancing around and not seeing anyone until a still form caught his eye in the corner. A lump formed in his throats at the sight of the feared Queen appearing so small and helpless. Her heels were kicked off, her head cut and bruised. The sleeve of her shirt was ripped and bloody and a nasty flesh wound shown through the tatters.
"Regina," He swallowed hard, rushing over to her and kneeling down in front of her.
"What are you doing here, Charming?" She grit through a tense jaw and he could tell instantly she was in pain.
"I tried my best to keep them from accusing you," He looked at her seriously, watching her glance at his daughter in his arms and back at him, "I know you think I was taking their side but I was trying to throw them off."
"Yeah right," Regina grimaced and forced a fake smile, "Just finish me off like your wife wants you to."
"Regina I told them I was with you last night," David looked at her with an earnest expression before glancing her over to assess her injuries, "We don't have much time, they're almost here."
Regina felt emotion threaten to choke her at the fact he had admitted to being with her. She hadn't been expecting him to actually be an ally in all of this. "If they're close you should go, I don't want your daughter to get hurt," She said in a low, hoarse tone.
"Grandpa hurry!" They both heard Henry's faint voice yell from above and Regina's brows furrowed when David didn't move.
"I told you I would only leave you alone if you did this one thing," He looked at her seriously before glancing down at his daughter and then to Regina again.
"I'm hardly in the condition to-" Regina began to protest but David gently placed his daughter on the Queen's lap, wrapping her unwounded arm around Violet.
"Mmmm-ma!" His daughter squealed, causing Regina to look up at him with wide eyes as if a lightbulb had just went off in her mind, like his daughters coo had just sparked something inside of her.
She looked down at the little girl in her arm, awkwardly trying to keep her in her lap although Davids hands were right behind her. Violet squirmed onto her knees, lifting herself up against her mother's chest to look up at her, "Mm-ma!" She chirped again and gave Regina a toothy grin.
Regina felt her heart begin to ache furiously, a rush of love bubbling up within her as she stared down at the round face begging for her attention. A tear spilled over her her cheek as an onslaught of emotion filled her from the closeness with the baby.
"Regina...I think she's ours," David watched the exchange between the two of them with watery eyes of his own. Violet's little hands reached up, wrapping around Regina's neck and pulling herself into a standing position. The Queen remained rigid but he saw her walls crumbling when she brought her arm higher and wrapped it around the baby's waist.
"Hi there," Regina managed to find her voice, though it cracked and wavered when she spoke to the raven haired baby whose magic she felt simply by touching her. The yearning inside of her skyrocketed to comfort this baby, to hug her and mother her. It was confusing and all consuming and left her unable to do anything but watch the darling girl whose arms wrapped around her neck.
"Mma-mam," Violet cooed with another smile, pulling herself up enough to lean forward towards Regina with an uncoordinated motion. She felt wet lips against her cheek in a sloppy kiss that was followed by the ground shaking underneath them, jarring the three of them.
David gasped and leaned forwarded to wrap an arm around the both of them when the vault shook and a gust of wind blew through, followed by a waive of faint rainbow colors. Regina looked up at him with a pale face and wide, inquisitive eyes when his gaze met hers. It was a curse, and it was broken.