Title: Vengeance, Sacrifice, and Forgiveness
Author: AoN
Word Count: 4,900
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 curse weakening and Regina struggling to keep Storybrooke under control, hidden secrets and lies from a distant land surface with the arrival of a stranger from her past, thought to have perished long ago – and they want their happily ever after. With the curse weakening and Regina struggling to keep Storybrooke under control, hidden secrets and lies from a distant land surface with the arrival of a stranger from her past, thought to have perished long ago – and they want their happily ever after.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
'Mother' was a title she had held above queen and, more recently, mayor, and as soft as the utterance was, it echoed loudly within Regina. Her cold façade had broken long before this moment, but now even wandering eyes could tell it had been shattered, and Regina had revealed a crippling weakness: love.
As much as Regina wanted to keep Lucy in her embrace, Regina allowed her daughter to pull away. Lucy sat up straight, turning away from her. For a split second, Regina, with lip quivering, believed the illusion had vanished, that it had only been a side effect of the fever Lucy was undoubtfully running. For that moment, Regina felt foolish that even a part of her could have believed that things changed in a short period of time. She could feel the shame beginning to creep over her very being as a distant whisper from her past spoke softly in her ear, one that she had often repeated herself whenever a reminder was deemed to be necessary back in their homeland.
Love is weakness.
But here… whenever she heard that whisper and her voice, Regina pushed it away. When Henry coldly would remark she wasn't his mother – love is weakness. When he would ignore any sign of affection – weakness, Regina. You foolish girl.
Regina should have known better. She should have –
Lucy jerked forward, her shoulders heaving as she propped herself up against her good hand. Regina felt herself lean forward as well, her intuition taking over regardless of whatever mantra was repeating in her mind. Lucy coughed heavily, followed by an equally unpleasing gag Regina may have hesitated for a second, but she carefully reached around and placed her palm against Lucy's forehead. Regina felt Lucy shiver under her cold touch, sighing. The tension in the young woman's shoulders vanished as she leaned back into her mother.
Regina swallowed a few times, trying to rid herself of the growing lump in her throat, and attempted to blink away the stinging sensation, but it was all for nothing.
"You saved me," Lucy mumbled, struggling to open her eyes. Regina's breath hitched; she could not muffle her soft cry in time. Lucy placed her hand over Regina's arm that cradled her side. Regina held her just a bit tighter, unaware of the grave danger Lucy had considered herself to be in only moment ago, just as Lucy was unaware of their present danger.
Love is weakness, Regina.
The whisper was growing fainter, fading to the depths of the back of her mind. "I should have long ago, Lillian," Regina confessed, shaking her head as her face contorted.
With her bandaged hand, Lucy reached up to gently brush her fingertips against Regina's check, swiping away a stray tear. "Don't," Lucy murmured.
"Forgive me?" Regina continued.
The question lingered in the air; it was a heavy request, one that Regina knew she had no right to be asking for, not after the things she had done – how she hurt her little Lily. She had never meant to, of course. Things got out of control; Regina would be the first to admit. She never would have intentionally… not like her own-
"I can't."
The silence that followed was deafening, overwhelming. Regina's mouth grew dry. When she attempted to speak, her voice failed her, not that she knew what she would say. Lucy pushed away from her again as she sat up on her own. Regina watched Lucy's back as her head hung forward slightly. The nausea had subsided; the spinning had stopped.
"I can't," Lucy repeated, turning to face Regina. Eyes met, but each wanted to look away. "Not for everything."
"I'm not asking for everything," Regina admitted. "Forgive me for not being able to save you. I should have saved you. I should have-"
"You couldn't have," Lucy interrupted. Regina reeled back slightly and Lucy noticed her mother's lip quiver. Blinking furiously, Lucy met her mother's eyes once again. "There was nothing you could have changed."
"I am your…" Regina's voiced trailed as she shook her head. "I was supposed to protect you."
"I was gone before-"
"Just, please. Forgive me."
It was not Regina's fault, - far from it Lucy silently told herself, knowing full well that the sentiment would not be shared or accepted. How long had Regina been living with this? Regardless, Regina had seen – still saw- herself as a mother who could not have helped her child. This was the guilt with which Regina had been living: the helpless mother who hadn't been there for her own child.
This opportunity was never meant to exist. Lily was gone. Regina had held that freezing lifeless body in her arms, desperately willing for Lily to take another breath, if only for Regina's sake.
And here was Lucy – no, Lily, according to her mother. Here was the child she lost so long ago. Here was the opportunity to be at peace with herself, to let go of a part of the pain that plagued her. Lucy could not try to reassure her in any way. Regina was not seeking reassurance. Regina did not need reassurance.
Lucy knew what she needed.
Regina just needed to hear those three words from the child she lost so long ago.
There was a lot for which Lucy would not be able to forgive her mother. If time would allow, they had many things about which to talk, but Lucy was never one to be blessed in time's good favor. Time was running out and this was the one thing she could, without a doubt, give her mother.
They were just three little words. That's all Regina wanted to hear.
"I forgive you," Lucy said. Although her voice was shaking, it had never been stronger.
Regina's shoulders slumped as an exasperated sigh of relief escaped her. She leaned forward, reaching her arms out to grab a hold of her daughter, but she stopped in mid-embrace. Lucy glanced down at her mother's arms lingering around her, begging, and then to Regina. Lucy gave her the tiniest of smiles, an open invitation. Regina pulled her into a tight hug, resting her chin on Lucy's shoulder. Her little girl had gotten so big, but she did not feel out of place. Even though Lucy knew she had lifted a weight from her mother's shoulders, they dropped slightly and her face contorted as a soft cry escaped her. Without another word, Lucy pulled herself closer to Regina.
Lucy allowed herself to be held once more, returning to the fond memories where all she needed to cure any sort of aliment was an embrace from her mother. When she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, it almost felt true. For a second, she believed that when she opened her eyes, they would be back in her childhood bedroom. Regina was just giving her a hug after promising her that they would go see the fairies after the war council meeting. Everything else had just been a nightmare.
If only they could be so lucky.
But for the first time since she was that little princess, Lucy felt at home, wrapped in the protective comfort of her mother's arms, but she never imagined that one day, she would have to be the one to offer comfort. Lucy could feel Regina shaking against her and she could hear the cries Regina was trying desperately to keep silent.
Lucy held on a little tighter. She could feel Regina running her hand through her long dark hair. It was far from the soft and silky Regina use to brush; hair care had not really been high on Lucy's list of priorities.
"It's okay," Lucy mumbled, finally taking the moment to gaze around at their surroundings. Were they underground? Lucy frowned. In a cave? The last thing she remembered was hitting the ground at the manor, a fire roaring above her head. Why were they here? Why…?
"Why is there a sword…?" Lucy murmured.
Regina pulled back from the hug and followed Lucy's gaze to the sword that she had discarded only moments before, along with the original plan to-
"We have to get out of here," Regina said, quickly wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her blazer. "It's dangerous-"
"Ah!"
Lucy pulled the bandaged hand that Regina had grabbed and curled up around it, teeth grinding and eyes stinging. Regina took a small step back before hovering over her.
"Lily?"
"Burn," Lucy hissed through her teeth. "From Gold. He attacked me with-"
"Silver," Regina finished, feeling her blood immediately beginning to boil at the mere mention of his name, but now was not the time for discussion. Regina wrapped a gentle hand on Lucy's arm and helped her onto her feet. As the wincing Lucy straightened up, Regina caught a glimpse of the glimmering chain around Lucy's neck, burned into place in her skin. Yes, they had a lot to talk about, but this was not the place, especially after that loud yelp.
"We have to leave," Regina insisted, beginning to lead the way.
"Is that her coffin?"
Regina stopped in her tracks. Lucy had not followed; she had been sidetracked. "Yes," Regina replied, unable to avoid the question. She turned around to find Lucy standing over the coffin, her back to Regina. "Lily."
"Oh, how sweet."
With the presence of the new voice, Regina's head snapped up and Lucy quickly turned around to follow her mother's gaze. Lucy backed away from the coffin, inching her way back to Regina, who pushed Lucy behind her. Although Regina's tear stained cheeks betrayed her, her stance had changed. In a matter of seconds, Lucy witnessed her build her defenses, especially when the being behind the voice stepped into the light pooling in from above.
Beaming, Maleficent smiled wickedly as she transferred her staff from one hand to another. "Why, hello there, old friend."
xxxx
Mary Margaret stopped fighting against August who kept her from running towards the burning manor. A wave of defeat overcame her as she lowered her head. She was gone. Again. Just like that, she was gone.
But now was not the time for mourning, the rumbling engine of the sheriff's patrol car reminded her of this. Mary Margaret's attention deterred from the fire and toward the car that was pulling away from the scene.
"Emma!"
With August at her heels, Mary Margaret made a hopeless dash to the red vehicle in which she drove here, but its owner quickly stood in her path.
"Red!"
"Snow," Ruby replied.
"Red," Mary Margaret repeated. "Emma. Where is she going?"
"She's going to help Mom slay a dragon," Henry answered when Ruby did not.
"What?" August winced, grabbed a hold of his left knee as he hissed. "Slay a dragon?" he repeated. "Emma? Are you insane? You let her go? Are you that blinded by-"
With a growl begging to be released, Ruby took a step forward towards him. "I will not hear this from the likes of-"
"Her destiny is not to slay some dragon!" August snapped back.
Ruby was not one to back down, not for this fight. "And what do you know about destiny? Her destiny, exactly?" she questioned, tilting her head. "Enlighten us how a complete stranger comes to this town, completely aware of the curse it's under."
Mary Margaret's stare switched from Ruby to August as he shifted uncomfortably on his feet, still grasping the leg that pained him.
"No one can leave Storybrooke," Ruby pointed out. "And we've never had visitors. Not for 28 years. Not until you and Emma. You know about her destiny-"
"You're from our land," Mary Margaret interrupted.
"It doesn't matter where I'm from," August murmured, shaking his head.
"Sure it does," Ruby commented. "People from this land can't exactly turn into wood."
"Wood?" Henry spoke up from Ruby's side, shuffling his way around her. "You mean Pinocchio?"
"Pinocchio," Mary Margaret frowned, shaking her head. "He was just a boy."
"Yes, how about that," Ruby said, her eyes locked onto August as she folded her arms across her chest. He fidgeted under her gaze, which she rather enjoyed. He was no longer high and mighty, far from it now. "I believe we both remember the little child playing with that wooden toy whale at the round table."
"But that doesn't make sense," Henry spoke up. "The book says the curse froze time. If Pinocchio was a little boy when it was cast-"
Ruby took a step closer. "Then, he should still be that little boy now," she concluded. "Which means… he's not telling us his true identity, but given the stench of rotting wood-"
"I've already told you," August grunted, clutching at his painful right knee.
"Made of the same wood as the wardrobe, right, yes, you did," Ruby agreed. "But here's my theory… Pinocchio," she began, glancing over her shoulder toward Mary Margaret before turning her attention back to August. "The pain in your leg, it's tied together with lying, isn't it?"
"I'm not lying," August winced.
"You are," Mary Margaret muttered, her voice steadily growing stronger. "We know the story. It wasn't the same tree as the wardrobe. Your father, Geppetto, he made a wish to the Blue Fairy," she pointed out.
"You were just a regular, wooden puppet," Ruby added, if only to stress the information that everyone already knew. August's story was crumbling before him and no amount of lies would provide him with any solid ground to stand upon once again.
"How did you get here?" Mary Margaret questioned. Ruby could hear the hollowness in her dear friend's voice. They had endured so much because of this curse, but no one as much as her. Ruby, at least, had always been with Granny. Mary Margaret had been thrown away from her family; David was always just a bit out of her reach and Emma… Emma was no longer that baby she had cradled in her arms for only a few precious minutes.
Mary Margaret had lost her entire life to the curse and here was August, this stranger, a boy they had all once knew. He was hiding a secret, one that Mary Margaret was not about to tolerate. She did not know where Charming was, she had lost the baby sister who had vanished from her life so long ago, and her adult daughter was running after the dragon that just burnt down the house of the woman who was the source to all this.
"How did you get this world?" Mary Margaret repeated, more bite to her words now. She did not have the time, nor the required patience for this unnecessary mystery.
August opened his mouth, but no sound came out. As yet another lie was about to part from his lips, August grinded his teeth together as he winced once more.
"Are you forgetting the lesson the Blue Fairy taught you?" Mary Margaret snapped, her annoyance growing with every second that past without an answer.
It was a tone completely foreign to the meek schoolteacher. Henry shifted uncomfortably on his feet as he further hid behind Ruby, but he kept a curious eye on the man who feared to reveal the truth.
"How, Pinocchio?"
His breathing was quick, shaky even. With a heavy sigh, August shook his head. "You can't blame him," he murmured. "You were both doing the same thing."
Perplexed, Ruby furrowed her eyebrows. "He did the same thing? Who?"
"Geppetto," Mary Margaret clarified. She could already hear the anger ringing loudly in her ears. "What did he do?"
Just as the beating around the bush came to a halt, just as the story was finally about to be made known, a pair of firemen approached. The conversation came to stop, Henry stepped around from behind Ruby, and August did his best to straighten up.
"I was babysitting Henry," Ruby said, wrapping a protective arm around the boy. "There was an explosion and-"
"There was no one inside," one of the men stated. "And we haven't been able to reach the mayor."
Mary Margaret quickly turned to Ruby, both who lingered on the first statement they had been given. No one inside.
"With everything that has been happening in town, perhaps she's at city hall," Mary Margaret suggested.
"She is!" Ruby quickly replied. "At city hall, I mean. Urgent emergency meetings this morning after the, um, tremors."
"When she couldn't get a hold of the mayor," August spoke up, biting back a grunt. "Ruby called the both of us."
"Are you alright there?" the second fireman asked.
August nodded. "I, uh, twisted my knee," he explained.
"And we were about to take him to the hospital," Ruby added. "To make sure that's all that it is."
The two men nodded in unison at the newly concocted story, one in to which they bought. The actual reality of the matter would have deemed them insane, perhaps even hallucinating from smoke inhalation. Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White were actually having a rather heated discussion with Pinocchio. Right.
"We'll keep trying to get a hold of the mayor," the first fireman said.
"As we'll we," Mary Margaret replied before the two men turned around to head back to their fellow working brothers. Mary Margaret looked over towards Ruby and shook her head. "We're not heading to the hospital," she said once they were out of their hearing range.
"Yes, we are," Ruby countered. "We have to."
"I'm not going for his-"
"Hey now," August grumbled.
"Emma's in the mines with a dragon, Red!" Mary Margaret pointed out.
"And so is Regina," Ruby retorted. "Maybe even… Maybe even Lucy."
"Red."
"They didn't find a body. They didn't find remains," Ruby justified. "That sorceress took her. That sorceress has magic."
"All the more reason to head to the mines," Mary Margaret replied. "They won't be able to defend themselves against her."
"And we could, Snow?" Ruby questioned. "Your arrow and a werewolf against a dragon sorceress. Really? If the curse breaks, then Regina gets her powers back. Only then will they have a fighting chance."
"How will going to the hospital bring us any closer to breaking the curse, Red?"
"Because that's where she's keeping him. The hospital, that's where she has to be holding James."
xxxx
"It's been such a long time, has it not, my dear Regina?" Maleficent taunted. "It seems just like yesterday that you bound me with my own chandelier – oh! Or that you trapped me here in this miserable world."
"The pleasure of this reunion is all mine, I assure you," Regina sneered back.
"Consider the burning manor an open invitation, will you?" Maleficent replied. "Or that young woman cowardly hiding behind you – whichever you prefer. That little brat certainly –"
"Enough."
"Have I struck a nerve?" Maleficent asked, biting back a bitter laugh. "Believe me, my dear, it is the very least I plan to do, after what you've done to me."
As Maleficent slowly advanced, Regina reached back for Lucy's good hand, slowly backing up with each step Maleficent took forward. Regina expected to hear Lucy's shaky breath behind her; Regina did not expect her to be so calm. She was no longer a scared little girl, running to her mother to seek comfort during a terrible storm. She was no longer so frail, clinging to her mother for protection. Regina felt Lucy's hand slip from hers, letting go of that comfort and protection.
No. No longer that sweet innocent girl, but a brave young woman, capable of staring down a fierce dragon.
"I do not take kindly to threats," Regina cautioned.
"Or advice for that matter," Maleficent added with a small shrug of her shoulders. "And aren't we all suffering those ramifications? Some of us… more than most, isn't that right, Lily?"
"Don't," Regina warned.
"At least the others maintained favorable forms," Maleficent pressed on. "But not us, darling. She turned mice into men, but the people who… well, cared, we weren't as fortunate, weren't we? Trapped-"
"No," Lucy spoke up, not moving from behind Regina. "I had no choice. She didn't know-"
"Forced to live as animals."
"Enough!" Regina snapped. She flung her arm forward, with her hand outstretched, like she had done countless of occasions in the past. The outcome was far from what she had expected and hoped. Just as it had with Gold, the magic Regina summoned was enough to give Maleficent a shove. The movement made the bad fairy cackle, a cackle that caused the corners of Regina's lips to twitch as she kept her growing anger in check.
"I believe what you wished to do was… this!" Maleficent mimicked Regina's gesture. The result differed greatly from that of her dear old friend. Instantly, Regina was swept off her feet, flown into Lucy who had still been standing behind her. The two women tumbled backward onto the ground. Maleficent could have done so much worse, Regina was aware; Maleficent was toying with them.
Regina did not like to be toyed with, a sentiment mother and daughter evidently shared. Prior to Regina regaining proper footing, Lucy rushed past her, which Regina saw from the corner of her eye. Before Regina could register what was going on, Lucy was suspended in midair, clutching the sword that had been abandoned firmly by the hilt with both hands, above her head.
Maleficent chuckled to herself as Regina rose to her feet. "I wouldn't do anything rash, dear," Maleficent warned. "You don't exactly have the upper hand now, do you?" she taunted as the blade was pulled from Lucy's hands. They all watched as the sword turned itself around in the air, the blade now pointed at its former wielder.
"Your fight is with me, Maleficent," Regina reminded. "Not her."
"Oh, how right you are," Maleficent agreed, but the sword did not move as Regina expected it would. "But nor was yours with my precious pet. That, however, did not stop you from assaulting the poor creature." As the corners of her lips tugged into a wicked smirk and as her eyes narrowed, the shiny blade drew itself closer to Lucy, who refused to wince or show any sign of fright.
Disappointedly, Maleficent would not be given that satisfaction. Tilting her head to the side, Maleficent took a step closer. "But really, to assault your own fairy godmother-"
"Some fairy godmother," Lucy bickered, eyes never moving from the evil sorceress.
"Feisty, aren't you?" Maleficent remarked. "Foolish little lily flower… Who do you think protected you from that… misfired arrow?"
"Then that's not all you did," Lucy nearly growled, earning herself a giggle from Maleficent.
"It was all to reveal the truth, darling," Maleficent pointed out with a small shrug of the shoulders. "It was about time you knew it, wouldn't you agree? I mean, I'd like to know, if it were me, if it had been my life that was toyed with."
"Let her go," Regina hissed.
"You're not exactly in the position to be giving me orders, your Majesty," Maleficent taunted. "Although, I guess, I should be thanking you for preserving my magic whereas yours has dwindled to nothing."
Regina clenched her jaw tightly. In their old realm, no one would have dared to speak to her in such a manner, not without any form of ramification, but Maleficent, in this realm, had a point. She had been without practice for as long as this sleepy town had been considered home and magic, in the rare occasion she was able to cast a spell, behaved differently here.
The short time in the mines proved that she could not summon enough power, not like before in the forest, when her dear Henry was in danger, when the both of them were facing a murderous werewolf.
No, here, Maleficent had the upper hand. Maleficent had been trapped her as a dragon. A magical beast.
The blade inched closed towards Lucy; the edge now gently pressed against the bare skin of her neck. Still, Lucy did not fret. She had stared down worse, as Regina was painfully aware and she could not be more proud of the bravery she was experiencing first hand.
It did not change the overwhelming protectiveness she was feeling. "Maleficent."
"I believe I told you a pet could have mended your broken heart and had you listened to me, well, we wouldn't be in this lovely predicament," Maleficent continued to mock.
"What do you achieve? Come on, do it," Lucy stated, so eerily calm. ""Be the fairy godmother you've always been."
Maleficent lowered her head, her eyes never leaving her target. The sword drew back slightly and for a split moment Lucy, foolishly, thought herself safe. Before Lucy could release her sigh of relief, the sword swung forward. Eyes wide, every muscle in her body tensed, bracing herself for an attack that Regina would not allow. Just as the tip of the cool blade barely brushed against her, a shimmering, soft golden wave of warmth passed over her from behind.
The trajectory of the weapon suddenly changed. The sword jerked from its intended path, landing onto the ground with a loud clank.
Both Lucy and Maleficent turned their heads towards Regina. The mayor's demeanor had changed. She stood in a more regal manner, her hand outstretched once more, but this time, it was different. This time, she could feel the magic on the tips of her fingers. Maleficent's advantage was gone.
Although it also meant that the curse had broken and that she had failed, the queen was back.
Before Maleficent could comprehend what it was that had just happened, three rounds of gunshots echoed loudly throughout the mines. Maleficent's hold of the hovering Lucy immediately disappeared, causing her to tumble onto the ground. The sorceress, who had taken a step back from the impact, glanced down at her shoulder to inspect the fresh wounds caused by the bullets. With a look of disgust, she looked up towards her assaulter.
Lucy pulled herself back up to her feet, but did not dare to cross back over to Regina's side. Doing so meant crossing the line of fire. The two quickly met eyes; the message was clear enough. I'm okay. With the vague reassurance, both turned to follow Maleficent's cold glare.
There stood the sheriff. There stood Emma Swan, the so-called savior, gun in hand, aim still on Maleficent, whose eyes began to glow a bright yellow.
xxxx
Nurse Ingrid pressed the bag of ice against the side of her head. The throbbing had finally subsided, but the ringing in her ears was still loud. The lights, honestly, did not help with the still rather painful headache either. She should have gone home, but there were tracks to be covered. Word could not get out that a prisoner – no, patient – escaped their premises.
A loud snap of metal crunching caught her attention and caused her neck to snap up. Spotting the newly formed holes on the seal entrance door and the dark, sharp claws sticking through, Nurse Ingrid pushed back in her office chair, away from the counter. She gasped loudly as the door was ripped from its hinges with relative ease. Immediately on her feet, Ingrid backed up slowly, feeling her heart racing furiously against her chest as she desperately wished she had gone home instead of staying on the job after the morning's incident.
The beast that emerged into the small lobby tossed the door aside. Growl crackling in the back of the throat, the werewolf approached the counter, shiny teeth baring a warning: do not move. Ingrid pressed herself up against the wall, her breath growing increasingly short as she began to panic.
For a split second, Ingrid looked away from the beast, but only because she saw a shuffling of movement from the corner of her eye. Mary Margaret stepped around the werewolf and leaned over the counter to fetch the keys that lay on the desk.
This was where she had locked away Lucy, Ruby had told her when they left the ruins of the manor. She had held her own child prisoner. That was the woman Lucy wanted Mary Margaret to forgive, she bitterly told herself.
"Thanks, Ruby," she murmured, receiving another low growl as a response. Mary Margaret took a second glance at the trapped nurse before heading towards the hallway.
If Ruby was right about this, then they were so close. With each step Mary Margaret took, she felt her stomach tie itself into tighter knots. Nerves were getting the better of her, but she did not know how to calm them in this moment. This curse had kept them apart for so long. So near, but so far apart.
Mary Margaret came to a stop when the nameplate caught her attention. D. Nolan. She took a step closer and stood on her toes slightly to peer into the viewing mirror. Her breath hitched, it caught in her throat as she saw him there, lying unconscious on his back on the cot. There was no mistaking it. It was him.
"Charming," she whispered.
To be continued