So here is the sequel to Danielle, sorry it took so long. But I really hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think, where you would like it to go. Thanks for reading.
Cora walked through the hallways of 108 Mifflin Street, the cold hardwood made her shiver somewhat, it seemed like all of her senses were heightened since her heart had been returned to her. She thought to herself that the slippers that Regina had tried to explain to her earlier sounded more practical now. Cora would have preferred to stay in her room, where it was warm but she couldn't sleep and so had left to find a glass of water, Regina had shown her were everything was. And although her daughter had seemed a little distant things had been good in the past week since Regina remembered her past and was reunited with her daughter Danielle again. Just as she was approaching the stairwell Cora noticed a beam of light coming out from under Regina's closed door and decided to make her way over hesitantly.
"Regina" she whispered through the door quietly, not wanting to wake Henry up who was now staying with Regina half time.
"Regina" Cora tried whispering a little louder before gently pushing the door open and peaking her head in, "is it alright if I come in?"
"Mother?" Regina responded surprised, "um…yes, of course." She was seated cross legged in the middle of her queen bed with a few pictures scattered around her.
"You couldn't sleep either?" Cora asked as she approached the bed.
"No…I was just looking at some pictures of Danielle that Peter brought over." Regina said.
"I'm glad things are okay with you and Danielle's father, I wouldn't want you to fight over her."
"He is a kind man." Regina simply stated.
Cora stepped closer and at the end of the bed, looking down at the pictures, one had Danielle smiling on top of a horse.
"She certainly is a beautiful girl Regina." Cora said.
"Not quite a girl anymore." Regina replied as she picked up a picture and looked at it. "She is thirteen, and has been for quite a while. Technically…" Regina said picking up another picture, "these two were taken fifteen years apart, in all of the pictures of her that exist she is nearly thirteen years old."
"Regina…"
"Is it so bad that I just want to know what she looked like when she was seven, that was such an exciting age for Henry…he started arguing then, so smart. And I have tons of pictures, books filled with pictures of Henry when he was seven. But I have nothing of Danielle, I think I might have dreamed of her when she was that age, but dreams fade even faster than memories."
"I'm so sorry Regina." Cora tried to interrupt her.
"Yes you made a mistake. Mistakes seem to run in our family, I didn't make the best decision when I decided to curse the Enchanted Forest and bring them to Maine, but you know this world isn't so bad. Because this world has cameras and we can take pictures to remember our children instead of having to sit for a portrait." Regina said her voice becoming slightly louder. "This world also has modern medicine, remember all the trouble I had with birth, who knows if I would have had those troubles here. Some could even argue that this world is better than the one we left."
"Regina I think you might be…" Cora said, trying to bring Regina back.
"If Peter would have had a camera in the Enchanted Forest I could have seen what my daughter looked like when she was seven, or eight, or nine, or ten, or…"
"Regina honey…"
"I MISSED HER CHILDHOOD." Regina practically yelled before taking a deep breath and remembering that Henry was only rooms away, "I missed her childhood and I can't get that back. And you took that from me, and you did it because you didn't have your heart and I get that, I do I keep telling myself that. But it doesn't change the fact that I missed eight years with my daughter. Not only that, but I forgot I had a daughter and in doing so changed my soul somehow. And that is what made me the Evil Queen? Is that what you and Mr. Gold say?"
"And far as our understanding of magic goes yes, and you are still readjusting, just like I am readjusting to having a heart…we're both of us learning how to love again."
"Henry taught me how to love again." Regina said.
"Yes I think this new land made it possible for your heart to soften, but Regina…I don't think you should be so upset about not having all the pictures."
"And why is that."
"Because…why do you love the pictures so much, you love them because they allow you to tell stories of your memories of Henry's childhood. Well there are stories of Danielle's childhood, and I'm sure that Peter would be willing to share them with you, you are her mother."
Regina took a deep breath, "why does it seem to me like you are doing a better job at this whole adjusting thing than me?" Regina asked.
"Well with a heart…it is more of a switch, it freezes how we were and our ability to love before it was removed. But the magic, the spell it is more powerful, it doesn't work like a switch. It is an adjustment; just keep up with your mantras I think they will help."
Regina nodded before closing her eyes and whispering to herself, "love is strength, love is strength, love is strength."