Maleficent sighed, wishing for all the world this day would end. She was currently sitting in Regina's living room, trying not to smirk at Evie taking an x ray of the side of her face. "I don't understand why they won't let me kill her. She attacked me, her life is forfeit."
"You don't want to find out what happened to Grandma when she was young?" Evie asked.
"No." Mal scoffed. "She's alive and happy and healthy. What happened before is of no concern to me. All of this hero nonsense makes me sick. If I kill her, we don't have to worry about her anymore. Then we can go back to living our lives."
"Well, maybe Grandma wants to know."
"She gave me permission to be a dragon, meaning I should be able to burn that bitch alive."
Evie laughed softly and leaned back to examine the x rays on her tablet. "You have a dislocatable jaw?"
"Yes."
Evie bounced up and down and took her hand, pulling it up so she could take a picture of it. "I swear, you guys are so fascinating. I bet you could get hit with a car and hardly feel a thing."
"Possibly."
"Your healing factor is even better than Ruby's too. I just want to cut you guys open and dig around in there." Mal arched an eyebrow at her and she turned red. "I'm sorry that's just the doctor/mad scientist in me speaking. I would never do anything like to anyone. I would feel way too bad." Mal smirked. The girl's fascination with her had culminated into many strange requests over the years. X rays and blood tests seemed to be a favorite of hers, although she did test Mal's reflexes and perception a couple times compared to Regina's when it came to catching arrows. The dragon didn't mind it so long as these evaluations didn't end up in the hands of someone who could hurt them or a human from this world who simply did not understand. "By the way," Evie said, putting up the rest of her things so she could sit down and look over her x rays. "I uploaded the pictures from your last vacation and I checked your accounts that me and Ruby made for you. You have 20 million followers on Instagram and Twitter."
"20 million what on what?"
"Followers on social media. You didn't take Dianah's little class?" Evie snickered. "Anyways, that means that 20 million people have dragon fever. Soon it will infect the entire world."
"You're all insane."
"It's your fault." Evie smirked.
Mal looked up as Regina, Emma and Rose walked back into the room. Rose came to sit next to her and leaned her head on her shoulder. "Everything okay?"
"Gold is on his way to speak to Fiona, then you can kill her."
"Good." Mal took her hand and kissed the back of it. "Sorry our vacation was ruined."
"It's not your fault."
"Mom's on her way back, she stopped off at the house." Emma said.
"Tell your father to distract Grace. The two of them haven't seen each other in two years, they need time alone together and I don't want all of us in one place." Grace said. "I have a bad feeling about all of this."
"Alright, but Lily and Dianah are flying in right now." Emma went off to do as she was told.
Zelena appeared next to her sister. "I couldn't find anything. Not in my vault or yours. I even looked in the Interpol database. She's a ghost. No records of her anywhere, not even a story." She nodded to Grace. "I looked up your name too and her name did come up on your birth certificate, but for the most part, that's the only thing in the world that mentions Fiona Black."
"That's easy enough to forge or create." Regina said. "I should know, I had Gold make one to adopt Henry and put me into the system. Maybe we were right. You aren't from this world."
"Whatever world you came from, you must've either blocked it out or she altered your memories of it." Zelena added.
Maleficent watched Rose take in the news and put an arm around her. "That's enough for now. We should probably rest."
"Of course." Regina shook her head. "You both must still be exhausted. You can use the guest room."
"We will tonight, but we're not staying."
"What? Mal-"
"Regina, didn't you say you and Emma were adopting some time this week?"
Regina froze. "Shit. Shit, shit, shit." She hissed, starting to pace around the room. "We're supposed to go to the orphanage the day after tomorrow. Goddamnit!"
"That's why we can't stay."
"We can't bring anyone into our family like this anyway. Not now at least." Regina said, pausing to look at the dragon. "It's far too dangerous. And besides, you helped us with our problems, do you honestly think we're going to let you go through this alone? If this woman threatens you, she's threatening all of us."
"Would you really make those children wait even longer for a family?" Mal asked. "You won't. You will go to them and give them a home. You will put us out of your minds for the time being. I've already arranged for us to stay with a friend. Fiona isn't after you, so you should be safe. Within the next few days, she will be dead and this entire situation will just be a bad memory."
"We don't really know who she's after. She could be the one who tried to kill us on our wedding day. We can get the kids and wait it out for a few days, Mal, but we are destroying her. One way or another, nobody fucks with my Maleficent." Mal purred softly at her words. "Are you sure about this?"
"Positive. If I have to go hide out on an island in the middle of nowhere to protect all of you, so be it." She glanced up as Emma returned.
"Why don't you go back to Storybrooke? You'll be able to take dragon form, have full use of your magic, and my parents could help protect you guys while we get everything sorted."
Maleficent wrinkled her nose slightly at the mention of the Charmings. "Because, if someway, somehow, Miss Black manages to escape and follow us, she will be at full power as well and we don't know how powerful she is. In this world, we're both at a disadvantage. Her a little more so than me."
"She has the power to send out a private army for assassins and attack a public place without fear, I think she needs to be locked away and investigated." Emma scoffed.
"She knows what she has to do to take down a dragon." Regina replied, looking away.
"Okay, enough of this." Rose snapped. "Enough. Stop looking at her as my mother." She said, looking at Emma. "Look at her as Rumpelstiltskin's mother. Start with him, his past and history. Don't look for me because there is obviously no paper trail, however someone needs to have a talk with him since he seems to know everything, or at least enough to warn you Fiona was coming. Knowing who this woman is, is only part of the equation. She messed with my memories, she tried to kill the woman I love and I want to know why. That's it. As soon as she tells me that, Mal can rip her fucking head off." The others watched her go upstairs, shaking her head.
"This isn't good." Emma said. "This is too hard on her."
"The woman used to be a detective. I'm sure she's seen worse." Zelena scoffed.
"She's never been targeted before." The blonde snapped. "She's never had someone try to gun down her family because of her. That would be hard on anyone." Regina touched her arm, in hopes of calming her down, but Emma was pissed. "Tomorrow, you go talk to Gold." She said, turning to her wife. "You and Zelena. Don't play coy with him. Don't play nice. Make him tell you what the hell's going on or anything else he knows. I'll go with Grandma to talk to Fiona. Mal, you come for backup. This ends tomorrow." The others nodded in agreement.
"You should probably talk to your parents too." Evie added without looking up from her tablet.
"Why?" Emma asked.
"Well, Fiona's the Black Fairy, right? Maybe the fairies in Storybrooke know something."
"Good idea." Emma instantly pulled out her phone.
"Better yet," Zelena said. "Just talk to Tink. We could still ask the Blue Fairy but take what she says with a grain of salt. I wouldn't trust that bitch as far as I could throw her."
"What about the adoption?" Regina asked. "Should we push it back or go ahead?"
"We can't push it back. We could lose our chance and we've been talking to the kids for months. They'll be heartbroken. They're already our kids." Emma said, clenching her fists. "If we lose them because of this bitch-"
"Hey," Regina soothed. She took the blonde's hand, leading her into the kitchen to speak to her and likely to calm her down.
Mal made her departure, following her lover upstairs. She found Rose sitting on the edge of the bed with her head in her hands. The dragon walked over to her and got down on her knees. "May I give you something?"
"Are they answers?"
"No." Rose raised her head to look at her. "Based on everything we've been through, people that show up, often mean bad things are going to follow. I'm not worried about that. I'm not worried about me. I'm worried about you."
"I'll be fine. I'm not the one who was just attacked. She sent an army after you. How the hell are you not worried about yourself?" Rose demanded.
"It wouldn't be the first time, my love. Granted, the last ones didn't have guns and poisoned bullets, but-"
"I know that you're a dragon, okay? I don't want to lose you because of your pride, Maleficent!"
Mal growled softly and took the woman by the chin, looking her directly in the eye. "My pride has nothing to do with it. I've been attacked so many times in my life that it's pretty ridiculous, but that is a fact. Despise it as you will. However, your mother knows her last attack failed so there is no doubt in my mind that she will try again. Now, she did not walk into the fucking FBI headquarters without a plan and I believe getting captured was part of it. She had to know that we would be gathered there. We don't know the full story yet, but in time, we will and when we do, that usually means a fight. I don't know why Fiona is here or why she thinks she can take you away from me, but I will destroy her to stay by your side. Now, may I give you something?" Rose gulped and nodded. Mal took her arm and stretched it out, bringing her forearm to her lips. "This will sting."
"What are you doing?"
"Protecting you." She felt her teeth lengthen in her mouth, causing her gums to ache as they sharpened. She bit down on Rose's forearm, sinking her teeth deep for a split second before she retracted them and healed the wound. Rose grabbed at her arm and Mal laid her down on the bed as she seized up. She would be out of it for a while unfortunately, but it was necessary. The dragon had a terrible feeling about what was coming.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Early the next morning, Emma went to her brother's house. She was accompanied by her mother, who refused to stay at home. Jacob let them in. Inside, there were boxes stacked everywhere, a product of Jacob finally moving out of his bachelor pad so he could move in with Tinker Bell. It would seem that everyone in her family managed to steal someone from Storybrooke. The fairy was just finishing up breakfast with her brother when they arrived.
"Um, Tink, do you know anything about the Black Fairy?" Emma asked, taking a seat after Jake cleared off the couch for her and Grace. The fairy froze instantly and she nearly dropped the plate she was carrying. Grace reached forward to catch it.
"It's okay." Her mother said. "It's-"
"No, it's not. The Black Fairy is-is bad news. Very bad news. If she's here, then only ruin will follow."
"Can you tell us about her?" Emma asked.
Tink slowly sat down in the chair across from them. Her hands were shaking. Grace moved to sit next to her and gently took them in hers. "It is okay." She said again. "She's locked up."
"She is pure evil."
"What do you know about her?"
"Not as much as some of the older fairies. The Black Fairy is like...the boogeyman for fairies. Blue knows the full story, but I doubt you'll get it out of her." Tink sighed. "Once I snuck into her chambers and I found a book. It's meant to be a record of fairies and our history. I read some of it when I wasn't supposed to."
"What'd it say?" Grace asked, gently rubbing her hands. "Anything would be a huge help."
Tink nodded. "She didn't start out evil, or even a fairy. She did it all for her children. She and Tiger Lily, the fairy godmother that was chosen for her, received a prophecy that her children would be saviors, great heroes, but they would die fighting against a great evil. Fiona was obsessed with finding a way to stop this, to protect them. She stole a wand to turn herself into a fairy. More magic meant more power and that meant more protection for her children. The book glossed over a lot of what happened next, but I do know she created the Dark Curse."
"Why?" Emma frowned.
"She was going to banish all of the children in the Enchanted Forest to prevent them from growing up to be the great evil."
"That's insane." Jacob scoffed. "Who's to say the great evil was a person?"
"By then she had lost her mind and many fairies were preparing to try and send her away. Then she attacked Tiger Lily. She was willing to kill her to protect her children and in doing so, her magic started to darken. She managed to use the shears of destiny on her firstborn before the Blue Fairy banished her to a dark realm and took her wand from her."
"Shears of what?" Emma frowned.
"Shears of Destiny. They can change a person's fate."
A bit of a silence followed as she pondered all that she'd heard. "She got the prophecy for one of her children or all of them?"
Tink frowned as thought for a moment. "Rumpelstiltskin is obviously the one she was trying to protect at first, he's the first born, but the book always said children, meaning she would have more. I don't think it specified which one. Depending on how many kids she has, any of them could be predestined to die."
"So she could've changed Gold's fate and not Grandma's." Emma frowned. "Grandma could still be destined to fight this great evil. She could think it might be Maleficent?"
"It might have started out as her protecting her kids, but it isn't anymore." Grace said firmly. "If she was banished, how did she come back?"
Tink shrugged. "Blue always thought she started to like having more power but she could never prove it to the others."
"Sounds to me like she's going for her wand then." Jacob commented.
Emma pulled out her phone to relay the message to her parents and her wife. This could be a ruse to see her kids again and then move on to stealing her wand. They thanked Tink and walked back outside. "This is going to end badly." Everyone had too much going on to fight off another deranged maniac obsessed with destroying them, but she knew everyone would drop whatever it was they were doing to protect Mal and Rose. They just needed to know how. Then she received a call from her wife that changed everything. "Regina?"
"Call it off!" Regina said, almost frantic. She even sounded out of breath.
"What's going on? Where are you?"
"Fiona escaped. She already attacked the convent. Blue is injured. She has the wand. I tried to call Mal and Rose but their phones aren't working. Mal was right, it's a trap."
"She can't use it in this world, can she?" Emma asked, rushing to the car with her mother just behind her.
"That doesn't matter. She didn't attack Mal for the reasons we thought. Fiona is the great evil."
"She wouldn't kill her own daughter, would she?"
"Are you willing to take that chance?" Regina asked. "It's too dangerous. I called Ivar, he's the closest, but you should get home."
"Where's-"
"I have Myra with me. I just need to know where Mal is and where Fiona is. She'll kill them both."
"I'm on it."
"I got this." Grace said, pulling out her phone. An hour and a phone call later had half the bureau swarming the compound that had been listed under Fiona's name. They found a good number of her hired mercenaries and a large store of weapons. It took a little more digging to find her other residences, but they took Regina's approach from her creation of Storybrooke, in which many of the names were a play on words or held some meaning from the Enchanted Forest. They found a house not far at all from where the Swan family lived. It was listed under a pseudonym, but once they knew what they were looking for, it wasn't hard to find. It was a house that Emma had walked by many times and never did she suspect who lived within. Rose silently looked around the quaint and beautiful home while Grace lead the team in looking for one thing. Zelena found the wand hidden in a panel in the closet. It was placed in a box and swiftly taken away before anyone else found it. Emma left Grace to orchestrate their next move, although she did believe that her mother was going to find some way to lock up Fiona. They could probably do that on the weapons they found alone. Matching them to those used in the attack on Mal would be a sure thing to put Fiona away for a while. Grace got the honors of handcuffing her.
"So what happens now?" Maleficent asked that night, when they returned to the Swan Manor.
"She goes to jail. We can tie her to the attack on you." Emma said. "You guys are safe now and if you ever want to talk to her, we can set it up. She's not a threat anymore."
"Of course she is." Rose scoffed.
"Whatever plans she had, you can bet she didn't expect to be locked up." Emma assured her. "Grandma, you can still talk to her. Gold still wants to see her. As for her power, it is nonexistent. In this world, all that power she spent her life obtaining is null and void."
"We put a magic suppressing cuff on her wrist, just in case." Regina added. "But there's something else you should know." She held up a little red flower.
Maleficent let out a soft growl. "That's a pixie flower."
"She had some growing in the house. They only grow in the presence of great darkness. In Storybrooke, they were everywhere after her attack. The fairies and Gold said she liked to steal children. I think it might be because of this."
"She's using children to harvest pixie dust?" Mal frowned again. "If that is the case, she can never get back to Storybrooke or her realm or get her wand. She could be more powerful than we ever thought."
"Well, she's not getting out of prison." Emma scoffed. Her grandmother was still quiet, probably deep in her thoughts. "You okay?"
Rose quickly nodded. "Fine. So, um, how are the kids? Are you still adopting this week?"
Emma frowned slightly at the tactless change of subject, which was completely unlike Rose, but took her grandmother into the kitchen so Regina and Mal could continue talking in peace. She walked over to the coffee maker that thankfully was filled with a fresh pot. She poured a cup for Rose and sat down with her at the kitchen table, bringing with her a few pictures of the children they were adopting. "Yeah we are. Um, first there's Nala." She pulled out a picture of a little blonde haired girl. She was a little older than Myra, but Myra being a magical baby it was hard to notice the difference, and she was a very sweet girl. She was an orphan unfortunately, and had initially been very reserved and standoffish, but after the last few months of talking to Emma and Regina, she was very open and happy and excited to be a part of the family. Growing up in a foster home so young had yielded a lot of exposure to bullies and such, but she had a sort of protector in an older boy named Cody, who had gotten the raw end of foster care too many times over. He had been carted through a dozen homes already, each one worse than before and she knew he was going to be shocked when she told him that they were adopting him too. He was as old as Henry, so technically he might not be with them long, but she saw too much of herself in him to leave him there. Honestly, it was a struggle not to adopt every child there and she and Regina even joked about buying the whole damn foster home, but eventually conceded that that was too much. "Then Cody," She said, pulling out a picture of him with Regina. He was a good kid, just needed a little guidance. The last picture was a small brown haired boy barely 11 years old with a face covered in the cutest freckles. Adam was the boy who helped Regina in her stables and if it wasn't for the fact that she knew Adam wasn't biologically her son, you would think he was based on how inseparable the two were when they were together. "Then Adam."
"They all seem like wonderful kids. Lucky to have met you." Her grandmother said.
Emma reached across the table to touch her hand. "Are you okay?" Rose nodded. "Grandma…"
"I am fine, Emma Swan." Rose said firmly. "Just… I'm already tired of this whole thing. Maleficent getting attacked and getting shot scared the hell out of me. I thought I would lose her."
"People from Storybrooke are ridiculously hard to kill." Emma replied. "Especially Maleficent. I'm pretty sure she's already died like twice...once by me."
"That's only part of the problem." Rose almost growled, sipping her coffee. "The woman stabbed a man straight through the chest with a blunt plank of wood… I know that I can't, but in that moment...I wanted nothing more than to have her babies."
Emma almost snorted with laughter at her grandmother's confession. "Mal's a badass."
"Very true."
"Who's having babies?" Mal asked as she and Regina walked into the kitchen.
"Grandma wants to have yours."
Mal froze instantly, both eyebrows perked. "Really?"
"Yeah, after you stabbed someone through the chest."
The dragon smirked. "That can be arranged."
"I wasn't serious and besides, I'm in my 50s, Maleficent." Rose said, only causing Mal to frown in confusion. Regina explained to her the effects of menopause in humans once the women reach a certain age. From the look on Mal's face, Emma could tell she had no idea what Regina was talking about. Apparently human female anatomy did not match that of a dragon.
"I swear, you humans are the most complicated beings I've ever seen."
"Says the mythical creature that breathes fire." Regina returned.
"Exactly." Mal smirked at Rose again. "I'll have the baby then. Or I could work a little magic. It would be rather easy to turn you back a decade."
Rose narrowed her eyes at her. "How about you focus on spoiling the children we have instead of making them?"
"Fine." Mal kissed the top of her head. "As you wish." The dragon purred softly and gently massaged her shoulders. Emma flicked an eyebrow at the older woman's caring nature. A part of her had always worried about that relationship and she wasn't sure why. She always worried about her family, but she was glad that Rose had met Maleficent and that the pair was so in love. She had never seen her grandmother blush and laugh so much in her life than when she was around Mal, who adored her in turn. They were just beautiful together. "So, when will my godchildren get here?" The dragon asked.
"Tomorrow." Emma answered. Regina arched an eyebrow and it made her smile, already knowing why.
"You know, every child we have or adopt does not automatically become your godchild." Her wife said.
"I disagree. So, when will you be taking the little ones shopping? I want to pay for everything."
Regina rolled her eyes. "I want to get them settled in first."
"Well, we shall be present."
"Of course you will."
Mal glanced down at Rose. "When will you go see your mother?"
"I don't know, but she can rot for a little bit. Did Rumpelstiltskin say anything?"
"Nothing we didn't already know. He doesn't actually seem to know that much, which would make sense considering he was abandoned with his father. Fiona may have changed his fate, but it may not have worked for you so you could still be the child in the prophecy. From what we heard, there were two of them and Fiona and Blue argued over which was the right interpretation, although I think only Tiger Lily knew the truth. One says you would die fighting her and in the other you are prophesied to kill her." Regina answered. "Either way, she can't take the chance with you."
"Prophecy?" Rose muttered under her breath. "For the love of- How do we know I'm the only other child she had? No one knew about me, she could have ten more kids and we wouldn't know it."
"At this point, I believe it's more about her power than anything else, more than what you are to her." Maleficent replied. "If this is true, she would not have any other children as each one could bring about her demise. If she did have any others, I'm almost certain she either killed them or abandoned them. In each scenario they would never be able to realize their destiny and she would be able to live." Rose sighed again and Mal gently rubbed her shoulders again.
"I'm sorry you've had to go through this, Rose." Regina said. "Believe me, I've had my fair share of craziness with family members."
"I don't care about her. I haven't thought about that woman since I was ten."
"Power is very seductive." Regina replied. "It corrupts the brightest hearts and best intentions. My mother ripped out her own heart because of it. I do believe that once, this was about protecting you, but it's not anymore. Pixie dust is an intoxicant all its own."
"Is there a way to destroy her world and free the children?" Emma asked.
"It's possible, but I don't know about the children part. Time flows differently in that world, they might not be children anymore. The people that shot up Mal are the children she abducted and they would rather die than betray her." Regina grew quiet, seemingly in thought. "Did you leave Fiona when you were ten?"
"I guess so. I don't remember much before that. Why?"
Emma looked up at her wife, watching her mentally work her magic. "What is it? You've thought of something."
Regina shook her head. "It's most likely nothing."
"Regina, if you know something, share it." Mal commanded. "I doubt we will get many answers out of Fiona. All we have is a prophecy we know nothing about and a bunch of theories. One more won't change anything."
Regina sat down. "Fiona was a fairy when you were born, Rose. Magic is a trait that is passed on only about 50% of the time. Even someone born with magic may not show signs of it until much later on in life, or maybe never. However, those naturally gifted or born with more potent magic show signs right away. For instance, I didn't start learning magic until I was eighteen. Zelena was making trees levitate when she was a newborn."
"Are you saying I have magic?" Rose scoffed.
"I'm saying it's a strong possibility. Gold didn't have magic until he became the Dark One. She got rid of him right away but she kept you. Anyways, ten to thirteen is usually when a child begins to show signs of having magical capabilities. I think you showed signs. I think that's why she kept you. You leaving could've been your own doing."
"Then why let me live?" Rose asked.
"That's the part I can't figure out." Regina admitted. "If she truly wanted to kill you, she would have done so long ago. If her children were the key to her demise, why have you at all?" Her words only raised more questions. "I think she needs you for something. What that is, I don't know yet." Emma silently hoped she was wrong, but she had a feeling this was far from over.
"Are you tired, dear?" Mal asked in concern, looking down at Rose, who simply nodded. "We'll get out of your hair so you can prepare for the children. Everything we talked about, Regina, will have to be discussed at a different time."
"Of course."
Mal offered a hand to help Rose up. Emma stood up as well to escort them to the door. "So, where are you guys going to stay?"
"I bought a house down the street and had it properly furnished and supplied while you went to talk to Tinker Bell." The dragon replied.
"Money means absolutely nothing to you, does it?" Emma asked.
"Not really." Mal laughed smugly. "Have you seen my vault?"
The front door swung open before Emma could touch it and her baby girl burst inside and ran into Rose and Maleficent's arms. "GG, Godmother!"
Ivar and Henry walked into the house after her and greeted their mothers.
"How was your day with your brothers?" Regina asked, picking up Myra.
"Boring. They just argued about sports the whole time. Is Nala here yet?" She asked, looking around.
"Not yet. We have to go get her tomorrow." Regina smiled warmly at her child and placed her back on the ground. Emma couldn't help grinning as well. This was their little girl. Regina took her hand and gave it a squeeze and she didn't have to say a word to convey how happy she was just looking at their little miracle.
"We should leave before their faces get stuck like that." Rose commented.
"Good night, ladies." Ivar said with a small bow.
"Good night."
"I'll be back tomorrow, Mom."
Regina bid their guests adieu and sat down on the couch next to Henry. Tomorrow was a big day for them. Emma was excited beyond words at the prospect of expanding their family. Just to have children with Regina was a dream come true and a dream they had been working towards for the past year. It was a hectic year with Emma working and Regina cementing her place in the horse racing world, but it was a good year.
"Let's get you to bed." Regina smiled again, watching Myra yawn.
"But I'm not sleepy yet." She whined weakly.
Regina picked her up anyway. "Come on, Princess."
Emma watched them head upstairs before turning to make a quick sweep of the house for tomorrow. The house was immaculate, thanks to Regina and the very same habits that she bestowed upon Henry at a young age. Everything was ready to bring their kids home.
"Good night, Mom." Henry said as they walked up the stairs.
"Good night, kid. Get some sleep." She made her way down the hall to Myra's bedroom, where Regina was tucking her into bed. The room was mostly decorated in royal blue, her favorite color and shade, and Myra was almost swallowed by the giant bed that she laying in. It was a beautiful room that Emma loved to see her daughter in since it was so much like the one she always dreamed of having as a child. She noticed the sweet aroma of mangoes, her daughter's favorite scent for lotion, shampoo and and soap, as well as her favorite fruit, permeating the air and letting her know that she'd just had a bath. Regal, Royal and Noble were already laying in their dog beds or on the carpet as this was their favorite place to sleep. Emma bent to give each of them a scratch behind the ears before walking over to the bed. "Good night, Princess."
"Good night, Mo-" Myra yawned again, making her smile. "Good night, Mommy." She suddenly sat up. "Nala is going to be here tomorrow! I'm getting a sister!"
"And two brothers." Emma reminded her.
"I can't wait." She said.
Regina laughed softly and pushed her back down. "Guess what. If you go to sleep, tomorrow will get here even faster."
"Really?"
"Really really, Princess." Regina gave her a quick kiss and Emma gave her a kiss on the forehead. Myra pulled the sheets up to her chin and Regina made sure to cut on the tv on her way out, putting on her favorite movie as well, which happened to be Pocahontas. Emma knew she would probably try to watch it but she would be out in a few minutes and her daughter hated to sleep in the dark. The mothers closed the door behind them and made their departure. Emma went into the bedroom while Regina went to talk to Henry. She got undressed and crawled into bed to await her wife. Regina ended up teleporting into the adjoining bathroom and stepping out completely naked. Emma sighed peacefully just looking at Mrs. Swan. This beautiful woman, this incredible woman. "Do stop staring at me, dear." Regina said, running her fingers through her hair before using magic to braid it for the night.
"I can't help it." Emma smiled. "I'm living my dream and it's all because of you."
Regina crawled into bed and on top of her, planting a searing kiss on her lips. "As am I. Because of you." She pecked Emma's lips again before rolling onto her side of the bed. "No time for sex tonight."
"I know. I am happy though. We're finally getting more kids! Whoo!"
Regina laughed and rolled to face her. "You're ridiculous."
"What? I told you we were going to have a bunch of kids. I meant it." Emm smirked.
"I know."
"And you're having more babies by the way." She grinned. Regina only rolled her eyes but her smile betrayed her. She was well aware of that. She could finally have kids of her own, Myra was certainly not going to be the only one she would have. They both wanted as many as possible and they were going to get them. "I love you, Regina."
"I love you too, Emma."
"Come here, Wife." Regina let out a soft giggle as she moved closer and snuggled up to the blonde, laying her head on Emma's shoulder. That's where she stayed for most of the night. The morning saw both of them up bright and early, getting dressed and Regina obsessing over how clean and neat the house was. Everything needed to be perfect for their new arrivals. They were still setting up a time for when all of the family would meet up, but that could wait for now. While Henry went off to school, Myra came with them to the foster home. "You okay?" Emma asked, watching Regina fidget with her jacket.
"Just nervous. Henry was a baby when I adopted him. These kids are older and I feel ill prepared. What if they find it difficult to adjust?"
"Regina, all you've done the past year is prepare for this day. Believe me, growing up without a home and without a family in orphanages and foster homes, it's hell. I'd have given anything for a family and thankfully, the Swans came to my rescue. We're basically doing the same thing to these kids. We're ready." Emma assured her with a kiss. Regina took a deep breath and nodded, leading the way into the home. Myra bounced excitedly next to her, holding one of Emma's hands. For the most part, the foster home was nice and neat and pretty big, but it was a little overcrowded with children. The foster mother seemed nice but she couldn't help but think of a couple she had stayed with once who accepted a dozen kids just for the money.
"Where's Nala?" Myra asked.
"I'm sure we'll find her in a minute. Relax, you're making me nervous." Emma smirked.
While Regina talked to the foster mother, Emma was pulled along after Myra. She stopped when she noticed Cody sitting in a small room by himself. "What's this?" She asked, releasing Myra's hand.
He looked up at her and grinned. "Hello, Mrs. Swan. Nala's in the room down the hall."
"Why? And why are you in here alone?" She asked, stepping in.
"I punched a guy in the face."
"I'm not surprised, but why?"
"You know how it is in these houses." He replied. "Some bastards told Nala to stay in the back when you came to visit. I suppose they didn't want her to get the good family. You guys are practically celebrities here."
Emma frowned. "What happened? Is she alright?"
"She's fine. One of them put his hands on her...so I put my hands on him. The evil stepmother made me sit in here until she could think of a suitable punishment." He scoffed and crossed his arms. Myra waved and he waved back with a genuine smile. She instantly took off down the hallway and Emma smirked, watching to make sure she was fine before looking at Cody.
"How about fuck that and you come with us."
Cody's smile dropped in an instant. "What?"
"I know you're 16 and you're probably planning to run away or leave as soon as you turn 18, maybe before that. I completely understand." She said, taking a seat across from him. "However, you could do that or come with us."
"You're serious?" He frowned.
She nodded. "Yeah. We can get you set up with some new clothes, shoes, give you a home cooked meal. You know Regina, you'll be sick of lasagna by the time she's done with you."
He frowned slightly. "She said that's because you always ask for it-"
"Not important. Come on, you'd love my siblings and my parents. You don't even have to be considered our son if you don't want. We can put in the paperwork to say that we're your foster mothers." She suggested.
"Why?"
"Because you're a good kid. A good kid with a bit of an anger management problem but Regina's son is just like that and he straightened out. Besides, when I tell you this family is special, I mean it, and I would really like you to be a part of it."
"I like you guys and I'm glad you're good to Nala. You know, she's just a kid and she deserves a good home, but...I'm not about to go through it again." He swallowed, looking down.
Emma nodded slowly. "You were adopted before?"
"Yep. Didn't last long."
"Me too." She said. He looked surprised and she nodded again. "I was about 5 and um, I met this nice family who took me in for a while...until they found out they could have kids of their own and sent me back."
"Wow. That's messed up."
"Yep. I'm thankful now, but it still hurts to think about. Anyways, I would never wish that on anyone." She shrugged, folding her hands in her lap.
"What would you guys want with a 16 year old high school dropout?" He frowned.
"Maybe we don't want anything other than to give you a home. We can always get you home schooled. If you can't drive, we can teach you and get you a car or a truck. We can get you a job too, but just imagine Nala getting to have you as a big brother. Imagine how happy that little girl is going to be." She grinned, drawing a smile from the reclusive boy. Cody took a moment to think about it so she got up to go find Myra and Nala. The pair were sitting in one of the bedrooms on the bottom of a bunk bed. The lights were off and Myra was wiping Nala's eyes. "Nala." She said firmly. Both little girls looked up at her. "Get your things. You're coming home with us." Her words made the tears disappear and she grinned when the pair grabbed Nala's things and ran to hug her. The little blonde held her like her life depended on it.
"You're really going to be my mom?" Nala asked. "You mean it?"
"Absolutely. And Regina. She's finishing up the paperwork right now. Ready to go see her?"
"Yeah!"
Emma laughed to herself and lead them back down the hallway. Nala stopped and ran to Cody when they passed his room. She leaned against the wall with Myra until she heard Nala burst into screams of joy, letting her know that Cody was coming too. Regina chose that moment to return and was immediately mauled by two ecstatic little girls. Two down, one to go.
/
The Swan stables was quiet this time of day and Regina walked as fast as she could in her heels to the champion stalls where Adam was sure to be waiting. She hoped he wasn't too upset at her being so late. In her hands, were his adoption papers. All she had to do was sign them and he would be her son. He wouldn't have to go back to that stupid orphanage and he wouldn't have to be alone anymore.
Majesty leaned her head out of her stall as she approached and she gave her a welcoming scratch. "Regina!" Adam yelled, coming around the corner. "You made it!"
"Of course I did. I wouldn't miss it." She smiled at the grinning little boy, who didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her middle in a big bearhug, which she happily returned. "I have a surprise for you. A gift."
"Really? Where is it?" He asked, looking around.
She lead him over to King's stall. The great black stallion leaned his head out and sputtered loudly, looking down at them with curious eyes to see if they had any treats. She really spoiled him too much. "This is my gift."
Adam just stared at her. "What?" He whispered. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that but I don't understand."
"You said you wanted to be like me when you grew up."
"I do."
"Then I'll teach you. King is yours now, as well as any foals he produces. Hopefully, they'll be champions too and you will ride with them to victories of their own." She crouched down and held out the adoption papers. She turned to the final page and allowed him to read them. "Signing these will make you-"
"Your son?" He said in awe. "You want me to be your son?"
"More than anything." She answered. "I would love for you to be a part of my family. You can come to the stables any time you want and travel with me for races. I'll teach you everything I know and if it is within my power to give, I'll give you anything too." A year she had spent with him, just one day a week to see him. He adored animals, especially horses, just like she did. He reminded her far too much of herself when she was younger and even with such a restrictive childhold, (the woman that ran his orphanage made her mother look like a saint and Regina was actively trying to get her replaced or at least the children removed from her care), Adam managed to remain a sweet and well mannered little boy who just wanted a family.
"Are you sure?" Adam asked.
Regina smiled and nodded. "Would you like that?" Adam furiously nodded his head and bounced up and down. She turned the papers around and pulled out a pen to sign her name on the bottom next to Emma's. "Are you ready to go? We can come back anytime you want to, but we have to go get your things and then take you home."
"Home." She heard him whisper as they left the stables. It was a quick ride to the orphanage and another back home, where Emma was getting Nala and Cody settled into their rooms. She took Adam to his just down the hall and helped him unpack. Soon, they planned to go shopping with Mal and get all of the children new clothes and shoes and anything else they needed to feel at home. That evening she prepared a big and beautiful feast for her family to dine on. It took all of 10 minutes for the boys to feel at ease around each other when surrounded by food, especially when Henry distracted them with the subject of superheroes or whatever he read in those comic books of his. Of course it also lead to a huge argument because she completely forgot she was in fact, married to a child.
"Children!" Regina snapped, interrupting the Marvel vs DC argument. "Can we please lower the volume? We still do have neighbors."
"Sorry, Mom." Henry said, sharing a smirk with Ivar, who'd decided to join them this evening as well.
"Who do you like then, Gina?" Cody asked, currently digging into his third hunk of lasagna.
"I have to choose between Scarlett Johansson and Gal Gadot? Is that possible?"
"Um, yeah, because I should be the choice." Emma frowned.
Regina merely waved her away and looked over at Nala and Myra. Nala was on her second slice and for a moment, it started to bother her that maybe she hadn't been getting enough to eat at her foster home. Myra simply ate a lot anyway. She had a few concerns over it considering how her little one was conceived, but healthwise she seemed to be fine. She glanced over at Adam, who was munching on half a plate of baked bread. Food always made people happy and she really wanted them to feel comfortable. They would have to go grocery shopping again too.
A light tap on her arm drew her attention. "Rest, Mama, and eat." Emma said. "Stop thinking so much."
Regina flicked an eyebrow and obeyed. Emma poured her some wine and she sipped it to calm her nerves a little.
"You don't have to be so nervous, Regina." Said Adam.
"Who said I was nervous?" She asked.
He leaned forward and put on a hand on her knee that she hadn't realized that she'd been shaking. "You're a really nice person and Myra said that you're a really good mom. You don't have to try so hard."
She smiled at him and mouthed a silent thank you. He simply beamed at her and turned back to eating. After dinner, as she was washing dishes, she felt a hand on her back. Ivar and Henry moved her away from the sink to take over and she started to clean the table, listening to Emma put on the movie for the rest of the kids.
"He was right, you know." Ivar said.
"I know, I just...want to be everything I promised these children." She admitted.
"You are, Mother, and so much more." Her son scoffed.
"You're not upset then?" Regina asked, looking between them. Ivar simply shook his head and Henry turned around to face her.
"Mom, there is enough love in your heart for 20 kids. Probably more than that. Why should I be upset when you guys are so happy?" Regina smiled and took a deep breath. "If this is about you being the Evil Queen, then one day, both of us are going to have to just forget everything we've done in the past. To the world and to each other. You can't let that keep dragging you down."
Regina nodded. "I know." The way Emma talked about being an orphan and listening to Nala, Adam and Cody talk about it, they made it sound as if finding a family was the dream. Getting adopted was the ultimate goal and they believed everything would change once they did. There were a lot of expectations and Regina wanted everything to change for them, she wanted to meet and exceed those expectations. She wanted to give them all the opportunity to be who they wanted to be, experience things they never would have otherwise, and finally enjoy their lives. Granted, this family was the craziest family they could be adopted into, but they couldn't find a better one. She hoped she wouldn't eat her words with this Black Fairy nonsense. Today was a good day, but the looming threat was far from forgotten. If anything, it made her more worried than ever, but she trusted Mal in her decision to wait to make a move. They didn't want to do anything without learning as much as they could about the Black fairy. Rushing into a trap was not on the agenda.
It was an easy week that followed, learning about her new children, welcoming them into their home. She was truly worrying about nothing, because everything was going perfectly so far. After that week, they brought in the rest of the Swan family to meet the children and after that, they visited Storybrooke for a couple weeks to see the Charmings. They went shopping a few times, but that was nothing compared to what was about to happen. Then came the part that Mal had been waiting for. The shopping spree to end all shopping sprees.
"You sure about this?" Cody asked, looking around the massive shopping center.
"Absolutely." Mal replied. "Everyone stock up. Nothing is off the table. Except for the adults, you can all buy your own shit." She looked at Rose. "Except for you, baby."
"Baby?" Emma muttered.
"We can get anything?" Nala asked, her head falling back to look up at the tall blonde.
"Of course." That was all the confirmation the boys needed before they raced off to get stuff.
"Keep an eye on Adam!" Emma called after them. Nala and Myra stayed close to their mothers as they went through the various stores. Nothing was off limits. They had to make a dozen trips to the cars so they wouldn't have to carry around a bunch of bags. It was a fun day. The ladies pampered themselves and bought mounds of clothes and shoes. The boys bought a bunch of clothes, shoes, got haircuts. Toys, bikes, electronics, video games, books, the list went on and on. When Emma walked back out to the car that evening, she was surprised to see Cody sitting on the back of a dual sports motorcycle painted a shiny black with golden rims. "We were at the mall. Where did you even get that?!"
"Mal bought it." He grinned.
"He doesn't even have a driver's license. Get off that."
Regina smiled at the bickering pair before turning around to find Henry on one of his own. "Hell no. Mal!"
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Can you stop?" Regina asked over her shoulder, referring to Maleficent's growling.
"Pardon me. I happen to do that when I'm about to send the woman I love into a room with a maniac." The dragon snarled.
"She's powerless." Emma reminded her. The trio were currently watching an empty interrogation room, waiting for the rest of their war party so they could finally confront the Black Fairy. "This is one of the most heavily secured prisons in the state. She isn't going anywhere and she isn't going to hurt Grandma."
"That does nothing to make me feel better. If you would just let me kill her-"
"Mal, need I remind you that you are in a prison full of cops?" Regina swiftly cut her off. "We can't do things the way we used to and Rose wants this time to talk to her mother. Murder is off the table right now."
"I can do it quietly. No one would know." The dragon replied.
"No. Not yet."
"Fine." Mal stopped growling, but Regina knew she was far from pleased. If she had her way, Fiona would be dead three times over. Both of them turned to the door when Grace and Alexander walked in.
"They're ready. Guards are bringing her in 5 minutes."
The door to the interrogation room opened and Rose walked in. Regina could tell she was on edge as she fidgeted when her bracelet when she sat down. Gold came in and sat at the end of the table. As far as she knew, Rose didn't care about them being siblings and Gold had given no indication that he cared either, besides warning them about Fiona. He probably just wanted answers too.
Grace touched a button on the wall. "We can stop it any time you want to, Mom." Rose simply nodded.
A few minutes later, the door opened and a pair of guards entered the room, leading Fiona Black. The woman wore the traditional orange jumpsuit of an incarcerated individual and her hands and feet were chained. She sat down in her chair and her chains were attached to the table. Regina scowled at the arrogance this woman just oozed. There was something off about her. Something very sinister.
"Hello, Fiona." said Gold.
"Hello, Rumple." Fiona smiled. She looked at Rose. "And you, Rose. It is good to see you two together."
"So you can take us both out at once?" Rose asked.
Fiona sighed. "I didn't realize you would be so upset about a dragon-"
"You sent fifty men to attack us and they put almost a dozen bullets in her chest. I am not upset, I am enraged." Rose interrupted with a steely glare at her mother.
Fiona smirked, almost fondly at her daughter. "You were always so temperamental, so defiant, and yet full of surprises. You know, it took me a month before I figured out how you left our world. When I found you again, you were quite happy and growing strong. I watched you grow, adopt children of your own, built a career using everything I taught you."
"You taught me?"
"Why don't we skip back to the part of you abandoning me with my father." Gold cut in.
"I already answered that question for you, Rumple, and no, I hold no regrets over it. For look at you today, Dark One." Fiona looked at Rose again. "I wanted you at my side, Rose. I wanted both of you. I found a way for us to have it all."
"You gave me up for power." Gold hissed. "Now you want us back?"
Regina crossed her arms, watching Fiona for any ticks. Honestly, she didn't care at all about Gold's problems with his mother. Her only concern was the danger presented to her family. Fiona went on to talk about her world, how she transformed it into a wonderful place for children, how Rose used to love it when she was younger. Rose listened in relative silence, staring down her mother for quite a while. Fiona ended up being a bit long winded. It was a shock to everyone when Rose raised her hands, effectively silencing her mother.
"You're talking about nothing, just going in circles...wasting time. None of this is about me and Gold, is it?" Rose asked.
Fiona slowly smiled. "You were always too smart for your own good. Just a bit late though. You're right." She grinned, perking up. "Honestly, much of this was just a wonderful coincidence. For instance, you adopting Grace and her finding the Savior."
"So attacking me and Mal…"
"It got your attention. It kept your attention…I needed your eyes on me while some friends of mine searched for a special friend of yours. A special one with a special bloodline that has everything I need."
Rose instantly got to her feet and slammed her hand on the intercom button. "Go home. Now!"
"What's happening?" Emma called.
"Go home and get the kids. She wants Myra-" The words were barely out of her mouth before the alarm went off, blaring red lights throughout the prison. The interrogation room was suddenly blown apart by an explosion that ripped through the building. For a minute, Regina couldn't even see. She couldn't even hear properly. When her vision cleared, she found that she was on the ground, covered in dust and rubble. Her entire body ached. She coughed harshly and struggled back to her feet. A sharp pain shot through her stomach and she fell against the wall. A hand went to her abdomen and returned covered in blood.
"Regina!" Grace came to her side, the only thing that was clear in all the chaos. "Regina, can you hear me?" She waved her hand in front of Regina's face, but she could hardly respond. She looked around, noticing the broken hole in the wall. Orange jumpsuits flashed by faster than she could follow. There were gunshots, screaming, crying… Pain shot through her stomach again and she tried to push the hand away. Grace ignored her feeble attempts to do so. "Regina, keep your hand here. Can you hear me? You have to keep pressure on it. Emma! She's over here!" Her wife came into her line of sight, taking Grace's place and pressing one hand against Regina's wound.
"Myra. We have to get to Myra."
"I know, but there's a riot right now. We can't get out. The prison's locked down."
"Fiona?"
"She's gone." Emma sighed. "She planned all of this shit from the beginning. She had us going in circles."
Regina hissed in pain when she tried to take a breath. She pushed Emma away and stumbled to the broken door. Her daughter was in trouble. She needed to get home. Emma grabbed her arm, but she shrugged her off. Myra needed her.
/
Ivar felt something was wrong before he knew that something was. His siblings were in the living room, playing board games when he happened to peek outside, hoping to see his mother returning home. Instead, he found that every street light in the vicinity of the house had been cut off. Even the lights around Regina's pond were out. "Henry. Cody." He said, going back into the living room and picking up his phone to send a message to the closest Swans, who happened to be Zelena, Elias and Jackson. "Take the girls upstairs. Adam, you go too." No sooner had the command left his lips did the front door burst off its hinges and a swarm of masked men poured in. He managed to grab a poker from the fireplace and bashed in the skull of the first man he came to. "Get upstairs! Go!" Nala and Myra dashed by him and scrambled up the steps. One of the men grabbed at them and Ivar stabbed him in the back. He kicked him to the side and placed his back to the stairs, ready to defend them with his life. Most of the men weren't armed, but a couple were. They seemed to be trying not to shoot because neither one unsheathed their weapons. Cody came to his side, helping him fight back any who dared to make a move on his little sisters. Henry managed to slip out of the room and returned wielding a wooden bat to fight off their attackers. More and more kept coming. Their numbers were endless, but Ivar's stamina wasn't. He was a good fighter, a great warrior, but the others weren't. All it took was one mistake. It was a huge guy, standing tall over his masked friends, but he carried a small knife. A black one that Ivar didn't see until it was too late. The blade struck him right between the ribs. His attacker buried the knife deep and twisted it, snapping off the hilt. Cody tackled him, taking him off his feet and slamming him through the coffee table.
Ivar sank to his knees, struggling to breathe, each one more difficult than the last. He used the poker to get back to his feet and swung it hard at the closest man, nearly decapitating him. For a moment, the only sound in the house was weary breathing as everything fell still.
"Ivar." Henry came to his side and looked at his wound. "We need to get you to a doctor."
"You need to call Mom. They wanted Myra and Nala. They might be back." He hissed.
"This a normal thing in this household?" Cody asked, walking around the room and looking at all the bodies strewn everything.
"Mom should answer that. Call them, Henry." Ivar leaned heavily against the bannister.
"Stay awake, Ivar." Henry said, grabbing the forgotten phone.
"Don't worry. It was just a little knife. Cody, check on the others and get them ready to leave. We're not staying here tonight."
"Aye aye, Captain." Cody walked towards him and glanced at the door. "Get down!" All three hit the ground as another masked man stepped into the room, spraying a machine gun with a suppressor.
"Stay down and you won't die."
"You are not getting my sisters." Ivar growled.
"Then we will go through you."
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