Author's Note: Sorry for the wait. After the chapter was edited I re-read it and didn't like the ending. So I went back and changed half of it. (shrug) Happens sometimes I suppose. All mistakes are my own.

Hope you all enjoy. Thank you for all of your reviews. First story on FF(dot)net to get over 100 reviews and over 50 favorites. :-D It means an awful, awful lot. :-D

Chapter 12
'Recovery'

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Regina led Steven towards the waiting chairs in the open hall. Waving her hand at the two arm chairs a puff of smoke appeared around the area and when it cleared revealed a cot. With a snap of her fingers the fire sparked to life and the room began to warm. Beneath her chest Regina felt her heart clench at the sight of Steven gently putting Emma upon the transfigured cot. The Prince was very gentle with the unconscious Princess and stayed beside her even after depositing her to the make-shift bed. It was the best she could do on short notice. It was long enough to accommodate the tall Princess and comfortable enough to help her rest.

"Prince Steven…" Regina cleared her throat. Steven quickly withdrew the hand that had been brushing blonde hair away from Emma's face. He forced a small smile as he stood up and allowed her to sit on the edge of the cot. Without her knowledge her hand moved to brush away the same strands of unruly hair that Steven had been trying to do. There were several bruises forming around the Princess' neck and Regina suspected there were many more.

Sighing softly Regina brushed the pad of her thumb across Emma's cheek, the unblemished skin soft beneath her touch. Emma had certainly inherited her mother's beauty but her grandmother's soft blonde locks. Grinning at the thought Regina twirled her finger around said blonde hair. Emma looked so much like both of her parents; she had her father's sleek jaw and her mother's eyes and nose. Brushing her fingertips over Emma's jaw and then over the closed eye lids the Queen held her breathe. The mirror was wrong. Snow White was not the fairest of them all. It was her daughter that belonged on that pedestal. Regina was no longer as vain as she had once been. Life had taught her quickly what was most important in one's life, and beauty was not one of them. Beauty faded with time, as Maleficent would say, for some it took longer than with others.

Regina wondered when it would come that this Princess lost her beauty. When would she suddenly stand before a mirror and wonder where the years had gone? What day would it be that she wondered when each of the wrinkles grew and stretched and formed across her formally unmarred face? Youth, this Princess was the epitome of youthful beauty and spirit. A spirit Regina could not help but wonder about. When would this willful, independent, strong, steadfast spirit be crushed? Who would come and be strong enough, be brave enough and evil enough to destroy the Princess' true beauty? By which suitor would Emma find her cage? Which Prince would it be that turned her spirit to nothing but dust. Dust not even the fairies would wish to use?

Times had not changed in this realm in her absence. Even with eighteen years on a throne the women, the Princesses, of this world were still as helpless as they had always been. They still turned to their Princes' turned Kings for all the answers, for their wisdom and opinions when their own were just as wise. They bowed and acquiesced to their husbands' wishes just like their mother's before them. They let women remain as they were, as powerless and dependent as they had always been on men, on their husbands. Lillian had wished to change that, had the courage and the strength to do that before she had fallen into the snare of Leopold's web. Regina watched as little by little the Duke that Lillian had loved with all her heart broke and crushed every last part of Lillian's spirit before her death.

"I see your grandmother in you, such a strong girl. You would change this realm, like she wished to, wouldn't you, Princess?" Regina asked the sleeping Princess, her voice soft and light upon the air lost quickly in the softness her words were spoken with.

Regina drew her fingertips up and around Emma's forehead, sloping down her cheeks and across her jaw, her eyes watching closely. She watched, riveted, her eyes fixated on her thumb which shook as it swiped just beneath the Princess' parted lips.

"Uh hmmm…" Steven cleared his throat, stopping Regina's movements instantaneously. She removed her hand from Emma's face but did not dignify the Prince by turning towards him. He would not see her flush at being caught. Regina's interests in Emma lie in her similarity to Lillian. That was all. It was all it was. She wasn't the spitting image of Lillian, no. But she was close. Very close and the fire and passion in Emma's spirit burned just as brightly as Lillian's did. It was an easy lie, something she could quickly convince herself of.

What Lillian lacked, Emma did not. The blonde currently lying beside her had the courage and strength that Lillian lost to Leopold. Emma had no Prince to lose her strength and courage to and for her sake Regina hoped she did not share the same fate as her grandmother.

Instead she focused on finding each of Emma's injuries. "Tell me, how did she come by these?" Regina asked, noticing the discoloration around the back of Emma's wrist.

"She fought eight of Maleficent's guards." Steven watched the Dark Queen carefully. He had not seen her eyes or face as she was mesmerized by Emma's face. He had only caught her as she was lifting her finger to touch Emma's lips. Weird in and of itself, but this was a Queen, Evil in nature, known for seeking out beauty and destroying it.

It worried him. Emma told him that he could trust Regina, Emma's words not his. He liked calling her by Dark Queen. It reminded him of who she was and who she could still be. This would not be the first time the Dark Queen had fooled a Princess. Or Prince for that matter. Emma did not seem like a fool but Steven was intelligent enough to know that sometimes even the brightest of people can be tricked and conned by those cunning enough.

"Eight of them? Alone?" Regina's voice spoke of how impressed she was.

"Yes, she was brilliant." Steven had watched, carefully and knew that Emma would be fine. If he had feared for her safety for more than a moment he would have shot the foe.

"That is very impressive. Maleficent will need to look for new guards."

Steven raised a brow, shifting his weight as he stood just behind Regina to the right so he had a clear view of Emma and what the witchy Queen was doing. "Why?"

Regina looked up, curious. "Well, if they are dead they certainly cannot fill their posts." Regina rolled her eyes at the stupid question. Why else would Maleficent need to look for replacements? She picked up Emma's hand to inspect it, wondering just how the Princess had gotten this bruise that began at the crack of her wrist and move up to two inches below her elbow.

Steven's eyes widened and he shook his head, "She did not kill any of them." Emma had nearly been killed twice but she had never done more than injure those attacking her. "She knocked them unconscious, knocked them back, or disarmed them. She did not kill any of them."

Regina dropped Emma's wrist, the limb falling limply to the bed as she shot her gaze back towards Steven. She saw the Prince's eyes and how nervous he was and wondered where his courage had gone. Fleeting, just like his father's…Regina thought with a huff as she turned to stare at Emma and picked up her hand, this time resting it on her knee as she healed it. A purple glow formed around the three hands and as Regina gently placed it back onto the bed the bruise was non-existent. "You mean to tell me, the same woman that tried fervently to kill me had the opportunity to kill eight men and she did not?" Her voice was low, grave, as she glared at the unconscious Princess.

"Uh…" The Prince was unsure how to answer that question. "Yes?" The truth seemed like the correct path to take. Any lies he spewed would be found out before he could truly finish fabricating them.

"Huh…" Regina tensed at this knowledge. She stared back at Emma as if she would be given an answer if she stared at the girl hard enough. To think, she had saved her from Maleficent when she was so willing to kill her, just her, and no one else. "Well I suppose they didn't have enough money put on their heads for her to try and kill them." Regina noticed from the corner of her eye how Steven moved uncomfortably, his weight shifting from foot to foot as his hand flexed uncertainly as if wanting to grasp his sword. When she looked up into the Prince's eyes she saw his worry clear as a red robin amongst a flock of blue jays.

Steven stepped closer, his hand moving to his sword's hilt, as it rested in his sheath at his side. Emma's sword and bow were still in the clearing. He wondered if Maleficent would be kind enough to bring them with her when she arrived or if he would have to explain to Blue Fairy why Emma's enchanted sword was…missing.

Regina watched Steven's fingers wrap deftly around the hilt of his sword before slowly tracking her eyes back up the Prince, her lips curved in a menacing snarl. "Think before you act young Prince. Do you truly wish to raise your sword against me?"

"I will do what I must. I've angered you with the truth." And put Emma in danger, something he would not have on his conscience.

"You've angered me by stating the Princess' truth." Regina clarified whatever anger she had felt bubbling beneath the surface simmered back down quickly. It would not do to come to blows with Prince Steven while Princess Emma slept unconscious between them and Maleficent was on her way.

"I, I do not follow."

Regina rolled her eyes, "Of course you would not follow. Your dear Princess tried to kill me. A little over a week ago when I first arrived, she and several other bounty hunters chased me into my own woods. She…" Regina jerked her head to the blonde beside her, "Was the only one with enough talent to keep pace with me. She nearly had me cornered when I tricked her. She slipped, nearly falling to her death when she called out for my help." Regina snickered, shaking her head at the memory of using her powers to pull Emma back up from the water fall's edge.

Steven was surprised that Emma was still alive if what Regina said was the truth. Why would she save the huntress that was chasing after her attempting to kill her? Could the Dark Queen truly be that, what? Kind? Generous? Foolish? It would seem that she was.

"Do you know what she did? The little brat that she is?"

"No?" Steven eased his hand off his sword as he listened to the Dark Queen retell the story of how she had apparently first met Emma. No wonder why they already had their own rapport. They met before the ball, before the kidnapping. "Knowing her I assume it was damaging?" His toes still hurt from the stomp to his toes.

Regina laughed, truly laughed, her eyes lighting up with the sound as it filled the open hall. "She tried to kill me. Again! Immediately after I had saved her life she tried to kill me. She even had the gall to call me…" She swallowed, "…soft." She whispered the insult, but grinned at the memory of Emma's scream as she plummeted to what she had probably thought was her death. That surely had taught the Princess just how soft she was, both figuratively and literally. After all, Emma was still alive, wasn't she? Well, she looked down at the injured Princess, for the most part.

Steven swallowed nervously, "I take it you don't take kindly to being called, soft."

"No, no I do not." The warning was clear as she noticed that both of Steven's hands were at his side, away from his weapons.

He lifted said hands up in surrender, smiling his patented charming smile to put the witch at ease. "Message received."

"Good, I wouldn't want to kill you. Maleficent would be displeased." Not that she would kill him so long as he held his tongue and kept his word.

Steven shuffled his weight; he wasn't so sure about Maleficent being displeased if he were to suddenly disappear off the face of the earth.

"She was hurt by your rejection. That does not mean she has stopped caring." The advice was offered quickly and softly, the moment she said it Steven questioned if anything had been said at all. The witch was so intent on her task at hand, which seemed to be finding any remaining injuries Emma had suffered during the fight, that he very well could have imagined it.

"Her side," Steven offered in his own form of thanks, "She was holding her right side. She was also favoring her right leg. She had a pretty nasty fall on her left knee."

Regina attempted to roll up the pantaloons but the material bunched up just below Emma's knee and would not go up any farther. With a sigh, Regina opened her palm and a pair of shears appeared with a black glow. "I will supply her new clothing." Regina promised the suddenly nervous Prince. She cut through the material up to an inch above each knee and saw the left leg was bruised from the shin to mid-thigh, the discoloration already pronounced, the knee swelling.

The sudden slam of doors being thrown open pulled Regina away from her task of healing Emma's leg. She whipped her head around and saw Maleficent walking briskly into the hall, three hired servants behind her. One was carrying what looked like a sword and a bow and quiver. Regina hid her smirk, so Maleficent was trying to play nice by bringing the Princess' weapons. The witch wondered if Steven would recognize the peace offering for what it was.

"Oh thank the stars." Steven sighed at the sight of the weapons. At least he knew he wouldn't have to explain to Blue Fairy why Emma needed a new enchanted sword.

"What are we thanking the stars for now?" Maleficent asked, crossing her arms as she noticed her chairs were gone and in their place a measly cot. "What have you done to my grand hall?" Maleficent bristled, only because it was Emma laying in the cot Regina had transfigured and not…well the Prince to her right. "And my favorite chairs!"

"I made do with what I had." Regina replied, rolling her eyes. "I will return your chairs to you as they were, have I ever not?"

Maleficent rolled her eyes, "Yes, last time you promised to return my furniture to its former shapes and I ended up with a disgusting bench with five legs." Maleficent sighed, "The color ruined the room's entire décor! I had to sleep in a guest room for weeks."

Regina grinned, recalling that memory. She and Maleficent had indulged a bit too much in the wine they'd stolen from one of Snow White's shipments. The wine had been delicious and to this day it was the first time she had fudged one of her spells while attempting to return Maleficent's bed to itself instead of a mass of pillows.

"She is going to recover by the way." Regina offered over her shoulder as she turned back to her task at hand.

"Pity, I was hoping she would contract some nasty disease and perish during the night."

Steven's eyes widened at the candid answer and honest disheartenment at Emma's promised recovery. Regina merely took the reply in stride and motioned for the two women who had walked in with Maleficent. One of them was holding a pair of folded clothing and the other two pails. One with warm water and the other with cold, Regina was sure.

The woman holding the clothing also had ripped rags she could use to wash away the blood that lingered on Emma's skin from her abdomen to her lower back. The cut was long. It had started on her side and cut towards her bellybutton. The bleeding had stopped before Regina had brought both royalty members here. It was the only other clear injury Emma had suffered besides the bruise to her wrist. It had been the first Regina healed while she opened the Princess' airways back in the forest.

"Her clothes aren't salvageable. We will need to change her into these," Regina gestured to the clothes the women carried, "Thank you." The thanks was directed to Maleficent even as the blonde witch tightened her hold around herself, huffed, and looked to the far right wall, away from them all.

Regina let her have her moment of foolishness. Had Emma's wounds been more severe she would have insisted her friend grow up and act like the grown woman she truly was not the petulant jealous maiden she was acting like.

"Prince Steven you may wish to…"

Steven had already turned his back as soon as he realized that they were going to be disrobing Emma. The bottom part of her shirt and pants had soaked through with the blood from the cut she'd received from one of Maleficent's guards. Steven, for a moment, wished he had taken the time to fire on him. Emma had knocked him back quickly enough and hadn't signaled for him. It would have given away his position and might have cost them Emma's life—and possibly his own—had he not trusted in Emma's instincts and cultivated talents with a sword.

"When you have finished changing her, have Steven bring her to the guest room on the second floor." Maleficent instructed over Regina's shoulder, looking for just the sake of looking at the bare skin revealed as Emma's clothing was removed. She saw no injuries and there was only an enflamed line where the cut had been in her side. Regina had done a wonderful job in healing her; the cut would leave nothing behind. "She has scars…" Maleficent commented, curious.

"She would, she moonlights as a bounty hunter." Regina was doing her best to save the Princess some semblance of pride by letting the two other women dress her. She felt flush and found she could not help but stare at Emma's stomach, the expanse of skin was not unmarred. In fact there were several scars, nearly a dozen that Regina could see easily, on the Princess' stomach. "Her hands are calloused as well." Regina whispered, mostly to herself as she picked up Emma's hand and inspected it for herself.

Maleficent grinned, "Oh right, I had almost forgotten her second life. What would dear mommy and daddy think if they ever knew?" Giggling at the image that thought produced, Maleficent turned and left the hall the bounce returned to her step.

Regina watched Maleficent leave, and stood, allowing the women more room to re-dress the Princess. Steven still stood with his back to them, and although Regina could not see his eyes she knew him to be watching Maleficent's exit. "We will have to keep an eye on her." Regina warned, knowing her friend and how she would delight in causing trouble.

Steven crossed his arms over his chest as he stared after his lover, "Yes, well lucky for you I can hardly take my eyes off her while she is in the room."

"Hmm, well it is not while she is in the room that I am worried about." It was while neither she nor Steven had their eyes on Maleficent that she was concerned with.

Steven nodded, "Yes, she is always willing and eager to cause trouble." The pranks that Maleficent helped Penelope pull on Desmond were merely child's play to what Steven knew Maleficent was capable if she truly put her mind on something.

-.-.-.-.-

"Well, look who's finally up."

Emma blinked, slow to understand where she was and who was speaking to her. It felt awfully like déjà vu. There wasn't much light in the room which she was grateful for. Her head felt like it was going to split in two any second. Any light would aggravate her condition more than it was already aggravated. "Oh fates, who hit me?" The last time she had felt this bad was after fighting the four Royal Guard members.

A chuckle sounded somewhere to her right and with a peek, Emma opened her right eye and turned her head to see who was with her. Blinking and rubbing her eyes to clear away her sleep the first thing she saw made her jump, startled. "Good lord man no one wants to wake up to your ugly mug."

Steven scowled at the insult, "My face happens to be chiseled and defined. Women fawn all over this pretty face. Especially the jaw. Defiantly the jaw. The muscles and riches don't hurt either."

"In your dreams I'm sure."

Steven laughed as he dropped down onto the edge of the bed. There was a chair beside the bed that looked uncomfortable and from Steven's sluggish movements and the dark circles under his eyes Emma realized he probably had been sitting up in that thing for hours watching her. He picked up Emma's hand and held it in both of his own, his smile faltering for a moment as he focused on the Princess' hand.

"Hey….hey," Emma squeezed Steven's hand and with a bit of effort lifted her other hand to knock his chin up so the Prince would meet her eyes. "You know I was just kidding." He nodded, "What's wrong?"

"You scared me."

"I scared you?" She hadn't expected that as a reaction. "How exactly?"

"You have been sleeping for several hours. I was worried you would not wake up."

"Now you sound like my mother."

"This is serious Emma!" Emma swallowed, she had never heard Steven raise his voice, let alone heard him raise it at her. "You could have been killed!"

"But…but I wasn't." It was a meek reply but it was all she could offer her friend.

"You think that makes it any better? You nearly died. Twice! Twice Emma, in ten minutes!" He stood up quickly and began to pace alongside the bed, his hands waving around in front of him as he mumbled incoherently. He didn't stop his stride as he turned and glared at her, pointing an accusing finger. "You. Are. Trouble with a capital T."

"I never said I wasn't."

"Uhhh…! This is, all of it, look at, for the love of…" He started pacing again and mumbling things Emma couldn't make out. Once he seemed to calm down he sat heavily into the uncomfortable looking chair and looked sadly at her. "I have never met anyone who attracts danger as much as you do. If you hadn't been right about Regina…" His voice wavered as he stopped moving and stared down at the ground.

"It's Regina now huh?" She teased again, happy that Steven wasn't calling her the Evil Queen or Evil Bitch like he had been when they'd first started their journey together. The muscle of Steven's neck twitched beneath the surface, his jaw tight and his hands shaking at his sides.

Steven glared at her and Emma fell silent, again, or was this for the first time? "I am sorry." She sincerely offered, realizing just how fearful Steven had truly been.

"You should be." It was as simple as that.

Emma let the silence grow between them as she played with a string of the quilt covering her. Looking at the quilt and feeling it's warmth she laid back down the bed was comfortable. She thought about offering Steven the right side of it but was not willing to have Maleficent walk in on them and try and…Maleficent!

Emma shot up and sat with her back against the headboard. Steven jumped up as well, alarmed with how quickly she had moved as if just seeing something. He turned towards the doors of the bedchambers they were in and saw they were still closed. With his hand at his side he realized he no longer had his sword. Maleficent had made it clear that she would not allow Steven to carry weapons around in her Fortress. She guaranteed his safety and Emma's, but only after Steven (with the help of Regina) pulled it out of her. He is a skilled hand to hand combatant and knows with Emma at his side they could easily dispatch a number of enemies together even while unarmed. When he sees no one around and hears nothing he looks to Emma who is staring at him blinking slowly a snarl slowly forming on her lips. Steven has never seen this look before. He realizes now that it was not a guard that he had to worry about but the Princess.

"Emma…?"

"Your…" Emma is breathing deeply her face red as her chest heaves. She throws the quilt off of her and steps off the bed. She tests her left leg and is grateful to see that it is healed. "…lover…almost…killed…me." Emma pronounces slowly as she stalks toward Steven, who at this very moment is making his way slowly towards the door.

"Now, Emma you can't possibly be ready to blame me for Maleficent's actions. You yourself even hypothesized that she would attack you when she saw it was I traveling with you."

Emma stops, Steven sighs in relief. Her glare is still prominent as she crosses her arms over her chest. Feeling a tug in the material of her shirt she looks down and blinks, shocked. "What is this! Where are my clothes!" Emma screeches as she tugs at the material of her 'borrowed' clothes.

Steven looks uncomfortable, "They were ruined. You were bleeding. While she was healing you they changed you."

"SHE?" Emma's screech rises in pitch causing Steven to wince. "SHE saw me naked?" Regina saw her naked she felt her body sway to the side a bit. She caught herself on the canopy poster at the end of the bed, her arm wrapped around it as she looked at the floor for a moment trying to process this new information. Then it hit her. "Wait, YOU saw me naked!"

"No, no I, I would never! I looked away, I…Now, Emma do think before you do something foolish. You wouldn't want to be responsible for hurting me would you? I swear to you that I have no interest in seeing your body when unclothed. I…ow, wait, no, Emma you, ugh, woman you cannot beat, uhh, me whenever you ooophfff, see fit!" If Steven was honest with himself he was happy that she was well enough TO beat him as she saw fit.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Regina and Maleficent were making their way towards the quarters that Maleficent had given to Emma. It was just past sun rise and the two witches wished to see how Emma was fairing. No, Maleficent had been dragged away from eating her morning meal to see how her guest was doing. The blonde was still angry with the Princess and wished to have nothing to do with her. The sooner she left the better. Regina may have convinced her to come join her to look in on the Princess to ensure that her relationship with Steven was not affected.

Maleficent did not see how her disregard for Emma would affect her relationship with Steven. After all she and Steven had been seeing each other for nearly two years already and Emma had never been a concern before.

"What in the…" Regina's eyes widened and she threw herself towards the wall and out of the way of the Prince barreling towards them.

Maleficent was so consumed in her thoughts that she never saw the errant Prince coming. The shape shifter groaned as she was knocked onto her ass by the Prince who consumed her thoughts.

Steven stopped several feet behind Maleficent and Regina and quickly moved back to help Maleficent up from the floor. His face was pale and sweaty and his breath short. He swallowed and looked down the hallway where a red faced temperamental Princess could be seen stalking briskly after him.

"Good morning, I do apologize love but…"

"Steven Reginald Primrose you get back here this instant. I'm not finished with you!"

"Well, it seems the Princess has recovered sufficiently. Can I kill her now?" Maleficent sneered as she looked at Regina, blaming her friend for this mess. Her lover who did not run from anything was running from this dreadful girl, it was unbecoming of a man of his station and strength.

"No!" Regina and Steven commanded at the same time. Maleficent merely rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, awaiting Emma's arrival to their current position. As she waited her eyes had a difficult time straying from Steven. It had been such a long time since she had been this close to him. The feel of his hand on the small of her back comforted her in ways she did not know she needed to be comforted.

Regina smirked, "Dear Prince, do not tell me you are afraid of such a young woman. She is, what, four years your junior and a quarter your size. You could easily dispatch her could you not?"

Steven gawked at Regina, "You of all people should know how capable she is with her weapons."

"Yes, but she does not have her weapons currently."

Maleficent's lips thinned, "Does she?"

"No, she does not."

"Do not fret Maleficent; I do not need my weapons to handle this good for nothing slime covered—"

"My! What a mouth you have Princess. You surely cannot kiss your mother with it?"

Emma stopped her rant, her brow raised curiously at the insinuation. Steven and Maleficent also looked at Regina curiously over the comment. Regina sighed and rolled her eyes, aware that there were many things that did not translate between realms well.

Regina was the first to break the silence, "Good morning, Princess. You seemed intent on your mission. May I ask what the Prince has done to face the wrath or your ire this early in the morning?" So soon after being near death's door?

Emma bowed her head to Regina in greeting and even deigned to do the same with Maleficent even if she did sneer at the shape shifter menacingly as she did. "He unfortunately insulted my form so early in the day I have yet to truly wake."

"You are lucky you can wake at all." Maleficent mumbled and was rewarded for her comment with the loss of Steven's hand upon her back. Growling at herself for being so ridiculous she straightened up to her full height and stepped up to the glowering Princess. Offering her hand she said, "Truce?"

It was not an apology because it was obvious Maleficent was not sorry for her actions. They were actions she would happily repeat with a better ending—according to her—again if she had to. Maleficent's loyalty would never be to Emma. It would always be with Regina and her heart would always remain in Steven's capable hands. Emma was just the odd point out in the awkward triangle Regina, Steven and she made up in regards to Maleficent.

Emma looked wearily at Maleficent's hand. There was a hopeful light in Steven's eyes at the gesture alone and with the tightness of the witch's jaw Emma knew how degrading this made her feel. Grasping the outstretched hand she took it and shook it.

"Fine, yes, a Truce. Just to make it clear I never broke our original one." Emma wished for Maleficent to know that at least. She had not set out on this mission to cause Regina pain.

Maleficent retracted her hand and made it a point not to look Emma in the eyes.

"Well, with that settled, join us in the dining room for breakfast. Maleficent has some of the best cooks in her service."

"I doubt that." Emma grinned as she fell into step with the two witches. Steven was close to her right side but he kept a good foot between them before she pulled on his arm. She linked their arms together and leaned her head against his shoulder for a moment. Her own silent apology.

Maleficent growled at the sight of Emma and Steven so close together. The pair did not disentangle themselves as they made their way down several corridors to the dining hall where their morning meals would be waiting for them. "Of course you do."

Regina and Steven sighed at the same time. They knew this was not going to be an easy truce for either woman. However they had hoped it would last more than half a minute. "Why don't we save our judgments until after breakfast?" Regina offered, ever the mediator.

Emma was about to retort but stopped as Steven elbowed her. "Of course, that's only fair after all."

Regina grinned, patting Maleficent's fisted hand to help calm her friend. They made their way passed the doorway to the dining hall, the doors held open for them by doormen. With the feast in sight and the safety of a meal and a wooden table between them all Regina saw sanctuary but lost it before she could grasp it with both hands.

"Now we can finally hear what plan it is that you have, Princess…" Maleficent hissed. "Surely it does not consist of your tomfoolery from yesterday."

Emma rolled her eyes. That 'tomfoolery' had showcased how right Emma was for the position of Regina's personal defense instructor. "As if attacking blindly is wise. How did those useless guards of yours fare in the aftermath of that?"

Maleficent stopped walking just inside the hall and spun towards Emma, seething. Before Steven or Regina could offer up any form of protest Maleficent had her hand wrapped rightly around Emma's neck. With a push of great strength and magic Maleficent pushed herself forward, back out the doors of the dining hall until Emma's back was pressed up against the brick wall.

The slam of the doors echoed through the hallway as Regina and Steven called out Maleficent's name from inside the dining hall.

Maleficent stuck her face a centimeter away from Emma's as she looked at the Princess as if she were nothing but a maggot. "I know of your type Princess. I have lived with them for decades! I know what your ultimate goal is. Even if you pretend to have another goal in mind. You cannot cheat Fate, little girl. You are not strong enough to defy the Fates. You will hold her heart in your bare hand and when you do I will delight in watching you die."

Emma's eyes bulged out of her sockets as she lost whatever air she'd had in her lungs as her back hit the wall. She grabbed at Maleficent's hand but her grip was too strong. There were several ways she could untangle herself from Maleficent's grasp but all of them left her as she saw the pain she felt reflected in Maleficent's eyes. Except it was greater. Far greater then her meager discomfort. Emma had seen this pain before, shimmering in Maleficent's eyes as she stared up at the witch while Regina held her back a week prior. The pain of losing Regina to death, not just another place, would devastate Maleficent.

Emma's eyes softened as she stared back into Maleficent's eyes. She held the witch's gaze even as Steven pulled her away and held her back.

"What is wrong with you! Have you not learned you cannot harm the girl!" Regina fumed as she looked between Maleficent and Emma who continued to look at one another.

"I am strong…enough." Emma stood up straight and stared right into Maleficent's eyes so she would understand. "I will be strong enough. I will defy anything I have to. I've learned my lesson well." Emma looked down, breaking their eye contact. She shook her head and saw Regina looking between them carefully while Steven remained on guard, his hand holding Maleficent's shoulder, keeping her away from Emma. "I am strong enough." She reiterated sure of herself this time. And if she wasn't now she would ensure that she would be.

Maleficent nodded her head once, her appetite gone. "Let us all pray that you are." Without another word she left.

Steven was torn he watched Maleficent storm away with a flourish all her own and looked back to Emma who was just regaining her breathe. "Go…" Steven's eyes widened as he snapped his eyes away from his retreating lover. "Go on. I'll just test the food. Make sure it's not poisoned."

He grinned, "Joseph would not do that to us."

"Of course you are on a first name basis with the cook."

Steven laughed, "With most of the guards that you kicked to shreds yesterday as well." Steven winked, before looking between Emma and Maleficent once more—the witch was nearly out of sight as it was.

"Go!" Emma sidled up to Regina and linked arms with the surprised and stark still Queen. "Regina and I will just enjoy some food in peace."

"You're sure?" Emma nodded a smile plastered on her face. "Thank you." He looked between the two women before racing down the hallway after Maleficent.

Once he was out of sight Emma's shoulders sagged and she released Regina's arm, blushing at her forwardness to have grabbed the witch in the first place. "My apologies." She offered, "Shall we?"

Regina frowned at the loss of Emma's body heat against her own. Odd she had not even realized she was enjoying the sensation until it was taken away from her. Shaking away her thoughts as they were preposterous to begin with she walked right past the Princess into the hall. "Yes. We have much to discuss."

Yes, Emma thought as she followed after her own witch, we do.

End Chapter Twelve