She held perfectly still, staying within the shadows of the trees, crouched to avoid detection. The forest was beautiful this time of day. Sunlight streaming through the trees, butterflies fluttering here and there, the deer herd grazing in the meadow. It was nice. It was a bit of a shame she was about to destroy all of that.

Amelie drew her bow and paused. She waited a few moments before drawing an arrow and preparing to fire. Every movement was tense and slow. She paused again after aiming the bow and moving to one knee. She pulled back the string and took a deep breath, letting the arrow fly. Before it even hit her target, she prepared another one and fired. Two does fell to the ground and the rest of the herd bolted. She ran forward, nocking another arrow and taking aim. A limping young buck caught her attention and she smoothly turned to fire at it, dropping it as well.

"Very good." Came the deep rumble of Khan. "Clean kills. Quick and efficient. You kept yourself calm and collected and more importantly, you got me some food." The massive tiger moved forward into the meadow and Amelie followed.

"Was this about giving me hunting tips or just me getting you breakfast?" She asked.

"Both...but mostly the second one."

Amelie rolled her eyes and helped Khan drag the deer back to the horse drawn cart they were using to bring the deer back to the tiger compound. She helped unload the meat and rode the cart back to the stables where one of the stablehands took over for her and she set off back home. It had been a few months since the last council meeting and no new information had been obtained. Jekyll hadn't contacted Gold either, other than with a note that had the name of a month on it. March. They had no idea what it was for, but they couldn't believe he would wait until march to release his monstrosity. Chesh had taken up the role of spy and spent her days alternating between following Jekyll around and spending time with Lily and Sebastian. There was no news on the front either. Their other attempt at stealing his heart to compel the man to tell them where he was keeping his stash was met failure as Gold was the one who found the sensed the spell on him. It was one similar to the one Regina had placed on Henry, ensuring no one could steal his heart. It left them back at square one and it just seemed like all they could do is wait. Mal hid nothing from her followers, so in order to distract them, she put them to work. After the last big party all of their friends and their followers and henchmen decided to make a home in the Vale, so houses needed to be built and in doing so, making the Vale almost twice as big. Between recording new parts to her storybook for the new villains and doing Mal's bidding, Amelie was constantly on her toes, but she wasn't complaining. This place was amazing.

She made it back into town and found herself smiling at seeing everyone so happy and content in their homes.

"Hello, Scribe." Ursula called as she stepped out of Cruella's store.

"Hi Ursula. Everything okay? Need anything?" Amelie asked.

"I'm going to need for her to stop singing." Cruella said, following after her lover.

Ursula only smirked. The sea witch was glowing and had never looked happier. The little one she was expecting might have a lot to do with that. "Cruella De Vil. Cruella De Vil. If she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will. She's like a spider waiting for the kill." Ursula grinned at Cruella's annoyed look.

"As much as I enjoy a song dedicated to me and listening to you sing, dahling, this is the 10th encore in the past hour."

"You know we have to go watch 101 Dalmations now, right?"

Cruella rolled her eyes. "Yes. Anything for the little puppy." She said, rubbing Ursula's belly. "Come on. Sorry we can't stay and chat, Am." The dual haired villainess gave Amelie a pat on the head and walked to her car. Amelie made her way over to open the doors for the Queens and once they were safely inside, continued on her way through town. She happened to pass Zelena's bakery and found only Thomas inside behind the counter. It was not to see Zelena herself in so she walked in and bought a doughnut.

"Hey, Thomas. What are you doing?" She asked.

"Manning the fort while Her Wickedness rests. She was tired so the Lord Death took her home."

"And she got you to watch her store?" She said with a smirk as he handed her a doughnut.

"Hey, I am a man of many talents and high moral stature." He put a hand over his heart and she rolled her eyes. "They both could also kill me and I'm getting paid."

Amelie remembered Zelena's story from her book, of the life she lived with her adopted mother before she died. They lived in poverty, constantly searching for ways to make money and keep food on the table. Her mother was a good seamstress, she did carpentry, she chopped wood, she baked bread, she worked in the stables, the woman worked her ass off for her family and bestowed this incredible work ethic on Zelena. When they had saved up enough money, her mother would splurge a little bit and buy Zelena sweets. Sweet bread was her favorite. Cookies and doughnuts and cakes were others. That inspired Zelena's store and its product and the witch poured herself into the place. She approved the recipes and the ingredients and the assistants in the kitchen and came in everyday to make every batch. Half the town was permeated with the sweet smells of her baking and she often treated the people with free samples that might as well as been full meals but how much she gave out. Now though, her store was going to have to take a backseat to the town's newest arrival that she was expecting to have. In a little while, the Wicked Witch would give birth to a demigod, the child of Hades himself. Unfortunately the pregnancy was quickly sapping her strength and hindering her magic so most days she was forced to stay at home, but her store was in good hands.

Amelie took her treat and departed, making a mental note to stop by and see her favorite witch soon. She made her way home, but paused when she noticed that someone was in Mal's garden. She walked around the house and found Regina at the back of it, digging in the ground. "Regina?"

The brunette looked up and smiled. "How was hunting?"

"Great. The tigers should be good for a while. What are you doing?" She watched as Regina continued digging, using her bare hands, oddly enough.

"Mal said I could plant a tree here."

"Oh. Another apple tree?"

"Yes."

"Want me to help?" Amelie asked, putting down her bow and taking off her quiver. Regina leaned back on her knees and wiped her hands while Amelie got down to digging. "Why don't you just use magic?" She asked.

"This should be done by hand." Came the soft answer. "It's for someone. It doesn't need to be wide, just deep."

Amelie paused. "Daniel?"

Regina nodded. "Today is the anniversary of his death."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

She waved her hand dismissively. "No one really knows. I've spent this day alone since it happened. I feel that if I don't do something like this, he might be forgotten. He doesn't deserve that."

"He didn't have any family?" Amelie asked.

"No. None that seemed to care anyway." Regina shrugged, looking away. "He deserved to live. He should've had a chance at life. I've forgiven Mother for many things, but this is...still difficult to deal with. It's always been. He lost his life...simply because he loved me."

"Cora was also heartless and crazy then." Amelie pointed out. "But you're right. He shouldn't be forgotten." She finished the hole and backed away as Regina planted a dark red seed in the grass and covered it up, moving the earth almost gently.

"Today is also the anniversary of Leopold's death."

Amelie frowned and looked up at her. "You did that deliberately, didn't you?"

"I did. He was a stupid man." Regina growled. "A stupid king. A woman saves his daughter and his first instinct is to ask her to marry him? An 18 year old girl who he knows nothing about. The daughter of the woman he threw away. I suppose many would've leaped at the chance, but fuck him and everything about him. From his daughter to his wife to his kingdom." Amelie already knew the man did nothing but ignore Regina during their marriage, but he had the nerve to act jealous and suspicious if she smiled too often or had any friends. He may have been a good father, maybe even a good leader, but he was a terrible husband, at least to his second wife. Amelie opened her mouth but Regina raised a finger. "If you say that you're sorry again, I swear-"

"No. I was going to say I wish things were different. For you, not him. I don't care about Leopold, but, I wish Daniel got to live his life and you didn't have yours ruined."

"Ruined?" Regina arched an eyebrow. "My life is wonderful. It took a bit of hell to get here, but there is nowhere I would rather be. I have the greatest woman in the world waiting for me as soon as I go inside. I have Lily and Sebastian and Cynder and you and all of the Vale. For the first time in a long time, I feel at home. I'm happy. I just wish Daniel got to have this feeling."

"I'm sure he did." Amelie replied. "When he was with you." Regina glared at her while trying not to cry. She used magic to clean her hands and wipe her eyes, careful not to mess up makeup. She cleaned Amelie's hands and they both got to their feet. Amelie went to collect her quiver and bow. When she turned around, Regina was standing next to a massive apple tree that was twice the size it should've been, the branches stretching up and even over a part of the house. "Oh my…"

"Daniel and I used to meet under this apple tree." Regina said softly.

"This is the original tree?"

"Yes. Mal wanted to make sure there was room for it." The former queen reached out to touch the tree. Amelie was quiet, not really sure she should speak. Eventually, Regina did again. "Mal is going to build a park with an apple tree as its center. She's going to name it Colter Park. After Daniel. I was going to put this tree there, but I can't bring myself to part with it, or share it. It's much more than a tree. It always has been." For most, this would just be a tree, a plant that produces, but for Regina, it was so much more. A symbol of the life she could've lived, had wanted more than anything to live. A symbol of a time in her life when she was young and soft and innocent. Before she had been broken and filled with hate and fear and vengeance. Before her heart turned black, before all of the sadness and tragedy that her life would soon be mired in. Before it all there was peace, there was love and hope and Daniel. Before it all, there was this tree. As it continues to live and thrive, so has its owner.

"You know, what if I add another part to the book?" Amelie asked. Regina raised her eyebrows in curiosity. "A lot of you lost people that meant so much to you. I could add another section in the book for those lost. With pictures and quotes or a few words from you guys. For Daniel and Prince Henry and even Rocinante." Regina smiled at the mention of her father and her treasured steed. "Maybe Ursula would like a page for her mother or Hyde for Mary or Khan for his family."

"There is going to be a lot of tragedy in this book of yours." Regina said.

"That's true." See thought for a moment before coming up with the perfect idea. "Then I'll write something good at the end. Write about you guys now. The Villains Vale, a paradise for villains, where all of you are living your happily ever afters. Ursula and Cruella are having their first baby. Zelena is pregnant now. You and Mal are trying. Everyone else-"

"We're not trying anymore."

Amelie looked at her stomach and then back up at her. Regina only smirked. "Are you serious? Does she know?"

"No. So say nothing or I won't get any peace tonight. I'll tell her soon, but definitely not tonight."

"Okay, but congratulations!" She glanced at the house to see anyone had heard. "Mal is going to freak out."

"I'm still freaking out." Regina admitted. "It's been a dream of mine for so long and now I get to give children to the woman I love more than anything in this world. This is a paradise. Come on, let's get inside. Cynder and Ingrid are making dinner."

"Can't wait." Amelie said, almost bouncing next to her. She couldn't wait to see Mal's reaction.

"Calm down, she'll know something's up." Regina warned.

"Right, right." It was difficult to not spill the secret over dinner, and she was sure Mal was giving her a funny look half the time, but Regina quick to distract her. It wasn't until the next day that Amelie went to her office and found the beginning of the next section of her book waiting for her. In a manila folder on her desk, were Regina's pictures. The first was a portrait of Daniel taking one up one side of the page, and adjacent to it was a picture of him and Regina together beneath their precious apple tree. Amelie found herself smiling as she turned the page. The next was of Prince Henry, one in his youth and the other was when he was older, sitting on the back of a horse with a small Regina in his arms. The last was a picture of Rocinante. All of the pictures were in color but they were either drawings or paintings that were exceptionally well done that lead her to believe they were conjured. It was probably to fit the theme of her storybook. They were beautifully done and would be the first new additions to her storybook. With all of these new ideas there was a lot she needed to get started on, so she set to work.

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On the top of Granny's she waited for her quarry, annoyed at having to follow this boring man yet again. Chesh curled up and waited for him to pass before walking along the roof keeping pace with Jekyll. Honestly, she didn't understand much of this. Hyde was everything Jekyll wanted to be: handsome, suave, actually well liked. Surely his beef was with him and not the ENTIRE FUCKING WORLD! Chesh fluffed out her fur, teleporting to the next roof. This son of a bitch was threatening her little tomcat. If only they knew his accomplice, then she could scratch his face off. So far, Jekyll was a loner. He seemed to try and mingle with the other heroes, especially the Charmings, possibly hoping for that respect and authority he so desperately seemed to want, but he lacked a lot of social skills and the Charmings were usually wrapped up in themselves. Until tonight, when the Charmings were suddenly really friendly. Jekyll had freaked out

After a few more minutes of walking along the rooftops she hopped onto a tree and nimbly climbed down, using the bushes and trees along the road. They had left the main town behind and Jekyll turned off through the woods. This was new. Chesh teleported along the trees after him, using the branches and leaves for cover. Where was he going? If she remembered correctly, this path would take them to the dwarf tunnels. Of course. She used her invisibility spell intermittently as she continued her pursuit into the bowels of Storybrooke. He knew where he was going at least. There was no light in his hand from a phone or flashlight, no paper for a map either. There was no telling how long he had been coming down here to learn the walkways before she had been assigned to follow him. Or maybe Regina left a map in her office? It would be easy to steal.

It took a while before they reached their destination. Jekyll walked to a door and went inside. Chesh waited for close to an hour for him to leave again. She couldn't find anything different about him, but she could catch up to him later. Once he was gone, she went inside the room, silently closing the door behind her and it was where her heart fell into her stomach. It was a laboratory of sorts, like something out of a horror film. What truly concerned her was the massive tank full of crawling blackness, a pool of darkness just waiting to be released to devour the world. She changed into a human and backed up against the door, just in case Crazy came back for anything and she would know if it opened. She pulled out her phone and started to take pictures. After a minute she moved away from the door, taking quick pictures of the notes and drawings he'd made and sending it all to Lily and Regina as fast as possible, hoping they could make sense of it and if necessary, something to help them. She heard the door creak and instantly turned around, letting out a yowl of pain at the loud bang. Pain shot through her ears, far worse than the hole in the chest.

"I knew you were coming." Jekyll grabbed her by the hair and she lashed out, raking his face with her claws and knocking them both to the ground. The gun flew across the room. "You've signed the death warrant of this entire town!" He hissed in her face, sounding very far away.

Chesh teleported behind him and shifted into her tiger form, letting out a deep growl. Jekyll barely had time to turn before he was smacked through a table by a giant paw. Her magic faltered and it was only then that she felt the hot blood running through her fur. She collapsed, once again in human form. No, no, no. She looked around for Jekyll and found him crawling towards the gun. Every breath was racked with pain, but she dove on top of him anyway, wrenching him away as hard as she could. Jekyll pulled out a knife, but she blocked it and raked his face again. A swift turn, followed by an even quicker elbow shattered her nose, but that only pissed her off.

"You've doomed them all!" Jekyll screamed as she hoisted him up and slammed him against the table. "Your precious town, your little girlfriend and her mangy kid! Hyde sentenced you all to death and you just sped up their fate!" He spat blood everywhere as he spoke.

"Tell me how to get rid of it and I'll spare you."

"There is no getting rid of darkness, you stupid cat!"

"Where is the antidote?!" She demanded, wrapping both hands around his throat. He let out a sickening laugh and she growled and threw him across the room. There had to be something here. Would he be stupid enough to leave the cure to this thing in the same room? Probably not, no one could be that stupid. However, there was always hope. She leaned against the table to take a few deep breaths, a hand went to the wound in her chest, still pumping out blood. Everything was getting dark... Stay awake. Just a few more minutes. Stay awake. She decided to retreat, but she was going to take him with her. She had to or he would just release the blackness. Another loud bang nearly made her see stars and she dropped to the ground, writhing in agony with both hands pressed against the side of her head. Her ears couldn't take the sound of the gun. They were like bombs going off right next to her eardrums. Chesh looked up at her assailant and even her face must've betrayed her shock. "Ruby?"

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