Regina and Ingrid's return to Storybrooke was met with much fanfare. Almost all of the children at the rec center quickly surrounded them, clambering for their attention and asking questions about Arendelle. Henry hung back, watching the mayhem with crossed arms. A couple of the Lost boys brought chairs for the queens to sit down. Despite their elegant gowns, red and royal blue respectively, their pregnancies were unmistakable. If Henry remembered correctly, they were due to give birth soon. It was mostly their stomachs that were huge now, Regina's especially.
He was still watching the pair when he felt an arm slide around his shoulders. "You okay, kid?" Emma asked.
"I'm fine. What are you doing here?"
"I saw Olaf skipping down main street with Lily and Elsa so I assumed the queens were back and that this would be their first stop."
Henry hummed with a shrug. Regina was smiling, bigger and brighter than he could ever remember, more animated than he could ever remember seeing her as she told the kids what happened in Arendelle. It never occurred to him before but it finally clicked as to why he found it so weird. Regina was raised to be a queen and that permeated every aspect of her being. She was always composed, her every interaction and expression was controlled and measured. Even when she was really happy and even when she was with him. Now, she smiled hard, she laughed out loud, and she didn't seem to mind being so close to others like she once did. She even pulled Aerrick over to place his hand on her stomach. The baby must've kicked because his eyes went wide for a moment and he swiftly backed away, making her and Ingrid laugh. She seemed so much happier, so much freer.
"I have a meeting with Regina and the Lost Boys after this. You want to come with me or stay here?"
"I'll come with you. Then we can go home." He had a feeling Ingrid would stay and everyone else would just be fawning all over her the entire time. His thought proved to be true as he watched Aerrick help Regina to her feet. She kissed Ingrid and teleported away with the leader of the Lost Boys.
"Come on." Emma took the lead out to the car and drove out to the dorms Regina had built for the Lost Boys. Henry had never actually been inside, but from the exterior alone, he could tell that she had spared no expense. Regina had actually bought several of the buildings around the dorms so she could move them and have more space to make the dorms bigger and grander. The building was made of green bricks and had lots of trees and flowers planted around it. There was a large gold LB above the entrance and a gray square button next to the oak front door that had been carved with bow and arrow designs. Henry pressed the button and nothing happened. They waited a moment and Emma pressed it. After a minute, the door cracked open and a short freckled boy with a shaved head leaned out.
"Can I help you?"
"Regina asked us to come by to discuss some things with your leaders." Emma said.
The boy glanced between them before going inside and closing the door. The door opened a few moments later and they were led inside. The interior was indeed luxurious. The carpets were a dark green and the walls were a soft cream. There were lots of pictures of the Lost Boys everywhere, and various paintings and sculptures. They passed several rooms and Henry peeked inside each one. There was an indoor gym, a game room, an art room and a room with different types of wood, bows and arrows. They also passed some of the Lost Boys' rooms and a couple had their doors open and each one was vastly different. One boy had his room like a jungle and another was covered in a mountain of books and posters and clothes, as if the guy had collected any and everything that garnered his interest. Henry frowned a little as he followed his mother. These dorms were more reminiscent of luxury apartments. He wondered how they paid for it all or why Regina and Ingrid would put so much effort into it.
They finally arrived at some sort of meeting room. It was mostly empty except for some chairs and desks that appeared to have been dragged in from somewhere else. Some of them were stacked atop the others but the boys didn't mind sitting higher up. They were all transfixed, listening to Regina as she told them about launching some sort of meteor in Arendelle's harbor.
"Did Queen Elsa kill him?" One of the boys asked.
"No, she cursed him. He will never feel warmth again. And he lives in a beautiful sunny climate."
"She should've filled him with arrows." Another boy snarled.
"Agreed." Said another.
"He was doomed to fail. He could not hope to win against the Evil Queen, the Snow Queen, and Queen Elsa." Aerrick scoffed.
Henry was surprised to see Regina's beam of pride. He would've expected her to be upset to be called by her former moniker.
"Perhaps we should find you a new title, your majesty." One of the boys suggested. "You are not the Evil Queen anymore."
Regina gave the boy a smile. "Thank you, my dear. Why don't you find one for me?" The boy practically hopped to his feet to go and do it but the others next to him pulled him back down.
"Have you come up with names yet?" The boy next to Regina was pale with wavy black hair. He was one of the most muscular of the Lost Boys and he was almost bursting out of the gray t-shirt he wore.
"We have." Regina beamed. "Livia, August and Bjorn."
"Wonderful. I am sure they will be happy and protected at all times but we will also protect them." The boy promised. "As if they were our own family." The Lost Boys all cheered and Regina smiled again, touching his cheek.
"Thank you. All of you." She glanced over at Emma and Henry. "I can finish telling you all about my trip later. We have business to attend to today." She gestured to Emma, who walked into the room. The Lost Boys took their seats with three taking positions next to Regina. Henry assumed that these were the three leaders. Aerrick, he knew. He was one of the oldest and it was well known that he led the Lost Boys. He also regularly worked at the rec center and many of the younger children seemed to see him as an older brother. The muscular pale boy stayed sitting beside Regina and the last was a guy with lots of freckles and messy brown hair.
Aerrick cleared his throat, silencing the room. He sat up a little straighter, the other boys doing the same. "There have been many changes for us since our rescue from Neverland. There have been even more changes for us since Queen Regina and Queen Ingrid decided to remake the town and help us live a better life. Storybrooke is our home now. While the last year has been quiet, there have been villains and monsters that have come here to take over or hurt its people. They may have grievances against certain people or they wish for power. Their reasons don't matter. This is our home now and we will defend it." A cheer went up amongst the boys. "Unfortunately, most of the citizens of Storybrooke are either unwilling or unskilled enough to help in these situations. They believe their leaders, Snow and David will do all the work. They believe their savior," He gestured to Emma. "Will do all the work. And despite the animosity between themselves and our queens, they expect our queens to defend them as well. They must do all the work because if they don't, Storybrooke is doomed. Our queens are having children soon. They will be preoccupied and tired. We cannot let them waste energy worrying about whether their children will be in danger. Of course they won't. Because we are here now." Another cheer went up and Aerrick allowed it before continuing.
"If any of you wish to help in the defense of Storybrooke, which includes training and fighting, then you have three options depending on your age. The first is for those interested in magic. Zelena is opening a magic school and an apothecary. She has knowledge of many different kinds of magic and is an expert in potion making. She is willing to train anyone who wants to learn."
"It's completely free." Regina added. "We don't know when exactly the school will be ready, but it will probably be within the next month or two. Ingrid and I are helping her with design and Maleficent will assist with construction. For those of you who are unsure, I can honestly say that there is no one in Storybrooke better to teach you magic than my sister. She is more powerful than me and she has a love for magic that you will soon share if you decide to learn from her. And she has a curiosity that has allowed her to expand her expertise far beyond someone of her age. She will also accept any age in her school." She nodded to Aerrick for him to continue.
"The second option is to join the police force with Emma Swan, the Sheriff and Savior of Storybrooke." He motioned to her for her to speak.
Emma took another step forward as all eyes moved to her. "I don't think I'll be as eloquent as your leader, but uh…I'd like to start off with an apology." Henry frowned slightly and judging by the looks of the others they were just as confused. "I admit that I don't know everyone in Storybrooke. Most of them, I don't even see unless there's trouble and they're more my mom and dad's people than they are mine. But I helped bring you all to Storybrooke and I never took the time to see who you were and what you needed. I apologize for that. I should've done better and I'm glad that Regina and Ingrid have remedied that. Storybrooke is my home too and I want to protect it just as much as you do. I want to protect the people in it." She paused and Henry followed her gaze to Regina. "I want them to know that they're safe…because I am here now." Regina smirked and Emma turned back to the others. "If any of you want to join the police force, you're welcome to. Ordinarily, in this world, you'd have to be 21 to join, but I will accept anyone 18 and up. Maybe even 17 if you really want it. The fact is, I could always use the help. Aerrick is right that most of the defense of Storybrooke falls to me, my parents and Regina. Regina is one of the most powerful people in town and she's going to be busy raising children. While she is a valued member of our little protection squad and I know she will help if I ask, I don't want to have to bother her. If you join me, you will be my deputies and you'll have to follow directions. You'll have to patrol the streets, learn to drive hopefully and I'll provide you with weapons training."
"I'll pay any price for anything you need." Regina added. "Also, I know you have a lot to do, Emma, and you have many responsibilities, so I've asked Mal and Ruby to help with the training. These lessons will be available and free to everyone regardless of your choice. In regards to weapons training, Lily also offered to help when she could. She's apparently very good with guns."
"I'm not surprised." Emma replied.
"Well, she is a dragon and they tend to be good at every-fucking-thing." A few boys snickered and smiled at hearing Regina curse. Henry was shocked by it. He couldn't remember when he ever heard her swear before.
"There is a condition." Emma continued, surveying the room before looking at the black haired boy next to Regina. "You have to show respect to my dad. Sam told me how he felt and I get it. Believe me, I do. If I could change what happened to Lily, I would. If you work with me, you'll have to work with him and you'll treat him with respect. You're going to have to deal with people you may not like. Especially in this town. Ask your queens about it." Having spoken her piece, she took a step back, giving the floor back to Aerrick.
"The third option is that we create a separate faction for those who wish to protect Storybrooke but do not wish to join the police force. It will be composed primarily of Lost Boys, for now. Others in the community may want to join. They will fulfill a similar role to the police and will work in tandem with them to keep Storybrooke safe. Details will be hammered out later by the faction's members. The leader of this faction will be considered a town leader, in the same vein as the sheriff but they will adhere to the mayor's commands."
Regina sat up again. "You may have a week to decide, but understand that it is not a final decision. You may choose one or more of these options. You may sign up to work with Emma, then decide it's not for you and you may leave. You may decide you want to take the third option but you also want to learn magic with Zelena. When all the details have been figured out, we will create a schedule so everyone has time to see what they want to do and have time to train. If you don't want to do any of this, that's fine too." She paused, as if in thought for a moment. "Oh! You both made a point of my having children and not wanting to bother me. I want you to forget that right now. If there is a problem, I want to know about it. If any of you," She gestured to the other Lost Boys. "Ever need me, for any reason, you call me. You come find me. I mean it. Emma Swan, you keep me in the loop about any trouble. Got it?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Good." She waved her hand, conjuring a clipboard on a desk nearby. "If you already know your decision, you can sign up now and start early. But take your time. If no one has anything else to add…"
One boy raised his hand. "Will you lead the second faction, Aerrick?"
Aerrick shook his head. "I will always be available for counsel and I will always be available to fight if the need calls for it, but I am content leading the Lost boys and helping at the rec center. The ones who join the second faction will choose their own leader. Any more questions?" There were none so he dismissed them.
Some of the boys left the room while others began signing the clipboards. Several came to speak softly to Regina. Henry couldn't hear what was said but he noticed they kept glancing at Emma.
Eventually, they all dispersed except for Aerrick and Sam. Emma approached to speak to Regina. Henry waited a few minutes before approaching as well.
"You're going to join me, Sam? Really?" Emma said.
The black haired boy nodded. "I will. The queen had some interesting things to say about you and I figured it wouldn't be so bad working with you. I will treat your father with respect but know that it is merely an act."
"Sam." Aerrick and Regina said in unison.
"You hate Grandpa but follow her?" Henry asked, jerking his chin at Regina. Aerrick scowled at him and he warily took a step away from the older boy.
"Yes." Sam replied with a grin before looking at Emma. "Also, I watched some cop shows on tv. There's so many of them. Brooklyn 99 makes being a policeman seem fun."
"Uh, that's tv." Emma scoffed. "I guarantee that the real thing is less entertaining."
"Expected." Sam stood up. "So, do I get a gun?"
"We could start you off with a taser."
"Do I get a leather jacket? That seems to be the dress code. Regina, does the store here sell leather jackets?"
"What color?" Regina asked. Henry felt a pinprick of irritation at the smile she gave him. He didn't understand why she was catering to the Lost Boys so much. What made them so special?
"Black."
Regina snapped her fingers. A black hooded leather jacket appeared on his person and he instantly flexed.
Aerrick laughed. "You idiot. She obviously made the jacket to fit you perfectly."
"But it would've been cool if I could bust out of it." Sam retorted. "I like it. Thank you, Regina."
"You are welcome. Now help me up." Aerrick and Sam both bent to help the heavily pregnant woman to her feet.
"Do you want us to take you home?" Emma asked. "Or call-"
A blast of black smoke suddenly erupted across the room and Maleficent emerged from within, looking regal in a dark purple gown with a silver crown on her head embedded with amethysts.
"Nice crown, your majesty." Aerrick said.
"Thank you. I'm working on making them this week. Would you like one?"
"Actually, yes."
"It will be done." Mal grinned. "Regina, come on. Snack time."
Regina sighed. "You do realize that I'm not a child."
"So you don't want pizza?"
"I'll see you all later!" Mal touched her shoulder and teleported them away.
Emma shook her head. "I'll see you Monday, Sam." He dramatically saluted and she shook her head again before giving a respectful dip of her head to Aerrick. Henry followed her back out of the building. "Well that was fun."
"Why didn't you ask me to be your deputy?" Henry asked.
"I didn't really ask anyone." Emma replied as they got into the car. "Sam and Alec offered. And I told you that you're not working at the station until you finish school."
"They haven't finished school. Technically, they're way further behind me."
"Because of Pan. You can't really compare yourself to them. Regina had you in honor programs since you were a toddler and don't think I don't know that your grades have slipped in the last year."
"It's been a busy year." He shrugged.
"Well, since there isn't any villain running around, you better hit those books."
"Yeah yeah." He turned to look out the window. "You hear about Arendelle?" He asked after a few minutes of silence.
" assassination attempts in under a year. That's with Regina, Ingrid and Maleficent there. Those people are crazy."
He snorted a bit, laughing despite the sharp spike of fear that something could happen to Regina. Emma occasionally filled him in on the little scraps of information she was able to get from Regina's friends. He didn't like hearing about it but he also didn't mind. Besides, it seemed like Emma needed to talk to someone about it. Usually, that would've been Regina. Maybe Hook but Emma distanced herself from him when they broke up. Sometimes she'd talk to Ruby, but the werewolf seemed to be dating Zelena and was usually in Arendelle. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that they both could use some more friends. Everyone was so obsessed with Regina and Ingrid, it was so annoying.
"We both need to get out more, Mom." He said out loud.
"I know." Emma sighed. "I will."
"Maybe if you had some new friends, you wouldn't have to focus on Regina so much." He continued.
"I could say the same thing to you." Emma replied. He instantly turned around to glare at her. "You miss her, Henry. You've missed her since she gave me parental rights. Don't act like I'm crazy for wanting to know about her when you do too."
"No, I don't care-"
"Bullshit." Emma scoffed, pulling into the driveway. "You can go talk to her, Henry. She promised that the next move has to be yours to make. If you want to be in her life, then you've gotta put in the effort…" Emma trailed off and looked around. Henry did the same, not quite understanding her confusion. His mother quickly pulled out her phone and made a call. "Regina, send Maleficent to my house. I think-"
Henry screamed as the car was suddenly flipped. Pain lanced through his head and the world went blurry. His seatbelt cut into his shoulder and he was left suspended as the car slid across the grass.
"Henry!" Emma yelled. She screamed again as the car moved again.
He wasn't sure what was happening. There were heavy thuds and lots of noise, some kind of grinding sound and Emma screaming. He felt himself being pulled from the car, the seatbelt cutting into his flesh again as their assailant didn't bother to unhook it. When his vision cleared, he was looking into a pair of golden eyes.
"This is a boy." The man growled. "Bring me the other child."
"Yes sir." Henry looked around, willing everything to focus. The man that held him was tall, abnormally so. He towered over the other men he had around him. At least four of them were dragging Emma towards him. The man with the golden eyes reached out a large hand to grab Emma by the throat.
"This is not right either. She has strong, light magic, but she does not match the blood we found."
"Light magic?" The only other person in Storybrooke with light magic was Regina. Was that who they were looking for? How'd they get into town?
"You know who I seek?" The man looked at him, growling under his breath. Battle scars marred his face, but they weren't disfiguring. Unlike his minions, who were all dressed in gold, he wore white pants and a bejeweled belt across his stomach and a large necklace around his neck of similar make. He couldn't be human. He held Henry and Emma in the air with two hands and he didn't seem bothered by it.
"We know who you seek." Emma cut in. "Put him down and I'll take you to the one with light magic."
"I am not a fool, child." The man growled.
"I'm not a child."
"You are all children compared to me. Where is the one with-" An arrow suddenly appeared in his chest, but he didn't even react to it. He lowered Henry to face his attacker and that's when all hell broke loose. Dozens of Lost Boys suddenly appeared, all armed and armored in leather. The twang of dozens of bowstrings shook the air and Mal suddenly appeared to tackle the man.
Henry hit the ground hard and again everything went blurry. "Henry!" Emma wrapped her arms around and all but dragged him behind the overturned car. "Henry, you okay?"
He let out a groan and suddenly felt completely fine. He looked up, eyes landing on Regina, who was leaning against the car. "You shouldn't be here."
"I am aware."
"He's looking for you."
"Well, I'm right here." She replied, reaching out to touch Emma's shoulder. Henry frowned seeing her almost sag against the car.
"Regina." Emma reached out to her but Regina pushed her hand away.
"I'm fine."
Henry doubted that but he didn't say anything. He peeked out over the edge of the car. The Lost Boys were prepared to fire again but the gold clad people hardly seemed bothered. Just like the man with golden eyes, they didn't react to the arrows sticking out of their bodies.
Mal was facing the man with golden eyes. "Regina, Emma, you can come out." The dragon called. Henry followed the women warily as they walked and waddled towards the dragon.
"What the hell are you doing? Since when do you work for Merlin?" Mal was hissing at the man.
"Merlin? Merlin is gone." He snapped. "What the hell are you doing? You decide to work for Arendelle?"
"Elsa is a friend and your employer tried to kill her."
"Employer? Don't be ridiculous."
The pair continued bickering for another minute before Regina loudly cleared her throat.
"How about we go somewhere the pregnant lady can sit down and you explain all of this mess? If he can be trusted, Mal."
Mal glared at the man. "Do you agree or should I kill you right now?"
"As if you could." He growled.
"Remind me, how did you get those scars on your face?"
"Enough." Regina sighed. "Who are you?"
"I have many names, but most know me by Kilgharrah."
"From Camelot?" Henry asked, flinching when he looked at him.
"I thought Kilgharrah was a dragon." Emma said.
"I am."
"Well then, Kilgharrah," Regina gestured to the car. "Fix what you destroyed and apologize to my friends." Kilgarrah's eyes went wide, as if she'd grown a second head.
"Regina is mayor here." Mal added. "She is essentially queen here. You invaded her town and attacked two of her people, one of them being a child, Kilgharrah. An actual one. It is not like you."
"Much has changed since we last met, Maleficent. Had I known you were involved, I would not have come here at all." The Great Dragon bowed and his followers did the same. "Forgive me." He snapped his fingers, returning Emma's car to normal.
"You're not forgiven." Emma scowled at him.
"Why did you target Emma anyway?" Mal asked. "Did the poison maker send you?"
"Poison maker?" Kilgharrah instantly turned to her. "You're after him too? That bastard tried to kill me! I hunted him across the Enchanted Forest and I received notice that he had an accomplice who was here, masquerading as different people, wearing different faces. I was told it was a blonde woman with powerful magic."
Mal frowned. "Was his accomplice named Elsa?"
"Yes! You know her?"
Mal looked at Regina. "This guy really wants to kill Elsa."
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