Everyone in the room stopped arguing as Regina pulled out one of Emma's dream catchers and started loading memories into it. Robin held his crying toddler daughter closer, and away from Zelena, who he was afraid would try to use the distraction to her advantage. But she seemed as confused as everyone else.
David and Emma had shown up in their Sheriffs' capacity, with Mary-Margaret in tow, after Zelena once again managed to break from her monitor and cuff, showing up at Regina's trying to take Elaina. Emma didn't know why Regina had asked her to bring a dream catcher with her but decided to not to question it as much as she normally might.
They'd walked in and cuffed a shrieking Zelena.
"You're not taking her anywhere Zelena. You know the rules," Robin said, softly, but clearly angry.
"Rules! She's my daughter, and I should be able to be alone with her and teach her magic if I want to!"
"She clearly doesn't want it Zelena, she's afraid of you!" Regina snapped, gesturing at the three year old girl shaking in her father's arms.
"Only because you lot teach her to be! You probably spend all your time turning her against me…!" And that was when Regina took the dream catcher from Emma and began entering memories into them.
And then she was finished and she played the memories for them.
"I am your mother and you will do what I want!" A younger version of whom they all assumed was Cora was shouting at a little girl who was cowering away from her mother in fear. Cora used magic to force her to get up and come over to her. Then the scene change.
"One day, you will be a queen," said Cora as they watched. "Queens don't spend their time playing outdoors."
"But Mama," said a Regina who was no older than seven. "I don't want to…" She was cut off as her mother used magic to bind her and hold her up so she couldn't move.
They watched again as an 18 year old Regina insisted that it was her life, and Cora laughed cruelly and said,
"You foolish girl, it's mine."
"What is this?" Zelena asked, staring uncertainly at Regina's dream catcher.
"Your mother, Zelena. Our mother," Regina said. "She wanted nothing more than to have a daughter exactly like her too. And didn't care how her daughter felt about it either."
Zelena didn't respond, just kept staring at the dream catcher, even though it had cleared.
"You can't force her Zelena," Regina said. "It doesn't work. And I won't let you make Elaina as miserable as Mother made us," she continued, firmly.
Zelena looked at Elaina, who was still clinging to her father in fear, then turned and walked past everyone and left. David and Emma moved to follow, but Regina stopped them.
"She's cuffed, she's powerless, it's fine. Just let her go."
"You guys going to be okay?" Mary-Margaret asked.
"I'm just going to put more spells around the property for now."
"There's still the option for an ankle monitor," Emma reminded her.
"We'll see what happens next time," Regina said as she led them all to the door.
"Just let us know," David said as the three of them left and Regina put a spell around the place in case Zelena came back.
She went back into the living room to find Robin now sitting with Elaina on the sofa. The girl seemed to be falling asleep.
"It's alright sweetheart, you can go to sleep," Robin murmured to their daughter as Regina sat next to them and ran her fingers through her hair.
"She not gonna take me?" Elaina said, still afraid, but calmer.
"Never," Regina promised her, kissing her on the forehead.
The three of them cuddled together on the couch and eventually Elaina did fall asleep, so Robin and Regina just whispered to each other.
"How did you know that would work?" he asked.
Regina leaned in closer to him.
"I didn't. I just knew she needed to see the truth. I won't let her do to Elaina what my mother did to me. Elaina deserves a better mother who wants the best for her, not for herself."
Robin leaned over and kissed Regina. When their lips parted, he looked her in the eye and said,
"She already has one."