I have been battling with this chapter for months now and honestly, I don't think I am going to do better than this, having already written it and rewritten it for more than five times. I just don't have the inspiration for it, or anything much else lately, due to many situations and problems in my personal life, serious health and family issues among those.
It is not finished, but I figured that it would be highly unfair to you, dear readers to make you wait until I have the whole chapter, so this is at least something.
As always, thank you for the reviews and the faves.
Apologies for the wait and the shortness... I hope I will have the other half much sooner.
It is not beta-ed, all mistakes are mine.
Enjoy!
Chapter 25
The sound of the waves lapping up the sandy part of the shore was a soothing background noise, as Snow listened to her grandson tell her about the new book he had read during his brief bed rest. Smiling at the exuberant boy bundled in the winter clothes, his face and neck protected from the sharp and damp breeze coming from the sea with his trademark striped scarf while his head was covered with a hand knitted beanie she had made for him, having given it to him that very morning, Snow carefully guided them over the dry patch of the beach, enjoying their walk.
It had taken some convincing, but the pixie haired woman had managed to persuade the Mayor to let the preteen spend some time with his grandmother, taking a long stroll by the sea before going back to Regina's office. As Henry had finished all the assignments the night before, working diligently as he had been recovering, he had nothing to do for this beautiful Saturday morning, and when his mother had deemed him healthy enough to leave the house, he and Snow had asked for time together, making plans to join Regina and Kyle for lunch that would be delivered to the Mayor's office by the illustrious interim Sheriff, namely her husband.
"So, what is on your mind?" Snow asked the boy after a lull in his storytelling. As he looked up at her with a frown on his face, she chuckled softly before checking him with her shoulder teasingly. "What is it?" she added gently, placing her glove covered palm onto his shoulder. She could see a shadow lurking in his eyes, but with everything that had been going on she could not even try to guess what might been troubling him, as there were plenty of things to choose from, one of which was the absence of his blonde mother.
"Nothing," he replied all too quickly, before stuffing his hands into his coat, his stride just a bit longer, as he moved in front of her, effectively avoiding the question.
"Henry," she called after him as she watched him stop several steps ahead. "Henry, what is going on?" But as the boy stayed silent, Mary Margaret placed her arm around his hunched shoulders, pulling him into her side in comfort, keeping her quiet, as she looked into his face. However, before she could ask him again, or tell him that she would listen to whatever he had to say, his eyes focused onto something far away, stepping forward to the water.
"What is that?" he asked, his arm extended toward the high seas where a tiny dot flickered in the wet winter air. As the woman directed her eyes to where he was pointing, she gasped in surprise. It seemed like the very air had become visible for several seconds, the bluish barrier shimmering with a golden glow as the dot in the distance turned into a head, then into a person battling with the waves. And, Mary Margaret realized that she knew the person in the sea water, her second gasp much louder than first.
"Go to my wagon and bring the blanket," she spoke urgently to Henry, giving him the keys as she walked down the beach. She didn't even look to see if he had complied, stunned over the appearance of her once friend, now walking toward her with a gentle smile on her face. "Ariel," Snow spoke softly, still not believing that the red head was standing before her, shivering in the cold air of Maine winter, her hair dark and waterlogged, covering her in ways her skimpy shell cover barely could.
"Snow," the young woman gasped in relief as she stumbled onto the sand, her skin already turning blue from the exposure to the sharp cold. Luckily, Henry had understood the urgency of the moment and had rushed to the car, taking not only the blanket from the back, but also Mary Margaret's spare coat. However, the minute he stopped in front of the barely covered woman he froze, not knowing what to do. It was his grandmother that liberated him of his state of flabbergasting blankness, as she covered her otherworldly friend. "Isn't it just fate that you are the first person I have seen?" Ariel said after she was properly wrapped into the blanket and the coat. At Snow's blank look, the mermaid smiled and nodded to herself. "You have a very kind daughter, Snow. You should be proud."
"You've seen Ma?" Henry spoke immediately, not able to restrain himself from jumping in.
"You must be Henry then?" the mermaid spoke with understanding as she focused on the boy, her keen eyes seeing the familial similarities, only confirmed with his suddenly gleeful expression on his face, followed by a rushed nod. The woman smiled at him and inclined her head in answer, before her eyes went to Snow, taking in the friend she had met a long time before, in another world, who now was kneeling before her, worried countenance too obvious on the fair features. "Your daughter made me a promise that if I helped her, she would direct me to Eric," the outsider said, a small smile pulling at her lips as she spoke her love's name, as her right hand absently passed over the chains of the bracelet on the left. "She wanted to give this," the red haired woman suddenly spoke as if she had forgotten her obligation for a moment, her hand reaching for the leather strap on her shoulder, and offering the bag to the other woman, "to the woman she named as Henry's mother and that you would know who it is." Then the woman frowned, her hand still clutched around the leather, suspicious look passing over her face. But, only a second after it was gone and she released her hold over the bag, trusting Snow. After all, the princess had never done anything to warrant mistrust, for it had been her that inadvertently betrayed Snow to the Evil Queen masquerading as Ursula the Sea Witch. However, she did not miss the slight tightening of the pixie haired woman's mouth, as if she was expecting trouble, Emma's warning not to disturb the status of affairs in the town coming to her mind. "So, who is it?" she added lightly, aware of the cautious look that Snow directed at the boy.
"She is the…" Henry started, before a tight grip on his shoulder stopped him, his grandmother's silent admonishment quite obvious in her eyes, but before he could sulkily comment that he was only to say mayor, not anything else, Snow whipped up her phone and selecting the very familiar number from her call history, she gestured to him to stay put.
"I am going to talk to her right now," the princess spoke as she waited for Regina to pick up, noting the mermaid eyeing the phone with interest. "Henry can explain how the phones work," she added, her eyes connecting with the boy's before she stepped away, needing the privacy for this call. As soon as the call was connected she was greeted with a rather brusque 'What?', but she didn't take it personally, knowing enough of magic and the barrier to know that Regina and Blue would be trying to find the source of the disturbance. In truth, she had needed an explanation from Astrid on how the whole system worked, but the kind fairy had indeed helped her understand the practical aspects of the protection spell. Quickly, she relayed the message, and not more than five seconds since the end of the call passed before a trademark mist appeared only steps away, consolidating into the Mayor of the town.
No words were necessary as the dark eyes met the concerned green ones, a silent promise of peaceful approach evident in Regina's features, as the brunette took in their guest, not blind to the still visible shiver of the girl, unused to the chill of the air. At the notice of how cold the newcomer seemed to be, the Mayor herself shivered, having forgotten to take her coat with her in her rush to get there. With simple thought and a hand move, both she and Ariel were dressed warmly, Regina wearing her dark coat and the red head wearing clothes of this realm, keeping her suitably warm and her moves unrestricted. After that show of magic, smirking lightly at the surprised gasp from the girl and knowing chuckle of her son, Regina stepped toward the guest, moving into Ariel's line of sight, her hands in front of her in universal sign of non-violence.
"You," the mermaid screeched as soon as she realized who the woman in front of her was, rising from her perch, unconsciously backing away from the sorceress, pulling the boy along with her. But then the boy shook the firm grip off, his hand clutching her own in brief gesture of reassurance, before he walked toward the other woman, his face showing his unrestrained smile as he stopped in front of her. Ariel watched the gentleness the woman placed into the greeting touch on his chin, bringing his face up to meet hers. It was a move only someone with great care would bestow on another, and a move she had seen mothers use on their children. "You?" Ariel spoke again, this time her voice portraying the bewildering confusion as she saw Henry lean in into her touch. "You are the Knight's True Love?" The disbelieving question was filled with suspicion, as the blue eyes darted toward Snow, then back to the former Evil Queen. However, after a moment, it made sense. "Ah," the young woman snorted as she realized that the Savior had known all along how she would react to the Queen's appearance.
"She said Emma had something for you," Henry added impatiently after several seconds of terse silence, eyeing the bag beside the red head's feet, growing tired of waiting for his mother to respond to the mermaid's words. But, when she shushed him, pushing him lightly toward his grandmother several steps to a side from them, he complained with a whiny 'Mom' that did nothing to deter Regina from sending him away.
"It came as a surprise to me, as well," Regina spoke softly as she came closer to the other woman, careful not to let her disdain of discussing private things with a stranger be shown on her face, maintaining her unthreatening appearance. Her eyes were no longer focused onto the beautiful and young features of the sea creature but onto the leather bag on the sand. The brunette could feel the magic coming of it, its familiar tones quite soothing for her, pleased beyond any measure that her Savior had figured a way to send across a message. It did not matter what it said, it was something of hers, something that managed to make the time still needed for the beans not seem that long. Who knew that something so trivial, a simple traveler's bag, could bring so much comfort?
Without much thought, the Mayor summoned the bag into her hands, disregarding the wet sand sticking to it, as she let her fingers trace over the closed seams, smiling at the apparent magic keeping the insides intact. "How is she?" Regina asked, her eyes rising up, once more seeing the former mermaid before her.
Seeing the blistering eagerness to hear about the Savior out of the dark eyes she had seen glow only with hate and malice before, told Ariel that the woman in front of her was indeed Emma Swan's True Love, and that the Evil Queen was no more. The impossible had happened, and the White Princess and the Queen are family again, although through different means, the mermaid thought to herself, recalling the concern on Snow's face from the minutes before. It had not been for Ariel, but for Regina. Snow had been afraid of her reaction, afraid she would do something to Henry's mother. It seemed ridiculous to even consider that the mighty sorceress such as Regina would ever suffer an injury from her, but then she noted the careful stance and unexpected patience in the woman. Yes, she understood at last, she could hurt Regina, with her words… So, with her promise to the Savior in mind, Ariel relaxed, her hand idly passing over the blue stones in her brace.
"She was…" the mermaid started, thinking back to her last meeting with the Savior. Looking at the Queen and her fingers still gently gliding over the enchanted leather, no doubt feeling the remnants of the magic the Savior had casted over it, Ariel realized that she did not want to bring pain to this woman before her, despite all the trouble Regina had left her with. And, if she spoke the truth about the Savior, about how the blonde woman had looked during their meetings, it would only make the Queen worry too much for her loved one, but at the same time she could never lie and the skilled manipulator such as the former Evil Queen would be able to spot the fabrication miles away. With a heavy sigh, the sea princess came closer to the Queen, suddenly not afraid of the woman, but feeling strangely sympathetic toward her – the separation from the True Love always did move her. "There is a lot going on in the Enchanted Forest, and I think she is dealing with it admirably…"
"What?" Regina interrupted, looking at the red head quizzically, pressing the bag to her chest, a move that was undoubtedly unconscious, but that much telling. "What is she dealing with?"
"Well, there is a war, and Midas collaborating with the Witch, and the Trolls and Ogres are with them, along with pirates. Well, not anymore, 'cause we destroyed them, but still, she is going against the great odds…" the mermaid started rambling, her voice getting higher, as she was getting more flustered under the steely gaze of the Mayor.
"Wait, did you just say war?" Snow spoke before Regina could, stopping Ariel's explanation. "You need to start from the beginning."
"There is not much I can tell you, Snow. I only know that Emma came to me with the promise of Eric's whereabouts and a peace treaty for my people if I convinced my kin to help against the pirates." Then the red head gestured toward the bag Regina was still clutching hard against her chest. "I think she may have explained everything in the message she had me deliver."
At those words, Regina snapped out of her angry and disbelieving stupor, opening the bag, tearing through the protective enchantments instantly and unearthing two leather-bound notebooks, an etched number two on one of them. Opening the other one, she gasped at the sight of very familiar untidy handwriting, addressing her. Skimming through the several pages, Regina realized that the books were diaries, with some parts written as annals of the time Emma had spent away from her family, and by the several glimpses she had, it had been very hard on her. Closing the notebook with a decisive snap, she closed her eyes, pushing the tears that suddenly welled up back, refusing to let them fall. Then, after a steadying breath, she put the books back into the bag, her moves jerky but peculiarly gentle, as if she was handling an extremely sensitive material. Not looking at the mermaid, the brunette took another deep breath, before she focused on something she had set out to investigate at first. "She granted you passage through the barrier?" she asked, her voice stilted.
"Yes, she," Ariel started softly, as her fingers started tracing the brace again, counting the stones, a comforting action she was suddenly developing. Then she extended her left arm, showing it to Regina, pulling the sleeve up, uncovering the twined metal entirely. "She made this for me. Said it should get me through any enchantment over the town." She did not flinch when the brunette grasped her wrist firmly, albeit carefully not to hurt her, examining the workmanship.
"She made this?" Regina whispered with awe, feeling the tenets of Emma's magic, much more powerful than on the bag, and in the bracelet it felt different, extraordinary more potent and altered, but it still was recognizable, despite all the changes. The sorceress could feel the several enchantments woven into the very atoms of the brace, making the spells all the more durable and infallible, the skill and ingenuity of the process amazing the woman. But, what brought a soft smile to Regina's lips was the constellation of the aquamarines arranged into a recognizable shape. "A swan?" she said, unaware that she had actually spoken aloud, her voice sounding far away as she traced the stones with her finger.
"She said, it would be a proof that she sent me," the mermaid replied, slowly extricating her limb out of the Queen's grasp, and stuffing both of her hands into the pockets of her newly acquired coat. "May I.." Ariel spoke with a tremble in her voice, her eyes darting between her friend and her once enemy. "May I go now?"
Receiving only a nod from Snow, the mermaid slowly walked away from them, almost afraid that the Queen would snap out of whatever trance she was in and hold her back. But, as she reached the docks, she stopped, not knowing where to go. No one was around to ask about Eric, and wandering around with no direction didn't seem like a good plan either. However, she was spared of the humiliation of returning to the Queen and asking for help as the boy, Emma's son, approached her slowly with a piece of paper in his hand.
"Henry?" she beckoned him to come closer as she reached for the note he offered to her. "What is this?" Reading the several words on the note, she realized it was a short missive from Regina to someone named Mrs. Lucas, but she did not understand what it meant.
"Mom said that the fishermen are out to the sea for a couple of days and that Eric, as their captain, is with them and will only return tomorrow afternoon." The boy spoke quickly, itching to go back to his mother and see the diaries. "So, you should go to the Bed and Breakfast Granny has, and rent a room. That paper would tell Granny to give it for free." Having given the thorough explanation on how to get to the diner to the guest, Henry smiled widely at Ariel waving at her before he turned around and run to the two women waiting for him only a couple hundred yards away.
"Well, that was a surprise," Mary Margaret said softly as she watched Henry rush away with the message. Glancing toward Regina, she saw her place the newly conjured pen into the coat pocket, her eyes following her son's advance.
"Was it?" Despite the softness of the Mayor's voice, Mary Margaret could notice the slight tremble of it, belying the calm Regina was so desperate to project. Now turning to face the woman completely, the teacher saw the glazed faraway look in the dark eyes, worry and elation mixing in a confusing blend. But, after a visible effort spent to compose herself and pull herself to present, Regina looked at Snow, her eyebrow arching in question, still waiting for an answer.
"No, not really. She brought news of Emma, and from her. Of course you would treat her well. And, I think Granny would be good for her, until she finally gets to Eric. But, what I really meant, it was a surprise to see her here."
"She does have a way of surprising people," the older brunette spoke softly with a smile, and by the loving quirk of Regina's lips, Mary Margaret knew that her companion was not speaking of the mermaid. "As soon as Henry gets back, take him home. I will join you shortly, after I pick up Kyle and close the office."
"You want me to call David too?"
"Not just yet. But he can come after work." Looking down at the bag, Regina frowned. "She sent this here for a reason, and I cannot help but…" Shaking her head, she looked up to see Henry hurriedly walking up to them, deciding to put away her worries just for a while longer. "Honey, I need to go back to the office, but I will meet you shortly, okay?" she spoke to her son, her fingers gently cupping his chin. Offering him a tremulous smile she disappeared, taking the books with her.
"We're going home?" Henry murmured questioningly as he came closer to his grandmother.
Not wasting any time on verbal response that might only inspire more questions, Mary Margaret only nodded, leading them back to her car, ushering the boy onto the front seat quickly and driving toward the Mifflin street in silence. She had been surprised with Regina's decision to have her there while she would read the diaries, expecting the Mayor to shut in and only call them if she had something pertinent. This only spoke of Regina evolving and accepting Snow and David as part of her family. Just as she pulled up in front of the mansion, she called her husband and explained the situation to him in short points, telling him to come over and bring some take out for lunch. Timidly, she added a small request to him, asking if he could spare Neal in the afternoon and bring him along as well. She did so without Regina's approval but she did not think the woman would mind, too much.
With the boy in front of her letting them in, Snow quickly divested herself of her jacket and shoes, leaving Henry to deal with his sand covered ankle high sneakers and wet laces, as she walked into the kitchen, her mind already set on making hot chocolate and coffee, needing something to do with her hands. Henry, the smart boy as he was, did not need any prompting to go upstairs and change into a warm cotton sweat suit, afterwards settling on one of the stools in the kitchen, waiting for his mother to come home, sipping the sweet drink his grandma had made.
Not long after, the front door opened and the awaited brunette strolled in, carrying Kyle on her hip, the bag with his things hanging off her shoulder, while her briefcase, bag and the satchel Ariel had brought over thrown over the other. "Little help," she asked of Henry gently, seeing him slide into the foyer at the sound of the door opening. She gave him her burden from the shoulder, holding on to the toddler in her arms. "Take it all into the study, and ask Snow to start the fire, will you? Considering we will spend most of our day in there." Although she had spoken to Henry, her eyes glided off him, connecting with the younger woman's leaning against the wall leading deeper into the house, receiving a nod of acknowledgement in return. "I need to change him, but we'll be right down." In quick strides, the Mayor climbed the stairs, leaving them to their assignments. The pixie haired woman quickly found a serving platter, filling it with refilled Henry's and hers chocolate, along with a pot and cups for tea, and brought it into the study, using the side door. Then she crouched in front of the fireplace, her woodsy skills coming very handy at that moment, the roaring blaze catching on swiftly, warming up the room rather quickly. Placing the metal guard in front of the fire, she looked up as she heard Henry murmur in surprise.
"There is nothing here," he spoke as he leafed through the two diaries, finding only empty pages.
"Henry," the reprimand came, not from his grandmother who had stood up, dusting off her hands, but from his mother, strolling into her office with purpose, with the baby in her arms. "What did I tell you about snooping?" Her voice was not harsh, nor threatening, but holding enough disappointment to make the boy shrug uncomfortably and blush in shame, as he stepped away from the diaries. "One of these days, your curiosity will lead you in a situation you won't be able to escape from," she added softly, her fear of his recklessness visible in her eyes.
"I didn't mean," he started but this time it was Snow that interrupted, taking Kyle out of Regina's hands and placing herself on the black leather couch by the door.
"You never do, but it does not change the fact that your prying into things that are too dangerous might kill you."
"Remember the first time you snuck off to my vault? If I hadn't called David to see what you were up to, and if he had not made in time, those snakes would have killed you." Regina's insistent stare forced a nod out of the boy, while Mary Margaret shifted on the couch.
"Snakes?" she inquired with a frown on her face.
"Vipers," Regina replied absently, walking around the desk, and seating herself into the chair, pulling the diaries toward her.
"Vipers?" Snow mumbled, confused for a second before her face cleared into a dangerously angry expression. "You kept them?!"
"Focus, Snow. That is not important now." Regina glanced over to the fuming younger woman pleased to see the former enemy sigh in acquiesce, and opened the first diary, her fingers crossing over the first page, seeing symbols carefully written into a circular pattern. "Hmm," she murmured, tracing the letters of a magical language, forming an intricate concealing spell. "Ingenious," she spoke softly with pride, as she invited Henry into her side, one arm going around his middle, holding him close. "She used an old language the magical practitioners call Elvish to place a very complicated enchantment that made the contents invisible to anyone. But, what I don't know is how did she key it up to me?" She explained to him, her voice tapering off in wonder at the end.
"Elvish?" Henry exclaimed in excitement, almost not hearing the words following afterwards. "There are Elves there?"
"Hmm, no, there aren't. If they had been, they are long gone now because there aren't even the myths of their existence." As his crumbling excitement left trace on him, Regina guided his head toward her shoulder, moving his hair out of his face. "For some reason, the mages of old decided to call the language Elvish, perhaps needing something to make it distinctive. Only the most powerful sorcerers can read and write it, while the others use a simplified form called the half-Elvish, as it is much easier to use."
"And Emma used it?" Henry prompted after several moments lapsing in silence as the woman examined the page, the intricacy of the spell drawing her interest.
"Indeed," Regina replied softly. "Which means that only I can read the notebooks, for some reason. Perhaps there are some secrets that others cannot know, or she simply had shared something deeply personal…" She looked up into her son's expectant face, and tapping his nose with her forefinger. "Nevertheless, even if she had not placed such charm over them, you shouldn't have opened them, Henry. You heard Ariel, she meant those for me, and me alone. You are old enough to know that you should respect other people's privacy, even if it was your mother's." Although her tone was not showing much of the rebuke, Henry knew that she was making a valid point, still feeling the lingering sense of shame for not being able to hold off his need to find out about Emma.
"But, you will tell me, right?" He asked tremulously, meeting her eyes. "You'll tell me the news about her?"
"Of course, Henry." Having that reassurance, the boy smiled to his mother and after one last look toward the seemingly empty pages he stepped away, joining Snow and Kyle on the couch, taking his mug of chocolate. His gesture spoke multitude of things, but one that Regina could really be grateful for was the space he had given her, trusting her to share what she learned afterwards. And, with silence falling on the room, Regina delved into the written words flowing over the pages.
Apart from the careful script of the enchantment, the first pages held nothing but the random notations and observations about Rumplestiltskin's library, the title the Trolls had bestowed on her, and many other seemingly nonsensical things. Page after page, the untidy scrawl of a hand unused to writing with quills and ink, or coal sticks, contained snippets of Emma's days, with her commentary following the events. But, as Regina went deeper into the book, the short observations gave way to more personal notations, speaking of Emma's thoughts born in the early hours of the morning after reading one volume or the other, her ways of dealing with nightmares, learning to ride horses and feeling the freedom in the pushing air around her… Studying with Rumplestiltskin and engaging in many philosophical debates with him… The brunette would randomly chuckle or sigh with sadness, wishing that she had been there to share those moments with the Sheriff, examining the sketch of the arches for the portal, admiring the detailed work up Emma had done beforehand, until one word captured Regina's attention. Army. A very thorough account of the first sighting of the unknown army flowed on the pages of the notebook, followed by the hasty scribbles detailing the advance of the people observed from the cliff along with the progress of the carving in the cave. The account she was reading in itself would have not been troubling if not for Emma's sense of foreboding, permeating the very pages Regina was reading.
Hour after hour, Regina read the accounts of the blonde, quite often shaking her head at the deeds the Sheriff had described and the ideas she had implemented, and many of the ones she had just thought of – mindfully keeping her reactions of incredulity and fear to herself as much as she could, the capturing text not too involving for her to forget that she was not alone in the study. Well, until she had read about the Savior's contemplations on Marbh Teine. "Oh, you idiot," she murmured with exasperation, her fingers twitching in desire to chastise the blonde for her daring nature. But, with every further word, she grew more and more anxious, her irritation and frustration apparent in her harshly mumbled words. Not able to stop, nor to respond to the questioning gazes she had felt intermittently on her face, the Mayor avidly continued to read, her eyes passionately darting over the pages, flying with need to reach the end of the story without missing anything. As she finished with the first volume, she realized that she was alone in the room, lunchtime come and gone for a while now, but there was a still steeping mug of coffee beside her. Deciding to take a break, she pushed away from the desk, wincing at the stiffness in her neck and back, using the warmth of the mug to heat up her fingers. At the same time she became aware of the tears slowly gliding down her face and dropping off to her lap, the last entry of the book devastating her on so many levels.
A soft knock came from the side door across from the kitchen and without waiting for her response it opened and a dark head, slightly peppered with grays, peeked in, the dark eyes meeting her own in question. But as soon as he saw the translucent tracks the tears had left behind, Neal stepped in without the invitation, rushing toward his sister and crouching before her, he took one of her hands.
"What is it? What happened?" he asked as his eyes darted toward the book, still open on the last page. However, he did not show confusion at the apparent emptiness of the yellowish paper, which told Regina that he had already been informed about that particular effect. "Regina?" he nudged her softly as she had failed to respond.
"She is caught up in the war Midas is apparently instigating, determined to march on the people of the Safe Haven," the woman replied, her voice cracking, but not all of it was from the misuse. He could hear multitude of emotions in the words she had spoken, and those clued him into the dangers Emma was seemingly in, much more than the words Regina had said. "But, I only read the first one."
"It is a good place to stop," he said gently after some time, not knowing what else to do to console the former Queen, rising to his feet and pulling her up, as well. He understood the implications perfectly, as he had been in the Enchanted Forest during the Ogre Wars. He knew the dangers, the sorrows, the pain such times brought forth and he knew that Emma was there, facing them head on, as the stubborn Savior would, away from her family and alone. "It is time to eat, anyways." But before Regina could scoff at him at his demeanor, he clasped his hand around her upper arm, turning her toward him, mindful not to hurt her. "There is nothing I can do from here, or you for that matter. The only thing I can think of is to feed you, make you move around a bit and take some rest, while you fill the others, who are starting to freak out slightly, by the way, in on some things that had happened since we left the Enchanted Forest." As his dark eyes implored at her not to countermand his formulation and say that they had left Emma, Neal continued. "And, afterwards, you can start with the second book and find out what happens next."
"You're right," she agreed almost involuntary and chuckling at his more than exaggerated expression of surprise at her words she looked up into his concerned and troubled face, recognizing that not all of his worry was for the blonde they loved. "Thank you," she added softly as she placed her hand over his, still gripping her arm, greatly touched even by the small display of concern he was showing her still. He nodded and slowly, and awkwardly, he pulled the regal woman into a hug, ignoring the stiffened muscles he encountered at the move. Not moving away he waited, hoping that she would accept this little he could do for her, and only several seconds filled with tense silence later, Regina did relax a bit in his hold, a shuddering breath leaving her as she allowed him to pull her closer, followed by another and yet another until the brunette closed her eyes and fought to regain her composure. Moments later she patted Neal's shoulder gently in a silent demand to release her, as she straightened out.
"Better?" her kin asked softly as he looked into her face, offering her a paper tissue.
Accepting the tissue and wiping the remnants of her tears, Regina considered the man before her as she nodded lightly. The woman she had been a year before, even a month before would never had let him see her cry, or offer her comfort, but the Regina she was now apparently accepted this man as part of her family, trusting him not to abuse the privilege.
That though made her blink. She trusted him, as much as she trusted anyone, excluding Emma.
After she checked her appearance in the small mirror hanging of the wall by the door, satisfied that she had left few traces of her emotional upheaval and gesturing to Neal to lead the way she followed him out. Walking toward the dining room, stepping behind her older brother, her actions automatic while her mind turned toward all the things she had read so far. Not really focusing on the current events and Emma's depiction of them, as the knowledge of them seemed to be seared into her brain after learning about them, Regina though about the very style the blonde had used to pen the things down – at first, stilted and awkward, written by an unpracticed hand, but later on, the handwriting improved, becoming more fluent. Not only had that changed, Regina had noted while she had been reading. Emma's way of putting her emotions and thoughts in words matured as well – the short bland remarks by the end of the volume one had been turned into long detailed passages bearing so much of Emma's emotional state while the blonde had written those words, bravely speaking of her dreams, thoughts, ideas, plans for the future… But perhaps the most surprising thing for the brunette was the fact that she had read Emma's accounts of her feelings, delving into the tenets of her emotional states in manners she could not really associate with her closed-off Sheriff, who had still retained some of her distance despite her personal growth in the last two years. However, the reason for newly discovered emotional openness had been explained in the last lines written in the notebook. Emma had tried to put everything into the diary, everything that ordinarily Regina would have gotten from the link they both shared, as it was the Savior's way of keeping her close.
Only when she felt David gently guide her to the head of the table Regina was brought to present, blinking at the sheer amount of food on the table. It seemed like Snow had once again overtaken her home to play the hostess, irking her for some reason. But, as she heard Henry's excited chatter as he was telling Neal about Ariel and Mary Margaret's softly spoken reminder to use the napkins, Regina suddenly became overwhelmed by the suffusing sense of warmth and acceptance that engulfed her at the homely and familial scene she was being part of, instantly forgetting all the reasons or thoughts she might have had to ruin this gathering.
It would still hit her at times that she is no longer alone, and that now she was loved, and part of a group she could not but not call her family. After so many years spent in darkness inducing fury and later, in cold resentment and shallow victory, it was still strange for her to be included, to feel appreciated and loved for who she was and not her titles or monikers. And, all of it was due to Henry and Emma. However, this time it hit her stronger, perhaps because she had spent hours reading about Emma's feelings of abandonment and loneliness, line after line speaking of Emma's wishes and desire to be with them.
As she looked at the people seated at the table, she reached for a glass filled with water in front of her, her thoughts going to the person that was missing from this family picture, missing her fiercely. For those short hours she had spent reading the Savior's accounts, she had felt closer to the blonde than she had felt since the morning she had left her standing alone, on the planks of the dock by the village. And, now, as she had stopped reading, the yearning, the desire to see the woman again, to feel her in her arms plowed through her and the only thing that stopped her from curling on the floor and bawl her eyes out were the children she was in charge of. The tenuous control over her body and heart was reinforced by her desire to protect Henry, at any cost. Only, she didn't know what she was protecting him from. Her mind told her that it was to keep him from worrying even more, but her heart was adamant in claiming that she was trying to prevent him from seeing her fall apart. Nevertheless, whatever the reason, she was maintaining her mask of composure, and with a hard swallow, she joined in the light conversations at the table, silently thanking all of the adults for not asking the questions about Emma. But, she knew that their need for answers ought to be satisfied rather sooner than later.
During the dinner Regina learned that Snow had called Neal in, and that the others had left her alone the minute she had started swearing under her breath, riled up by something she had read, the pixie haired brunette considering that the boys should not be exposed to such language, even if it had seemed to be quite appropriate, judging by the Mayor's expression at the time. The older brunette vaguely remembered swearing under her breath at the blonde's carefree depiction of her misadventure with the Ogres and Trolls, putting a comical twist on something that could have very well been fatal if not for the chainmail Regina had made Emma wear all the time. Thinking back, the Mayor considered Mary Margaret's actions to be prudent, especially after she remembered the quite vicious streak of curses she had whispered harshly while reading about Emma's tampering with Marbh Teine. However, it was not the foul language that she didn't want Henry exposed to, although it was a given. What Regina didn't want Henry to see had been her tears and fear in her eyes, knowing that it would only fuel the already rampant imagination her son possessed, as her little prince had only seen her truly afraid in most dire of circumstances.
However, despite her desire to put off this moment for a while longer, it came all too soon, as Henry took her hand and guided her to the living room, where David was already seated, giggling Kyle in his lap. The boy pulled her toward the sofa, prompting her to sit at one end of it, while he leaned into her side, his hand still in hers, his fingers holding on firmly, as he waited for others to join them. Although he did not speak, Regina could feel the expectant energy making him vibrate in his seat, his desire to hear about his blonde mother more than obvious.
It took only a moment for others to find a place to sit down, Kyle demanding to be placed in his mother's arms, and as soon as everyone settled, all eyes turned to the Queen, waiting for her to tell them the news. And, despite the looks she could feel on her face, and Henry's insistent presence, Regina sincerely doubted her ability to speak at that time, about the woman they all loved. How could she? When the only news she could offer them spoke of uncertainty and misery for the brave Sheriff. How could she tell them of the secrets Emma had learned in the Dark palace, of the disappointments she had felt after reading 'the ledger', learning of the deals they all had with the Dark One? How was she to tell Snow that her mother had not been the person the pixie haired woman thought her to be? How was she to speak of anger, resentment and sadness she could detect in the words Emma had written for her?
Sniffing softly at the toddler's hair, she took in the grounding scent of her boys, using it to center herself, before she started speaking, her words told in low and halting voice, telling them of the events that the blonde Savior had been through, telling them only what was necessary for the others to understand the reasons certain choices had been made for. Everything else she kept quiet about, ignoring Henry's disapproving glances as he knew her well enough to know she was hiding something. Luckily, he was smart enough not to confront her about it, at least, not in front of the others.
"She is doing what?" Neal started to ask in disbelief after Regina finished telling them about the peace envoy, bit Mary Margaret interrupted, her eyes clouded and teary, as she clutched her husband's hands in hers, resting in her lap.
"She rebuilt our castle, our home?"
Dark eyes of the Queen focused on the mother of her True Love, noticing the amazement and sadness mixed in the dazed expression on her face, while tears glided down her cheeks unnoticed. At her side, the interim sheriff leaned into her, his glimmering blue eyes asking confirmation out of the brunette, still not daring to believe that his daughter could or would do something like that. It wasn't surprising that Emma would consider doing it, as the woman had a kind heart under the rock solid emotional walls, but what was baffling him was the amount of power she would need to do so, and the reason for doing it.
"Why?" David only murmured, his eyes still looking at the Queen, as he leaned toward his wife, letting her sink into his side. "Why would she waste so much energy if she was going to need it later?" His voice got stronger with each word, demanding in the end, as he begged Regina to answer him, even though she had already told them of Emma's desire to secure the Safe Haven.
Regina didn't flinch at the man's raised voice but she did narrow her eyes, cautioning him to keep it down. When sheepish expression passed his face, she stifled a mirthless chuckle at his expense, knowing that even if it was called for, it would not be appreciated in the somber atmosphere of the room.
"You know why," Regina replied insistently, as she pulled the toddler to her chest, knowing that it was a trait that she loved in the Savior, despite it being the reason for many sleepless nights and worries. "You know the reasons. Would you really expect her to do it differently?"
"No." It was Snow that answered. "That is who she is," the younger woman spoke with pride, despite the tears still covering her face, "what we left her to be."
After that statement, no one was in particularly chatty mood, the guests clearing out of the house soon after, remarking that they would not share anything of the news until the brunette finished both of the books, leaving the Mayor with her two boys. With a heavy and tired sigh, the brunette went back to the kitchen, with the younger child in her arms, quite aware of the older one trailing behind her.
"Tea?" she asked absently as she placed Kyle into his high seat, and saw Henry nod in the periphery of her vision. With a glance to the numbers visible on her microwave, the woman realized it was almost their bedtime. Just as well, she thought as she placed the cups on the counter. Soon, she would chase her son off to bed, put Kyle to sleep, and go on reading, finally starting with the second volume of the package. Nevertheless, she knew that Henry would need at least something from her, as she felt his calculating look following her every move. It was a small miracle that he hadn't already jumped her with plenty of questions she knew he had bubbling in his inquisitive and smart mind. Sipping the chamomile, she observed the boy, meeting his sharp eyes over her steaming cup, his eyes slightly narrowed in hopeful challenge, waiting for her to talk. It seemed very uncharacteristic of him, but perhaps the events of the day had put a damper on the ordinarily unstoppable force that was her son. He was still recuperating from the fever and cold he had had the days before.
The silence permeating the kitchen, and even Kyle keeping himself quiet in the somewhat tense atmosphere of the room, reminded Regina sorely of the time when the dark haired boy in front of her had refused to speak with her, and even when he had, he would spout vicious and cruel truths, spoken in harsh and unyielding shout of loathing. At that time, the silence had become something she treasured, for he had been in the room with her – despite his apparent hatred of her. However, as they had learned to be the family again, this time more loving and accepting, the silence only spoke of comfort they had with each other, regardless of the tension in the air surrounding them. Henry's kind and hopeful eyes did not glare at her, he didn't scrounge his mouth in distaste nor did he wished her gone, and she cherished those quiet moments of togetherness, using them to lessen the stings of the memories. He loved her, she knew, and whatever happened, he would not discard her so easily as he had done before. It was strange to realize that the fear of losing him again because of her own actions was still so pervasive in her psyche, despite all the affirmations of their connection and his forgiveness. Their love for each other.
"Mom?" his gentle voice brought her to presence as she returned her focus back to her son. It took her a moment to realize that he had come closer, no longer separated from her by the counter and his cup placed in the sink. The tea in her own mug was no longer steaming but still pleasantly warm, telling her of passage of time, and drinking it up in one go, she brought her own cup to the sink, deciding to leave them for the next day, not in the mood to deal with them just then. Smiling gently at her child, she placed her arm around his shoulders in a move she had watched Emma do time and time again, silently raging at the possessive nature of it, but now taking a great measure of comfort in it, and picking up Kyle she turned them toward the stairs and, eventually, to their bedrooms. But, before she could step aside from his door he reached for her free hand and held her in place, his beseeching eyes meeting hers. "May I sleep over?" he asked softly, and Regina could see the traces of embarrassment tinging his still pale cheeks. Softening her expression at him, she only nodded.
"Bath first," she added before he could rush of to the master bedroom, stopping him in track. Her lips twitching at his eager whoop, she took Kyle to his own room. As she softly murmured to the already half sleeping child, she changed the blonde boy into his pajamas and night diapers, and considered Henry's not so unexpected request. "Good night, my sweet angel," she whispered against Kyle's forehead kissing him tenderly before she left, leaving only a nightlight and the door slightly ajar before she directed herself to the study, needing to take the other diary. Knowing that Henry would be awhile, she decided to take a quick shower, as well, before settling in her bed, the lamp beside her on.
The treated leather of the cover was bound by a single twine making the notebook appear more as the diary it was than the simple book, like the previous one. And, it was heavier and thicker, she also noted before her fingers started deftly untying the strap. With care, she lifted the cover, and there on the first page was the same careful circular writing she had seen in the first notebook. With the tips of her middle and forefinger, she traced the intricate lines, realizing that she had not yet read the part where Emma explained her newly achieved mastery at magic.
"Hey," Henry spoke softly as he entered the room, already dressed in his PJs, the hair on his neck still wet from the shower. With childish exuberance he jumped onto the bed before diving beneath the covers, his head landing on the pillow on the other side of the bed, as he turned to her, lying on his side. His green eyes seemed lighter in the soft light of the lamp, but he still seemed too easily tired. Regina closed the diary, holding it in one hand, while she placed the other on Henry's shoulder, leaning in to kiss him good night.
"You haven't started yet?" he asked after a moment, his curious but sleepy eyes focusing onto the unopened notebook.
"You are here to sleep," she replied gently, but her threat of sending him to his bed clear, completely disregarding his question, knowing that if she indulged him, he would use it to postpone his bedtime for a while longer. As her fingers slid through his freshly brushed hair, she relished his closing eyes. "Now, rest, and we'll talk in the morning. Good night, my little prince."
"Night," he murmured with acquiescence as he burrowed deeper into her pillow and Regina, softly chuckling at his behavior, tucked the cover around him, before she leaned back, finally ready to read on about the adventures of the Savior.
Returning to the first page, Regina gently turned it over, shaking her head at her own reluctance to find out what had befallen her True Love. But, at the first lines, she felt her eyes drawn to the somewhat shaky handwriting of the Sheriff, easily picturing the setting Emma had painted with words as she had described the vigil-like air of the evening before the peace envoy had been set out to leave. The morose feelings of the hero were more than palpable in the text, and the brunette felt tears stream down her cheeks in silence at the conversation Emma had shared with Belle and Rumple. Quickly, the woman read through the depictions of the ride toward the Wolf's Col, and the sudden charge of the manticores. Regina still vividly remembered the attack that had almost killed her, and knowing quite well the dangers of such enemies, she devoured the words telling of the brave and ineffective defense. With rapt attention, Regina learned of the plan formed in one instance between the moments filled with extreme danger, of the effects of the Marbh Teine, of the long and arduous climb up the cliff. She read of Emma's guilt and sorrow when she had been faced with the soldiers turned to stone. Chuckling at the letter intended for her biological father, she admired the well-used mean of correspondence, instantly recognizing the source of inspiration. Glancing toward her peacefully sleeping son, she noted to herself to tell him about it in the morning.
Page after page, Emma had written about her plans, her ideas and her next stops. It was the next entry that brought Regina's attention to the paper. The Savior described her slide down the mountain, and brisk walk through the forest, but it was the shaky several lines that drew her eyes. Blinking, Regina focused on the text above them, searching to find understanding for such bleak words, and as she read, she understood.
I saw them, saw their glee at the pain they incurred, and I killed them all.
No hesitation. No stopping. No mercy. Only death.
The story of captured unicorn moved Regina, making her remember of her own encounter with proud magical beings. She had tried to kill one of them, while Emma had saved one, earning its blessing and respect in return. Even without guidance, Emma was proving to be a remarkable soul, living up to her title.
However, it was the next several dozen pages that made her eyes widen as the brunette learned of the existence of the Guardian and the village comprised of Wolves who remembered her fondly. But, mostly it was the existence of a dragon, and one that could talk, that surprised the Queen. She had known that there had been really magnificent specimens of the kind, ones so powerful and intelligent that they alone could put a spell over entire villages and cities, but she had thought that the time of such power had passed, leaving dragons as nothing more but mindless beasts. She had heard of only two in the last century, the others disappearing out of the sight of Men. And, now, it seemed that the blonde Sheriff had managed to stumble upon one, and gain its, or was it hers, trust and respect.
With every new page, Regina learned of the source of Emma's new power, but not only that. She learned of the history she had never heard before, of the powers she had not dreamed before, and of responsibilities that rested solely on her True Love's shoulders. It was the latter that made her heart clench in concern and pain for the blonde, as she knew that the last thing Emma needed was more responsibilities.
Hour after hour, the Mayor read about her lover's exploits, penned down in detailed descriptions and comments, noticing that with each new entry, Emma's inner voice seemed more distant and cold, forming a rapidly thickening barrier between herself and all others. The blonde had spoken about her reasons for pulling away from others, each new event making it harder for her to remain composed as it filled her with bitterness, disappointment and deeply felt anguish, but it seemed that she had done the same to Regina, albeit via diary, noting down fewer of her feelings, or emotional responses to the situations. Once more, toward the end, the diary turned into a purely factual record of events, accompanied only with Emma's cold and calculated reasoning. It was obvious for Regina that the blonde had been shutting herself away, letting her distant and detached exterior to bleed inward, engulfing her spirit and heart as well, in order to protect herself from the burdens and demands of her job, eating away at her core. The brunette realized that Emma had started behaving as if her own heart was taken, and for a very long moment the woman feared that the Savior had found a way to indeed take out her own heart. However, it was the random act of compassion that dissuaded Regina of such notion, especially the still pervasive self-sacrificing behavior Emma had exhibited at every turn. Even though it was the blonde that had written the accounts, Regina did not doubt the truth in them, knowing that the Sheriff had not obfuscated, nor hid anything while penning down the events – the words from the first notebook still true – I will tell you no lies, for you will learn the truth either way. However, it left Regina feeling bereft as she had been feeling so close to the blonde woman while reading the written words. The loneliness that had pervaded her life since that day they had jumped the worlds had been lifted for the short time she had immersed herself in Emma's accounts of the past. Now, feeling the woman closing off, it was painful and horrible in ways she had felt only once before – when Henry had pulled away from her because she was the Evil Queen – and she had been helpless then, as she was now, to help the person she loved.
Apart from the Savior's emotional distance, Regina also learned of the sorceress, the mentions of her sporadic at first, then becoming more frequent and comprehensive – making her shut the diary in disbelief as she read the words that were now permanently burned into her mind. She is your sister, Regina. Well, half-sister, to be exact, but she is your mother's daughter. She didn't believe. She couldn't believe. Her mother would not have done so… But, even at the highest repudiation of such claims she could not deny that the woman Cora had been was still a mystery to Regina, and perhaps, such a secret was more than just possible, but also probable. Needing to know more, the brunette read Emma's account of the redhead witch, frowning in incredulity and outrage at the information she was able to glean from the text. The ways Emma had extracted the information stunned Regina, but only for the moment as the facts piled up on the paper were so overwhelmingly distracting, forcing the Mayor to take them in one at the time, each one causing a sharp twist in her chest.
It stung. The knowledge the Savior had sent her caused pain to the former Evil Queen, each newly unveiled truth producing another wound on her already battered heart. Rumple had known about the woman for a while, even trained the red head himself. And, in turn, Zelena had wanted to take her place as the Curse caster, trying to show Rumple by attempting to kill her. Her own mother had not found it convenient to mention the existence of an elder daughter. Her sister was the cause of the new war plaguing the Enchanted Forest, and Emma was the one standing up to her. It seemed that the Savior was doomed to fight every Mills woman in existence, the brunette remarked silently with sorrow and anger, the irony of the fact quite evident to her.
The diary continued to tell stories of days leading up to the final meeting with Ariel, before it stopped, almost at the end of the notebook, but not before Emma had written all her plans for the next several days. It was only two days ago, Regina realized after she had taken in the dates Emma had painstakingly calculated and written on the pages, her right forefinger tracing the last date in the book, with a small entry added on the morning of the meet with the mermaid. Only then, she noticed an envelope tucked between the last page and cover, clear handwriting on the white surface denoting its recipient: Granny. As it wasn't the familiar cursive that had filled countless lines in the diary, Regina supposed it had been Ruby's hand that had written the missive.
Closing the notebook, she placed it on the table by the bed, making sure it wouldn't be in danger of falling off, and flipped the covers, needing to get up, to move, in order to resolve at least some of the tension and anger that the message that the diaries brought, needing it lessened before Henry was to wake up, lest he see her in such agitation. She left her room, leaving the boy in her bed, and she walked into the hallway bathroom, splashing her face and washing away the trails of tears she had cried during the course of night, looking at her own reflection in the mirror. Her eyes that would turn to dark caramel when they were shining with happiness now were dark and hard. Despite her feeling deeply unsettled by the knowledge she had gleaned from the Savior's notations, her darker impulses was getting stronger with every minute she spent thinking about her sister and the betrayal of her family members, fueled by hot anger that suffused her blood.
She needed to leave, leave the house and… Do something. Something that would make her feel better, that would take of the edge of the furious pressure building up in her. But, she couldn't leave Henry and Kyle alone, even for a moment. Her almost teenage son was quite capable of looking after himself and younger brother for an hour or two, but she could not leave them. Not when she had spent the whole night reading about the blonde wishing she was with her family. Even though it was overwhelming, Regina could not just abandon them for whatever reason, good or not. And, it was way too early to call in a sitter, even if it was Snow. The younger woman would sense something was wrong and pester her with kind attitude and bolstering admissions and confessions, only annoying her further – and that is what she did not need. Not then. Not when she needed comfort, when she needed to see the one person she was unable to. She needed Emma to speak the truth, to tell her in face, because just reading it left a small room for hope that it wasn't true.
The sound of her clock sounded from her room, immediately followed by a disgruntled groan of her son. She had forgotten to turn it off when she had gotten up, and now Henry was subjected to it at ten minutes to six. Leaving the kitchen she had found herself in, Regina climbed the stairs, passing first by Kyle's door to see if the toddler was still sleeping and satisfied with the silence and light snoring coming from the room, she continued on to master bedroom, breathing deeply.
The roused boy looked up at her at the sound of the opening door and smiled, still sleepy. With softly spoken instructions and gentle touch she directed him to get dressed and to wait for her, as they would go to Granny's for breakfast. As his footsteps heavily treaded to his room, Regina picked her phone and called the very woman she had tried to avoid involving an hour before.
"Regina," Snow's voice greeted her, too alert for the woman to be just woken up. She must have stayed up for most of the night, worrying about what the other diary contained. At the silence that followed her voice, the school teacher recognized Regina's turmoil and wasting no time, she only added one more word. "Where?"
"Diner," the Mayor spoke, her voice wobbly despite the short word and with it she broke off the connection and using magic, dressed into one of her more dressy power suits. She needed the staple of power to help her through this, despite it being a remnant of a person she no longer was. At least, not entirely. Those who knew her, like the Charmings and Henry would see it through immediately, but for others, she would be the same distant and powerful Mayor she had been. As she walked through the house, fully dressed and getting Kyle ready to leave, her eyes fell on a piano in the corner of the living room, pressed against the wall, almost forgotten and accepted as part of decorations. It had been three years since she had sat there last, her fingers dancing over the ivory keys. It had been Christmas, the last one she had shared with Henry in joy and abundant love, right before he had discovered that he had been adopted. She had not touched it since, it being a too stark reminder of happier times for her to even try playing again. And, she would not even think about it if Emma had not mentioned in the diaries, speaking of her enjoyment of the memories Regina had of Henry singing along, his unpracticed and high voice missing half of the notes but his exuberance and relish of their time together had been more than enough. Perhaps it was time to add another tradition to their lives, Regina considered, a soft smile pulling at her vividly painted lips as she imagined the blonde in the corner, joining in their singing all the while laughing at the picture they would present.
Shaking her head out of the memories and wishful thinking, she brought Kyle to the front door, where Henry was waiting, already in his winter coat and boots, along with his woolen hat and scarf. Mentally checking if she had everything she needed with her, she nodded to the elder boy to open the door, as she took her purse and coat.
The short drive to the Granny's Diner was silent one, even the baby kept himself quiet in the hush thick with expectance and nerves. The silence was only broken when the bell over the door rang out, signaling their entrance into the establishment, making others in the mostly empty diner to look up toward them from the back table that offered most privacy. Regina saw Kathryn and Jim sitting beside David, as Mary Margaret and Neal were on the other side of the table. As Regina walked up to them, she nodded to Mrs. Lucas manning the counter in greeting, knowing that the old woman would most likely hear everything they would talk about anyways.
Neal rose from his place, and ushering both Henry and Regina in his place, he took over his nephew and settling himself at the chair at the head of the table he took notice of his younger sister. He hadn't known her for long, been close to her for far less time, but even he could see that she had had a terrible night. However, as if by silent agreement, no one asked anything until Eugenia brought out their orders, having prepared the usual for Henry and Regina, even making warm milk for the younger boy. At Regina's silent invitation, the older woman drew a free chair beside Neal and leaning against the corner of the table with her elbow she looked at the former Queen, quite interested to learn the reason of the gathering. She had been the one to place the newcomer up in one of the rooms, so she already knew some bits of the story, however, she had no doubt that Regina knew a lot more, thanks to the package the redheaded outsider had brought. So, with expectant show of adjusting her grasses, she waited.
Regina reached for her coffee and sipping it slowly she glanced around the table, taking in the people watching her. She did not mind Kathryn being there, as she was involved, and she had news for Frederic as well. But, the truth was, she didn't know how to begin, or where to start. So she said something that she would have appreciated if she were on the other end of this situation. "As of two days ago, Emma was uninjured and in process of forging alliances throughout the Enchanted Forest." As she took another sip of coffee, more out of need for stalling than the actual need for a drink, she felt Snow deflate somewhat at the news, relieved sigh leaving her almost immediately. "However, the reason for the alliances is that King Midas," Regina continued as she looked at her blonde friend, "has started a war, joined with the Empire armies and other supporters, intending to conquer all the realms he could get to." She didn't know if she should speak of war in front of her children, but she knew that Henry would refuse to leave them, violently. "Unfortunately, it seems that he is partnered with my half-sister, and that they are a terrifying force ready to swarm the last stand of the Safe Haven."
"Wait, what?" David asked in surprise, or that is what Regina guessed he said, over the explosion of sound that followed her statement. "Hey, easy," David tried to quiet them down as he motioned to the boy fussing in Neal's hands, startled by the sudden noise. "Come on," he added, taking the crying toddler into his arms, trying to soothe him.
Then he turned toward the Mayor and shook his head, still bewildered. "You said your sister?"
"Yes, apparently I have one." If she did not spend more than several hours that morning agonizing over the fact, she would have laughed at his gaping expression, mimicked by others at the table. "And, she is the Wicked Witch of the West."
"Now, Regina, there is no need for name calling," Snow chastised softly over Henry's head, making Regina turn to her with a scowl, but her son's raised eyebrows stopped her cutting remark from coming out.
"She is, though. Green and all." Regina turned away, picking at her plate. "Or so Emma says."
"Oz is real?" Henry asked.
"Yes, honey, just like Neverland and Wonderland," Mary Margaret replied instead, accepting Regina's answer of the witch's title as truth.
"So, if she is the Wicked Witch of the West, you must be the East then, right?" David murmured almost absently, jumping Kyle up and down. Feeling his wife's admonishing look on him he lifted his eyes in false innocence. "What?"
"In case it slipped your mind, I haven't been to Oz, Charming. I was too busy trying to put your head on a spike."
"Hey, you two, knock it off," Kathryn interfered before Snow could. "Emma is really sure of it, isn't she?" After a nod from Regina, the blonde continued. "What did my father do?"
In short lines, Regina told the people around the table the abridged version of events, ignoring the gasps and reactionary exclamations of her listeners. Even Eugenia was spell-casted by the story, waving away the waitress to take care of the new customers coming in for breakfast. Several things she did omit, like the existence of the Guardian and the dwarves, but she did mention the boy Emma had met and the wolves, which reminded her why she wanted Granny there. Reaching into her purse she pulled out the letter out and gave it to the elderly woman, hoping it would sate some of the thirst for the news from Ruby. The instant the sharp blue eyes fell onto the sharply written letters on the envelope, the cook nodded in gratitude at Regina and moved away to read her granddaughter's missive in privacy of the kitchen, leaving the others to discuss the news Regina had just shared.
"And, you are sure Cora never said anything about her?" David asked after several moments of silence, still holding Kyle in his lap.
"I think I would remember if my mother told me she had a love child with a scarecrow," Regina snidely replied as she nudged Henry to eat, not pleased at all with his presence at the table.
"What does she want?" Snow asked but the older brunette only shook her head, not knowing the answer either.
It was then when Kathryn spoke, her voice timid and quiet. "Could she be mistaken about… about my father?" The blonde looked at her friend, but even her eyes showed the lack of hope, knowing that it was most definitely him, as he had been easily seduced by power and might once before, paying no heed to the consequences.
"He approached her and Rumplestiltskin, asserting himself as the leader. It is him, Kathryn. But, whether he is doing it of his own volition, I do not know." As she spoke, Regina reached over the table and placed her hand over the blonde's tightly intertwined ones resting on the metal surface. An accepting nod and responding squeeze of her hand was the only indication Kathryn had heard her, and acknowledged the offer of comfort in a form of possibility of his innocence. But the clouded blue eyes holding the dark ones told of knowing better.
"So, what are we going to do now?" Mary Margaret asked, interrupting the intense gaze hold between the friends. Regina looked toward the pixie haired woman, drawing her hand back and considered the options. In reality, there was nothing to do until the beans were ready but prepare for the entrance in what appears to be a war zone. She looked down at Henry and glancing toward Kyle and seriously started deliberating on the pros and cons on leaving the children behind, in the safety of Storybrooke. However, she kept that thought to herself, knowing that if Henry caught even a glimpse of it, he would make it impossible for her to proceed.
"We prepare," she said finally, deciding to tackle first the lesser problems. "Sweetie, you don't mind staying with your grandparents while I go to the vault, do you?" she asked the dark haired boy, her eyes glancing over to the woman behind him, including her into the question. The mother of her True Love nodded in permission and Henry shrugged, playing with his food. "I think you should brush up on your swordsmanship, Charming, you are getting soft around the edges," she added as she rose from her seat, nodding to the knight and the princess, before she leaned down to kiss both Henry and Kyle on the forehead in goodbyes.
She drove to the graveyard, her mind abuzz with ideas and plans, as she realized that she had to practice her magic as well in order to improve her abilities. Not only that, she had to find a way to learn what her kin wanted with her, and the only person to help her with that was, ironically, the person who had hid the existence of her sister in the first place, and was very much dead. However, Regina remembered about reading something in her mother's spell books regarding communication with the dead and she wanted to find that particular volume.
A/N To the guest reviewer from yesterday: Happy Birthday, all the best!