A/N: My many apologies to all who have been waiting so long for an update. The muse for this story went on sabbatical, apparently. So, this chapter isn't very long, but I wanted to get Snow's recognition of Paige as familiar out before "The Miller's Daughter", as this twist was part of the plan from the beginning. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 8: The Enchantress's Daughter
Piper had no more than pushed send on her text message than the jingling glow of orbing began beside her.
"Ok, ok, keep your panties on, will ya?" muttered Paige as she and Phoebe's physical bodies swirled into simply made a dash for the couch, and in a few long strides, flung herself down onto the cushions.
A boy's laughter echoed through the apartment. "Wow! That is so cool!" exclaimed Henry.
Piper made her way over to Phoebe and Paige followed as she explained. "We kinda found something under the mausoleum that complicates things."
"It was empty when I searched it," replied Emma.
"Did you check everywhere? Even under the sarcophagus?" asked Paige, wrly.
"There's a secret passage?" asked the blonde.
"Apparently. And I can see why she'd have to hide it. I'm pretty sure keeping a collection of human hearts is kinda illegal - at least without the right permits," said Paige.
Snow's eyebrows shot to her hairline. "She has her hearts in Storybrooke?! Are you certain?"
"Again. Apparently so. That's what's got Pheebs here looking like she just ran a marathon." And it was true, the woman was sweaty and clearly exhausted. "We scanned-" Phoebe narrowed her eyes at her sister. "Fine. She scanned all the hearts. Unfortunately, we weren't able to find any that seemed 'important' from her little premonition-thon. Snow, do you have any idea whose hearts may be in there?"
Snow shook her head. "I'm afraid not. She took so many, even she lost track."
Paige sighed. "Well, that sucks."
"Thanks for the concern over here," Phoebe managed finally.
"Eh!" grunted Paige, waving her sister's remark off with her hand. "You've been worse."
"Why did you need to know whose hearts they were?" asked Emma, and then scrunched up her nose. "Wait, are we talking bloody Jeffery Dahmer stuff here or...?"
"Magical," replied Snow. "With magic you can pull out a person's heart, but it's solid and glows red. It's like taking out their very soul. You can use one to control a person, or you can simply crush it and that person's life force away. Regina can control whomever's hearts she's stolen. If it's someone powerful, or someone we think we can trust, this could be big trouble."
Emma nodded. "So, this just means we need to lay really low right now. Cause right now the deck is stacked entirely in favor of her."
"Or so she thinks," remarked Piper. "But you're right."
"Which I guess means, we're having a sleepover," said Snow firmly, despite the flippant phrasing. A ding signaled the pizza was warm again and they all sat either at the table or the couch.
Paige eyeballed the small apartment. Halliwelll Manor, it was not. It was kinda her bohemian style, though. "So... do you think it would be personal gain for us to conjure some bunk beds or something?"
"Paige..." warned Piper.
"Hey! I was just kidding," grumbled Paige. "It's not like it would turn me back into the Evil Enchantress or anything."
The sound of a slice of pizza flopping back down onto a plate followed this. "Did you just say Evil Enchantress?!"
"Who's she?" asked Henry, ever eager for another story that made his world make more sense.
"You've heard of her?" asked Phoebe.
"Yes, of course. Only stories - she was perfor my time, but..." Snow's eyes narrowed as she studied Paige. "It truly is uncanny how much you resemble her... but that can't be. You're good, and she most certainly wasn't. The Evil Enchantress - she died ages ago!"
Paige swallowed uncomfortably, while Piper raised an eyebrow. But, leave it to Phoebe to blurt what they were thinking. "Ha! You hate fairy tales and you were one!"
"I know the feeling," said Emma under her breath.
"How is it possible that you are the Evil Enchantress?!" cried Snow.
"Was. Was her."
"You know about reincarnation, right?" asked Phoebe of the Storybrooke natives. "Well, apparently it can happen across worlds. "And dear Paigey here was apparently living in your realm, many hundreds of years ago. Or at least, we thought it was that long ago. I guess we were in Fairytale Land?"
"The Enchanted Forest," corrected Snow absently. She was still trying to process this.
"But how do you recognize me? You said she was before you time?" Paige finally asked.
"My stepmother, Regina, her mother brought many family items to our castle when they moved in before the wedding. One of those things was a cherished portrait. I mean, I assume it was cherished, even after banishing Cora - her mother. It was of her mother's mother.." Snow shook her head, trying to keep it all straight.
"So... your great, great, great grandma?" asked Henry.
Snow smirked. "Yes. Well, step, not by blood. In any case it looked exactly like... you."
Paige sighed in exasperation. "That damned woman's karma just keeps coming back to me!" At Snow's look, she just replied, "Don't ask. Anyway, the point is, I'm not evil. Never have been in this lifetime - I guess, worked off my karmic debt. But yeah, I... was her. Not that I remember any of it."
"So, what did happen to the lady?" asked Henry.
"Well..." This was suddenly awkward as she realized she was talking about the same woman - or at least piece of her - not two feet away. "The story goes that this woman started as an advisor and soothsayer to the King of the kingdom neighboring my own. She eventually seduced the King and became his Queen - only to kill through some nefarious scheme or another. Anyway, years later, she became lonely, as all were afraid if her wrath. So, she decided to steal a baby formed of true love - one that would always love her, no matter what. But, being evil, she could not love truly and fully. So, she cast a spell, transferring a young knight's love for the princess to herself. She couldn't kill the princess, for she was the source of that love."
"So, kinda like the magical version of a computer server," asked Emma.
Snow chuckled. "Close enough. In any case, the Evil Enchantress didn't succeed-"
"- you're welcome," interjected Paige. She cringed at the group's incredulous looks. "What? I'm just saying, we're the ones who did it."
"You defeated yourself?" asked Henry.
"I told ya kid, I'm good now. I'm not her."
"Right," continued Snow. "So, the Evil Enchantress was exiled from the land, mysteriously unable to use magic any more. Eventually, thanks to her experience weaving straw into gold, she was able to make a living as a miller. She ended up having a child, with whom was never known, and had a daughter."
"Cora?" asked Henry.
Snow nodded. "And the formerly Evil Enchantress told her daughter her story, teaching her to be disdainful of royals, blaming them for their poverty, and instilling a lust for power in the girl. Eventually, Cora regained the magic in her family line and mastered it. She married the Duke, Henry, and had Regina."
"And they lived Unhappily Ever After," remarked Emma with dark sarcasm.
"That's not quite the whole story. You see... that prince and princess? They had a daughter, whom they named Eva. And she eventually married a handsome noble man named Leopold... and they had one Snow White." Snow wore a sloppy, lopsided grin filled with love and sadness. "And the Enchantress never let Cora forget, when she saw the girl, that that should have been her, if not for that prince's love for that princess. So Cora's heart was turned black, and the Princess Eva's turned white." She sighed.
"Wow. Um... sorry?" offered Paige, despite her earlier protests.
"No need. We all make mistakes... and like you said, you're not her. In a way," she looked at each of the sisters, "I suppose I have you three to thank it possible for me to exist at all."
"Uh, you're... welcome, then?" laughed Paige nervously. "But don't you dare call me Grandma or..." She left the threat unfinished and everyone else joined in the laugh. The rest of the evening, which there was little of, was spent planning how and where to wake up Ruby.
And Phoebe conjuring up a few futons. "Uh, personal gain much, missy?" reminded Paige.
"Hey, look the only things I'm gonna gain is a personal cramp in my neck. So, debt paid."
A/N: You have no idea how funny it was to me that they cast Rose McGowan as young Cora. Hey, I was only one generation off! Also, I'm pretty sure Rose is the first person to play both 'Snow White' and someone in the (real) Evil Stepmother.