A/N: Ok, so I have decided that Robin Hood will not be a part of this story.. He'll be far better off in New York :D aaand, needless to say, this is were we deviates from "storyline"

Forbidden

Close Encounters:

Okay, so what just happened?

That's the burning question.

Maleficent kissed her. First, she basically choked the air out of her, and then she kissed her.

Why?

She is supposed to be angry, right? Well, she was angry, but that kiss wasn't just angry.

And Regina had every opportunity to stop the kiss. So why didn't she?

Because I wanted it. Because I enjoyed the kiss and wanted to keep kissing her.

Right then. Splendid. That complicates things. Again.

Regina ends up in her bedroom. Her throat is still bruised and aching and by all the gods, she's confused. At her wits end. Literally.

She hasn't thought of Maleficent for years and now this. Was the response to the kiss an automatic one, or was it perhaps just pure relief because the dragon is alive?

A mixture.

This was not the kind of infiltration she had imagined.

Not at all. What she had expected was a Maleficent trying to kill her. Not a Maleficent kissing her and literally trying to get her off against a fucking wall. This day has already been too long, Regina decides. So she flicks her wrist and trades her clothes for a pajama and then climbs into bed. Determined not to let this night's events get to her.

But then, as expected, as predicted. Things blows up spectacularly in her face. Well, maybe not in hers directly, but she's certainly caught right in the middle of the Jetstream.

Snow White, who is clearly overcome with guilt spills her secret to Emma. And Emma understandably reacts with both anger and hurt. Things escalates further when Mr. Gold makes his re-appearance in Storybrooke and lets Regina in on his little "plan". To turn Emma dark.

And then Cruella crosses a line and goes after Henry in an attempt to get what she wants. It ends as badly as it even can. Emma shoves Cruella off a cliff and into her death.

Snow and David are horrified. Is their daughter turning dark?

Regina tries to calm the disturbed waters, but she secretly wonders whether she wouldn't have done the exact same thing to Cruella.

With Cruella's death, "the Queens of Darkness" disbands again. Ursula, with her voice restored to her, leaves with her father, and Maleficent… Well, god knows what Maleficent is doing.

Regina's primary focus is to stay calm and not let her temper get the best of her. She should have screamed when she had the opportunity too.

After a couple of "eventful" days they all end up at Granny's Diner. Regina, Snow, David, Henry, Emma and Killian. Emma is still visibly upset with her parents and barely looks at them. Let alone talks to them.

And Regina wonders whether it's appropriate to have a drink at ten in the morning.

"Emma…" Mary Margaret tries, but Emma keeps her gaze fixated on the table instead of looking at her mother.

And then the door to Granny's Diner opens and Maleficent steps inside. Snow and David instantly looks up, and Regina is fully prepared to take the fight right then and there, but Maleficent simply scoffs and pushes her golden hair back over her shoulder.

"Relax. I'm not here to kill anyone." She drawls and her eyes darts from Snow and David to Regina, and then to Emma. "I'm here to ask the Savior for help."

Emma looks up. "You want my help? For what?"

"Well, before Cruella died," Maleficent says toneless and Emma winces. "She told me that my daughter did in fact survive the journey through the portal."

"She- she's alive?" Snow gasps.

"Yes, despite what you did to her," Maleficent sneers. "And Rumplestiltskin conveniently neglected to tell me, so it would appear that we now have a common foe."

"I knew he couldn't keep the dragon on her leash for long," Regina says before she can stop herself.

Maleficent's lips almost twitches at that. "Her name is Lilith. Lily. And apparently she's somewhere called New York."

"And what exactly do you want me to do?" Emma inquires, and her expression is still very much guarded.

"You once tracked people down for a living, am I correct? I want you to find her," Maleficent says. "And bring her back to me. I think that's the least you can do for me. If you do that, I might just consider to not harm your precious parents."

Emma opens her mouth, then closes it again. Considers for a moment, and then: "Deal."

"Excellent." Maleficent says and gives Snow and David another icy stare. She turns around, heads for the door but then changes her mind and stops halfway there: "Regina, a moment of your time if you please."

Emma opens her mouth as to protest but Regina raises a hand to silence her. The Charmings aren't the only ones with a debt to pay.

She follows Maleficent outside, a couple of feet away from the diner and then folds her arms across her chest as she waits. She hadn't expected Maleficent to take the confrontation in the middle of the street, but in hindsight, she doesn't know anything anymore.

"Rumple is still planning something," Mal says plainly as she turns around to face Regina. "I don't know exactly what, but he's planning something. Unfortunately, neither of us could keep the charade up long enough to figure out what."

"Neither of us?" Regina echoes and raises an eyebrow.

"Oh, come on," Maleficent says and rolls her blue eyes. "You couldn't be one of the villains even if you tried. I'm surprised neither Cruella or Ursula didn't look right through you."

"But obviously you did." Regina points out.

"I've always had a certain skill for reading you like an open book."

Now it's Regina's turn to roll her eyes, but she silently agrees with Maleficent. "And exactly why are you tattling on Gold to me? I thought you were angry with me."

"Yes, well, I'm still trying to figure out exactly what to do with you." Maleficent states.

Regina raises an eyebrow. This is odd. Maleficent is talking to her exactly like she did many years ago, and that is quite confusing.

"I'm not gonna apologize for trying to strangle you the other day," Maleficent says plainly.

"I didn't expect you to."

"And I'm not gonna apologize for kissing you either."

"Right. Can I ask exactly why you did that?" Regina asks haughtily. "Not the most common way to show your anger."

"Because I wanted to." Maleficent says, and once again her voice is completely neutral. "But I do believe a proper talk in is order."

"And does that talk include you trying to choke me again?"

"I haven't decided." Maleficent answers and narrows her eyes. "But I have several questions I want an answer to. I think you owe me that."

Regina nods. She does. She does owe Maleficent that.

"Tonight. Gold's cabin. It's empty, he's out spying on his little bookworm. If you don't show up, I will bring you there myself." The last bit is a pretty obvious threat, and Regina nods again as to confirm their agreement.

"Don't be late… my darling." Maleficent says silkily as she disappears in a cloud of smoke.

Regina's eyebrows raise at her hairline at that. Threat or not, that sounded very much like Maleficent was arranging one of their "regular meetings" like she did back in the Enchanted Forest, but surely that can't be the case. Because why on earth should Maleficent be interested in that? No, she wanted answers to her questions, and nothing else.

My darling. What the hell is Regina supposed to think of that? Why would she even call me that?

She's at her wits end. Again. Maleficent is definitely trying to lead her astray. It wouldn't be the first time she's done that, but this is really something else.

Deeply mystified, Regina walks back into the diner where Emma immediately gives her a look. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Regina dismisses. "So, you're going to New York?"

"Yeah." Emma nods. "I could actually use a little Storybrooke break." She glances up at her parents standing at the counter.

"Emma, you can't keep that up forever," Regina says quietly. "Believe me, nothing good comes from holding grudges."

"I get that," Emma acknowledges. "But still… They've always made such a big deal out of being Snow White and prince Charming. The good guys. And then it turns out that they've done something like this."

"They made a mistake," Regina says. "But they owned up to it. They admitted what they did."

"That still doesn't make it okay." Emma mutters. "And shouldn't you be angry over what they did to Maleficent?"

"I was," Regina admits quietly. "For a split second."

"Maleficent didn't seem very angry though, did she?" Emma muses.

"No, she didn't. I think she just wants her daughter back."

"Mmm. What did she want?" Emma inquires.

Regina sighs. "I still have a lot of things to sort out with her."

"Hopefully that doesn't involve strangling you again," Emma says.

Regina chuckles dryly. Emma had accidentally seen the markings on her neck and had nagged her until Regina had told her what happened.

But she hadn't told her about that damned kiss. She didn't need to tell anyone about that.

To Be Continued?