Daughter of Darkness || Once Upon a Time

Chapter Thirty-One | The Land of the Living

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|Storybrooke|
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The bright sun was such a contrast from the dark Underworld that everyone had a hard time opening their eyes. They appeared on the banks of the pond where the portals to the Underworld had been opened. Regina forced her eyes open first and rushed over to where Robin and Henry were standing, pulling them both into a hug. Slowly but surely, everyone else came around as well.

Henry went home with Emma since he hadn't seen her in weeks, so Regina and Robin headed home to Regina's house. When they arrived, Tinker Bell and Astrid were watching Megan and Roland. Granny was watching baby Neal.

When the door opened and Regina and Robin entered, Roland dropped what he had in his hands and rushed over to them. "Papa! Gina!" Robin picked up Roland while Regina took Megan from Tinker Bell and thanked her for looking after the kids while they were gone. Tink and Astrid left after that and Roland started telling Robin and Regina about all that had happened in the time they had been in the Underworld.

"...And so Tink took Meg and I to Granny's so we could see Neal, and we ate lunch before we came back here and watched a movie! Oh! And Granny made a blanket for Meg!" Roland jumped off of the couch and ran upstairs. He came back holding a mint green blanket similar to Emma's with 'Meg' stitched onto it.

Regina took the blanket from Roland and smiled. "Well, we'll have to thank her for this, won't we?"

Roland nodded. "We could go there for dinner or lunch tomorrow!"

Regina laughed. "I think Emma and Mary Margaret are going to agree with you on that one. They always seem to want to have a party to celebrate a victory."

"Maybe those parties are the reason we always get some new villain," Robin called from the other room where he was feeding baby formula to Megan.

"I have to agree with you on that one."

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|Emma's House|
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Henry looked around the bedroom Emma had led him to after they entered her new house. "So this is my room?"

"Yup. I know you'll probably want to stay with Regina and your grandparents sometimes, but you're welcome here whenever."

"Sweet!" Henry smiled. He turned around and hugged Emma. "Thanks, Mom!"

"What about some dinner?" Emma suggested. "Except, we'll have to eat at Granny's because I have no food that's not expired at this point..."

"Only if we can invite everyone else."

"Is a party to celebrate our return really a good idea?" Emma smirked. "We might just end up having to defeat some other villain."

"As long as it's not you, I don't mind."

"Then I guess I'll text Regina, Mary Margaret, and Belle."

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|Granny's|
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Several tables had been pushed together in the middle of Granny's so everyone could sit together. Ruby was behind the counter again because she hadn't decided if she was quite ready to head back to the Enchanted Forest (Although, Regina had offered to use the wand to create a portal that was slightly less damaging than a tornado).

Belle had plenty of questions about what had happened in the Underworld that she had missed and everyone besides Regina and Robin wanted to hear about Tartarus.

It was late when the group began to disperse for the night. Belle and Gold left first because Belle had begun feeling ill again and Gold decided that she needed rest in a real bed. Henry left with Emma and Killian to spend the night in his new bedroom. Regina and Robin took Roland and Megan home before Roland got tired enough to fall asleep right where he was in Granny's. Meg was already asleep, wrapped up in her blanket from Granny which Regina and Robin had both thanked her for. Neal had also already fallen asleep with his blanket from Granny draped over him when Mary Margaret and David left.

Mulan showed up at Granny's a few minutes before it closed and after assuring Granny that she just wanted to talk to Ruby and not actually spend ten minutes eating, she was allowed in.

"Where have you been?" Ruby asked.

"Catching up with an old friend."

"And who might that be?"

"Aurora."

Ruby nodded. "Okay. Do you have somewhere to stay while in Storybrooke?"

Mulan shook her head. "No, actually."

"After we close, I can take you to the inn and get you a room?" Ruby offered.

Mulan smiled. "That would be nice."

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|Regina's House|
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Megan and Roland were both fast asleep when Regina and Robin went to bed. Regina had her head on Robin's chest and Robin's arm was wrapped around her.

"You doing okay?"

"Yeah," Regina answered quietly. "Just thinking."

"About what?"

"Everything that's happened since Emma became the Dark One. We haven't had enough down time to think about anything for the past eleven or so weeks. ...And I've also been thinking about what Merlin said before I became the Sorceress - about how the magic would heal me completely."

Robin frowned. "What would be so important about what Merlin said?"

"Because...maybe, if we're lucky, the magic also healed the part of me that was hurt when I took the infertility curse all those years ago. Obviously we have Megan right now, but--" Regina was cut off by Robin's lips pressing against hers.

"If you want to have a child, we will have a child. I don't care if Merlin's magic healed you or not. I'll find someway to reverse the curse myself if I need to."

Regina smiled. She felt as if Robin's words were wrapping around her like a warm hug. "Someday."

"Does that mean we can get married someday too?"

Regina turned so she was hovering over Robin. "A-Are you...proposing?"

"Well, I don't have a ring yet, but, I mean, if you want--"

"Yes!" Regina exclaimed. She kissed Robin. "Of course we can get married someday!"

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Author's Note: Just because they are out of the Underworld does not mean that this is the last chapter, don't worry. After all, we still have the birth of Baby Gold to get to ;)