She was getting nowhere. She had been on the road by herself going orphanage to orphanage in the entire Enchanted Forest in search for any clue to what happened to her son Thomas. She knew travelling through the infinite forest on horseback in the dead of night wasn't her best idea, but she needed to get away from the latest disappointment.

She knew it would be like finding a needle in an exceptionally large haystack, but she had to try. Something she should have done as soon as she set foot back into the land after she had the resources to do so. But instead, she chose to find vengeance seeing it would make it safer for her and Thomas to be without having to constantly looking over her shoulder for one of them to find her again.

Making decent time, she sat comfortably on her loyal steed Achilles to the next tavern to get some well needed rest. With her hood sat comfortably on her head trying to keep as much heat as she could on the cold night Achilles became skittish and uneasy underneath her.

"Whoa, easy" she soothed her horse stroking his strong neck pushing him forward again into a trot. Moving forward another hundred yards Achilles stopped and whinnied nervously, she tried to push him forward again only to get a stomp of refusal from her loyal horse. Jumping down to the ground with his reins in her hands she rounded to his front taking his long snout on her palms "What's wrong?" she cooed to the horse as she heard the sound of a sword being unsheathed behind her making her freeze.

"That would be me" whirling around she was met by a figure in full armor in front of her with a long sword in his hand "I'm here to relieve you of the coin you carry" the figure announced as a row of flaming arrow's were lit either side of her in the pointed straight at her. Turning on her sixth sense she saw there was only the lone figure in front of her and another scurrying through the bush.

Whoever they were they were, were either extremely stupid or brave.

Taking a step away from Achilles she faced the man in front of her "If you're so confident, why don't you just take it yourself" she challenged the figure as she pulled her sword from its place on her belt as she took a step toward the man.

"Take one more step forward and my men will fire luv" the figure warned her, despite being muffled under the helmet.

"Luv?" she repeated in confusion. There was only one-man brave enough calling her that "Hook?" the figure in front of her took off his helmet as his eye met her own even in the dim light.

"Bloody Hell".

If there one person in this town Regina could get Emma to learn from it would be their resident assassin. Despite the woman's lack of memories of them, she still understood the importance of being fully committed to something. For the redhead it was the way of the Brotherhood and being an assassin. She remembered during their time together in the Enchanted Forest how only the strongest only ever managed to gain the rank of Novice let only become a Mater Assassin after years of training.

It was either do or die trying. Something she even understood.

She was hoping to meet the assassin first before Emma showed up in the vault to start her training, because she also had something else in mind she wanted to try before the blonde came to do it she wanted to do it alone with the redhead without the savior.

The former Queen wasn't left disappointed as she heard hesitant footsteps come down the stone steps to the vault as she waited patiently with her hand clasped in front of her hoping her plan wouldn't backfire on her to kick-start some of the assassins memories as the woman herself stepped into the open doorway, her head turned towards her as their eyes met for the first time since the previous night.

"I got your message" the assassin asked the woman in concern as a wary eye searched the odd room "Everything okay?".

"Everything's fine" Regina reassured the redhead with a smile just glad that she was there "I asked you down here to see if you would be willing to help me with something".

"Something more than hiding your heart? Is that even possible?".

A chuckle escaped her throat at the woman's wit that she had missed "Yes apparently. Emma has asked me to teach her about magic. I was hoping you'd be able to assist me, so to speak".

"How would I help?" the redhead asked crossing her arms over her chest. She only knew some basics about the craft in question. The Brotherhood needed to know to have any chance of getting the better of magic users and in some rare cases use it against them.

"More that you would know. She needs to understand how important this way of life is for her, and who better than to someone who dedicated her life to the Brotherhood of Assassins" the brunette was only met by silence at the mention of her old Brotherhood. "I also wanted to show you something hoping it would trigger some of your memories".

The redhead paused at the woman's suggestion. Would she want to know? Zelena's words had stayed in her mind ever since their pre-fight chat at the docks. But there was something about the woman who had literally trusted her with her heart. She was taking a chance on her and so should she. "Do you really think that could work?" she finally asked the brunette.

"I do" she tells the redhead confidently.

"Then lead the way" Amelia prompted the woman as Regina stepped forward to lead the redhead down the surprisingly well-lit stone hallway "So, what is this place exactly, your message wasn't really that clear" Amelia asked the woman curiously as she was led down further into the underground building.

"My vault, I keep everything I've collected over the years down here. Safe".

"And yet you'd invite a me here" Amelia retorted from behind.

"You're not just anyone, at least not to me" she answered as they came to an archway the same one the redhead found the Queen in the only difference was the furniture that was inside the small-ish room.

Through the archway was she was greeted with a tall glass cabinet taking center stage to the room was a black and red accented robe assassin robe flanked by a worn lilac set and the black and purple version of the same set of robes.

Regina stood in silence as she allowed the redhead to slowly approach the glass cabinets, a curious hand reaching up her finger meeting the cool the glass cabinet that held the lilac robes, the one's she wore before everything went to hell. She had practically grown up in them. Moved up the ranks from Novice to Master Assassin in them. And here they were in the last place she would ever thing they would be.

"Those..are mine" Amelia says to the brunette the pads of her fingers touching the cool glass "H-How are they here?".

"They came here in a curse I cast years ago" Regina carefully answered her "After the Godspeed sank, fate or destiny brought you to me in the form of a grieving mother and widow looking for the people responsible for that night. We formed a partnership that would allow you to search for them while you helped me with my own vengeance".

"What did I do?" she gulped out.

"You became the worst version of yourself" Regina said walking over to the second cabinet next to her lilac set. The red and black stood in stark contrast from the light colors of her original robes. So that was the Black Widow.

"So, I've heard" Amelia huffed out in one breath as she looked at the darker set of robes "The Black Widow".

"How do you know about her?".

"I had a lovely conversation with your sister before our showdown, she tried to throw off my focus with a deal. I filled in the blanks later" she looked at the Queen "I killed them all didn't I?".

She knew what she was asking. She killed her Brotherhood.

Regina simply nodded at the redhead in front of her. The Assassin let out a shaky breath that she had been holding as she took a step away from the dark set of robes, quickly turned herself around so that the Queen didn't see the tears that leaked from her eye's. She had killed them. Her family. the only family she had known since she was five. They were all dead because of her.

"Melia?" Regina reached out to assassin.

"I-I'm sorry" Amelia stammered out as she dodged the Queen's hand "I can't help you with Emma" she gulped before she bolted of the open archway leaving the former Queen behind to regret her attempt to help the redhead gain her memories back.

She never thought she'd be sat in front of Captain Hook ever again after parting way's month ago. She was more surprised to find him on dry land. The tavern was busy as Smee made himself scarce from the assassin. The lively tavern was fully of sailors that had made landfall with pockets full of their pay looking to waste it all in one night. The sound of their slurred singing made her feel nostalgic for her time on the Jackdaw and Godspeed.

It made her heart yearn for the simple days of having to watch out for the sailors that would pick out a fight at the slightest plight against them.

"So, did you miss a turning or was all that back there just for me?" Amelia broke the silence as a tavern maid sat down two mugs of drink in front of them.

"I could ask the same of you Widow, last time we spoke you were off to Monteriggioni".

"Well" a breathy laugh left her lips as she lifted the mead to her lips "all that went up in smoke. Literally".

"Aye, I heard" Hook replied in sympathy as he watched the woman in front of him take a long swig of drink "I'm sorry. Does that mean your back at the palace with the Queen?".

"It's more of a place to sleep when I grow tired of Inn's nowadays" she tells him

"Then where are you then?".

"Searching for the impossible".

"Hence the hair?" he said with an impish smile pointing at the now short blonde almost white hair she now sported, that came inches away from her shoulders. It looked dull and boring compared to her dark red curls. But they had to go as soon as she set one foot outside the palace. Dull and boring would what she had aimed for when she set out on this search.

"Yes" she chuckled out "Turns out I left here with more enemies than friends".

"Aye" he trailed off.

"How about you? Why aren't you sailing in the second fasted ship in all the realms?" she teased making the pirate smile at her.

The joyful environment of the sailors had heightened as they started to sing around them, their voices booming over their quiet table.

"A…complication".

"Well.." she pauses holding out her mug towards the pirate "Let's drink to the impossible and the complications" taking the assassin's invitation the pirate taps his mug against hers starting a night that neither of them would ever forget.

Hours slipped by as the assassin joined in with the sailor's celebrations. Singing out of tune to sea shanties that would dwindle the hours it took for the Godspeed to get from port to port. For the first time what in felt like forever since she had felt free.

Free of contracts. Free of Rumpelstiltskin. Free of vengeance.

The mead hardly touched the sides of her tankard as she was challenged again and again to drinking contests, each sailor failing to beat the woman with a steel stomach as his crew mates dragged them away one by one.

Hook quietly sat watching the usually roundly tight assassin unravel with each drink that passed her lips, polity declining to join her, still on the same mug of mead he was first presented with when they entered the tavern. Something was deeply wrong with the woman across the room, and it wasn't just losing her home.

He continued to watch the assassin just a sailor approached her behind her, gaining her attention with a flattering smile as she turned her head to face them man polity declining his offer before turning her attention back to her next challenger only for the man to get her attention again but grabbing, her shoulder roughly tugging her back so that she face him taking her by surprise. The action made the pirate jump from his seat and in two strides he was right behind the man pulling him away from her by the scruff of his is neck putting himself between the former redhead and the offending man.

"Do we have a problem mate?" Hook greeted the man as the music seemed to stop at whole tavern with eye's on them.

"Her kind ain't welcome here" the man sneered at the pirate looking straight at the assassin.

"And what kind would that be mate?".

"Killian don't" he heard Amelia warn him seeing a fight starting the brew.

"She knows" the man stated as Killian squared up to the man who threaten his friend clenching his jaw.

"We'll leave, we don't want a fight" the assassin tempered the situation "Killian, lets go" she pleaded to the pirate hoping he would take her hint. Taking his hand the assassin maneuvered them through the crowd as footsteps followed them to the front door.

"That's it half-breed, run away to your dead assassin masters" she heard the man sneer behind them making them stop at the door. She came so close to leaving without another fight. Oh well...

"How many?" she whispered to the pirate next to her.

"Seven" Hook answered her glancing behind them with his hand on the pommel of his sword.

"I like those odds" she said picking up an empty tankard spinning around with her arm up in the air before throwing it at force towards one of the man hitting him straight on his forehead sending backward into another party of sailors at a table. The group parted allowing the half-conscious man to sprawl out onto the table taking out their drinks onto the floor and the sailors themselves.

The sailors looked up in anger at the ones responsible for their drinks spilling finding the men that were escorting them out of the tavern. Both sets of sailors unsheathed their sabres as they took fighting stances. So did every other sailor in the tavern.

"Like those odd's now luv?"

"Even better"

From outside the closed door of the tavern, passer-by's suddenly came to stop as they neared the establishment as shouts, breaking glass and screams were heard from inside of the building as objects smashed inside, swords clashed, and men yelled out until the door suddenly opened allowing several tavern maids to run out screaming covering their heads with bleeding cuts littering their arms. The door closed again as the fighting continued the passer-by's slowly approaching the door until a man with a hook dressed in dark leather crashed thought the glass window closely followed by a woman with almost white hair crashing down next to him making them run in fear. Leaving the pair to groan out in pain, in the shards of glass around them.

Ignoring the pain in her sides and back Amelia forced herself to get up onto her hands and knees before staggering onto her feet as the fight continued inside wincing at the cut across her cheek and her split lip as she held out a hand towards Hook.

"Getting tired pirate?" she huffed out with a smile.

"You're a bloody demon" he grunted out as she hefted him up "How are you still standing?"

"The drinks really helped" she said as the six men that first confronted them came out of the tavern with their swords still in their hands surrounding them as they stepped out onto the cobbled street.

"Another round boy's?" she jeered at them holding out her hands in tight fists. bruises and blood covered her knuckles as she hadn't even tried using her hidden blade against them, leaving the pirate dumbfounded on how she was still alive at this point "Don't stand on ceremony then, come and get it?"

The group split up in two groups of three to surround both of them. Amelia took her time as each man tried to swing their weapon towards her only for her to simply push him away while Hook fought tooth and nail next to her.

Focusing on one of the sailors he approached her swinging his sword low at her, the assassin met the swing catching the man's sword hand before sending a powerful uppercut to his chin sending him backwards only to send another powerful punch to his gut making him hunch over in pain before finally sending one final punch into the back of his head onto the ground.

Looking to her left one large stride she sent two closed fists onto each side of his head taking him by surprise before sending her forearm into his face. Two down. And another sailor from Hooks group had seen her easily take two of his mates onto the ground joined her group

Swing around she led with an outstretched right foot into his stomach, making him hunch over onto his knees, with her foot still in the air she went to hit the middle of his back only for something small to hit her neck making her jerk. Her vision became blurred as she looked towards Hook. Whatever had hit her had already hit him as he struggled to keep upright his feet slipping on the stones before he finally gave up the fight slumping onto the ground.

Reaching up she pulled the offending object out of her neck to see a dark red feathered dart. It wasn't one of her own, but she knew who's it belonged.

"Shit" she slurred as a figure in the distance stepped into the light coming from the tavern. His dark hair had been pulled up in a neat ponytail as the scar on his face stood out from his pale skin. Starting from just above the middle of his forehead, it went diagonally done through his eyebrow onto his cheek, missing his eye.

"Goodnight, Amelia" was the last thing she heard was her world went dark once again.

She heard the creaking wood before she opened her eyes. She felt herself being gently swayed side to side as if it once did when she was travelling with her father, gently lulling her to sleep. But she wasn't on the Jackdaw anymore, this was an entirely different ship altogether. And she knew who it belonged too. Forcing her heavy eyelids open her blurred vision cleared after a few forced blinks to find herself in the hull of the ship she feared most of being trapped inside of. But it wasn't the ship itself she feared, it was it's Captain.

Shay Cormac was a fallen legend in the making in the Brotherhood. He had risen within the rank's alongside her father only for the man to defect to their enemy after finding out it's own corruptness and greed. No one spoke about him. Even the mere mention of the name in a room, the atmosphere would change.

To them he betrayed his brothers. To him, they had betrayed him.

Romeo seemed to miss him the most. They were brothers. In more ways than one. The Morrigan and the Jackdaw were going to be the centerpieces of the fleet Claudius was building. It was risky but they both had proven they had to skill to steer the brigs. While the Morrigan would be able to cut through the thickest of ice sheets in the Northern seas of the Enchanted Forest withstanding even the most freezing of temperatures. The Jackdaw thrived in the heat cutting through the water at break neck speed only sailors could dream of almost like it was flying over the water. Every Captain feared of being at the mercy of these two brigs with the firepower of a Man-O-War and Captains that held the helm.

Out of the two Captains, only one had survived the Brotherhood only join their enemy. Shay Cormac made it his life work to get in the Brotherhoods way, often winning over his old Order and his old friend Romeo. When word had reached that Romeo had been executed for treason, he knew he had to find her. Only she had found him instead on a mission herself to rid the Enchanted Forest of the corrupts assassin's.

Shay tried to sway her towards the Templar's several times, even aiding her to finding her old Mentor. But she didn't want to kill him for the Templars. She wanted to do it for herself and her family. She had already chosen a side. Her own side. After that he had left her to own devises. Feeling a tug on her chained boots she looked to her right to see Hook waking up from the sleeping dart they were both hit with.

"Wakey, wakey Hook. You're missing all the fun" she drawled out as he rubbed his head with his only hand.

"Where are we?" he groggily asked her as he sat up from the wooden floor.

"My guess…somewhere in the middle of the ocean".

"Bloody hell" he cursed as he saw their predicament, inside a ship hull, chains to a locked rob screwed to the floor with his hook missing, looking to his left he saw the assassin without her robe on her shoulders as she calmly searched their surroundings "How are you so calm about this?".

"Trust me I'm more worried about the captain than where we currently are" she tells him.

"He said your name, you know him?"

"Tried to recruit me a few times" she says.

"Care to elaborate love. I'd rather know who going to kill us"

"He's not going to kill us"

"And pray tell me how you know that".

She couldn't answer him as a crew mate she recognized from the night before sporting a large bruise in the middle of his forehead "Captain wants to see ya assassin rat" he gruffly tells her and another crew mate let her out of the lock, once on her feet her hands were restrained behind her back as Hook watched from the floor

"Stay here and don't say a word. I'll get you out of here" she tells the pirate before she is pushed forward to following the sailors.

The sun momentarily blinded her as she stepped out from the dark hull as the sailor's didn't even give her eye's a chance to get used to the bright light before she was pushed towards the captain's cabin, looking out into horizon she saw they were in fact in the middle of the ocean, some miles away from the shoreline and the harbor town she and Hook had found near the trail he had cornered her on. He was going out of his way to make sure she wouldn't get away from him.

They are anchored at least, so they couldn't be that far from land. Once they reached the door to the cabin, she looked towards the crew mate holding up her cuffed wrist to him. silently asking him to unlock them, only to get an uneasy look from him. "I'm in the middle of ocean outnumbered with a one-handed pirate, do you seriously think I'm gonna try and kill him now?" with a huff the crew mate unlocked her cuffs before knocking on the door twice.

"Let yourself in" he spat at her before leaving her at the door.

"Enter" she heard his voice from the other side. Following his order she opened the door to find him with his back to her going over paper's strewn over his desk. His cabin was similar to the one on the Jackdaw. Or at least more luxurious. The Templars sure knew how to throw their money around. The solid dark oak desk sat at the back with a leather padded chair behind it. to the side stood a miniature version of the Morrigan with red sails to the other side stood a mannequin torso with a red and gold embroidered long jacket hung over the shoulders

"Funny to see you this far South, Cormac" she greets the man with a smirk.

"When I heard Snow White and Evil Queen returning as a united front" he said turning around to face her "I just had to see it for myself. Hello again Amelia"

"Shay" she greeted the older man. She could see the grey hair on his head was quickly taking over his usual dark hair. He was the age her father would be if he hadn't been on Neverland.

"You look tired, Amelia" he pointed out straight away

"A dark curse or two would do that to you. You look old"

A hearty laugh left the templar's mouth as he closes the distance between him and his goddaughter engulfing her in a fatherly embrace that she eagerly mirrored, wrapping her around his back. Closing her eyes, she let herself be comforted by his fatherly touch. Despite their loyalty to their own creed's and animosity towards the other, they agreed that the Brotherhood had to die by whoever hand it came down to.

"Come sit, we've got a lot to catch up with"

The pair sat comfortably opposite each other with only the desk between them as they caught up on the goings on since the first curse was cast. Laughter filled the cabin as they reminisced about their time before the first curse.

"Now, are you going to tell me why you're here and not with your Queen?".

"You kidnapped me remember?" she reminded the older man making him chuckle.

"Aye I do, only because you were beating my men to a bloody pulp. Now answer the question".

"I'm looking for someone" she tells him "from before the curse, before the Black Widow".

"Something to do with orphans?".

A grin grew on the female assassins face "Look at you, looking through my personal belongings".

"I didn't have to. Word spread's fast when an Assassin of the Brotherhood goes to one orphanage after another looking for one boy in hundreds if not thousands. Who is this boy to you?".

"My son. Thomas" she shared.

"You really thing he's still alive after all this time?".

"I need to know what happened to him".

"Why know? You had years to find him, why is now so different?".

"I found Romeo" she simply states making him go still in his seat only his eye's looking up at her.

"You what?" he stated his voice dropping in surprise.

"I found him in a place called Neverland. Claudius didn't kill him like I thought. He was banished there for god know's how long until I went there trying to find someone else. He was poisoned only to be cursed by the island's waters. He couldn't leave again without dying. But we found a way for him to leave and say connected long enough for the Dark One to make a cure, only.." her throat finally gave up as she choked on the words she was trying to say. Instead the tear filled eyes told the man in front of her everythign he needed to know.

"He wouldn't take it".

"He died in the Land of No Magic instead of that place thanks to the man you took with me. Hook paid his debt to me when he allowed Romeo to die in place he was a prisoner on".

"Did he now?".

"He did" she tells the man in front of her "There's a chance Thomas could still be out there. I found Romeo without even looking, if there's a chance he's out there I need to take it".

"Aye. What about this Queen of yours? I heard you were close".

"This has nothing to do with Regina" her name slipped through her lips before she could stop herself.

"Ah it's Regina know is it?" the woman could only scoff in annoyance at the man in front of her slumping further in her chair "I'm a dying man Amelia. I can feel it in my bones that I don't have many days' left in me. If there's one thing, I have learnt in my long life is that you can't live in your past forever. One day you need to be able to let go of your husband and allow yourself to move on".

"What if I can't?".

"Do or do not. There is no try" he tells her getting himself out of his cushioned seat "Now I'm going to order my men to turn us about and take you back where we found you. Now will the man in my brig be accompanying you, or will I be keeping him here to teach him a lesson about harming the people I care about".

"He's coming with me" she tells him standing from her seat "He's not as bad as you think he is".

"Damn" he swears hitting the top of his desk "I hoped you weren't going to say that" he grumbles to himself.

"Can I ask you something though?".

"Anything".

"What happened to the Jolly Roger?".

"Told you I would get us out of there" the redhead said to the pirate one they had reached the shoreline. They had been dropped off on the same piece of beach they had met for the first time over thirty years ago by Cormac's crew. The Morrigan quickly disappeared in the horizon with its Captain inside for another adventure before he let out his final breath in this land.

"Aye so you did" he replied with a tight smile "How do you know him exactly?".

"He used to be part of the Brotherhood with my father, before he defected over to the Templar's. He helped me out a few times while I was trying to find the other's"

"Do you think he'll be returning anytime soon? I'd rather know if I'm going to be kidnapped again"

"He dying" she tells the man as she takes a seat on the sand that once birthed the Black Widow.

"Shame" he says taking a seat next to her. They simply sat there looking out into the horizon as the sun set on another day. It hadn't changed since the last time she'd been her. I was that fateful night that would take her right back to where they were.

"Do you remember this place" she asks the man next to her

"I hoped you hadn't" as he joined her looking out into the horizon. It was peaceful. Like she was meant to come back to see it again.

"I know Blackbeard has the Jolly Roger" he looked at her in surprise "Shay told me, that's why you're here and not out there"

"Aye" he said through gritted teeth

"If you need help getting it back.."

"No, you have more important things to get back to" he says thinking of the Queen and the Princess that would need her.

"I'm trying to find my son" she admits to him "The last two month's I have gone to every orphanage that's ever existed for any information that might lead me to him, and I have nothing to show for it. I'm not even sure I want to find him anymore" she tells him with tears in her eye's.

"What do you want to do?"

"Go home" she answers him "Forget about everything that happened here that night, or at least be able to forgive myself for letting go so easily"

"What happened wasn't your fault. That demented man fooled us both. I should've done more to stop him" he tells her as she fiddled with a silver ring.

"Do you think he'd hate me for letting him go" she was talking about her husband

"I think he'd love you even more for it. He'd want you to move on"

"That sounds like him" she smiled to herself as she suddenly stood up from the sand heading alerting the pirate to her sudden movements as he stood up on his feet as she wades knee high into the sea in front of them before throwing the ring into deeper water hearing the distinctive 'plop' hitting the surface before sinking into the sea. She was letting him go once and for all.

She waited for the sense of regret to wash over her mind, but it never came. Instead, something else lifted off her shoulders as she felt a sense of ease come over her heart for the first time in years. She could breathe knowing she's done all she could do to avenge her family. But it was finally time to let herself go from the constraints of the guilt that clouded her mind for years.

Turning around she waded back out of the water ignoring the squelching coming from her feet as her feet and skin tight trousers got soaked in salt water

"Has anyone ever told you you're bloody mad!" he exclaimed with a wide smile seeing the new woman that joined him back on the dry sand

"They have actually, never stopped me before, you should try it sometime"

"So, what now Lady Amelia?"

"Home"

It was dark when she found the Dark Palace. It's occupants either asleep for the night or those few unlucky souls stuck on guard duty as the other's slept. Not a mouse was heard as she slipped through the guards and found herself in the gardens, she had possibly spent hundreds of hours if not more in during her time here. She felt at peace in the open air. her feet took her to her the apple tree only to come to a stop when she saw another figure sat underneath it with an apple in her pale hands.

Still in her dress Regina sat with her long raven hair over her shoulder as her mind wondered off, still inspecting the apple. Deliberately making the gravel under her feet she so she heard an approaching figure the former Queen was still deep in thought when she finally spoke up.

"Can't sleep?" Regina's head snapped up to see the woman who had left them once again in the space of months to search for the impossible

"Melia?" forgetting the apple the Queen stood up to approach her she reached out her hand towards the assassin her fingers grazing the fabric of her robes almost to make sure she was really there and not some sort of trick her mind was playing on her. reaching up the assassin caught her wandering hand interlacing her fingers with the woman she truly loved

"Hi" she almost whispered giving Regina's hand a reassuring squeeze

"W-What are you doing here? You're not meant to be back for another fortnight"

"Ran into an old friend. He talked some sense into me and now I'm here. I'm back" Regina let go of the assassins hand

"What does that mean?"

"It means I'm done running from my problems. I'm going to do whatever it takes to make sure that Zelena get's nowhere near Snow's child. if you'll have me, of course"

"Whatever it takes" Regina repeated as her eye's wondered to the assassin's new haircut a frown grew on her face as she took in the short blonde (almost white) hair "What the hell have you done to your hair?"

It was like she never left

One Month Later

The last few weeks back at the palace permanently had gone quickly. She felt more settled than she one did. For the first time in the while, she felt at peace. Tom the Lost Boy preoccupied her time the most with the teen wanting her to continue his training despite the change of scenery. She even managed to get Charming to spar with him when he got a break from decorating the nursery and other duties.

His skills were improving day by day, he took her words to heart and pushed himself to do better the next day. He was a natural, like her. His training had helped the other's wile away time as they watched the seasoned assassin train the young novice.

With the help of the dwarf's and Robin's Merry Men they had built a small training area for the pair that would allow them the space to train as well as allow other's to watch without a stray knife or arrow from hitting them. It was nothing as fancy as the obstacles in Monteriggioni, but it would do for now.

She would even on occasion see Regina watching them from one of the balconies that overlooked the area with Snow beside her.

"She look's happy, doesn't she" Snow mused to her former step-mother as they watched the redhead with the lost boy she had more or less fostered. They watched as the teen once again bested Grumpy with his pickaxe "More settled" she adds.

Regina agreed. Her sudden return had surprise even her. The last few weeks had been better since she had come back from her impossible mission to find Thomas, it was starting to become insufferable with David and Snow around. But she had hardly spoken to her, they had only spoken in passing or in official meetings, she had spent a lot of time with Robin. They were thick as well…thieves.

Even now the man himself stood next to her quietly conversing about the lost boy's progression on the outside of the training ring they had built for them. There was something more there than what neither Robin or Amelia were letting on. More than her history with his wife. No, it went deeper than that.

There was a past there. Chemistry. The infuriated her the most about having him around, then there was the other morning where she had caught them outside her chamber's after Roland had spent the night in her bed while Robin was out patrolling all night, they couldn't keep their eyes off each other, she could only be thankful that his boy interrupted the moment.

She desperately wanted her back but she wasn't sure the woman would ever forgive her for the letter she swore to this day didn't remember on sending to Monteriggioni. It was a mystery she thinks will never get answered.

"Regina?" she hears Snow gently call out name, taking her out of her thoughts.

"Mhhm?" she gives the younger a curious brow "Sorry, what did you say?".

"I was saying how Lia looked happier now, more settled" the Princess repeats her thoughts.

"Yes, just until her next grand idea makes her leave again" she spits out bitterly.

Snow shook her head hearing the older woman's words "Regina, don't be like that".

"Well, it's true. She always leaves".

"Then give her a reason to stay" Snow tells her.

"What?".

"Give her a reason to stay, look I don't know what happened between you two, but I think you can be good together".

"You do, do you?" she drawls at the woman with a hand on her hip, not amused.

"I doesn't matter what Charming, or I think, you need to tell her how you feel before someone else does" Snow tells her plainly as they see Amelia quickly leave the training into the palace urgency in her footsteps before disappearing completely leaving the pair bewildered to what was going on.

"Well what was that about?"

Storybrooke

Present

Sat at the counter at Granny's that night, Robin's amused chuckles rang through her head once again at his friends expense as she holds her head in her hands with her elbows on the counter, listening to her complaints about earlier that morning and her meeting with Regina. She couldn't believe she ran like that. Letting her emotions get the better of her, and in front of the brunette.

"Yes please laugh more, that'll make me feel better" she says taking a swig out of the brown glass bottle in her hand. The cool beer supplied by the she-wolf behind the bar did little to make her forget about that morning like she wanted it to, but on the other hand she still had a heart to protect back at camp, she still had to be able to fight when it came to it.

"You forget your're still human my friend, with emotions and feelings" Robin tells her "They remind us that after everything we've been through, that we're still only human in the end".

"Did a rock troll tell you that?" she asked making him laugh. She loved his laugh and the smile that went with it, it would light up the whole room. It reminded her of John. When he was smiling everything was okay.

"From you actually" he tells her making her look at him.

"That doesn't sound like me".

"Of course not, but there was a time where you wouldn't let yourself feel at all, the part of you that wouldn't let even the person you trusted the most into your life. But something happened and you allowed yourself to feel again".

"What was it?".

"You fell in love" his answer took her by surprise as the bell over the door rung out announcing the arrival of the Charming family (As Regina would put it) with the addition of the woman herself trailing behind with Tom keeping close to Henry. This had been the first time she had seen the teen since that morning before she left to meet Regina in the vault. So that's where he had ended up. She was pleased to see him content with the pre-teen that had no idea what had been going on around him.

Her green eye's met her brown eye's making her freeze at the door at the other's find a table in the right hand window. As Emma found her seat she saw the at the former Evil Queen had seen the assassin. She had been somewhat hidden from view behind Robin Hood with her hoodie draped on her stool. The blonde had known something had been off with the older woman all day, but she put it down to missing Henry and Zelena.

"Hi Amelia" Henry's voice interrupts the moment when he see's his distant cousin sat at the bar with a man he didn't know.

"Henry" he greets the twelve year old with a friendly smile who stood next to Tom "How was your day?".

"The best. David let Tom and I drive his truck".

"He what?" she said in surprise looking at the man with a deadly gaze as he slowly took his seat. She still had the look that would make even the bravest man quiver in fear.

"Can I stay for dinner Mom?" Tom asked her, her brow's furrowing at the use of him calling her his mother. She supposed she was in front of Henry. How else could explain he didn't have any parents. He must've told Henry she was his mother. But who would want her as their mother?.

"Sure, that's fine" she trailed off as her mind wondered. The two boys walked away as she felt her heart squeeze in her chest.

"Amelia" She must've not looked okay as Robin tried to bring her out of her thoughts as she spun around on her stool to face the bar, her arms folded on the counter as the family settled down at their table with menu's. The former Queen gave one last glance at the assassin before focusing on her own menu despite knowing what she was getting. After a second she looked up to see that the redhead had disappeared catching the tail end of her boot clad feet heading towards the back of the diner. Tom see's this as is head swivels around to try and find the redhead.

"Excuse me" the former Queen politely tell the others getting up from her seat. As she passes Tom she give him a reassuring squeeze of his shoulder.

"Sure" Emma trailed off knowing where she was going.

Rounding the corner she saw the redhead with one hand on the door out of the diner. about to turn it to let herself out.

She was running. Again.

She seemed good at that lately. It seemed appropriate for this Amelia somehow, she had spent three year's running from the Brotherhood before Angelo, found her. She never learnt how to stop and turn around to face her problems head on. Zelena was the exception the other night however, her action's in killing Neal and her threats against herself and the town made her stop, but with the threat gone for the time being she was back at square one. It was all she knew.

She ran this morning once she found out what she had done and now she was running from being called a mother, even if it was all for show.

"You know" she started slowly approaching the assassin "They say once you start running, its hard to stop" she tells the assassin coming to stop a step away from her.

"How do I stop?".

"Find something worth fighting for" at that the redhead slowly took her hand off the door to "I wanted to apologize for this morning, I shouldn't have taken you down there so soon. I was just trying to help".

"No, you should have" the redhead tells her "I need to know what I did, you were only trying to help. I shouldn't have run like, that's what I seem to do lately".

"Then we're okay?".

"We're fine" she tells the former Queen with a hint of a smile on her lips "I should get going, it's getting late".

"Or you could join us, you are family after all" she offered the redhead with a welcoming smile.

"Another time, beside's I'm still waiting on that drink you owe me remember?".

"I do" the brunette said with a toothy smile allowing the redhead to open up the back door to leave only to stop.

"Can you give David a message from me?".

"Uh sure?".

"Tell him if he let's Tom drive his truck again, he'll hear from me personally" the assassin parted ways with the former Queen with a knowing tight smirk.

AN: I'm Alive!

Sorry about the wait. Had to put this on the back burner for a bit while. I hope to get back into the flow of things update wise. I have edited a couple of chapters during the brief hiatus.

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