Hello! I am new to writing fanfic so please let me know what you think. I read a LOT of fanfic and I kept searching for specific storylines that apparently no one has written about yet. I really wanted to read this story, so I HAD to write it, or at least try. I think I'm going to keep going with this. Please let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or the characters in any way. I may or may not choose to add some OCs which would qualify as mine, but as of now I own nothing. Got it? Cool.

Regina stumbled backward, the force from her mother's strike throbbing through her cheek and reverberating off of the mausoleum walls. Tears threatened to spring to her eyes, but she harshly willed them away, clutching her cheek and turning her dark glare to Cora. Her mother. Her critic. Her enemy. Her sculptor. A grin snaked its way to Regina's face, as she reflected on her mother's oh so peasant-like reaction to her daughter's 'misbehavior'. Years of lessons imposed on Regina, and it seems her mother could stand to listen to a few more herself.

"You idiot girl! I have spent decades of my life helping you. And you're too stupid to benefit from any of it!"

"I don't care what you say, mother, I'm not a child anymore. You can't make me behave with scare tactics and a few harsh words." Regina growled, her rough voice exposing the pain her words tried to hide.

Cora stilled, staring deep into her daughter's eyes, trying to find a weakness, an insecurity, to exploit. It just didn't make sense to her. The whole town turned its back on her daughter the second suspicion was cast upon her, and all Regina could do was sit there and take it without an ounce of vengeance glimmering in her eyes. It appears after all this time, Regina had finally quieted the need for revenge in her life. What bad timing, she mused, watching as her daughter's eyes glanced behind her, to the locked door of the vault. Awaiting an opening or perhaps even a heroic rescue team. What a foolish, naive girl! You'd think that after all of her hard work, all of her lessons and heartbreak, that Regina would have learned the dependable cruelty of life.

"I think, for once, my dear, that you're right." Cora conceded, turning her back and striding over to the armoire of her belongings. At least her daughter's ridiculous sentimentality had given her this one advantage. She had all of her spell books and potions necessary to do what needed to be done. To teach her daughter life's lesson again, and this time make it stick.

Regina watched with bated breath as her mother's hands ghosted over her spell books. The scared little girl deep inside of her flinched at the sight, remembering all too well the pain her mother's magic had brought upon her. The grown woman, however, hardened her resolve and she began to summon her magic, desperately willing the power stripping potion that her mother had slipped her would wear off or be too weak to control her power if she focused hard enough. Quickly, she could feel the vein in the center of her forehead pulsing with her efforts. A gasp left her body when she felt a tiny spark on the tip of her fingertips, a sign that her magic was still with her. A chance to escape whatever torture her mother had planned for her.

Cora glanced back, sensing the blimp of power, but turned away again, unconcerned. She only needed a few more moments, and the potion was guaranteed to last at least another half hour, which gave her enough time to locate it: the more important potion, the solution to her problem. It was of her own creation, and she guarded it jealousy back in the Enchanted Forest, to prevent tricksters like Rumplestiltskin from catching wind of it. After all, it's important to keep some cards up your sleeve as a safeguard in case friends turn into foes. Like her own daughter, for instance, Cora thought bitterly. She had only used this potion once before, but it had done the job rather efficiently. It would make her daughter trust her again, she was sure of it. First of all, it would wipe the last 35 years of Regina's memories. A process which was regrettably very painful, but a small price to pay to get her daughter back. More importantly, it would turn all of her so called friends into her worst nightmare, leaving Cora as the only one to turn to. It would turn her headstrong daughter's mind against her, ripping at the seams of her defiance and will power until only obedience remained. Perhaps she should have done this sooner; she could have avoided a few decades of misfortune. Oh well, better late than never. The purpose of the potion was to return the drinker to a state of mind of Cora's desire and create in her a savior, as the only one not the embodiment of their worst fears. She already had most of it set up, as it was deceptively simple to make. The downside was that it had to be willingly consumed, which could pose a problem. Nothing a little violence couldn't handle, Cora thought gleefully, shaking the potion bottle and conjuring up a few lovely scenarios in her mind.

Finally, she faced her daughter, who after 4 minutes of deep concentration had only managed a steady flow of sparks within her fingers and the beginnings of a nosebleed. Poor babe. Showing concern would only be met with contempt right now, but maybe in a few minutes she could dote on her like a mother should.

"Dear, I'm afraid you're only hurting yourself."

"Better me than you."

"I seem to recall another conversation that went like this, right my dear? A certain castle, a certain potion which you drank to spite me. Care to do it again?" Cora smiled, holding out the potion invitingly.

Regina opened her eyes and said with as much vehemence as she could "I hate you, mother"

Cora's smiled dimmed. "I know, dear. This might help with that. Wouldn't it be grand, to feel as if the last few years hadn't happened? As if you were still a young girl who looked to her mother for all the answers?"

"Is that what it does? Really? Do you honestly think I would ever drink that willingly? I was trapped! I was depressed and alone! I still hated you then, I just couldn't vocalize it because I was so god damn afraid of you! You're insane if you think I'd ever want to return to that time in my life."

"Drink the potion, Regina. This is the last time I ask nicely."

"Do whatever you want to me. You won't break me. Not this time." Regina vowed, prepared to endure rooms with walls that close in, magic ripping throughout her muscles, and any number of her childhood traumas. She refused to let that woman hold power over her. Regina was in charge of her fear now. She was in charge.

"I'm sorry, my love. I gave you a chance, you can't say I didn't."

Regina nodded, closing her eyes, and waiting for her mother's magic to slither across her skin, as it always started. Instead, she was met with a whoosh of air and the clumsiness of a clan of Charmings descending upon her.

"What was that?" "Where are we?" "Is everyone okay?" "Mom?"

Popping her eyes open, Regina was greeted with sweet, warm brown eyes staring straight at her. "Henry!" She shouted, thrilled to see his eyes on her for the first time in weeks, despite the circumstances. Her joy quickly dissipated when the unpleasant members of the Charming family leaped in front of him, blocking her view but not before she saw sweetness turn to fury. A fury matched in his biological mother and grandparents.

"What did you do, Regina? Why are we here?" Emma, the savior and the better mother according to Henry and, well, everyone, demanded.

"Of course, you'd blame this on me, Miss Swan! Did it ever occur to you that I might also be a victim in this situation?"

"Fat chance of that. When have you ever been a victim? You're too much of a cold-hearted bitch." Emma replied, her voice firm, convinced of her guilt. Regina opened her mouth to spew a hateful, wicked retort before she heard a familiar furious voice chime in "You're the Evil Queen and you'll never change!"

Her mouth snapped shut, stung by her son's condemnation.

"Well done, Henry. What an inspired thing to say- truly!" Cora crowed, finally making her presence known to the Charmings, sauntering forward and yanking Henry towards her. As soon as her fingertips touched his arm, a tell-tale purple glow encased the two, causing the three Charmings who surged forward to be blasted back, knocking themselves into Regina and landing in a heap on the tile floor, spiderweb cracks erupting beneath them.

"Just when I thought I wouldn't get a word in edgewise between those bickering children, you go and say exactly what I was thinking! Truly a blessed child, my dear." Cora explained, chuckling as Henry tried with all his might to pull away.

"Get your hands off of him, mother." Regina commanded with a wavering voice as she lifted herself off of the ground with the elegance of a queen and the confidence of a mother scorned.

One hand still clutching Henry's vest, Cora assumed the typical Rumpelstiltskin pose and trilled "Want to make a deal, dearie?" The smugness descending from her smile was enough to choke Regina with rage, but she inclined her head, ready to hear the terms. Unsurprisingly, Cora held out her potion in an almost casual manner. "Drink this, if you please, and I will not touch another hair on my dear grandson's head."

Snow snorted, drawing two dark gazes to her, before she steeled herself and said "He's not your grandson, Cora. He's not even her son. He's with his real family now, and we're going to get rid of you as soon as we can."

Regina turned abruptly, ignoring Snow, too terrified for her son to care about Snow's declaration. She's always known how the Charmings felt about her, who cares that they chose now to vocalize it? Regina would do whatever it took to save Henry, despite what they might believe. "Give me the potion and let Henry go. Now." Regina demanded, reaching her hand out.

"Regina, are you stupid? You don't know what that'll do to you!" Emma protested.

Dropping the potion delicately into her daughter's outstretched hand, Cora beamed, awaiting a truly magnificent scene.

"Actually Miss. Swan, I do. And he's worth it." Regina swung back the drink, her throat expanding and retracting as she swallowed the poison in one fell swoop.