Author's Note: Things are about to get interesting. Thanks for your continued support! I promise adult content before this story is up! Just not this chapter. I struggled with how to tell Blue's story and decided it was best if she told it herself. I fully expect at least 10 reviews cause this chapter is a biggie!

Side Note/Spoiler Alert: OH EM GEE how awesome was that 2 hour episode?! I am still just...wowza! Fan girling all over the office today! So yeah, this chapter got a little ridiculous but I don't care! I am still on a high from last night and spilled over into my writing!

Chapter Twenty Three

A Matter of Destiny

There was an eerie sort of tension pulsating in the woods that cocooned Storybrooke on three sides. It hummed through Tinkerbell's veins as she stood just on the outer edge, staring at the glistening icicles that hung from the barren branches of the trees. With her arms hugging her waist, her breath caught in her throat, she waited, her ears tuned for even the slightest of sounds. They were out there. Blue and Zelena. Blue's downfall hadn't been much of a surprise. Not for Tinkerbell. She'd always felt as though something were off about the other fairy. Oh Blue had put on a good front, always smiling that sickeningly sweet smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, but there had been something about her that said she wasn't as good and pure as she tried to be. Not once, though, had Tinkerbell thought Blue was evil. Not even after they discovered that Blue was, in fact, Obsidian. There was more to the story. There had to be. She refused to accept the fact that her former mentor had a soul as black as the stone she had been named for.

"You shouldn't be out here."

Raising her chin a notch, Tinkerbell looked over her shoulder to find Jefferson standing several feet away. She wanted to shoo him away the way she would have a pesky fly, to ask him to leave her in peace. That was all she wanted, a tiny bit of peace before all hell broke loose. And hell was coming. Sooner than any of them would like. "I'm fine," she said flatly. Her voice sounded stronger than she actually felt. Again, she felt the urge to tell him to leave. She would beg him if she had to. She couldn't handle all the feelings and the turmoil that came from him being near. She'd tried speaking to him, but Grace had been there. Seeing Grace, knowing she was her daughter, and not being able to hold her close had been one of the most painful experiences of Tinkerbell's life.

"You're fine? Your lips are turning blue! And in case you missed the memo, Blue killed or tried to kill the rest of the fairies. Do you want to be next?"

Curling her gloved fingers into the palms of her hands, Tinkerbell spun around to fully face him. "And what do you care?" The words spewed out of her mouth before she could stop them. She didn't want him to answer, not truly. No matter how he answered, she wasn't sure her heart could bear it.

"I have spent the last thirty years mourning you," he bit out, his brilliant blue eyes blazing. "Not a day went by that I didn't think about you, wonder where you were, or what I had done to make you leave...to make you stop loving me..." The words broke off as a loud cracking sound filled the air. A scream caught in Tinkerbell's throat as a nearby ice laden branch broke and fell to the ground. She felt a pair of a strong arms wrap around her and a soothing voice telling her it was alright, she was alright. She let herself have a moment. A moment of burying her nose in his neck. A moment of inhaling that familiar scent that felt like home. A moment of pretending nothing had changed between them.

"Aw, how sweet!"

Tinkerbell pulled back, her eyes widening as she caught sight of a woman standing near the fallen branch. Chocolate brown hair streaked with jet black hung around her shoulders in a tangled mess of curls and waves and purplish smudges beneath her ebony colored eyes marred an otherwise flawless complexion. There was something familiar about the navy caplet coat and prim black tights and shoes the woman wore. And then it hit her. This woman was Blue! Or she had been. No, Tinkerbell told herself. She is still Blue. Somewhere, in there, is Blue. "Blue," she said cautiously.

"It's Obsidian, actually."

Obsidian. Just the mention of the name sent a chill down Tinkerbell's spine. Squaring her shoulders, she forced herself to meet the other fairy's gaze. "You will always be Blue to me."

A husky chuckle slipped passed Blue's lips. An almost amused smirk formed. She made a tsking noise as she took a few steps towards Tinkerbell and Jefferson. "Tinkerbell, Tinkerbell...whatever am I to do with you?"

That had always been the question. What was Blue going to do with Tinkerbell? Ultimately she had taken her wings and banished her to Neverland. If not for the series of events that had led to Henry ending up on the island and Regina, Emma, the Charmings, and Hook going after him, Tinkerbell had no doubt she would still be there. A lowly, never do well that wasn't worthy of wings. She'd redeemed herself though when she helped defeat Pan. Blue had given her back her wings and her status as a fairy. That was the woman Tinkerbell needed to appeal to. The woman who gave second chances and admitted when she was wrong. "You could tell me why..." she suggested. Why Blue was letting herself be poisoned by evil. Why Blue was hurting and killing the people she loved the most. Why Blue was alone in the woods. Or was she alone? There had been talk that Blue had gone after Zelena. Had the two met? Were they now conspiring together to bring harm, possibly death, to Regina?

"Why? Such a simple question. Yet...the answer is never quite so simple is it?" Blue walked closer, stopping only when she was almost nose to nose with Tinkerbell. "I didn't want to hurt them," she said softly. "It was like something...or someone...had taken over me. My thoughts...my actions..." She reached up and traced her fingertip down the curve of Tinkerbell's cheek. "They weren't my own. Or," a slow, wicked grin spread across her lips, "perhaps they were." Her finger stopped just above the pulse point in Tinkerbell's neck.

"No," Tinkerbell said, shaking her head. "You're not evil Blue."

"I told you, silly girl. My name is Obsidian." Her fingers squeezed into Tinkerbell's neck. Fighting the panic swelling in her chest, Tinkerbell reached up and wrapped her fingers around Blue's wrist. From the corner of her eye she saw Jefferson take a step towards them. Blue must have seen him as well as she released her hold on Tinkerbell and turned toward Jefferson. "Don't start thinking you're a hero Jefferson. We all know you're not. Now be a good boy and stay!" She raised on hand and sent him flying backwards. He thumped against the trunk of a tree. Tinkerbell watched in horror as vines rose from the ground and wrapped around him. "There. Now we can talk without any interruptions. Now. Where were we. Oh yes! You asked me why."

Tinkerbell took a step backwards, wondering if perhaps Jefferson had been right all along and she shouldn't have been out in the woods. If she had stayed in town she would be sitting at Granny's right now, enjoying a bowl of chicken noodle soup and hot cocoa. Instead she had let her run in with Jefferson and Grace cloud her judgment. She'd wanted to prove even though she wasn't important in their lives, she was important! She was going to help protect Storybrooke, and Regina, from the evil lurking in the woods. She...had been stupid and selfish. How many times had Blue accused her of those things in the past? Too many to count. Stupid, selfish Tinkerbell. Would she now pay the ultimate price for those sins? She hoped not. There was too much to live for. Grace for starters. She wanted to know her daughter. Plus, she wanted to be there for Regina. And, if she was being truly honest, she wanted to fix things with Jefferson.

"You asked me why," Blue mused, again. "I don't believe anyone has ever asked me that before." She stared pacing, her hands shoved into the pockets of her coat. "For the record," she paused and met Tinkerbell's gaze, "I didn't mean to hurt Nova or the others. It was like once I started remembering who I was all this anger bubbled up and I..." she raised one shoulder, and let it drop, "lost control."

Should she tell her that Nova would be alright? Just before Jefferson happened upon her she'd received a text from Regina. Nova had pulled through. All thanks to Leroy. Who knew that the love between a dwarf and fairy could be so powerful? But then, wasn't that what love was? Power?

"You asked me why," she repeated, once again resuming her pacing. "Once upon a time...isn't that how our stories are supposed to start? With once upon a time? Or maybe that's only for goodie goodies like Snow White and her "prince" charming." She giggled, shaking her head. "No matter. I like the way it sounds. Once upon a time there was a fairy named Obsidian. She wasn't your ordinary fairy. Like her sisters Elsa and Anna, she had a special job. And that job was insuring the balance of nature wasn't upset." She paused and stared at Tinkerbell. "Did you know you cheat death?" Tinkerbell started to shake her head, only to end up nodding. She herself had cheated death. Hadn't she? Was that why Blue had never liked her? Had she sensed that Tinkerbell had upset the balance of nature? "You're not supposed to. Cheat death, that is. It really upsets the balance of nature. You have no idea the things I had to do in order to keep things balanced. I had to make sure nobody was cheating the laws of nature. And if I caught them cheating, I had to do whatever was necessary to restore balance. Do you know they used to call me the Fairy of Death? Fairy of Death! As though I did nothing but take life! I didn't! I simply made sure things were balanced! Sometimes, yes, that meant making sure a person who was meant to die really died. I also made sure those who were meant to live, lived. I was content enough with the job. It isn't as though us fairies really have a choice. And then...I met him." A small, sad smile formed on Blue's lips.

Please don't let him be Rumpelstiltskin, Tinkerbell thought with a grimace. It wasn't anything personal against the man, but she'd never understood why so many women went crazy for him. Some of them, like Zelena, literally. Maybe it was the power. Some women were attracted to power. Had Blue been one of those women? If so they were all screwed because a woman scorned by Rumple was a crazy, deadly one.

"His name was William Jones," Blue said, a far off look in her dark eyes. "He was a sailor."

Oh God. William Jones. Elder brother to one Killian Jones, a.k.a. Captain Hook. Tinkerbell knew a bit about the elder Jones brother. He'd been obsessed with finding new lands and discovering the different magical properties or beings that inhabited those lands. It wasn't impossible to imagine that during one of his journeys he had come across Blue, or rather Obsidian. "Did you love him," Tinkerbell asked in a quiet voice, already knowing the answer. It was written all over Blue's face. Of course she had loved him. And...lost him.

"It is difficult not to love a man who promises you the world," Blue answered softly. Her face darkened. "I couldn't go with him. Due to the nature of my being I was tied to the Enchanted Forest. If I wanted to be with him, I would have to become human. William told me he'd heard for a lamp. One that contained a genie that would grant wishes. He wanted to find the lamp so I could wish to be human. I told him there was no guarantees that he could find it. He was so certain he could though. He said that nothing was going to stop us from being together." She ducked her head, a waterfall of chocolate brown and midnight black hair hiding her face. "I should have trusted him," she whispered. "I should have believed in him." She looked back up, her dark eyes damp with unshed tears. "I didn't though. I wanted instant results. Like a fool I summoned the Dark One."

Tinkerbell bit back a groan. She'd known Rumpelstiltskin would come into play. Anytime a bargain was to be made, he was involved. "What did he want in exchange for making you human?"

A bitter laugh welled up from Blue's chest. "Oh Tinkerbell, you really are naive. So was I...once. I didn't ask to be human. Silly me, I asked to no longer be the Black Fairy."

And Rumpelstiltskin had honored her request. He always honored his agreements. They just weren't honored in the ways people expected. "Oh Blue," she whispered. She swallowed around the lump that had formed in her throat. "What...what did Rumple want in exchange for..."

"He's afraid of Fate," Blue mused. "He is afraid that Fate will hold him accountable for all the dark and twisted things he's done in his life."

Suddenly everything was starting to fall into place. Rumpelstiltskin had used Blue's desire to no longer be the Black Fairy as a means to get her to contain Fate. With Fate out of the way he was free to do as he pleased without worrying that his actions would one day catch up to him. "It was you, wasn't it? You're the one who put Elsa in the urn!"

Blue nodded. "Yes. He told me if I contained her, he would make it so I was no longer the Black Fairy. So...I did it. I tricked Elsa. I locked her in the urn." She paused, her brow wrinkling. "When I went to give Rumple the urn he wasn't alone...

Meanwhile, in Storybrooke, at Mr. Gold's Shop...

Robin stared at Rumpelstiltskin with a mixture of disbelief and disgust. He had heard of the deals the Dark One had made. The deals had been straight forward...if the person making the deal had the foresight to read the small print and knew how to word their desires so they actually came about. Most people that were desperate enough to summon the Dark One weren't thinking clearly though and often ended up in predicaments they didn't want to be in. The more Robin listened to Rumpelstiltskin, the more convinced he became that Obsidian wasn't the villain here. Rumpelstiltskin was. Or he had been. Robin had to keep reminding himself of that fact. The man sitting next to him wasn't the same man who had tricked a love struck fairy into capturing Fate. There was one thing they hadn't discussed yet: how in the hell did Regina's heart and Obsidian's heart ended up switched?

"I suppose you'll be wanting to know where Regina's heart comes into play," Rumple murmured. He reached for the cup of tea he'd been sipping when Robin walked in. He took a sip, and then another. "I once fancied myself in love with Regina's mother, you know."

No, Robin hadn't known but it wasn't too surprising. He'd never met Cora but he'd seen the damage she had done to her daughters and it wasn't the least bit shocking to learn that Rumpelstiltskin, as the Dark One, had been attracted to her. Like attracted like. What did his relationship with Cora have to do with Regina and Obsidian? "What does Cora have to do with any of this?"

"Why everything, dearie." A sad little smile stretched across Rumple's lips. "She broke my heart."

"Cora broke your heart?" Robin tried to keep the disbelief out of his voice and off his face. He failed miserably.

"Is that so hard to believe?"

Yes, actually, it was. During that time frame Rumple had been at the peak of his reign of Darkness and the idea that such a man could fall in love so deeply his heart could be broken...it seemed preposterous. And Robin had no qualms about telling him so.

Rumple chuckled. "Preposterous or not, it happened." His smile fell. "I promised myself that if I ever got the chance to hurt her the way she hurt me I would take it. And when Obsidian came to me, I knew I had my chance. I would hurt Cora by destroying the one person she loved more than herself." He let out a sigh before sipping from the tea cup he still held cradled in his hands. Over the rip, his eyes met Robin's. "I had been training Regina...or rather I had been trying to train her. It wasn't going very well. Despite Cora killing her 'true love,' in front of her no less, Regina was...well...a good person. Good people are difficult to turn evil."

"And you needed her evil so she could cast your curse," Robin said, bitterness dripping from his tongue.

"Precisely." Another sip of his blasted tea! Robin wanted to yank the cup from him and demand that he get to his point. That he stop talking in circles and just get to the bloody point already. Which was how to stop the Black Fairy. Although, the more Robin thought about it, the more he liked the idea of just bargaining with Obsidian and giving her Rumple in exchange for not harming anyone else. It seemed like a fair trade. "I followed her one night. To this ridiculous little tavern in the village. Before she could walk in, I caught her. I made her go with me to the woods."

Where Obsidian had been waiting; thinking that Rumple was about to turn her human."How does Maleficent fit into all of this?" he heard himself ask.

"I needed one of her spells to make the switch work."

And it had worked. Regina's heart had turned Obsidian into Blue and Obsidian's heart had turned Regina into the Evil Queen...

And back to the woods we go...

Adrenaline pumped through Regina's veins as she slowly stepped through the frozen hedges at the back of her property. She'd tried to listen to Robin, to stay inside and spend time with their boys. She'd been succeeding at it too, even after Jefferson showed up wanting to know if she could keep an eye on Grace for a bit while he looked for Tinkerbell. And then it happened. Someone screamed in the woods behind her house. Her first instinct had been to run out the back door and help whoever it was screaming. Roland's little voice asking her if someone was hurt had stopped her. She couldn't leave the children. Not alone. Not with a crazy fairy and Zelena both on the loose, possibly together. She'd tried to resign herself to fixing hot chocolate, baking cookies, and watching Disney cartoons but she hadn't been able to get that scream out of her head. It had sounded like Tinkerbell. When the bell had rung and she'd opened it to find Little John standing there she had taken the opportunity. She'd grabbed her coat, stepped past him, and told him to watch the kids. She hadn't given any thought to why he was there or whether or not what she was about to do was stupid. Now, as she neared the edge of the wood, she was wondering if perhaps she shouldn't have stayed indoors. The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, annoying as it was, beat traipsing through the woods without a plan.

"...always be Blue to me!"

Skidding to a stop, Regina ducked behind a tree, her heart thumping. She'd been right. The scream had come from Tinkerbell. Holding her breath, she pressed one hand against her stomach, her heart pounding. God, what did she do? She couldn't let Blue hurt Tinkerbell, yet at the same time she couldn't...wouldn't...do anything to harm her unborn child. She flinched as something slammed against the tree. The ground beneath her feet shook slightly as roots crept out of the frozen ground and wrapped around whatever had struck the tree. Whoever, she decided when she heard a masculine groan. Taking a deep breath, she risked a quick glance on the other side. She found Jefferson slouched against the base of the tree, the roots trapping him in place. Muttering a curse, she ducked back behind the tree. What the hell had she gotten herself into?

"...never meant to hurt the other fairies..."

Regina's brow puckered as she strained to hear the rest of the conversation. Her heartbeat accelerated as she listened to the tale Obsidian was telling. She dug her nails into the palms of her hand. It was all Rumple's fault. Every last bit of it. He had brought this mess to Storybrooke. He had stolen her chance at happiness. She tasted bile in the back of her throat. Fighting the urge to gag up the waffles she had eaten for breakfast, she reached into her pocket for her phone. She needed Robin. She needed to tell him that Obsidian was another of Rumple's victims. She typed the text out and just as she was about to hit send her phone fell from her fingers.

"Whose there?" Blue demanded.

"I'm sure it was nothing more than a bird or a rabbit," Tinkerbell countered.

"No. Someone is there. I can feel it...them."

The sound of crunching snow filled the otherwise silent woods. Panic started filling Regina. She shouldn't be there! She hugged her arms around her stomach and braced herself. I'm sorry baby, she said silently to the tiny life growing in her womb. They should have been her first thought, her first priority. Instead, she had let her head strong nature get the best of her. Gulping around the lump forming in her throat, she focused all her energy on conjuring up a fire ball. It would be nothing against whatever magic Blue possessed as Obsidian, but maybe it would buy her some time.

"Well, hello there," Blue cooed stepping in front of Regina. She looked over her shoulder, a smug smile on her lips. "I told you I heard someone!"

"Regina," Tinkerbell whispered, a tentative smile on her rather pale face. "What are you doing here? You shouldn't be out right now. Where's Robin?"

"She's right you know," Obsidian acknowledged. "You shouldn't be out. Haven't you heard, the woods are dangerous."

Regina's lips parted. Before she could speak she caught site of a sparkling blue gown from the corner of her eye. "Still overly dramatic, I see," Elsa scolded as she walked towards them. Air whooshed out of Regina's mouth as relief shot through her. She had never been so glad to see Fate in her entire life. "What have you done this time?" With a flick of her wrist the roots holding Jefferson disappeared.

"I haven't done anything," Blue shot back. "Except the job I was created to do!"

"You were created to keep balance, not terrorize innocent people!"

Blue scoffed. "Innocent? He is far from innocent!"

"I strongly suggest you don't contradict me, dear. I seem to recall the last we seen one another you trapped me in an urn."

Regina hadn't thought it possible for Blue's skin to be paler but she was wrong. What little color had been in Blue's face drained away. "That was a mistake," she whispered.

"I know," Elsa said softly. "You wanted your freedom." She walked closer to Blue, cupping her cheek in her hand. "All you had to do was ask."

"No," Blue shook her head. "It doesn't work that way."

"Doesn't it?" Elsa cocked her head to one side. She looked towards Tinkerbell. "Ask," she ordered quietly.

Tinkerbell stared at Elsa for a moment before looking over at Jefferson. A tear formed in the corner of her eye and then trickled down her cheek. "I'll die if I'm not a fairy. That was how Anna saved me. She made me a fairy."

"A little faith please," Elsa laughed, a smile stretching across her lips.

"Please," Tinkerbell murmured. "Please give me back...back my life!"

Elsa stepped away from Blue and gestured towards Jefferson. "I can't give you back what you already have," she said kindly. Jefferson scrambled to his feet, his chest heaving, as he stared at Tinkerbell. Regina watched as he spread his arms wide and Tinkerbell rushed into them. An odd sort of sparkle formed around her friend. It glowed bright and brighter before bursting into a shower of glimmering snow flurries and disappearing.

"It's gone," Tinkerbell said in awe, stepping back. "My powers, they're gone!" She spun to look at Regina, a brilliant smile on her face. "They're gone!"

"I know," Regina laughed. "I seen!" She engulfed the former fairy in a hug. It was crazy how far they had come. There had been a time when Regina hated her. She had seen Tinkerbell as a reminder of what she had missed out on due to her own choices. Only they hadn't been her choices. They had been Rumple's. She couldn't even be angry at him. If he hadn't switched her heart with Obsidian's there is no telling where they would all be. Knowing Rumple he would have still found someone to cast his curse. Possibly even Zelena. There was no telling the sort of misery her sister would have wreaked upon them. The desire to be loved had been at the root of everything Regina did, while jealousy had been...was...what pushed Zelena.

"There. You see." Elsa smiled at Blue. "All you had to do was ask! If it is your Fate it will occur!"

"It doesn't matter any more," Blue shook her head. "He's gone! William is gone!"

"He is," Elsa confirmed. "That doesn't mean he wouldn't want you to live your life. To follow your heart. To...love!"

"And who would keep the balance of nature?"

"I've already taken care of that. Her name is Anadora. I believe you know her."

Blue nodded. "Yes. I do. She's fair and just and..." She shook her head. "No. Without William I am nothing."

"I thought that once," Regina said softly. "When my mother killed Daniel I didn't think I would ever love again. I was wrong. And you're wrong. You can find love again, Blue, if that is what you want. You just have to...believe." Jesus. She sounded like a damn Hallmark Card. Or worse, a character from a Disney movie.

"You don't have to decide right now," Elsa assured her. "In fact, I would rather you didn't. It would see that I need your help." She looked towards Regina. "As well as yours."

"What is going on?"

Glancing over her shoulder, Regina found a rather angry looking Robin striding towards them. "I thought I specifically asked you to stay inside," Robin chided once he was closer. He placed one hand on her waistline and the other on her cheek. "Please tell me you're alright."

"I'm fine," Regina assured him. "And you were right. I should have stayed inside. Its freezing out here."

"Yes," Robin agreed. He looked towards Elsa. "About that..."

Elsa shook her head. "I can't control the freeze on my own. I need Anna."

Anna. Who was still trapped with Zelena. Well hell. Regina had a fairly good idea of what Elsa needed their help for. Freeing Anna.

"What about..." Robin gestured between Blue and Regina.

"All in due time," Elsa assured him. "First, I need Anna. Then we will restore the balance of nature..."