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Chapter Text

Emily Locksley had her father's easy smile and her mother's temper. Sixteen years old, with long red hair and blue eyes she would probably have been one of the most popular girls in school even if she wasn't technically a princess, but the thing that really limited her dating wasn't her father deciding to sharpen arrow heads while boys came over the big white house on Mifflin Street, or even the Queen who might have done bad things in the past but now mostly restricted her evil to showing a lot more cleavage and leg than either her two sons or teenage daughter were entirely comfortable with. No, Emily's problem was that she had two big brothers, Roland had just started working for the Sheriff's department, and nothing killed any chance of having a first kiss after school than a police cruiser 'accidently' turning on its siren.

She tried to talk to aunt Emma about it but that only provoked a lot of questions about who she was kissing rather than Roland being told to mind his own business.

And not for the first time she hated living in a small town where everyone knew everyone's business.

The truth was the kissing thing had mostly been for show. She was pretty and her parents were famous in town and everyone wanted to know who she was going to take to the Spring Ball and she didn't know how to even ask the person she wanted to ask. Phil was nice and all, and it made the creepy royal watchers happy, but they both knew she wasn't really interested in him.

She bit her lower lip and tried to psych herself up as she walked across the gather of people before the Storybrooke High School football game. Alex Herman was talking in a group and Emily cursed her luck, hoping not to have an audience, when she saw one of the football players walking by her grab her butt and she heard the other girl yelp and turn.

She didn't know where the anger came from, but she closed the distance between herself and the guy, pulling him by his jersey to make him face her, "Hey you don't treat people like that. Apologize to her."

He laughed, glancing at his friends, "It's no big deal. Alex knows it's a compliment."

He nodded to the other girl who was now looking red with embarrassment. "It's nothing, Em."

"It's something! He needs to apologize and not treat women that way."

He laughed and looked at his friends and something in his face, in his laugh, set her blood boiling and before she knew it her hand was wrist deep in his chest. He was grunting in pain and everyone around them fell dead silent.

She felt the warmth of his heart in her fingers and a voice in the back of her mind told her how easy it would be to just yank it out. "Apologize."

"Sorry." He said immediately.

"Emily. Em..." She heard Roland's voice through the fog of her anger and she saw him approaching his hands up but suddenly aware that he wasn't in big brother mode but cop mode.

And she realized what she was doing and suddenly let go of his heart yanking her hand out of his chest and looking down at it like it was something alien to her body.

"What the fuck are you?" The football player was holding his chest above his heart and Emily looked around to see everyone was staring at her in disgust. Including Alex. Well everyone except Roland who put an arm around her and started walking her away from the crowd.

"I need you to breath slowly and try and calm down."

She nodded and let him sit her in the front seat of his patrol car. He crouched down in front of her and took both her hands. "What happened back there?"

"I ... I don't know I was just suddenly so angry and I ... what did I do?"

"You nearly ripped out Eric Moore's heart... which I would have been tempted to do myself a few times when I was in school with him so I understand but it's probably not advisable."

"That's ... no..." she shook her head. "I don't have magic."

"Apparently you do."

He reached into his jacket and gave her a granola bar, "Eat this. I don't know how much magic that was but you look like you are about to pass out."

"You're not going to tell anyone ..."

"Emily, I'd love to protect you from everything in the world but about half the town just saw that. Mom and Dad will find out. And by tomorrow there will be a betting pool on it at Granny's."

"Betting on what?" She asked shocked.

He shrugged, "They'll find something to bet on. You ready?"

"Ready for what?"

He bit his lip, "You kind of nearly killed another student. I really have to take you down to the station."

"I'm your sister."

"Which is why I'm asking if you're ready." He tilted his head, "So are you?"

She nodded and he gave her shoulder a squeeze.

They sat her in one of the side rooms while Emma and the boy's parents had a serious talk in her office and he kept looking over through the windows like he expected Emily to launch herself at him again. "So I hear you were kissing Sleeping Beauty's kid today." She turned to see her parents standing in the door. "Do I need to scare him?"

She blushed deeply, and Robin gave Regina a look, "What it was either talking about the kissing or the magic and I thought the kissing was a safer subject."

Robin shook his head fondly as he usually did at her bluntness , "Come on, we're taking you home."

"I'm not going to jail..." She said nervously.

"I talked to the young man's parents, who are willing to accept a written apology, which you will write. And to stay away from their son for the rest of the school year." Robin said.

"And you're not mad? About the... magic?"

Robin smiled and kissed her forehead, "Regina and I have been expecting the magic for a long time. I'm... not happy about exactly how it manifested but Roland said you were sticking up for one of your friends. That boy is twice your size."

"A rather think he got a good lesson from the experience too." Regina added despite the slightly exasperated look from Robin. "But for now we're taking you home. It's late."

She just nodded and picked up her school bag and slung it over her shoulder. As she was walking out they passed Eric and his family, and his mother looked at her and shook her head and for the first time in her life Emily realized that the look was hate and fear. She'd seen the way some of the people still looked at Regina around town. She knew what it looked like. And she knew what it meant.

"Wicked girl," Eric's father muttered and the Mills-Locksley's kept walking. Emily looked at her feet and she didn't see the ice cold look her mother gave the man silently commanding him not to say another word.

Chapter Text

Saturday mornings were quieter in the house now that Roland had found his own place. Though he and Henry were usually still around enough that the big house was never too quiet between them and the merry men who came in and out.

When she heard voices she assumed it was one of the and didn't bother to get dressed beyond her flannel pajama bottoms and Boston Red Sox t-shirt. Henry was always disparaging that she and Roland had adopted the Boston teams and his year in New York had made him a lifelong Yankee's fan. But when she got to the kitchen she stopped dead in her tracks when she realized the voices were both women.

Regina and Zelena fought over everything. Still. And right now it was how much brown sugar to white sugar should go in a recipe.

"Brown sugar makes them chewier," Regina was saying as she stood at the mixer.

"More white sugar lets them spread more and be crispy," Zelena countered from the table with her tea.

"Please tell me we are discussing cookies and not that entirely to traumatizing conversation I walked in about the best way to make various Harry Potter potions." Emily said walking into the kitchen quickly heading to the fridge and pulling out the orange juice and trying to pretend she didn't know why her biological mother was there.

"The perfect chocolate chip cookie is quite powerful magic." Regina said, putting aside what she was doing and pulling out a skillet. Everything for morning omelets already prepared and ready. Like any ambush.

"Can I at least have coffee before we start in?"

Zelena raised an eyebrow, "Coffee? How uncivilized. When did that happen?"

Regina shrugged, "Blame the manly men. It started after a camping weekend with the Merry Men when her father insisted on teaching her to subsist on instant coffee and pine cones. I'm taking the victory I get that she at least brews it."

"Ha ha ha ha." Emily said as she poured herself some coffee into a Disney mug. Her dad had discovered the animated versions of their stories when she was a little girl and loved to horrify her mom with matching mugs of their Disney versions.

Regina was, she decided, secretly amused by the relatively benign version of her past life that now populated the coffee mugs in her cabinet.

Zelena and Regina exchanged looks, "We should really talk about last night."

"We really shouldn't," Em said with low voice. "It's not going to happen again."

Magic was something she'd grown up with. Learning not to play with Regina's potion making kit was right up there with arrows can poke your eye out. She wasn't uncomfortable with her mothers' magic, but it was not something she was particularly interested in having herself. She thought about leaving but she was hungry and the smell of the mushrooms and peppers cooking kept her in her seat so she just tried to hide behind her coffee mug. The jaunty fox in front of her face did not give off the 'I don't want to talk about this' image she wanted though.

"How long have you been ignoring it?" Regina said quietly as she slid her breakfast onto a plate and sat down next to Zelena. They looked like mirrors of each other even with their different hair and features. Zelena didn't come to the house often, and almost never when dad was there. She didn't know the detail but she knew that something bad had happened between them. But 'one of the Mills sisters did something bad to me' was basically the story of everyone in town and they were both doing their best to make up for it.

Regina had once told her that while the looks of hatred and distrust she still got hurt they were those people's right. Even when it was your dad and your bio mom. "Ignoring what?"

Zelena smiled a little, "Magic is elemental but the first sign is rarely a hand in a football players chest."

"Only because they didn't play football in Oz."

"True. We were much more civilized about it. Too much protective equipment in football."

Regina rolled her eyes, "Let's not lose sight of the topic please. Emily, how long has it been happening?"

She sighed, "The burn I got last month wasn't from toasting marshmallows."

Regina nodded, "And."

"I kind of poofed Jamie Alan's cat into a tree when she said something bad about me last year." She didn't like the look the two sisters exchanged, "But it's no big deal because it's not happening again. I'm not going to be a witch."

She put down her fork from her half finished plate and stormed upstairs and put her ear buds in so she didn't have to know if they were calling her back down.

They weren't calling her back of course. Zelena had started doing dishes while Regina had gone back to the baking she'd been working on, "Well that's disturbing." Zelena said quietly.

"Fire and heart ripping, I should say so." Regina agreed.

"You were the one with the anger issues," the Wicked Witch commented, "I was the one with the abandonment and jealousy problems." She held up her hands as if to say 'not on me'.

Regina gave her a look, "The magic suppression worries me a bit more. I did that. Tried to pretend I didn't have it."

"Really I just thought you were an extraordinarily slow learner."

"Zelena I can still hit the mute button if I want to."

Her sister tutted, "What I don't understand is what she has to be angry about. You and Robin are practically mirrors of the Charmings short of Mary Margaret's insistence on mismatching decor."

"I think your ability to judge if someone is happy or unhappy is legendarily bad." Regina looked over her shoulder.

"Like your tact?"

The former Evil Queen weighed that for a moment, "Fair."

Emily sneaked down stairs after she changed and yelled that she was going over to the library to study for her trigonometry test and quickly left before either witch could decide to continue their chat. Of course she didn't head to the library but a few streets down to the small house Henry and Roland shared.

Henry was, as could be expected, sitting at the dining room table with his type writer banging away on whatever he was writing. Everyone had long ago learned not to ask him what it was, "Hey, I hope I'm not bothering you."

Henry gave a wide grin, "No worries, I always have time for my little sister."

"I suppose you've heard," she said quietly.

"I'm not going to tell you I told you so, but I told you that you should have told mom about the magic."

"I just want it to stop." Emily confessed.

Henry took her and sat her down on the couch and wrapped an arm around her, "I'm afraid that's not how magic works, Em. Besides, it's part of you, you shouldn't be afraid."

"I shouldn't be afraid that I'm getting irrationally angry and showing all the signs that my Moms showed before they went all evil overlord?"

"I'm willing to bet you aren't irrational. They weren't. And mom has done some pretty amazing things with magic. As much good as she eve did evil. It's not about the magic it's about your heart." He messed with her hair, "And you have a big heart."

She sighed.

"So why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Football player, hand in chest, I mean I am sure everyone is talking about the fact that you did it. But has anyone asked you why?"

She looked down, "There is this girl at school. He groped her and I ..."

Henry nodded, "Haven't told mom and dad about that either have you?"

"It seemed like the order of things to hide, I think I have magic, and I think I'm gay have equal weight." She looked at her brother, "And you better not tell them either."

He held up his hand, "Not my story to tell."

"Says the writer."

"No. I'm serious. No one gets to write your story but you. You get to decide who you want to be, Emily Locksley. Don't let anyone tell you different."

Chapter Text

She decided she'd avoid her moms for the rest of the day and deal with the magic thing tomorrow. Granny's was not quite the go to place for teens wanting to hang out mostly because so many of their parents did, but she smiled when she saw Phil wave her over and only paused for a moment when she saw Alex sitting with him.

She smiled at her as she sat down and the pit of Emily's stomach began to tie in knots. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Emily said quickly, "Just life's a little complicated."

"Well, thanks for standing up for me. Eric thought he got away with it and tried to sit with me when I got here before Granny threw him out on his ass."

Emily looked over at the venerable older woman wiping down the counters who smiled back, "Did she pull out the crossbow?"

"She threatened..."

Phil kept looking between the two of them while Emily pointedly ignored him until Alex looked at the clock and sighed, "Though she'll threaten me with it if I don't go change to clock in for work. Stick around though it would be nice to have a friendly face."

"Of course," Emily found herself saying as Alex walked away.

Phil shook his head, "You know at some point the puppy dog look becomes less adorable as pathetic. You should ask her out."

"Yeah, because I'm not a complete mess right now without trying to figure out what to wear on a date with Cinderella's daughter."

"Clothes I should think," Phil supplied. "Clothes seems like the definite answer."

She threw a french fry at him.

"Heads up, the Charming Cavalry is here," he whispered before Emma Swan arrived at their table.

"Do you mind if I chat with my niece?"

Emily gave him a look that she hoped said 'save me' but much to her annoyance he got up, "Of course Sheriff. I'll catch you later Em."

She watched him go and muttered, "Traitor..." before looking at Emma with a resigned sigh. "So they called you?"

"Who?" She asked innocently, "Hey Granny can I get a grilled cheese for me and the peanut?"

"Can we stop calling me that, I'm sixteen years old."

Emma raised an eyebrow, "They still call Leroy 'grumpy' in this town. You think you are ever going to lose that nickname?"

"I didn't get that nickname from a magic axe."

Emma shrugged.

"You aren't distracting me from the question."

"Your mom called. Said the talk this morning didn't go very productively."

"You mean the ambush? No it didn't." Emily huffed but thanked Granny when she came over with the food. "Have you ever been left alone with the Sisters Mills? Dad even bailed on that one. Like he always does when my biological mother comes to the house."

Emma shifted, "Zelena can be a bit much even when she's not in full on scourge of the yellow brick road mode." Emily just grumbled at that. "Your mom says you've been trying to ignore the magic."

"I don't want it."

Emma smiled, "I know that feeling."

"I... I have enough trouble sorting out what I want without accidentally setting people's heads on fire or nearly killing an asshole for groping my friend."

Emma frowned and made a noncommittal shrug, "I think I'm legally required to ask that you not do either of those things. But I had a mug shot at your age so I don't think I get to judge."

She sighed.

"Why don't you want the magic? You've grown up around it your entire life."

"Mom and Zelena are good now, but they weren't for a long time and the magic made them do terrible things. It made you do terrible things too for a bit."

"The magic doesn't make you do terrible things. It just makes it so that the terrible things you do are magnified. Regina would be the first on to tell you her problem wasn't magic it was anger. So tell me, why are you angry?"

Emily glanced around, "Have you ever had the feeling that people look at you like there is something wrong with you but you don't know what?"

Emma raised an eyebrow, "When I was in school sometimes the kids with real families would whisper about how I didn't have parents because no one wanted me."

Emily shook her head, "But I have parents, more than the average number of parents. And aunts and uncles and brothers and I know you all love me. But I still can't help but feel like sometimes... like sometimes there is something wrong with me."

Emma inhaled but said nothing and Emily raised an eyebrow.

"Aunt Emma you are really bad at hiding things and I don't even need a super power to know that. What is it?"

"It's not my story to tell."

Emily looked deeply annoyed, "It sounds like it's mine. But no one is going to tell me?" She slammed her hands down on the table and the entire diner shook.

Everyone in the room was silent and looking at her but Emily's eyes were big and she just looked at her hands in horror before running from the building. Emma stood up and sighed, "Well that went well."

Emily got in her car, the old 1980s Merc that had been passed down among the kids when they needed a car, and drove up into the hills over the town to be alone. She'd always known there was something wrong with her when she could see beyond the protective bubble of her family. But to have Emma acknowledge it and still not tell her what it was...

She heard the poof of behind her, "So who is going to give me the pep talk?"

"You know I'm not very good at those," Regina said quietly as she walked over, her hands in the pocket of her trench coat and she moved to lean against her old car while Emily sat on the hood.

"Have you all been group texting?"

"There has been some heavy cell traffic today I'll admit. But mostly Emma calls me when she's fucked up. It's kind of a mutual assistance pact we have."

"Mom, is there something wrong with me?"

"No. There isn't anything wrong with you my little princess," Regina put an arm around her.

"The magic..."

Regina shrugged, "The magic is a bit out of control because you feel out of control. There isn't much point in trying to teach you to control it until you feel better about yourself. Which in a sixteen year old girl isn't that easy in any realm."

"I wish I had your confidence."

Regina laughed, "You shouldn't confuse bluster for confidence."

"Emma said there was something wrong with me."

Her stepmother shook her head, "No, Emma didn't deny you when you said that. Because she's got her father's tact."

"Same thing."

"No. It's not. The only people who can make us into a monster is ourselves. Do you feel like a monster?"

"No. But the people in town..."

"... don't get to define you."

"Says the woman they called the Evil Queen." Emily pointed out. "And who called Zelena the Wicked Witch."

"Your ... mother and I took those names ourselves. People may have called us Evil and Wicked but we were the ones who embraced those names."

"Something is wrong with me..." Emily said quietly as she leaned into Regina's shoulder.

Regina sighed and held her close, "Don't let your father hear you say that. He thinks you are perfect."

"Dad is forgiving."

Regina nodded, "He is. But he's also an excellent judge of character. Whereas we can pretty bad at judging ourselves."

Chapter Text

That Monday at school was when she heard the whispers as she was moving through the crowd of students. "Of course she's like them, look at her mother, look at what she did to her father!" "You can't expect anything but a rotten apple from that tree." "Of course she didn't get in trouble for nearly killing him..."

The first time she heard the word rapist she just stood stock still unable to process it. Well that was until Phil punched the boy in the face and he went down like a sack of cement. And then they both ended up in the principal's office.

"Am ... am in trouble?" Emily asked when Ms. Blanchard came in. "Philip was defending me ..."

"No you aren't in trouble. I've called your parents though because I thought they should pull you out of school for the rest of the day."

She looked over at Phil who had an ice back on his hand, "I'm sorry you got in trouble."

"I'm not." He said with a shrug. "I'll take my punishment but that was a terrible thing he said to you."

Philip and Aurora arrived not long after and disappeared into the inner office with him, but he didn't seem quite so resigned. Aurora sat down next to her while Phil left with his dad, "Are you alright, Emily?"

"Yeah I guess. Please don't be mad at Phil..."

"I'm not mad at Phil at all. Don't worry. I think I probably would have hit the boy too if I'd been there." She glanced over at Mary Margaret, "But I don't come from this world and standing on honor is a value of the world. I understand why the school has to suspend him but that doesn't mean he's in trouble at home. Do you mind if I sit with you until your parents come?"

"I guess not."

And for some reason the utter normality of the conversation that followed, about riding and learning to drive, and basically anything other than what was on her mind was exactly what Emily needed. She wasn't crying by the time her dad arrived and she even managed to smile when he gave her a hug. Princess Aurora gave her a warm smile, "Come over to dinner sometime this week Emily. We'd love to have you."

"Thanks," was all she could manage before Phil's mother left. "I'm in trouble aren't I?"

"No," Robin said with a smile but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I thought since Mary Margaret is giving you the rest of the day off from school we would go turkey hunting so we can horrify your mother when I clean the bird in the back yard."

"She's not horrified so much as she feels like she can do it with magic cleaner."

He pondered it, "I suppose she isn't that disturbed by blood."

"Noooooo..." Emily said with a chuckle.

They drove Robin's green Land Rover up into the hills and Emily saw that both their crossbows and orange vests were in the back.

"Are you sure we should have the conversation armed?"

"I'll take my chances." Robin chuckled, "I've had mostly good luck with Mills women."

They started walking along the trails that wild turkeys could be expected and she said nothing for a long time. "The boy Phil punched said that Zelena was a rapist. That the evil was in my blood."

Robin flinched, "Zelena is, like Regina, someone who made mistakes and did horrible things in the past. Including to me. But she's doing good now and second chances are what makes the heroes in our family."

She stopped walking, pointing her bow at the ground, "So he's right? She... I..."

Robin sighed and sat down on a tree stump. "When Zelena was still trying to destroy Regina, she concocted a rather elaborate plan that involved time travel and pretending to be my first love Marian. We lived together for two months in New York City under that ruse and you were conceived during that time. She thought that having my child would hurt Regina, and me, though I doubt very much she saw anyone as a person except Regina." She felt like she wanted to vomit, and steadied herself against a tree while he continued. "I decided that once she'd started on a better path that it was best for you to have her in your life but I'll admit that I don't much like being around her still."

She inhaled, "That's why you always seem to find somewhere else to be when she comes over."

"A lot of the time yes. She's doing better and I'm glad for her. And I've forgiven her... but sometimes when I see her I still see the woman who killed Marian... and violated me."

"And I..."

"None of that has anything to do with you Emily." He got up and touched her face before leaning in to touch his forehead to hers. "You are my daughter and nothing about what Zelena did 16 years ago changes that."

She didn't pull away from him right away, needing the reassurance before she spoke. "And the ... the whole town has known... all this time? And you never told me?"

"Storybrooke is bigger than you'd think but our crazy extended family tends to draw a lot of attention. Not many people knew the details but the math isn't hard to do. We were going to tell you when you were ready but ..."

"You never found the time."

He shrugged, "Regina and I were afraid that you would feel unwanted. We ... we've tried to make sure you knew how much we loved you your entire life."

"How ... how am I supposed to look at her now?"

He shrugged, "That's really up to you. She knows this day has been coming. Whatever you decide we'll still be there for you."

She looked into her father's eyes, "Why does it have to be so hard? Why can't I be like everyone else?"

He wiped a tear from her face, "Because everyone else has their own struggles too. If you were them you'd have their struggles and not your own." He kissed her forehead. "Now pick up your bow and we'll see if we can find a turkey."

Chapter Text

There were no turkeys found that night and so after much mocking from Regina they had chicken for dinner instead. After all, Regina had pointed out, it had wings. The dinner conversation was light, though Regina and Robin both kept looking at Emily as she pushed the food around on her plate without eating much of it.

The doorbell rang, and Regina bit her lip, "Emily, that would be your mother. Do you want to talk to her?"

Emily looked up sharply at Regina as if she had asked her if she wanted to juggle some chainsaws. "What?"

Regina smiled a little, "If you don't want to talk to her I can tell her that. I can't guarantee she'll understand but she will leave if I ask."

"So you can protect me from reality and what everyone in town knows?" She looked angrily at them, "So I can continue to look like a fool?" She got up from her chair, "I don't need you to shelter me like some fragile little flower."

She stormed towards the door and opened it up standing in the doorway so that Zelena couldn't come in and folded her arms trying to look as fierce as she could. Zelena stood there nervously, her hands fidgeting, "Hello my green bean..."

"My name is Emily. And I'm not your anything."

Zelena bit her lip, "Your ... father told me what happened at school today. I wanted to ... to apologize to you for putting you through that."

"Oh, and did you apologize to Roland for killing his mother? Or to dad for playing with him like you were breaking your sister's favorite toy?" The anger that she'd been trying to push down was welling up again but she didn't care.

"I ... I've tried to apologize with my actions."

"So was I a toy too? A thing to take away from Regina?"

Zelena stepped forward reaching out to touch her face, "You are my daughter and I love you with every part of my being."

Emily put her hand up to stop her, "Don't. Don't touch me."

"I'm sorry... I ... the person I was didn't understand love very well. So many people had rejected me that I thought the only way I could have love was to possess it. But I've learned..." She put her hand down and was clearly trying to stop herself from crying. "That's not who I am anymore."

"Too bad that who I am was defined by that. I don't belong to anyone. Not to you. Not to dad. Not to Regina. I'm no one's property."

She slammed the door in Zelena's face, turning to find Regina standing watching her with a frown on her face. "Don't start with me. I don't have to forgive her. I don't want to forgive her." She grabbed her car keys...

"Emily, you have school tomorrow." Regina said calmly.

"Don't worry, I'll be home before curfew," she spat out, "I know how to be a good girl." She stormed out the back door and got into her car just wanting to get away from everything and everyone. But instead of starting it up she sat in the driver's seat and looked at her hand as a flame flickered there.

She jumped a little when the passenger door opened and Regina got inside. She looked at the fire and without a word she used her own hand to curl Emily's fingers so that the flame went out.

"I don't want to forgive her."

"You don't have to," Regina said quietly.

"You forgave her. And people forgave you."

Regina tilted her head, "I did forgive her because I spent half my life being the person who didn't forgive and I didn't like who that made me. But that doesn't mean you don't get to be mad. It's a pretty unfair situation for you and there is nothing inherently wrong with being mad."

"Mom I keep lighting balls of fire I think that's bad."

Regina shrugged, "The anger isn't poison. Not by itself. You can be angry for good reasons. You were angry the other night because someone disrespected your friend. That wasn't evil. That was because you cared about them. And as for people forgiving me... many haven't and wont. And that's alright. No amount of heroics will change that I am the Evil Queen and I killed a lot of people and I took things I had no right to take from people."

"But... I ... you let Zelena sit in your the house when she did that to dad?"

Regina smiled, "Your father is the one who invited Zelena into our house for the first time. Because he thought that having the chance to love you was best for her and best for you. And he was right. Henry made me try to be my best self and you make her try to be her best self. That doesn't put the responsibility for our behavior on our children. It is just the nature of how love works."

Emily grumbled but said nothing.

"So why don't you tell me what you were angry about before today?"

"Nothing."

Regina smiled, "You forget I've had my hand in more people's chests than I care to remember. That isn't nothing."

"I..." Emily folded her arms over the steering wheel of the merc and lay her head on them, "I just want to be normal. I want to fall in love with prince charming and have the same fairy tale you all had."

"Charming is a little overrated as a role model." Regina scrunched her face a little, "And besides, all our stories are different. Snow and David may make the cover of the storybook but that doesn't mean they're some sort of perfect ideal."

"None of the stories talk about how you ask a girl to the ball if you are another girl." Emily didn't look up from where she was crying.

Regina opened her mouth and nodded a little, "That's because the storybook was written by a man from this world and from the 1960s. Just because Isaac didn't write stories like that doesn't mean they didn't happen back home. It just means they weren't told in Henry's book." Regina rubbed Emily's back. "There is nothing wrong with you. Not with who you are or how you love. I know I can't make you believe that by telling it to you but it is true."

Chapter Text

Regina poured a glass of scotch for herself from the decanter after mixing Robin's drink. "Well, our little girl is not about to go Anakin Skywalker on the local elementary school."

Robin raised an eyebrow, "Oh we've pulled out the Star Wars references. Well, I suppose it could be worse. I know we're in trouble when it's Harry Potter. So the anger?"

Regina folded her legs under herself and leaned back against the corner of the couch. "The oppressive weight of the patriarchy combined with unrealistic expectations of romance."

He frowned, "Teenage boys were easier."

"And that is also the oppressive weight of the patriarchy." She threw a couch cushion at him. "She thinks she's gay and likes a girl and doesn't know how to express it. And she's got magic she doesn't understand. Oh and this entire town puts crazy expectations on members of this family to do extraordinary things."

"She thinks she's gay?" He asked surprised.

"Apple doesn't fall far from that tree." Regina shrugged. "I'll call Zelena in the morning and see how she's doing."

"That's been coming for a while."

Regina nodded, "It has. She knows it. Doesn't mean living your nightmare of watching your child reject you is easy even with forewarning." She tilted her head, "How are you doing?"

"Archie told me I should expect the nightmares to start again."

She nodded, "Well, at least you've never set anything on fire in a nightmare."

"It was only once." She raised an eyebrow, "Or twice."

She held his hand, "We got through it the first time we'll get through it this time."

He nodded, "I wouldn't have gotten through it the first time without you."

"You wouldn't have had to without my crazy sister."

"Mistakes in the past. Yours, mine, and Zelena's," he said to cut off her own thoughts of guilt. "So do I get to tease her about this girl?"

"No you do not." Regina said sternly. He held up his hands. "Though you can think of something send young Phil for defending her honor."

"Jewel encrusted sword of truth?"

"I don't think Maleficent is much on emulating the Disney movie if it means another sword to the gut. She's still a bit sore at Emma for that and it was ages ago.

But Regina leaned over and kissed him for making her smile despite the rough week for both of them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zelena's farmhouse had a lovely garden in front of it and only some of the plants in it would kill you. "Your dragon's breath is coming along nicely, much better than mine."

"You over work things Regina, trying to force it." Zelena said from the porch, "Tea's on."

Regina nodded to her sister, "Are you okay?"

Zelena obviously was debating lying but shrugged, and Regina nodded, "She's not like either of us you know. Quick to anger and quick to forgive."

"I'm not sure I can stand to see her look at me like that again. Like a monster."

Regina took a seat and brushed her hand along the table of the farmhouse kitchen. "Right after the curse broke David tried to physically intimidate me..."

"Smart," Zelena observed sarcastically.

"He's got a head for a postage stamp not for critical thinking I think we established that." Regina shrugged. "He was backing me against a wall and I responded instinctively. Vines out of the wall and I was ready to take his heart, full on Evil Queen, and Henry walks in."

Zelena winced.

"I didn't think Henry would ever look at me with love again. The way he looked at me that day." She shrugged. "She'll come around. It's going to be hard and I'm sorry."

Zelena poured them both tea and set the kettle down, "I'm not."

Regina raised an eyebrow.

"Robin has been ... more forgiving than I deserve. You too..."

"I knew why you did what you did."

"Still... magic and darkness come with a price and I hadn't paid this one yet. I hope you are right that she'll find some way to forgive me. I'd like to help her understand her magic. Better than I did."

Regina sipped her tea, "Here is to not sending young girls to Rumple to understand their magic."

Zelena raised her own mug.

Regina sighed though, and ran her finger over the rim, "But I... think for now... with how she feels and Robin I'd prefer if you didn't come over the house."

Zelena looked hurt and Regina regretted it but it had to be done. "He says he's just expecting the nightmares but he said Marian's name in his sleep last night."

"That's... awkward."

Regina gave her a look, "Not like that. But ... maybe I come over here more. You can teach me how not to be too aggressive with my flowers."

"Regina dear, I'm not sure you are capable of not being aggressive with anything. Flowers or not."

Regina shrugged, "Fair."

And with that the conversation turned to more superficial but less painful subjects for the Mills sisters than their many past sins.

Chapter Text

Emily buried her hands deep in her pockets and tried not to look at anyone as she moved through the halls. Did they all know? Had they all known all along? The student's parted in front of her and she saw the boy whose heart she'd felt in her fingers appear to try and crawl inside his locker which would have had comic value if she wasn't blushing so hard.

Phil and Alex though waved and called her over and she felt like she wanted to find a dark corner to hide in but it was too late. "You aren't suspended?"

Phil shrugged, "I have to clean blackboards after school for a month."

"And your parents?"

"I think if dad could have given me a reward he would have. But that was a little far even for mom. I'm all good."

"Don't worry Emily, they were way out of line." Alex said easily. "I was wondering if you wanted to go camping with us this weekend. Neal says you are one of the best bow shots in town and I wanted to learn..."

"I'm no Snow White," Emily shrugged.

"Says the daughter of Robin Hood." Phil added with a raised eyebrow.

"And ... maybe you could ask one of your brothers' to come along?"

"Ah, so what you really want is an adult who isn't quite an adult." She grinned, "I'm being used for a parentally acceptable chaperone."

Alex laughed, "With or without your brothers you are invited. I meant that bit about wanting to learn how to fire a bow."

Emily wondered how much she was blushing, "Okay. I ... yeah I can teach you."

Alex's face lit up and she grinned, "Awesome."

She headed off towards chemistry and Phil raised an eyebrow, "Okay I can teach you?"

"Shut up." Emily swatted him as they both headed across the courtyard to their own class.

Across the street the black ford pickup truck that Zelena drove was parked and she was slumping down in the seat trying not to be seen. After the students had all gotten to their next classes Henry Mills strolled up to the truck and knocked on the window.

Zelena looked caught but sighed, flicking her finger to unlock it and he slipped in.

"This family loves having conversations in cars. You know you weren't being very subtle but you managed better than my mom did when she used to watch me at school."

"Your mother and subtlety aren't words people associate."

"Says the Wicked Witch of the West."

"Hey when you are green you just kind of have to go with it," Zelena remarked without insult.

Henry did a half shrug and tilt of his head, "You know if you want her do come back you should probably not be stalking her."

"I'm not stalking her."

"You are sitting outside her school to get glimpses of her. Were you perhaps ... by the bus stop too?"

Zelena looked caught, "Maaaaybeee," she drew out the word.

"Stalking is the right word." Henry said firmly. "So why don't you give me a ride to granny's and you can drown your moping in some pumpkin pie."

"Why do you think I need that?"

"I think you need someone to tell you it will be okay. She'll forgive you."

Zelena did start the truck and pulled out of the parking space. "You're sure?" She asked uncertainly.

Henry smiled, "Grandpa likes to say finding each other is what this family does. She'll find her way back to you if you give her space. Which is not," Henry added, "Creepily lurking outside of school."

"I could have used mirrors."

"Yeah please don't give me retroactive trauma at how much spying my moms could have been doing without my knowledge."

"Traumatizing is what a good aunt is for." Zelena smiled and laughed for real for the first time since she had seen Emily on the porch.

"I wish I could take it all back but ... I don't because she wouldn't be here."

Henry shrugged. "You can't unravel the tapestry of our lives. Every bit makes up the bigger picture."

Zelena glanced at him, "Is that some sort of sappy greeting card? I thought you were a writer?"

"Writers steal from the best. In this case a rather forgettable Star Trek episode."

"My sister totally rotted your brain." She shook her head.

Henry shrugged, "There are worse things than Star Trek. You should totally see some of the Japanese monster movies my mom loves."

"Your mother's taste has, with the exception perhaps of her son, always been terrible. Trust me I saw most of her hairstyles when she was in the Enchanted Forest."

"Just as long as we're not going to talk about anything lower than her hairstyle I'm fine with teasing her on that."

Zelena grinned, "Oh Henry let me share with you plenty of embarrassing stories about your mother."

"Over pie?" He suggested.

"Over pie," she agreed.

Chapter Text

The arrow flew from Alex's bow, arced in a direction that to Phil and Emily seemed entirely unnatural and somehow ended up lodged in a tree trunk twenty feet over their heads.

"That was..." Phil began.

"... a good start." Emily finished before whatever dry observation was going to come from her best friend. "You held your draw too long and your muscle fatigue did the rest."

Emily took an arrow and took very quick aim and fired landing in the target they had set up to teach Alex. Her shoulders slumped "Maybe I just suck at this."

Emily tilted her head, "That's ... a rather extreme reaction to a missed arrow shot."

"I'm just ..." Alex sighed, "I'm just tired of being Cinderella's daughter and a perfect princess and no one expects me to do anything."

Phil raised his hand, "If we're being defined by our parents greatest achievements and skills I'm just going to go to sleep over here."

Emily turned with a raised eyebrow, "Do you remember we're both armed?"

"Hey I learned long ago to defer to princesses. My mother may be into the lace and fills I've seen her mess someone up."

Emily cheerfully turned to Alex, "See, we live in a town where princesses roam the streets beating people up. Shall we go make our blood? Or perhaps we can try the arrows again?" The joke made Alex relax and Emily stood behind her positioning her arms and steadying her aim. This time the arrow at least embedded in the tree to which the target was nailed and Alex practically jumped up.

Phil clapped too but met Emily's eyes, "I think I'm going to go down to the stream and get some more water."

Emily panicked momentarily but didn't have an excuse to say why he shouldn't other than sheer awkward terror. So she decided to turn back to Alex, "So why... why don't we try another this time without me steadying you."

"Sure..." Alex said quietly and drew another arrow, "Like this?"

"A little more ..." Emily shifted her again and the arrow went free this time hitting the target, though not the center.

"You are a good teacher," Alex said looking into her eyes.

"Thanks," Emily said as she found something on her boot interesting to look at.

"Would you show me some magic?"

"Wh... what?"

"I mean I've seen your moms and the Sheriff to magic of course, but you know, you don't go up to the mayor and ask..."

"I'm not very good at it..." Emily said.

"If you aren't comfortable..."

Emily bit her lip and held out her palm, concentrating hard for a moment before remembering something Zelena had once said ... that magic was more than just studying it was emotion. And she was full of emotion right now so she channeled some of her nervous energy into it and a ball of white light like electricity the size of a softball formed.

Alex smiled, "That's very cool."

"Yeah... I guess it is."

Not wanting to start a forest fire or something else very bad she did what she had seen Regina do a million times with her fire and closed her hand around it and it was gone. She looked up at Alex expecting her to have come to her senses that this was not in fact cool but Alex leaned in and kissed her.

Emily was surprised at first and thinking she was imaging it. But that passed because... lips and Alex's hand in her hair rather made her remember what was happening. She'd kissed before of course. Even before the awkward kiss with Phil before both of them had decided 'no, just no', but it had never felt like this.

She could feel the warmth in her body and she wondered if that was magic and didn't really care.

When they finally parted Alex shyly said, "I'm sorry if I over stepped, I've been thinking about what it would be like to kiss you since seventh grade."

"You ... wanted to kiss me...?"

"Well, yeah, but your family was intimidating and your brother is a cop and ..."

"... yeah. I know."

"We can pretend it didn't happen if you want." Alex said carefully.

"Yes... I mean no... No I don't ... I liked it. Thank you."

Alex smiled, "Maybe we try some more arrows?"

"Sure..." Emily said with a grin so big she was sure that Phil knew what had happened when he came back with water much later than he should have.

Chapter Text

Emily came home, dumping her camping gear in the garage and leaving her muddy boots as well. She might be Robin Hood's daughter but she'd grown up in Regina Mills house and was used to what belonged outside and what belonged inside.

Until she walked into the kitchen and Regina was repotting a plant on the kitchen counter.

"And I thought I got in trouble for playing with mud pies."

"I'm determined to make my daffodils flower early this year. Zelena doesn't think I have the patience for it."

Emily grunted and grabbed juice out of the fridge and found a cup, "I don't think patience runs in the family, Mom."

"How was camping?" Regina chose to ignore the commentary as she usually did these days.

Emily shrugged, "It was nice."

"That smile suggests more than nice."

"Alex kissed me."

Regina stopped what she was doing and washed her hands, "She kissed you not you kissed her."

Emily shrugged again, "Yeah it was nice."

"Don't let your brothers know. They'll want to interrogate her about her intentions."

Emily sat down and nodded, "Tell me about it. Roland mortified me when he saw me kiss Phil and it wasn't even like that."

"Oh Henry will be far worse than Roland." Their mom said, "He's got a really good go at imitating me when he wants." Regina sat down at the counter with her, a knife in hand to peel an apple. "You do know it's okay to like girls right? We never had that talk..."

"I... it's just taking me a bit of time to get used to. And I don't know if Alex's parents will approve."

Regina shrugged, "Her grandfather might not be thrilled but I think that's more dynastic than sexual."

"Dynastic? Alex's dad works at the cannery and her mom manages the B&B..."

Regina shrugged, "The town is full of petty royals who aren't exactly thrilled to be on the sideline. You're a princess from the crazy family. But it wouldn't be about the fact that you're a girl exactly. Outside of producing heirs it wasn't really something we thought about back home. In fact women were considered the best lovers for a queen to take if her husband didn't mind. No threat of false heirs."

"Did you have a lover?"

It was a personal question, and Regina finished pealing the apple before answering, cutting a wedge and handing it to Emily, "The King was a possessive man. He would have minded. But yes. You know aunt Maleficent?"

Both Emily's eyebrows went up. "That's not in the Disney movie."

"Yes, well, the Disney movie also says Mary Margaret and David can sing which I assure you is a deeply traumatic thing to hear in reality."

"I don't know her voice is really annoying in the movie ..."

"Product of its time." Regina shrugged.

"Don't tell anyone please. It was just a kiss and ... I just want to think about it for a bit."

"I trust you." Regina nodded.

Emily smiled and shifted subjects to something more serious, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Why are you and Dad okay with having Zelena around? With what she did to him."

Regina tilted her head to the side, "When you were born, before you were born, your father and I talked about it. I... I could certainly have been your mother and I have been... but we both felt like if Zelena found a way to love you then it was best for you to have her in your life."

"But what she did to dad..."

"Em, I'm not in any position to judge anyone. I've done far worse than Zelena did and people have forgiven me. Who am I to deny my own sister that same chance. Besides... I understand her. How and why she did what she did. It's not an excuse but understanding someone is important."

"Yeah but ... you and Dad are not Snow White. Aunt Mary Margaret is kind of..."

"Don't knock the hope and faith. I've come to appreciate the virtues. And besides, she didn't always have faith in me. She lost it just as I lost hope for Zelena. But she's worked hard to be the person she is now. And your father believes in second chances."

"But he doesn't like ... being around her."

Regina smiled a little, "You can forgive someone intellectually, and in your heart, but still find yourself trying to defend yourself. I think part of Snow will always wonder if I'm not faking liking her."

"But you do like her."

Regina shrugged, "Most of the time. The hope thing can still be a bit annoying. But your father I think will always wonder if he's being fooled because of what she did to him in New York. He'll always feel guilty that he didn't realize it wasn't Marian. Just because you have forgiven someone doesn't mean the trauma goes away. That's why you don't get to stop making up for your mistakes when people have forgiven you."

"You think I should forgive her?"

Regina inhaled, "I think... that holding on to anger hurts you more than it hurts anyone else. Take that from world class champion of holding grudges."

"I ... I'm not sure I can."

"That's your choice. And it depends on who you want to be and that's entirely up to you. You're a Mills girl. We never were much on being what others wanted us to be."

Emily nodded.

"So when do I get to terrorize this girl who kissed you."

Panic set in and Emily's eyes got big, "Please don't..."

"What fun is being a parent if you can't intimidate your daughter's crushes."

"Yeah I think I'll pass on you going all Evil Queen on her."

Regina smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes, because it was a reminder that while that wasn't who she was anymore, the Evil Queen would always be with her. Still she held up her hands, "Okay okay. Just don't count on your father or brothers or Zelena agreeing when they find out."

"Can I run away and join the circus and avoid that?"

"You hate clowns."

"Damn, that plan wasn't well thought out." Emily smiled and Regina laughed.

Chapter Text

It wasn't a date. At least neither Alex nor Emily was calling it that. In part because Alex was working her waitressing job at Granny's and Emily was in theory doing her homework. But mostly flirting with Alex. Granny was okay with it mostly because it was a slow night and the customers were being served. Emily helped clean up for the night as payment for not being run off and she offered to walk Alex home.

It was nice. It wasn't a ball or even a high school dance and there weren't any expectations. Alex took her hand as they walked, and they both tested out how that felt, stopping in front of the apartment building that her family lived in. Neither of them had seen the pickup truck following them. Neither of them saw the boys in the back throw two buckets of paint at them.

They both jumped back and looked at themselves covered in green paint while the truck sped away while one of the boys yelled, "Wicked Lesbo!"

The scream brought Ashley coming running out of building only to find the girls in a terrible state. Emily was trying to spit out the paint that had gotten in her mouth and Alex was cursing up a storm. Emily tried leave immediately apologizing and not wanting to meet anyone's eyes.

"No, you are not going anywhere in that state and you are certainly not going anywhere until I call your parents." Soon enough they were in the Herman's loft, Alex in the shower and Emily trying to not drip green paint all over.

They got a hold of Robin first, but the first person to arrive at their door was Zelena who had obviously transported herself there. She rang the door, "I got a text that my daughter had been attacked."

She was the last person Emily wanted to see. Except maybe Alex but that boat was long out of harbor. Still when Zelena stepped in and saw her daughter standing on a pile of spread newspapers covered head to toe in green paint everyone in the room expected her to be angry.

Instead she just stood there quietly, "I'm so sorry... this is my fault."

Emily wanted to say a thousand things. Of course it was your fault. Everything is your fault. But she didn't say any of those things. With a wave of her hand Zelena made the paint, the dirty newspapers and the mess that had dripped on the floor of the Herman's apartment go away. When Ashley came out of the shower Zelena again waved her hand and the green paint she hadn't been able to get out of her own hair was gone.

Robin arrived next, looking alarmed and between the other three adults and the two girls, "What happened."

Ashley folded her arms, "We heard the sound of a truck and shouting and found the girls covered in green paint."

Robin looked over at Zelena who looked embarrassed. Alex was drying her hair, "It was a couple of guys in the back of a pickup truck with buckets of green paint. They must have followed us home from Granny's."

"This is my fault." Emily said quietly.

"No, no this is mine." Zelena shook her head.

But Cinderella held up her hand, "Forgive me for interrupting your pity party ladies but it wasn't either of your fault it was the jackasses who attacked two young girls."

Robin folded his arms, "Do you know who they were?"

Emily shook her head, "I didn't ... I didn't see them."

"I did." Alex said. "Eric and his buddies. He asked me to the town ball the other day and I told him I wanted to go with someone else. He pried and so I told him that he wasn't even in the same league as Emily."

Emily turned her head, "You were going to ask me to the ball?"

"This isn't exactly how I'd planned to do it. But every time I started I kind of just ended up kissing you."

"Kissing?" At least three of the four adults in the room asked at once. Thomas shrugged though, "Her mother's daughter."

"I think..." Zelena said quietly, "That I should have words with this boy's parents."

"I think we both should," Robin agreed.

Emily looked between the two of them, "You guys do remember I put my hand in his chest."

"That was an accident. This was assault." Robin said.

"Dad I'm pretty sure they're both assault. And besides, I ..." She looked at Zelena, "I'm not sure you'll help my problems."

"They called her a wicked lesbian when they threw the paint," Alex said quietly.

Zelena looked stunned for a moment but shook her head, "We have to do something."

"We are," Robin said. "You and I are going to go over to that boy's house and the Herman's are going to call Emma for us and the sheriff is going to join us for this particular chat." He looked over at the Herman's. "Unless one of you would like to join us. Since they attacked your daughter too."

"I'd like a front row seat but you can do the talking," Cinderella said deeply annoyed.

"I'll stay with the girls," Thomas said.

Robin nodded, "Regina is in a school board meeting. She'll come over when she's done."

Zelena looked between them, "I ... didn't take my car."

"There is room for both of you in mine," Robin said and with that he and the two women were gone.

"God help that poor kid's parents," Thomas said before turning to Emily, "Now... I think it's past time I get to know you if my daughter is going to go around kissing you."

"Dad please don't embarrass me."

"That's actually my job, sweetheart," Thomas said.

"Just be glad you only have two parents," Emily sighed.

Regina arrived forty minutes later, thanked Mr. Herman for his help and shook Alex's hand and made sure sue was okay before putting an arm around Emily to take her home. When they were in the car and alone, "She was going to ask me to the ball."

"We're not talking about what happened tonight?"

"She was going to ask me to the ball tonight. That also happened. I'd rather think about that." Emily shrugged, "You didn't join the posy?"

"Your father is in a righteous rage, Ashley once pepper sprayed the Dark One, and Zelena doesn't have to say a word to scare them shitless. Emma went over there with them. The last thing that party is short of is an intimidation factor."

Emily looked out the window, "Do you think they did it because of what I am, or because..."

"If they did it because you are a witch that was supremely stupid. But teenage boys aren't exactly the brightest species on the planet. That's why knights and their quests were such a pain in the ass back home."

"I thought that was supposed to be proof of nobility."

"Or excess testosterone." Regina said as she pulled into the driveway.

"They called me wicked. They've been calling me that for days... or longer just now they're doing it to my face."

Regina tilted her head, "Your mother would tell you that wicked isn't necessarily a bad thing."

"I think she just did." Emily said with a smile. "Zelena looked scared when she arrived."

"You'd been attacked. Of course she looked scared."

"You think I should go see her?" Emily asked.

"I..." Regina hesitated. "I think it's up to you but that hearing that your child was hurt because of something you did. Even years later. That's the worst thing I've ever felt. You don't have to go see her if you don't want to. But I imagine that once the adrenaline passes and she realizes you are safe she's going to be in a dark place."

"Henry says part of being a Charming is finding family when they're lost in dark places."

Regina smiled, "Henry is a wise man."

But Emily still wasn't sure she was ready to face Zelena and the cloud of everything in the past that seemed to be hanging over her own head now.

Chapter Text

"Well that didn't go quite as I expected," Zelena said from the front seat of Robin's car after they dropped Ashley back off at her home.

"I did think you would say more to be honest." Robin remarked as he pulled onto the road to drive her back to her farmhouse.

Zelena looked out the window, "I try to make it a rule not to interrupt someone when they are making my point. Remind me never to piss off Cinderella. I'm surprised she didn't summon an army of vermin minions on them."

"I don't actually think she can. They're all people here." Robin said quietly.

"That doesn't mean much."

"Says the woman who turned people into flying monkeys."

"Yes, well, I thought they were cute." Robin gave her a look. "I think we've established I wasn't exactly thinking very well at the time." Zelena fell silent and continued looking out the window. "Do you think she'll ever forgive me?"

"Possibly not." Robin said honestly, "She is your daughter. But I hope she does."

Zelena turned, "Do you really?"

Robin shrugged, "You did terrible things Zelena but you are doing better now. It's really not my place to deny you that chance."

"Actually, I think it's exactly your right."

"You and Regina are still competing. Just now it's who can hate themselves more," Robin commented.

"Oh she wins that. Mine isn't self loathing. It's more frustration that there are some things that I can never fix." She smiled, "At least not without time travel and Snow White is rather past her sell by date for innocent children."

"At least you haven't lost your timing for inappropriate jokes," Robin commented.

Zelena looked down at the verbal slap, "I'm not good with people. I'm not Regina."

"Regina is many things but not a people person."

"But she is. She manages to find a way to make it work so people follow her. Believe in her. I ... I'm really better off in my farmhouse away from people."

Robin looked over at her, "You really think that?"

"I can't manage to stop hurting people. Even when I want to. Look at Emily."

Robin pulled over to the side of the road, "What happened to Emily tonight wasn't your fault."

"Wicked lesbian? Really you are going to say that's not my fault?"

"That was a young man and his friends mad that a young woman not our daughter had rebuffed him." Robin sighed, "You've done your best for Emily."

"Regina would have done better without me."

Robin shook his head, "No. The three of us have done better together. Emily is a pretty amazing young woman. I think that's proof of that."

Zelena looked at him, "You really are a foolishly forgiving man with all the pain I caused you."

"I won't say that I love being around you. But you are not the wicked witch anymore. Anymore than Regina is the evil queen."

"Or you are Robin Hood? You haven't been stealing from the rich to give to the poor lately."

"You haven't seen how much we give to the local food pantry." Robin shrugged, "None of us are who we were 16 years ago. I won't pretend I don't feel guilty when you are around. I don't think... how I let Marian down. How I should have known you weren't her."

Zelena shook her head, "You did. I just ..." She swallowed. "Don't blame yourself. Every time you came close to the truth I made you feel guilty and disorientated you. I knew what I was doing."

"How did you live with us that entire time like that..." He finally asked a question he'd never before.

Zelena forced herself to look at him, "I ... I imagined that you were in love with me. Or that you'd come to love me. That once we had a child that you'd forget her and ... and that I could have a family."

"But it wasn't you."

Zelena sighed, "But don't you understand Robin. No one had ever loved me so I didn't think it was possible anyone ever would. So it didn't matter that it was a lie because a lie is all I ever thought I could have."

Robin sighed and started driving again. They weren't far from her farm, and when he stopped she looked over at him. "I'm sorry."

"You've apologized before." Robin said.

"I know. But I'm still sorry." She opened the door, "Now go home to Regina and make sure Emily knows that wasn't her fault tonight."

Robin looked at her for a long time, "We'll do our best."

"You always do. You're a good man Robin of Locksley."

"Goodnight, Zelena."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning Emily left the house early, telling her parents she was going to grab breakfast at Granny's with friends. Instead she drove up to her favorite spot that overlooked the town, away from people, and sat down on a big rock. She held her hand out and the flames appeared without trying and she focused on it, trying to make it go away.

After a few hours she had some success in controlling it, but none in not making it flames.

"You know anger isn't necessarily a bad thing when you have good reasons to be angry." Henry said as he sat down next to her.

"How did you find me?"

"I'm your big brother. Don't you think I know where you like to hide from the world." Henry shrugged.

"Anger is bad. It's darkness. Even I know that."

"Anger is of the Dark Side, and once you touch it, it will forever dominate your destiny? How many times have you watched Star Wars, Em?"

"A couple of times."

"A couple of dozen times." Henry corrected. "The movies and the story book aren't the real world Emily. Magic is emotion but labeling emotions good and bad is something hack writers do. When your life is out of control you are allowed to be angry. When someone hurts someone you like you are allowed to be angry. When someone hurts you," he tapped her chest, "You are allowed to be angry."

"Even if I'm angry at my mom?"

He laughed a little, "If we're saying that anger at moms is a sign of evil I think I get that prize."

"You were angry at Regina?"

"For a long time. Until I remembered that I loved her too. And that it didn't make me a bad person that I was angry at her and loved her at the same time." He tilted his head, "You are angry at Zelena. And you are angry at yourself for loving her." He nodded to the hand that the flame had been in. "That was your anger at yourself not at her."

She nodded slowly. "What she did to my dad..."

"Was an evil thing." He agreed. "My mom did a lot of evil things too. But loving her doesn't mean I love the Evil Queen and everything she did anymore than loving Zelena means you love the Wicked Witch."

"But dad..."

"Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself on his behalf."

She sighed and looked out onto the town, "I just want to go talk to her. About..." She swallowed, "I want to talk to her about Alex and I feel like I'd be betraying Dad and Regina if I did."

"Betrayal is a funny thing," Henry said. "So much pain in our family comes from betrayal. And most of it not even intentional."

"Hers was."

"It was," he agreed. "But wanting to talk to your mom isn't betraying your other mom and your dad. What happened before you were born is not your fault. Whatever those boys and their family think it doesn't follow you in your blood."

"The magic does."

He wrapped an arm around her, "What you got from the Mills line is a resilient heart. The ability to love through the pain and hold onto that love no matter what. With your whole soul. Don't hold yourself back."

He messed her hair.

"Hey."

"Had to remind you I was your brother not Yoda."

She tossed some leafs at him, "Syntax you have all wrong for Yoda."

And they laughed and suddenly Emily held out her hand again and this time it wasn't fire but a ball of light. "See... I told you... the anger that fuels the darkness is anger at yourself."

"Don't be too pleased with yourself Henry."

"That's what big brothers are for. And teasing. I really need to do more of that."

She threw some more leafs and he did the same and soon they were both playing around as if they were so much younger again.

Chapter Text

Emily pulled the Mercedes into the long gravel drive that lead up to the farmhouse. She hadn't called ahead, though perhaps Regina might have, she told her stepmother she was going out here when she left the house that morning. She was fumbling with her keys as she walked up the steps, seeing Zelena's bicycle leaning against the side of the house and knowing that she'd be home. But before she got to the door it opened and her mother looked at her breathlessly.

"Hi."

"Hi."

The two of them stared at each other awkwardly before Zelena regained her senses, "I was about to make some tea. Would you like some?"

"Yeah, I guess." Emily entered the house and looked around. If the Mifflin Street house was classical and elegant the farmhouse was rustic and another world. "You know when I was a little girl I used to think this place could fly." She ran a hand along the kitchen table before sitting down.

"Fly yes, land probably not..." Zelena said as she set the kettle on.

"When I was little I was convinced that my parents were super heroes. You and Regina, Dad, even Emma and the Nolans. Who needed the Avengers or the Fantastic 4... it wasn't on the pages of a comic book it was watching my family fight the bad guys."

Zelena kept making tea, listening, but saying nothing.

"I knew you and Regina weren't always good. But ... you know... that was the past and long before me." She looked right at her, "Except it wasn't long before me was it. You raped my dad. Were you ever going to tell me that?"

Zelena inhaled, "I'm not sure you can think worse of me but I'd hoped you'd never find out. I mean I knew you would." She shrugged, "I just dreaded the idea of you looking at me the way you are right now."

"That's not exactly helping me forgive you."

She shrugged, "Maybe I don't think you should forgive me. Not when you're suffering because of me. I kept looking at Regina and she was ... happy. She had a child and a family and she'd managed to be good when I'd failed at it. I thought I could kill two birds with one stone. I'd have someone who loved me and I'd hurt her."

Emily was horrified, "You can't build love out of cruelty."

Zelena shrugged, "I didn't really have much experience with love at that point."

"How am I supposed to deal with the idea that I wasn't born out of love but spite and..." Emily just shook her head.

"Evil isn't born. It's made. And whatever insanity I had when you were born you were raised with love." Zelena inhaled, "I ... I accept if you don't want me in your life. When you were younger that was your father's choice and now it's yours."

"Why can't I be normal?" Emily ignored the offer for now and asked another question. "Why can't I just you know... not have magic... not ... why can't I just like boys?"

Zelena smiled and took both Emily's hands in her own, "Normal would be nice wouldn't it? But you were never going to be normal because you are extraordinary. You saved my life. And the loss to the men of this realm is to the credit of the women. And if Cinderella's daughter is half as badass as her mother was last night I'm sure she's a great choice."

Emily looked at her hands, "Would you teach me how to control my magic?"

"You ... you still want me to do that? I thought..."

"I'm still mad at you." She said clearly. "And I'm not okay with finding out what I did... but ... the woman who did that isn't the woman I know. And I don't want to hurt anyone."

Zelena nodded. "That... makes you a wiser woman than I was."

"I don't feel wise."

"Okay, maybe not wise at 16... but the bar is very low when we're talking about me when I was dealing with my magic."

"I just don't want to hurt anyone," she repeated.

"I know." Zelena said quietly, "And you have no idea how much I hope you never do."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alex was standing outside Granny's on a break from her shift when Emily approached. "So... that was a bit more exciting than I was hoping for."

Alex shrugged, "It's not exactly how I planned to come out to my father. I had this elaborate plan involving those really bad Disney Cinderella sequels."

"I never saw the sequels."

"That's because they didn't make a Snow White one..." Alex sat down at one of the tables, her hands in her jacket pocket. "I never got to ask you to the ball. I don't suppose you'd like to go..."

"Perhaps we should wear paintball gear." Emily sighed as she sat down. "Are you sure you really want to do this... the whole town..."

"Knows already. And I want to do it. Or you know, I could go door to door with a shoe. My dad says that's a real winner."

Emily chuckled, "I'd hope you remembered what I looked like and not my feet."

Alex winced, "Yeah, I really never want to ask him what that was about."

Both girls laughed and Emily saw Emma look out the window of the diner to check on them before she went away, "I'd like that. To go to the ball that is."

Alex grinned, and pumped her fist, "YES! She said YES!"

From inside of Granny's there was a cheer and Emily raised an eyebrow.

Alex shrugged, "Small town."

Emily shook her head but didn't stop smiling.

Chapter Text

Emily came down the stairs to find to her horror that not only were Regina and her dad there, but Henry, Aunt Emma, Zelena, and Roland had shown up to see her off on her trip to the ball with Alex. Roland in particular was trying to look intense and scary in his Sheriff's Deputy uniform and Emily just shook her head, "No no this is not happening."

"I'm afraid it is, Peanut. You can't deny everyone the chance to scare your first big date."

"Yeah but that tradition is meant for you know... normal people, not you guys. I don't actually want her running away."

Regina who was sitting in the back looking more amused than scary, "Don't look at me Emily, they're all just in my house."

"Great," Emily threw up her hands, "At least the Evil Queen doesn't want to torment my date."

The doorbell rang and before anyone could get up to get it Emily put her finger up, "One. One of you not all of you."

"I do believe I get this honor," Robin said as he got up and answer the door. Alex was standing nervously in a blue dress that went nicely with the silver that Emily had chosen. "Hi Mr. Locksley... is Emily ready?"

"Someone make sure she's got both shoes on," Zelena commented.

"I will kill all of you." Emily grumbled but walked into the hall and smiled, "You look great."

"My dad is driving us. Please don't be scared." Alex said. Emily shrugged and nodded back to the room full of scary adults.

"Now remember to stay out late and do all sorts of things you're not supposed to."

"Robin," Regina warned from the back.

"I mean it." Robin said and gave his little girl a kiss and shook Alex's hand.

"Hey Em, fireworks. That's the coolest thing you can do with magic on a date. Totally do fireworks." Emma said looking over her shoulder from the couch.

"I'll remember that." As they were leaving Alex's shoe slipped off and she groaned... but Emily picked it up and bent down and put it back on her foot for her. "That seems like the perfect beginning to our story."

fin.