So Close
“Ow… ohh…”
“It’s my fault we’re down here, so, I figure I owe you a neck rub to get out all the kinks.”
Ruby turned, wincing. “Belle, what’s going on with you?”
“I was scared last night, which doesn’t happen often, and I broke into pieces. You helped glue me back together.”
Ruby frowned, “No, you know what I mean. When you seemed to be hit by a clue.”
Belle smiled at that. “I did say I would explain didn’t I?” Ruby nodded, “I realized that you, Ruby Lucas, are my Princess Charming.”
“What do you mean?”
Belle scooted a little bit away from Ruby, giving both of them some distance, “I apologize for being so blunt. I like you-- maybe even love you Ruby Lucas, and you being there for me with no questions asked, just understanding, it simply fully revealed what had been niggling at the back of my brain.”
“Oh--” Uncomfortable silence descended, “Oh-- I don’t..”
“It’s okay.” Belle started to get up, but Ruby put a restraining hand on her knee. Belle patted Ruby’s hand, “Really, it’s okay. I needed to say it, even if your answer wasn’t what I wanted to hear.”
“No-- I mean.” Ruby folded her hands in front of her, “Belle. I think you’re my best friend. What I was going to say before was, I don’t know. What you just told me, it has my heart beating, my brain is going so fast it’s tripping over itself. But I just don’t know.” Ruby stood and pulled Belle up as well, “Is that okay for now?”
Belle smiled and gave Ruby’s hand a squeeze before letting go, “Of course. You’re my best friend too Ruby.”
Ruby frowned, “I-- thank you?”
“Oh, make no mistake. I’m not giving up on more.”
“Belle.”
Belle raised a hand, “I know.. I promise. If friends is all you can give, I will understand.” Belle paused, “Let’s get you to work. I’ll get some breakfast and meet you at the Sheriff’s station.”
oOOOOo
“Oh thank the heavens…” Maleficent and Zelena watched as Martha kissed the dock over and over.
Zelena shook her head, “That’s not sanitary.”
“Don’t you remember the summer that she kissed nearly every frog in the Enchanted Forest? She’ll live. So-- where to?”
“Sheriff’s Station.”
oOOOOo
Archie jerked awake and nearly fell from wherever he was. He groaned and opened his eyes. He wasn’t on the ship any longer. He was laid out on a park bench near the harbor. He groaned again and slowly sat up straight. Then everything came rushing back. “Marco.”
He shot off the bench, running towards the cemetery. He didn’t slow down until he got to the Mills’ vault. It was open. “Marco? Marco?”
“Here--” Marco coughed, “Where’s the witch?” Archie helped Marco sit up and slide back to the wall. “She said she was going to rescue her daughter.” He coughed again, “I’m sorry I got you into this Archibald.”
Archie shook his head, “You didn’t, that woman and man did. C’mon, let’s get you to the hospital. I’m sore and you’re heavy so it may take a bit.”
oOOOOo
Mary Margaret rubbed at her neck as she raised her head from the desk. She looked first at the picture of the blond man in Royal finery before she put it back in the locked drawer.
She woke up her monitor. Sitting in her AOL inbox was an email from Sidney. She opened it and gasped. Emma had a juvenile record. She was up the stairs before her brain fully decided to go. She carefully opened the door to Henry’s room and looked in. She watched as the blankets slowly rose and fell in a steady rhythm. Her eyes went to the window. It was closed and locked.
Mary Margaret carefully closed the door and backed out into the hallway, letting out a breath as she went. Emma Swan’s record as a Juvenile meant that finally she’d have something to use against the blonde. Mary Margaret would get Henry off to school, and then get rid of the interloper once and for all. But, even as she thought it, she wondered if she was overreacting. Part of her brain was trying to convince the other part that she could try and trust Emma first. That maybe Emma’s past record was just that, in the past.
Mary Margaret shook her head, “No. She’ll be gone by this afternoon.”
oOOOOo
“Thank you by the way.”
Regina looked up from the papers in front of her. “Thank you?”
Gold was asleep in his cell, and Emma sat at the computer in the bullpen going through what grainy footage there seemed to be over and over and over. Emma sat back and gestured to the room, “I can find people, but trying to figure this out, it’s different. Every time I think about it…” She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “This shadow of a man-- he seemed to kill Pongo without a second thought, and that…”
Emma jumped a little as Regina leaned against the edge of the computer desk. “That’s because you’re a good person.”
Emma made a noise, “No. I’m not. I’ve done bad things. Illegal things.”
Regina put a hand on Emma’s shoulder, “I have too.”
Emma laughed, “What-- here? Jaywalking? Not putting your trash out on the right day?”
Regina looked at the floor for a moment, then back up. “I’ve stolen, broken many other laws too.”
Emma paused the recording she was watching and swiveled to face Regina. “You’re serious. But this is… there’s no way to get in trouble that way here.”
Regina looked away, “It wasn’t here. It was in the Enchanted Forest.”
Emma frowned, “That’s the place in Henry’s book.”
“Yes.”
Emma was silent for a long time, “So, either Henry’s craziness is catching, or it’s all real?”
Regina was silent for a moment as well, “I was in love. I was sixteen. His name was Daniel and he was eighteen. He was our stable boy.”
Emma interrupted, “Stable boy?”
“My father was a lord, yes. My mother Cora… she didn’t appreciate my choice of suitors. She killed him.”
“What?”
Regina slowly nodded, “There is a magical way for someone to take a person’s heart from their chest. And when you crush that heart it kills the person.”
Emma sat totally still for a second, “That’s… horrific. So, you’re saying that’s what your mother did to Daniel.”
“Yes, while I watched. I… I can’t remember all about him, or all about me for that matter. But that part--” Regina looked down for a second, “--yes I remember that part. Ah, I had saved a young girl a few days earlier. She was a Princess, Snow White. And my mother arranged for me to marry Snow’s father, the King. I didn’t want to but, Daniel was dead, and she was my mother, what else could I do?”
Emma grabbed Regina’s left hand, “Do you remember being married?”
Regina shook her head, “I don’t. The next memory I have is chasing a deer in the forest?”
“Chasing, on your feet?”
“I think-- ah-- I was trying to kill it-- hunt it.”
Emma smiled, “Pretty sure that’s not how you’re supposed to do it. Aren’t you supposed to wait for them to come to you? So. You went from nearly becoming a Queen to being some sort of Robin Hood?”
Regina yelped in pain, putting a hand to her head.
oOOOOo
“Ale. Whatever doesn’t taste like deer piss.”
The man behind the bar looked disturbed, “It sounds like you’ve drunk deer piss.”
Regina took the proffered mug and took a sip, “Mmm… this is good. And, it wasn’t on purpose, but, I don’t want to go into it.”
The bartender wiped at the bar, “Your mother is searching these parts for you again.”
“Guess I’ll lay low with the wolves for awhile again.”
“How do you stand those animals?”
Regina finished her ale before answering, “I know men much worse than the worst Werewolf, and on that note, I hope your night is filled with heavy drinkers who pass out before they start bar fights.”
The bartender saluted Regina with his rag, “Your mouth to God’s ears.”
Regina chuckled as she left the bar. She got two steps outside and everything went black.
oOOOOo
Someone was hovering over her. A male someone. Regina pretended like she was asleep for a moment. Waiting until the man was directly over her, then she lashed out with the base of her hand, causing the man to give a yell and try to staunch the blood coming from his nose. “Ut the hell?”
Regina opened her eyes and groaned, “Robin Hood, right, former Lord of some manor or other who plays in the woods now.”
Robin pinched the bridge of his nose, but it didn’t stop the bleeding, “And you’re Regina the outlaw. I need your help.”
Regina looked him up and down, “Obviously.”
“No… my wife. She’s in labor… but, it’s not going well. They said you helped the Princess Katherine give birth to her twins. Please, help Marion too.”
Regina lay there for a long moment, then nodded and got to her feet, “Okay, where is she and what’s wrong?”
oOOOOo
“Regina-- Regina-- What’s wrong?”
Regina put one of her hands to her head. Emma had a death grip on the other one. “I’m okay. It was just a memory. I helped give birth to Robin Hood’s son apparently.” She frowned, “ROland.”
“Ten minutes ago that would have been a totally outrageous statement to me, but now…” Emma shook her head.”
“You’re still holding my hand.”
Emma went with the change of subject. “Do you want me to stop?”
“No.” Regina fell silent, “I answered that too fast didn’t I?”
Emma smiled, “Nah, although I do feel like we’re channeling a 50s sitcom.” She paused, but just for a moment, “But, I also don’t seem to care. It’s like… it’s like.”
“Our souls fit together?”
“Ah--” Emma blushed, “I was gonna go with, I want to know every part of you, inside and out.”
It was Regina’s turn to color a bit, “Oh-- I--”
Emma winced, “And I’ve just screwed it up right there with my foot in my mouth.”
Regina let go a short laugh, “No. I’ve heard worse, from people I did not want to hear it from. I was just taken by surprise. I-- I stayed to myself after I ran from the marriage and my mother.”
Emma scooted forward on her chair, “Seriously? You're beautiful, and funny.. a dry humor to be sure… and you seem to care even when no one gives a crap about you, and…” Emma traced Regina’s jaw line, the two of them drifting closer as she finished in a whisper, “...I’d like to kiss you now.”
Regina nodded. The Sheriff station’s door banged open. Both women jumped at the noise, and it woke Gold in the cell. He started mumbling again.
Ruby paused at the doorway with a smirk. “Damned good thing I waved Dorothy off.”
“What?” Regina frowned.
Ruby cleared her throat, “Ah— huh— I didn’t say anything, did you hear something Emma?” Both women glared at Ruby, “Ah, right. So, what’re you guys doing here?”
“Your job. I called you a couple of times. Pongo is dead, Archie is missing.”
Regina continued, “We found video surveillance of Archie being taken, sort of. The video seemed to indicate that the man that took Archie disappeared at the docks.”
Emma finished, “Literally into thin air.”
Ruby looked between the two women, “Have you physically gone down to the docks.”
“Not yet.”
“Why?”
Emma shot Ruby a look, “First, I’m not the Sheriff, second, this was a kidnapping. I’m not going down there in the dark of the night with no backup.”
Ruby was silent for a moment, then nodded, “Alright you two, go see if anyone else is missing. I’ll check the docks.” She glanced towards Gold, who seemed to have gone back to sleep, then left. A moment later Regina and Emma gathered their jackets and followed Ruby out.
Gold waited a minute, then two before he stood and went to the lock of the cell door. The bare faintest glow surrounded it as he hummed to himself.
oOOOOo
Henry knew he should be at school, but he figured that his Mom couldn’t get too mad if he was cutting to go see Archie.
At first he hadn’t liked seeing Archie, and sometimes he still didn’t like seeing him. But then every once in a while something that Archie said really made sense. He needed that this morning.
Regina believed him, which either made him right, or Regina just as screwed up as he was. He wasn’t sure he wanted Archie’s opinion on the turn of events, but he knew he probably should get it.
He knocked on Archie’s office door for the third time and frowned. He gave the door a small push and it swung open. It looked just like every time Henry had been there. Nothing was out of place, but Henry was still worried. Archie was always in his office when Henry needed him. It was almost like magic.
But not today. That was weird. He took out his phone, then changed his mind. He’d go in person to the Sheriff’s station. Make it harder for his Mom or Regina to yell at him, making them do it in person with witnesses instead of over the phone.
oOOOOo
Ruby was in her office when Emma and Regina got back to the station. She looked up when they entered. “You don’t have to step apart for me. Is anyone else missing?”
“Nope. Not that we could tell. Did you find anything to— ah— disappear into?”
Ruby shook her head, but didn’t get to respond as Belle entered the station. Ruby stood as Belle entered the rapidly crowding office. “Ruby, is it true. Is Pongo dead? Did someone take Marco?”
“Marco?”
Belle nodded, “Granny said that she saw him talking to a woman, and then they disappeared around a corner.”
Regina and Emma spoke at the same time, “Disappeared?”
Ruby raised an eyebrow, “Ah, did you two plan that?” Neither woman answered and Ruby gestured towards the bullpen, and everyone filed out. “We’re on it, Marco’s disappearance, because Archie did as well.”
Belle smiled just a bit, “I never doubted that you’d be on top of it.” She glanced over at the cell. “Do you think that one has something to do with their disappearance?”
“How? He’s been locked up this whole time.”
Everyone fell silent as Henry shot into the room, “Ruby, Archie’s missing.” He looked over, “Regina, Emma, Belle?”
Ruby shook her head, “It’s a party. Henry, we know Archie’s missing. And Marco too. Were you supposed to meet Archie?”
Emma narrowed her eyes, “My guess is no, that Henry’s supposed to be at school, right?”
Henry shrugged, “Yeah, but… I mean. You and Regina and Mom and the Fairy Tale thing and…”
Emma held out a hand and pulled Henry to her. Regina put an arm around Henry as well. “We’ll figure it out. Right Sheriff?”
Ruby nodded, “We always do. I’ll call Dorothy, coordinate with her. She can search the woods for Marco while we look at the docks again for Archie.”
“Cora… Cora-dinate— my love, my student. She’s gonna get you, gonna get you. Taking the cricket and smashing it under her boot.” He laughed. “She’ll get all of you to get her daughter. All of you. Cora-dinate, Cora-dinate, you’re all much, much too late. Much too late.”
Henry looked up at Regina, “Cricket, that’s Archie. Cora took Archie. Regina…”
“I—” If Emma hadn’t had an arm around Regina she’d have hit the floor as pain made Regina’s knees go weak. Both Henry and Emma held her up as she put both hands to her head.
oOOOOo
“No one gets in my way and lives to tell of it. You'll be sorry for this, Regina.”
A young Regina came around the side of a mirror. Her palm holding something that was only in her imagination. “Not as sorry as you'll be when your face is on fire.” She threw her hand towards her older sister. “Fireball!” Zelena ducked down behind a chest as Regina and then Zelena both laughed
Zelena stood and Regina came over to her, “Shh. Not so loud. I'm not even supposed to be out of bed yet.”
“We don't have to stop playing, do we?” Regina shook her head and Zelena looked downcast for a moment, “I'm sure your mother's going to take me home soon.”
“Of course not. We can play princesses.” Regina reached down and opened a drawer in the chest, “Here.”
Regina took out a necklace, but something else in the drawer caught Zelena’s notice, “What's that?”
Regina looked down, “It's the box my mother used to keep her wand in.”
“It's beautiful.” Zelena drew her fingers along the top of the box and it popped open.
“How did you do that?” Regina was stunned.
Zelena looked confused, “What do you mean? I just touched it, and it opened.”
Regina looked at Zelena with new eyes, “But that box was sealed with blood magic. There's no way you should have been able to open it... unless...” Regina trailed off.
“Unless what?”
A glimmer of hope appeared in Regina’s eyes, and a smile slowly came to her face, “Do you think... could we be... related?”
Zelena didn’t look quite as happy, she was still confused. “Why wouldn't your mother have told us?”
“I don't know.” Regina nodded her head, “We have to ask her.”
oOOOOo
Regina came to on the floor of the Sheriff’s station. Emma looking worried on one side and Henry looking almost panicked on the other. “What— how did I get to the floor?”
Belle spoke up as Emma and Henry helped Regina stand, “I think a more important question is, who is Cora?”
Regina and Emma’s gazes met, but it was a redheaded newcomer to the room who answered. “Our mother.”