Part 9

Regina watched her son in silence. After she washed his face and pushed back the hair in the adult man's face, she saw her son's true features.And the familiar green eyes he inherited from his other mother.

"To sum it up... you contacted me to lure me into Maleficent's hands to pose as her long-lost lover, and you kept your word, right?" Regina asked calmly.

"Yes, but that's only part of the truth... is Ma with you?" Henry croaked through a long unused throat.

"Of course it is. You had her babysit me." Regina scoffed.

"Thank God." The man breathed a sigh of relief.

"Did you plan this?" Regina started to get irritated.

"I'm sorry, but there's no other way to break the curse. I knew Ma would follow you. Unfortunately, there were no more couples here with only true love. I had to bring you back somehow to break the spell of this land."

"I don't understand any of this." The brunette rubbed her tired eyes. Her whole body ached, and Henry's revelations made her feel unbalanced. "Why don't you tell me about your daughter? Where is her mother?"

"Jacinda..." Henry shook his head to get rid of the tears that were welling in his eyes. "Dead. Maleficent has been chasing us for some time. Jacinda died, we fought the witch's knights so Lucy could escape."

"Why was Maleficent chasing you?"

"Because I am the Author. She wanted me to write her a new story so she can find her lover, the Evil Queen."

"So why didn't you do it Henry?"

"Because I'm no longer an author. Since Lucy was born, I have no power. The pen doesn't work. I had to call you, Mom. You and Ma had to break the curse. Now the Evil Queen will be free."

"So she didn't get lost?" Regina was becoming more and more confused.

"No. She was cursed by Maleficent's enemies and hidden away."

"And the curse will break the spell? Do you think another version of me would want to go back to that sex-starved witch and be a slave in her castle?" Regina was determined not to believe that any version of herself could become someone's pawn, become so dependent on someone that they would willingly come back...

Henry gave her a sad smile.

"Answer yourself, Mom... what you were willing to do to avenge your first love... what sacrifices you were willing to make to keep Robin by your side... and Daniel and Robin are nothing compared to your true love. This version of you here in this land, she lost all the chances to connect with her true love. What Snow White did broke her... This version of you here willingly gave herself into Maleficent's hands just to feel anything close to love, even a twisted one."

Regina said nothing, marveling once again at how well her son knew her. How well he was able to put her weaknesses into words and predict her behavior, even though it was difficult for her to be vulnerable.

"Where's Ma?" Henry asked.

"Probably with that traitor Mulan. She gave me to the witch and your mother stayed."

"Maybe it's a good thing. She somehow has an easier time winning over people. And no one knows her here."

"Unlike me." Regina muttered unhappily.

"She'll be fine." Henry comforted his mother, who was worried about Emma's fate. She missed the jokes and sharp retorts and that stupid sense of humor and crooked smiles of that other person. In fact, she was missing a whole package called Emma Swan... or rather Jones... she had already forgotten that Emma was the wife of that worthless pirate.

"So? How was it?" Henry asked, as if guessing what she was thinking. Regina raised her eyebrows. "Kiss with Ma. It took you a long time to figure out that you were supposed to be together. You're both stubborn."

"Henry!" Regina admonished him.

"Come on, Mom, we're adults. You have to admit, everyone around us knew. Those looks in your eyes, the chemistry between you, the flashes of magic when you touched. You don't think this happens to everyone, do you? It's just a pity that you pushed Ma to marry her. Killian."

"What happened between you two?" Regina changed the subject. "Between you and the captain?"

"It's what you'd expect." Henry's expression darkened. "He used me to please Ma. After the wedding, he kept talking about how soon Ma would be pregnant and they would start a real family and that neither of them would be able to devote time to me." Regina gritted her teeth, in her imagination she was already tightening her arms around the neck of this impudent pirate.

"You know Emma would never do that. You are the most important thing to her." The brunette said and Henry just shrugged.

"I know what it's like when a child is born. I know what parenting love is and that Ma would never leave me like Killian described. Besides... this guy... he just wants to possess Emma, like a pirate's treasure, stolen from you. He doesn't care how Ma feels."

"We share the same opinion." Regina smiled slightly at her son.

"Too bad Ma can't see this."

"I think she sees. She and Snow White had a fight before we got here. I think she's starting to realize that a pirate isn't right for her." Regina put it delicately, meaning instead to say that Captain Hook was the least suitable candidate out of the rest of the world to be Emma's partner. Not that she was any better... The thought alone depressed her.

"I know that look. Mom, she loves you regardless of your past. You are destined for each other. That's how true love works. You can't change your destiny." Henry said carefully.

Drizella was braiding Lucy's hair and Emma sat in the corner watching it with a distant look. She saw a resemblance to Henry in Lucy. There was no doubt that they were related.

"How long you are here?" asked the blonde.

"I don't know." Lucy shrugged. "Probably a long time, because I'm running out of candles."

"When was the last time you ate?"

"A while ago today. Dad left a lot of supplies here. For the three of us." She said sadly and began to cry, Drizella put her arm around her and gave Emma a meaningful look.

"Sorry."

"It's okay. Dad said you were very direct." Lucy said to Emma.

"I wonder what else he told you." The blonde sighed.

"That you act first and think later and that you eat like there is no tomorrow." Lucy grinned.

"Very funny." Emma purred at Drizelly's amused look.

"Where is my other grandmother?" Lucy asked suddenly.

"In the castle." Emma replied.

"We need to free her as soon as possible. She's in danger." The girl got angry and stood up.

"Hey, hey... not so fast. It's the middle of the night now." Drizella grabbed her hand.

"It doesn't matter. When the real Evil Queen shows up at the castle, grandma will be in trouble."

"What are you talking about?" Emma was confused.

"Evil Queen was cursed and hidden. But you removed the curse! Now she is free and she will definitely want to return to Maleficent."

"And when the Dragon returns, she will discover that the woman in the castle has deceived her and is not her lover..." Emma finished. "Fuck! We have to hurry, now!"

"Wait! The forest is crawling with ogres. They stay up at night, patrolling. If we leave now, we'll probably end up as a side dish." Drizella warned the blonde, but Emma was already helping to collect the drawings into Lucy's backpack and together they prepared to go.

"They won't find us. We'll go through the tunnel." The girl announced.

"And where will we go?" Emma asked.

"Near aunt's house."

"Wait... you have a tunnel right next to my house and I don't know anything about it?" Drizella was irritated.

"Dad said it was dangerous to tell outsiders. Only me, mom and dad knew about him." Lucy said apologetically.

"When I get my hands on your son, he'll end up worse than on Maleficent's plate." Drizella warned Emma.

"Before you can lay a hand on him, you'll be hit with a fireball from his other mother. Regina isn't known for her kindness." Emma smirked.

"We'll see."

The three of them moved forward, led by Lucy, who, with a backpack on her back and a candle in her hand, led them through the dark tunnel. The girl walked straight, and the women bent down. Emma cursed under her breath when, after what seemed like a few hours, her back started to hurt.

"We're almost there." Lucy said, showing them a ladder nearby.

Drizella climbed up first and opened the hatch. She reached out to help first Lucy and then Emma. It turned out that they were actually near Drizella's house. She immediately went to check if the house was okay. It was just dawn and, despite her terrible fatigue, Emma was impatiently tapping her foot to continue her journey.

"Which way to the castle?" She asked Drizella.

"In the opposite direction than we were going now. You have to go south, along the road, but I don't recommend going along on the main road, because there are various types hanging around there. Then there are the ruins of Śnieżka's castle and then a straight road between the forests, straight to Maleficent's castle. Two days of hiking. "

"So long?" Emma sighed. "Then I better get going."

"I'm going with you." Lucy said stubbornly.

"Oh no, my lady. You will stay here with your aunt. I won't take any chances." Emma said firmly.

"What, Grandma! Dad had adventures with you! He told me about Neverland and the Wicked Witch of the West."

"But he was twice your age." Emma said sternly. "Besides, Regina would kill me if she found out that I took you on a trip to save her."

"I knew you were afraid of the other grandma."

"I'm not afraid... I just prefer to avoid confrontation." Emma grumbled.

"Your grandmother is right. You will stay with me." Drizella said firmly. "And you, take this for the road." She turned to Emma, handing her her backpack with provisions. "You'll need it. Remember, stay off the main road but don't stray too far."

Emma nodded and walked away, leaving an inconsolable Lucy and a worried Drizella behind.

Henry went back to his cell and Regina went back to Maleficent's bed. However, she felt increasingly disgusted with her companion. Every moan was fake, every spasm of pleasure forced. She tried to close her mind so that the images of Emma would stop coming to her. Her face, her smile, her body... she didn't want to sully those images by being in the witch's bed. What will Emma think of her? How could she want her after all this? Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Too tight my dear?" Maleficent purred, penetrating her with three fingers faster and faster.

"Can we stop?" Regina asked quietly.

"Are you tired already? I think you're getting old, my dear, it's only dawn." Maleficent chuckled without interrupting. So Regina waited a moment longer, faked an orgasm and fell back on the pillows. The witch lay down next to her, watching her carefully. "You're different. Absent. I guess you don't love me anymore..."

Regina was silent. She could manipulate others and lie without hesitation, but this time she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"I'm tired." She just said, turning sideways.

Maleficent sighed and snapped her fingers, disappearing in a cloud of smoke. Regina breathed a sigh of relief. She felt she would pay for her lack of enthusiasm.

Around noon the next day, she was woken up by a terrifying roar. She knew something incredible must have happened. She dressed quickly and wanted to leave, but the Guard blocked her entrance. Feeling irritated, she sat on the sofa waiting for the maids. Only after a few hours did the maid come in, not even looking at her, just placing a tray with a poor breakfast, or rather dinner, in front of her.

"What is this? This is how you treat a queen?" Regina huffed angrily. The maid blushed. "What's going on here? Where's Maleficent? I want to see her right now."

"The lady of the castle is busy... she has a guest..."

"Whom?" The maid hesitated, but Regina lost her patience and quickly stood up in front of the girl.

"Some blonde girl. Apparently she tried to break through the wall using magic." The girl stammered, bowed and left. Regina froze. Only one person would be foolishly brave enough to enter the dragon's pit.

She stomped impatiently around the room, abandoning her food. She was worried for Emma. She thanked herself for leaving her heart in the Storybook, otherwise the pain and fear would have been unbearable.

She saw the moon in the sky and the roar of an angry dragon could be heard from time to time in the castle.

Suddenly, Maleficent materialized in the middle of the room. Her eyes were bloodshot, her mouth twisted with rage. She walked towards Regina, grabbing her by the throat.

"So that's why you don't want to love me, right? You found yourself a lover? That stupid woman who dared to climb the wall of my castle to steal MY property!" She pressed her fingers against Regina's neck as she couldn't breathe. "You will watch me kill her. And then you will love me again! You will have no choice!" She laughed bitterly, released the brunette's neck, and disappeared in a puff of smoke. The Queen doubled over, catching her breath. Tears flowed from his eyes.

After a night of tears, two maids were waiting for Regina. They washed her and dressed her in a black dress. She felt numb. She let them. The guards escorted her to a courtyard bathed in sunlight. In the middle there was a tall pole to which Emma was tied up. Regina stood opposite. The blonde had a wounded face with blood dripping from it. She tilted her head back towards the sun. Her clothes were torn. Favorite red jacket frayed, one sleeve hanging loose.

"Do you still like it?" Maleficent whispered into her ear, standing right next to her, possessively placing a hand on her waist and pulling her towards him. "It won't take long. I beat her up quite a bit. And did you know that she can use magic? I had to make a lot of effort to put the bracelet on her. But... the better one won, right?"

Regina just looked at Emme hopelessly. She heard the gate creak and Henry was led into the courtyard, looking around not understanding. He saw his mother and then his gaze moved to Emma.

"Ma!" Henry shouted, but the Guard immediately kicked him in the stomach, silencing him.

Emma woke up and looked around. She saw her son, who looked like her age, and then her blurred vision focused on Regina. She saw how close Maleficent was standing behind the brunette, hugging her. And she felt her heart break.

"Nice day for an execution, right?" Maleficent looked around at the sky and continued. "Apparently my prisoners know each other. I wanted you to be able to see each other before one of you dies. It's not hard to guess which one... I'm being extra kind today, right?" Maleficent licked Regina's ear, and Regina flinched, but when she tried to pull away, the Dragon Girl held her tighter. "My lady will certainly reward me for her kindness in bed this evening." She said loudly, looking at Emma. "There's no point in dragging this out. Archers!" She shouted and a dozen archers appeared in the courtyard. They held ready-made arrows on their taut strings.

"Objective!" Maleficent continued and Regina looked at Emma helplessly. Henry struggled against the guards, but was eventually knocked out and unconscious.

"Stop!" Another voice rang out. A familiar voice. Another woman entered the courtyard. Her dark hair was tied up and her dress looked as if it had just been put on. She looked impeccable. Like a queen. Like the Evil Queen. Regina recognized herself immediately.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Maleficent gasped, looking between the two women who, although they looked identical, their facial expressions were completely different. The Evil Queen stood before Maleficent.

"Mal. I see you took comfort in my fake. Let go of that woman or you'll be sleeping on the couch for the next year."

"Queenie? Is that really you?" The witch let go of Regina and walked over to her other version.

"And who else would threaten you like that? What kind of show is this? Call off your archers and let these people go. I guess they've suffered enough."

"My Queenie wouldn't say that." Mal said shaking her head. "You never minded suffering too much."

"It's changed. They don't belong to this land, can't you see that? How many other doubles of me have you seen?" Evil Queen scoffed. "Besides, they're the reason I'm free."

"What happened?"

"You've made enemies, my love. They caught me in the gardens and cursed me. I woke up a few days ago when these two broken the curse, and imagine, I had to walk on foot, because of all your protective spells!"

"Sorry." Mal said quietly.

"We'll talk later. Let these people go."

Maleficent looked around uncertainly, but seeing Evil Queen's stubborn gaze, she obediently called off the execution. Her guards released the prisoners. Emma fell to the pavement, but Regina was already running to her, supporting her. Evil Queen approached them. She looked at them and suddenly understood.

"Oh... so you did it... you found her." She said to Regina and gave Emma a curious look. There was something longing and sad in her eyes that made Regina feel jealous. "Take care of her and don't let her go. After all, true love only happens once."

Evil Queen joined Maleficent and they left the building together with the guards, talking hurriedly among themselves, leaving Henry, Regina and Emma alone in the courtyard with the exit gate open. Regina pulled Emma up and she and Henry led her out of the gate, which closed behind them with a bang. The bracelets blocking their magic fell off immediately.

"Let's get out of here." Regina muttered and Henry helped her carry the blonde.

"To Drizella. We're going to Drizella." Emma mumbled, passing out again and again.

"Who is Drizella?" Regina asked, looking at Emma with concern.

"Jacinda's sister." Henry replied. "Mom. Do something, we won't drag Ma so far, we have a long march ahead of us."

Regina nodded, waved her hand a few times, and Emma looked normal again. The brunette restored her health and repaired her clothes. A few more swipes and she changed her clothes herself, looking like Madame Mayor again. She also dressed up Henry and shortened his hair and beard.

"I'm better now." She muttered.

Henry nodded, and when Emma opened her eyes, he immediately hugged her.

"Ma! You're okay."

"Yes, kid." Emma said and moved away from Henry, looking at him carefully. "Although not a kid anymore."

"Good to see you." Regina said quietly, looking uncertainly at Emma, who was avoiding her eyes.

"We better go before the witch changes her mind." The blonde said and moved forward. Henry gave Regina a worried look but followed his mother.

The return journey was silent. Henry almost ran when he learned from Emma that Lucy was waiting for them at Drizella's. Both women were lost in their thoughts. Regina stole glances at Emma, but the blonde did not honor her with her eyes. The Queen was afraid of what Maleficent had told the blonde. In addition, she felt uncomfortable knowing that Emma probably knew the nature of her relationship with the dragon.

Savior, on the other hand, couldn't shake the image of Regina from Maleficent. The witch told her in detail what they were doing in her bed. The blonde felt confusion and uncertainty in her heart. She was happy to see her son, but Regina's presence hurt her now. Yes, she felt relief that the brunette was okay, but also confusion and jealousy about her relationship with Maleficent. First she had to endure the sight of Regina with Robin and now this... How many more lovers will appear before Regina finally stops running away from her?

"Dad!" Lucy screamed as she ran out of the house and into Henry's arms, who hugged her tightly. Drizella followed her.

"I see you made it." She said to Emma, smiling slightly. Regina grunted in annoyance.

"Can we go home?" She said quickly, glancing at Henry and Lucy. The girl looked at her with interest.

"This is home." Drizella said, standing next to the little one.

"No, it's not. You can't stay here Henry. It's dangerous here. Not to mention the time is running out!" Regina was irritated.

"Regina." Emma admonished the brunette, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It was their home for several years."

"What do you know about home? Aren't you always in a hurry to get away from places you could get attached to?" Regina growled without thinking and Emma immediately moved away from her.

"It's not up to us to decide. Henry?" She turned to her son.

"We'll go with you. But give us a moment to say goodbye." Henry replied after a moment.

"How can you? Lucy is my niece! My only family!" Drizella was outraged.

"I know." Henry replied calmly. "But in the Storybooke, Lucy will meet the rest of her family. She will be safe there."

Drizella wanted to say something, but Regina glared at her. She followed Henry and Lucy inside and out into the garden. The women were left alone.

"Emma..." Regina started. "I'm sorry for what I said."

"All right." The blonde muttered as she sat down on a stump in front of the house.

"Has... has Maleficent told you anything? You've been avoiding me."

"THIS is not a conversation for now, Madame Mayor. Let's finally go home, because I'm fed up with this place."

Regina nodded, although she was unconvinced. At home, Emma will return to her pirate and everything will be as before. Snow White will confuse her until Emma finally gives birth to a child and ends up with this idiot forever.

"We are ready." Henry said as he left the house with Lucy. Emma walked up to Drizella, offering her a hand and thanking her for her help. The blonde dug into the inside pocket of her jacket and pulled out a magic bean. She threw it in front of her and a portal opened.

They returned to Storybrooke.