Lynn was happily skipping around the palace grounds. It was clear to see that she was enjoying the last gasps of warmth before the fall bled into winter. She stopped every so often to take a look around at the changing leaves. All of the colours that fluttered down were dancing in the wind. They seemed to be almost as excited as she was. She stared up, watching the slowly setting sun blend into the leaves that fluttered and fell. She briefly pulled her shawl a bit tighter around herself, startled by the sudden stabs of the cold breeze. She was happy. Unaware of how much things had changed. And, for that, she was in so many ways better off than the rest of her family and the few people kept close around them. She didn't understand how Snow and Charming could call themselves the king and queen when the queen was her mother, and no one else. Life was just about the same, for her. Regina knew that as well as anyone, and was absolutely relieved that Lynn was able to be blissfully unaware of how bad things were. That was something she feared most, the idea of Lynn having to realise what was truly happening around all of them was perhaps the most terrifying thing to her mother of late.

"She seems to be having a good day," Henry remarked, walking over towards where his daughter was sat, watching his granddaughter. "It's good to see her happy. She's been through so much, and she deserves to have a chance to be a child."

Regina said nothing, leaning back a little bit on her hands, still watching her little girl.

"I know things have been rather…difficult since losing the crown," Henry paused when his daughter glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes. "But they appear to be getting better, aren't they?"

Regina frowned. "I wouldn't say that."

"How come?" He sat down beside her, the same way he had when he spoke with her as a child. "You have the same quality of life you had before. You have your daughter. You have the few friends that you've always been able to call on when you need them, and even one whom you found enigmatic to start."

"That does not mean things are getting better," Regina said coldly. "They're still getting worse, and will be until Snow is forced to face what she's done."

Henry turned to her in shock. "Regina," He said, an edge of horror entering his voice. "You can't possibly be thinking of taking her child from her, can you?"

Regina raised an eyebrow. "Why would I ever even consider that?" She snapped. "After what happened to my own child - because of them, mind - I can never fathom taking someone's child from them unless that child is in danger from them or those around them which, for as much as I hate Snow and her prince, I am well aware will not be the case."

Henry fell silent, barely able to comprehend what his daughter's true intent towards Snow White could possibly be.

"Then…what are you suggesting? Regina, you cannot harm her or anyone in Misthaven, or she will kill you. That will hurt Lynn more than anything else, to lose you."

"I'm well aware of that," She sent him a dark look. "But that does not mean I don't know what I'm doing, nor that I don't know how to finally have justice. No. It's not about justice. It's about vengeance."

Henry shook his head. "Regina, please. For your own good. For Lynn's own good. For everyone's good. To make sure things will be alright. Please, give up this pursuit for revenge against Snow White."

"That is not in the cards," Regina softened the second she saw Lynn was giggling and pulling herself up to sit in a tree and take in the sunset. "But, I assure you, it will put everything right."

Henry went silent again, almost too scared to ask what she meant. Knowing her last attempt had been a sleeping curse, there were almost no other things he could imagine would be capable of getting the vengeance his daughter sought against Snow. What other -

"It occurred to me, just before I went to the wedding," Regina finally went on. "That I do have a way to make things right. To finally set things into the way they are supposed to be. And it does not harm them in this land. So, I won't be breaking the deal. I won't be held to anything of them."

"And how…" He pressed, his brow furrowed in both worry and confusion. "How are you planning to do something like that?"

"It's quite simple, and I'm coming very close to being able to cast it," Regina sighed, briefly closing her eyes. "The dark curse."

"We're going to be able to protect them, from whatever it is Regina may try to do," Charming took his wife's hand as they walked through the halls of their castle. "And that's why we have the absolute fail safe. The wardrobe. If we can get the baby in it and close it before anything Regina could possibly do happens, they'll escape safely. And so will whichever one of us that follows. We're going to be just fine."

"I know," Snow said, biting at her lip. "But, still. I can't help but worry. I mean…"

Charming hesitated, unsure of what he could possibly say, well aware that she was in the same place.

They were both well aware of how dangerous Regina was.

Regina was an evil witch, and that was, in part, why she and her obsession with vengeance made her so dangerous.

"What she did at the wedding was completely out of line," Snow no longer tried to mask the bitterness and anger in her voice. "I don't want to kill her. But I felt very close to the precipice, and, at that moment, for better or for worse, I hoped that, when you threw the sword, it would kill her."

Regina's violent and vitriolic eyes had briefly closed in a disturbing show of calm before flashing open in an attempt to intimidate her step daughter and step son in law. She had no care. No care for the fear she was causing for all of the people around them. All she cared about was to upset the two people meant to be enjoying their wedding day. The laughter that left her made everything all the worse. Snow shook, hiding how upset and scared she was. Barely aware, and shaking badly, she reached for her husband's sword, and managed to muster the strength in just one hand to point it clear at her step mother. Regina seemed completely and utterly unfazed. What scared her most, though, was when Regina's face shifted from mild annoyance to nothing short of pure amusement. Then there, Regina smirked, another reminder of just how far gone the former queen was from the woman who had saved her life years before. Snow almost couldn't believe it. She hated it.

"She's not a queen anymore!" A force which she had not expected entered her voice. "She's nothing more than an evil witch!"

She only calmed down, just a little, when her husband had touched her cheek, whispering, reminding her who they were.

"You're wasting your time," He had met Regina's cold gaze with one of equal disdain while he took his sword back into his own hands. "You've already lost, Regina, and I will not let you ruin this wedding."

Then, had come the absolutely sick laughter, the all too clear reminder of how much Regina was enjoying causing torment, pain.

"Oh, I haven't come to ruin anything," She had said, drawing out the words and sauntering around. "On the contrary, dear, I have come to give you a gift."

He had felt Snow flinch. Regina had said very much the same to Leah and Stefan, and that had been nothing short of a horrid, violent lie.

"We want nothing from you!"

"But you shall have it," Regina had smirked again, glancing back at them and appearing to be enjoying every moment. "My gift to you is this happy, happy day. For tomorrow my real work begins. You've made your vows, now I make mine. Soon, everything you love, everything all of you love, will be taken from you."

There had been something about the way the woman spoke that had shaken both Snow and Charming to their very core.

Regina had laughed when she went on.

"Forever. And, out of your suffering, will arise my victory. I shall destroy your happiness, if it is the last thing I do."

She had disappeared the second he had thrown his sword, keeping the promise he and Snow had made to Regina about what would happen if she harmed anyone in their kingdom again.

"We won't let her win," Snow's voice hardened. "There's nothing about her which is redeemable. Not anymore, and that's what so sad about all of it."

"I agree," Charming said, his voice as bitter as her own. "And that's why, in the worst case, our child will ensure things will be safe, able to be set right. No matter what Regina ever tries to do."

Replies To Reviews:

jasouatfan: Regina will need her friends no matter what, and the dark curse will - in one way or another - show that. and, yes, Snow and Charming care a lot about their kid, but they are so misguided that it is unclear how well they would be able to teach them to be the best, happiest person possible.

barrattajennifer: where Snow is focused on her ideas and acting in her views of morality, she tends to get lost and misguided where she wants to do well by people. Charming, much like Regina, acts strongly on emotion, something which is often both detrimental and beneficial to them. it's no wonder, then, how the three of them can't quite figure each other out, let alone what they want to and/or actually do.

Sammii16: thanks so much love! things are about to take some turns, and that's going to be quite the interesting predicament and result for everyone involved!