Chapter 25

"WILL!" Emma yelled following her out of the vault and through the cemetery.

Will didn't stop. She knew that if Emma caught, she might actually try to beat her. She didn't want to hurt Emma, but she knew that the truth about her relationship with Regina would. It wasn't every day that you found out that the woman you love was once part of an abusive relationship. She was sure that Emma would be angry. She'd left as soon as she knew that Regina would tell her the truth. She'd run out of the vault because she couldn't face Emma.

She wasn't sure if it was because she ashamed of what she and Regina had shared. She wasn't sure why she was running from Emma, but she knew she was. She figured somewhere in her head that if Emma thought the wrong things about the relationship that she had with Regina, then she could imagine what Emma thought about her budding relationship with Coraline. They weren't the same. Hell, Will and Emma weren't the same that they had been years ago.

"WILL! WAIT! WILL!" Emma shouted again.

Finally, Will stopped. She'd made it the edge of the cemetery. She turned around and faced Emma. She was bracing for the hit that never came. She flinched for a minute, and then opened her eyes. When her sapphire eyes met Emma's emerald, she didn't see anger. She saw understanding, compassion, love and…friendship. Emma wasn't angry with her.

"Wait, damn it. I don't want to have to chase you all the way to town. Wait…oh, you stopped."

"Yeah, I stopped," Will replied.

"Why did you run? What is it about your relationship with Regina that you don't want me to know? Will, it's okay if y'all did something or were closer than friends. It was years ago. You two are obviously special to each other, but I don't think that you are lovers in the traditional sense. It's okay. Do you remember the night that you took me on the Belletti job?"

"Belletti?"

"The crazed ex-wife and the submissive husband," Emma replied.

"Need a little more than that. You know that we took some crazy cases besides getting the bail jumpers. Needed to keep the cash coming in. So what was the Belletti case?"

"That was the one where we ended up in BFE at some leather guy's house. He took one look at us and knew that we weren't there for the party. We were a little over dressed," Emma hinted.

"Oh…my…god…I had forgotten about that night."

"Yeah, well, I want to, but I can't," Emma stated.

"We did get an eyeful," Will laughed.

"I showered like twenty times when I got back to my apartment."

"I never thought you would be one that would shun good kink, Emma," Will stated.

"I wasn't. I am not. It was just there was so much…in that house that I wasn't sure whose or what I touched. I just wanted it all to go away. Don't get me wrong. Playing in the bedroom keeps things spicy, but that house…that was a damn dip into straight habanero sauce with a Tabasco chaser. I'll stick with my jalapenos any day. That was just…"

"Too much, too fast?" Will asked.

"Uh…yeah."

"You have questions about something?" Will asked her, trying to get Emma to say something about the strangeness of the relationship between her and Regina.

"I want to say I understand, but I wasn't there. I don't really know what to say to what she told me. I want to ask questions, but I don't know where to start."

"It doesn't matter. Just ask whatever you want. I am not going to hold anything back from you. I can't. I won't. I owe you both the truth, regardless of what I think. I owe it to you because you have both given me Coraline," Will answered.

"I don't think that we have given her to anyone," Emma replies quickly.

"You know what I mean, Em. I want to do right by you and Regina. I know that I am going to have to prove myself to both of you. I know that I am going to have make amends with Regina for leaving her the way that I did, but I love Coraline. I will do anything for her."

"I know."

"What?" Will asked confused.

"She told me what you did for her with my grandfather. If you are willing to do that for a woman that you work for and care about, then I can only imagine what you will do for Coraline. I know that you love her. I know that you will take care of her. I have seen it."

"But, you still have some reservations?" Will asked her.

"I am not sure Will. I need to think about this. I need to process everything."

"I get that," Will stated.

"Can we talk later?"

"Sure."

"I need to go finish talking to Regina. When I'm done with that, I'll call you after. Does that work?" Emma asked her.

"Sure."

"Will, we'll get together. I promise. I just need to…just give me some time. We need to talk."

"I have no doubt in that, Emma. You always were one to seek answers to questions that others dared not to ask. It is one of the reasons that I chose you in Tallahassee. I could see the fear of the unknown and the willingness to seek answers. You were perfect for the job."

"I guess we'll talk about that, too," Emma told her with a small laugh. "But, seriously, Will, I am going to need time to process this whole thing of you belonging to Regina. I mean, people don't just own people here. It is weird and the longer I see y'all together the weirder you both get about it. I wish that there was something else that I could say about it."

"It isn't your fault, Emma. I know that this was sprung on you and not exactly in a manner that I preferred. But, know this and don't take this the wrong way, okay?" Will asked her.

"I'll try my best."

"You know that your mother gave me to Regina."

"Yeah, as a wedding present."

"Well, let's just say that your grandfather was a shrewd man. He wanted to make sure that Snow was still protected if anything happened to him or to Regina. He made it abundantly clear in the contract with Regina," Will told her.

"How so?"

"If Regina was to die, for any reason, I was to revert back to Snow's possession. Regina never saw that clause, I am sure. And, I never had reason to tell her about it."

"So what does that matter now?" Emma asked her.

"You are Snow's daughter," Will replied.

"So?"

"That means, that I will revert to your line's possession, regardless of the fact that Henry is Regina's legally. He is still of your line. Which means that should something ever happen to Regina, I would become Snow's property. When Snow dies, I would be yours. When you die, I would become Henry's. So no matter what, Henry and Coraline would be protected."

"But, Coraline doesn't know who the Hell you are. And, we all die in her future. So, what the hell does that mean?"

"It means that something happens to me. And, I dare say, that the only one that could truly hurt me would be Rumple. I doubt that he will act on it, though. He has already tried and failed several times with my life. But, for whatever reason, I was not there."

"If you weren't there, it was because Coraline hadn't come back from the future, yet."

"We don't know that, Emma. There is too much at stake her. I need to consult some of my things. I will not let your family suffer for my mistakes. I will not let Regina suffer any more than she already has. Have no doubts in me, Princess, we will find a way," Will told her.

"Will?"

"Yeah?"

"Where you going? Town is that way. There is nothing out there but woods."

"I know. It is the perfect place to think and sort through some of my memories. Besides, I think that I might find a young relative that might need some help. She is hurting, but only because she was protected from a truth that not many now. I need to go to her."

"Call me later, then. We'll set something up. I think that you, Regina and I need to talk."

Regina sat on her bed waiting for Will to return from the practice fields. True to her word, the King hadn't called on Regina for a week since their last liaison. Regina didn't know if she wanted to know why or just be thankful that Will had her best interests in mind. She stood up and crossed the room. She had to admit to herself that when Will was around she wasn't lonely.

"Majesty, forgive me for being late," Will said as she entered the Queen's chambers.

Regina turned to face her. She couldn't stop the smile that crossed her face. Will saw it and returned it. She bypassed Regina for a moment and went into her rooms to change tunics and shirts. She wasn't that surprised when Regina followed her into her rooms and sat on her bed.

"I take it that training was good today by the amount of mud you are caked in," Regina stated slightly amused by the disarray of the normally stoic knight.

"It was interesting to say the least. The men learn quickly, but aren't sure that my advice is the best to follow at first. I think it usually takes them three good falls before they realize that me being a woman doesn't mean that I don't know what I am talking about. The older soldiers and knights know what being a Vulcannonian means because of the Ogre's War. They trust me the first time. But, I guess we both know something about being where we are and not being taken seriously because of our sex, don't we?" Will asked.

"That we do."

"How is the house staff today?" Will questioned as she stripped out of her tunic and white sword shirt, throwing them into the corner of her room.

"Still unsure of that do with me. Ever since the King came back early, they think that I cannot do anything without his input. I wish there was a way than I could prove myself to them."

"Maybe I can arrange for something for you, Majesty," Will stated pulling a black sword shirt out of her wardrobe and pulling it on.

She grabbed a new tunic and put it on. She left it open and didn't lace it up, leaving it hanging like a long vest. Next, she pulled off her boots and replaced them with a pair of wool-lined slippers that had a hardened sole and small heel. They resembled "house shoes." She sat in the one chair that her room was afforded and watched Regina as her thoughts danced across her face.

"And, do what, Will? They know that you are at my beck and call. They know that you will do as I ask. They are afraid of you at the same time. Why do you think that no one has questioned you when you command them?" Regina questioned her.

"I figured it was just because I am your servant, Majesty, nothing more."

"That is only part of it, Will. They respect you. They trust you because they have heard whispers of the prosperous nature of the Vulcannonian Knights. They have no reason to trust me. Why should they? I am just a girl who happens to be queen," Regina stated.

"No, Regina, you are a woman that is Queen. There is a difference. Maybe, we need to remind them of that," Will told her.

"And, how do we do that?"

"You can reprimand me."

"Punish you?"

"Yes, we both know that I can take it. It won't hurt me, but it will make a statement. They will have something to talk about and they will realize that their Queen is their Queen and they should obey her word just like the King's."

"You want me to hit you in public?" Regina inquired, scared of her own voice.

"It wouldn't hurt me."

"They'll wonder about my sanity for that."

"Not if I make sure to give you cause for the incident," Will stated.

"You would subject yourself to that. Why? Why would you do that for me?"

"Because, it is my job, Majesty. I am to cure for your well-being. If the palace staff doesn't believe that they have to listen to their Queen, why should the kingdom? You need assert yourself as royalty to them. They won't listen if you don't make them. I am not saying he abusive. Far from it. But, if you don't establish yourself as being in command, they will never give you the respect of your status."

"Am I to refer to you as 'Highness' then?"

"Not unless you wish, Majesty," Will said honestly.

"I don't think that it will help me any if I did. Why is it that Snow could get away with it and I can't? What is it about her that they love?"

"She is the King's daughter. She is in the hearts of the people because they have watched her grown up before them. You are new to them. They need to learn more about the woman that saved their beloved princess. I was just her servant like I am for you. They don't treat me any differently, now. You need to show them that you are a benevolent woman that is capable of loving them and ruling them at the same time."

"How do I do that?"

"You need to prove yourself."

"How can I do that with the King here?" Regina asked.

"Leave that to me, Regina. I will make enough of a diversion for him. I'll get him to leave. I'll stay here with you and we will deal with some sort of incident. We will have the people see that their Queen is capable of ruling them," Will stated.

"Do I want to know what you are going to do?"

"Probably not, Regina. I don't want any of it coming back on you. I will tell you before I leave. I don't want the King to visit you while I am gone. Maybe, I can cause enough of a distraction that you will have to come with me. We should take our own tour of the countryside. How far does your mother's spell let you travel without the King being there?"

"A town over to the east and that is only because my mother had an old friend than lived there."

Hours later, Will returned to Regina's rooms. She had stayed inside like Will advised her to do. She was still wondering what Will is going to do. She was wondering so much about the situation. She was still unsure of so much when it came to Will and what it means that she owns her. Regina didn't know what to really do with her. She just smiled as Will sat down near her.

"Are you not afraid of the King, Will?" Regina asked her.

"To be honest, no, I am not. You've seen that I cannot be hurt. There is nothing that he can do to truly hurt me except hurt you. He knows that depending on what I tell my father it could disastrous for him. He won't push me. I won't push him. Such is the way of politics," Will said taking a healthy drink of Regina's cider. "You must tell me how you make this. It is delicious."

"It is my father's recipe and a family secret. I will only share it with my children, if I ever have any. I think that my mother cursed me in that department. But, then there is fact that I haven't lain with the King in months. Do you think he suspects?"

"Suspects what, Regina?"

"Do you think than he suspects us, Will?"

"Why would he? We haven't given him any cause. I go to him, pretending to be you, he has his way with me, beats me if he feels the need, and then I leave when he is done. There is no way that he would know it is me, unless you have gone to him without me knowing. And, I very much doubt that you would do that," Will told her crossing the room to the balcony where Regina was standing.

They study the scene before them. The King is in the throne room with Snow. He looks every bit the benevolent and loving king that he is. He is the doting father of the Princess. He doesn't look like a monster. But, both women on the balcony know the heaviness of his hand, the pain of his words, the sting of his touch, the foulness of his body, and his fondness for depravity.

"Has he said anything to you?" Will asked her feeling the fear flowing off of her.

"No, he stays away like you said he would. He smiles for the Court. He pretends to be the best husband that he can be with me. But, it is obvious that I am not Queen Ava and I do not control his full heart. The staff knows it. They treat me with respect now, though. Thank you for that," Regina said stepping away from the balcony and heading towards her vanity.

Will turned around. She finished her cider and sat it down on a nearby table. She then crossed the room in three powerful strides before sitting down on the chaise across from Regina's vanity. She laid hack and stared at the stone ceiling. She was reminded of her rooms back in Vulcannon.

"I wish we could see the stars here," Will mused aloud, still staring upwards.

Regina turned on the chair she was sitting to face Will, placing her hairbrush back on the vanity before her. There was always some sort of innocence and reverence on Will's face. She was always stoic, but it was times like these that made Regina happy. When her wonderment shined through and she seemed almost human, Will was more approachable and seemed more real to Regina.

"We can't here, but I know where we can go."

Will sat up and stared at her. Her eyes were dancing. It seemed any chance that they could be outdoors, Regina jumped on it as fast as Will did. They were perfectly matched for each other.

Anyone around them would have thought that they were in love, but they weren't. They were just close and enjoying a friendship that neither had had before. They were BFFs and they didn't even know it. Regina did as she asked, but so much more. And, Will cared about her. It was enough for both them. They didn't need anything else from each other…then.

"I would take you to the village tonight, but I have to go."

"Where?" Regina questioned.

"I have to make sure that the King leaves tomorrow and his knightly errand."

"What did you do?" Regina finally asks with a hint of amusement.

"I created a large enough diversion that he couldn't help but go to and handle."

"You aren't going to tell me."

"It would be easier for you if I didn't…. Just stay in your rooms tonight. I have let the staff know that you are unwell and aren't to be bothered until the morrow. Let it go for tonight, Majesty. And, tomorrow, you will have at least a fortnight of peace. I'll come for you us soon as I get back. Rest now and take it easy. All will be well," Will told her as she stood.

"You'll be back tonight?"

"I will be back as soon as I can."

"Be careful," Regina warned.

"I'm Vulcannonian. I don't have to be careful," Will told her and was given a glare. "I'll be fine, Majesty. Just make sure to stay in your rooms or bed if your husband comes calling before I return. I'll be back before you can miss me too much."

And, with her final statement, Will left. Regina got up from the vanity and headed to her bookshelf. At least she could read to pass the time until Wilhelmina returned. It was a small comfort from home and one she was glad that her father allowed her to bring with her and the King let her keep. She smiled knowing that he would he visiting soon.

She lay down on the chaise with book in hand and sighed. If Wilhelmina's plan succeeded, she would have the castle to herself for two weeks or more. Her father would visit and she would be happy. It was all too perfect in her world, but it didn't stop her from hoping for it all.

She would deal with Snow being there. She didn't have a choice in that, but she did have a choice on who she spent her time with. She would stay with Will and her father for the majority of the time that the King was away on his "errand." And, she could be happy for a while.

She lay buck on the chaise and decided that they would go to King's Town first. She missed her little sister and even though her mother had fallen through the looking glass, she still feared for the girl's life. Her over protective grandmother was fine with Regina and Will coming to visit, but she knew that she would never let her father near the girl. She hoped that the little darling of a girl was doing well. She would have to see if Granny, as everyone called her, had the child in a school. If not, Regina would arrange it. She wouldn't have any sibling of hers, full blood or not, not knowing how to read and write. It wouldn't be right.

No, Red would be given everything that she could. Regina would make sure of that. She made sure that they had food, their taxes were paid, and that had plenty. She wouldn't let her suffer.

Earlier in the day, Regina and Emma had been in the mock house under the vault. They had been talking about the past when Will had run out. Emma heard the door to the rooms slam and then the heavy vault doors. She couldn't understand why her friend was running but she was afraid that Regina did. After her talk with Regina, Emma went back down into the vault. She saw her sitting in the living room with Belle sipping tea. She looked relaxed and content.

"What happened?" Regina asked her.

"She needed to get some air," Emma lied.

"You want to know more?" Regina inquired over her cup of tea.

"Yes, I do. I want to understand what happened. I know you don't think that it is important, and it may not be, but then again, it might be exactly what we need to know," Emma stated.

"I'll see you two later. I am going to go back to Ruby's and study this lineage a little more. It doesn't look like Cyanae Rafe was young enough to be Ruby's true aunt. Plus, I think Granny has some more information for me. I'll just go talk to her," Belle told them as she took her leave of them and the vault.

She could tell that they needed to be alone when neither of them made a move to stop her. They needed to talk about what it meant for Wilhelmina to be Regina's Vulcannonian. Emma had some idea what it meant to be Vulcannonian but she still understand the full aspects of Will be under contract with Regina.

"Regina?"

"What, Emma?"

"Can you tell me more about Will's contract with you? I need to know. I need to understand."

"Because this effects more than us?"

"Yes, it effects Coraline too."

"I know that. I've thought of that. Emma…I just don't know what to do."

"Tell me everything that you can," Emma pleaded.

"She is my knight. She is my slave. She is mine. There really isn't any more to say. She loves Coraline and wants to be with her, but I am not sure that I have the want to release her. I know that sounds horrible, but I feel like I need her for some reason. I feel drawn to her, Emma."

"Like you are to me?"

"No, nothing like that. I do love her, Emma, but not like that. It has never been about love. Neither of us understood love or companionship. We've always been searching for it. We aren't made for each other, but it looks like we are. We get each other, the rage, the darkness, the pain. It is just that seeing her…it has brought back some memories and some issues that I haven't exactly dealt with. I don't think that I am ready to deal with them either. I need to, but I don't want to. I am going to need both of you in different ways. I am going to need your love. I am going to need her body."

"What?"

"She is Vulcannonian and cannot die."

"What did you do to her?" Emma asked.

"I whipped her."

"To ease your anger?" Emma questioned.

"Among other things," Regina answered.

Belle walked into the house that she shared with Rumple. It was quiet and dark. She wasn't sure that she should be there alone, but she was afraid that if she brought anyone with her that he would do something because he was angry. She wasn't sure that he still wouldn't do something with it just being her there, but she needed to take the chance.

While she had been sitting on the couch in Regina's vault-hidden living room, she'd remembered a stack of parchments that Rumple kept locked away. They were old and in various languages from the various kingdoms around the Enchanted Forest or FTL, as Emma called it. It was a land of Fairy Tales. But, Belle couldn't help but wonder if their stories would ever have a truly happy ending. They had all been torture, taken, lost their love, found love and still they all continued to fight for a destiny that always seemed ever allusive.

She sighed as she sat down on the stool behind the hutch the housed many magical items. She reached into the secret compartment and found the small key that she would need to unlock the case. She sighed again.

She wished that she didn't have to do things this way, but Rumple had forced her hand. He pushed her into a corner. She wasn't the raging tiger that Regina was, but she knew how to fight back. She knew that sooner or later she would have to talk to Rumple and clear the air, but today wasn't going to be that day. There was too much at stake.

"Belle?" he asked as he saw her on the stool.

She turned sharply and schooled her features. She had been raised to be a princess, a future queen, like Snow und Regina. They had all learned at a young age the game of politics. Her upbringing hadn't been as harsh us Regina's, but it was nevertheless strict and demanding. He didn't see the flush of fear cross her face as she steeled herself to his pleading.

"Are you coming home?"

"Not today," Belle answered.

"When?" he asked.

"When I can believe that you aren't going to hurt anyone for power?"

"What do I have to do?"

"I don't know. You've hurt me and you don't see it," she told him as she unlocked the compartment that had the parchments in it. "You are so worried about yourself and your quest for power that you have forgotten what should matter most to you, Rumple. I will not be a trophy for you. I am supposed to be your wife. Either learn to treat me like it, or let me go."

He looked utterly defeated by her words. She kept her eyes on him while she took the parchments. She rolled them up and secured them before she stood up. She never took her eyes off of him as she moved to come around the glass hutch.

"You could have just asked. I would have let you have them, Belle. They mean nothing to me."

"I know."

"Then why didn't you?" he asked her.

"Because, I am not ready to talk to you. I don't know when I will be. I am sorry," she replied.

He didn't say a word as she left. He just let her go. He knew that if he kept her there that the Savior would come knocking. And he knew that if Emma came knocking, then Regina and Ruby wouldn't be far behind. He really didn't want an all-out war with the "heroes."

He was looking for a way to fix things. He needed to figure out how to fix his marriage. He couldn't do that without hurting a few people. He just hoped that everyone would understand.

He knew that they wouldn't understand that he'd figured out a time spell. He knew that they would be afraid of him having it, because he would literally be able to go back and change things to get the outcome that he wanted. They wouldn't understand that he was developing it, strengthening it, so that he could save the town and stop the Blackness. They wouldn't get that he was afraid that he was the Blackness.

Time was of the essence. He had to figure this out quickly. He had to stop Will. She was the one that would undo everything that he would do in the future. She was the catalyst that would start the feud between Rumple and the rest of town. He needed to stop her from coming. He needed to hurt Coraline, Regina, and Emma, but it was just such a small pain. They would never know that it happened to begin with. He needed to rid the town of the Vulcannonian that wouldn't die.

He went to the back to the store. There was really no reason to be open. No one came to him anymore. They went to the Mayor/Queen or the Savior. He wasn't needed. He had all the power of the Dark One and no one seemed to care. They had all learned to live without magic and now that it was back, no one trusted Rumple long enough to try to get him to do anything for him. His prices were usually too sleep for them in FTL. Here they were astronomical.

He didn't know what Belle hoped to find in those parchments. They were just old contracts. Only two or three of them were actually Vulcannonian Contracts of Service. If memory served him correctly, there were a few Vulcannonian Contracts of Binding. Once, he even saw the name of Rohan Fajro on one. But, it had been so many years ago and they were all younger then. The more he thought about it, the more he thought that Wilhelmina had taken that contract back with her to try and save her brother at one point.

His lip curled into a snarl. Wilhelmina had caused him to delay things before with Regina. He wondered why the "blessed" Vulcannonian was around now. Surely, she couldn't be trying to bind with Regina. It was the main reason that she ran to begin with. What was that blasted Vulcannonian up to? She was beginning to be the bane of his existence along with Coraline.

He sat down at his potions table and stared at the tome in from of him. The hexed spell that he created and gave to her brother Rohan didn't kill her or her father. It did take out half the population of Vulcannon. He didn't care enough to research it hack then, but now, he needed to know. What made her so special? Was it in her blood?

The thought of bleeding her dry made him giddy. He would be able to gain her power and destroy her as a threat at the same time. The problem was that she healed so damn fast just like the rest of the Vulcannonians that he had tried to bleed dry. Her sister-in-law had been the easiest to bleed, but she wasn't a full-blooded Vulcannonian. She was part Wolf. The thought made him stop and think. Was Wilhelmina full-blooded or was she something else? Was she really Pyroxes' daughter with Cyanae Rafe? Or was she someone else's?

Regina lay back on the chaise, content that she would be free in the morning of her husband's touch and his contempt. She was relaxing. She knew that whatever Wilhelmina was doing, she was doing for Regina and possible for the betterment of the kingdom, but it was mostly for Regina. She was finally pulled out of her reverie when she heard a knock on her main chamber door. She didn't know who it could be. She knew that Will would have taken care of the staff and let them know that the Queen wasn't to be disturbed until morning.

Slowly, she stood up and crossed the room. Before she opened the door, she grabbed a heavy dressing robe and put it on. She hoped that it was just someone from the kitchens bringing up her supper, since she missed the meal in the dining room with the King, because Will told her not to go. She was sure that was who was behind the door, because she knew that Will would have made sure that she got something to eat.

She was wrong. She was dead wrong. It wasn't anyone from the kitchens. It was the King.

"Good evening, Regina. You look well. I'm glad to see that you are recovering quickly after last night's endeavors. I must say, I am surprised that you are actually standing. You could barely get out of my bed last night. I thought maybe I had been too rough with you poor whoring body. But, now, I see I wasn't. Damn, woman, you must like it rougher than I thought."

Regina's blood turned to ice. All the color drained from her face. And, she muttered only one word, under her breath so he couldn't hear it.

"Will?"

"Will you tell me what you did that night?" Emma asked Will wondering what she could have done that would have caused her Grandfather to leave the castle to deal with it and why it would have taken him over two weeks to deal with it..

"No, I need to keep some things secret. How else will I be able to do my job responsibly? Hell, Emma, you never questioned me this much when I was teaching you how to track someone."

"I know. It is just...what would have caused him to leave that spontaneously? It must have been something that he was acquainted with if he left quickly and with just a small contingent of men. You don't just leave your new bride and daughter like that without understanding what the threat is and how to do deal with it. My guess is that it wasn't a real threat. It had to be something that you both knew about. It had to be something political," Emma stated.

"It was," Will replied, shocked that Emma had guessed close enough to the truth that quickly.

Regina turned sharply and looked at Will. She could remember what happened that night after Wilhelmina left her side. She couldn't forget it, but she never knew what Will did to get Leopold away from her. She just knew that he left early the next morning. Before he was gone, Will was back and by her side.

"You knew?" Regina stated.

"I knew what, Majesty?" Will asked her.

"You knew what was going on before you left, didn't you?"

"I had some idea. There was some talk amongst the knights and the staff. When you want to know what is really going on in the kingdom, always ask the servants. They have no reason to lie to you. They are at your mercy and pleasure," Will stated.

"I know, but you knew what you were going to stir up."

"I did."

"Did you know?" Regina asked as her entire countenance changed before their eyes.

"Did I know what, Majesty?" Will asked her suddenly concerned.

"You didn't know. How could you? You weren't there and I never told you," Regina replied quietly, hanging her head in obvious shame.

It was a look that Emma wasn't familiar with, nor did she know how to deal with it. It was something that Wilhelmina was knowledgeable about. She'd dealt with it before. She was out of her seat and kneeling before her. She reached a hand out and tilted Regina's face back up.

Brown met blue. Will searched her face as she watched everything as she tried to cover it up with her queenly mask. She saw enough to know what had happened and what Regina had hid.

"He came to you?" Will asked a little above a whisper.

"Yes…"

"I'd kill him if he wasn't already dead. Why? Regina...why didn't you tell me?" Will asked her.

A/N: Please don't hate me for the cliff hangers in this one. I left a lot of it open because the next chapter will answer some more questions for our lovely ladies and give us all more insight on what Will really is to all of them. I promise. There will a lot more chapters with heavy flashbacks and flashforwards (Coraline) so bear with me. I promise it is all relevant to the story.

For those of you on the Rumbelle train, don't worry it hasn't completely derailed...yet. And, for those of you jumping on the RedBeauty/RedBelle train...it happens in the future, so that train has fully left the station yet. Check your schedules, it will depart soon. As for Regina and Emma, there will be some minor delays, but they are for the most part right on schedule to have their happily ever ... you know what.

I have a general question. I do the flashbacks in italics and I am still giving your breaks, as well. It was brought up to me in a PM that sometimes, my breaks weren't posting. I hope that I am making it easier for you all now. Do you want the flash-forwards (Coraline's flashbacks) to be in italics or in bold type. I can do either. I just don't want to confuse you all as readers because both the flashbacks and the flashforwards are set in the Enchanted Forest and Fairy Tale Land.

Also, this week, I had my birthday and actually got a lot done. If I get the newest chapter completed, earlier than I expected, do you want me to post it early. Let me know. And, as always, feed the muse. She is happy this week...and when she is happy, you get more. 3 y'all ~ JET