"What happened between you and Charmings?"
Mal looked at Regina with red eyes, teared streamed face. She held her queen close, her hands still on her waist. She tried to clear her face but didn't work. "Something happened between us back in the Enchanted Forest." She whispered.
"What did they do to you?" Regina asked with a set of worrying eyes.
"I can't tell you yet." Mal brushed her thumb on brunette's cheek. "You have to be calm. You have to focus on bringing Henry and Emma here. We have to solve this curse then we'll talk." Mal said, all soothing, with the whole care in the world for the woman who loved for almost half a century. Regina let out a frustrated groan and freed herself from slender arms.
"I want to know what they did. I know that tone, Mal. You are keeping something big because when I learn I'm gonna turn all evil queen on them." Regina reasoned. She ran a hand to her hair.
"No, even after I told you, you won't. I won't allow that. I won't allow you to turn into darkness. They are not white as they seem, that's all you need to know now." She took a deep breath and took a few steps until she held her queen's hands. "We're going to go to that council because we have a common enemy at the moment. We will find your son and the saviour in this realm. That's the plan for now. We can talk about other details after we have Henry in this house." She grasped the small chin and met Regina's eyes. "You are going to listen to me, okay? Because I need you. I don't know anyone or anything in here and I need you, Regina, more than ever."
Regina gulped and nodded. She placed her hands on the blonde's cheeks and closed the gap hesitantly. She gently connected her lips with other woman. Although it felt right, she immediately took a step back. "I'm sorry, Mal." Her voice vulnerability showed in her voice. "You were saying these things and I just… caught up at the moment. We don't need this top of everything."
"Hey, look at me." Mal grabbed Regina's hands and pulled a little. "You don't have anything to be sorry for. I always like kissing you, little one." Mal smiled and winked before enfolding the brunette in her arms. She kissed the top of her head and they stood there for a while, holding each other, finding some peace in old feelings in the new environment. Finally, Regina broke their moment. They rubbed their eyes but the puffy eyes gave them away. "It's going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay." Mal reassured again.
"Are you hungry? I should make us breakfast." Regina sniffled then went to the fridge.
"Yes, I should learn about this realm's food. What are you going to make?"
"Pancakes." Regina answered after putting milk and eggs on the counter. She opened her pantry and took out sugar, vanilla and flour. She put them on the counter with a bowl to stir. When she opened the flour bag, she found a solid object. She took it out and realized it was her phone. "I'm gonna punish them when I find 'em." Regina chuckled. She shook her phone and tried to clean the phone a little to open it.
"What is this?" Mal asked curiously.
"This is called 'phone', we use this to communicate with each other."
"Why was it in the flour?" Mal looked confused genuinely.
"It's a prank. It's Henry and Emma's doing." Her lips curled. She finally unlocked her phone and found a message from both Henry and Emma. She opened the one from her prince first. He must have sent it before the curse took them.
Emma and Henry were smiling with mischief in their eyes. The message said 'I hope we didn't damage your phone, mom. Don't try to wash it under water. See you for dinner. I love you, mom." She felt her eyes getting watery but she smiled looking at the message and the photo. She missed him. She felt like she saw him yesterday but she missed him. They never had time to reconnect after Neverland. Before that he hated her for a year. Finally, they were getting somewhere, Henry was calling her 'mom' again and she may never heard of him again. She then opened the message from Miss Swan. 'I hope your phone still works, Madam Mayor. If not, I owe you a phone. Sorry about this, it was Henry's idea. See you for dinner!' If she closed her eyes, she could hear and see the woman's smile exactly. She sniffled and brushed her eyes.
"What happened?" Mal was next to her in a second.
"It's just, after they hide my phone they both send messages, Henry even sent a photo. I've never seen it until now. We were all together, I didn't need to check my phone. I've never looked for it. I miss him, Mal. If I'm gonna be on this earth then I have to find my son." She said determined. She looked at the phone again. Her eyes caught the date. Then opened her notification bar and checked today's date. Thank god for modern technology. It has been a year since they left, since she said goodbye to her son. She met the green eyes then. "It has been a year, Mal."
"What? How- How do you know?" Mal exclaimed.
"It says on the phone. Oh no, this means we don't remember our last year." realization hit her. "Whatever who did this we may know who they are. We need to get Emma back. How is she going to believe again? I took her so much time the last time, now Henry is with her too. How are they going to believe?" Regina paced around the kitchen.
"Regina, breathe." Mal said calmly.
"I'm breathing!" Regina snapped.
"No, you are not. We'll find those answers one at a time, okay? We'll get your son back." She tried to calm the woman down. "I promise, we'll get them back."
"You never promise things you are not sure about." Regina questioned.
"That means I'm sure about this. Come on, little one, this is not our first witch hunt." She smiled reassuringly. They sat on the stools in silence. They didn't know what to do. At least they knew how much time passed since they went back.
Until the council meeting, Regina showed the house and some basic things for Mal to know. Regina didn't ask what happened with Charmings, she knew Mal would tell her when the time comes. They entered the town hall together a little early, Regina opened one of the meeting rooms. Then she went to her office to grab her notebook and pens for the meeting. If the curse brought back everything she thought her laptop would be there too. She told about her job while Maleficent was following her. She opened her office and checked if something was unusual. she couldn't find anything. She grabbed her things and they went to the meeting room. Charmings were present as well as Archie and Geppetto. They were making small talk. Regina held Mal's hand and led her to the head of the table. It was Snow's council, Regina reserved the head of the table for Snow. She sat at the next chair on the left and Mal sat next to her. David leaned over to Regina.
"Don't tell anyone you remember being in Enchanted Forest, both of you. Noone remembers being there, not even a second. Snow and I don't want anything to happen to you and we trust you, Regina." Regina nodded. She knew the council didn't trust her, let alone Mal. Saying they remembered being there was a risk, a risk that she couldn't offer to take. Not right now. Mal questioned Regina with her gaze after David left her side. Regina whispered to Mal's ear what he said and she nodded too. All the council members started to come one by one. Some greeted Regina, some ignored her. All of them eyed Maleficent's, the mistress of evil's, presence in the council but they didn't say anything, at least not until the blue moth came.
Everyone was seated. Granny and Ruby were giving them take-out boxes because it was lunch. Everyone was making small talk until the meeting started.
"What are you doing here?" Blue glared at Maleficent who was holding Regina's hand under the table. Maleficent squeezed the hand in her hand and turned to look at the bug.
"Welcome to you too, Reul." Mal spatted the name.
"What are you doing here?" Blue repeated, more firmly this time. Everybody was looking at the two women. Room was silent.
"I was invited. I'm not here to burn anyone but I may reconsider that thought."
"We can't trust her, Snow. We can't trust them." Blue accused the pair. Regina was used to Blue's accusation about her. The woman would accuse her if the dish she made for herself was too salty. Mal was on her feet with anger pouring from her pores. Regina put her other hand on Mal's arm to calm the woman and squeezed her hand. She realized Maleficent's upper hand hardened and her skin started to turn scally. Regina turned all of her attention to Maleficent, dark violet smoke filling her eyes. She felt pang in her heart. She couldn't breathe.
Mal, please calm down! Regina pleaded quietly. She felt she was going to faint. She tried to take a breath but oxygen felt overwhelming. She squeezed Mal's hand so tightly if it wasn't hardened she would be breaking her fingers. God, what is happening? Regina thought again.
"Regina, what's going on?" All of a sudden all heads turned at the queen. Mal was bending over her, checking to see what was happening to her friend. She took her face in her hands, gently brushed her thumbs on soft skin. Regina opened her eyes slowly and took in the woman whose gaze was so gentle. "What's going on, dear?" Mal asked, worry apparent in her voice. Regina opened and closed her eyes a few more times. She took much needed breathes.
"I'm okay." She whispered to Mal, then turned to other occupants in the room. "I'm okay. Let's start the meeting." She looked at Snow who nodded.
"First of all, welcome everyone. I'm sorry we had to gather on such short notice and because of a curse again." Everyone turned their heads to Snow's left. Snow picked up where she left off. "Before we accuse someone, we need the truth."
"What truth are you looking for, your highness?" Blue questioned. "She cast the curse before and this time she brought her dragon with her."
"If I did cast a curse, my memories would be intact and I'd have my son with me." Regina spat.
"Enough!" Snow shouted. "Enough with these accusations, Blue. Regina helped us before and if we need to find a way with this curse, there is no one who knows dark magic then Regina. We trust her. She is family." She smiled reassuringly at Regina. "If anyone has a problem with Regina and Maleficent being here, please leave because we need to focus on an enemy we don't know." Snow waited a few moments, everyone looked at each other. "The last thing we remember, we were in the town line, saying goodbye to our loved ones. For as we know that could be yesterday or 5 years ago."
"Actually, it was a year ago according to my phone. Did you check your phones?" Regina said. Noone seems to think about checking their phones. "Your pregnancy could be all natural." Regina added for the woman on her right. It seems that whenever Snow got pregnant, someone decided to cast a curse. Yes, that may have happened 2 times but it's funny that happened 2 times. She knew when Emma learns this, she won't be happy.
"Are we sure we went to the Enchanted Forest?" Ruby asked curiously.
"We should, I reversed the curse which I guess resulted in bringing back Maleficent because she was a magical being." Regina explained.
"How are we sure this is another curse?" Granny talked this time.
"The curse doesn't delete the days we've lived under the curse and our actual memories are still with us but magic forbids us to access them. I don't think my magic failed, we were in the Enchanted Forest. Something happened, we were there and we were cursed again." Regina explained. "We need the Saviour to break the curse."
"How can we find Emma? What do you suggest?" Archie asked this time.
"Do we even know what happens if you try to cross town lines?" Marco added.
"We'll search for an answer to all. Belle, could you provide us with Rumple's books if they are here?"
"Of course, whatever you need." Belle smiled painfully, she was still in pain from Rumple's death.
"While Regina, Mal and Belle are trying to find something, please help newcomers. We know some of them from the old world but there are a lot of people and they don't know our world. Archie, Geppetto, could you help us to learn who they are?" They nodded. Snow smiled at everyone around the table. Everyone nodded and agreed with her. "Anyone would like to add anything?" No one answered. "Let's get to work." Everyone stood up from the desk. Belle joined Regina and Mal. They left the town hall together, started walking to Gold's shop, making small talk.
"Wait!" They all turned to their backs. Ruby was running to them. "May I help you too?"
"How are you going to help?" Regina asked.
"I don't know. I can read and I don't have to sleep a lot so I can go for hours. Please, let me help you." Ruby practically begged.
"Why do you want to help us?"
"I miss my friend, Regina and I miss Henry too. I love that kid of yours and I know you trust me at least a little bit because you let me babysit him when we were cursed." Ruby smiled knowingly. Regina allowed Ruby more than to babysit and thank god, the woman never really said anything to anyone for their agreement. She was also one of the first people to forgive Regina.
"You can join us, Ruby, of course." Regina smiled knowingly. She also thought having Ruby would be good for Maleficent too. The group walked to Gold's shop. Belle and Ruby didn't know Maleficent. They've never been in the same room with her but they all heard the terrifying dragon. Mal didn't look terrifying now, intimidating highly but she smiled more and she was polite to them.
Belle opened the shop's door for them to enter. She gestured to them to follow her back. Belle started putting down the books on the table. When she was finished Regina magicked them into the mansion. "Want to join us?" She asked the girls. They both nodded and went to the mansion.
Regina made everyone coffee after she magicked her books from the vault too. They immediately started studying. Ruby was right on her word, she read pretty fast and when she thought something useful she pointed out. They took notes from how to find Emma to how to leave the town safely. Regina made them dinner as a thanks and the girls appreciated the gesture. She looked at Mal occasionally if she was uncomfortable but she seemed fine, relaxed even. Regina smiled knowingly at this. Mal didn't trust anyone easily but sitting with her legs under her on the couch, she felt relaxed enough with the girls. From time to time, Ruby made a joke about something and they all laughed about it. Regina checked her watch and realized it was past midnight already. She looked at the couch accompanied by girls. Ruby's head was on Belle's lap, while Belle was holding the book with one hand with the other she was brushing Ruby's curls.
"It's past midnight. We all should sleep. Thank you Belle and Ruby, you've been a great help." Regina smiled at the girls. "Would you want to spend the night? We have 2 perfectly capable rooms." It was the least she could do and she didn't mind the company.
"We don't want to make trouble for you." Belle said apologetically.
"Nonse. Please, you need to come in the morning anyway." Maleficent joined Regina on her offer, meaning she was fine with this too. Belle looked at Ruby, she nodded.
"I guess, it would be best if we stayed." Belle nodded. "Thank you both." Regina helped them upstairs, showed them the rooms and gave them pajamas. After they settled, Regina joined Mal in their bedroom.
"Do you have any other guest rooms?" Mal asked after she dressed up in gray pajamas.
"No, why?"
"I thought you might want your bedroom to yourself."
"Mal, don't be ridiculous. This is not the first time I'm sharing a room or bed with you. One time, I allowed you to eat fresh dead meat on my body. I don't think there will be anything we haven't seen." Regina winked suggestively and wrapped her arms around the woman's neck. "And I really don't want to sleep alone. It has been a long day." Mal nodded and left a kiss on brunettes's cheek. They both settled on their sides, Regina turned off the lights. She then remembered her early question. She turned her gaze to the blonde.
"What happened between you and Charmings?"
