Hello again! The first two chapters were pretty slow, but the plot is going to move a bit faster starting with this chapter. Thanks for reading!

I do not own Once Upon A Time or any of its characters.

Chapter 3

Emma kept her eyes shut as she lay on the damp floor of her cell. It had been a few hours since the last guard had come by with food, and she new her next meal should be on its way. That is, if her captors were still planning to give her food at all. She grinned to herself as she remembered her interaction with the guard that morning: he'd leaned forward to slide the bowl beneath the bars and just as his head came within a few inches of her cell door, she'd leapt at him, thrust her hand into his chest and squeezed. One of her green eyes cracked open to admire the small dust pile that was left from crushing the heart. Certainly she felt guilt at having taken the man's life, but it was buried so deep beneath the dark pleasure she experienced that it was barely noticeable. After all, the guard brought it upon himself; if he didn't want his heart ripped out, then why give her the opportunity? He should have stayed further back like the other guards had learned to do.

• • •

While attempting to balance three rather large grocery bags in his arms, David closed the door to his truck and started to walk toward the apartment building. It certainly would have been nice to have some help, but his wife was still refusing to leave the house and he was tired of the pitying looks that he got from everyone else. He sighed as he fumbled with his keys, trying to slip them into the lock on the front door of the building without being able to see his hands.

"You know, dear, you could always ask for some help," a familiar voice lectured to him from behind.

"I can handle it, thanks," he said, the frustration obvious in his voice. He struggled with the keys for a few more moments. "Is there something you want, Regina?" he asked, finally giving up and setting the bags on the ground.

"I think I found something."

"Really?" he asked with feigned curiosity. "Like all the other times you said you found something? Should I run and tell my wife so that she can get her hopes for a few hours before you come back to tell us that whatever you found didn't pan out? Again." He knew she was trying, but part of him blamed her for his daughter being gone. Emma took in that darkness to save Regina. Sure, he could entertain that she did it for the town as well, but the town would have been just as fine if she'd just let the darkness consume Regina. Emma was gone because she saved Regina, and it was beginning to look like there was no way of getting her back. In David's mind, he'd now lost his daughter for the second time because of Regina. "Leave us alone, Regina." Picking up his groceries again, he opened the door and walked into the building.

"Wait. Please," Regina pleaded. She stuck her arm in the doorway, preventing David from closing it. "I spoke to Blue yesterday—"

"And she also didn't know anything. She told Snow and I weeks ago that she didn't know anything about what had happened to Emma or how to bring her back." His temper was beginning to get the better of him. Regina looked confused about something that he had just said. "What? Are you surprised that Snow and I went to someone other than you for help with this?"

"No, I just—"

"I don't have time to hear about your most recent attempt to redeem yourself. Emma is gone, Regina, and it's because of you. Now, I have to go take care of my wife and son, if you don't mind" he said as he turned away from her again.

"Charming! Listen—"

"Not that caring for a loved one is something you'd even understand," he continued. "Your version of caring for Henry was sending him away with a pirate you barely know!" He didn't have to turn around to know that Regina was done speaking. That last comment should have cut deep enough to keep her away for a while. David knew that what he'd said was out of line, but, in that moment, he was too angry to care.

Regina watched David walk up the stairs to the apartment. She pulled the door to the building closed and turned to walk in the direction of town hall. He was angry, she understood that, but she was running out of people to help her understand the information she'd come across. It had been a few days since her encounter with Blue and she'd spent most of that time in Rumple's shop pouring over books about the history of Dark One. Eventually, Belle had gotten fed up with Regina's presence in the shop and she "generously" gave all of the relevant books to Regina to take with her. Regina was starting to feel like her presence was wanted anywhere in Storybrooke.

After many of the townspeople began to lose hope that they'd ever get Emma back, they'd started blaming Regina for losing Emma at all. For a little while, Regina had tried defending herself against their accusations, but eventually she stopped trying. If they wanted to blame her, then fine. It wasn't as though being hated by everyone was new for her. At least it meant she could concentrate on finding Emma without being interrupted.

The charred sign still sat on the lawn in front of the town hall. Regina paused in front of it for a moment, looking at the carved message yet again. She was close to accepting that the message was someone playing cruel joke on her, as none of her research had turned up anything related to fire, let alone something that would be underneath a fire. Regina closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose; she could feel another headache coming.

"Something wrong, Madame Mayor?" an unusually cheery voice prompted.

"I assume that's a rhetorical question." She was in no mood for this much pep today. "What do you want, Nova?"

"Nothing." Nova could tell that Regina's patience was already wearing thin, so she didn't have much time to talk. "What happened to the sign?"

"I didn't need a reminder of all how many times we've failed to find Emma." She sighed, letting go of some of irritation. "I set it on fire."

"Oh my! That doesn't sound good," Nova said, covering her mouth. Regina shot her a look. "Um…Actually, I was asking about what was written on it. Did someone come up with another idea?"

"I doubt it. It looks like someone is playing some kind of joke."

"Oh," Nova said sadly. "I got excited when I thought someone had come up with something helpful."

"Yeah," Regina sighed. She knew all too well how it felt to get her hopes up about new information. Her most recent lead, that Emma might be in another realm, was also beginning to seem as though it would not go anywhere. "Have any of the fairies come up with anything?" Blue might not be willing to give her any information, but Regina figured that it couldn't hurt to ask Nova.

"No. I guess Blue hasn't had any contact with the Sorcerer in decades." Nova shrugged.

"What? The Sorcerer? Why would she be trying to contact the Sorcerer at all?"

"Because the Sorcerer was the one who created the Dark One in the first place. If anyone would know what's happened to Emma, it would be the Sorcerer," Nova nodded to herself.

"And none of you thought to mention this sooner?!" Regina was furious.

"I'm sorry. You know how Blue is about not helping people who have given into the darkness." Regina's face twitched at Nova's last sentence. "Some of us know better, though, Regina," Nova said as she placed a hand on Regina's shoulder. She smiled warmly before releasing her shoulder and walking away.

Confused about what Nova had meant by her last comment, Regina stood on the lawn, eyebrows furrowed, staring at nothing in particular. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do more, go back to Gold's shop to ask for books on the Sorcerer, or go to convent for what would likely be another yelling match with Blue. Initially, she went to Gold's shop, but after finding that the shop contained no books on the Sorcerer, Regina stalked to the convent.

• • •

Blue found the Apprentice's presence at the convent maddening. She couldn't throw him out without rousing suspicion from the townspeople and fairies, but she was also clearly displeased about his being there. For the first time in centuries, someone was living in her home that did not have to obey her rules and commands, and there was nothing she could do about it. Moreover, she suspected that the Apprentice's intentions were less than friendly. Blue wasn't certain, but she got the impression that the Apprentice was no longer on the same side as she and the Sorcerer. For the time being, she planned to keep a close eye on him.

Both Blue and the Apprentice were seated in the front room of the convent, not acknowledging each other's presence. Blue focused her attention on the book in front of her, pretending not to notice that the Apprentice was there. She hadn't spoken to him since Regina's visit, nor did she have any intention of doing so. The Apprentice was clever, otherwise the Sorcerer never would have agreed to train him, but she knew that there were still a number of secrets that the Sorcerer kept from his apprentice. If she wasn't careful, Blue might accidentally let some of those secrets slip out.

Unlike the Blue Fairy, the Apprentice was enjoying his time at the convent. He had learned a great deal about what the Sorcerer and Blue Fairy had done to manipulate the citizens of the Enchanted Forest, but he was aware that Blue wasn't sure exactly how much he knew. She was trying to be careful, trying to prevent him from either learning more about her activities with the Sorcerer or from sharing what he already knew with the citizens of Storybrooke. For the moment, the Apprentice wasn't in much of a position to leave the convent; he was still weak from being taken over by the darkness and could not walk very far without becoming exhausted. Because he wasn't mobile, he couldn't tell anyone what he knew—at least, not yet. The Apprentice new that Blue feared his impending recovery, and he was quite enjoying watching her squirm each time she was reminded of his presence. The Apprentice loudly sipped some tea from his cup, breaking Blue's concentration. She jumped slightly at the noise. Yes, he was certainly enjoying his time at the convent.

He looked out over the front lawn of the convent marvelling at how, despite Blue's and the fairy's reputations for being a force of good in the world and helping those who were in need, almost no one ever came to see them. Just as he'd prepared himself for another afternoon without visitors, the Apprentice saw someone turning the corner and walking up the path to the convent. It was Regina, who looked as though she was preparing herself for another sparing match with Blue. The Apprentice stayed silent. If he acknowledged Regina's presence, then Blue might lock the door or do something else to avoid having to talk to her. He glanced over at Blue to see if she'd noticed the person making their way up the front steps. Luckily, she was facing away from the window.

Regina burst through the door, taking large strides in Blue's direction. "You're not telling us everything you know! And don't try to pretend that this is about some bias you have against me. I know that you lied to the Charmings, as well!" Regina's hands were shaking, half from fury and half from lack of sleep.

"I have not lied, Regina" Blue said with an annoyed and slightly condescending tone. Blue looked up from her book and realized that the Apprentice was still in the room, seated only a handful of steps behind Regina. The Apprentice had just regained consciousness a few days ago and, because the convent rarely received visitors, no one else was aware that he was awake. She couldn't let Regina talk to him, though. The Apprentice could not be aloud to share what he knew with the former Evil Queen. She had to act quickly. "If it would give you peace of mind, why don't we go down to my study to discuss this? I did try to help the Charmings after they came to me, and anything I found is down there." Blue walked out of the room, away from where the Apprentice was seated.

"So you did find something," Regina scolded. As she followed Blue to her study, Regina realized that it was strange that Blue was giving her information now after she's been so adamant about not helping her the last time they spoke. "Wait," Regina said as she stopped walking. "Why are you helping me now?"

"I'm not. I haven't found anything. However, you seem so intent to not believe me that I fear the only way to make you leave me be is by showing you that I have, in fact, not found anything." Blue opened the office door and started to make her way down the narrow staircase. "This is everything I used when I was trying to help the Charmings," Blue said, pointing at the desk in the back corner. There were books and loose scraps of paper piled high on the small table, making it appear as though Blue had gone through a great deal of effort. However, Blue knew very well that none of the information on the desk was at all useful; it was, after all, the same information she'd shown to the Charmings several weeks earlier when she told them that there was nothing she could do. "Take as long as you'd like, but when you hit the same dead end as I did, please don't set anything in here on fire."

"Thank you." Something about this situation still seemed off to Regina, but then again, everything involving the Blue Fairy felt somewhat off to her.

"Close the office door behind you when you leave," Blue instructed as she left Regina alone in the small office. Blue walked quickly back to the front room, ready to tell the Apprentice that he needed to rest so that he would be safely back upstairs and out of sight. Her heart sank as she walked into the room where she had just seen him. The Apprentice was gone.

• • •

Regina spent several hours poring over the documents on Blue's desk. It seemed that Blue had been honest with her, there was nothing of use here. She slumped back in her chair and let out a deep sigh. This was getting her nowhere, again. She wiped some of the sweat from her forehead; the temperature of Blue's study wasn't helping, either. For whatever reason, the Blue Fairy had a fire going in her office in the middle of a heat wave. Regina understood that basements could get draughty, especially with there being a large fireplace in the room, but the roaring fire Blue had going was excessive. Closing her eyes, she placed her hand over the fire and started to close her hand into a fist, attempting to subdue the flames using her magic. Something felt different about this fire, though. When Regina opened her eyes, she saw that the fire was unchanged. Reaching back into the fireplace, she tried to sense presence of magic. It wasn't difficult for her to find; there was a great deal of magic present, and something about it felt familiar. Even more confusing, it seemed that there was more than one magical source present. The flames lapped at Regina's palm and forced her to pull her hand back. The fire began to grow, filling the mouth of the fireplace so that there was no way for Regina to reach inside.

"Are you satisfied?" Blue asked, starting to make her way down the stairs. "It's late and we'd all like to get to bed, so if you don't mind?" Blue held out her arm toward the door indicating that she wanted Regina to leave.

"Of course, dear. I wouldn't want to be nuisance." Regina smirked at her last comment, knowing quite well that her presence was always a nuisance for the Blue Fairy. "Do you mind if I stop by again, in case I find anything relevant to what you have here?" There was something about the fireplace that had piqued her interest, though she was too exhausted to fully grasp what it was.

"I-I don't…um," Blue stammered. Telling Regina 'no' outright might seem suspicious, especially since she had already told Regina to take as much time as she wanted with the information. "I suppose that would be alright." Blue calmed herself, remembering that there was nothing in the study that could possibly be of use. Regina shouldn't have any reason to come back, but Blue would leave the offer open for the sake of appearances.

"Thank you," Regina said sincerely, although she didn't fully make eye contact with the fairy.

Blue listened as Regina walked up the stairs, across the main floor, and out of the convent. She let out a sigh of relief, realizing that Regina was safely out of the building. Blue hadn't found the Apprentice yet, but she knew he was too weak to get very far. The convent was far enough from town that the Apprentice could not have made it anywhere near the citizens of Storybrooke, let alone to a location where someone might notice him. It was dark now, but Blue knew that waiting until morning to find him would mean potentially allowing harm to come to the Apprentice. As much as she disliked his presence, she didn't want him to be hurt. She also couldn't risk him being found by someone else, unlikely as that possibility was. She would wait a few more hours until most of the townspeople had gone to bed, then she would start her search.

Just as Blue had finished mentally planning her night, she noticed how warm it had become in her small office. She glanced over at the fireplace, where the flames engulfed the entire opening and were stretching upward into the chimney. Fear began to settle into the back of Blue's mind. The fire was meant to keep prying eyes away from the compartment that was hidden beneath the hearth; the only reason it would grow was to prevent someone from realizing that the compartment was there. Regina had gotten too close.

Blue ran up the stairs, locking the door behind her. Pulling on her coat, she walked briskly out the front door. She needed to find the Apprentice now, before he had the chance to find Regina.

• • •

It was strange to her, how the cell managed to stay so damp. There was no water dripping inside, nor were there any obvious trails of water on the floor. Emma had come to the conclusion that the dampness must be from the strange fog that always seemed to linger in the cavern. She could tell that the fog wasn't natural; it reeked of magic. After several weeks of being held prisoner in the cell, she'd come to the conclusion that someone must be using the fog to conceal themselves; she had started noticing the fluctuations in the amount of magic she could sense, which were accompanied by changes in the density of the fog. Someone was hiding in the fog. Someone was watching her.

• • •

It had been yet another long and unproductive day. Regina was exhausted and felt the weight of her perceived failure start to sink into her muscles. She needed to call Hook and update him about what had happened, and she needed to go home and tell Robin what she'd been up to. Robin and Hook were, after all, the only people left who seemed willing to help her. They were also well aware of the toll Emma's disappearance had taken on her, and they would worry if she went too long without contacting them. However, at that moment, she wasn't sure that she had the energy to give more bad news. Regina looked out at the road in front of her. She immediately regretted having walked to the convent. It was a long walk home and she felt too tired to poof herself there. She kept walking, knowing that she would realize just how tired she was if she stopped to rest.

Regina walked a bit farther before tripping over a crack in the road. The heel of her shoe snapped as she collided with the pavement. No, she was not going to make it back to her house tonight. She looked around to see where she was. Lucky for her, the path to the Sorcerer's mansion was just up ahead. Since Gold had fallen into a coma and Emma had disappeared, only Regina had spent any time in the mansion. Even if she hadn't found anything of use for saving Emma, she did enjoy that the mansion gave her somewhere to escape when she needed to be alone. True, she had her vault and her office, but people had grown far too comfortable barging in on her whenever they pleased. Most people, though they knew of the mansion, didn't know of its actual location and for that, she was thankful. Regina used her magic to reattach the heel of her shoe and then began walking toward the Sorcerer's mansion.

It didn't take long for her to reach the front gate. The mansion was so close to the fairy's convent that she was amazed the Blue hadn't known about it. Regina unlocked the gate and made her way up the front walk. That's when she saw him. The Apprentice was slumped over behind the low stone wall that enclosed the front porch. He was breathing heavily, having used all of his energy to get himself to the mansion.

"Please," he pleaded, reaching out to her.

"Uh…Of course." Regina pulled the Apprentice up, putting one of his arms over her shoulders to support his weight. "Let's get you inside."

"Please," he whispered into her ear. "Don't…tell them…I'm here…"

She moved him into one of the bedrooms on the ground floor so that he could rest. He'd started falling asleep before Regina had gotten him into the bed. Although she wanted to know what he was doing there, she knew that she would have to wait to find out. She pulled the blankets over him and left him to rest. Remembering that he'd been frightened of someone when she found him, Regina put a protection spell around his room. She wasn't sure who "they" were, but she wasn't taking any chances. After what Nova had told her, she knew she needed to find out more about the Sorcerer, and the Apprentice seemed like a good place to start; she was not about to let someone else take him away from her.

It was late and Regina was exhausted, but she wasn't ready to sleep yet. She walked through the halls until she came to the secret passage that led to the library full of blank books. There was nothing useful in any of the books—she and the Charmings had checked all of them—but it was quiet. The room also reminded her of Henry. She remembered how he'd first shown it to her, back when he was so excited about finding Regina's happy ending. Emma even promised her, right there in the entryway, that she'd make sure Regina got her happy ending. It was a happy memory, but the thought of it stung after everything that had happened. Emma had sacrificed herself to keep her promise to Regina, a sacrifice that seemed to result in the loss of everyone around her, as well. Regina walked through the secret passage, closing it behind her. She crossed the room and curled up on the couch that was positioned in front of the empty fireplace. Her phone buzzed as either Robin or Hook sent her another message asking how things were going. She would respond, but not yet. She needed a moment to collect her thoughts.

The temperature outside had dropped quite a bit since Regina had left the convent, and the draft coming into the library through the fireplace was making her shiver. With a flick of her wrist, she conjured a fireball and sent it flying onto the remaining log positioned just about the hearth. She was grateful to be in control of this fire, she thought as she remembered how warm she had been in Blue's study. Her whole experience at the convent that day had felt strange. Blue hadn't even wanted to talk to her a few days ago, and now she was willing to let Regina use her personal study? Then there was the issue of the magic she had sensed in the fireplace. Regina was growing frustrated that she wasn't able to remember where she had sensed that magic before. It had felt so familiar to her.

It wasn't just her experience at the convent that was bothering her, though. She felt as though she stumbled across a number of clues recently that she couldn't connect. For the last few days, they had all been swirling nonsensically around her overworked mind. This was beginning to be too much for her. She reached for the pen and paper that had been left on the floor in front of her. Maybe if I write it down, then I'll be able to keep it all straight, she thought to herself. Henry's storybook was on the end table next to the couch. She pulled the book onto her lap, placing the piece of paper over it so that she could write.

She tried to list the information in the order that she had learned it. There was the strange message someone had left on the board in front of town hall, "under the fire." Then there was the information about the storybooks that August had told her—though, she wasn't sure she believed that just yet. She wrote down what Blue had said about Emma likely being in another realm. She also wrote down what Nova had told her, that the Sorcerer was responsible for creating the Dark One. She paused after the last entry. Wasn't the Sorcerer also responsible for choosing the Author? She wrote down "Author?" next to her entry about the Sorcerer. Finally, there was the strange magic she had sensed in Blue's study. What was it about that magic that had felt so familiar? It was just like—she looked down at the book on her lap. Suddenly, she knew exactly where she had sensed that magic before: it was the same magic she felt each time she held Henry's storybook. Blue had storybooks and she was hiding them beneath her fireplace.