Zelena complained the whole way back from the jail, sitting in the passenger seat of Regina's town car, her feet up on the dash like a snotty child. "I miss horse-drawn carriages. They actually had some character. These things are utterly lacking in refinement. I can't believe you filled your little play town with them. You could've just made it horses and no one would've been the wiser."

"There are some stables on the edge of town," Regina said evenly.

It was nice, though, not to have the house all to herself. Regina had left a few items on a slow simmer for lunch and now that Zelena was over, she entrusted her with putting dishes and silverware on the table.

"And why would I do that?" Zelena demanded.

"Because I can drive you back to jail as easily as I drove you away from it."

Zelena pouted as she set the table, clinking the dishes, the forks, the spoons extra hard. Regina watched her do it, caught Zelena's eyes a couple times when the Wicked Witch turned her head with a dirty look. "Is this why you took me in?" Zelena asked. "So you'd have a maid?"

"Even Henry did chores. And he never tried to erase me from history."

Zelena sat down. She even managed to do that snidely. "So you're just going to… keep me? Some pathetic salve for your own loneliness? No son, no lover… I can't believe mother chose you. You're so weak…"

Regina had also put up with temper tantrums. "You're going to stay here with me until you learn the value of human life. Then you're going to get your powers back, only so that you can use them to make up for some of the harm you've caused. God knows, we'll probably be fighting off… Lady and the Tramp by then."

"And you're so sure I'll come over to the side of sweetness and light? You're wasting your time, sis. This snow-white optimism," Zelena grinned, "doesn't fit on you." She picked up a silver spoon, eying it as if suddenly impressed by how clean the dishwasher had gotten it. "I guess that's the point—you think if I can be redeemed, so can you? How bourgeois."

"You think I'm simple?" Regina asked, stepping closer. "You're an open book, Zelena. I know exactly who you are. You're a lonely girl, starved of affection, trying to make the world pay for ignoring you. Which is why, when I see you, you're going to be so grateful."

"'See me'," Zelena sneered.

Regina pulled aside the chair next to her and sat down, crossing her long legs. "Yes. You're going to follow my every command, because unlike you, I know what I'm doing. The real simpletons of this town will come to love us. We'll have power, yes, but we'll also have their devotion. Iron fists in velvet gloves."

Zelena held her finger up. "Cute plan. One downside. I despise you. The very fact that you'd want them to admire you proves how weak you are."

"Give me your hand."

"What?"

"Your hand. If you're so strong, why not give me your hand? Are you afraid?"

Zelena's face contorted like a melting mask. She jerked her hand out in front of her, roaring at Regina with her eyes. "I could never be afraid of what a weakling like you could do to me!"

"Oh, but you should be." Face turned downward but eyes glaring up at Zelena, Regina took the witch's hand in her own. "Because you have the most glaring weakness of all. Love."

Zelena looked away with a barked laugh. "I care nothing for love."

"Really? Because I've known love. I've known its loss. I'm able to starve myself of it, because I know how much it hurts when it goes away. But you—when has anyone ever loved you?"

The memories tried to flood in, past the dikes Zelena had built over decades—thoughts of Glinda, of her sister-witches, of almost belonging but not quite—then of Rumpel, who'd never loved her, he didn't count, he'd never loved her…

Regina put her other hand on Zelena's, clasping the slender green thing in her own powerful grip, making its sickly color disappear under her own clear skin. "Not the kind of love that shakes, the kind that dies. Real love. I can love you, Zelena. The way mother never did, not for either of us. And you can love me. We complete each other. Who else can offer you that?"

Zelena's features pulled into another sneer, but didn't seem to quite lock into place. "I'll never love you."

"I don't think you have a choice. I already love you. Why else would I do this? I look at you, your wickedness, your pride, your power—it's beautiful. It just needs a little guidance." Regina's smile was guileless and pure. "My sister."

"I'll never love you!"

"Look at you." Regina nodded to a mirror on the wall, curlicued metal surrounding an expanse of glass. "You're shaking. Your lip is wobbling—your eyes filling with tears. Because you've never felt this, have you? A simple, warm, touch. From someone who understands. From someone who doesn't care what you've done…"

"Let go of me," Zelena said quietly.

"Is that what you want?" Regina interlocked their fingers. Zelena actually gasped. "It's alright, Zelena—I've been where you are. I won't let go. The others, they don't understand. Not even Snow. Not even Glinda." Regina petted the back of Zelena's hand with her free fingers. The chill of Zelena's skin surprised her, but only a little. "We've both been abandoned, betrayed, manipulated—forced into being these people because we thought it was the only thing left to us. But we can be our own. Just the two of us. Who else would understand? Maybe only a daughter of Cora can love a daughter of Cora."

This time when Zelena looked at her, her eyes were scared. Terrified. "You won't take your hand away?"

"No. No. Isn't it nice, Zelena? To feel wanted?"

It hit Zelena suddenly. It exploded inside her like a spark setting off a fire. She remembered her failed seduction of Rumpelstiltskin, how she'd tried so hard and he'd still rejected her, still thought he was better than her—now Regina was reaching out to her. Wanting to be loved, just like she had. Cora's perfect little queen, wanting her love. As the tears started to stream from Zelena's eyes, she threw herself to Regina. Her kiss was clumsy, but Regina took control quickly. She held Zelena tight, stroked her gently—her touch so warm, so loving—showed her how to be kissed.

Then Zelena was sitting practically on Regina's lap, her hands held in front of her, gripped in Regina's.

"Has anyone ever kissed you before?" Regina asked. "Really kissed you?"

Zelena shook her head. She'd wanted to—she'd wanted Rumpel to, and later, she'd thought of how it would be when she was Cora's daughter. Growing up with her, talking with her about what boys she liked, learning from her mother how to flutter her eyelashes… she'd never know that. She'd never have a mother to teach her that now. Her tears flowed out of her like blood from a wound, and Regina took her in her arms. Held her. Caressed her with loving hands, weapons that'd been blunted by years of caring for another human being.

"It's wrong," Zelena muttered. "You're my sister… we can't…"

"Is it what you want?"

"Yes."

"And the thought has crossed my mind." Regina kissed Zelena's cheek—gentle, loving—but Zelena moaned all the same. It felt so good… "I've taken lovers before, but none of them have—satisfied. I already thought we could be family to each other. Perhaps we can be more than that. We are royalty, after all. We need to keep the bloodline pure."

Zelena nodded frantically—anything for another kiss, a minute more in Regina's embrace—and she felt Regina's perfect fingers delve into her hair, caress it just so. She moaned, almost embarrassed at her own loudness, but Regina just smiled fondly.

"It'll be our secret," Zelena realized. "All ours. No one else—no one else will be part of us."

This time, Regina kissed her throat. Her lips burned and boiled, almost hurting Zelena, it felt so good. She howled, tears rolling down her neck.

"Have you ever done it before?" Regina whispered in her ear.

Zelena shook her head again. "No. No one ever wanted me."

On her lips… someone was actually kissing her, actually stroking her tongue with their own, kissing her because they wanted to… "You're my sister." Regina looked directly into Zelena's eyes. "I love you. I want to make you feel good."

Zelena was gasping for breath, almost unable to believe Regina was really holding onto her. She'd never have thought she deserved something that felt this wonderful. "Take me to bed?"

Zelena never once believed her good fortune, but somehow never doubted it either. It felt like a magic spell had been cast on her. Regina took her to the bedroom, whispering how beautiful she looked, how much she loved her, cared for her. She undressed her, telling Zelena so many things, but always returning to the same refrain: "I want you. I want you, Zelena."

And when she was naked, Regina didn't turn away from her green pallor. Her eyes stroked it as avidly as her fingers, her lovely voice saying how beautiful it was—for Zelena to want something so badly that you could see it on her.

"Most people want things and never do anything about it. But you want so hard—you'll do anything, won't you?"

Then Regina was naked, and Zelena saw how perfect she was and wasn't jealous. How could she be, when that perfection was hers, freely given? Regina laid on top of her and Zelena could touch her, she could taste her, do all the things she'd dreamed of doing to Glinda… oh, it was heavenly. And Regina took her hands and showed her, how to touch, how to be touched. She kept crying, but they were tears of joy as Regina finally showed her how she could feel good—how she could feel so very good, she didn't know how it was possible that as wretched a creature as she could feel this way.

Regina was endlessly inventive, full of ways to show Zelena how she was loved. She flipped Zelena on her belly and took her from behind—then she lowered her mouth to Zelena's womanhood and seemed to free Zelena's pleasure with her teeth. Then she let Zelena do it to her. The taste was incredible, the knowledge that she was bringing pleasure to Regina—indescribable. She actually managed to make Regina come; she swelled with pride at the knowledge. Not worthless, not useless—who else but her could do that to her little sister?

Regina asked her if she wanted more. Zelena eagerly nodded. It was like all her life, she'd somehow gone without breathing, eating, drinking. Now that she knew what she was supposed to be getting, she realized how hollow she'd been without it. She was desiccated and Regina was restoring her. She needed all the love Regina could give her. She wanted to be drowned in it.

Regina nodded fondly, with a smile and a gentle kiss and a loving touch—all almost better than the pleasure Regina had brought between Zelena's legs. Then Regina opened up her nightstand. Inside—oh, the things she had. The things they could do to Zelena…

No amount of hunger could scare Regina away. She gorged Zelena on her love, bringing her sister pleasure in all the ways she could, showing her love for her in all the ways she could. Until Zelena's body, utterly unused to being fed in such a way, constricted, refusing any more of the love her soul demanded. Zelena begged for more even as she pushed Regina away. But Regina understood. A daughter of Cora had to understand. She allowed Zelena her respite, holding her tightly, lovingly, telling her how beautiful she was and how she was loved and how much Regina wanted her, how much she would always want her.

And in the morning, Regina proved it once again. She knew it would be a long time before Zelena believed. Knew, in her heart of hearts, that Regina loved her. That her pain wasn't unique and Regina knew it just as well. That Regina had conquered it and she could too. And until the day came that Zelena knew she was equally loved and worthy of love, Regina would be there. Showing her.