Chapter 14: Tam Lin

Maleficent slams the door behind the pirates, leaving David alone with her.

"We met before Your Highness," she says, less mocking than Hook or the Evil Queen say it, but not by much. "I don't expect you to remember. I look rather different."

"More like a dragon," David says, turning from the closed door to face his captor.

"So you do know me?"

"Only after we arrived. Rumplestiltskin never gave me a name and we didn't exactly stop to chat."

She nods, still making no effort to restrain him. And he got out alright last time.

"Why keep me here and send the pirate away?"

"The pirate has played his part and I have nothing to gain by keeping him here. It makes no difference now whether he lives or dies." She says it eerily without malice in her tone.

"It does to him," David points out.

"Does it?" Maleficent asks. "His lover is dead and all he has is vengeance. Or did you not notice that travelling with him? Not everyone's first love wakes with a kiss," she says quietly. She turns, walking away from David. "What would your life be worth to you if Snow White were still in her glass coffin?"

David doesn't answer, but recalls the brief terrible moment when he thought he was too late to save her. "Who did you lose?" he asks finally. He can see her profile in the firelight and she freezes.

"No one," she says, her voice suddenly hard. "Fairies don't fall in love."

Flashback: A very, very long time ago

"Shhh," Tam Lin hissed at his brother. "I don't want to be eaten by trolls."

"Do you have a plan?" his brother Rab asked quietly.

"Why is that my job all of a sudden?"

"Because you're the one who said you don't want to be eaten by trolls."

"And you do?" He rolled his eyes theatrically skyward, spotting as he did so the twin blue and white stars sparkling in the sky. "Fine, I have an idea. I wish," he says quietly. "I wish. I wish to not be eaten by trolls."

"We hear your wish," the Blue Fairy said, appearing hovering nearby.

"And will happily grant it," the White Fairy added.

"Get down," Rab warned. "We don't want you getting eaten by trolls either." The two fairies fluttered down behind the rock wall beside the brothers.

"We're fairies," Blue said archly. "We can look after ourselves. In fact we are here to look after you."

"I'm just saying there are six mountain trolls on the far side of the bridge, not that you can't look after yourselves."

"Don't mind her," White said. "We meet a lot of desperate souls in our line of work and not many spare a thought for us." She tossed a handful of fairy dust, freezing the trolls in place. "I'm the White Fairy and this is the Blue Fairy, but I wouldn't be opposed if you call me Millie."

Present Day:

"Am I your prisoner?" David asks. "I've been a prisoner before. This isn't the same."

"Insightful. Let's call you my guest for now. I need to demonstrate a point. When I'm done, I'll probably have to release you because no one is coming for you. If she does I will be impressed and have no objection to releasing you."

"Of course Snow will find me," he says without a trace of doubt. "She will always find me just as I will always find her."

"Yes, yes, your obsessive lost and found lovers mantra notwithstanding, I'm not talking about Snow White anyway. You won't be here long enough for her to know you need finding. I'm talking about the Blue Fairy."

David frowns. "Why are you trying so hard to discredit Snow's fairy godmother?"

"Because she's not as good as she pretends and I want her to lose some allies."

"Any particular reason?" David asks.

"Because we're going to war."

"Blue isn't really prone to war, not on her own behalf, and rarely on other's," he points out reasonably.

"I do so enjoy naiveté," Maleficent says with a thin echoing laugh. "Now stay quiet while I speak to my old friend. If you do anything to imply that I haven't hurt you and don't plan on doing so then you will force me to demonstrate my willingness to do so."

"What happens to Blue if she comes here?"

"Nothing. I'm giving her a chance to prove she really has changed and stopped using people as pawns. If she passes the test you and she may both depart in safety. But that is not going to happen Because Blue will never change. I want the world to see her as she truly is. Stay quietly behind the mirror. I want you to hear what she has to say for herself."

She removes the cover of a full length mirror and waves a hand in front of it. David just shrugs and lets her work her magic. If Maleficent is telling the truth there is no harm in letting her send for Blue, and if she is lying he believe he and Blue can best her together easily enough.

"Hello Old Friend," Maleficent says to the mirror.

"Maleficent," Blue says. Her voice is calm, as though running into the Black Fairy in the castle's mirrors is something she does on a regular basis.

"No small talk? Very well. I'm sure you heard the prince's wish earlier, unless you're losing your touch."

"There are some times I cannot interfere."

"Determined by you," Maleficent says archly.

Blue lowers her voice. "You know as well as I do the consequences when mortals rely too heavily on fairy magic. And the prince has proven himself quite resourceful in the past."

"He's relying on you now," Maleficent says, snapping her fingers. David feels ropes forming around him and Maleficent's magic envelops him in purple smoke and whisks him into view of the mirror. Blue's eyes go wide when she sees him and Maleficent waves her hand, sending him back behind the mirror where the ropes fall away.

"Come and get him if you value his life. Or leave him to die. Your choice, who lives or dies. But hasn't that always been the case?"

"That was a long time ago," Blue says.

"You have until dawn," Maleficent says. "And if anyone other than you comes to save him, all they will find is a dragon standing over his charred remains. The choice is entirely yours."

Flashback:

"I hope this isn't becoming a habit. We aren't able to get to every wish immediately you know," Blue admonished Rab, but a smile danced in her eyes and tugged at the corner of mouth. She tossed a handful of fairy dust, freezing the twelve soldiers in their tracks.

"There are worse magical habits I could have. Dark magic comes at a price so I picked the cheaper habit."

Blue rolled her eyes.

"Besides Reul, you know I'm just looking for an excuse to see you."

"So you had a plan to keep them from killing you?" White asked.

"You're looking at it," Tam said with a grin.

"This is a terrible plan."

"It worked didn't it?" Tam pointed out. "And if you would come see me sometimes when I don't make a wish I might not have to resort to extreme measures."

"You know there are rules," White said.

"Titania doesn't approve of us socializing with mortals," Blue agreed.

"Yes. We're really quite dreadful," Rab deadpanned.

"Terrible," Blue teased. "I mean, you ask for our help but haven't even told us how you got into this predicament in the first place."

"Tell you what, come on a walk with me and I'll tell you all about it."

"Well, Titania is always saying we should take an interest in our work. I should investigate why it is that you seem to need help so often."

"You probably should. It would let you look after us better." He offered Blue his arm and she accepted. The two of them walked away arm in arm, leaving Tam and White alone.

"Doesn't it get lonely, always on the road like this?" she asked, leaning beside him on the railing of the bridge.

"We hunt monsters. It goes with the territory."

"Is that why you keep calling on the fairies for help?"

"I haven't, Millie," he said, half turning so he could meet her gaze. "I've been calling on you."

"I was hoping you were," she admitted, leaning in closer.

"I know fairies aren't allowed…" he started, but she silenced him with a soft kiss.

"No, we aren't," she said, with a sparkle in her eyes.

Present Day:

"Do you live alone here? I didn't see any guards on the way in." David wants to know exactly what he is up against if he has to fight his way out with Blue.

"I turn into a dragon Dear. What use could I possibly have for guards other than afternoon snack?"

"You eat people?!" His hand flies to the hilt of his sword.

"I was joking. I don't bother with guards. The fortress is called forbidden because I don't like people showing up. And if you are thinking of escaping don't bother. The doors won't let you out of this room, the moat contains spikes just beneath the surface of the water, and if you do manage to get past all of those obstacles you will be pursued by a dragon."

"I've survived dragons before," David points out.

"Yes, the one bothering King Midas certainly. I let you go because it letting Rumplestiltskin hide his Egg of True Love with me for a time suited my purposes."

"And those are?"

"Nothing that should concern you. Even you and your heroic team shouldn't mind me dealing with your Evil Queen and Dark One problems and without them you won't need the Blue Fairy. I'm not the villain here."

"Then who is? Rumplestiltskin and the Evil Queen certainly, but the Blue Fairy? I refuse to believe that."

"Will you believe it at dawn when she leaves you to die?"

"There's a world of difference between not being able to interfere and villainy."

"She hasn't always had this convenient non-interference plan. The only difference between Blue and myself is that I am honest about the darkness."

Flashback:

The two fairies waved their wands and grew to human size before finishing the short walk to the village. It had the remains of a celebration, garlands and flowers adorned the buildings, a long table sat out in the courtyard, and a fresh Troll's head hung over the tavern door.

They shook out their wings and flew to the upper floor of the tavern. They flew around it until they found the room where Tam and Rab Lin were staying and Blue tapped on the window.

"Did you make a wish?" she asked.

One of the men inside stepped to the window the let the fairies in.

"My dear Reul Ghorm," Rab said. "Come in. A share of the celebration goes to the two of you, though no one else knows it."

Tam raised his hand as though lifting a glass in toast. "Here, here," he agreed, walking to the window to slide his arm around White's waist.

"You should have seen us. We are now a genuine monster slaying team," Rab boasted.

"The mayor even offered his daughter in marriage to one of us in gratitude," Tam agreed.

"We turned him down of course," Rab said, as though it needed clarification.

"Good," Blue said, standing on tiptoe to kiss him.

"Come for a walk. It's a fine night and I want to tell you all about our adventure without Tam claiming all the credit."

"Me claiming all the credit?"

"To be fair, I am leaving you alone to tell your version to Millie," Rab pointed out.

"I would love to go for a walk."

They wandered down by the river to the bridge so recently occupied by the Troll.

"It's not that interesting of a story really. We used the powdered mushroom you gave us to shrink the Troll, beheaded it, and brought it back to normal size. I just wanted an excuse to get you alone."

Blue smiled. "I don't mind. It's a beautiful town. I don't see much of the world, not as a part of it like this."

"You should." They wandered further down the river, arms linked together. "I won't be here long. My brother and I head out the day after tomorrow. There's some sorcerer with an army that needs slaying. But when that's done, I've been thinking, does Titania allow fairies to marry?"

"No. She is very definite on it, but that's only because things didn't work out well between her and Oberon. Are you asking me?"

"Yeah. When I get back from this next job I'll have enough money for a family. We could run away together, forget all about Titania."

"I'm a fairy. We aren't allowed… yes. I'll go with you anywhere. I'll try to convince Titania and if I can't then we will run away."

He slid a ring out of his satchel and she held out her hand.

"It isn't much," he said.

"I don't care. It's perfect. I have a gift for you too. As long as you keep it with you it will protect you from harm." She pulled a Kris dagger out of her own bag, its wavy blade gleamed in the moonlight. "I love you," she said, pressing the handle into his hands.

Present Day:

They sit by the fire for a while in silence waiting, but whether for Blue or for dawn David isn't sure.

"If you aren't planning on killing me and we are here 'till morning I might as well ask what I came to ask."

Maleficent smiles, turning her gaze on him from the crackling fire. "I can't promise answers but I won't begrudge the questions."

"Alright. What is your business with Rumplestitskin?"

"That is a much longer story than the time we have. The short version is that our paths have crossed a few times. That happens when near immortals dwell in the same realm."

"As friends or enemies?"

"A little of both. Neither of us has ever wanted to test it and we have avoided each other for most of the time."

"But we had him in prison and you let him go," David points out.

"If he had really wanted to escape that cell, no amountof anti-magic warding would have been able to hold him. Besides, he had something I needed. It was a simple business transaction, much like you have made with him on several occasions, except I am better at it than you are."

"I've managed," David says, recalling some of the deals he had made with the Dark One. "But why now?"

"Opportunity. Circumstances changed and I had something to offer."

"You know something about the curse," David says, recalling Rumplestiltskin asking them about it in the cells.

"That's expensive information," she says without denying it.

"I'm being a cooperative hostage," David points out.

"Yes," she says with a smile. "And I am being a good host. That is nowhere near enough."

"Then what is."

"Nothing you have," she admits.

"So you're just not going to tell me out of spite then?"

"No. I'm not going to tell you because it doesn't help me to do so."

"What if it does? You aren't keeping me alive because of good manners. You said Hook played his part. I think this conversation would be going very differently if I had played mine. Whatever it is you want me to do, I probably can't do it very well if I have to confront Rumplestiltskin to figure out what happened to my son."

"Ooh, you make a good point. You probably will have to confront him, one way or another, but not yet. It's too soon."

"Too soon for what?"

"For the final battle to begin," she says, turning away and gazing again into the flames. "Very well. The Evil Queen cast the Dark Curse successfully. She ripped everyone away from everything they hold dear, dragged them to a strange realm, and made them forget. Made most of them forget," she corrects herself. "I was indisposed for much of the time of the curse so I don't have all of the information. What I do know is that the curse was broken and everyone was living in some town in Maine."

"Main what?"

"It's a region in the Realm Without Magic, and entirely beside the point. Apparently you and Snow White had a second child…"

"Second child?" David interrupts.

"That is what I said. That is why you remember him being younger. You don't actually remember Prince Neal at all, not until after the curse. Your memories up to that point are of your first child, Emma, spirited girl, treats swords like extreme throwing knives. I unmade the curse in order to bring everyone back to the Enchanted Forest where we belong and in doing so it made it as though the past three decades never happened."

"Thirty years? Why would you do that?" he demands, rising to his feet and taking an half step in her direction before reminding himself that she isn't a threat he can easily vanquish with his sword.

"What part of Dark Curse do you not understand? Regina cast the curse in vengeance, as a punishment on your wife. I had my own reasons for unmaking it, but you can hardly accuse me of villainy in that respect. The fact that you lost some memories was an unavoidable side effect. And now you know as much about it as Rumplestiltskin does so there is no need for thrilling heroics just yet."

Flashback:

Titania was waiting for them. The queen of the fairies stood in state in the middle of their bower, her face set in a frown.

"I should have known it would be the two of you sneaking out after curfew Blue and White. The two of you have been trouble since the moment you metamorphosed. Is it true you have been running around with a couple of human boys?"

"We haven't been running around with them," White bristled.

"That's right. Rab asked me to marry him."

"Out of the question," Titania said. "We have a great deal of magic, but love is the one magic we can never have."

"You did," Blue pointed out.

"I thought I did, but I would hardly consider it happily ever after. We are fairies; we give other people their happily ever afters but we don't get one for ourselves, that is just how the world works and the sooner you get used to it the better for everyone." She frowned and leaned closer, inspecting the troublesome fairies. "You both hope to become fairy godmothers, correct?"

"Of course," Blue said.

"More than anything."

"Then make a choice. You need to learn some responsibility and there is no better way that I know. You will both be given positions as fairy godmothers as soon as there are more children in need of them. However, there is a condition. You never see those boys again."

"Very well," White said, at the same moment as Blue burst out "No! I can't just never see him… what did you say?" She turned a questioning gaze on her friend.

"I said 'very well.' Being a fairy godmother is my dream. I'm not giving that up. Last time I checked it was your dream too my friend. Be reasonable Reul. You'll see that I'm right. Can I have a word with her to persuade her to see sense?"

"Of course," Titania said, turning and sweeping out of the bower.

"Be reasonable Reul. I get both. I'll just be more careful about when I leave. We'll both be more careful."

"But you would be living a lie," Blue said.

"So? Is the truth really so important when we get the lives we've always dreamed of?"

"Yes. In a week Rab Lin comes back and I'm going to marry him"

"Titania will strip you of your wings!"

"I don't think she can. Even if she doesn't believe in me, he does, and that's enough. And even if I do lose my wings, that is a small price to pay for being with the man I love."

"Then I hope it's worth it, that you're happy."

"It is worth it. Someday you're going to have to choose too you know."

"Maybe. But if I'm careful I see no reason I can't have it all."

Present Day:

David watches out the window as the sun rises between the mountains. He refuses to believe that Blue would deliberately sacrifice him so she could stay safe. Perhaps she was delayed. Perhaps Snow and Neal need her more than David does. Perhaps she knows Maleficent well enough to realize he isn't in any real danger.

"She isn't coming for you. Surely you see that by now."

David nods reluctantly, turning to face Maleficent. "There has to be a reason."

"She fears me now that I am in full possession of my power and wand. You are free to go."

"Why? I still don't understand what you've gained from tonight."

"You don't believe in her, not completely. That can be a powerful thing with fairies. And if you ever want a different sort of fairy godmother simply make your wish on the darkness between the stars."

Author's Note:

In the Land Without Magic, Tam Lin is a Scottish ballad about a man who is part of the court of the fairy queen and is saved by the love of a mortal woman. I like the Sir Walter Scott version personally. I've taken it and twisted it in the OUaT tradition (most of the stories are at least twice removed from the original versions,) but the heart of the legend is still here, as much in RumBelle as it is in the Tam Lin flashbacks.

And obviously there is some serious canon divergence here in the backstory of Maleficent. I already had a pretty solid idea in my head for how Maleficent's backstory goes in this story and will be ignoring what 4B has to say about her, although I am enjoying the canon take on her very much.

Oh, and if you don't remember, Reul Ghorm is Blue's proper name, as seen in the episode where Bae gets the bean from her among other places, so that is why Rab is calling her Reul.

Also, to answer a question I got from Anon, I filter my scenes generally through the focus of one of the characters ad refer to all the others by what that character thinks of them as, so yes, Prince James refers to David, because that is what a lot of characters think his name is.