❃
|Storybrooke|
❃

A planned meeting in Granny's with the woman who abandoned her first daughter and killed the fiancé of her second daughter was probably not a very good plan, but it was the only one Regina and Zelena could come up with.

So Regina entered Granny's in order to get information about Arthur from her mother.

She was wearing an oversized hoodie that hid the baby bump that was gradually getting bigger because a winter coat wasn't exactly inconspicuous in the middle of April, but the last thing she needed was Cora finding out about her and Zelena's unborn children because no one knew how she would react.

"Your style has gone down, my dear," was the first thing Cora said when Regina slid into the booth across from her mother.

"Are you just going to insult me or can you help?"

Cora sighed. "It depends on your needs."

"I need to know where Arthur is. Hades has kidnapped him."

"Oh I know all about that love story," Cora waved Regina's request aside. "It will cost you, though. If you want information, I want some of my own. Why are you wearing that hoodie? I know it's not because it smells like your thief."

Regina didn't say anything.

"Don't forget that I raised you, Regina. I know when you're hiding something."

Regina still kept her mouth shut, not wanting to put her child in danger.

"Maybe you'll answer if I offer you something more. Information on how to stop Hades."

"Maybe I would tell you things if you acted like a real parent and helped your children out once in awhile," Regina shot back.

This time, it was Cora who stayed silent. Regina didn't back down and continued to look into her mother's eyes. Finally, Cora gave in. "I'll help you and your sister find Arthur."

❃

Robin stopped Regina from going along with Cora and Zelena when he noticed she was feeling sick. As much as Regina protested, Robin insisted going on a dangerous mission to save someone from the lord of the Underworld while pregnant was not a good idea. So Emma agreed to go in Regina's place.

Cora led Emma and Zelena through the forest until they happened upon the Snow Queen's ice cream truck. Around the truck were all of the villains Hades had brought back besides Nimue and Cora. And in the middle of the chaos, Arthur lay unconscious in a coffin, similar to how Snow had been when David found her under the curse. Zelena covered her mouth to keep herself from making any noises that would attract the villains' attention.

"What now?" Emma asked in a hushed voice. "Blast our way through so Zelena can give Arthur a true love's kiss?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," Zelena agreed.

"I don't think that will work." Cora placed a hand on Emma's shoulder to prevent her from moving. Emma cringed and shrugged Cora's hand away.

"If we can convince Hades that Zelena is the only one here, he might send the others away," Cora continued. "A one-on-one talk is probably what Hades wants."

Zelena stood up. "Guess that's my cue." She walked into the clearing and as soon as Hades saw her, he lifted a hand and all of the other villains vanished. Emma made a move to follow Zelena, but Cora grabbed her arm.

"Not yet. He'll just send us away."

As much as Emma didn't want to crouch behind bushes with Cora, she had to admit that Cora was right, so she reluctantly watched from where she was.

"Zelena," Hades said.

"Why are you doing this?" Zelena asked.

"To show you that you don't have to be stuck with a mortal."

"What are you trying to accomplish here?!" Zelena shouted. "You already tried to prove I was your true love, and your heart is still dead, Hades!"

"Zelena, I've done everything for you. I have allowed you to come and go from the Underworld as you please. I allowed Megaera to leave with Regina and Robin without requiring you to be there. I have nothing nothing but love you and you went and chose a petty mortal over me! Don't let 'true love' decide where your heart lies." Hades held out a hand towards Zelena, "Come with me and we can beat the Fates."

Zelena narrowed her eyes. "You took my daughter from me. And yes, she's fine now, but I will never have my baby back thanks to you. I will never love you, Hades. I don't care what the Fates say. I'm not letting them decide anything about my life. Because I choose Arthur!" Zelena marched over to where Arthur lie and stood over him, almost daring Hades to come after her. But he just watched as Zelena leaned down and pressed her lips to Arthur's. A wave of magic shot out and swept through Storybrooke.

Arthur sucked in a deep breath and his eyes opened. "Zelena?"

"Arthur," Zelena smiled. The former King of Camelot sat up and Zelena pulled him into another kiss.

"What?" Hades stumbled backwards. "No!"

Emma and Cora finally showed themselves and Hades turned to glare at them. "You! You betrayed me, Cora! And Emma Swan, this was because of your so-calked heroics! You will both regret this!" With that, Hades vanished.

"Don't worry, Hades won't be in Storybrooke for too much longer," Cora assured the others. "He's not laying a finger on my daughters and getting away with it."

❃

When Cora, Zelena, Arthur, and Emma made it back to Granny's, they found the heroes surrounded by Hades' army of the undead. Robin was standing so he was in front of Regina's stomach, which only supported Cora's suspicions in what Regina was hiding.

"Hey!" Emma shouted. Pan made the mistake of looking at her and nearly receiving a blast of magic in the face.

"Look who finally showed up," he grinned. "The traitors and the savior."

"At least I'm actually alive," Zelena spat. "You're just a zombie who's being controlled by Hades. All of you are!"

Pan laughed. "No one controls Pan!"

Zelena looked like she wanted to reply, but she kept her mouth shut.

Hades stepped out from the circle of villains. "I'm afraid you're all too late. I have my prizes and your Dark Ones have nothing to hold me back."

"If I may," Cora pushed past Hades and the villains allowed her inside of the circle. Emma, Zelena, and Arthur glanced at each other, confused, before following Cora.

Cora turned back to face Hades. "In order to stop this, we need a deal that cancels out Gold's deal to give away his second born child. Luckily for his children, I have just the deal." A scroll appeared in Cora's hand and she unrolled it. "This looks like a deal that trades Regina off to someone who is not you."

"What?!" Regina demanded. She marched over to Cora and grabbed the contract so she could read it. After skimming through the words on the page, Regina looked up at her mother, "You traded me off too?!" She turned to Gold. "You two are literally the worst parents in the history of parents!"

Gold carefully took the deal so he could read over it. "I thought I destroyed this contract after Cora took her heart out..."

"Death doesn't invalidate anything. I found it in the Underworld," Cora explained. She turned to Hades. "So take us all back to the Underworld and stay away from my children and grandchildren!"

"Wait!" Regina interrupted. She turned and pulled her mother into a hug. "I was wearing the sweatshirt so you couldn't tell that I was pregnant."

"I figured."

After the hug, Regina backed away and Hades and his army of undead villains vanished. Regina turned to Robin, and he pulled her into a hug. "Maybe it's not so bad having dark parents after all," he whispered.

Regina let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, good thing they both traded me away."

"So what did that contract say anyways?"

"My mother traded off the first child she and Gold had to Gold in exchange for him teaching her magic."

Robin placed his lips to Regina's forehead. "Please tell me you didn't trade away your firstborn child."

Regina laughed. "I'm not as stupid as my parents were. Our child is safe."