Two years passed before Regina saw Maleficent again. By that point she had all but given up on ever finding her happy ending. So many things had happened to discourage her. Cora dying, Greg and Tamara, Henry being kidnapped by Peter Pan, Pan's curse, Zelena, the Snow Queen, Robin leaving her for Marian, and now Cruella and Ursula were in town. She had only seen them once, but something about their demeanor made her wary.

The feeling only grew when Snow told her they were trying to resurrect Maleficent. She didn't think it would work, she had yet to find a magic that could bring back the dead. But it did, in a ritual of dark magic she heard about after everything was said and done. She was sleeping when the sensation woke her, a tingling, warm feeling in her heart and soul. She sat up, drawing in a breath, and with it strength, contentment, and magic.

Her soul once again felt whole, though the familiar separation anxiety was beginning to take root. Her phone rang soon after, and after glaring at the screen she answered.

"Regina! Regina, it's Maleficent!"

"Do tell," she purred, enjoying the other woman's anxiety perhaps a bit too much, but after all, they did cause the dragon to miscarry her child.

"Ursula and Cruella took our blood and resurrected her! They're on their way up to the town!"

"Did they seem in the mood to hurt anyone?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Then I think this little matter can wait until the morning, don't you dear?" Regina asked as she felt the gathering of magic downstairs.

"Reg-" was all Snow got out before Regina ended the call.

And just in time, too. Footsteps sounded on the stairs, not heavy by any means, but familiar. Magic crackled through the air as the person ascended, swirls of it invading the ex-queen's mind and mimicking intoxication. The owner of the magic soon followed, and the brunette sucked in a breath.

"Maleficent," she breathed, almost afraid to believe it was real.

The blonde smirked at her, just as seductive as the last time Regina had seen her in human form.

"Regina," she greeted, almost a purr. Oh, how she missed the woman. "Have you missed me, dear?"

"Shut up and get over here," the brunette growled, voice dropping a few pitches.

The blonde, for once, obeyed, crossing the room in a few short strides to collide with the brunette in the bed. They kissed, their first in thirty years and the first with real love behind it. Purple and black magic swirled into the air, twining together and combing, linking the two together forever. Tongues battled, the organs mimicking the magic's movement in their fight for dominance. They broke apart for air before joining back together in a sweeter kiss, the magic settling down around them.

Separating for good, the two smiled at each other, genuine smiles full of love and adoration. Regina felt the pull of their bond, now stronger than ever, and tilted her head slightly to the right to allow proper access to her neck and collarbone. Maleficent grinned, happy now that she could finally mark her mate. She leaned forward, her hand automatically wrapping around her love's to help her bear the pain of the mark. Her teeth sank into soft flesh, drawing small droplets of blood.

Regina whimpered, squeezing the elder woman's hand tightly. Maleficent blew into the puncture wounds, her magic invading the other woman's body even more so than before. It created a small dragon shaped mark, almost like a tattoo, which would show the mortal world their bond. A deeper one was forged in the transfer of magic, an ancient one only visible to her kind. Releasing the brunette from her teeth, she smiled as she wiped away stray tears that had spilled from chocolate eyes before baring her own neck.

Regina smiled and leaned over, teeth sinking into soft ivory flesh. The dragon hissed, embracing the pain as one would a wedding band, as that was what the mark symbolized. Regina blew her own magic into the puncture wounds, curious to see what mark would form. She was unsurprised to see an apple with a crown surrounding it as her mark, the image a fitting one. The two sighed in contentment as the ancient ritual finished, their souls finally intertwining as one. Their marks glowed a rich purple, a mixture of their magic. Each one was no bigger than a nickel, but as meaningful as two diamond rings could ever be.

To Maleficent, they were married, or as close to the traditional definition as they could get, but in reality they were so much more. They were a part of the other, completely and totally until the end of time. The phrase 'two halves of a whole' were literal to the bonded. Maleficent's people had coined the phrase after the first marking, and Regina felt extremely privileged and honored to bear a dragon's mark.

The women sighed in tandem, their hearts and minds finally relaxing after three decades of separation. Regina coaxed Maleficent into laying back with her, wrapping the taller woman in her arms. Usually Regina would be the one cocooned next to the dragon, but it was still so surreal for her. The blonde allowed herself to be held, needing the security just as much as the brunette. With a lazy flick of the wrist, the ex-Queen vanished the dragon's dress, replacing it with a pair of pajamas.

Though confused at her new attire, Maleficent trusted Regina, so she didn't protest. The brunette yawned, her exhaustion of the past few weeks catching up to her. Maleficent, who had never needed much rest, repositioned them so that she was cradling Regina to her chest.

"Just like the first night," the brunette murmured, pressing a kiss to the warm skin of the dragon's neck.

Maleficent hummed in response, recalling how she'd curled around the other woman and held her to her chest, guarded her as she slept. At least now she was human, and could appreciate the body curled next to her. Regina fell asleep easily, more easily than she had in years. The blonde stayed awake through the night, simply holding the other woman, occasionally stroking her hair, and watching her sleep. She was beautiful when she slept, if it was possible to be more attractive than when she was awake.

When Regina woke the next morning, she hesitated to open her eyes. She feared that the night before had been a dream, and she wanted to revel in it a little longer. But then she felt the pair of arms around her, heard a heartbeat in her ear. Holding her breath and daring not to hope, she opened her eyes and was met with Maleficent's blue ones. She let out a sigh before reaching up and stroking the older woman's face.

"It wasn't a dream," she breathed, face blossoming with a smile.

"No, it wasn't a dream," the blonde responded, leaning down and kissing the woman good morning.

"Mmm, I could get used to that," Regina sighed as they parted.

"Good, because I plan on doing it for the rest of our lives."

Regina ignored the pang of agony at the thought that the dragon would live much longer than her. She still had a long life left, best to enjoy it while she could.

"Why, and more importantly how, did Cruella and Ursula bring you back?" the ex-Queen asked, knowing the question had to be addressed eventually.

"It's a very old and very dark spell," Maleficent sighed, pulling away from the other woman. "It feeds on anger, vengeance, and the pain of others. Blood from those who wronged me most, dripped into my ashes, set in motion the magic required to resurrect me."

"Snow and Charming," Regina breathed.

"Yes."

She waved her hand and a small rattle appeared. She shook it, a faraway look in her eyes. Because of Snow and Charming, Maleficent lost her child before she even knew it. The blonde traced a hand across her abdomen unconsciously, wincing as her hand grazed the scar. A simple sword thrust from the idiotic prince was all it took.

Maleficent had approached the Charmings for help breaking Regina's curse. It hurt her that the woman she secretly loved had become so dark and obsessed with revenge. They were to journey to the Tree of Wisdom and ask it what to do. Everything was going according to plan, tense, but according to plan, when they came upon the guards. They refused to let them pass, and the Charmings, idiots they were, tried to talk their way through it.

She supposed it was the added hormones that made her act so rashly, but at the time her annoyance had gotten the better of her. While Ursula and Cruella argued with the heroes, she slipped of and shifted into her dragon form, wasting no time in barbecuing all three guards. She landed in front of the royals, finding some pleasure in their shocked expressions.

"Why did you do that? We could found another way, we could have made them listen!" Snow White raged, though she kept her distance.

"Talking didn't seem to be doing any good, so I took care of the problem. We can cross now. Do you have a problem with that?" she asked to the amusement of the other two villains.

"Yes, you killed three innocent men!" Snow cried, gesturing to the piles of ash.

She blamed her rising anger for her lack of caution. She stepped forward, towering over the brunette. Out of her line of sight, Charming gripped the hilt of his sword. Cruella and Ursula saw, and rushed forward, but he pushed them back easily.

"Look, miss purity," Maleficent spat, not noticing the man approaching. "I want to break this curse just as much as you do, so I got things done. I don't care if you approve of my methods." Her staff began glowing, her magic seeping into it without her permission.

That was enough for the prince, who lunged forward, his sword piercing the dragon's stomach. Maleficent gasped in pain, her magic crackling through the air. She collapsed, blood beginning to seep out of the wound slowly, then alarmingly quick. Snow gasped, shoving her husband out of the way to get to the sorceress. She pressed her hands over the wound, hoping to slow the blood flow.

"Snow, what are you doing?" Charming asked.

"Saving a woman," she answered, pressing harder on the sorceress' stomach.

She knew what her husband had just done, and felt the guilt keenly in her own stomach. She'd be lucky to save Maleficent. As for the baby...they'd be lucky if there was anything left. She worked quickly, ripping strips from her dress and bandaging the wound. Once covered, she turned to the other two villains behind her.

"Can either one of you heal her?" she asked.

"I can try," Ursula said, though her magic was severely limited without her voice.

She stepped up beside the injured woman, chanting a healing spell under her breath, urging what little magic she had left into the wound. The blood gradually stopped pouring, and the skin began to close. It was somewhat disturbing to watch, the skin pulling back together and closing. Maleficent's breathing began to ease from quick pants to slow breathing, albeit labored. It wasn't until the wound was completely closed, angry red scar staining the pale skin, that the sorceress gripped Snow's hand.

"My child," she gasped, to the shock of everyone.

Had she not been hazy with pain, she would have realized the blood beginning to seep from between her legs.

"Maleficent," Snow began, unsure how to tell her it was dead.

"No, be quiet, I already know," she said as clarity gradually came back to her.

"I'm so sorry," the brunette said, laying a hand atop the sorceress'.

Maleficent threw it off, summoning her staff and forcing herself to stand. She leaned heavily on the wood, but managed to stay upright. A hand wave repaired her dress, save for the blood still seeping into it.

"You," she growled, pointing at Charming, "you killed my child."

"Well if you hadn't been attacking my wife!" he countered, unwilling to admit what he had just done.

"I wasn't attacking her, if I had she would be dead!" she spat back.

"You imbecile!" Cruella spat as she rushed to steady the angry woman. "If you didn't always resort to swinging your sword this wouldn't have happened!" Maleficent cried out as she began cramping, her blood streaming down her legs. Cruella tightened her grip, easing her into taking a few steps toward the side of the path. "We need that tent now."

Snow quickly unstrapped it from her pack and handed it to her. The two royals watched as Ursula and Cruella helped the dragon into the woods to finish her miscarriage.

Regina knew what she was thinking of, and the pain in her gaze caused her to stroke her arm, breaking her trance. Maleficent met her gaze with watery eyes, but she gave a small smile.

"Don't worry," she said, "I'm all right."

But the brunette knew it would never be 'all right'. She desperately wanted to distract the blonde, since it was her questions that had brought up the memory.

"Hey," she said, keeping her hand on the other woman's arm, "you never told me why they brought you back."

"The imp desires our help to get the villains happy endings. He thinks by bringing me back he can have someone to control the other two and turn my pain against the Charmings." She looked at Regina. "What he doesn't know is that I've already found my happy ending."

They kissed, love and pain mixing together.

"Now what about our son? I haven't seen him since he was an infant you know."

Regina smiled, glad to have changed the subject.

"He's with Emma. It's her weekend with him." The blonde nodded, seeming to accept that he spent time with the savior. "Let's get up and have breakfast, then I'll take you to meet him."

And just like that, her life fell into place. She had everything she'd ever wanted. A son, friends, Maleficent, and magic. The only way things could improve would be for them to have a child of their own, but that was a discussion for another day. She glanced at the blonde as she dressed, feeling her heart soar. Maleficent, catching her eye, smirked back.

This was home.