Book 3: Destiny

Chapter 14: A Curious Thing

Kissing Regina Mills and Robin Hood stand in the hallway. After a moment Regina frees herself from Robin's embrace."What do you see in me?"

Robin chuckled. "Hopefully, the same thing you see in me. A second chance. And you're quite a good kisser."

Regina chuckles too."Just wait, 'til I actually have my heart back."

"What is that like? I mean, can you ..."

"Feel?"Regina nods,"Yes, I can. Just not." Pausing she gropes for the right word."Fully. It's difficult to explain."

"Then don't." He takes her hand placing it over his heart."Use mine for the both of us." Regina leans in and kisses him again. A door opens and Henry Mills walks past them. Henry clears his throat. Turning around Regina faces him."Henry. Good morning." Stunned Regina watches Henry as he walks away and Hope follows only a minute later. "They're waiting for me. I should go."

"Wait." Robin kisses her."Good luck." He kisses her again. Smiling Regina exits.

Regina joins Mary Margaret, David Nolan and Emma Swan. Turning around as Regina enters the room, Mary Margeret speaks, "Regina. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you look smitten."

Regina scoffed."And if I didn't know any better, I'd say Häagen-Dasz is smitten with your stomach. Can we get started?  I don't have time to wait for the handless wonder. We have to figure out how to destroy my sister."

"For once, I agree with Regina."David added,"Stopping her plan is the priority."

"I'm the point of it. So she can take my life for herself."Regina explained."Well, no one's ever succeeded at traveling through time. Perhaps something from this world makes it possible. But, what's almost as troubling is that she was able to cast the curse, to bring us all here in the first place."

"Why is that?"

"To do it you have to give up the thing you love most."Regina said,"From what I gather Zelena doesn't love much."

"Neither did you. You managed."

David: Zelena is smart. Strategic. Perhaps we discovered something in the missing year to stop her.  And then, the only way to stop us from interfering was to bring us back here and wipe our memories. So, if we get our memories back, we might already know how to defeat her." David said."We just need to break this curse."

"Well, thank goodness we have a savior."Mary Margeret said.

"I would love to, but there's one problem. Last time, all it took was me believing in magic and giving the kids a kiss. Since I've been back, I've done both and nothing."

"It's the belief. Henry.  He needs to believe."Regina began,"Hope needs to believe. In this new life they just don't. We have to get them to believe again. How did you believe?"

"The book. "Emma shrugged,"The storybook."

"That's what started them on the original path."Regina said,"And what got you to believe.  It's the key. In them believing and remembering everything."

"That's not necessarily a gift. They've been through a lot of tough stuff."

"And some good stuff."Regina reminded,"Either way it's our best bet. "

"I know. Let's find it."

David ends a telephone call."Gold's was a dead end. That was Belle. No book in the shop. A book can't just disappear."

"But it can just appear."Mary Margeret said,"The first curse. It just showed up in my closet, when I needed it. Or more accurately, when Hope and Henry needed it."