We're Back
Chapter 3
Part 1
Present Day - Enchanted Forest
As a thunderous, dark purple cloud of smoke enveloped the Prince and Princess, they were uncertain of what was transpiring. Finding solace in one another's arms, they tightly embraced as the mysterious mist continued to swirl around them.
Suddenly, a group of mysterious individuals appeared before them, but the Princess recognized one of them amidst the crowd.
"Snow? What happened?"
"We're back."
The Princess gave Snow White a sympathetic smile, but it faded quickly when she realized who was standing beside her - the Evil Queen.
Snow observed Princess Aurora's eyes shifting to Regina, so she steered the Princess and Prince towards the gazebo, with Charming closely trailing behind her.
"How have things been since we left? The Ogres."
"Oh defeated," Aurora said with a glowing smile and a knowing look to her prince. "We are restoring our Kingdom and our lives."
Snow recognized that smile; it was all too familiar when she came to know that she was expecting Emma. "And congratulations!"
Aurora's eyes widened in surprise at Snow's words, and she gave a small laugh as she said with a smile, "Is it that obvious?"
Snow and Charming chuckled in unison and gave her a loving smile, while Snow let out a delighted laugh and said, "you're glowing."
"Why is she pregnant and I'm the one who's sick?"
Regina had had enough of this nauseating small talk and the beaming faces of this redundant Prince and Princess. It seemed that Maleficent's sleeping curse had failed too, likely due to a simple kiss; she shook her head in disbelief and averted her gaze from the scene before her. She had to get away from these idiots.
Prince Phillip smiled warmly at his fellow nobles and said, "We have much to celebrate, and know that you and your friends are welcome in our kingdom. If you need anything, we are at your service."
Aurora's gaze shifted away from theirs, withholding the truth of the wickedness occurring within the kingdom.
"Thank you. But all we need is horses. We have our own kingdom, our own castle-
Snow interrupted her husband mid-sentence, placed her hand gently on his chest, and said, "Our castle was destroyed by the curse."
Captain Hook snidely remarked to the Queen, "Well played, Your Majesty. You have laid waste to everything."
Regina thought 'Why was this pirate even talking? Frankly, why was he still here?' She rolled her eyes at his stupid comment and wondered why she had even fucked him all those years ago.
Aurora nervously spoke up, dreading the consequences of her words, for she was addressing the Evil Queen, who also happened to be Cora's daughter. "Not everything, her castle still stands."
Regina simply said, "Of course it does. I protected it." She thought to herself, 'Did these idiots honestly think I would have my castle destroyed, knowing the Enchanted Forest still exists?'
"Well," Charming said with a sarcastic tone, not making eye contact with Regina, "technically the castle doesn't belong to her. It was Snow's before she took it."
Regina thought to herself, 'The sheer gall of this pitiful shepherd-turned-prince. He has no right to speak.' So, she stepped closer to the two idiots and said with conviction, "Well, to be fair, I married into it."
"That you did," Snow had an idea, an idea that would include Regina, for all her efforts in saving them from Pan's curse. She felt that Regina was changing for the better, and so she continued. "And now we're taking it back. And you are coming with us." Snow declared resolutely.
Regina stared at the princess in disbelief, her mouth twitching into a sarcastic chuckle as she scoffed, "You can't be serious."
"Regina, everyone out there is scared and confused. They need hope. What better way to do that than to return united?"
The Queen rolled her eyes in exasperation as Snow continued to blather on about yet another 'hope' speech.
"You're coming with us. I know you don't like it. You'll learn to. For our good. For yours."
Sure, Regina had done a heroic deed, saving these people from Pan's dark curse, and Henry would surely be proud of her for it, yet the thought of living amongst these people without her son left her feeling numb. Her hope had been crushed when she had to bid farewell to the one, she loved most; her son, whom she'd raised for the past eleven years. Many decades ago, she had promised herself she would never love again, and in this moment, she felt that same sorrow all over again.
Present Day - Fairy Realm
"I am absolutely delighted to have us all back in our very own realm, we must continue to show our unwavering support to those of pure hearts in utmost need of our help. We will distribute pixie dust when needed, and some of us will take on the role of fairy Godmothers to new life. Before we return to our roles as fairies, I would like to honor one fairy in particular: Gree- Tinkerbell, who saved my life and has earned her rightful place back in our land and has been graciously granted her wings back. She is a true hero who is most deserving of the highest honor."
All the fairies gazed at the blonde-haired fairy with respect and honor. She blushed shyly in response, feeling humbled by the praise she was receiving.
"Let us give our heartfelt cheers to Gree- Tinkerbell! She has demonstrated the courage and tenacity we need as fairies. She bravely rescued me, your rightful leader, by seizing Pan's Shadow. Let us all raise our fairy wands to salute our very own heroine, Tinkerbell!"
All the fairies raised their wands in unison, their voices echoing in harmony as they cheered Tinkerbell on.
Tinkerbell was honored to be a fairy once again. However, this time around she was no longer an apprentice. She had grown wise and independent since her days in Neverland. The Blue Fairy may be able to deceive the other fairies, but Tinkerbell knows better. She will no longer sit back and tolerate Blue's manipulative shit. She is determined to reunite Regina with her daughter and, hopefully, bring her and Robin Hood together. She will do whatever it takes, no matter the cost. She will play nicely, put on a smile for these fairies, and pretend that Blue has all the power, all the while doing her due diligence and honoring her promise to Henry to ensure that Operation Serpent goes off without a hitch.
Present Day - Enchanted Forest
"Attention everyone! We have decided to return to the Queen's castle and rebuild our kingdom. Though it is difficult to face the reality of losing my daughter for a second time, along with my grandson, I will not give up hope. Knowing that they are both safe and can build their own destiny together gives me the strength and hope I need for my people. Thus, it is only fair that we all move forward and live our lives while clinging to the one thing we all have within us: hope. Our kingdom needs us to be strong and united as we attempt to restore what has been destroyed... Now who's with me?!"
The dwarfs and everyone else on Snow White and Prince Charming's council cheered in unison.
Regina magically poofed away during the middle of Snow's hope speech. There was no way she would stay united with those idiots. She was fed up with her former-stepdaughter's never-ending hope speeches. She couldn't understand how Snow could easily hold on to hope after losing the daughter who had been missing from her life for 28 years. Then again, Regina shouldn't be surprised; after all, Snow willingly shipped Emma off to Maine in hopes of saving her 'people.'
Snow would never understand the sheer agony Regina felt of losing a child whom she raised single-handedly. It was as if her heart was being ripped apart, shredded into a million pieces, yet still managing to remain in her chest. Though her grief was not unfamiliar, the pain of losing Henry was just as intense as the first time she had lost a child. He was gone from her forever, leaving her with nothing but an aching void in her soul - the void in her heart that Rumple and Maleficent had warned her about.
The Imp, her Nemesis and Teacher:
"You have an even bigger problem... Now there is a hole in your heart. And someday. You will come to me to fill it."
"You underestimate the price of what you've done deary. (Sings in a riddle) You shall see, you will come to me. There is more you need, Oh!"
The Dragon, her only Friend:
"Don't do this... This curse. There are lines even we shouldn't cross. All power comes with a price. Enacting it will take a terrible toll. It will leave an emptiness inside you. A void you will never be able to fill."
Her Mother:
"Love is weakness, Regina. It feels real now at the start, it always does. But it's an illusion. It fades. And then you're left with nothing."
In the end, they were all right: the void and hole in her heart had returned with a vengeance. She would never experience true happiness or love from a son or daughter, a lover, or anyone else. This shattering emptiness left her feeling powerless and weak. She couldn't bear it any longer. The internal suffering was unbearable and eating her alive. Death seemed like the only way to escape her misery. But Henry wouldn't want her to make such an irreversible decision. So, instead of choosing the drastic path of taking her own life, she followed in her mother's footsteps and opted for Cora Mill's path of escape.
The familiar sensation of dark magic surged through her veins and fingertips as she hastily tore her blackened heart from her chest.
She felt a sudden wave of relief wash over her, as the built-up sorrow, pain, and weakness dissipated from her body. The tears that had been gathering behind her eyelids no longer held their place and faded away.
All she felt in that moment was utter exhaustion, having used up a significant amount of her magic to save everyone from Pan's curse that had taken a heavy toll on her body.
Despite her exhaustion, the Queen crouched down, and her gaze lingered on the palpitating organ in her palm for a moment—its glowing combination of black and red a stark reminder of her deepest transgressions and the pain and suffering she had endured throughout her life. She wanted nothing more to do with it, so she set about digging a deep grave in the ground for the sinister organ. Once it had been buried and laid to rest, she would return to her dark palace, where she would create a sleeping curse - this time upon herself, in the desperate hope that Henry would one day find her and break it.
Suddenly, a piercing cry echoed through the air, the desperate wailing of a young child.
Regina was frozen in her task, although her heart was no longer in her chest. Somehow, she could still feel the thump-thumping of the beating organ that she had just laid to rest beneath the soil.
The Queen questioned if this was an insidious scheme of Mother Nature, manipulating her emotions or if her exhaustion had finally taken its toll and she was starting to experience hallucinations.
The alarming cries of the child amplified and seemed to emanate from the willow tree nearby. She felt her stomach churn and a shiver run down her spine. Could the cries be real? Or was it just a cruel illusion conjured up by her grief-stricken mind of losing her son?
"I WANT MY PAPA!"
That last heartbreaking cry and desperate scream from the child stirred the Queen from her chaotic mental state. Her maternal intuition granted her the strength to stand and rush towards the source of the cries, hidden behind the willow tree.
Once there, Regina spotted a small little boy who appeared to be no older than three or four years old. He had a mass of black curly hair with a few leaves nestled among the curls, and he was sitting on a log close to the willow, gripping his delicate arm tightly to his chest. Regina thought to herself, 'He must have had a nasty fall and hurt himself; he's only a little boy, after all.' She had encountered similar situations many times with Henry.
All traces of doubt that this could be nothing more than a figment of her overactive imagination, or that Mother Nature was toying with the 'Evil Queen's' emotions, dissipated the moment the boy sniffled and looked up at her, with his rosy, chubby cheeks, puppy dog tear-filled brown eyes, and his lip slightly quivering, Regina couldn't help but think he was such an adorable little boy. However, it was clear that he was in pain and physically hurt.
Regina didn't want to frighten the poor child, and she thought that wearing her Evil Queen attire was not helping either. He was likely already terrified of her, but could he possibly know who she was? She pushed away her negative thoughts and said the first thing that came to mind.
"Hello there."
The boy just stared at her and slowly blinked his tear-filled eyes.
Regina felt her palms sweating and began to feel nervous around the small boy. She didn't want him to be intimidated by her, so she smiled warmly and spoke to him in the same gentle tone she used with Henry when he was this age.
"Are you hurt, Dear?" She said, her voice trembling slightly as she tried to keep it steady. "I heard you crying, and I couldn't help but to come and check to make sure you are alright?"
He continued to gaze at her, his puffy brown eyes blinking slowly.
Despite the exhaustion and anxiety weighing heavily upon her, Regina's maternal instincts gave her the courage to take a few more steps closer to the boy, He didn't run away, or show any fear in his eyes - instead, he seemed merely curious. When she was close enough, she knelt to his level while he remained seated on the log, still holding his small arm. He didn't back away, but simply continued to blink and stare at her.
She decided to speak again, her voice gentle and hopeful. Now that she was kneeling at his level, she knew this had always worked with Henry. She had learned it from a parenting book she bought in Storybrooke. "Did... did you hurt your arm, Honey?"
He looked at her with his puffy brown eyes, nodding his head in confirmation and sniffling. Before Regina could say anything, the boy started to speak.
"There there was a fly flying monkey in the aiwr and took me away from my papa, I scweamed and monkey dowpped me on the gouwnd and and I huwrted my arwm."
It was now the Queen's turn to blink a few times and try to process what she had just heard. She was aware that children often had vivid imaginations, and her own son, Henry, certainly did. Hell, he was the one who unlocked the secrets of the reality of fairy tales... and the dark curse the "Evil Queen" cast over the land, now lying beneath her boots, where her heart rests deep in the soil. And of course, it all began with Snow White gifting him that stupid storybook, full of tales of her reign as the Evil Queen, instead of the numerous betrayals she had suffered that had pushed her into her descent into darkness. He would never know about the innocent young, carefree girl who adored horseback riding and fell madly in love with a stable boy. A part of her was thankful that her own story wasn't in that book, as he was still just a child. He did not need to know the cruel details she had suffered. Despite her conflicting inner emotions, Regina still felt a deep sense of regret for labeling him as crazy. She realized that she had gone too far by making him seek counseling from the Cricket.
Nevertheless, Regina chose to accept the narrative of this cute, curly-haired boy. If it meant believing that a flying monkey had taken him away from his father, she wouldn't question him. Deep down, she knew it was possible because she was well-acquainted with the distant land of Oz, the domain of the Wicked Witch and her mischievous flying monkeys. Despite never having encountered the Wicked Bitch herself, her portal jumping adventures with Jefferson had allowed her to explore new realms as a young Queen when the aged King was away with his brat of a daughter. Jumping through the hat was her temporary escape... However, as much as those journeys provided a thrilling experience, they also brought back unfortunate memories of her time with the deceitful Mad Hatter. She internally shook her head, snapping out of her reverie.
Nonetheless, she had to focus her attention and effort on the young boy sitting in front of her, especially on his injured arm.
"Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear that," Regina said in a gentle, caring voice. "Can you point to me where it hurts on your arm, Honey?"
He nodded his head with pouty cheeks and said, "right heewre," as he pointed to a spot on his forearm.
Regina took a deep breath, unsure of how he would respond to her offering to heal him with magic. So, to lighten the mood, she asked, "Will you tell me your name, dear?"
He nodded his head emphatically, his curls bouncing in his face as a small smile spread across his face, revealing charming dimples. "My name Roland," he said in a pleasant voice.
Regina smiled back at him, slightly chuckling at his enthusiasm and excitement as he revealed his name to her. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Sir Roland," she said with a smile. "I'm Regina."
"R R R'Gina?"
Regina nodded with a warm smile and softly chuckled at his slight difficulty in pronouncing her name. She then instinctively let her maternal side take over, gently plucking the stray leaves from his curls, which caused him to giggle.
She sensed that Roland was now comfortable with her, so she hesitantly asked, "Roland, I'm very worried about your arm. I don't want you to be in any more pain. Is it okay if I use some magic to help your arm heal, sweetheart?" She bit her lip and anxiously awaited his answer.
Roland's eyes lit up with excitement at the mention of magic, and he eagerly asked, "You have magic, Gina?"
"Yes, dear, I do," she said with a tender smile, gently caressing his cheek with her palm, "but I'll only use it if it's alright with you, okay?"
His face lit up, but quickly fell as he dropped his head and said, "Papa says says peopwle with magic is bad and scarwy." He then slowly raised his gaze to meet her brown eyes and softly inquired, "But you not scarwy, Gina... but awe you bad, Gina?"
Regina felt relieved that she hadn't scared the little boy, but her breath caught in her throat at the question - was she bad? After all, she was the Evil Queen. But was she still evil? "You're not a villain - you're my mom," her own son had declared to her. But she couldn't deny she had once been a villain who did unspeakable things. Yet it was the Evil Queen, not Regina. It was her evil counterpart within herself.
She hesitated, not wanting to reveal the Evil Queen's past misdeeds to this innocent child, who would no doubt be terrified and run from her. So, she spoke softly, searching for the right words: "Not all magical beings are bad, Roland. Think of fairies, for example. They are gentle, kind and use their magic for good." Regina's mind shifted towards Tinkerbell, a fairy who genuinely cared for her happiness.
"I can help people find what they need, Regina."
"Regina, love. You need love."
"It is possible to find love again. I've never seen pixie dust fail. It will find you your perfect match. If you let it, it will find your happy ending."
Roland furrowed his brow in deep contemplation, his little face scrunched up in thought. He seemed to take her response in stride, yet his expression still betrayed a hint of apprehension. "But, Gina," he asked in a gentle voice, "will hurt?"
Regina bit her bottom lip before replying reassuringly, "It may tingle a bit, but I promise," she said, making a grand gesture with her hand as if to seal her promise. "It won't hurt. It'll be over before you know it." She then flashed him a comforting pearly white smile and gave him a gentle wink, followed by a playful boop on his nose with her pointer finger, which earned her another giggle from him.
Once his giggles subsided, he replied, "Otay, Gina."
Regina couldn't honestly remember a time when she had smiled this much, to the point where her cheeks were starting to ache from constantly smiling at this little curly-haired boy. It was probably when Henry was this young, but she couldn't dwell on that any further. She needed to focus on the task at hand.
The Queen wasn't particularly skilled in healing magic, but for little Roland, whose dimpled face brought a ray of light amid her solemn emotions, she was willing to try. Even though she was already tired from her heroic efforts to save the people of Storybrooke, she summoned up the energy for the spell - whatever it took to make Roland better.
She gently placed her hands over Roland's small arm and murmured the incantation in her head, reminding herself of the times she had soothed Henry's wounds with a gentle kiss on his owies. A soft purple light glowed from her hands, and Roland's eyes twinkled in amazement and awe at the magical spectacle.
Roland was filled with exhilaration as he wiggled his arm and chanted, "You did it, Gina!" Then he tightly wrapped his small arms around her neck, nearly tipping her over, before murmuring, "Thank you, Gina."
That was all it took for her to lose it and break down. It was just the right amount of affection needed. Her tears flowed with no remorse. She hugged him back right away, gently rubbing his back. But little did the boy know, she was sobbing. She thought this built-up emotion was buried within her heart, but no, here it was, unleashed all because of this little boy who was a mere stranger to her, yet a reminder of what she had lost. The eleven-year-old boy who was once this small, who gave his mommy the exact same tight, loving hug.
After a moment, Roland gently disengaged from Regina's embrace, and she reluctantly let go. He looked into her eyes and saw the tears streaming down her cheeks.
He furrowed his small brow and looked at her with a worried expression. "Gina, why you crwying?"
Regina wiped away her traitorous tears, attempting to put on a courageous face. She took a deep breath, deciding to be truthful with the young boy. "You just remind me so much of my son when he was this small," she said gently, her voice thick with emotion, as she softly stroked his cheek with the back of her hand.
His brown eyes lit up at that and he exclaimed, "You have son? Where he go, Gina?"
Regina stifled a sob, trying her hardest to stay composed. "He's far away... in a distant land, and I don't think I'll ever get to see him again." She wiped away the single tear that had escaped her eye and added sadly, "I miss him so much."
With his adorable, curious little face that Regina couldn't help but love, he innocently inquired, "But why, Gina?"
She attempted to force a bittersweet smile as she said, "It was for his own protection, but he's not alone - he has another mama to take care of him." Her eyes misted as she clutched the sides of his tiny cloak for solace, and her voice cracked as she continued, "I'm just sad... I can't be the one there with him. I would have loved to watch him grow and follow his dreams." She shook her head and dropped her gaze, struggling to contain her tears.
Roland's little heart ached at seeing Regina so sad over her son, but his childlike curiosity made him question, "Why he have two mamas, Gina?"
Regina couldn't help but chuckle at Roland's cute, yet serious, curiosity. Her legs were beginning to cramp, so instead of remaining crouched in front of him, she decided to take a seat on the log he had been occupying moments ago. She carefully scooped him up and placed him on her lap, allowing his legs to dangle off one side. Gently pushing the curls away from his face, she began to explain in a way a young boy like him could understand, "From the moment I first saw him as a tiny baby, I adopted and raised him. He grew up to be my sweet eleven-year-old little prince. Although his other mama gave him life by carrying him in her belly, I have carried him in my heart ever since his adoption," she said, giving him a warm, loving smile, satisfied with her response.
Roland gave Regina a dimpled smile, but he was even more curious about a particular word that he didn't understand, so he asked, "What's 'dopted', Gina?"
Regina remembered how children at this age were endlessly inquisitive, their minds filled with wonder. She chuckled and ruffled his curls, then smiled warmly. "My, what a curious little boy you are!" she said, playfully tickling his tummy and eliciting a giggle. "How about... Instead of learning about adoption, we shift our focus to finding your Papa first, hmm? I'm sure he must be worried sick and missing you terribly, don't you think?" She raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow and smirked.
Roland vigorously nodded in agreement to that.
Regina considered using magic to find Roland's father, so she inquired, "I can use magic to locate your Papa, but do you have anything of his with you, sweetie?"
Roland paused for a moment, his face displaying a pensive expression that Regina was growing accustomed to. A little dimple appeared on the side of his cheek as his brow furrowed in contemplation. Finally, he nodded and pulled out a feather from his pocket. "This is Papa's lucky fethwr he lets me hold it when I Scarwed," he said with a dimpled smile, holding the feather up to Regina's face.
Regina gently took the feather from the dimpled-faced little boy and said, "Perfect. It sounds like you have a wonderful Papa, Roland... This will certainly help us find him." She smiled warmly, helping Roland to his feet, and standing up beside him.
Typically, it required the blood of a relative for a locator spell, but there were numerous ways to do it... Despite Rumple's twisted nature, he had taught her everything she knew about magic. Regina recited the spell in Elvish in her mind, causing the feather to float in the air and eliciting a soft "whoa" from Roland. She smiled down at the boy, proud of her accomplishment.
"What do you say, Roland? Shall we find your Papa?" she said, extending her hand for him to take.
Instead of reaching out to take Regina's hand, Roland raised both of his small arms in an expectant gesture. Regina felt her nonexistent heart swell with nostalgia; she remembered how Henry used to do this, always wanting to be held by his mama. Without hesitation, she picked him up and secured him on her hip, saying softly, "Let's go."
Roland let out a triumphant cheer of "Yeah!" as Regina held him close and followed the floating feather, in search of his father.
TBC
#DimplesQueen :) I got carried away with writing so this chapter will be in 2 Parts. Part 2 will be up soon!!
So, this fic will include some dialogue and events from the show, but with a twist. It will be canon with my own take on what happened during the Missing Year with Outlaw Queen *wink *wink. #Smut ahead, but also Regina discovering her daughter is alive and well. This fic will be angsty, fluffy, and drama-filled, but rest assured, Regina will definitely get her happy ending! ❤️ That being said, I hope you enjoyed this update. The next part of this chapter will be Outlaw Queen! Stay tuned! Thanks for reading!