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It started when Regina was sick. Tonsillitis, which is funny really. Her foolish little sister gets thrown against walls, beaten to a pulp being damned heroic against whatever villain the stupid town has managed to antagonize this week, but it’s tonsillitis that makes her stay home. Ridiculous.
Of course, she doesn’t even tell Zelena. No, she hears about her sister being sick third hand at the diner from the not-so-Charmings and her nephew (who is still a bit jumpy because she did try to strangle him last year.) Can’t blame him for that. Still haven’t figured out how to apologize properly. Sorry, really hated your mum at the time didn’t know we were actually sisters who cared about each other. Blame grandma. She’s a piece of work that one.
“Well, it makes sense. Maleficent can’t catch strep throat.” Snow makes it sound perfectly logical that a dragon makes a good nursemaid and Zelena’s relieved there’s no space at her table so she can't be expected to sit there.
Zelena rolls her eyes and shifts baby Robyn to the other arm so she can eat. Bloody diner only has two high chairs and little Prince Neal basically has one on reserve.
“I can take her, for a bit,” the waitress says and Zelena looks up in horror.
Anyone else taking her baby is an anathema, surely this stupid girl has to know that.
“I’m on break.” She tilts her head towards Zelena’s table. “I can sit with you, there’s no where else open anyway.”
Stupid diner is packed to the brim, of course, because no one can cook.
“Look, you can hand me the kid and eat, or you can glare at me and get eggs all over your sweater.”
Zelena glances down, and yes, there’s already egg on her sweater to match the baby spit up on her shoulder, and she just bloody did laundry.
The waitress doesn’t have a name tag, she’s tall, really tall compared to the munchkins Regina has in this town. Long brown hair, dark eyes. the distinct air of magic about her.
Brimstone. Charcoal and chili powder.
This is her, the younger dragon. Lily. Just how did her tall, blonde and blue-eyed mother have a dark haired little one? Is everyone but Zelena blind to how much Lily looks like a certain mayor who was involved with the dragon before? Is her sister that much of an idiot? Oh, my exes daughter just happens to look quite a bit like me, what an odd co-ink-i-dink.
Lily’s a villain though, awkward, dark (like her), doesn’t fit. Hates the Charmings and will know all about whatever her mother is doing with Zelena’s little sister.
“Thank you.”
Zelena passes Robyn over, ready to explain how to hold her but Lily gets it, almost as well as Belle.
“Did day care for awhile,” Lily explains, bouncing little Robyn. “Funny how everyone loves their kids but no one wants to pay a lot or ask too many questions about who is watching them. Those two?” she tilts her head towards the Charmings, frowning. “They drop the kid off all the time with Granny, like she’s running some kind of center behind the kitchen.”
Baby Neal seems to notice her now, grinning in his high chair. He waves a jam-smeared hand in Lily’s direction.
“He’s cute. They’re morons.”
Oh, yes, Lily can definitely sit with her whenever she likes.
“So just what is your mother up to?” It’s a rare meal that Zelena gets to eat without her arms full and she attacks her omelet with gusto. The diner is busy because it’s cheap, but it’s good, and they have good cheese. She doesn’t hate it. She’s had better of course, but she can’t have a personal chef here for some reason.
“Mom? Scaley nursemaid of the year? Well, you know.”
Zelena glances up over her tea. That is a tone she appreciates. Good. One of the dragons has a backbone. “I don’t actually, we’ve barely spoken.”
“She’s kind of reclusive.”
“So am I.”
Lily smirks. “Yeah. Maybe you’ll get along.”
So it’s confirmed then. This little burst of softness isn’t just a one time thing. Makes sense, who spends several days curled up on the couch with her most likely insufferable sister.
“How is that going?” Zelena sets down her toast when Lily’s eyebrows rise. “Regina and I don’t talk much.”
“Right, I get that. Family’s complicated.” Lily looks at her over Robyn’s little head and it hits them both that they might be complicated together before the year is over.
“And?”
“And my mom is a total pushover for your sister, like, she went home with her four days ago and she hasn’t even been back for clothes. Henry said she keeps summoning more clothes with magic and she sleeps in Regina’s room.”
“Oh?” Not as sick as she thought then?
“Not like that. More the feverish hallucinations kind. Henry was pretty worried.” Right, he’d be here for food, the dragon can’t cook. “Regina’s got some dark stuff in her past.”
“The king?” Murder? Killing whole villages of peasants? Does that ever give anyone nightmares?
“Her mom.” Lily offers Robyn a piece of the crust of her toast to gnaw on and surprisingly, the kid loves it. It’s burnt but the little one loves it. She must be teething. “Henry said there was one night where she screamed, just screamed like something awful was happening and he went in and she was all curled up in mom’s lap, crying, and he thought maybe it was this guy who kidnapped her last year something about electricity, but that was about Cora. He said he was glad mom was there, Regina, seems to really feel safe with her.”
Of course she does, lazy old dragon wrapped around her. It’s sickening, really. “I’m glad it was less stressful for him.”
Lily drinks her coffee over the baby’s head as if she’s been doing it forever. “She tried to go back to work yesterday, Mom had me bring them lunch and everything, but she was basically passing out at her desk when I delivered it, and Mom talked her into going home.”
“You mom can do that?”
“She’s all soft and patient, like seriously, I thought she’d be more like the Disney one, all cackling and making jokes about how evil she is, but she’s not at all, and Regina just listens to her. Maybe she was too sick to argue, but they went home yesterday, Mom nearly carrying her, and Mom asked me to send dinner to them tonight, so I think she’s just still there.”
“And her attentions are?”
“Fuck if I know.”
Zelena laughs, but it’s more nervous than she’d like to admit. “And they have a history.”
“They do, don’t they?” Lily leans in close over the plates. “This might sound crazy, and I haven’t found it out about dragons yet, Mom doesn’t have any birds and the dragon-bees books she can insist I read, so I don’t know, but like, could--”
She is smart, this one. Must be Regina’s genes, Zelena’s never been that impressed by the dragon.
“Could you be my niece?”
Lily makes a face, then laughs. “Yeah, yeah, I guess that’s the question.”
“Perhaps.” She needs more tea, maybe a little gin for this conversation. “Creatures with powerful enough magic often reproduce in mysterious ways, especially when they’re lonely or rare. Aren’t a lot of dragons around now, or back then in the old world. It’s possible.”
They look at each other over the plates. Robyn chirps and gurgles up at her likely cousin before batting her in the face. Lily laughs, pretending to eat her fingers and Zelena can almost picture it, them at the table in Regina’s house, Lily, Robyn, Henry, Regina and the dragon being absolutely disgusting in how they look at each other.
“Maybe I should stop by, check on my little sister.”
“Don’t take this one,” Lily says and Zelena rolls her eyes.
“Of course not, you seem to get along. You can watch her.”
“What?”
“You’re working now, that means you don’t work tonight. Your mother’s involved.”
“Yeah, and?”
“And it seems you and I ought to get to know each other. Can you drive?”
“Drive, fly, appear places in a poof of smoke.”
“You’ve learned that already?” That’s not bad, actually, considering how short a time she’s been here. Must be the dragon side. Regina was so slow as a student.
“Yeah, Mom says I pick things up fast.”
“Just what does she teach you?”
“Mostly dragon stuff.” Lily shifts Robyn and bounces her a little, and they do get along, good. She could use a babysitter some nights and if Lily’s family...
“Anything about other magic?”
“Other magic?”
“The human kind, dear.” Zelena calls a small fireball to her hand. “Anything like that.”
“No.”
“Well then, you bring dinner and watch Robyn while I make sure your mother’s intentions towards my sister are entirely honorable, then I’ll teach you how to use my sister’s magic.”
“You think she’s--?”
“Ever want to rip this town apart and rain fire down from the sky until it was dust and ash?”
Lily laughs bitterly. “All the time.”
“Then, I imagine it’s safe to say we’re family. I know a spell we can try to prove it if you wish.”
Lily nearly slams down her coffee. “I knew there had to be a spell.”
“Mommy dearest lied to you?”
“She said that she didn’t know who it was, it happened in dragon form.”
Zelena’s eyebrows shoot up. Who knew her sister was that kinky. “Oh it did?”
“That’s what she said. Dragons mate in the air. Sounds kind of romantic and terrifying.”
So her sick, soft, cuddly little sister went flying with the dragon and got her knocked up in the old world and now the dragon’s in her house, in her bed, holding her through her fever dreams.
Does that mean they’re happy? Does it mean more than a week’s little dalliance and taking advantage of the lovesick dragon? Surely Zelena can’t be the only one who has noticed Maleficent’s eyes go dragon-sized when Regina’s in the room? The entire town can’t be as daft as the not-so-Charmings.
Though...sometimes, she’s not sure.
“So, see you tonight?” Lily hands Robyn back over, nodding to Granny behind the counter. “If you--”
“Be at my house at five, that should give us enough time to do some magic and check on my sister.” Robyn waves her chubby hands in Lily’s direction and Lily waves back, grinning.
“Okay, thanks.”
“Just don’t call me Auntie Zelena. I think I’m still a bit young, don’t you?”
Lily chuckles and nods. “Yeah, that’s fair. Bye Robyn.”
More family. More complicated little connections, branching out, tying her to people and this stupid little town. Her sister’s town. Her home, such that it is.