Title: Vengeance, Sacrifice, and Forgiveness
Author: AoN
Word Count: 5,170
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.
Author's Note: This chapter's delay has been brought to you by the acceptance to an international university and the need to fill out/understand visa paperwork.
Chapter Thirteen
The engagement between the king and his soon queen-to-be had been short and their union had not been well received by all in the realm. In hushed whispers, many denounced the idea of a new queen while others welcomed the idea. If it ushered in the happiness of their beloved king, then even the kingdom should be so. It also meant that the darling princess, Snow White, would once again have a mother figure in her life. However, many believed that this new queen would not be able to fill the void left by the former.
Regina would be the first to confirm that rumor. As a young girl, Regina had often wondered about true love, even daydreamed and fantasized about it. She knew that what she had for the king and the king for her was not the emotion that would carry her away to far off lands. There was no twinkle in his eyes when they laid upon her nor were their infrequent kisses at all magical. The king was still caught in the tangled web of true love for his former queen, a woman against which Regina could not compete.
But she quickly learned that their relationship would not be that of true love. It was a partnership. Regina, under the king's impression, had saved his kingdom. He, in return, assured that her family was living comfortably, but he needed to keep her around just in case her services were needed once more. These were times of war, they could never be too certain.
Nor was that the king's only intention. Although the king loved his precious princess, he had also wished to sire a son, a prince who would continue his line and rule his kingdom. Needless to say, the thought of a child frightened her. Regina would be the first to admit that she was not meant to be a mother, it was never in her future nor would it ever be. What the king did not know was the deal his new queen had made, the deal that saved the kingdom, not her. A child between them would not be their own, she would have to give the child to repay the Dark One. Regina could not tell the king, it would expose herself as a fraud, and Regina was not certain if the king would sentence his new queen to the dungeon, but she would not put it past him.
She had tried to confide in the one living being she could trust: her father, but the way his face lit up upon hearing the prospect of a grandchild prevented Regina from further the discussion. She simply presented him with a false sense of happiness. She could not disappoint him. She could not tear away the idea of a grandchild from him – at least, not now. Regina knew she would ultimately have to in order to save all of them – whether it was from the Dark One or the king, not even Regina knew. She would cross that bridge in time; one that she had been certain would never be possible when she made that deal on the third night.
In another reality, in another world, the day Regina discovered she was with child should have been one of the happiest days of her life, as should have been her wedding day for that matter. Those were secrets she could keep to herself. The king was content, but Regina knew he would not truly be happy until he had a son in his arms. Her father was thrilled, as was the little Snow White who was more than ecstatic to have a baby sibling. For all their sakes, Regina kept smiling which proved extremely difficult with Snow constantly mentioning and bring up 'when the baby comes' fantasies.
And Regina heard them quite often too. Snow had taken a liking to her, her new step-mother. They spent a lot of them together. Without her, palace life would have been so much lonelier. Regina would never replace the girl's real mother, nor did she intend to. That would never be her place, but the interactions with the little girl over the upcoming months made Regina realize something of the utmost importance.
Motherhood was not something she could pass by or just give up. The first kick she felt from the small being within only reassured and strengthened the notion. Natural instinct kicked in and every fiber in her body wanted to protect this child. Her child, a being that would love her unconditionally and she it in return.
A being that was worth the worst pain imaginable. Each contraction had been worse than the last and Regina had not been aware of time's ability to move so incredibly slow, but her father had been there to comfort her, remind her that it would all be over soon and she would be holding her baby before she knew it. King Leopold was not present, not until the midwife had sent a servant to inform him that the Queen was ready to start pushing. The king simply stood at her bedside. It was her father who held her hand, who gently coached her through.
"Just one more push, your majesty," the midwife stated calmly.
Henry wiped the sweat trickling down his daughter's forehead as she bit down on her lower lip. Closing her eyes tightly, Regina braced herself before giving in to her body's urge to push. Her teeth clenched together, an attempt to harbor a scream that begged to be released, but it echoed off the walls before being followed by silence.
"I- It's a girl," the midwife announced, but her tone… her tone, along with the silence, caused a sense of panic to arise in Regina. Neither Henry nor King Leopold said a word.
"What's wrong?" Regina asked, her voice hoarse. "My baby, what's wrong with my baby?"
Instead of answering, the midwife quickly turned around, the newborn in her arms. Regina reached out and grabbed King Leopold's wrist. He placed a free hand on top of his wife's, but the gesture did not calm her. She looked up at his concerned expression. She may not have given him the son he had wanted, but it was his child no less.
"Come on, love," the midwife murmured under her breath, rubbing the still child's chest. She began small compressions and soon the babe's lips parted as she inhaled sharply, bringing forth a wailing cry. The tension in the room quickly disappeared. "Our new princess is a fighter," the midwife smiled, turning back to the royal family.
If the midwife had said anything more, Regina did not hear her, not after her crying baby was finally placed in her arms. Instantly, she felt her chest swell and her eyes water. Regina was overwhelmed. How was it possible to love someone so much by just a simply sight? To want to protect this little being from every terrible thing this world had to offer? She swallowed the growing lump in her throat before placing a kiss on the child's forehead. The crying subsided slightly.
Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Regina looked up at King Leopold who only gave her the weakest of grins before exiting the room. For a moment, her sudden happiness disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared. She would never earn the king's complete love and this moment only confirmed it.
"She's beautiful, like her mother."
Regina turned to her father who was looking down at the bundle in her arms, beaming at his first grandchild. "Hold her, Daddy," Regina smiled faintly, her voice shaking slightly as Henry took the baby into his arms.
For a moment, the little girl whimpered and Henry chuckled, placing his own kiss on her forehead. "She looks exactly like you did when you were born," Henry grinned. "It's hard to imagine you were ever this small. Have you thought of a name?"
"The king and I didn't spend much time discussing names for a female child. He was set on having a son," Regina admitted, shaking her head as she watched her father coo her daughter. Her daughter. What a concept. "But there was a name I was partial to and he didn't object… Lillian."
"Lillian," Henry repeated. "Then she'll be grandpa's Little Lily Pad," he concluded, carefully handing the baby back to his daughter. It was surreal, seeing his baby with a baby of her own.
Hopefully, it would be a sight he would continue to be able to see. Her deal with the Dark One still plagued her mind. Once he found out, he would be here with the intention of taking her Lillian away from her. She could not allow it. Lillian was hers and Regina was not going to let her go. Quite literally. When Henry offered to place Lillian in the bassinet so that Regina could rest, she declined the offer. Regina wanted to keep holding her. She reassured her father that the two of them would be alright before wishing him a good night.
What she did not tell him was that there was no chance she would be able to reach the bassinet in time when the need arose. And she knew it would arise. So, Regina held onto Lillian, held on tight. They both dozed in and out of sleep. Regina would bolt awake whenever she felt the weight shift in her arms or whenever Lillian started to cry.
It had been a long night. As the sun began to make its way over the mountains, shedding light onto the darkness, Regina relaxed and allowed her exhaustion to take over. However, when she slipped away into a deep sleep, a shrill laugh rudely awoke her and Lillian who started shrieking. Instinctually, Regina quickly comforted the crying baby. Looking up caused her hold on Lillian to grow tighter.
"Congratulations, dearie," the Dark One smirked. "Now… give me what you promised," he demanded.
Her heart was beating rapidly against her chest. "What could you possible want with a child?" Regina asked. "Please, reconsider-"
"Ah!" the Dark One interrupted. "No one breaks their deals with me, dearie, especially a deal of your magnitude. I saved you from certain death."
"And you'll be granting me such if you take my child," Regina explained. "I'll give you anything else – gold."
"Dearie, have you forgotten that I spin gold?" the Dark One pointed out. "You can't offer me wealth when I am the one who gave you yours."
"Then what else can I give you?" Regina nearly begged. "The lost a child is not one I want to experience. I will do anything for her. Wouldn't you if you had a child to call your own?" she questioned.
Silence, almost as terrible as the one that befell during Lillian's birth, was shared between them. Unbeknownst to Regina, a chord had been struck. "Three days," he finally stated.
"W-What?"
"I am giving you three days, your majesty," the Dark One explained. "I shall return on the end of the third day and if you are able to tell me my name, I'll let you keep your precious little child."
"Your name?" Regina clarified. "And what if I can't?"
"Then, dearie, the child is mine."
xxxx
Lucy dunked the empty bottle into the bucket of cold water, refreshing to the touch, that she pulled up from the wishing well. Once it was three-fourths full, she withdrew the bottle and capped it before tossing the bucket back into the well where it clashed against the walls on its way down before splashing against the water. Lucy held up the bottle to examine the clear water claimed to have magical properties, at least she believed. She had to believe this liquid was worth the risk.
Especially when she felt something sharp poke against her back, between her shoulder blades. Lucy stood very still.
"We have water at the bed and breakfast, you know."
Tensed shoulders immediately relaxed and Lucy turned around to face Ruby. The sight of a crossbow pointed at her chest made Lucy stumble back, against the well. The equipped silver arrow instantly summoned the tension back. "What are you doing with that?" she asked. "And where the hell did you get it?"
"Don't remember Granny's crossbow? She kept it as décor in the living room," Ruby answered. "And did you hit your head-"
"Yes, actually-"
"The Wolf's still out here," Ruby pointed out. "I wasn't going to wander around unarmed like you, that's foolish."
"Please, I'm far from unarmed – I can transform-"
"A lot of good that did you yesterday. I'm surprised you got out of bed, let alone out here by yourself."
"Can you please stop pointing that damn thing at me?" Lucy asked, her eyes still on the weapon. "Silver makes me nervous."
"I'm not going to fire and you're not a werew-" Ruby began, but Lucy reached out and touched the tip of the arrow with her finger for a second. The sound of sizzling caught Ruby by surprise. Lucy held up her finger, displaying the new small burn. Ruby lowered the crossbow, her eyebrows furrowing.
"I'm kinda not also human either," Lucy needlessly pointed out. "Figured that out when Granny grazed me accidentally with an arrow – burned an awful lot. How'd you find me?"
Ruby raised her eyebrows at the question. "Lu, I think you should know by now – when I want something, I'm very good at tracking it down," she replied. "What are you doing out here? It's so incredibly dangerous."
Lucy sighed heavily. She looked down at the bottle of water in her hand and then to Ruby. "I had a dream," she admitted. "I think – maybe it was more than that, I don't know, but I remember now."
"Remember?" Ruby repeated, confused. "Lucy, you've remembered longer than I have. You're the reason why I remember," she explained.
"I know that!" Lucy barked, more than a little frustrated. "I mean, about that blank in my memory – that blank with the mayor. She didn't find me on the side of the road."
"And that's why you need the water?" Ruby asked, gesturing towards the bottle. She was not following the woman's train of thought very well – nor was Lucy really doing an excellent job of conducting for that matter.
"No," Lucy shook her head. "This is for Mary Margaret," she clarified. "If she drinks it, something she's lost will return. I'm hoping it's her memories."
"Her memories? Why the sudden change of heart about Mary Margaret remembering?"
"Because I remember being in the Mills mausoleum, Ruby," Lucy replied, her answer not making any viable sense. "She tried to rip my heart out of my chest – my mother. It wasn't there. She already has it. A-and she knows! The mayor knows that I know – at least that I know something – and that's way more dangerous than the Wolf. Mary Margaret won't be able to defend herself against the Queen, but Snow… Snow can. Snow has a fighting chance."
"Lucy…" Ruby said softly, shaking her head. It was more than evident her friend was upset, maybe even frightened. In the short amount of time she had known the woman in this world, in this form, Ruby had not experienced this side of her.
"We have to get her to drink, that's all," Lucy reassured, a small sense of hope ringing in her voice.
"That's going to be harder than you think," Ruby said.
"No, it won't-"
"She's been arrested, Lucy," Ruby stated.
The glare Ruby received was hard, demanding an explanation. Ruby continued. "Emma had no choice. The murder weapon-"
"Arrested for murder?" Lucy nearly shouted. Any form of fright had suddenly disappeared.
"- was found in her apartment," Ruby went on. "Her jewelry box, at the toll bridge, covered in her prints. Kathryn Nolan's heart was inside."
Lucy could feel it forming in the pit of her stomach and Ruby could see her visibly shaking with rage. She closed her eyes tightly and took a couple deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself. Losing her temper was not in her best interest. Lucy had to stay in control, something that was proving to be very difficult. "She's setting her up," Lucy murmured, shaking her head. Her free hand formed into a fist which she slammed against the brick of the well. It did no good. Now her fist ached on top of everything else. "Even more reason for Snow to remember."
"You're not going to want to hear this-"
"Then don't tell me," Lucy snapped, walking around Ruby.
"We're not the breakers of this curse," Ruby shouted to her back, watching Lucy walk away. Her statement caused the woman to stop and turn around. "Emma is, Lucy. She's the one who's going to save everyone."
"Emma refuses to believe her heritage, even with all the evidence staring her in the face," Lucy pointed out. "Who knows when she'll finally come around, Ruby? For now, I'm going to hope it's just enough for her to be involved indirectly."
"Indirectly?"
"You remember because of me and I remember because of the Huntsman," Lucy explained. "I'm willing to bet he remembered because of something Emma did and the Wolf is around because of the two of us remembering. We're the cracks in this curse, Red, cracks created by Emma and they're only getting bigger. It's only a matter of time before we all come together and shatter. So if there's a chance that we can get Snow back because we remember, then now I'm taking it. That heart in the box means the mayor remembers too."
Ruby stared at Lucy for a moment and then walked over to her. She held out her hand for the bottle, but Lucy was hesitant in giving it to her. "Emma's expecting me at the station," Ruby explained. "Mary Margaret really can't go anywhere. I'm sure I can get her to drink some water – nothing suspicious if I give it to her, right?"
"As opposed to the girl who elbowed the sheriff in the face," Lucy mumbled with a faint smile, handing off the water bottle.
"Must have been some dream," Ruby commented. "It looks like it really shook you up. Come on, I'll give you a ride back to town," she offered.
"You have no idea," Lucy murmured, following Ruby back to her car into which they both climbed.
The drive back into town had been a quiet one. Ruby concentrated on the road as Lucy stared out the window. Although Ruby had been curious about the dream, she did not push the matter. If Lucy wanted to tell her, she would have. After the car was pulled over a few yards away from the diner, Ruby shifted it into park, but did not unlock the doors. It was an action that earned her a stern stare from her passenger who did not appreciate the sensation of being trapped.
"Don't disappear this time," Ruby warned.
Every disappearance had been unintentional, but Lucy understood the worry it put Ruby through. Lucy nodded.
"I'm serious," Ruby stressed. "If Mary Margaret remembers and you're nowhere to be found-"
"I promise," Lucy stated, meeting Ruby's eyes. "I'll be at the bed and breakfast when you get off work waiting to hear if the plan worked – not exactly wanted around the sheriff's office."
Ruby gave the woman a half nod before unlocking the doors. Without another word, Lucy got out of the car and Ruby shifted back into drive with a heavy sigh before pulling away, trying to mentally prepare herself for what may undoubtfully come. Lucy was also doing the same thing. She tucked her hands into her jacket pockets and lowered her head as she began to walk quickly, a woman on a mission.
But she did not get far, not with her eyes down and attention elsewhere. Before Lucy could cross the dinner, she collided against a tall figure that had been making a beeline from the door to the parked motorcycle. A disgruntled Lucy looked up with a frown that only grew when she realized who she ran into.
"Sorry," she grumbled to the stranger out of courtesy.
"Maybe I'm the one who should be apologizing," the stranger commented. "I didn't mean to get in your way – you clearly have somewhere to be."
"Where I have to be is my business," Lucy snapped back.
"I didn't say otherwise," the stranger pointed out. "Very suspicious of you – almost secretive, like the rest of this town, wouldn't you say?"
"Oh, I'm secretive?" Lucy asked with a laugh, eyebrows raised. "You're not to talk. You're the stranger around here."
He chuckled lightly, bemused. "You're not too well known around these parts either," he stated. "Let's resolve that, shall we? August. Writer. That's one less secret this town has, but what value does the secret of a stranger have in comparison to the secret of a good, close friend?"
Her blue eyes narrowed as she shook her head slightly. "Is it a writer's trait to speak in riddles?"
"Anyone can speak in colorful language. It adds flare to our daily conversation with people we think we know," August noted, walking over to his bike. After he climbed on and strapped his helmet in place, he turned back to Lucy. "What's your name?"
"Lucy," she answered. "Sorry, no job description."
"Lucy," August repeated, wrinkling his nose and shaking his head. "Doesn't really suit you."
"Really?" Lucy asked, her eyebrows raising once more as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Then what does, Mr. Writer?"
Her question was followed by a small shrug of the shoulders before an actual answer. "Something more… floral."
Floral. Lucy kept her mask up, no sudden reaction. She grinned, even laughed slightly at the idea. "What? Like Rose or Daisy?" she suggested.
"Rose is accounted for and, well, Daisy – I don't think so," August retorted, roaring the engine of the motorcycle to life. "More like Lily," he said over the loud rumbling before departing.
A nerve wracked Lucy stepped off the side walk and into the street, watching the former stranger drive away. Her mind could not comprehend what had just happened nor would she be given the time. A black Mercedes was heading down the main street. Lucy not only bolted back onto the sidewalk, she ducked behind a parked car to hide from the driver who appeared to be heading towards city hall.
Good.
It meant Lucy was in the clear to conduct her new search. Some things were more important than necklaces.
xxxx
The sun had set hours ago on Lillian's third day of life on earth, bringing the day to an end. Time was up. The moment of truth was upon them and Regina was not going to allow anyone come near the bassinet she was currently standing over, watching her princess sleep. No, she would do everything in her power to protect this child should the need arise. Regina was practiced in magic, the only good thing her own mother ever gave her. She would use her skills to defend Lillian if her answer was wrong and then Regina would give her more than her mother ever gave her.
A sudden chill caused Regina to look up. The air chilled and Lillian began to whimper in discomfort. The environment of her private bed chamber had shifted – they were not alone anymore, confirmed as the Dark One stepped out from the shadow with a gleeful smile on his face.
She hated that damn smile and she was determined to wipe it away.
"It's good to see you up and about, dearie," the Dark One commented.
Regina's eyes narrowed. "I'm not here for small talk," she hissed.
"And neither am I," the Dark One agreed. "Hand over the child."
"Never," Regina replied, standing in front of the bassinet and placing herself between her young one and danger. "The amended deal was that I had three days to guess your name-"
"I simply gave you three days to say goodbye," the Dark One informed. "No one has called me by my name for years, dearie. It has been lost to time," he laughed – that high pitched giggle that only further annoyed Regina.
"But you still have one," Regina remarked. "Rumpelstilskin."
The magnitude of the increased tension was not comprehendible which only told Regina that she hit the nail on the head. He took a step closer, Regina immediately held up her hand. The various weapons on the wall started to clatter against the brick – a décor choice that had been made just for this moment. Rumpelstilskin chuckled bitterly.
"Stay away," she warned.
"Don't worry, dearie, I'm a man of my word," he promised. "I just wanted to give the child a gift-"
"We want nothing from you," Regina spat.
Without saying a word, Rumpelstilskin held out his hand, palm facing down. In a puff of smoke, a familiar golden chain appeared, wrapped around his fingers as it hanged. Her necklace, the one given to her by her father so many years ago. She reached out and took it.
"Enjoy the time you have with your daughter, your majesty. Children… they leave us so quickly."
xxxx
Lily suited her. A floral name. Lily.
It had been difficult to push the conversation to the back of her mind, especially since Lucy had not really trusted the stranger, not since they first exchanged glances at Granny's diner. Now was not the time, she reminded herself as she spotted the lock on the entrance to the Mills family mausoleum.
Ruby would have mounted her wolf form head over the fire place next to the crossbow if she knew Lucy was here. Again. And this definitely qualified as dangerous, but she had no intention of breaking her promise. She would be back by the end of Ruby's work day.
She picked up a rock slightly larger than her fist and, with all the strength she could muster, she smashed it against the lock which broke and fell. A good hit, but not a clean one – Lucy also managed to hit a couple of her fingers. She released the rock and jumped up and down, waving her hand frantically in the air. Biting down on her lip prevented her from making any noise, but nothing stopped her eyes from watering. AT least now the aches and pains from the day before seemed like nothing.
Fingers still pulsing from the unexpected impact, Lucy slipped into the mausoleum, closing the door behind herself. The morning sun provided little lighting and it was all that she needed. She really did not have to see her grandfather's name engraved on the coffin again so she kept her eyes down as she pushed it to the side, revealing the underground staircase.
So far, so good.
Lucy took the stairs down quickly and soon found herself in front of a curtain which she drew back. There it was. The wall of shelves. Shelves full of boxes. Boxes holding hearts and she just needed one – hers. If she took her heart back, she took the control Regina had over her and with that came Lucy's freedom. Lily's freedom.
Memory lead her to pull out the shelf she remembered Regina had. It opened just half an inch – something was stuck in the track.
"Oh no you don't!" Lucy grumbled, grabbing a tighter hold before giving the damn thing a few more yanks. With one final pull, the shelf came clear out and momentum caused her to stumble back. There was no box, but Lucy heard metal clinging as it hit the ground, calling her attention. She instantly dropped the shelf.
Her necklace.
She knelt down and delicately picked up the chain by the charm, by the family crest. Lucy brought it closer to inspect. It was gold, all the details of the crest were correct. She turned the piece around – there it was. The L. It was her necklace. Without a second thought, Lucy unhooked the chain and returned the piece to its rightful place around her neck.
But now where was her heart? Regina moved it. Why? Did she know that Lucy remembered? That Lucy would be after it? Then it was not here. Then where? Her office? Her home? Panic started to rise.
As she stood up, Lucy took a deep breath, a deep breath to claim her unsettling nerves. She had to keep a clear head, no time to panic. It would be a waste – so was staying here. Lucy turned around to head back to the stairs. Something to the left of them caught her attention. She walked up to the hanging mirror. Had it been there before-
The necklace around her neck started to glow white. She could feel heat radiating off the metal. Panic. Now was the time to panic. When the glowing quickly faded, it took Lucy a second to realize the once gold was now gleaming back a bright silver. Her eyes widen, but the sudden burning caused them to quickly close. She grabbed for the chain that was already stuck and infused to her skin that was smoking. Regardless, she pulled the chain, ripping the wounded tender skin, but the chain then stuck to hand in return.
The scent of burnt flesh made her sick. The burning was getting worse. Lucy tore the chain from her hand as the pain crippled her to her knees. As the chain returned to the tender skin of her neck, her vision blackened.
xxxx
With a wave of the hand, the raging river calmed at his whim. He suppressed a shrilled laugh for the time being and approached the small body that had washed up on the river bed. Did that foolish Queen truly believe she could outsmart him? The Dark One? No, he always got what he wanted.
The little princess was barely hanging on. He had to work fast.
"I'm sorry, little one… I can't grant your wish," Rumpelstilskin said with a sense of mock sympathy.
He waited a moment, waited until he heard her express how lucky that nearby creature was. A wolf? He could work with a wolf. "That wish," he said, smirk growing. "I can grant."
To be continued
Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think in a review – I love to hear from you guys! I hope it was worth the wait.