Misthaven

The Castle

Midnight

"What if we are to blame?" Snow buried her face in her hands, the heavy guilt threatening to consume her. "Charming, I started all of this -"

"You were a child that made a mistake," He countered, his voice rough from the day but everything about his tone was gentle. "Regina is the one who is at fault for trying to kill you - more than once - for it. And I don't know who that blonde woman is, but she seems to be validating her."

Snow sighed heavily, fidgeting with the lace of her slip. "I don't want to believe that. We know nothing about her, and assuming that she's supporting Regina's evil -"

"How could she not be?" Charming shook his head. "The little boy seems to be the only one of the four of them who is truly innocent, and I'm not really sure when she had a son -"

"Caitlin is a victim herself -" Snow protested.

"She's the one who declared that we might as well set everything on fire!" Charming exclaimed, and she sent him a pointed look. "Snow, look, I know you feel bad for her and that's fine, I understand it, but she is just as bad as Regina no matter how much pity you have for her."

"That's not true," She said quietly. "We could protect her, make things better for her -"

"How can you be certain?" He went silent for a moment and then sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her in an attempt to be comforting. "I don't want to put ourselves at risk, especially since we're going to have a family."

She bit her lip. "She is family, though. She's my step-sister."

He hesitated. "I know, but that doesn't make her immune to the consequences for what she's done."

"She hasn't done anything," Snow said, her voice breaking. "Really, she's innocent."

He said no more, and glanced out the window at the starry night and prayed she was right.

"What are you doing?" Emma leaned against the archway out to the balcony, arms crossed. "If you're looking for -"

"I found it…" Regina paused, her hands lingering over the edge of the ornate box. "Daniel's ring and the heart of the horse he taught me to ride on. This will do it."

Emma grimaced. "I don't want to think about why you find a heart sentimental...and I really don't want to think about what you might be using it for."

"I'm casting that curse," She told her with finality. "I know you don't like it, but I am going to take what I want. I'm done with people refusing to take me seriously. I made a threat, and I meant it. I am not backing down, Emma, no matter what you say. Besides, do you really want to risk there being two of you?"

She stared at her in horror. "Are you out of your mind? I don't want harm to come to anyone, much less my own parents -"

"You and I both know what they've done -" Regina snapped.

"That aside, no one deserves to have their lives completely ripped away from them!" Emma felt her voice shake, and tried her best to even it out. "I love you, Regina, but it's not worth the price we're going to pay for it!"

Regina swallowed hard, setting aside her own her own trepidations.

"Mommy?" Caitlin lingered in the doorway, shifting nervously.

"What is it?" She asked, glancing to Emma who did not relinquish her glare.

"They know," She said shortly. "They know what we're trying to do."

When it all comes crashing down to the ground, where will we be when it comes around?

We've wanted it too much and now we're caught in the flames.

We can set it on, set it on, set it on fire.

It's too late, now, let the flames burn higher.

Set it on, set it on, set it on fire.

It's too late, now, let the flames burn higher.

Now we're caught in the flames.

"What are we going to do, mom?" Henry followed Emma around the castle, almost like an excited puppy follows their owner. "You can't let her cast the curse, you can't!"

"If I were able to, believe me, I would," Emma said dryly. "But she's being quite persistent."

"Mom, you can stop her!" Henry exclaimed, his voice cracking. "She loves you! She'll listen, really!"

"No, she won't," Emma said dejectedly. "She's completely unreasonable about it."

He looked at her with wide eyes, hoping to inspire her.

"Henry…" Emma embraced him tightly and patted his head. "It's going to be okay. I promise. I won't let us lose everything, okay? I swear it."

Rumplestiltskin laughed to himself upon the Queen and her daughter storming into his mansion.

"Oh, whatever do we have here?" He continued to laugh despite the sharp glares the both of them were sending him. "Her majesty and her daughter! Both of whom can only use magic because of me!"

Caitlin narrowed her eyes and slammed a book from a nearby table into his side, causing him to let out a sudden yelp of surprise.

"The curse didn't work," Regina informed him, her voice taking on an increasingly nasty tone. "You said it would let me get my revenge -"

"Your majesty, I have no intentions of lying to you," He smirked and rather haughtily crossed his arms. "More than likely, you didn't do it right."

"I did," She testily replied. "I even sacrificed the heart of -"

"The thing you love most?" He said, quirking an eyebrow. "Isn't that thing standing right here?"

Regina pursed her lips. "I am not killing my own daughter."

"Then you don't get your revenge," He said simply and with an air of superiority. "Unless, of course, you're willing to sacrifice your son, that blonde, or…"

"Henry…" Caitlin breathed in horror. "No!"

"Well, if your mother wants her revenge, she's going to have to kill her father!" Rumplestiltskin began to pace with an almost gleeful expression that both women found to be completely out of place. "Unless, of course, she isn't strong enough to do so."

Regina bristled at the comment. "I would have killed Snow if I had been given the chance after that damned prince woke her up -"

"Still bitter?" He began laughing again. "Ah, just keep in mind that this will leave a void in your heart that you won't be able to fill."

"Must you speak like a complete and utter -"

"Yes," He said. "Anything else?"

"Just one," Regina scowled at the man who stood before her. "No one is more of a pain in the ass than you, are they?"

Rumpelstiltskin laughed, this time much more foreboding than before. "Whatever do you mean, your Majesty?"