A/N: Please Enjoy yourselves and review!
Chapter 1 Take a Breath and Slowly Say Goodbye.
Mood Song: Riot's Gone By Santigold.
"Did Rumplestiltskin tell you what you needed to know?" Said Henry Mills.
"Yes." Regina said coldly.
"And?" The man continued.
"I'm not sure I should say. I'm conflicted." The beautiful woman replied suddenly taken.
"How bad is it? Maybe I can help." Henry offered.
"I have to cut out the heart of the thing I love most." She offered.
"Me." He realized.
"Daddy, I don't know what to do." The woman walked away from her father visibly shaken.
"My dear, please, you don't have to do this." He proposed as he swallowed hard.
"I have to do something." The queen said in an eerie tone.
"Then move past this. I know this may sound self-serving, but you don't need to enact the curse." He bargained quickly.
"But I can't keep living like this. What Snow did to me, what she took from me, it's eating me alive, Daddy. Her very existence mocks me. She must be punished." She broke down.
"But, if the price is a hole that will never be filled — why do it? Stop worrying —about Snow White — and start over. We could have a new life." Henry could feel his blood draining away from his face, truly afraid of his own daughter, yet compliant if it came to that.
"What kind of life? All I've worked for, all I've built will be gone. My power will disappear. They already think I'm nothing." She continued as her voice broke.
"Power is seductive. But so is love. You can have that again." He said hopeful.
"I just want to be happy." She cried and dwelled into her father's arms just like a child.
"You can be. Of this I'm sure. I believe, given a chance, we can find happiness, together — but the choice is yours." He held his beloved daughter in hopes she would consider his idea and avoid the imminent death he could almost taste in his mouth like iron filled blood.
Regina held him tight and continued to cry taking comfort in her father's arms.
Four years later.
Gorgeous Regina sat regal on her throne, her faithful father stood next to her. At the same time two guards dressed in black fabric and leather asked for permission to come close to the dark queen, she coldly agreed with the flick of her wrist, one of the tall strong men took off his spiky mask revealing his hair falling on his forehead, his squared faced dressed with a light beard. The man kneeled in front of her, face still breathtaking yet darkened by her apathetic demeanor.
"Everything is organized as ordered your majesty" The stoic man said while he bowed.
Regina smiled relishing the next few hours as her imagination ran wild, tonight would be the night, the child's fourth birthday would be her last, her hollow chest craved this… she needed to finally satiate this hunger for revenge she felt inside, she had a heart... yet it felt like it held an endless black hole that was consuming her very being and Snow White had to pay.
"My child, Are you sure this is the way to go about things?" Henry said as he furrowed his brows in genuine concern.
Regina's smile quickly faded as she snapped and gave her father that oh! so feared look.
"I will take the child." She said coldly all of the sudden seeming not frightening but uninterested. "She had four years with her, enough to create a deep feeling of attachment towards the youngster, her soul will ache just like mine does Daddy, the blackness will linger onto her every breath creating a void and I will finally be able to fill mine… her disgrace will be my victory, there is no looking back. Tonight it will be done." She finished dryly and walked away.
"But my child… She is just a-" Henry begged, horrified at his daughter's deviously macabre plan, but Regina, quickly dismissed him once again with a simple twist of her wrist, from a short distance as she swayed regally towards the oversized wooden double doors not even bothering to turn back.
At the edge of the magnificent water side a grandiose castle rested colossally, the night was quiet and cozy within the Charming's dwelling, young Emma's bed chamber was on the tallest tower just like every princess' room should be, Snow and James' was merely a couple of doors away from the toddler's.
Inside the warm colorful room generous amounts of toys rested on practically every inch of the immaculate place, inside a pink, purple and yellow lamp stood a flickering candle, it provided the adorable little girl laying on the oversized bed with an embracing warm splendor within the darkness, the sight of her was pure delight, safely tucked in under white comfortable bedding, her soft pink cotton pajamas could still be seen, her milk white little arms wrapped around a knitted blanket which held her name embroiled in purple lace, her perfect golden silk curls laid carelessly on the pristine pillow.
Different shades of purple smoke formed in the outline of a silent tornado moving in slow motion, as it dissipated Regina's sultry figure manifested in the flesh, dark smoky eyes still closed while she inhaled deeply as she grinned, the pure scent of vanilla and lavender filled her lungs. The queen unhurriedly opened her addictive coals only to be slightly taken back by the small form resting a few feet from her, from where she stood the child looked like an angel, her small chest rose and collided with each breath she took in and exhaled, the vision of innocence as it were, the wicked expression on her faced had long died moments ago, her heart shaped blood red lips pouted in disconcert while her ever expressive eyes melted; what was this? "This" strange sensation that very slowly began to tingle and swirl within the base of her stomach.
Regina walked slowly to the bed and with each step she took, Emma's reality became more and more vivid to the Queen, those long lashes pressed together, those perfectly flushed red lips in a pout cradled by her slightly chubby baby cheeks dewed with grace filled gentle pink, her equally chubby tiny fingers flinched slightly, the unique sweet smell of this child mixed with the scent of fresh linen hit Regina's nostrils rapidly, this was overwhelming… the unexplainable new emotion increased its force fast, but Regina was stubborn, strong and endlessly curious as to what was happening. The brunette lost her ground and tried her best to catch herself not to wake the child as she sat on the bed unable to stay on her own two feet, her heart ached, it felt as if it were about to explode into a thousand different shades of colors still unheard of, the sleeping girl slowly began to move and open her eyes.
Bright gentle deep pools of illuminated emerald found their focus on her unmistakably breathtaking face, Regina gasped, the sight of those eyes, they took a hold of her soul, and little did she know they would never let go, ever… she was able to see eternity, humbleness, exuberance, kindness, intelligence, courage, love and above all hope. Her heart feeling half full with this unique warmth for the first time in her life.
The brunette slightly jumped back taken by what was happening this was a foreign sensation, an unacceptable emotion and it frightened her every bone, Regina expected young Emma to be terrified by the intruder in her room, after all she was at the age where she had awareness of reality. The toddler didn't even finch, she simply smiled still laying on her faultless fluffy pillow giving the older woman a front row view of her perfect baby teeth with a warm smile accompanied by giggle and all… the charming dimples on her cheeks could not be amiss, the impossibly gold baby hair parted to the side soft and straight as silk cascaded into mesmerizing light curls on the tips, they rested on her small shoulders covered by slightly puffy short cotton sleeves. Her eyes beamed full of life while barely visible as they became smaller and brighter as the girl smiled.
"Hi" Emma said as she sat up, her hair almost hovering over the right side of her face and eye captivatingly.
Regina looked mortified at the scene, she tried her best not to let her heavy breathing give her away, she collected herself as much as she could manage, and birthed a slightly forced smile.
"Hello" The beautiful woman said visible conflicted; her natural charm had fled from her grasp.
"I'm Emma what's your name?" the adorable toddler said with the sweetest none threatening whisper.
Regina's heart fluttered a little, a genuine smile began to dimly form on her lips. "Nice to meet you Emma, Why are we whispering?" Regina whispered back trying to follow the child's game.
Emma simply giggled her eyes again curving into beaming soul bracing emeralds, the child was charming, clearly deserving of the title, her father never did justice to. "You're silly" the princess said honestly between irresistible giggles.
Regina was a sight; she did not know what to do with herself, she felt overwhelmed but could not understand for the life of her what was going on, she smiled nervously because she did not know what else to do, this was thousands of miles away from her comfort zone. The apparently fearless child reached for the Queen's soft cheek brushing it slightly with her own tiny hand, the baby girl endeared with the touch, her mesmerizing eyes twinkled.
"Pretty" Emma simply said and smiled.
Regina lost it, and her eyes quickly filled with impossible tears, pools of emotions she needed to swallow, she felt defeated to this girl's touch, how could someone so insignificantly small swell so much within her. It was enough; Regina had to flee just like her charm had fled earlier leaving her stranded with this baby from the depths of the unknown. She swallowed hard and stood up as she could manage, walking in a backwards motion unable to tear her eyes from the not preoccupied child; shifted her arms upwards and disappeared in a cloud of dark purple.
Just as quickly the enveloping cloud brought her to her own bed chamber where the queen highly exasperated and confused reached for the first object she could grasp, a glass… she held it tight, so tightly it could actually break in her very hands at any given moment, desperate Regina's blood broils the emotions coursing through her veins don't allow her to breathe, the woman feels like a wild animal that is being tamed as it discovers gentleness within itself… her whole body rejects the repelling vibration.
She can hear Rumplestiltskin's words echo in her ears "Absolutely nothing can stop you… except of course the unborn child" she loses it as those impossible tears finally make themselves possible and fall rapidly and heavily down her cheeks leaving their trail clearly behind, the brunette screams at her image reflected on the mirror and throws the crystal object right at it with harsh force shattering both into countless pieces.
After that night, the queen decides to try and forget what had happened… she needs to let go and erase.