A/N: Hi! Sorry for the delay and thanks for sticking with this sorry. I really appreciate it. :)

Also, flashbacks are in italics, warnings for language and sorry for mistakes.

Enjoy, I hope.

Chapter 5

"Papa," The little brunette giggled as she came barreling into the room. Her little white shoes tapped across the marble floor of the dimly lit library. She ran straight up to Rumplestiltskin where she found him sitting by the window on a wooden stool spinning straw. "Play with me, Papa." She demanded as she climbed into his lap.

Rumple looked down at his now three year old daughter as she settled in his lap. Even as such a small toddler Regina is demanding. Rumple has no one else to blame but himself. He spoiled her rotten and well, he believed that all little girls should be spoiled, especially his little princess. "I just put you down for a nap." He said in a playful tone.

Regina giggled before kissing her father on the cheek. Something he wasn't used to but he found that he liked. "I woke up and I missed you."

He smiled at the brown eyed beauty on his lap. Rumplestiltskin had seen many things in his centuries of life. More beautiful things than he could count but they all pale in comparison to his little girl. "Did you dream?" He asked settling Regina so that he had room to still spin.

"Yes." Regina said. She frowned and her little face clouded over. As a father Rumple immediately began to worry. "I had a bad one though." She said then. Rumple nodded. Regina was such a bright child. She could speak and express herself so well. He believed that most of it was because of her genetics with her coming from two magical parents.

"What was it about?" He asked. Regina sighed and snuggled closer to him. He handed her a strip of gold and watched her tiny fingers play with it.

"I woke up and you were gone." The little girl said finally. Rumple frowned but let the child continue. "I was all alone and I couldn't find you. I was scared."

"Oh, alright." He said patting Regina on the head in a way that he hoped felt affectionate to the child. He really disliked when his little girl was anything but happy. "That will never happen. I promise that we will never be separated. We will always be together so, don't be scared."

Regina looked up at him then nodded. She put her tiny arms around his neck and hugged him. Rumple really liked her hugs but he wouldn't admit that either. "I love you, papa." She said in that adorable little voice.

He wanted to say it back because he did love his little girl. They were all each other had now. He couldn't form the words though so instead, he held her back. "Regina," He said gently. Regina pulled back and looked up at him with furrowed brows. "You really do need to sleep. You're so young and you're still growing."

Regina made a face. "But I can't sleep."

Rumple chuckled and helped Regina settle back into his lap. She laid her head on his chest and looked back at the wheel. He went back to spinning knowing that that never failed to put the little girl to sleep. "Try." He said.

"Can you tell me a story?" Regina asked quietly. She knew that her father had the best stories. Rumple nodded although the child wasn't looking up at him. He patted her on the head.

"Once Upon a time in a land that was wonderful and full of magic, there lived a cold, gruesome, evil sorcerer." He began the story. "And he was clouded by darkness. The darkness had consumed him and had taken away all that he was. He lost everything because of it and he was left alone with his power." He looked down to see Regina looking up at him, those big brown eyes reading him. She was sucking her thumb, a habit that Rumple disliked. Bae did it as well and he was around Regina's age when Rumple began breaking him out of it. He doubted it would be that easy with Regina. She was a stubborn little thing. That is where she took after Cora and that was it. But she needed to break that habit and soon but that was a problem for another time. Right now, Regina asked for a story and a story she shall have. "He was lonely then and it just made him angrier and more cruel. He used his power for terrible things, trying to ease his heartache but nothing worked. He had lost everything because of his power and he felt like he had nothing. He was so lost and very sad until on an unexpected day, a little bright eyed baby girl came into the sorcerer's life. He knew from the first moment he held her that he would never be lonely again as long as he had her. As his daughter grew, she brought light and happiness back into his life. He was happy and so was she. She was his everything. She held his black heart in her tiny hands and he never wanted her to let go."

He heard Regina yawn and looked down to see her stretch out her little arms. "Do they get a happy ending?" She asked in a sleepy voice.

"Yes." He said gently. "The little girl made him so happy and he tried his best to make her happy. She loved and accepted him for who he was and that was all the man ever wanted. She was part of his happy ending. The two of them spent every day together. They played together, the sorcerer taught her and she loved to hear stories from him." He could hear Regina giggle on the last part. He smiled. "They lived together in happiness and peace. And then the sorcerer knew he was right, he would never be lonely again."

He felt a weight on his chest and then he looked down to see that Regina had fallen asleep that quickly. He smiled at the sight of the sleeping little girl. It was like she became prettier everyday. Raising this child was becoming one of Rumple's favorite things. He enjoyed teaching her and watching her grow. It made him feel whole. Almost like he wasn't a monster or a beast. With Regina, he was just her father. She never judged him and loved him unconditionally. That was all he ever wanted. He pushed some of Regina's hair away from her face and he chuckled at the sleeping toddler. She never makes it to the end of a story and she's too young to understand that that story is about the two of them. Regina is bright though. She'll figure it out and then she will know just how much she means to him. He gathered the small child into his arms and stood. He poofed them to Regina's bedroom which was lit brightly by cute little lanterns floating in midair.

He walked over and laid her down on her little bed. He pulled the pink blankets up to cover her, tucking her in. He straightened up and watched his sleeping daughter for a moment. He combed his fingers through her beautiful dark ringlets. He meant it. Regina would never be alone, she will always have him. He will always protect her and keep her close. She never needed to worry. She would always have him.

"I will always be here, Regina. Don't you worry." He whispered to his sleeping child. He watched a small smile cross the child's lips which made him smile as well.

The words echoed through Rumple's head as he tore through his room of magical items. He had already used most of the items to try and find his child but he hadn't had any luck. It was as if Regina was gone from this world or even... no he shook that thought away. Regina couldn't die. She was immortal like he was and maybe even more so, since she was not tethered to the dagger. She could do what she pleased and not fear being killed by its power.

That gave him some peace of mind but it still made him feel uneasy that he couldn't find her. He tried everything, well except for one. He looked at the crystal ball before him rested on the wooden podium. He put his hands on it and wished to see his daughter and channelled all of his power into it. He felt the vibrations of the magic coursing through the orb and opened his eyes expecting to see his little girl but instead was met with a globe full of gray fog. Still nothing. That didn't work either.

He growled in anger and picked up the ball, then chucked it across the room in a fit of fury. It hit the wall with a loud crash and shattered. Pieces of it flying everywhere.

He screamed in fury and vials on his shelves began shattering around him and other items clattered to the floor. Some of which breaking. He had never felt so helpless. It made him feel weak. He refused to be weak ever again. He will not lose another child.

"I will find you, Regina." He said into the darkness of the empty room. "And whoever is responsible for this is going to pay. They will be begging for death when I'm finished with them."

At that he raised a hand and vanished from the room in a plume of red smoke. He needed to change his searching tactics. He needed to try a more hands on approach.

Regina was used to dark cold castles so walking down that dark eerie hallway was not frightening in the least. Besides she was pretty sure that her own castle was darker than this one. The place got slightly more light than their castle though. Regina had just managed to get her father to stop nailing the curtains to the wall so she could open them and let some light in during the day. Maleficent clearly was confident in her physical appearance. She had mirrors almost everywhere they turned and none of them were covered unlike back at Regina's home. Her father has broken or covered all of the mirrors in all of the rooms except Regina's bedroom. He told her once when she was a young teenager and asked why, that he didn't want to keep staring at the monster that reflected back at him. Regina tried to convince him that he was not a monster to her but he just told her that it wasn't only what she saw but it was the things that he had done. She told him that she forgave him for everything he did and she always would and that changed him. She saw that he took comfort in that. It seemed that the only thing that mattered was her. It made sense because all that mattered in her world was him. She loved him no matter what.

She glanced at the woman beside her. She could see why Maleficent was so confident in herself though. She was gorgeous but she was harder to get through to than her father. She was determined and driven. She was hellbent on getting what she wanted. Her father was as well but the advantage she had was that she was his little girl. Regina knew that there was no convincing this sorceress to let her go so she understood that it was best to just keep her mouth shut and sit tight. Her father would come for her soon.

At least the sorceress gave her a few moments of freedom. Regina hated being cooped up. Even though she was not allowed to leave her own castle without her father, she was free to go wherever she liked in their home so, being Maleficent's prisoner was difficult for her. Living in a cage is not ideal and neither is being locked inside of a bedroom all day long with nothing to do but sleep. Those conditions made it very clear that she was not a guest, regardless of what Maleficent had said.

Regina continued to stare at her escort. Said woman kept her eyes ahead of them. Clearly disinterested in the young woman beside her. Regina took that as an opportunity to study her. There was no denying that Maleficent was breathtaking but she's obviously dark and evil. Her beauty overshadowed that though. Instead of fearing her wickedness, Regina was drawn in by her allure. Out of all of the features on the woman's perfect face, she had to say that her lips were her favorite. They looked so plump and soft. Kissable. She wondered what it would be like to press her own to them. Regina's eyes widened at her own train of thought and she blushed.

That's the woman that kidnapped her and locked her in a cage. Why would she want to kiss her? How could she?

Maybe because she was so gorgeous and powerful. Regina was attracted to power and darkness. Most likely caused by the darkness within her that had been suppressed for so long. Either way Regina was quite attracted to the older sorceress. It was more than obvious judging by the way that her body responded when the woman touched her and the way she yearned for her when she pulled away. Regina blushed even deeper when she remembered what she felt that time between her thighs. She had no idea what it was but it felt good. She liked it but she also felt dirty at the same time. That's obviously not a natural feeling. She wanted to ask Maleficent why she felt dirty for that but she didn't want to seem like a complete idiot or even more of a child, so she stayed quiet.

"I was thinking that you and I could go to the garden and sit." Maleficent said quietly. "You mentioned that you wanted some fresh air. I don't know much about humans or mortals but I assume that you need sunlight to... survive." She said the last word as if it confused her. Everything needed to survive, even Maleficents.

"Well yes." Regina muttered. She still didn't trust Maleficent enough to tell her about her immortality. She looked away from her, avoiding all eye contact. She refused to get lost in those deep blue eyes ever again.

Maleficent nodded and looked straight ahead as they walked down the corridor. They passed a few rooms with closed doors along the way and Regina felt her curiosity piqued. She wanted to know what was inside of them. She started to ask but she knew that Maleficent was not going to share. Just like her answers to all of Regina's questions. That too would be vague and possibly confusing. Maleficent was a mystery and the witch obviously wanted to keep it that way. Regina just stayed quiet as they continued on down the dark corridor. All that could be heard was the 'tip tap' of Regina's shoes and the thump of Maleficent's staff.

Regina could feel Maleficent's eyes on her but she refused to look her way. Instead she focused on all of the peculiar closed doors wondering what was inside. For a moment she panicked and thought perhaps there were more girls that were abducted. She quickly shook that idea off. Maleficent did explain that Regina was a ransom. She doubted that Maleficent would want to go through that much trouble.

Regina was lost in her thoughts and wild scenarios and it wasn't until Maleficent spoke, that Regina's attention was back onto the older woman.

"I don't know much about your mother." Maleficent began. "All I know is that she must have had a strong stomach to want to lay with Rumplestiltskin. Tell me about her."

Regina was shocked by the question but she was even more surprised that she wasn't the slightest bit offended by what Maleficent had just said about her parents. Well for one it was sort of true. Her father wasn't the most attractive man around. To other people he was hideous but to Regina he was her father. She didn't see a beast she just saw him. And as for her mother, well she didn't care. Her mother was selfish and didn't love her. She barely knew anything about her because her father didn't speak of her. "All I know is that she didn't want me." She replied with a shrug. "Good thing too because she was selfish."

Maleficent's face had an expression on it that was similar to sympathy then just like that it was gone being replaced with indifference. "You never knew your mother?" She asked softly.

Regina shook her head. "No."

Maleficent nodded. Regina could see that the woman was contemplating something and she instantly tensed but before she could panic, Maleficent spoke again. "So who is teaching you about your body'?"

"I've learned everything by myself." Regina said proudly. "I taught myself to be a woman."

Maleficent smiled, really smiled. Regina could feel Maleficent's eyes raking up and down her body. For some reason, it gave her a pleasurable feeling. The feeling of being... desired was turning her on. She could feel heat coiling in her lower stomach and pressure building up below that. She was confused by this but kept walking.

"And you are a woman indeed." Maleficent said. Her voice was low. Regina looked back at the woman with a furrowed brow. She noticed her eyes glowing slightly and the intensity of the eyes on hers was almost too much to bear. "Come closer, my dear. I don't bite."

Regina frowned. She was confused about what was happening but she followed Maleficent's instructions. Maleficent stopped her with a gently placed hand on her arm. Regina was then pulled flush against the sorceress' front. Regina breathed out and looked up into those eyes. Maleficent's eyes were studying her sharply. She then leaned in closer to Regina's throat and she could feel her smelling her. She gasped when she felt the woman's warm lips brush against her flesh. She shivered and could hear the other woman chuckle in response.

"You smell good enough to eat." Maleficent muttered. She sighed and pulled away. Regina wanted to cry at the loss of contact. "But I promised I wouldn't touch you."

Regina groaned. She wanted to see what Mal was going to do. This was all so new for her and her curiosity was getting the best of her. "It's alright." Regina said quickly. "I don't mind."

Maleficent smiled and leaned in again. She then ran her fingertips lightly over the girls throat and Regina shivered with a soft gasp. She could feel it throughout her entire body. Maleficent chuckled again and wrapped her entire hand around Regina's neck, squeezing slightly.. Regina's mind was suddenly wide open and her senses were magnified. She felt odd sensations in parts of her body that made her feel filthy. She liked it through. She shivered a little when Maleficent began squeezing a little harder and Regina's eyes slipped closed. She knew that she should have been afraid but she wasn't. She liked the playing with danger part. It was exciting and it was turning her on. Mal leaned in close and Regina was sure she was going to kiss her and she knew that she wouldn't protest. She hated herself for it.

"Mal, darling there you are." They both sighed at the sound of the irritating voice and Maleficent reluctantly pulled away, releasing her. Cruella was coming down the dark hallway towards them. There was a drunken sway in her movements and her black and white fur coat was hanging off of her shoulder. The woman instantly scowled when she saw Regina and Regina bristled. Maleficent sighed, obviously realizing that that was as far as she going to get with Regina for now. Cruella was an absolute mood killer.

"What do you want, Cruella?" Mal snapped.

"My question first." Cruella snapped back. "What is this doing out of her cage?" She slurred with a sloppy wave of her hand at Regina.

"She is not going to go anywhere, Cruella." Mal sighed. "She couldn't stay in that cage. She's a living breathing thing!"

Cruella looked appalled by the fact that Maleficent would even dare to raise her voice at her. "I think your little infatuation with that little bitch is going to ruin our whole plan!"

"I don't have an infatuation." Mal protested.

"Oh really?" Cruella said angrily. "Because you've been treating her as if you were courting her since she's gotten here. You're going soft, Mal. I say you hold her down and take what you want from her or torture her a little! Just a little burns and cuts. See how weak she is. That's the only way for you to snap out of this."

Maleficent looked over at Regina and Regina frowned. She understood what Cruella meant and she knew that if Mal wanted to she could easily overpower her. She wasn't ready and she certainly didn't want to be tortured when she couldn't heal herself. Her body was saying one thing but her mind knew better. She didn't want to give herself to anyone yet and she certainly didn't want to be taken against her will. In her young mind that was scarier than the torture part. Regina took a step back, ready to make a break for it.

"Regina," Mal said in a soft voice that Regina hadn't heard before. Regina looked behind herself to see if she could make an easy get away. The hall was clear for the most part. She looked back at Maleficent then at Cruella who was wearing a wicked smirk. "Regina..." Mal repeated, pulling Regina's attention. "I made a promise."

Regina nodded. She did and she's kept it so far. Well up until Regina practically begged her to touch her. She nodded. "Alright."

"Very good." Mal said with an actual smile.

"A promise, Mal! You made a promise to that little tart?" Cruella screamed.

"Watch it, Cruella." Mal warned darkly.

Cruella laughed then. The sound was cruel and wicked. It made Regina flinch and step back even further. "You're in love with her." Cruella said through her laughter and she wiped a fake tear. "Wow."

"I am not in love. Humans feel love. Dragons do not." Mal said dismissively.

Cruella rolled her eyes and waved a dismissive hand at Maleficent. Maleficent bristled at the blatant disrespect. "Yes, yes. Dragons are cold and cruel... until they find a suitable mate."

Maleficent growled low within her chest and the vibrations were so strong that Regina could feel them where she stood. "Shut up, Cruella. You know nothing!" She screamed.

Regina's pretty sure that she had never heard Maleficent raise her voice. She's never even seen her angry. Boy, was she scary. Cruella stood her ground and they glared at each other. "If that is the case, prove me wrong." Cruella taunted. "Touch her."

"You are sick." Maleficent said through a snarl. "Twisted and evil."

"And so are you." Cruella threw back. "Malevolent, I believe the term is."

Maleficent was fuming and her magic was going crazy. Regina could feel it and it caused her heart to start racing. "I'm still who I am."

"Then prove it." Cruella pushed. "Show me that our dragon is still in there. Show us that we haven't lost her and our leader. Show me that you still want your happy ending."

Maleficent stared at Cruella and Cruella stared back. Maleficent didn't deny her that time and Regina could feel her resolve breaking. She couldn't. She wouldn't. Regina backed up further and neither of the witches noticed her in the heat of their rage. She kept going with her eyes on them, step by step. They didn't even know that she was getting away. Once she was far enough she took off down the hallway. She ran passed some of the the closed doors. She chanced a glance over her shoulder. They were going to notice soon. She chose the next door she saw and went inside. She had no clue what she was going to encounter but it couldn't be worse than those witches.

The room was completely dark. It appeared to be a guest bedroom. The furniture was covered up with black sheets and it appeared to be completely unoccupied. She shut the door behind her.

She stepped further inside. She looked around for a place to hide. She looked at a tall wooden wardrobe. No, they would look there. She shook her head. Her eyes landed on the large bed and she nodded. She quickly ran over and knelt down. It was dark enough for her to hide. She slid under and laid down flat on her stomach facing the door. She just squeezed her eyes closed as she waited. She hoped her father came for her soon. She wasn't sure if she would survive for much longer.

She thought she could trust Maleficent but she was wrong. She's on her own there and that was the scariest part.

Their stand off came to an end when Cruella's eyes shifted and she realized that Regina was gone. "Mal, she's gone." She hissed.

Maleficent looked over at the place where Regina once stood. She feigned surprise. "Oh... she is." She said simply. She sighed when Cruella began circling her as if she would find Regina standing behind her.

"We have to find her." Cruella said urgently and Maleficent could tell that the woman was already riled up. Cruella was impatient and she got excited much too quickly. That meant that she had a terrible predator instinct.

"Cruella, she is a child. She has no idea how to navigate this castle and she has no magic." Maleficent pointed out. "How far is she going to get? Not very far I'd wager."

"Mal, this is serious." Cruella hissed.

"She'll come out when she gets hungry." Maleficent waved it off.

"I want to know where she is." Cruella snapped. Maleficent sighed and rolled her eyes. She had no idea why she put up with that woman.

"Go look for her downstairs." Maleficent instructed. She just wanted Cruella away from her. "I'll look up here."

"She couldn't go downstairs. I would have seen her." Cruella argued.

Maleficent's brows rose. "That so? Because I didn't see which way she went.."

Cruella thought for a second. "You're right. If you find her put her back into that cage." She was so easily deceived and Mal found it annoying but in this situation it was useful. She didn't need her rattling Regina any more than she already had. "And don't let her back out."

Maleficent bristled at the woman ordering her around but nodded. "Fine." She just wanted them to go their separate ways.

Cruella huffed then and stormed down the hallway towards the staircase. Maleficent watched her go with a smirk. She saw the young girl slip away. She let her go. She understood that Regina was scared. Mal didn't see which room she disappeared into though. She decided to give her a moment to calm down then she would go looking for her. She needed the child to trust her. They made a little progress but of course she was set back by Cruella. She rolled her eyes. Of course.

Maleficent turned on her heels and headed back towards her own chambers. She had some things that needed to get done which would be easier to do without babysitting a beautiful girl. Regina was definitely a distraction but in a good way. Maybe some time apart was exactly what they needed.

"Bloody hell!" The man screamed as he was tossed from one side of the ship to the other, hitting the wooden side hard. The force knocked the wind out of him.

"Where is she?" Rumple screamed as he stormed over to him. He knew that he took her. The pirate still wanted his revenge for what Rumple had done to Milah. Although they both had it coming to them, the notorious Captain Hook still had a vendetta against the Dark One. He should be thanking him though. After all if it wasn't for Rumple, the good captain wouldn't have that colorful moniker.

"Where is who?" The pirate groaned as he tried to pull himself up off of the deck which was difficult with the injuries he had already sustained since the beginning of the interrogation.

"Where is my daughter?" Rumple growled.

"Oh your daughter?" The man began to laugh when it all came together. He spat blood out onto the deck. "I don't have your precious little girl. You can check the ship for yourself."

Rumple growled. He didn't believe him but Hook was not foolish enough to invite him to search his ship and risk Rumple finding his daughter. "If I find out that you have taken her..." that was not an idle threat. He found it to be a strange coincidence that as soon as the captain had returned to the enchanted forest his daughter went missing.

The pirate pulled himself up to his feet. He had a hand on his side and he coughed. He was battered and bleeding but still bold as ever. "I've seen your little girl." He said with a smirk. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his good hand. "She reminds me of Milah an awful lot. Doesn't she? Cute, dark hair, nice smooth skin. If I didn't know any better I'd say that Milah mothered her."

"Shut up." Rumple warned. That was impossible anyway. Milah has died centuries ago.

And Regina was nothing like her. She wasn't a user and a liar. She didn't abandon Rumple. She never would. She loved her family and he never had to worry about her running off but he would die before he let this pirate take another thing from him.

"It's too bad really that someone had the idea to take her before I did." The Captain continued. "She would be excellent retribution for you taking away my love."

At that Rumple felt anger flare within him. He flicked his wrist and the man went flying backwards over the side of the ship and landed into the ocean with a huge splash. The crew all ran over to the side of the ship to look at the man that was splashing and calling for help. Rumple giggled. At least that made him feel a little better but this was still a dead end. "So long, Captain Hook." He said before poofing from the ship. He had to look elsewhere. He was determined to find Regina and he wasn't going to stop until he did.

Maleficent busied herself with everything that she needed to get done. She removed her headdress and fixed her hair, she changed into a more comfortable dress and reapplied her make up. She even sat in her chaise over by the window and read a book. She was waiting for Regina to come out on her own but she hadn't. Regina was cute though. She thought that she could hide from Maleficent. Maleficent could smell her down the hall. A scent that Maleficent really liked. It was a mixture of magic, apples and daisies. All light and no darkness as she expected given her origin. She smelled so sweet and of course Maleficent wanted to taste her but she wouldn't push. She wouldn't pressure that girl into doing anything she didn't want.

Maleficent was quite surprised when the girl asked her to touch her. She hadn't been expecting it and it caught her off guard so she gave in. If she had gotten more time she was sure she would have ended up tasting her. Her skin possibly tasted of caramel just as it looked like it. She did get excited and she could feel Regina's heart racing. She wondered how much further they would have gotten had Cruella not interfered. She wondered if she would have Regina laying beside her in her bed. She growled then. Leave it to Cruella to ruin a moment like that and now the girl is spooked and she doubted that she'd let her get that close again.

Usually Maleficent reveled in the fear she invoked within people but for some reason with Regina... she wanted her to feel anything but fear towards her. She didn't want her to be afraid. She wanted her to trust her because frankly she meant her no harm. The things Cruella said, Mal would never do any of those things to Regina. Unless she wanted that is. She had decided that she would never hurt Regina. It was odd for her to care about a human but it was what it was. She chalked it up to the girl being so young.

She stood up from her vanity and grabbed her staff. Regina has had enough playtime and she needed to come back. She walked over to her door and opened it. She peeked out first to see if she saw her little mouse sneaking about. The hall was completely empty. She shrugged then stepped out into the hallway. She followed Regina's scent passed a few of the closed doors until it lead her to one, only two doors from where they had been standing before. She smirked and pushed the door open.

The door flew open and hit the wall. She heard a small gasp and she smiled. "Hmm..." She hummed thoughtfully as she entered the room. "I wonder where my little mouse has gotten off to..."

She walked around the dark room slowly as if she didn't know that the girl was under the bed. She could smell her fear and hear her shaking. She walked over to the wardrobe. "Is she in here..." She pulled the door open for dramatic effect. She then pretended to search the empty wardrobe. "No."

She began to walk around the room and she stopped at the desk. She bent down and checked under there. "Not there either."

"Hmmm..." She hummed. Play time is over because she was growing bored and she wanted her plaything. She knew where she was and with a flick of her wrist Regina was yanked from underneath the bed. The girl screamed and rolled over onto her back and started fighting. What exactly, Maleficent was unsure but she loved the girl's fire.

Regina's chest was heaving and her eyes were wide as she looked up at Maleficent. "Regina, calm down." Mal bent over to push some hair from Regina's face but Regina swung at her and barely missed her.

Maleficent chuckled. Yep. She loved her fire.

"No. Leave me alone." Regina screamed. She turned over and tried to crawl away but Maleficent stopped her. An invisible force grabbed Regina's ankles and pulled her back to Mal. The girl was still struggling and her nails dug into the wood of the floor. She was going to hurt herself.

Maleficent turned the girl over with a flick of her wrist. Before Regina could begin swinging again, Maleficent bounded her hands with that same invisible force and pulled her arms up above her head. She was completely immobilized. She squirmed not giving up her fight.

"Now." Maleficent said as she put one leg over Regina so that the girl was between her legs. She then lowered herself to a kneeling position, straddling the young girl. She could see the panic on Regina's face and she wasn't sure how to calm her. "Come now, Regina. No one is going to hurt you." She then reached down and pushed the hair that had fallen into Regina's face away.

"But Cruella said..." Regina's voice shook.

"I don't take orders from useless mortals." Maleficent said proudly. "I am much too great to pay her any mind." She could see Regina calming a little. "I promised that I will never hurt you and I will keep that promise."

She traced a finger down the girl's cheek and she could feel her relaxing. Her breathing began to slow and she stopped squirming.

"Good girl." Maleficent said pleased with the young woman's compliance. "There..."

She stared down at Regina and Regina stared up at her. There were multiple emotions going across the girl's dark eyes. Maleficent couldn't figure out what she was thinking but she needed to know. She sat there straddling Regina's stomach just watching her. She didn't plan to move anytime soon. She wanted to hold Regina down, immobilize her, own her. Even if it was just for a moment.

"Don't take anything Cruella says to heart. She's a hateful, petty woman and she would do anything to hurt or scare you. She feeds off of it. Don't give her what she wants." She whispered. Regina nodded. Maleficent tilted her head studying her. She couldn't read her expression. "Alright?"

Regina nodded "Yes."

Maleficent smirked. "You are such a good girl." She stroked the girl's cheek with her knuckle and she delighted when the child didn't pull away. "Next time you get frightened talk to me, alright?"

Regina nodded again. "Yes."

"Good girl." Maleficent smiled then she reluctantly stood to her feet. She really liked sitting on Regina. It just felt right but there was a time for everything. She undid the invisible bonds then offered the girl her hand. Regina accepted it and allowed herself to be helped up. They were both surprised that there was no shock or current when they touched. Just like a few hours ago when Mal had touched Regina in the hallway. She didn't dwell on it much because she didn't know what to make of it.

Once Regina was on her feet, Maleficent's hands instantly began brushing the dust from the girl's dress. Regina allowed to which was surprising but Mal didn't draw any attention to it, instead she began dusting the back of the dress off. It was a battle to behave herself as her hand brushed the supple flesh of the girl's behind but she held it together. Maleficent gave Regina a look over. She looked alright but she would give her a different dress for the evening.

"Come along." Mal said as she turned on her heels and began leading Regina out of the room. She heard Regina's shoes following her. She smiled to herself as she stepped out of the room and held the door open for Regina. Once the girl stepped through, Mal shut the door behind her. "This way." She said and then began leading Regina again. Regina of course obediently followed. Mal smirked to herself as she thought of how much of a good girl she had.

Thanks for reading! :)