At Regina's House...
It's been a week since Rumple's attack on the Merry Men and no one has seen a glimpse of the Dark One or the Queens of Darkness. Charlotte has moved in with Regina and Robin and David, Emma and the Dwarves have been constantly patrolling the town. It was around noon and Regina had just come home from her office. Charlotte was in the living room playing with Roland and Henry was in the kitchen with Robin. She smiled as she saw her family so happy, but then she remembered Charlotte's memory that she showed them. She was terrified if it would ever come to pass. She was so lost in thought she hadn't noticed Robin had walked up to her and was trying to talk to her.
"Regina." Robin said, snapping her back to reality, "Are you alright?"
"Mom, is everything okay?" Charlotte asked, getting up.
"Yes, it's just we haven't found anything yet on Gold or the Queens of Darkness." Regina said.
"We'll find them." Robin assured her. Regina nodded. Regina's phone rang from her purse. She took it out and the contact read: Belle.
"Hey, Belle. Is everything okay?"
"Regina, you need to get to the shop now."
———
Gold's Shop...
Regina, Robin, Charlotte, and Henry marched into the pawn shop, joining Emma, Hook, David and Belle.
"What happened?" Robin asked as they joined the group.
"Someone broke into the store." Belle informed them.
"Let me guess." Regina began, "Gold." she inferred.
"Not just him." Charlotte said, grabbing everyone's attention, "I'm sensing multiple magic residues in here."
"You can do that?" Henry asked astonished.
"Of course." she replied blatantly. Charlotte slowly walked around the shop. "What did they take?"
"The cuff that blocks magic is missing and there's a drawer that was open when I got here, but I have no idea what was in it." Belle replied, growing very anxious. When she learned about Charlotte and what Rumple did to her, Belle grew even more fearful of what her husband would do.
"Well, whatever they stole, along with that cuff, it can't mean anything good." Emma said.
"Emma's right. We need to do another patrol of the woods to try to find where they're hiding." David proclaimed.
"That's weird." Charlotte spoke up. The group turned to her as Charlotte ran her fingers along the glass counter.
"What is?" Emma asked.
"Everyone who carries magic leaves a distinct residue wherever they've been. But, I'm sensing 5 magical auras in the store."
"5? How's that possible?" Regina asked.
"I don't know. I can feel the Dark One's magic and the Queens of Darkness, but I'm sensing another presence and it feels familiar." Charlotte said as she rejoined the group in the center of the store.
"Sounds to me that the Crocodile has gained another ally." Hook inferred.
"Whoever it is, we need to stop them before someone gets hurt." Regina said, firmly.
"We will." Robin reassured her, "But to do that we need to do what David said and find out where they are." he said to the rest of the group.
"Where's Mary Margaret?" Regina asked, "We could use her tracking skills."
"Back at the apartment with Neal." David answered. David's phone then started ringing, and he took it out of his pocket. "Speaking of which. Hey." As David listened, he suddenly got a very concerned look on his face. "What? Okay I'm on my way." David said, before hanging up.
"Dad, is Mom okay?" Emma asked.
"The witches are at the apartment." David said, angrily. Before he could storm out of the shop, Regina and Charlotte disappeared in clouds of purple and white smoke. The mother and daughter poofed into the Charming's loft to find Mary Margaret holding Neal close to her with Maleficent, Cruella, and Ursula surrounding her.
"No one messes with my sister." Charlotte said, appearing between the witches and Snow. Regina stayed behind them and readied her magic.
"You made a big mistake coming here." Regina added.
"Oh, on the contrary darling." Cruella interjected, "I think we came at the perfect moment 'cause we brought a gift."
"Hello sis." A voice said from behind Regina.
"No." Regina said, immediately recognizing the voice. Maleficent, Cruella, and Ursula all disappeared as Regina turned to see the one and only Wicked Witch. "Zelena."
"Miss me?" she cackled.
"How are you alive?" Regina asked, flaming with anger. "I watched you die."
"Oh, you mean that silly little moving picture you saw of me killing myself. That wasn't real. Curtesy of the Dark One. He tried to kill me, but instead of that I was able to reside myself in my dear pendant." Zelena said, holding up the infamous green gem around her neck. "All Rumple needed to do was let me out." She cackled once again.
"Aunt Zelena?" Charlotte said, stunned. The two sisters turned around to see Charlotte still standing in front of Snow with a shocked look on her face. Charlotte slowly walked forward as Zelena spoke again,
"Ahh. Rumple told me about you. My niece from the future who came to save her Mommy and Daddy." Zelena finished mimicking a child's voice that turned into a wicked grin.
"Aunt Zelena, wha- what's wrong with you? This isn't who you are." Charlotte asserted. Regina could only stand shocked at what her daughter was saying. How could this not be Zelena?
"Sorry dearie. But this is who I am. Pure wickedness." Zelena cackled as she poofed away just as David slammed open the door. He ran to check on his wife and son as the rest of the group made their way into the apartment.
"Are you guys okay?" Emma asked, out of breath. The entire group ran from Gold's shop as soon as Charlotte and Regina had poofed away.
"That's impossible." Charlotte said, holding her head between her hands, "Aunt Zelena would never betray us."
"Charlotte, what are you talking about?" Regina asked, "You knew Zelena was alive?"
"Of course I knew. I lived with Aunt Zelena after you died." Charlotte said. Regina stood shock as she looked at Robin who mirrored her same expression.
"What?" Robin and Regina yelled at the same time. "Why would you trust her?" Robin asked, still stunned from his daughter's sentences.
"Because she... she was the one who helped me enact the Time Travel Spell."
A/N: Hi readers! So SORRY for the late update and short chapter. I've hit a major case of writer's block. But I hope you like this chapter. Thank you so much for 722 reads! I love you all! Comment if you have any ideas!
-@ShineBright03
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Operation: Apple Tree
Fanfiction**Season 4 AU of Once Upon A Time *Marian never returned *Robin didn't leave *Regina never drank the anti fertility potion The Snow Queen was defeated. Things in Storybrooke were getting back to normal. But then... trouble just had to come knocking...
