Title: Vengeance, Sacrifice, and Forgiveness

Author: AoN

Word Count: 4,600

Genre: Drama, Adventure

Rating: PG-13

Feedback: Please and thank you! Let me know what I'm doing right or doing wrong.

Summary: With the Evil Queen's curse weakening and Regina struggling to keep Storybrooke under control, hidden secrets and lies from long ago are beginning to surface – and they want their happily ever after.

Chapter Nine

The morning spent at the diner had set the tone for the rest of Mary Margaret's day. The children in her class were usually extremely well behaved, but they had been pretty testy today – very rowdy, would not stop talking while she taught. Resisting the urge to lose her temper and given her a bit of a headache, one that steadily grew worse and worse as the day continued. The sound of the bell, although it caused the pain to resonant, had been liberating. She would never admit, but she, perhaps, had been more excited than her own students for the end of the school day. By the end, it felt as though her head was ready to split in half.

By the time she reached the apartment, Mary Margaret concluded she probably should not have been driving. At first, she saw only little spots, but when she struggled to unlock the door, she realized just how blurred her vision was. The headache was turning into a full blown migraine, but it was alright, she reassured herself. She was home now and her bed was only a stone throw away. All she needed was to lay down. The migraine would pass.

Abandoning her school belongings at the entrance to the apartment, Mary Margaret closed the door behind her and made her way to her bedroom. However, she only made it to the living room. A sudden incredibly sharp intense pain in her temple caused her to collapse onto the couch. When she blinked, the apartment suddenly disappeared.

The sudden appearance of the grass field caused Mary Margaret to quickly look around, ignoring the pain that had crawled down her neck. Her breathes became short and quick as she began to panic. Where was she? This was not Storybrooke. She tried to stand up only to discover that she could not. Her legs would not move. She was stranded in the middle of nowhere. The panic was growing, making her feel sick to her stomach. She tried to call out for help, but her voice was mute.

"Snow!"

A little girl had appeared in front of her in a blink of an eye. She was young – younger than her ten year old students. There was an aura of familiarity around the long dark haired girl, and those eyes. She had seen those eyes before, but she could not put her finger on it.

The girl took a hold of Mary Margaret's hand and pulled her up onto her feet. Mary Margaret did not move an inch, but now there was another child standing before her, one that could easily fit in her classroom of students. The two little girls looked so similar – were they sisters?

"Come on, Snow!" the younger girl spoke up once more.

Mary Margaret expected the other girl to reply, but she never did. Instead, Mary Margaret heard her owe voice in her mind. "She wants me dead."

"Mommy and Daddy say we have to go back to the palace," the little girl explained.

The one who had been called Snow turned her head to the left. Mary Margaret followed her gaze. Standing off in the distance of the field were two figures that Mary Margaret was not able to distinguish beyond the fact that one was a man and the other a woman. The mother and the father, Mary Margaret decided.

"So," she heard a male voice echo. She knew that voice. "What did you do to deserve that much wrath?" the curious voice asked.

Mary Margaret did not know what the older girl had said, but it made the younger one smile brightly, her eyes shining. The younger turned around and pulled the older along as they headed towards their parents. "She blames me for ruining her life," her voice echoed as she watched the woman figure kneel down to embrace the two little girls. The man figure knelt down as well, wrapping an arm around the woman's shoulders.

The field faded into a cliff with a raging river below. She walked along the edge, watching the river from the corner of her eye as she took each step carefully. "Did you?" the male voice questioned.

Everything went silent. She could no longer hear the moving water or the sounds of the forest. Eyes narrowing, Mary Margaret turned around and her eyes instantly grew wide once more. Throwing her arm out, she reached for the little girl who had just slipped over the edge.

"Yes."

With a blink, the sight disappeared, replaced by the living room. Mary Margaret discovered that she could finally move on her own accord once more, but she found herself not wanting to budge an inch. Her headache was still pounding, even more so now. It took a moment to catch her breath, for the panic to subside, and to reassure herself that she truly was in the apartment – in Storybrooke. However, one question lingered.

What in the world just happened?

xxxx

Silently, Ruby watched Lucy bury her face behind her hands – it was a lot of information to accept all at once, on both of their accounts. Ruby never would have guessed she had befriended the dead princess Lillian and it seemed Lucy had no idea she had a niece, one who she apparently attacked. Why would she hit the sheriff in the face?

When Lucy finally looked up, it was not to say anything. She was staring off into space. Her blank eyes were staring past Ruby; her mind was still processing what Ruby had said. She had been aware of the curse, but not of its origins – and Emma. Lucy blinked and shook her head, bringing herself back into reality. She caught Ruby's eye who offered a sympathetic smile. It was not much, but there was nothing else Ruby could do.

"D-Does she know?" Lucy mumbled. Her voice was so low that Ruby had to lean forward to properly hear the woman.

"Does who know?" Ruby asked in return, eyebrows furrowing. "Emma?"

"No – well, yes," Lucy corrected herself. "I meant… does the mayor know?"

"About the curse?"

"No – I mean, well, I don't know what I mean," Lucy flustered, annoyed. She already had enough questions without Ruby adding to the mix. "She has to know about the curse, she cast it, and…" her voice trailed off as she rubbed her still aching chest. "She looked like she saw a ghost when I told her who I was – ah!"

Lucy jumped in her seat when Ruby slammed her hands against the table before she stood up. "You did what?" she hissed, leaning forward. "Why?" she demanded.

Shifting in her seat, Lucy forced herself to keep Ruby's stern gaze. She had forgotten how scary Red was capable of being and she really never had been on the receiving end of this glare of which Lucy was not a fan. Ruby was succeeding at making her feel real small at the moment. "She has something that belongs to me," Lucy admitted. "I told her because I wanted it back."

"Really?" Ruby's eyes narrowed, her voice ringing out with annoyance. "Did that work? Did you get it back?"

"No-"

"Of course not because that is how the Evil Queen behaves!" Ruby snapped. "Why would she do something that doesn't result in her gaining? Did she believe you?"

Lucy could feel herself shrinking into her seat, being forced down by the intimidation. Red was really shining through in this moment – Red, who usually kept a level head, planned everything through with regards to the consequences. What Lucy did, did not exactly follow those guidelines, even if it all took place before Red came back around. "Initially, no, I don't think so," Lucy answered. "But-"

"But what?"

"But," Lucy repeated. "You need to calm down," she stated, throwing the attitude right back at Ruby. She sat up straight, returning the glare. Her right eye felt like it was on fire and when Ruby sat back down, she knew for definite it was glowing red. Lucy closed her eyes and took a deep breathe. Once the burning subsided, Lucy opened them once again. "I'm sorry," she apologized.

"Most wolves don't have multicolored eyes either," Ruby pointed out needlessly.

Lucy pressed her palm against her eye. "I won't be able to stay like this for much longer," she said. "Once I lose control, I can't fight it, but… Red, she at least knows who I am now."

"How?"

"She told me she had a DNA test done," Lucy explained. "I blacked out for a few days, I don't remember anything – don't know if she's telling the truth. I woke up in a strange apartment, she was there, and my chest hurts," she said quickly, standing up.

Ruby rose to her feet as well. "Lily-"

"No, don't. Lucy, call me Lucy," she corrected.

"If your chest hurts, we need to get you to the hospital," Ruby said.

But Lucy shook her head. "No, nothing like that," she reassured. "Just sore and I don't know why. I don't like how it coincides with the mayor standing over me while I slept for three days apparently and that she was the one who found me."

"Stay away from her, Lucy," Ruby warned. "Don't go back to that apartment."

"Don't plan on it," Lucy replied, still covering her eye. The burning sensation was returning. She made her way to the door, but stopped in the middle of the room. She turned around to look back at Ruby. "Does she know?" she repeated her original vague question. "About the savior? About Emma?"

The sound of the washer prevented the silence to fall upon them. Ruby did not know the answer to the question. "I don't have an honest answer," she said truthfully. "But we can't assume that the mayor knows nothing. I don't even think Emma believes in the curse."

Lucy smiled sadly, shaking her head. "Think she's going to start soon – I transformed in front of her," she admitted.

"What?" Ruby's shoulders fell. "Do you think before you do anything?"

"It's only a matter of time before things start to get real ugly around here, Red," Lucy said, ignoring Ruby's comment. "She's really going to go after Emma when she finds out."

"And what are you going to do?"

"I've watched from the side, I've seen all the evil the Queen has committed," Lucy replied, shaking her head. "The lives she ruined, the families she's torn apart, the pain she has caused – Emma's destined to defeat her and I'm going to protect her from the Queen as best as I can," Lucy promised before doubling over slightly. The pain of the transformation had begun. Her time was limited; she had to get away from town, away from wandering eyes. "I owe Snow that much."

xxxx

Maleficent's staff fell and clattered to the ground as the metal wrapped around her and pinned her against the wall. The Evil Queen, with a faint smirk, picked up the staff. She was getting what she wanted. Soon, she would have her revenge. "Love is weakness, Maleficent," the Evil Queen stated the philosophy she adopted years ago, running her hand over the glass orb which was held in place on the staff by a silver metal dragon. "I thought you knew that."

"If you're going to kill me, kill me!" Maleficent snapped, glaring at the woman.

"Now why would I do that?" the Evil Queen asked, looking up from the orb. Her voice grew just a tad bit softer. "You're my only friend," she admitted.

Maleficent shook her head as the Evil Queen turned the staff around. "Don't do this. This curse," she begged, watching her so called friend smash the glass against the floor. "There are lines that even we shouldn't cross – all power comes with a price. Enacting it," Maleficent continued as the Evil Queen picked up and unraveled the scroll which had been sealed inside the orb. "It will take a terrible toll. It will leave an emptiness inside you – a void you will never be able to fill," Maleficent warned.

The Evil Queen forced herself to keep her temper and anger in check. A terrible toll? An emptiness she will never be able to fill? Her eyes narrowed as she glared at the trapped woman. That void had been created years ago by that wretched Snow White, one that she knew would never be filled. She wanted nothing more than to create an equally great void, not just for Snow White, but for everyone living in all the lands. No one would be spared.

Everyone's happiness would be ripped painfully away from all of them, just as her little Lily had been from her. "Then so be it," the Evil Queen snared before turning around to leave. Her welcoming to the Forbidden Fortress had come to an end, not that she really cared or bothered. What she came here for was being grasped tightly in her hand.

xxxx

The last couple of days had been extremely hectic to say the very least and Mary Margaret had barely been able to keep her head above the water. David saying her would finally tell Kathryn about them, Kathryn slapping her in the face at school, all the hushed whispers and glares – not to mention the spray paint on her car. By the end of the day, Mary Margaret had hit her wall. She was not strong enough and could no longer face anyone.

So, she hid out in her bedroom.

Mary Margaret had been curled up on her bed, tears streaming down her puffy cheeks from her stinging red eyes. She did not know how long she had been there, hugging one of her pillows close to her chest. It was not offering the comfort she had been seeking. Mary Margaret closed her eyes tightly, releasing more tears. She fought back a verbal sob, hearing footsteps coming closer to her bed. It could only have been one person.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Emma asked gently.

"Nope."

"Do you want to be alone?"

"Nope."

Mary Margaret did not move and kept staring at the blank wall in front of her, parallel to her bed. She heard Emma's feet dragging against the floor and felt her lay down on the opposite side of the bed. Mary Margaret did not turn around; she continued to remain still sans the silent sobs that shook her. Per her request, Emma did not say anything for which Mary Margaret was grateful. Her presence did bring the little sense of comfort she had been looking for: she was not alone. That was what she needed at the moment.

She was not sure how long Emma stayed there with her – Mary Margaret fell asleep. No dreams, no nightmares, but it was still a very uneasy, restless sleep regardless. When she awoke, she felt as though she had been hit by a truck. Her eyes were incredibly dry and itching, her head was pounding. Not to mention, there was an ache in her heart that she could not cure.

Forcing herself to sit up, Mary Margaret discovered her bed to be empty and her alarm clock to read 10am. For a moment, she panicked until she realized it was Saturday. No school. Nowhere to be. She leaned back against the headboard, shoulders falling slightly. Mary Margaret glanced back over to the alarm clock to double check the time (she rarely slept in this late). The folded up note on her nightstand caught her attention – her name was written across it in Emma's hand writing.

Reaching out and grabbing the note, Mary Margaret unfolded and red it. Emma was straight and to the point, even in writing. There was no beating around the bush, not with Emma. It was not her style. She had to go in to the office. She was called in and to text her if she needed anything – oh, and she made a fresh pot of coffee.

Although she wanted nothing more than to stay in bed all day, Mary Margaret forced herself out of bed to fetch herself that cup of coffee from the kitchen. Every floor board creaked with each step. The humming of the fridge quickly grew to be bothersome. The kitchen sink was steadying dripping. Every single sound was interrupting any thought process and it soon felt as though the walls were slowly moving in. By the time she was done with the cup of coffee, Mary Margaret decided she needed fresh air.

Still in the clothes she had been wearing the night before, the ones she fell asleep in, Mary Margaret grabbed her keys and jacket and was quickly out the door. She got in her truck, ignoring the left over red paint, and she began driving. Even she did not know where she was going, but she just kept driving. Soon, Mary Margaret found herself driving through the woods, following various signs that lead to various trail heads. She pulled over, yards away from a massive leafless tree that stood in the middle of the clearing. Its empty branches reached up high towards the cloudy sky.

It was not the tree she was interested in, albeit it was a beautiful one. Mary Margaret had walked towards it, but veered off to the left to the stone brick formation. She had followed the signs that brought her to the wishing well. With her arms folded over her chest, Mary Margaret walked up to the well, to the plaque and silently read it to herself.

'For centuries, local legend has claimed that mystical waters run beneath this great land. It is said that those waters possess the power to return that which is lost to its rightful place. If you have lost something priceless to you, drink from this well and bear witness to this miracle as what is missing shall be returned.'

A bitter laugh caused Mary Margaret to throw her head back. So, if she drank the water from this wishing well, would her mind be returned to her? She had no idea what she was doing, what was happening in her life. The realization caused the tears to spring back to her eyes. She covered her mouth with her hand, doing her best to stifle the sobs, but she was doing a terrible job. She was easily being overhead by someone standing only a few feet away, hidden by the tree she had been admiring only moments before.

Lucy was grasping onto the bark, the only thing keeping her on her feet. The pain would pass, it would pass – it was the same thing she wanted to tell Mary Margaret. She had no intention of speaking to her, Lucy had been ready to dash away on all fours until he heard the crying. She could not just ignore a crying Snow White.

What she had not accounted for was the growing pain of the transformation. Before, Lucy could just stand, bear through it. Now, she desperately needed to hang on to his piece of bark, otherwise she would instantly collapse to the ground. It took every fiber in her body to keep herself silent. Hearing a louder sob, Lucy forgot all that and attempted to take a step, causing her to stumble forward. Although Lucy caught herself, the shuffling and crunching of the fallen leaves caught Mary Margaret's attention – and she did not look pleased.

"What are you doing here?" Mary Margaret questioned, quickly wiping away at her eyes.

"Um, morning walk," Lucy replied lamely, regaining her ability to actually balance herself. "The, uh, well – to the wishing well, for a drink. Long walk, like every morning."

"Yeah, me too," Mary Margaret replied quietly.

Lucy gazed over towards the truck. Instantly, she felt angered by its new paint job – she could still make out the faint letters. However, the point she wanted to make was that Lucy could throw a rock and hit the side of the vehicle. "Kinda a short walk," she pointed out.

Mary Margaret laughed bitterly once again. Here was another person out to judge her, one that she barely knew and one that barely knew her in return. "Well, I just started," she snapped back. "I'm sorry I don't look like I'm ready to keel over like you do."

"Muscle cramps," Lucy automatically responded, limping over to the wishing well. Mary Margaret took a couple steps back.

"I wasn't expecting anyone to be up here," Mary Margaret admitted, sniffing and blinking her eyes furiously. "Especially you, especially after your behavior at the diner."

"I'm sorry-"

"I have students who behave better than you, and they're only ten," Mary Margaret stated as Lucy leaned against the well. "I've- I've shown you nothing but kindness a-and you've been nothing but rude to me in return!"

Lucy knew she was walking on very thin ice. Mary Margaret was losing her temper and Lucy did not blame her one bit. She was right. Lucy could not deny it, but she did have a good reason. She could not allow, could not risk Snow's memory returning – not yet. She was not even sure how to break the curse, but, regardless… There were already so many factors that were out of her control, she could not throw Snow into the mix – hence being rather rude and standoff-ish. However, if there was one thing she could not ignore, it was her crying sister. Snow was still in there someone and Lily had always gone to Snow's side to provide comfort. Lucy was no different; she just was not sure how to approach Mary Margaret.

"I said I was on a morning walk," Lucy repeated, raising her voice slightly in defense. She did not know how to answer the question any other way. "It's just a coincidence that we're both here."

"You could have kept walking," Mary Margaret pointed out. "You could have walked away, ignore me like you did at the diner."

"You weren't crying at the diner," Lucy remarked.

Instantly, Mary Margaret wiped at her eyes and cheeks once again, feeling embarrassed that the other woman had called her out. Lucy smiled sadly and looked down into the well. "I may be rude," the younger woman admitted. "But not rude enough to ignore someone in your position."

"My position?" Mary Margaret echoed, eyebrows furrowing as she shook her head. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Sad," Lucy replied simply, looking up.

Swallowing the growing lump in her throat, Mary Margaret cast her gaze down as she fiddled with her bracelets on her wrist. Lucy nailed it right on the head, but Mary Margaret would not admit it. Instead, she stepped up to the well where Lucy was pulling down on the rope of the pulley, slowly bringing up the bucket.

"How about a drink?" Lucy offered, placing the bucket on the edge of the well. "Local legend says-"

"I-I read the plaque," Mary Margaret interjected, still blinking furiously. "Has it brought back what you lost?"

"What?" Lucy looked up, a bit puzzled due to the unexpected question.

Mary Margaret, eyes still glistening, was watching Lucy carefully. "What you lost," she repeated. "You said you walk here every morning. Has it been worth it? Is the legend true?"

Lucy took a moment to think about the question before she shrugged her shoulders slightly as she cupped her hand in the bucket of water. She took a small sip of the cool drink. "Kind of," she answered. "I mean, definitely worth it, but what I've lost hasn't been delivered on a silver platter by any means and I don't expect it to be either. I've been pointed in the right direction though," she explained, holding the bucket out to Mary Margaret. "Maybe it'll do the same for you, Sn- Mary Margaret," she quickly corrected.

Her hand froze in mid scoop and her eyes narrowed. "What did you call me?" Mary Margaret questioned.

"Mary," Lucy answered a bit too fast. "I called you Mary."

"I could have sworn-"

"Well, then you'd be wrong," Lucy insisted, setting the bucket down in front of Mary Margaret. This had been a bad idea; she knew it would have been. She had to get out of here before everything went to hell.

"You called me Snow," Mary Margaret stated, not allowing the woman to sneak her way out of this one. She had been called 'Snow' and it was not the first time either – that little girl that fell into the river had called her 'Snow' as well, in that field. That dark haired little girl with… Mary Margaret's mouth became suddenly dry and her heart dropped into her gut. Lucy had those same eyes, same crystal clear eyes as the little girl, as… herself?

It did not make any sense.

But at the same time, Mary Margaret knew deep down it was true.

Her expression caused Lucy to tense up and hearing Mary Margaret say her true, real name only worsen the situation. "T-That's a funny thing to call you-" Lucy paused and turned her head to the right, narrowed eyes glaring into the forest. Something was off, not right, and she was just now picking up on it.

"No kidding-" Mary Margaret began to agree.

"Shh!" Lucy hissed. When Mary Margaret fell silent, it all became clear. It was too quiet. The usual sounds Lucy had grown accustomed to through the years in the forest, they were missing. Something had spooked the woods. Something was out there. "We're being watched," she said softly.

"W-What?" Mary Margaret murmured.

"Go to your car," Lucy said in a hushed voice, eyes not moving. "Slowly, we got to go to your car."

Mary Margaret took a couple steps back. If Lucy was just trying to get rid of her, this was rather extreme, but she could tell that was not the case. Mary Margaret had never seen the woman so serious. Her hand slipped into her coat pocket to fetch her keys. Lucy took a step back herself and turned around to follow Mary Margaret's lead. As soon as she had, she heard the roar and saw the sheer panic and fear in Mary Margaret's face.

Lucy spun around on her heel just in time to see the dingy matted furry beast burst into the clearing. The color in her face immediately drained. The familiar beady eyes were locked on its targets, drool dribbling down its muzzle, sharp teeth bearing. The beast stood up right, doubling its size. She could feel the loud growl resonating from its throat.

"Run!" Lucy shouted. "Now! Run!" she demanded, turning back around to Mary Margaret's general direction. They had to get away – a school teacher was no match for the Big Bad Wolf – and luckily for her, Mary Margaret did not need to be told twice. She made a dash for her truck. Lucy sprang into action herself, but as she launched herself forward to go after Mary Margaret, the muscles in her calves instantly seized up in pain from the sudden movement.

She made it a couple feet away from the wishing well before tumbling onto the hard ground.

And the Big Bad Wolf was charging.

To be continued…

Author's Note: Thank you for reading this far! I hope you are enjoying the fic as much as I am writing it. Let me know what you think by reviewing!

I just wanted to let you know that tis the season for midterms and the next chapter may be delayed, but it will be a good one! ~AoN