Title: Vengeance, Sacrifice, and Forgiveness

Author: AoN

Word Count: 5,200

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 Twenty

From the doorway of her bedroom, August silently watched Ruby tuck Lucy into bed. He leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms over his chest as Ruby placed the back of her hand against Lucy's forehead. Her continued worry expression told him that their escaped friend was still running a fever and her muffled mumble of 'still burning up' only confirmed it.

"Did you get rid of that hospital gown?" Ruby asked, her back still turned to him.

"As you asked," August replied. "But I hope it doesn't give you a false sense of protection. The queen knows her hiding spots are limited – it's her town. She'll find her-"

"What are you saying?" Ruby demanded, whirling around. "That I should have left her back there? That she's too much of a risk?" As she stepped closer to him, August stood up straight. "That I should allow the queen to take her?"

August held up his hands. "I didn't say any of that," he pointed out calmly. "But I was implying that we need to proceed carefully. If the queen comes-"

"Then let her come," Ruby interrupted. "We've faced her before – you know that. We'll face her again. It's the same battle, isn't it? It'll have the same outcome. She'll lose and she'll pay for what she did to Lucy, to Snow – everyone."

"You really care about Princess Lillian."

"Lucy," Ruby automatically corrected, turning back around. "She prefers Lucy."

He nodded slightly although she could not see him. August momentarily watched her re-adjust the cold, damp wash cloth of Lucy's forehead – a small attempt to break the fever. He folded his arms over his chest once more and resumed leaning. "Do you love her?" he asked.

His blunt question caused her shoulders to tense which was the only response he received. Interesting. August tilted his head slightly. "The way you jumped to conclusions, her fierce sense of protection and loyalty… You know what her destiny is, right?"

"Destinies can change, they're not written in stone," Ruby murmured, shaking her head. "Neither is hers."

"Death doesn't like to be cheated."

"She's not going to die."

"How can you be so certain?"

"Is this really what we should be talking about?" Ruby snapped, her attention back to him. "We're on the brink of war – the final battle, according to prophecy – and you want to question the bond I have with a friend? There's no room for-"

"Love in war?" August said with a faint chuckle. "Love has its presence in war, Red. Men have fought for it, certainly, and wars have even started because of it. Our realm is no different, you know that. You fought alongside Snow White to aid in saving Prince James. Your reasoning is a bit blinded."

"Enough!" Ruby hissed. He struck a nerve and now she was rather frazzled. "She's a dear friend and there are more pressing matters – like you. How is it you're able to come and go from Storybrooke whenever you please when none of us can?"

"Do you remember the wardrobe my father and I built from that enchanted tree in the forest?" August asked in return.

"Yes," Ruby answered quickly, watching him carefully. "The one that provided Emma a safe passage to this world so she wouldn't be affected by the curse."

August nodded along. "Well, that tree may have been the last of its kind, but there were many more before it," he explained. "My father, Geppetto, he carved me out of the same enchanted wood years ago. I believe its magical properties saved me from the curse." He was lying through his teeth, but he remained calm and collective. His nose would not betray him in this world which had allowed him to master the ability to bend the truth when he saw fit. Ruby did not need to know the reality behind the lie. No one did, but that did not stop her from staring him down, attempting to find a hole in his story.

"I was under the impression it was your father's wish to the Blue Fairy that brought you to life," Ruby replied.

"Oh, it was," August insisted. "But all magic has its limits. Being made of that enchanted tree aided the Blue Fairy's power."

"You were a real boy when the curse was cast," Ruby quickly pointed out, folding her arms over her chest, mimicking his stance. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Not a puppet."

"There's no denying that," August agreed. "But it doesn't chance the truth of my origins, does it? I was a wooden puppet – a magical wooden puppet. That magic protected me. It's the same magic that brought Lily – Lucy," he instantly corrected before Ruby could interject. "Here as a wolf."

Ruby shook her head, not following his logic. "It should have brought her here as a human being, not a wolf," she stated, using his reasoning against him. "She was born human."

"She also died human," August shot back. "The wolf is her second chance."

"Second chance at what?" Ruby questioned, glancing over her shoulder towards her bed. "To do something she couldn't back home? She couldn't transform there."

"And am I correct in guessing that it did not begin here until Emma came to town?" August asked. He waited for Ruby to nod before he continued. "Emma's arrival caused an influx of magic. That's why I'm turning back into a puppet and why the two of you are able to transform, but the magic… it was fading. It's growing weaker already."

"If Emma's supposed to be the savior, to break the curse, then why?" Ruby questioned. "Why is it growing weaker again?"

"Because magic doesn't naturally exist in this world, you know that," August answered. "There's no danger to you if it vanishes again. You won't be cursed. You'll be a normal human being again."

"But that won't be the case for the two of you, will it?" Ruby concluded. "You'll be reduced to a child's play thing and she'll be…"

"Dead," August stated when Ruby's voice trailed off.

"Breaking the curse will stop all that, won't it? There'll be magic again, won't there?" Ruby asked.

With a heavy sigh, August looked away from the hopeful Ruby, to the slumbering princess who probably had wanted none of this. "I don't know the outcome of breaking the curse. I don't think anyone does for that matter," he added. "Regardless, it has to be done – it will be done."

"But Emma-"

"Is starting to believe," August interjected. "The foundation of the curse is breaking."

For a moment, Ruby stared in confusion as his words lingered in the air. The curse was already breaking, but how? Apart from them remembering, they were all stick stuck in this town, a town which seemed to be cracking into pieces – her eyes widened at the realization. She could hear Lucy explaining how they were all cracks in the mirror, cracks that would slowly come together and ultimately shatter. Cracks. Ruby could envision the split on main street very clearly.

"The earthquakes," Ruby murmured. "The first not that much later after Emma arrived."

August nodded. "That's when people started to remember."

"And the second – right after Emma's run in with the Mad Hatter, after Lucy transformed in front of her," Ruby continued and, once more, August nodded along. "And then today. This morning. The third."

"The more we remember, the more Emma believes, the more it breaks," August pointed out. "Something big happened this morning. That quake caused a lot of damage." His statement was followed by silence, causing him to furrow his eyebrows and tilt his head. Ruby shifted on her feet slightly. "Red," he stated. "Do you know what happened this morning?"

Ruby lowered her head, eyes staring at the floor. She knew exactly what happened. As August took a step closer, Ruby looked back up. "Mary Margaret – no, Snow," Ruby corrected herself. "She remembers – since early this morning."

Jaw set, August stared at her silently and Ruby desperately wished that he would say something, anything. She knew what the silence meant. Lucy's plan had been a mistake. In an attempt to keep Mary Margaret safe, they had just put Snow White in grave danger.

"Where is she now?" August asked. "Still at the sheriff's office?"

"No," Ruby said, shaking her head.

Without another word, Aguust turned on his heel and headed into the hallway. Ruby glanced over her shoulder towards the virtually motionless Lucy. She would be okay, Ruby reassured herself. With a heavy sigh, she followed after August down the hall and the stairs. "The trail is set for this afternoon," she said after him.

"Then we need to help Emma find another break in this case," August stated, reaching the bottom of the stairs. "And fast."

"Another?" Ruby repeated, stopping on the last step. August had turned to face her. "What do you mean another?"

"For the sake of time, I'll make a long story short – we found evidence against the mayor and she managed to cover her tracks before we could do anything about it," August quickly explained. "Don't you work for the sheriff's office? How has Emma not told you any of this?"

Ruby pushed past him to step into the lobby, not at all surprised by the mayor's involvement. "We haven't been on the best of terms lately – my own long story short," she added. "Snow stands a better chance than Mary-"

"Until the Evil Queen discovers that she remembers," August interrupted. "And it's her curse. If she doesn't already know, she will soon enough."

Hand grasping the handle of the front door, Ruby pushed it open and August quickly followed her outside. "And she'll get rid of-"

"What?" August asked as Ruby stopped abruptly. In quick strides, she crossed the front porch and bottled down the steps. August stayed close behind as she stepped into the street. "What is it?"

"The break you're looking for – I think I may have found it," Ruby said over her shoulder. "I've picked up Kathryn's scent."

xxxx

Grandfather Henry's words of unspoken truths that had been hidden long ago weighed heavily on Lucy who was unable to look away from the young queen and her child resting under the apple tree in the now empty courtyard. Cora had vanished. Her grandmother. The woman who had always been so loving to her – she was the source of all this? Everything that had happened, all the evil and wickedness… and for what? This was why Mother always stressed that her happiness depended on that of little Lily's. Cora had robbed Regina of her own and she did not want to do the same to her own daughter.

Face twisting, Lucy shook her head. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach – guilt. She had done everything in her power to detest and harm the mayor with her words in that ward, not yet aware of all she had done – sacrificed, even – in an attempt to reclaim just a small amount of happiness in a child she had sworn away to a man named Rumpelstilskin before its birth. Lucy had seen her in the same light as everyone else: an evil queen hell bent on revenge. Instead, she had always been the woman robbed of her love and happiness.

Somehow, Lucy found the strength and courage to not only step closer, but also kneel in front of the queen who could not see her. "I didn't know," she mumbled, her voice small.

"There was no way you could have, Lily-Pad," Henry attempted to comfort, standing behind Lucy. "They were secrets she kept to herself."

"I…" Lucy's voice trailed off, a frown tugging on her lips. "After all she's done, how can I forgive her? My father, Snow, the people of our kingdom…"

"Forgiveness is never easy," Henry commented, watching Lucy reach out slightly to the queen, but she quickly pulled away. She was torn. Henry had seen this before. "Vengeance is, but it's a dark path, Lillian – one that will consume you."

"Like Mother," Lucy murmured softly. "How can I forgive someone who's so far gone? She's not the same person anymore?"

Henry walked up behind his granddaughter and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "She's still there, Lily-Pad," he said as Lucy turned to look up at him. "Deep down… you know it's true. There's still hope. Her children are her hope."

With a heavy sigh, Lucy turned back to face the queen. Henry pulled his hand away and Lucy slowly stood up. The silence that was felt between the two fo them was broken by a low murmuring of familiar voices. Was it…? Red? Snow? Their voices grew steadily louder. Lucy, now able to make out distinct words, cranked her head up towards the bleak grey sky.

'… kill the queen and break the curse.'

"No," Lucy said aloud, shaking her head as she turned to Henry. "That's not – it can't. They can't!"

xxxx

Soon, Ruby reminded herself. Soon, she would be back at the bed and breakfast and she would be able to finally sleep at last, even if for a little while (which was all she even wanted). The adrenaline rush from the early morning events had worn. Exhaustion had settled once more and Ruby was now allowing it for the time being. Things had finally gone their way. Lucy was safe – as was Kathryn, who they found miraculously behind the diner. She was alive – a little shaken, but alive. Without a doubt, Mary Margaret would now be released. She could not be charged for a crime that had not been committed, but Ruby would not put that past the mayor.

Ruby pushed open and quietly slipped into Granny's hospital room, where she was busy knitting away per usual. Sometimes never changed and Ruby could not help but smile weakly when Granny looked up. "You're doing well," she grinned.

"And you look like you've been mugged by a troll," Granny replied without missing a beat. Ruby bit back a short laugh. Granny smiled faintly. "Did you find your friend?"

"Yeah, I did." Ruby replied.

"Didn't I tell you that you would?"

"Yes, and, I know, you're always right," Ruby added, meriting a smirk from Granny. She allowed a few seconds of silence to pass between them before Ruby spoke up again. "My friend, she's not the only one we found this morning. Kathryn turned up too. Alive."

Granny sat up straighter in bed. The knitting laid forgotten on her lap. "Alive?" she repeated. "how can that be? The heart, it was hers."

"A lot of things don't add up, we're aware," Ruby agreed. "Emma's under the impression that someone from the lab lied about the results, but…" she trailed off before lowering her voice. "The rest of us are all aware of our monarch's obsession-"

"The queen remembers as well."

"So does Mary Margaret."

Granny sank back down against the pillows. Her shoulders slumped slightly as Ruby inched closer to her side. "It's getting too dangerous for Emma to not believe. The final battle is near. We have to prepare-"

"You have to rest," Ruby corrected. "Granny, you're not well – otherwise you wouldn't be here."

"Red, I'm – " Granny began, but quickly stopped. Her eyes gazed over Ruby's shoulder as the door to the medical room opened. Ruby turned slightly to the nurse who entered. Both exchanged faint smiles as the nurse approached the bedside, standing next to Ruby, clipboard in hand.

"Good morning," Ruby greeted. Granny only offered a half nod.

"We'll, it's definitely been an eventful one," the nurse replied, turning a page over on the clipboard. "We're double checking on all our patients. This morning's evacuation was a bit stressful so we're doing everything in our power to make sure everyone is comfortable."

"Ah, yes, the earthquake," Ruby said, watching the nurse review her paperwork. It was then she spotted it – the bruising along the woman's jaw. "That's why I came over – to check on my grandmother. Everything went well, I assume?"

Setting the clipboard on the end of the bed, the nurse then began to fit the blood pressure cuff onto Granny's arm. "Thanks to current procedures we have in place, yes," she replied hastily.

Ruby tilted her head. "Some patients reacted more calmly than others. Your jaw-"

"Everyone reacts differently under stress, yes," the nurse commented. "There were a few rowdy patients, I'm afraid, but your grandmother was not one of them," she stated, looking up to Granny. "Your blood pressure is a little high, dear."

"With the morning I had, it's no surprise," Granny remarked. The nurse replied with only a fake smile as she removed the cuff.

"Speaking of comfortable," Ruby spoke up. "When will I be able to take her home?" she asked. "Dr. Whale said he was only keeping her here for observation."

"And we're still observing," the nurse replied. "But she'll be free to go tomorrow morning, if all goes well."

As a master of snark, Ruby was not appreciating having it thrown at her, especially not by someone remotely in charge of her grandmother's health and wellbeing. She watched the nurse fetch the clipboard before turning to Granny with a faint smile, back turned. Soon, this would be over and behind them both. Ruby wanted nothing more than to have Granny out of here. The vibes, aura of this place, how she found Lucy, this nurse – it all bothered re.

Granny returned the small smile. Ruby reached out to take her hand just as Granny glanced behind Ruby, sharing in her granddaughter's distrust in the hospital staff. The nurse had been on her way out when she suddenly turned around. Granny quickly pulled her hand away from Ruby and pointed over her shoulder. No words were exchanged, but Ruby instantly understood.

Ruby immediately whirled around, just in time to catch the nurse's wrist. Leaning back over the edge of the bed, she looked up at the needle in the nurse's hand which lingered only a few inches away from her neck, confirming all suspicion. Ruby's grasp tightened as she pushed the nurse's arm away before twisting her wrist. With a yelp of pain, the nurse's hand released the needled. No longer in immediate danger, Ruby shoved the woman back, a deep growl escaping her.

"Red," Granny warned. "Red, don't."

The nurse pulled herself onto her feet hurriedly, probably suddenly aware of the situation she was in. The orders she was probably given failed to inform her that the target was more dangerous than previously thought. Ignoring Granny, Ruby slowly advanced, feeling herself growing in stature and her eyes glowing a bright golden color. The nurse stumbled backward as fingers grew into sharp claws and dull teeth into jagged canines. In only a matter of moments, the nurse was being stared down by a beast. A monstrous wolf standing on two legs.

xxxx

"You didn't have to do that, Red," Granny stated, watching Ruby climb out of the driver's seat of the car. Without a doubt, Ruby had rolled her eyes once her back had been turned to Granny who remained silent until Rudy had made her way around to the passenger door. "It was dangerous. You could have harmed someone."

"But I didn't," Ruby reminded, not for the first time either. Carefully, she helped Granny out of the car and up the steps to the bed and breakfast. "If anything, it was a warning to that queen. I will not just sit around while she endangers those I love."

Granny came to a halt at the top of the stairs. Frowning, Ruby turned around and was met by a stern expression. "By transforming, you've called the queen's attention – she'll come after us. She knows how close we are to Snow White. You've put us in great danger-"

"We've been in great danger for much longer," Ruby interrupted. "Lucy-"

The sound of the front door opening caused Ruby to immediately hold her tongue, knowing full well that the information she was about to provide was not necessarily hers to give by any means. Having been expecting a rundown Lucy to be standing in the doorway, Ruby was a bit shocked, confused even, to be facing the other half of the once royal sisters.

"I heard you two from inside," Mary Margaret explained. "I just-"

"You don't have to explain, dear," Granny replied softly.

"I didn't know where else to go, I couldn't go back to the apartment," Mary Margaret continued. "I mean – Emma, I'm not ready to face-"

"We understand, Snow," Ruby reassured. "It's a lot to take in at once. They cleared you of all charges, yes?"

Mary Margaret nodded, side stepping to allow both Granny and Ruby to enter their home. "hard to charge someone with murder when the person who was supposedly murdered is alive. Even the Evil Queen has her limitations."

"Have you seen the mayor this morning?"Ruby asked bluntly, double checking the locks of the door as Granny took a seat in the lobby for the time being.

"No," Mary Margaret replied.

"Good," Ruby snapped with a bite of anger.

Eyebrows furrowing both in confusion and worry, Mary Margaret watched Ruby pace the lobby before turning to Granny for an answer. Granny sighed heavily, shaking her head. "We were attacked at the hospital," Granny explained. "Red has reasoning to believe the queen was behind it."

"She is!" Ruby barked in mid-turn, hands on her lips.

"Are you sure?" Mary Margaret asked.

Ruby stopped in her tracks. "Yes," she said, a growl lingering on the edge of her voice. "Her stench is all over it, especially considering what she's done repeatedly to Lucy."

"Lucy?" Granny repeated, frowning. "The vandal who broke into our home?"

"In her defense, I left the window open. She's not vandal," Ruby reassured. "She's an old friend – to all of us. Some more than others."

"What do you mean, Red?" Mary Margaret asked.

"In our world, she was the runt wolf," Ruby answered. "She was the Little One."

The look Mary Margaret gave seemed as if Ruby had just transformed in front of her for the first time. Shock. Granny did not react, but Ruby did see a hint of annoyance, probably at the fact that both as Ruby and Red, she had gone against Granny's wishes and spent time with Lucy and the Little One.

Once the initial shock passed, Mary Margaret's original confusion returned. "I don't understand," she murmured. "What would the queen want with a runt wolf?" she asked.

Ruby glanced at Granny and looked at Mary Margaret. She sighed heavily. She knew the answer, the secret, but how could she give or tell it? "Snow, come with me," she said. "I'll be back down in a minute, Granny," Ruby added.

After exchanging a match concerned gaze with Granny, Mary Margaret followed Ruby up the stairs. "How is it even possible that she's the Little One?" Mary Margaret questioned as they reached the hallway.

"She was once human in our world too, Snow," Ruby replied, not daring to turn around. She was not going to risk any ounce of emotion betray her. "This is… her own curse," she added, pushing open her bedroom door and allowing Mary Margaret to slowly and silently step inside.

Lucy laid where Ruby had previously left her, unmoved. The color, however, had returned to her cheeks, Ruby noted. Her breathing had also evened out. As Ruby lingered at the foot of the bed, Mary Margaret walked up to the side, gazing down upon someone she was now seeing in a new light. An old friend, protector.

"Her own curse," Mary Margaret repeated as she glanced over at Ruby. "Different from the one we're all under now? Will she stay this way after we kill the queen and break the curse?"

Before Ruby could formulate a proper answer, Lucy began to shift under the blankets. The words, Snow's words, had summoned her from the deep sleep she had been under. Her eyes fluttered open and, a second later, Lucy had snapped straight up on the bed, causing the other two to step back. There was still a dull ache in her chest, but Lucy had expected it. What she hadn't was Mary Margaret to be standing over her bedside. Since she was, Lucy could deduce a couple possibilities as to why, but none of them actually mattered – she was here. Safe.

"It was Lucy's plan to get you to remember," Ruby stated, if only to move the non-existent conversation forward. Lucy immediately turned to Mary Margaret, eyebrows rising and face lighting up at the statement. Ruby smiled faintly at her realization. "I should go check on Granny. Will you two be alright?" she asked, a question more directed at Lucy who nodded.

Half nodding in return, Ruby silently dismissed herself. Upon her exit, Mary Margaret sat down on the edge of the mattress. Lucy shifted slightly, heart racing out of anxiety as she realized she had no idea how to approach any of this. Mary Margaret did not yet know that the last time they had spoken had been decades ago or how deep and far their relationship was. Lucy remained silent, not knowing what to say. Luckily, Mary Margaret spoke up.

"Thank you," she said.

Lucy frowned slightly. "For what?" she asked.

"For this," Mary Margaret replied. "And for all those other times. During those cold nights. Against the Wolf – both there and here."

"I know you would have done the same for me," Lucy murmured, looking down slightly. "I apologize for the way I behaved in the diner and for all the times before. I shouldn't have been so unkind."

"I assume you had your reasons," Mary Margaret said with a small shrug.

"Even out of fear, none can be justified-"

"Fear? Fear of what?"

"Of…" Lucy trailed off, biting down on her lip. "Of you discovering who I really was," she admitted with a ting of embarrassment. It all seemed so silly now.

"Discovering that you're the Little One?" Mary Margaret clarified. "Why would you fear that?" she asked with a reassuring smile. "We're old friends, aren't we?"

A short, nearly silent, sarcastic laugh escaped Lucy. "Yeah," she mumbled. "We definitely are."

Mary Margaret leaned back slightly, perplexed, as Lucy kept her gaze low. She remembered what Ruby had just told her as they walked up the stairs together. "You were once human in our world, weren't you? Red told me-"

"She told you right. I was."

"Did I know you before?" Mary Margaret questioned. "You look… familiar."

When, out of nerves, words failed her, Lucy nodded. The knot in her stomach was growing even tighter, making her feel sick and overwhelmed. She knew she could not limit her response to a single nod. She had to say something. "You…" Lucy began, voice weak – too weak for her own liking. She cleared her throat. "When we first met here in Storybrooke, when I was behind bars… You addressed me by another name. And… you were correct."

For a moment, there was no reaction. It was not as if a large amount of time had passed since their first encounter, but a lot of events had, clouding Mary Margaret's memory. She stared blankly, attempting to recall that afternoon where she had stood over Lucy, seeing her for the first time. A name had passed her lips, one that infrequently did, but always brought a pang of guilt with it, even now, decades later. Heart dropping into the pit of her stomach, Mary Margaret's eyes grew wide, signaling to Lucy that she had reached her answer. Based on the tears that had formed, she had reached the right one.

"Lily…?" Mary Margaret repeated the name she had once said, her voice barely above a whisper. All Lucy could not was nod.

With a heavy sigh, Mary Margaret's shoulders fell at Lucy's confirmation. She did not understand how. She blinked furiously in an attempt to prevent the evitable tears that were rolling down her cheeks. It was so evident – she could see it so clearly now in the younger woman's appearance. She looked so much like… like… Mary Margaret could not bring herself to say that name, to associate this moment with her. However, her eyes. They were father's. She clasped a hand over her mouth.

"You have every right to be upset-" Lucy began.

"I'm not," Mary Margaret quickly interrupted, shaking her head as she swallowed hard. "I've just… Lily, I've missed you. So much."

What remained of Lucy's façade instantly broke with that simple statement. Feeling her own tears betraying the remnants of a tough exterior, Lucy leaned forward, catching Mary Margaret in a tight hug that had been long overdue.

"I'm the one who should be asking for forgiveness," Mary Margaret managed to blunder. "For everything. Not you."

"It's not your fault. It never was."

"But it is!"

"I fell by myself, but none of that matters. I'm here now."

Pulling away from the embrace, Mary Margaret cupped Lucy's face gently. How many times had she envisioned a moment like this, a moment she had convinced herself would never happen, couldn't happen? As she gazed down, however, her expression turned dark. Her eyes had landed on the necklace – silver, she guessed, by the way the chain laid, infused with Lucy's irritated red skin. "Did she do this to you?"

"Yes, but-"

"Does she know?" Mary Margaret asked. "Who you are?"

"She does, but-"

"She has no soul," Mary Margaret spat, shaking her head. "She needs to be stopped – all the terrible things she has done, all the people she has harmed-"

"No one deserves to lose their mother," Lucy interrupted forcefully, quickly silencing Mary Margaret. "I overheard you, Snow. You don't know what she's been through."

Shaking her head, Mary Margaret stood up, as did Lucy. "Lily, you don't understand."

"But I do – you're the one who doesn't," Lucy remarked. "Otherwise-"

"Otherwise?" Mary Margaret repeated, trying to hide the disgust in her voice. "Lily, she killed Father. She robbed us all of our happiness. What am I not understanding? She may be your mother, but she needs to be stopped regardless. Look at what she's done to you."

"Out of standing up for you," Lucy pointed out.

"And now you're standing for her?"

"I'm not standing for anyone else," Lucy snapped. "I just want to do what's right."

"Siding with her isn't right," Mary Margaret insisted.

"You're blinded by anger-"

"And you by temper."

Lucy sighed heavily out of frustration, letting go of any hope that any means of a sweet and tender moment could return. Without another word, she spun around and made a beeline for the door. Mary Margaret followed her until the foot of the bed. "Lily, if you leave," she began, steadying her voice. "It'll be considered treason against the kingdom."

"This isn't your kingdom."

To be continued

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay of this chapter, but I hope the wait was worth it! Let me know what you think in a review!