NECESSARY FORCE

AUTHOR'S NOTE/DISCLAIMER

This is my idea of what the conversation between Regina and Dr. Hopper/Jiminy Cricket in "The Doctor". Once Upon A Time belongs ABC Studios and whoever else is affiliated with the show.

Regina knocked on Dr. Hopper's door. I-I-I can't deal with this. I broke my promise to Henry, she thought to herself. The door opened to reveal Dr. Hopper who was also known as Jiminy Cricket.

"I used magic," she revealed tearfully.

"Why don't you come in and tell me what happened?" he suggested, opening the door so that she could come in. Dr. Hopper sat down in his chair and the woman took a shaky breath as she sank onto the couch. "Take your time," he said.

"Dr. Whale-he-he-brought back Daniel," Regina revealed.

"What?" Dr. Hopper asked in shock. Why is she so devastated by that? Did something happen? he wondered.

"I-I had a vault of hearts…and-he-Dr. Whale-he took one, put it in Daniel," Regina revealed. I-I-this isn't fair, she thought to herself.

"What?" Dr. Hopper asked again. She had a vault of hearts? She had actually brought those here? Then, he mentally shook his head. That wasn't the important thing. Regina didn't need his condemnation. She needed someone to listen to her and see her point of view. The Jiminy Cricket part of him wanted to throw her out right then and there, but the Dr. Hopper part of him knew that she needed the support.

"It-it wasn't Daniel anymore. But I-I-thought I could talk to him," Regina continued.

"You loved him," Dr. Hopper said.

"I-I thought it would be enough," Regina stated. "But-he was in so much pain-and-acting unpredictable…and Henry was close by," she continued. And that's what still scared her so much. That Henry could've been hurt. If Daniel was truly dangerous, it was her responsibility to keep Henry safe. But couldn't she have done it without her magic?

"What happened?" Dr. Hopper asked softly.

"He-told me to…" Regina struggled over the word. "love again. How can I do that?" Dr. Hopper wasn't sure how to answer her.

"I'm assuming something more happened, where you used magic?" he finally asked. Regina sniffled and wiped her eyes, trying to stop the tears that had started flowing.

"I, um-I, immobilized him…and then-" Regina felt her throat closing up with the tears and she placed a hand over her mouth. Dr. Hopper wasn't sure what to do. His natural instinct was to place a comforting hand on her knee, but he wasn't sure how Regina would take it. Hesitantly, he stretched out a hand and she gratefully took it, and he squeezed her hand gently. "I-I used my magic to-kill him," she revealed. "Oh, my gosh! I used magic and I killed Daniel! I killed him!" She tried to choke back the sob to no avail. The man let her cry for several minutes.

"I can't even imagine how that felt," Dr. Hopper finally said softly. It was obvious that she had loved the man and she had lost him all over again. "Regina, you told me earlier that he said that he wanted you to love again," he continued and she nodded, still crying. "You reached him. The man you loved was still in there and you reached him just in time. And you protected Henry," Dr. Hopper reminded her.

"But I used magic after I promised not to," Regina objected.

"In this instance, it was necessary. You had no idea whether or not Daniel would go on a rampage if he was left here and you said he was in pain. You used the necessary force needed to protect your son," Dr. Hopper told her. Regina sniffled, removed her hand from the therapist's grip and wiped her eyes.

"Wha-what am I supposed to do?"

"You grieve Daniel. You've lost him twice now. Let yourself be open to the pain so that you can start to heal." The queen nodded and sniffled. It would be hard. But she could do it. She had to do it. For Henry. Because he was what was important to her. More than power, more than revenge…even more than magic. And she would do anything to make Henry proud of her. Anything…