A/N
I lied. This isn't the last chapter. I clearly need more words to get to the end. What I suspect is the last chapter is about 80 % finished, and I'm working on it, so I really don't think it will take another five months to get it out. Thanks again for your patience, views, favourites, follows and comments. No matter how much I write for myself, I also write for you, and it is satisfying beyond words that anybody actually takes the time to read this.

She was walking quickly in the direction of the pawn shop.

It's a great idea! The author has to have the answer. Alternatively, be the answer. If he indeed can write anything and make it true, then I just have to find him and make him…

Her thoughts halted. What would she make him write? Zelena out of the picture, that's for sure, but other than that? She would have to think about that.

She could have poofed directly to her destination, but the need to cool down and gather her thoughts won out. Nothing made her more collected than a brisk walk, and this time was no different. Although the thoughts never seemed to sort themselves out, the rhythmic clicking of her heels on the pavement worked as some kind of war drum. The beat of every step in combination with her seething anger and indignation brought out the cold, determined warrior queen, and boy did she like it! Finally, she was feeling like herself again, and she was perfectly on top of her game as the bell above the door announced her entrance.

The author was standing by the counter, apparently looking through some books, and he practically jumped at the sound and with a poorly prepared and executed soutenu, he had turned to face her.

"What are you doing here?"

His voice was no less intimidated than his demeanour, and she had a good few replies at the front of her mind, but before she had the time to pick a particularly acrid one, Gold came bursting through the veil that separated the shop from the back room. He was definitely looking worse for wear. What the hell had happened to him?

"What do you want?" he wheezed as he steadied himself to the cabinet by the wall, his left hand clutching at his chest.

"God, you look awful! I'm just going to stand here and enjoy your pain I think, Dearie!"

The words flicked like a subtitle before her eyes, but her mouth, on the other hand, spit out the more practical reply; "I want the author. Finding him was my idea before you stole it!"

He didn't reply, but kept panting and swallowing, and her narrow eyes widened slightly as she took in the sight.

"What's wrong with you? You look terrible."

"Nothing, I'm fine."

Yeah, sure, there's absolutely nothing wrong with you, you foul, heartless...

That was it! She could feel the grin spreading on her face.

"Oh, it's your heart, isn't it?" A sick form of glee was bubbling in her chest, and for all she tried, she couldn't contain her smirk. "It's finally happening."

"Yeah, it's dying. Bad news for you and me both." he sneered.

The glee seeped out of her again, and she even felt a twinge of care for him.

"You said it would kill your ability to love. You didn't say that…" She halted for a moment, but certainly, that could not be the case. She wouldn't believe it. He was a cockroach, and just like those pesky little insects, Ruplestiltskin would surely survive an atom war.

"The Dark One can't die. Not like that."

"No, but Rumplestiltskin can. A friendly warning; you don't want to face the Dark One when there's no one else at home, so I suggest you don't antagonise me"

Somehow she wasn't intimidated by this.

"Oh, but it doesn't really matter. By definition, when I get my happy ending, I'll be, guess what? Happy! So I don't really care what you'll be up to."

"You're just being short-sighted." His hand was fumbling around in his inner pocket, before taking out and presenting the author's quill. "Look, I have the quill. You and I can work together. We could figure out a way to find that ink."

She walked towards him, still apprehensive, but with a new determination.

"Yes, you look like you're up for some real collaboration!" With a smile, she grabbed the quill and moved back towards the author.

"Thank you! I'll figure out the ink on my own."

"No!" His protest was feeble, but clear – and she just didn't care.

"Goodbye. Dearie." She took a firm hold of the author's arm and in a cloud of purple smoke, they where transported to the safety of her vault.

Oh God! That's different!

She hadn't really been doing much poofing ever since Robin left town. It simply hadn't been necessary. In fact, even her standard magic was a bit off-kilter. It felt like her powers had shifted somehow, as if her main source was somewhere else than it used to be, and the effort to channel the magic while being teleported, left her slightly off balance. Her head felt like she had been taking a few spins on an office chair just to see the world swivel, and concluded that motion sickness was a probability in any means of transportation, apart from walking. To get rid of the uncomfortable feeling, she started to pace before stopping and turning towards the author.

"So, if I have this straight; you thought Emma would go dark, and she didn't, so the whole operation is dead."

"Right. The energy of her darkest potential has to charge the ink."

"Okay, let's think." She started to pace again, and he started talking.

"It's a shame, I mean, writing a happy ending for the Evil Queen… Well, you...you've always been a favourite of mine. Very clear goals plus a totally damaged personality, with a self-destructive streak; a recipe for compelling. Of all the characters I've written about, you really do get screwed over the most."

Her pacing halted, and squinting she sneered at him.

"I'm well aware!"

He put on one of the least trustworthy smiles she had ever seen and continued.

"By the way, I was only working with Rumplestiltskin because he would be able to protect me, so, you can trust me."

To her great dismay, his words had softened her, and the possibilities felt endless. If she only was smart about it. The writing would have to be flawless. If not, she would surely be in deeper shit than she was initially.

"And you can really do as you say?"

He nodded affirmatively, and she reached for her pocket to take out the folded and taped page XXIII. Carefully, she unfolded it and showed him

"Take a look at this. This page, it says my happy ending is possible, doesn't it? I mean, it has to exist for a reason!"

She was grasping for straws, and she knew it. That damned desperation was never far from the surface. The surprised look on the author's face as he saw the drawing took her by surprise, though.

"Wow! I wrote this."

Her heart sunk like a brick, and she cast a glance down at the page. So he was not the answer after all.

"I mean, the story with that drawing in it, from my… Well, a little experimental writing I did, for another book that I never got the chance to write. Where did you get this?"

He sounded genuinely interested, but the excess energy and optimism she had accumulated up until then had evaporated into thin air, and her reply was less than cheerful.

"It just turned up one day, in Robin's things."

"I don't know how that happened, but yeah, it suggests that something is looking out for you."

He, on the other hand, sounded like a child who at last was allowed to play with his favourite toy. Or like a creepy kid watching the futile flight of the bumblebee he just had pierced with a couple of pins. She shuddered internally, but kept her exterior rather unfazed.

"Something?" Her voice broke a little with exasperation. "What, could you be more vague?"

"You know as well as I, there are forces greater than all of us, but no matter how you got that, gosh, I'm a fan and I'd be happy to write whatever you want. If you only had the ink."

"Oh, I already figured that part out. I know exactly where to find it."

She had been thinking a bit, even as he kept talking. The energy of Emma's darkest potential… was not in Emma, but in the dragon! God, this was too easy! And without even really hurting anybody. A win-win situation, so to speak.

"I know how to get the ink. Meet me outside the hospital in an hour, and we'll make a new chapter."

They went outside, and she sealed the vault again. The author skulked off to wherever he wanted, and she was quite pleased to be rid of him for a while. He was really making her uncomfortable!

Next question was; where do you find a petulant 30-year-old dragon in no hurry to make up with mummy-dearest?

Regina had no time to waste, and poofed downtown, just to browse the streets. This time around, she was more prepared for the new sensation, and the few adjustments she had taken had paid off. A few seconds with closed eyes, and she was ready to go. While looking for Lily, she went through the conversation with the author over and over again. He had written the extra page, and it had never happened, because he never got to write that other book he apparently wanted to write. In fact, he hadn't written or tweaked anything she had experienced so far in her life. At least nothing directly. She halted for a second and lifted her eyes to the sky. No matter how horrid and unfair she might think her life had been, the Author had not put any obstacles in her way. They were the same as always; her mother, Snow White, king Leopold, Rumplestiltskin, herself. If it was not an altogether good thing that she actually had a say in her life, it certainly didn't feel so bad that nobody in particular was out to get her. She was queen, mayor, mother, in charge. Both in the world and in her own life! This new revelation made breathing easier, and she was feeling quite good about most things as she spotted the dragon outside the pharmacy.

She was sitting in the shed waiting for the bus. Typical run-away. Too bad the bus service out of town was…infrequent.

It was surprising easy to get her to talk, even though she was emanating a very teenage-like "get-out-of-my-face-you-fat-assed-grown-up-bitch-I-have-no-intention-of-speaking-to"-attitude. Nicking the blood from her palm went smooth as hot knife in butter, and quite satisfied with her work, Regina poofed to the hospital. She cast a glance at her watch. Forty minutes early. She could sing! This was so easy! And she had time to ponder how to get rid of the Zelena-plus problem.

She found a sofa near the entrance and drifted off in her thoughts. After some time, her stomach gave off a high-pitched squeal, and she suddenly felt extremely hungry, on the verge of nausea. Quickly she rummaged through her pockets for some money, and to her great relief, she found enough to get a 7Up and a granola bar at the kiosk. She was munching away and getting the blood sugar up to par as the author came through the automatic doors.

"Where to next, Your Majesty?" he simpered, and it sent unpleasant shivers down her spine. Her initial enthusiasm about her plan was fading, as was her trust in the creepy man, but she stood up and lead him towards the basement.

"We're paying my sister a visit, just to let her know exactly what I'm going to do to her. Or rather, what I'm making you do to her."

"Oh, you're too good, Your Majesty! It's my greatest pleasure to be of help!"

As they were descending the stairs, she toyed with the idea of getting rid of the author himself, but quickly dismissed of the thought. He needed to be taken care of in another way. Exactly how, she didn't know.

She was bringing forth her confidence as she lifted the spell on her sister's cell, and as she opened the door and entered, she was back in her most beloved character.

Zelena sat in the corner of her bunk, clearly wondering who was coming to visit.

"Hello Zelena."

"Oh visitors! I'll put the kettle on."

Sarcasm sounds so much nicer and polite in an English accent, Regina mused. Out loud she said; "I've got the author, and I've got the ink." She put her hand on his shoulder and put on her most menacing, yet accommodating, voice. "I want you to witness the moment he writes me my heart's desire."

Zelena sat a bit straighter, and Regina continued in the same menacing tone, but without the pretence. "See, this is my town, and this is my story. You've just been a supporting player this whole time."

Zelena gave a low chuckle. "Yeah, you see, I'm not here to support you. I'm here to replace you. Out with the old and in with the new." She flicked her hair a bit and Regina assumed she really revelled in her so-called wickedness. In reality, it was nothing more than taunt, and an annoying one at that.

"Really? We'll see about that."

"Wait." She suddenly sounded timid, and rose from her backward slumped position in the corner to get up on her knees before she was standing up and as she closed her cardigan and protectively crossed her arms in front of her. "What exactly is he going to write?"

Regina felt the glee come back to her, and crossed her arms and legs and leaned comfortably back against the padded wall.

"Oh, I've given that a lot of thought. There are so many good options. But I think that after much deliberation I've come up with a perfect ending for you. Sis."

This spurred Zelena again.

"You're just mad because I've got with Robin Hood what you always wanted. A child."

"No, I've already have a child. Henry."

How much does she know? Probably about the potion, but the other…

Zelena gave a little huff, and Regina walked a step closer.

"No, what I'm mad about is you trying to come between us. About you trying to hurt me. Now I'm going to see to that you can never hurt anyone else again. Our author here is going to write you out of our story. For ever."

The look on Zelena's face was constantly changing as she took in the words. She seemed incredulous that Regina even thought about getting rid of her.

"Sorry sis, I think you're bluffing. You'd never take away Robin's baby."

"That's not how I look at it." It really was not. She could perfectly imagine a world without sisters and sister's damned offspring, and it was glorious! It was not without a certain satisfaction she saw the confident smirk wiped off Zelena's face, and Regina was actually starting to enjoy this little torment of hers.

"You see, as far as everybody will be concerned, including me, it'll be as though," she paused for effect, "you never existed."

The same uncertainty and anxiety she had felt the day before, when she feared the author had cancelled her own pregnancy, was written all over her sister's face, and in fact, her whole body screamed it too. If she had ever hoped that the whole pregnancy thing was a scam on Zelena's part, her body language effectively ruled that option out. Regina certainly didn't possess the Saviour's knack of looking through lies, but this instinctive urge to protect an unborn life was too obvious and familiar to ignore as a fib.

"Wait, can he do that? Just change all of your memories?"

Regina glanced over to the author to get him to answer Zelena.

"Absolutely. The pen is mightier than the, well, everything."

She chuckled in a satisfied way as Zelena let out a nervous laugh and lifted a hand as if to wipe her brow, but it only touched the bridge of her nose before she let it fall to her side again. Kind of lost for words as her new reality, or rather lack thereof, dawned on her.

"Wow!" she sounded like she most of all wanted to cry, but still was far from doing so, "I never knew our mother, but I imagine I'm getting to know her right now."

"Is that so?"

"She tossed me in a basket, sent me to Oz. She gave up a baby, without even blinking an eye. And look at you now. You are exactly like her!"

Come to think of it, she probably wasn't really far from bursting into tears as she spat out the last exclamation. Being compared to Cora hurt more than it should have. She was nothing like their mother, and yet...

"Well, the ink is drying, so, what do you want me to do?" He was sounding impatient and annoyed.

"Nothing."

Zelena looked down and her shoulders relaxed the tiniest bit.

"You didn't know our mother Zelena, but I did. And yet we both suffered. She hurt you and she hurt me too. But our own worst enemy isn't her, or each other. It's ourselves."

"Regina!" Robin came hastening around the corner and entered the room and sounded a bit winded. What the hell was he doing here? Hadn't she said she had business to take care of?

"Is everything all right? I've been looking all over for you."

"Everything is fine." Yes, everything was fine, at last. Most of all because she had somehow come to the conclusion that she mattered. "I'm so tired of standing in the way of my own happiness." She shook her head a bit. "And I'm not going to do it any more."

"Naaw, another woman defining her happy ending as relative to the love of a man. Ah, sad, really."

"Oh, don't get it wrong Greenie. Robin isn't my happy ending. My happy ending is finally feeling at home in the world. Robin's just a part of that world. A world that you're gonna be forced to watch from a distance, with the most restricted visitation rights in history. See you at the next ultrasound."

The snide remark just rolled off her tongue before she had even thought it through, but the words certainly slapped the bitch right where it hurt the most! Zelena was unable to conceal the effect of the blow, and was positively on the verge of crying. Regina's primary goal, to hurt Zelena, was achieved. Her secondary goal was to protect Robin. Or was it the other way around? She really didn't know any more. Taking in another baby? Really? They hadn't talked about it at all. This was one crazy spur of the moment. Robin's only reaction was to grip her hand a little tighter, but staying silent, letting her do the talking. This was her turf. A bit shaky and muddy, but still hers.

The author cleared his throat.

"So, you don't want me writing anything?"

She turned away from Robin and looked at him.

"No. I already have everything I need." With that, she turned back to Robin and leaned forward to capture his lips with hers.

"Well, I don't."

The author disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke as he tore out the page on which he just had written.

"Regina!"

"What the…?"

She picked up the torn out page and groaned.

"He wrote himself back to Gold, and he's got the ink. I don't know what the hell he is up to, but it's certainly not good for me!"

"Oooh, what's he going to do, little sis?"

"You shut your mouth. We're going to righten this mess," She ushered Robin out while constantly having an eye on Zelena,"and you will be here, waiting it out."

With that, she closed the cell door, and yet again sealed it with magic.

"What are you doing, love?"

She ignored the pet name and answered as she drew up her phone.

"I'm sending an sms to the others to meet us in the secret room in the apprentice's house. Maybe we'll find a clue there. I can't come up with anything else."

Taking him by the hand, she engulfed them in her purple smoke and they landed with a thud in the hidden library in the Apprentice's house.

"God, that's one uncomfortable way of transportation" Robin groaned as he tried to regain his footing.

"It takes a bit of getting used to, I must admit."

"Did you mean what you said to Zelena?"

"Did I mean what?"

"Well, everything. If I really am a part of your happy ending, for one."

"Let's just say that within the last few hours, my nihilistic view has shifted somehow. And you…you are my man. I can't explain it any other way, and I won't. And no green witch can change that. As long as I know I am your woman, we'll figure out the rest."

"And the baby"

Yes, the baby. She hadn't thought that through, that was certain. Depending on the progression of both pregnancies and deliveries, Regina would either be heavily pregnant and taking care of a newborn, or she would be in the joyous post-partum haze having two newborns to feed, change and lull to sleep. No. She was all talk and no thought. Her reasoning had been to keep Zelena away from Robin, to let Robin keep his baby, and to let Zelena get a taste of her own medicine.

"I didn't think. It just rolled off my tongue."

"But is it true?"

"I think so. But it still makes me want to cry."

He raised his eyebrows and rolled his eyes.

"You are not alone in that. You have no idea how I wish..."

"Wishes are worth nothing now," she interrupted. "We have a real situation, and have to handle it like adults."

She had no intention of finding out what he wished. It was probably one out of two; Wishing Regina was the one pregnant, or that Zelena hadn't got pregnant at all.

"We need to concentrate..."

What they needed to concentrate on never left her lips, because that was the moment the league of un-Charmings came bursting through the doors with Henry in tow.

The next hour was spent looking through empty book after empty book, and her temper and patience was wearing thin. She threw yet another empty tome to the floor and let out a frustrated groan. This was leading absolutely nowhere!

Even when August showed up and told them what the Apprentice looked like, Hook knew where to find him and Blue got him out of the hat, they were no closer to a solution. All they could hope for was to get hold of the author and the page with the door and lock him safely back in the book.

They split up, and Regina, Emma and the Apprentice ran towards the pawnshop to get their mittens on Gold and the author, while Henry, the Charmings and Hook ran to the loft to get the page.

She hoped to God they were not to late. They were still here, weren't they?