Chapter Text
The Enchanted Forest
Charles takes his time as he circles his daughter. Isabella’s style is wild, unpredictable, and it keeps him on his toes. She’s also stubborn. Charles points his sword at her when she takes her stance.
“You’re leaning!”
Isabella grunts and swings her sword at him. He matches her hit for hit, thrust for thrust, and bats away her attempts. They’re alone in the quiet forest. It’s as if the trees, flowers, and wildlife have all paused to view their battle. Isabella fakes to the left, and Charles jumps away from the blade. She lunges toward him but underestimates her stance. As he said before, Isabella leans and loses her balance. Her sword falls out of reach, and she glares at the sky. Charles comes over and stares at her with a wry smile.
“Told you so.”
“Can you please help me up?” she sighs.
“Always.”
Charles leans down and snatches her up by the shirt. She giggles as he swings her around before setting her on her feet. He picks up her sword and hands it to her. They’re both dressed in all-black with a crest on their chest. The outfit on Isabella is too big, and the top goes down to her knees. Almost like it was not made with her in mind. She bounces on her toes and pouts.
“Papa, can I please go back to training?” she asks.
“You and I both know that is not my call to make after what happened,” he says.
“It was an accident! Ryann called me a bad name.” Isabella swings the sword in the air back and forth before she adds, “I had every right to stab him.”
“He still can’t use his left arm, Isabella.”
“That is not my problem.”
“Sometimes, I wonder if you spend too much time with you know who.”
Isabella gasps and charges her father with a cry of mock indignation. Charles laughs, and the two continue their sparring – playing – until someone clears their throat. They turn in unison. Standing off to the side, in a long, red velvet dress and high, pointed heels, is the Evil Queen herself. The duo drop to their knees. Charles jams his sword into the dirt while the young girl holds hers out to the side. Isabella struggles to keep her head down, continuously glancing at the woman before she ducks her head. The Queen clicks her tongue against her teeth and nudges Charles with her heel.
“Enough with the formalities, Charlie,” she sighs. “You know it is unnecessary when we are alone.”
“Pardon me, your Majesty, but I was trained to bow in the presence of royalty.” Charles lifts his head and smiles cheekily. “As I am but a lowly peasant, not worthy enough to look upon your beautiful face.”
“I should have left you on the side of the road where I found you.”
“You know, you were a lot nicer when you were burning down villages.”
“I do believe that might be the first time someone has said that to me,” she muses. “Monkey, what do you say?”
Isabella scrambles to her feet and carefully places her sword down. She rocks back and forth, expectant, and the Queen holds out her arms. Isabella rushes forward and hugs the Queen around her waist.
“Hiya, Geen-Bean. Didya miss me?”
“Always. Did you enjoy your spar?”
“Yes, but Papa won’t let me go back to training.”
“And you know exactly why.”
Isabella groans dramatically and says, “When can I come back?”
The Queen’s smile falters just enough for Charles to notice, but not Isabella. Charlie gets to his feet and holsters his sword. The Queen removes Isabella’s hair from the ponytail, running her fingers through it until the curls fall around Isabella’s face.
“You are the light of my life. You know that?” the Queen asks.
Isabella nods. Then, she pulls a chain from under her shirt and holds it in the air. “I haven’t taken it off either. And I always kiss it before bed,” she says.
“That’s my girl.”
“You know, most people would die if they saw you right now,” Charles says.
“Most people think I am heartless for the sake of being heartless.”
“That’s silly. You have the biggest heart ever,” Isabella says.
Charles and the Queen share a look before Charles clears his throat and ruffles Isabella’s hair.
“Hey, Monkey, why don’t you show the Queen what you’ve been practicing?” he suggests.
Isabella’s eyes widen, and she rushes over to the middle of the clearing. She sticks out her hands over the grass and closes her eyes. Charles stands next to the Queen, his hand on her shoulder, and she leans into his side.
“You aren’t here just to be here, are you?” he whispers.
“When am I ever?” she whispers back.
Charles glances at her sadly. She refuses to look at him. When he looks back at Isabella, he notices an orange glow around her hands. Her tongue’s out of her mouth, and the two of them watch as she rises into the air. The Earth beneath her swirls and wraps around her like a windstorm. Isabella holds it for a few seconds before she lowers herself to the ground and opens her eyes. She runs to the Queen and looks up with wide eyes.
“I can do that, and I can do little fireballs like you!” she exclaims happily.
“Which she has been forbidden to do after nearly burning down the barn,” Charles adds.
“Benny scared me!” she says defensively.
“Considering Benny’s a cow and you were in his home, I’m on his side.”
Isabella pouts. The Queen taps her on the cheek until she has her attention.
“Have you been practicing your mind magic as well?”
“Yes, ma’am. I can read Papa’s mind when he works in the garden.”
“Oh, you can, can you?” The Queen looks at Charles’s quickly reddening face. “What does he think about?” she asks.
“There’s this blacksmith-
“Nope,” Charles interrupts, slapping his hand over Isabella’s mouth. “Let’s not bore the Queen with things like that,” he says.
“Well, hold on. I’m quite invested. Which blacksmith has caught your eye?” she teases.
“Leave it be. I’m not interested anymore,” Charles grumbles.
“Why not?”
“He’s loyal to the Bandit,” Charles mutters darkly.
The Queen’s smile falls, and Isabella rips Charles’ hand from her mouth.
“Gina, you okay?” she asks.
“I’m fine, Monkey.”
“Are you sure?”
The Queen bends over and kisses Isabella on the forehead. She leaves behind red lipstick and swipes it away with her thumb. She cups the girl’s face and looks her in the eyes.
“I am very blessed to have you in my life. You are brave, smart, funny, and strong. You are the strongest person that I know, and nothing will ever change that. You and your father are two of the best things that have ever happened to me. I am very, very glad I came across you that day, and I will forever be grateful for the chance I had at watching you grow up.” The Queen puts her forehead against Isabella’s and closes her eyes. “You will always be my Monkey, okay? Always,” she murmurs.
“And you’ll always be my Gina,” Isabella whispers. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” The Queen drops her hands and stands up straight. She kisses Charles on the cheek and puts her lips against his ear. “I told you when it happens that you might forget me, but I want you to know that I will never forget you. I shall hold you in my heart for all eternity, my friend,” she says.
The Queen pulls back and steps away from them. For a moment, it looked like she would cry. Instead, her face twists into one Charles and Isabella recognize. They’re in the presence of The Evil Queen, the ruthless ruler and powerful witch that has spread fear throughout the land, and they bow their heads. At the last moment, Isabella lifts her head. She rushes forward and hugs her tight. For a moment, the mask cracks. Regina shines through the darkness long enough to smile down at Isabella. Charles tugs Isabella back to his side, and then, with a poof, the Queen is gone.
Three days later, a cloud of dark magic spreads over the land. Charles and Isabella exit their home and watch as the cloud envelopes the forest. Charles holds Isabella to his chest and hugs her tight. Isabella fingers the ring around her neck before they are swept away by the magic.
Soon, all that remains is nothing.
Twelve Years Later
Forks, Washington
With her long, brunette hair tied away from her face, Bella Swan pushes through her morning workout with a passion. The sun has yet to rise, and the small-town of Forks still sleeps on, but Bella is wide awake. She punches the free-standing heavy bag that takes up the corner of her room. Each hit represents the remnants of memories that she knows, instinctively, cannot belong to her, but her heart tells her otherwise. Bella feels the tell-tale signs of her magic sparking to life and reigns it back. There’s a knock on her door, and she flicks her wrist to unlock it to let Charlie inside. He pokes his head into the room in his full uniform.
“Morning, Iz.”
“Hey.” Bella leans against the dresser. “You have a good sleep?” she asks.
“I dreamed about her again, if that’s what you’re asking.”
Bella strips off her gloves and throws them in the box with her equipment. Charlie comes into the room and reclines against the wall.
“What was it this time?” she asks.
“There was a castle. The Queen kept calling me Cygnus, which makes sense considering our last name, and she walked me through this huge garden. She brought me to this apple tree, which was still in bloom despite the fact it was winter. The way she talked about it was almost… ethereal. She gave me one, and I swear my mouth was watering when I woke up.”
“Snow. Apples. A Queen.” Bella scrunches her nose. “With all the other clues, it almost sounds like the Evil Queen from Snow White, honestly.”
“Don’t I know it. What was yours?”
Bella fiddles with the ring around her neck. The magic inside of it calmed her when nothing else did. She has no idea where she got it from, but it’s been with her since she can remember. Bella stares out of the window into the trees. The longer she stares, the more the leaves start to come to life, and she can hear them whispering to her. For a moment, Bella hears them tell her she’s not where she belongs, but as soon as it happens, it’s gone.
“Iz?”
Bella blinks and returns her attention to Charlie.
“Oh. We were sparring in the forest. We had on these weird outfits, like knights but without all the metal. The Queen shows up, and it’s like a normal conversation, you know? I show her my little tornado trick. In the dream, I could barely hover for five seconds. But at the end, she gets sad,” she pauses, “I wake up when I see the cloud.”
“I think this is the first time I was in the dream with you.”
“That is something I noticed too. Oh, and the Queen called me Monkey.”
“Huh. That’s… not a nickname you let just anyone call you. In fact, I think I’m the only one who calls you that.”
“Which is my point,” Bella sighs. “And the more I have these dreams….”
“The more you think they might not be dreams,” he finishes.
Bella winces.
“It sounds stupid, I know, but-
“You’re a witch, Isabella,” he interrupts. “Nothing about our lives has ever been normal. I mean, I don’t remember anything before my 31st birthday, and you don’t remember anything before your thirteenth.”
“Say you’re right. How am I – are we – supposed to investigate this?” Bella exclaims.
“Mind magic is one of your strong suits, and since memories are of the mind, try and find a way to tap into your earliest memories. Maybe there’s a thread or something you’re missing. All you have to do is follow it, like a lead in a case.”
“I remember when you first found out I had magic. You were so panicky and uncomfortable. Now you’re offering me advice on how to use it.”
“Your magic is a part of you. I love you, and I love your magic.”
“Gross,” she teases.
“Shut up. What time do you have to be at the school?”
“In about two hours. They want me to walk the gym with the Coach and get a handle on where things are, the locker rooms, and the schedules.”
“Sounds like we both need to get a move on.”
“I’d switch places with you in a heartbeat.”
Charlie laughs and walks over to her. He kisses her temple and looks her in the eyes.
“You’re going to be great, Iz. Plus, I never would have imagined Forks High creating a boxing class. So, technically, there’s nothing to live up to.”
“Thanks, Dad,” she snorts. Bella knocks her forehead against his. “Go save the drunken idiots, Sheriff.”
Charlie makes a face at her before he leaves. Bella waits until she hears his cruiser exit the driveway before she takes a deep breath. She kisses the ring around her neck and makes her way to the bathroom.
Storybrooke, Maine
Regina swirls her finger around her coffee mug. The house is quiet. Henry’s with his other family. Ever since their trip to Neverland, Henry’s given up on her completely. Regina wasn’t even surprised when he moved out, Charming standing at the threshold looking smug about it, and she let Henry leave without a fight. There was nothing left for her to do at that point. Once the curse broke and everyone started telling him of her past, Henry became unreachable. He stopped coming over for clothes, for his movies, and for comic books. He had everything he ever wanted with his precious grandparents, and Regina was left with an empty home and no one to share it with.
The ring on her finger pulses, and Regina glances at it with a sad smile. It returns to its dull, purple color. When she gave Isabella her ring all those years ago, Regina had no reason to believe the magic would come over with the curse, but it did. She throws her coffee down the drain, no longer interested, and kisses the ring.
“I miss you too, Monkey,” she whispers.