5 Years Later

Matthew was a wanderer. The moment he learned to crawl and then walk, he was into everything. When he was born, papa said he looked at the world like it was something to explore.

So Zelena had to keep an eye on him. That boy would walk right into the fireplace as long as it interested him when he was a baby.

Now he was older, he was learning to read.

How was he four years old now?

How had time moved that fast?

Zelena looked up at the activity in the dining hall. Her mother sat studying with her sister. Her father and Jefferson stood by the window, her daughter slept in Jefferson's arms.

Her son sat in her lap; he was struggling to form the words that she pointed out. He was smart; he was perceptive but easily distracted. They all were at that age according to her father. But he needed to learn how to read, he was just being stubborn.

Her side of the world was happy. Zelena made sure they thrived, Zelena kept him safe. Her father didn't bother the people under her protection. No, the people he needed for his curse stayed right where they were. If they remotely wanted to go for the safe haven…if they heard some rumors, then it was up to Rumpelstiltskin to steer them back.

"Okay," Zelena muttered as he finished his chapter, "Well done."

"Thank you, mama."

Zelena kissed the top of her son's hair and set him down. Matthew ran to go look out the window to see the horses. Daniel, the new stable boy stood out there seeing to a new colt that was promised to the boy the next time they visited.

If Daniel was still here when they got back. Her parents hadn't seen how the boy and Regina were looking at the other. But Zelena had. And it wouldn't take long before her family ignored their denial and saw it too. Zelena warned her sister, she just hoped they were smart and careful.

Zelena walked over to see her daughter. Kira slept against her father's chest. Two years old, she had her father's face and her mother's red hair and green eyes.

"Arms tired?" Zelena asked.

"Yeah a little," he gave their daughter over to her.

"Our son wants to see his new colt."

"We'll never get him inside then," Jefferson teased and kissed her.

Zelena smiled as he went to grab his giggling son, the son he doted on, and went to take him outside.

"You're pregnant again," Rumpelstiltskin noted.

"Yeah, I know," she broke into a beaming smile.

"Does Jefferson?"

"Not yet, not until we're home, then I'll tell him."

Rumpelstiltskin looked outside as Jefferson took her son outside, "I have my monster."

"Oh?" she asked uncomfortably. She didn't like to think about it, but there was no stopping him. She just hoped it ended after they found their brother.

"He's a king. George."

"The one you gave the twin to?"

"Yeah, I can't see much about his future yet but I do know there's a war. We just have to get on top of things."

"I wish it didn't have to be this way," Zelena muttered.

"Me either," he couldn't look at her.

"I worry about the kids."

"I know."

Zelena looked over to where her son wrestled with his father, "Promise me they'll be safe."

"When our family is back together," he nodded, "That's all we'll need. We can fix everything after that. It won't be so hard now."

"Now that we're not the sacrifice you have to make?"

He looked down, "I'm not a good man. I've made peace with that a long time ago."

Zelena looked outside, and then to the daughter in her arms, "I guess I'm not either, papa. I don't know what I'd do if my children were separated from me."

He went to wrap his arms around her. Zelena leaned into him.

People would get hurt. There wasn't much she could do about that. But Gods willing when it was all over, they could fix it.

The End

A/N: I have to apologize to all my readers. This isn't how I wanted to end this story. In fact it was going to go pretty darker but after Season 4 and the bullcrap that was Zelena's resurrection just destroyed my muse for the story. I can't get a muse for a father/daughter relationship with Zelena and Rumple after that hospital scene. I'm having trouble with my muse for this show at all these days. Hopefully the hiatus will fix that.