Author's note: I don't own anything Once Upon a Time I'm just borrowing for fun. Lucy is mine. This is a continuation of the story Finding Each Other which should be read first.
It had been an emotional few months for everyone. It started with the breaking of the curse, rolled into Emma and Snow being pulled into a portal that took them to Fairytale Land, continued in Storybrooke as Regina dealt with loosing Henry and looking for a way to bring Emma and Snow back. When she was finally able to bring them back using Alice's looking glass mirror, they'd brought with them a little girl with long dark hair and chocolate colored eyes and enough of Daniel's features for Regina to see him in their daughter every time she looked at her. Things didn't get any easier for Regina after that. She found out that the baby girl her mother had told her died shortly after being born was a live, that Cora had hidden her away and raised her, and that Lucy, her daughter, had spent the twenty-eight years of the curse frozen in time as a ten year old. While she was reconnecting with her daughter, learning to be a better mother not only for Lucy but also for Henry, Regina also found herself dealing with the fact that she was falling in love with Emma Swan.
And it wasn't just falling in love, it was discovering after all this time her true love. Daniel, she realized had been first love which was a form of true love because of it's innocence, but Emma, Emma was the other part of her soul, the reason her heart beat. Literally, Emma made her heart beat. Her mother had found a way to cross over and reeked havoc in Regina's life that ended in the street outside Granny's with Cora ripping her heart from her chest after Regina had stopped her from doing it to Emma. Emma had retrieved the heart by cutting off Cora's hand, and finally brought an end to Cora's magic by destroying the last tie she had to it. Just about the whole town watched as Emma knelt beside Regina's dying body begging her to help her put the heart back in her chest. They watched in astonishment as Regina died, as Emma glowed white with magic, and as Regina's heart renewed by Emma's love sank back into her chest.
It really had been a whirlwind few months, and the ride wasn't over yet. Sitting in the main room of town hall around a long table with Emma, Snow, James, Granny and Red, Archie, and the Blue Fairy Regina listened as they talked about what to do with Cora. It was a difficult decision to make. Cora had done a lot of damage both in Fairytale Land and now here in Storybrooke.
"Regina." Archie said gently. "I think you should tell them."
Dark eyes narrowed as Regina stared at Archie. "Excuse me?"
"Not everything." Archie reassured. Since the curse broke Regina had been coming to him for counseling. She'd confided in him about things that made him realize Regina was just as much a victim in all of this, maybe even more so. "But I think it would make things a little easier if they knew more about the kind of woman Cora is."
"We know what kind of woman she is." Emma said hotly. "She's the kind of woman who rips her daughter's heart out and kills her, she's the kind of woman who takes a child and leaves her mother to believe she's dead, she's the type of woman who would let a child think she'd killed her mother just because she'd been born, she's the type of woman who would murder an innocent young man so she could pimp her daughter out to a man three times her age, she's the kind of woman who kidnaps kids and hires mad scientists, and…"
"We get it Emma." Snow said firmly.
Archie smiled reassuringly at Emma. Everyone could see how shaken she still was over nearly loosing Regina. "It's just that Regina was Cora's first…"
"If you say victim I swear I will turn you back into a cricket and step on you." Regina warned the man. Regina's magic had been unpredictable since Rumplestiltskin brought it to Storybrooke, it came and went, it was strongest after having physical contact with Emma, and as part of her parole she was forbidden to use it unless there was good reason. To be honest Regina had been trying not to use it. Magic had brought her nothing but heartache and pain and now that she was on the cusp of having what she'd always wanted, happiness, love, a family, she didn't want to use it anymore.
"Regina." Snow said with a slight warning tone.
"Its alright, Regina." James said soothingly. "We know enough to know that she's to dangerous to simply keep around the way she is."
"What are you suggesting?" Ruby asked.
James took a moment; sure that this would stir something up. "We take her across the line."
"Across the town line?" Ruby replied, a little surprised. "You know that if anyone crosses the town line they loose all their memories of who they are, everything about Fairytale Land."
"I doubt it would have the same effect on my mother." Regina informed them. "I didn't bring her over, I didn't give her a Storybrooke counterpart. There's no one for her to turn into."
"So if we put her over the line and she forgets she'll just be some kind of blank shell?" Emma asked. "Like she had amnesia or something?"
Regina thought about that for a moment and then answered, "It might work that way. Or it might not work at all."
"What are our other options?" James asked. "She's to dangerous to leave unchecked."
"Some would say the same about Regina." Blue pointed out.
Emma shot the woman a nasty look. "Regina is redeemable. There's still good in her. There is nothing but evil in Cora. There is nothing left but something dark and twisted and inhuman."
"If we were in our land we'd just execute her." Granny pointed out.
"We aren't in your land." Emma reminded them. "Anything like that here would be murder."
"Emma." Snow said firmly. "Cora had no issues with murdering you or Regina or the kids." Lucy had told them that before their rescue Cora had ordered the reanimated Daniel to take Henry and Grace to the stables, leave them in stalls, and torch the place so she could escape back to Fairytale Land with Lucy. "But there might be another option."
"What other option?" Emma asked.
Snow looked at those gathered around the table before looking at her husband and asking, "Has Abigail found her father yet?"
"I don't know." James answer and then took a long moment to look at his wife while figuring out what she was thinking. "Snow, are you really thinking…"
"It isn't an execution but it pretty much has the same out come." Snow said with a nod.
Emma looked confused. "Who is Abigail and who is her father?"
"Katherine." Regina answered. "Here she's Katherine. In Fairytale Land she's Princess Abigail. The daughter of King Midas."
Emma had to think for a moment. "You mean the guy who asked for the touch that could turn things to gold?"
Regina nodded. "What your mother is proposing is having him turn my mother into a living gold statue."
"Living?" Emma asked.
"She would be alive but from what I understand she would be frozen in time." James explained. "When Fredrick came back from his gold state he was unaware of the passage of time, but still very much alive."
"It's the humane way of putting her down." Granny said.
Snow had been watching Regina closely. The fact that there was a flicker of a daughter mourning for her mother despite everything that had happened let Snow know that Emma was right when she said there was till good in Regina. Deciding that she wouldn't make Regina make this decision she said, "We'll try the line. If it wipes away her memories we'll commit her to the asylum. If it doesn't, we'll ask Midas to encase her."
As they were leaving Emma stepped up beside Regina, brushing their arms together as they walked. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine dear." Regina replied as they walked. She drew comfort in Emma's closeness. She really wasn't the holding hands in public type but a simple brush touch like Emma just did was just as affectionate to her.
"You're not fine." Emma said firmly. "But I won't push, at least not yet." Checking her watch she added, "The kids won't be home for a couple of hours. Are you heading back to the stables?"
Regina shook her head as she opened the driver's door of her Mercedes. She had some things to do at the stables, she was still looking for the best horses to fill the stalls, but her head just wasn't into it right now. Normally running the Storybrooke Stables gave her some peace, but that peace had been tainted since Lucy was snatched from there and she'd been attacked by Daniel. "I have some errands to run. I'll see you at home."
Emma nodded, "Alright." Leaning in she kissed Regina quickly and smiled at the annoyed look on her lover's face at the pda. "I'll make dinner."
Regina gave her lover a look. "Meaning you'll stop somewhere and pick up take out."
"Just for that I really will cook something." Emma teased.
There was a small smile on Regina's lips as she pulled out of the parking space. The hours following her death, or near death depending on how you choose to see it, had been strange. There was no more second guessing things like Emma's effect on Regina's magic, or Emma's reasons for protecting Regina when the curse broke. The fact that Emma had saved her life the way she did, the ripple of magic that engulfed the town with them at the center, it was true love. That realization was really starting to put things into perspective for Regina. She was being given a second chance despite the things she'd done. Things were far from perfect, so many in this town still saw her as the Evil Queen and some always would, but Regina wasn't about to let them stop her. She wanted to prove Emma right, prove to her children that she was redeemable. But there was still a lot of hurtles in her life, a lot of bad experiences, a lot of bad people, and a lot of bad feelings.
She wouldn't let all of the bad have a negative affect on her life, not any more, she would deal as things came up, but there were certain things, certain bad feelings she did feel the need to rectify. Stepping up to the door Regina knocked and waited. She'd put this off long enough. As soon as the door opened Regina looked into Jefferson's eyes and said, "So much of this could have been avoided if you'd left her in Wonderland."
"You mean like the way you left me?" Jefferson replied as he leaned against the doorframe.
Regina set her jaw as she took a moment to keep her emotions in check. "We need to talk."
Jefferson nodded and then stepped out of the way to let Regina into his house. "Yeah, guess we do."
Across town Emma stood outside the secure room that held Cora. The old witch was lying in a hospital bed apparently sleeping, her arms over the blankets. The end of one arm was completely wrapped in bandages and very clearly missing a hand. Emma had taken the hand, which held Regina's dying heart, with one fluid slice of a sword she'd summoned magically. Because Emma was a good person a small part of her felt bad for severing Cora's hand and nearly letting her bleed to death, but a larger part of her knew that getting her hand cut off was lenient compared to what Cora really deserved.
When Emma felt someone step up beside her she asked, "Has anyone tried to visit?"
"No." The Blue Fairy answered. "Regina's been here, stands here like you are, but hasn't gone anywhere near the room."
Emma nodded. She knew Regina had come because the brunette had come home upset, not that anyone but Emma would know that. Regina still came across as cold and aloof with everyone but her and the kids, that's just who she was. Emma was still learning to read Regina, sometimes her lover still pulled away from her when things were emotional, but they were both getting better and letting each other in. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course your highness." Blue replied softly.
She had to bite back a groan at Blue's reply. No matter how many times Emma told some people to stop that they just refused. "You helped Marco, Archie, my parents, rumor even has it that part of the reason you're all here is because of something you did. Why didn't you ever help Regina? Why would you people leave her with someone like Cora?"
Blue squirmed a bit. "She never asked."
"She was a child!" Emma said as she turned to look at the woman beside her.
"I couldn't help unless I was asked." Blue explained. "There are rules, Emma."
Emma turned hard eyes on the woman. "Yeah well before you decide to make another comment about Regina just keep in mind she isn't the only one to blame all of this on."
Blue had the nerve to look offended.
It was more then clear where they stood. Emma didn't like her and she didn't care if anyone had an issue with that. After making sure Cora was secure and her guards posted for the evening/night shift Emma headed over to the school to pick up Henry and Lucy. Henry was trying really hard to act as if everything they'd all gone through wasn't effecting him, and Emma was proud of him for trying to be so brave, but she knew there were still times when he would feel shaken up but it all. There was just this look that came over him, this certain way he had of looking at Regina, which let Emma know he was thinking about how he'd almost lost his mom. Lucy was a little more open and obvious about how she was feeling. Emma had lost count of the mornings where she'd wake up in Regina's bed to find Lucy wedged between them, a death grip on Regina while they slept or her little hand clinging tightly to Emma's.
"Hey munchkins." Emma said with a smile as Henry and Lucy raced to her and her bug.
"Hi Ma." Henry said brightly.
"Where's Momma?" Lucy asked.
"Meeting us at home." Emma answered. "She had some things to do. Did you guys have a good day?"
Henry and Lucy took turns telling Emma about their day as she drove them home. When they pulled into the drive Emma said, "Alright you two. Homework. I need to start dinner."
Henry and Lucy looked at each other before looking back at Emma. "You're cooking dinner?" Henry asked. "Um, why?"
"Hey." Emma huffed softly as she unlocked the door to Regina's house. She hadn't officially moved in but she was pretty much living there. This was Henry's home and she wanted him to feel stable, lugging him back and forth between here and her apartment just didn't make sense. "I can cook. I just don't like to cook."
When Regina got home she looked as if she'd just gone ten rounds, which she kind of had. She and Jefferson had been at each other for so long they'd forgotten what it was like before everything went wrong. Stepping into the house all the tension she was feeling melted away as she listened to the laughter coming from kitchen. The close she got the sound the more she smiled and relaxed. "You really are cooking."
Emma looked up from where she stood at the stove and smiled. "Did you think it was an empty threat?"
"I was hoping." Regina teased.
"Hi Momma." Lucy said as she abandoned her homework for a hug.
"Hello my darling." Regina greeted.
That evening after the kids were put to bed, when Emma started asking what she'd been up to that evening, Regina started distracting her. It didn't take long for everything but each other to be forgotten.