People like us we've gotta stick together

Keep your head up, nothing lasts forever

Here's to the damned, to the lost and forgotten…

We are all misfits living in a world on fire

("People Like Us," Kelly Clarkson)

Chapter 18: Maleficent

The baby girl continued to cry in my arms as I stared at the woman. She limped closer to me, reaching out her uninjured arm to me. "Please…Give me my daughter. Don't hurt her."

"I'm not going to hurt her," I assured her, stepping down from the nest. I understood why she was so wary of me, knowing I would be ready to fight anyone who I thought might harm my children. So I approached her carefully as I said: "I'm a mother myself."

She collapsed on the ground and I hurried over to her, kneeling next to her. "I'm sorry. I can heal the wound if you want."

"You would really do that?" she asked, looking at me warily. I didn't blame her—I had been swinging a sword at her only a few minutes ago.

I nodded. "You can't hold her with an injured arm."

"You seem to be managing," the woman replied, motioning to the burn on my arm. "I got you good."

Glancing down, I noticed the burnt skin and nasty boils covering my shoulder. I shrugged, numb to the injuries she had inflicted on me during our fight. "The nerves were burned away so I won't feel anything just yet."

"Well, I'll heal you if you heal me," she offered, giving me a small smile. She then glanced down at the baby in my arms, who had stopped crying as she watched the two of us talking. "You should probably set her down."

She motioned with her scepter and a small cradle appeared between us. I laid the baby girl down, covering her with a blanket, before turning back to the woman. "Do you want to go first or shall I?"

"I'll heal you first as a sign of good faith," she said, setting her scepter aside. "I'm going to need you to hold still."

I nodded, doing as she said. She raised her hand over my burnt arm and a soft purple glow came from her palm. A cool, tingling feeling spread up and down my arm like I had covered it in Vaporub. My skin started to stitch back together and the ugly red marks faded back into pink skin. It was as if I had never been injured.

"It'll be pink for a day or so but it's healed," she assured me as she lowered her hands again.

"Thank you," I said, rubbing the smooth skin. I then turned to her. "Hold still. I'm not as skilled as you so it might take a bit longer."

She leaned closer so that her injury was clearly displayed. I swallowed down my guilt and held my hand over it, closing my eyes to concentrate on my power. My hand felt warm as I waved it around, hoping it was working.

"Open your eyes," the woman said. "You'll be able to control your magic better if you can see what you're doing."

I did as she said and realized my hand was no longer over her wound. Sheepish, I moved my hand back and let my magic do its work as the purple glow grew brighter. "Sorry. I told you I'm not as skilled at you. I'm still very new to this."

The woman's gaze softened and she gave me a soft smile. "Have you been teaching yourself then?"

"Is it that obvious?" I asked, feeling my arm grow heavy as my energy was drained. Unable to hold my hand in place, I had to stop despite her wounds not being completely healed. "Sorry."

"You've healed it enough," she said, moving her arm. "I can do the rest later. But for now, I can at least hold my daughter."

She leaned down and picked the sleeping baby up. I guided her hand upward and told her: "You need to support her head. Her neck isn't strong enough to do that on its own yet."

"Thank you," she said, doing as I instructed. She held the baby girl close and smiled down at her. The woman was crying now, tears running down her cheek and a thickness in her voice as she rocked her daughter. "She's beautiful."

I pressed my hand to my chest. "I'm Regina, by the way."

"I am Maleficent," she replied. It made sense to me and I felt I should've realized it sooner—a powerful sorceress who could turn into a dragon. I had no doubt that Sleeping Beauty was wandering Storybrooke even now.

Pushing that thought away, I looked down at her sleeping baby girl. "Do you have a name for this one yet?"

"Yes," Maleficent said. "Her name is Lilith. I think I'll call her Lily for short."

"That's a beautiful name," I replied, playing with Lily's foot. "I remember when my Rachel was that small."

Maleficent looked up, gratitude in her blue eyes. "Thank you. For not hurting her."

"I couldn't hurt an innocent baby like that. Though I wonder what the Queen would want her for," I mused, remembering how Zelena had once wanted Rachel for some nefarious purpose.

A hard look came to Maleficent's eyes. "There are many potions that call for the newborn child of a dragon and none of them good. And none that would allow Lily to live."

My stomach churned and I pressed my hand to my stomach. "I am sorry. Zelena didn't tell me what she wanted me to get from you. And when I saw it was an egg, I didn't realize there was a baby inside. I thought maybe it would be gold or a giant yolk, like an unfertilized chicken egg."

"Dragons aren't like chickens," Maleficent said, sounding almost offended. I probably would've been too if I had been compared to a chicken, to be honest. She sighed. "You do have a lot to learn, don't you?"

I shrugged. "I guess so. As I've said, I've mostly been teaching myself."

She hummed, looking back at Lily. "I'd offer to teach you but I can't really trust someone who works for Zelena."

"I don't work for her," I said, letting all my disdain and annoyance seep into my words. "She's kidnapped my mother and threatened her to force me to agree to fight you. I kept putting it off but then she abducted me and put up a magical barrier to prevent me from escaping. I had no choice."

Maleficent nodded. "I believe you. It sounds like her."

"So, how do we get out of this room?" I asked, looking around at the stone walls surrounding us. "The door seems enchanted shut."

"It is but I've been secretly digging a tunnel out of here when I could chance leaving my egg unattended, though those were brief moments. I did manage it to what appears to be a large tunnel carved throughout the cave. My goal was to wait until Lily hatched and then I could escape with her," Maleficent said, standing up. "We can use it to get out of here."

I stood as well, nodding. "That sounds like a plan to me. Hopefully, we can both get away from Zelena."

"My tunnel is over here. Follow me." Maleficent walked back toward her nest and I followed, eager to get out of that awful prison.

She pushed aside some blankets, revealing a dark tunnel. I conjured up a flashlight again, turning it on and letting it illuminate the tunnel. "Do you want to go first or shall I?"

"You have the strange torch," Maleficent replied. "You lead the way and Lily and I will follow you."

I nodded and began the trek through the tunnel, feeling her right behind me. Every so often, Lily let out little cries and her mother hushed her. "She's going to need to be fed soon," I told Maleficent.

"I know. It shouldn't be much longer until we're in the tunnel but I don't know how long it will be until we get out of there," she answered, sounding concerned.

"Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it," I said, my body starting to ache from everything I had experienced so far. I was going to need to sit soon, though neither the ground nor the boulders we passed looked comfortable.

We came up to a boulder and my heart sank into my stomach. "We can't go any farther."

"Because I put that there so no one took the tunnel down to me," Maleficent said, pointing her scepter at the giant rock. It glowed a purple color that reminded me of my own magic and she lifted it, moving it with her scepter while still cradling Lily. She then pointed to the hole. "There we go."

Impressed, I walked through the opening and stepped into the mine shaft. There was a rail track in there but it didn't help point the direction we needed to go to get out. "Which way?" I asked.

"Stand still, close your eyes and just focus on your surroundings," Maleficent told me.

Realizing it was my best option, I did as she said. I cleared my mind and waited for whatever sign would come. A soft breeze caressed my face and I took a deep breath, recognizing it air fresher than what I had been breathing in the mines. I waited and it blew again, causing me to open my eyes as I pointed to my left. "That way."

"Good," she purred. "Lead the way."

I walked toward where I had felt the breeze, breathing in fresher air with each step. A chill also started to fill the mine. The realization that we were so close spurred me on and I glanced at Maleficent over my shoulder. "Not much longer."

"I can tell as well," she said. "Do you know where we might end up?"

"I'm not sure. I came into the mines using an elevator in an abandoned library but I wouldn't be surprised to know there were several other entrances around the town and its vicinity," I answered, belatedly realizing that she wouldn't recognize most of the words I had just said. However, there was little time to explain them and I think she got my main point: We could exit anywhere in Storybrooke.

The light from my flashlight started to blend with what I realized was sunlight. We were almost out and I wanted to run the rest of the way. I knew, though, I couldn't leave Maleficent and Lily so I clamped down on that urge as we approached one of the external entrances to the mines.

I stepped into the sunshine, finding we were surrounded by trees. "We must be in the woods by Storybrooke," I said, taking a deep breath of fresh air.

"How far is the town then?" Maleficent asked.

"I don't know," I replied. "I really am not familiar with the town's layout."

She frowned, rocking a fussy Lily. "Are you even from here?"

"Not really, no. I live in another town because the Dark Curse didn't affect me. Well, it did in the fact that it brought me here but it only returned me to my own world, no need to give me false memories," I said, almost rambling.

Her eyes widened in recognition. "You're the one who crossed realms! I heard Zelena talking about you a few times. The Dark One was particularly interested in you."

"Still is," I muttered before sighing. "I'm sure we can figure out some way to figure out where we are and how to get back to town."

My ears picked up a sound and I concentrated on hearing it better. Maleficent was watching me, no doubt concerned by my actions. I didn't care, not when a glorious sound filled my ears.

Robin's voice.

"Regina!" he called out. "Regina, are you out here?"

I turned in the direction I believed his voice was coming from and yelled: "ROBIN! I'm over here!"

A few seconds later, he appeared over a grassy hill. He was wide-eyed and breathless, his bow in hand and a quiver strapped to his back. Relief filled him as he hurried down the hill, scooping me into his arms. "Oh, thank god."

"I knew you'd come for me," I said, burying my face into his neck and taking a deep breath.

"I was so worried when I woke up and you weren't in bed. There was no note, your purse was still in the house and so was your car. I could only think it was Zelena," he told me, peppering my hair with kisses.

We pulled back as I frowned. "Who is watching the children?"

"Snow," he told me. "I brought them with me and she agreed to watch them while I said I needed to help Charming with him. He's also searching the woods with me."

"Regina! There you are!" Charming called out. I looked up and saw him also running down the hill. He didn't stop until he almost crashed into me, enveloping me in an almost bone-crushing hug.

I hugged him back before one of Lily's cries reminded me we were not alone. Turning back, I found Maleficent trying to calm her baby. "We should probably get her fed," I said.

"Regina, I need you to step back behind me and Robin," Charming said, tugging on my arm. "It's for your safety."

Maleficent scowled at him, holding Lily even closer as the baby continued to cry. "You again."

"I see you two have met," I said, rolling my eyes. "Maleficent was the dragon Zelena wanted me to slay. I decided to save her instead."

"She's an evil sorceress, Regina. You can't trust her," Charming argued, giving her the stink-eye.

I stepped closer to him as I crossed my arms. "She healed my wound and got me out of there. I don't know what history you two have, but I know I can trust her. Now, we need to get her and the baby out of the woods so she can eat and get some clothing."

"I'm not going to hurt you," Maleficent said. "I'm just focused on taking care of my daughter, not reviving old rivalries."

Charming sighed. "Fine. We're not far from Robin's car. Let's head back there."

"We can put the baby in our daughter's car seat," Robin told Maleficent as he helped her up the hill.

"I think I only understood one word of that statement and it was 'baby,'" Maleficent replied, holding Lily closer.

I stood on her other side, my hand on her back in what I hoped was a comforting gesture. "Don't worry. We'll explain it to you when we get to the car. It's a form of transportation in this world and is sort of a horseless carriage."

We made it up the hill and down a small dirt path before we hit the road leading back into town. Robin's car was parked there, both car seats in the back. He opened one of the doors, pulling out Emma's seat to put in the trunk. "Lily will fit in Rachel's better," he reasoned.

"Let me just turn it around," I said, opening the other door and unbuckling the seat. "She's a newborn after all."

"This is a strange world we've been cursed to," Maleficent said, shaking her head. "It's going to take some getting used to."

Charming sighed as he leaned against the passenger side door. "That's something we can agree on, Maleficent."

"Imagine that," she replied in a sarcastic tone.

I held out my arms for Lily. "I'll strap her in."

Maleficent looked uncertain as she glanced at the car seat. "Strapped in? That doesn't sound…pleasant."

"It won't hurt her," I assured her. "It'll keep her safe as we drive back to Charming's. And we'll both be back here with her."

"I trust you, Regina," she said, handing me Lily. I nodded and buckled Lily into the car seat before I guided Maleficent into the car.

I buckled Maleficent up as she turned to care for a fussy Lily, murmuring soothing words to the baby girl. As I leaned back against my seatback, I caught Robin's eyes in the rearview mirror. We gave each other a smile before he started the car, pulling away from the woods and heading back into town.

We snuck into Charming's apartment, not wanting to alert Snow to our presence just yet. It would be difficult to explain Maleficent's outfit as well as why she had a naked baby swaddled in a blanket with her. However, Lily was growing more and more fussy so we had to be very quick in getting her into the building.

I led Maleficent to Charming's bed and pulled the curtain to separate us from the rest of the apartment. "So, can you nurse her?" I asked.

"I am lactating, if that's what you're asking," she replied before looking down at her daughter with uncertainty. "As for nursing…that should be natural, right?"

I smiled, remembering my own apprehension in the hospital after Rachel was born. "For the most part. But the first time can be hard. I'll help you like the nurse helped me when I had my daughter."

Maleficent let me hold Lily as she managed to lower the sleeve of her dress until her breast was bared. I handed her daughter back to her and guided her until Lily latched and was nursing happily. Maleficent stared down at her, her eyes full of wonder as she watched her daughter.

"Thank you. And thank you for standing up to Charming for me," Maleficent said softly. "I'm certain you can figure out our last meeting did not go well."

That seemed to be an understatement. I believed I had an idea of what happened. "Did he fight you while you were in your dragon form?"

She chuckled. "That would be the obvious story, wouldn't it? No, I'm afraid it's not that simple. You see, Prince Charming out there came to me to ask me to join their little coalition against Zelena."

It made sense to me for them to try to recruit someone so powerful. A dragon also seemed like it would be good defense against Zelena's old flying monkeys. Maleficent clearly didn't like her either so why hadn't she signed on?

"I hadn't wanted to get involved back then," she explained, as if reading my mind. "I was at a pretty low point, feeling like a complete failure so the last thing I wanted to do was fight with the so-called heroes. I just wanted to be left alone. And I made that clear to your prince. He just wouldn't take no for an answer. Kept pestering me until I finally got my position across to him. He might have left my palace slightly singed."

My lips twitched as I tried not to smile at the image of Charming stumbling from a palace with smoke curling from his hair and singe marks on his outfit, soot covering his dazed face. I cleared my throat to keep from laughing. "Well, I guess I can see where the tension may be coming from."

She chuckled before growing serious. "I was a fool back then. I thought that if I didn't take any side, I wouldn't be pulled into the fight. By the time I realized I was wrong, it was too late and I suddenly had a reason to care about what you would happen."

Her eyes softened as she looked back down at Lily, telling me everything I needed to know. I gently rested my hand on her arm. "I'll leave you two alone to bond. If you need anything, I'll just be on the other side of the curtain."

"Thank you, Regina," she said. I stood and stepped behind the curtain, returning to the main part of Charming's apartment.

Robin stood from the bar stool at the breakfast nook, his blue eyes filled with apprehension as he watched me approach. He seemed to be holding his breath, as if I would disappear again if he moved. I reached out, running my hands down his arms. "I'm okay," I whispered.

"Regina," he said, voice breaking as he pulled me into an embrace. He held me close, kissing my head over and over. "I was so scared."

I wrapped my arms around him as I buried my head in the crook of his neck again so I could breathe in his comforting scent. "I knew you'd come for me," I told him. "Just like before."

"I'll always come for you," he promised me with such a fierceness, it made my heart skip a beat. I pulled back and craned my neck up, kissing him.

He wrapped one arm around my waist while his other hand cupped the back of my head. We kissed over and over, taking deep breaths in between until I felt like my head was spinning. I broke the kiss, pressing my forehead to his. "I love you."

"I love you too," he said, guiding me over to Charming's couch. "Sit down, get some rest and tell me everything."

I dug my heels in, stopping him. "I want to see my babies," I told him, the need to hug each one overwhelming me. "Please go get the children."

"In good time," he told me, kissing my forehead. "We have to first get Maleficent and Lily in normal clothing before we call Snow down here."

"Good point. Though how are we going to explain them anyway?" I asked, letting him pull me down onto the couch. I curled against his side.

He shrugged. "I'm sure we'll think of something. We usually do."

I nodded, leaning my head on his shoulder. Realizing we were alone, I frowned. "Wait—where's Charming?"

"He went out to get us all something to eat from Granny's," Robin explained. "We figured you hadn't eaten all day."

"I actually used my magic to conjure up a sandwich earlier but now that you mention it, I am getting hungry again." I rubbed my stomach as it let out a loud growl.

He chuckled, kissing my head. "He's also getting some items for Maleficent and Lily, albeit begrudgingly. I don't think he's ever forgiven her for not helping our cause."

"Do you?" I asked, curious. As Charming's second, Robin had to have known about the quest if not been on it. He hadn't pulled me away from Maleficent but that could've been because he was too relieved to have me back.

"I get why she made her choice. To be honest, I tried to stay out of it until Marian's death. The fight got to us all but I could understand someone who tried to avoid it for as long as possible," he replied with a shrug.

I nodded as the door opened. Straightening up, I smiled as Charming entered his apartment while juggling several bags. He glared at Robin. "A little help please?"

"Sorry," Robin said, jumping up to help our prince. He grabbed some of the bags as I stood.

I held out my hands. "Here, I can take a bag too."

"You need to sit and rest," Robin argued from behind the island. "You've had quite the day."

"I'm fine. Besides, I want to take the bag with clothes for Maleficent and Lily. It's probably best if I give it to her, right?" I challenged him.

Both men exchanged looks before nodding. Charming held out one bag to her. "This is the bag you want then."

"Thank you," I said, holding it close to me. "I'll be right back."

I slipped past the curtain to find Maleficent burping Lily. She looked up at me with wide eyes. "Is this right? It seemed like the right thing to do."

"It is," I assured her, sitting back down. "You're a natural."

She smiled as Lily let out a burp. As she rubbed the girl's back, she then asked: "What now?"

I opened up the bag. "Let's get her in a diaper and a onesie. Then we'll get you into some regular clothing."

"What do you mean regular clothing? Like what you're wearing?" she asked, motioning to my outfit.

Glancing down, I remembered I was still in my Enchanted Forest get up. I shook my head as I made a note to change before we called Snow down. "Something more similar to what Charming and Robin are wearing. This isn't exactly en vogue anymore in this realm."

"I still didn't understand much of what you said," Maleficent said with a weary sigh. "How am I going to blend in here?"

"We'll figure it out. Don't worry," I assured her, standing up. "I'm going to change and then I'll help you."

Maleficent nodded and I raised my hand, engulfing myself in a cloud of my magic. I concentrated on an outfit that would fit the situation and the weather, figuring a nice red sweater and a pair of jeans would do. When the cloud died away, I was clad in the exact outfit I imagined—right down to the brown boots on my feet.

There were times I really loved having magic.

"Well, you have that down," Maleficent commented, giving me a small smile. "That's good to know."

I pulled out some of the baby clothes Charming had picked up as well as a package of diapers. "Well, you'll be teaching me soon enough. For now, let me show you how to put one of these on Lily."

We laid Lily on the bed and I helped Maleficent put the diaper on her daughter. I think got a onesie on the drowsy baby before we both got her into a purple sleeper. She fell asleep at that point and I placed some pillows around her, deciding that would have to do while I focused on her mother.

"Let's see what Charming picked up for you," I said, opening up the bag and pulling out a few items I could tell were meant for an adult woman. I handed them to Maleficent to hold.

She stretched out the floral print sweater in front of her and made a face. "Must I wear this?"

I crinkled my nose. "That looks like something his wife would wear. I guess that's why he picked it."

"The princess bandit? In this? I would never have guessed," Maleficent said, tossing the sweater onto the bed.

"Well, her personality is altered under the curse," I replied, pulling out the jeans David had bought as well. "It's all topsy-turvy."

Maleficent pressed her lips together. "That I can easily believe. How much longer until this curse is supposed to be broken?"

"Just under twenty-seven years," I said. "Emma is almost eighteen months old and she is destined to break it when she turns twenty-eight."

"Great," she groaned.

I stood up and took her hands, ready to form an alliance. "Look, Zelena wants me to break the curse so she can go back to the Enchanted Forest. I want to break it to get my friends back. I'd love for you to help me."

Maleficent grinned, squeezing my hand. "I'd love to help...but first, can you help me into these strange clothes?"

We emerged a few minutes later, Maleficent looking a bit uncomfortable in the sweater and jeans Charming had bought. She carried Lily and I conjured up a bassinet for the baby as well as blanket. "Why don't you put her in here?" I suggested.

"Thank you," she said, lying Lily down as the little girl slept on. "She looks like an absolute angel."

"Wait until she wakes up screaming at two in the morning," Robin said, smirking. "Not so much an angel then."

I scowled at him. "Don't listen to him. He wakes up at two in the morning and spends time with the girls, calling them angels no matter how loudly they are screaming. He's a big softie."

Robin shrugged. "I'm not going to deny it."

"And now can we go get our children?" I asked, wanting to hold Rachel and Emma close while Roland hugged me. "Please?"

His smirk softened into a fond smile. "Okay. I'll go ask Snow to bring them down here."

"Thank you," I said, stepping closer to give him a quick kiss. "I love you."

"Love you too." He winked at me before heading out of the apartment, closing the door behind him.

I turned back to find Maleficent and Charming eyeing each other warily. Sighing, I stepped closer to him. "What did you get for lunch? I'm starving."

"I picked up some sandwiches from Granny's," he said, pulling out a platter of them. "She might have gone a bit overboard."

"I'll say." I spun the tray, spotting several different types of sandwiches—ranging from ham and cheese to tuna. "We're definitely not going to go hungry for a couple days with all this food."

Charming chuckled. "No, we're not. Good thing there's going to be a bunch of us eating these."

The door opened and I turned, smiling as Roland raced into the apartment. He ran over to me, hugging me tightly. "Mama! I'm so glad you're okay!"

"I'm so glad to see you, my little knight." I crouched down so I could hug him properly, holding him close to me. We held each other for several minutes and I was so glad I was able to continue experiencing this for the rest of my life.

"Mama!" Emma's voice was clear and I opened up my eyes. She toddled over to me, arms outstretched. "Mama!"

I let go of Roland and scooped her up, standing with her as I peppered her little face with kisses. She laughed and banged her hands against my cheeks. "Mama!"

"Emma! I am so happy to see you," I said, kissing her forehead again. "I missed you so, so much."

"Someone else wants to get in on this," Robin said, carrying over a squirming Rachel. She reached out to me and I slid Emma to one hip so I could put Rachel on the other.

Rachel happy Mama back, she told me. She rested her head on my shoulder and closed one of her hands on my sweater, holding onto me tightly.

I kissed the top of her head. "I'm glad to be back. I missed all my children."

Roland wrapped his arms around me again and I was covered in children. I glanced behind me, seeing Maleficent smile softly at the sight, before looking at Robin. He grinned, leaning closer to hug me. "We all were very worried about you," he whispered.

"I was very worried about all of you," I said. "I worked hard to make sure I could get home to you."

"Did you fight the dragon? Did you win?" Roland asked me, jumping up and down with excitement.

I glanced back at Maleficent again, who now looked amused, before looking back at Roland. "I did fight the dragon but I think we both won."

"How is that possible?" he asked, tilting his head in confusion.

Noticing Snow walking in, I crouched down to whisper to him: "I'll tell you later, okay?"

He looked disappointed but nodded. I straightened up as Snow approached me, a big smile on her face. "There you are! I was wondering where you were. Robin said he and David needed to help you with something."

"Yes," I said. "The mayor needed my help with a task and it was a bit more than I could handle alone."

"Oh," she replied, looking confused since she knew there was no love lost between Zelena and me. But she dropped it when she noticed the other guest at our little party.

She approached Maleficent with her hand outstretched. "Hello, I'm Mary Margaret Blanchard. And you are?"

"That's Mal," I said, intervening before Maleficent could give her real name. "We ended up helping her as well."

"Nice to meet you," Maleficent said, shaking Snow's hand while trying not to look like she wanted to kill the princess.

Charming jumped in at that moment. "So, Granny gave us enough sandwiches to feed a small army. Why don't we try to make a dent in them?"

"Yay!" Roland cheered, pulling away from me. He let his father help him onto one of the bar stools Charming kept by his breakfast nook and pointed to one sandwich. "Can I have that one, please?"

"Of course," Robin said. "Let me get you a plate and something to drink. Ch…David, do you have any juice?"

Charming nodded. "Yes, I do. Is apple juice good for you, Roland?"

"Yes," Roland replied. "Thank you."

As the men tended to Roland, Snow approached me with outstretched arms. "Can I take one of the girls from you so you can eat?"

I looked between Emma and Rachel as both girls tightened their grips on me, pleading with me in my mind to not let them go. "It'll be okay, sweethearts," I told them. "I'll be right here. You'll see me the entire time."

Rachel clung to me while Emma loosened her grip somewhat as Snow reached out for her. Emma's green eyes remained fixed on me. Mama promise?

"I promise, Princess," I said, kissing her forehead. She then went willingly into Snow's arms as I continued to hold Rachel, who was starting to drift off.

"What sandwich do you want, Mama?" Roland asked me, trying to move the platter closer so I could see everything.

I pointed to a ham sandwich and Roland pulled it out, putting it on a plate for me. He beamed at me. "Here you go."

"Thank you, sweetheart." I kissed the top of his head before picked up my sandwich to take a bite as Rachel's body went limp in my arms. Her warm breath hit my neck in puffs as she slept against my shoulder.

Robin sat down next to me with his own sandwich. He didn't touch it though and instead held out his arms. "Do you want me to take Rachel?"

I shook my head. "I'd rather hold her. Besides, I only need one hand to eat a sandwich," I assured him.

We ate in silence and my eyes wandered over to where Snow was seated with Emma on her lap. Charming sat next to her, breaking off pieces of bread to feed the toddler. She took each piece happily, chewing it before sipping the juice Snow was holding for her. Emma had no clue she was being pampered by her real parents just as Snow had no memories of birthing the little girl in her lap. Only Charming knew the truth and I could see the sadness in his eyes as he cared for the daughter he couldn't raise.

Unable to help myself, I made eye contact with Robin. He gave me a sad smile and a little nod before we both turned back to our sandwiches, feeling sadness and guilt that we had our happy family and Charming didn't. Even Maleficent picked up on it and I thought I saw a sympathetic look in her eyes as she watched the happy family interact.

It still wasn't fair.

"Well, I should be heading back home," Snow said a couple hours later. She stood from the couch and smiled at us. "Have a safe trip back home, you lot."

"We will," Robin said, checking his watch. "We probably won't be too far behind you."

I yawned as I stretched my arms over my head, feeling something pop in my back. "My bed is definitely calling me. I feel like I can sleep for an entire week at this point."

Roland chuckled. "You're being silly, Mama."

"I'm being honest," I said, tapping his nose gently. "I am really, really tired after all my hard work today."

Snow leaned down, giving me a hug. "You go get that rest. I hope the Mayor appreciates everything you did for her."

"Doubtful," Robin muttered and I tried not to laugh as I let go of Snow.

Once she was gone, Maleficent finally spoke up for the first time in a long time. "What is the Queen going to do once she realizes we've both escaped?"

"I don't know," I replied, my heart sinking. "But I have a feeling my mother will pay the price."

Robin patted my knee. "We will get her back. I promise you."

"I just don't know how long Zelena was going to give me. Or if she's just going to count me dead if I don't return to her office or house or something," I said, my mind now spinning in several directions. All seemed to end with my mother dead, though.

He kissed my head. "Don't worry about it just yet, Regina. I have a feeling the Queen has a half-baked plan she's not really sure how to enact brewing and needs a bit more time, so your mother is safe."

"I hope so," I murmured. I then sighed and looked up at Maleficent. "What are we going to do with you?"

Maleficent shrugged. "I don't know. Can I go home with you?"

"That's probably not advisable," I replied. "There's a chance something bad will happen if you cross the town line."

"What about my jacket? The one you put that potion on? Could she wear it and cross the line with you?" Charming asked, perking up.

I shared a look with Robin and he shook his head. "We want that to be your escape plan should the Queen come after you," I told him. "But I could try to brew the potion again to enchant something that will get Maleficent and Lily out of Storybrooke."

"How long will that take?" she asked me.

"A couple weeks," I replied.

She nodded but frowned. "That still leaves the initial problem. Where will I go until then?"

I looked at Charming, who sighed. "I guess you can stay here for now. I can sleep on the couch. We'll say you're my sister who has come to stay with me so I can help care for your newborn daughter."

"Wonderful," she replied, disdain dripping from her every word.

"It's only for a couple weeks," I told her. "Once we can get you and Lily safely over the town line, we'll do that."

Maleficent sighed. "Fine. I guess he's not that bad."

"Aww, thanks," Charming replied, the same amount of disdain in his voice.

"Do you have any experience with babies?" she asked.

He hesitated, glancing at Emma as she cuddled closer to Roland on the couch. Charming then shrugged. "Some, I guess."

"I guess then that will have to do," Maleficent replied with another sigh. "But I get the bed."

"What?" Charming exclaimed. I shot him a glare, hoping it conveyed everything I was thinking—that Maleficent was a new mother who needed privacy to nurse her daughter and right now, she needed Charming's bedroom more than him. It seemed to work before he sighed. "Fine. I can sleep on the couch."

"Okay, looks like things are working out here. I'm going to take my wife home so she can get her own rest," Robin said, standing as he held his hand out to me.

I took it and stood. "There's a device in this world called a telephone. We can talk to each other on it even though I'll be several miles away. I'll call you on it tomorrow."

Maleficent looked at me like I had sprouted another head but nodded. "I'll be waiting then."

"Just don't expect it first thing in the morning," Robin told her. "I intend to make sure Regina gets plenty of rest after today."

"You should get some rest. Lily will want to be fed soon," I said. "And she'll probably want to be fed every four hours or so. That's how it was with Rachel and Emma."

Charming made a strangled sound before looking down at the counter, making me feel guilty. Swallowing it down, I finished with Maleficent: "If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them when we talk tomorrow."

"That sounds good," she replied, looking between me and Charming as if she were trying to solve a puzzle.

Robin handed me my coat, which I figured he brought from home for me. He also held out Roland's to him. "Can you get Emma's and Rachel's?" he asked me.

Charming jumped up and came out of the kitchen. "I can get Emma into her coat for you," he offered.

"Thank you," I said, knowing that letting him get his little girl ready to leave was the least we could do for him.

He grabbed her pink coat and knelt in front of Emma. "Let's put your coat on you, Princess."

"Charm!" she said, reaching for him with a toothy grin. He froze as she scooted closer to him. "Charm!"

I watched as he scooped her up and held her close. The fact his daughter had a name for him made him tear up as he kissed her blonde curls. Even I was starting to tear up just watching them together.

Wiping my eyes, I picked up Rachel's purple coat and smiled at her. "Okay, sweetheart, time to get ready to go home!"

She yawned as I slid one of her little arms into the coat. Rachel go sleep now?

"Not just yet," I told her, putting her other arm into its proper sleeve. "Once we're in the car, then you can sleep."

Okay, Mama. She pitched forward into my arms once I finished zipping her coat. I held her close, kissing her head.

Charming bounced Emma around in his arms, smiling at her. "You're absolutely beautiful, you know that?"

She laughed, clapping his cheeks with her hands. Robin reluctantly approached the two, holding out his arms. "I'm sorry, Charming," he said softly. "I have to take her."

Charming's face fell as he handed Emma to Robin. He kissed her forehead. "I love you, Emma."

"Bye, Charm," she said, waving a mitten-covered hand at him as she snuggled into Robin's embrace.

I hugged Charming before taking Roland's hand. Robin led us to his car and we all piled into it, Roland smushed between the two car seats. Both Emma and Rachel fell asleep before we even left Storybrooke and I felt myself nod off. It had been a long day and I was going to be excited to go home.

Alive.

A/N: Maleficent and Charming are probably going to make for two interesting roommates for the time being. And then add in a chipper Mary Margaret living upstairs while her husband pines for her downstairs…Mal is probably going to want to get out of there as quickly as possible.

How long will it take Zelena to realize that Regina's made it out of the mines and freed Maleficent? Will Robin and Regina be able to save Caroline? They're going to try…but only after spending some quality time together. Robin needs to make sure his wife is really okay.

I haven't really posted (except for Love from OQ) since it was announced that Once was ending this May. While part of me is sad, most of me believes it's time. The reboot was a noble attempt to revitalize it but I think it fell a little flat. Even though our show is signing off, I know Outlaw Queen will going on for the foreseeable future so I'll be around with my stories. I'm not going anywhere.

After all, we're still around despite Robin's death. We're pretty resilient.

I currently have a poll going on over on my Twitter account. Both Crown My Heart and The Nanny have completed chapters and you can vote for which one updates next. Remember, if I update The Nanny, it won't be on FFnet—just on AO3 and Wattpad. I'm still in the process of backing it up before I take it down so I'm not going to update it here.

I hope everyone has a great week and I'll see you soon!

-Mac