Title: Rapunzel, Rapunzel: A Land Without Magic
Rating: M (For Later Chapters)
Fandom: Once Upon A Time/ The Vampire Dairies
Genre: AU/Crossover
Pairings: Bonnie (Rapunzel)/Killian Jones(Captain Hook), Bonnie (Rapunzel)/Sheriff Graham Humbert (The Huntsman), Mr. Gold (Rumplestiltskin)/Belle, Regina (Evil Queen)/ Klaus, Mary Margaret (Snow White)/ David Nolan (Prince "Charming" James), Tyler/Ruby (Red), Emma/Alaric (Baelfire), Emma/Sheriff Graham (The Huntsman), August (Pinocchio)/Caroline, Stefan/Elena, Stefan/Mulan, Elijah/Elena, Elijah/Mulan, Matt/Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Rebekah/Jefferson(The Mad Hatter), Henry/Gretel, Lucy/Lancelot. Abby/Sidney (The Genie of Agrabah/The Magic Mirror), mentions of Sidney (The Genie of Agrabah/The Magic Mirror)/Regina (Evil Queen), etc.
Summary: When Bonnie discovers her real parents are in Storybrooke, Maine; she finds that in another world and another life her name was Rapunzel and she is the daughter of the Evil Queen Regina Mills.
Warnings: Violence, Language, Mild-Moderate Sexual Content, Character Death, etc.
A/N: This is repost. So this fic begins around "The Ties That Bind" in the TVD-verse and amidst "Hat Trick" and "Stable Boy" in the OUAT-verse. So that there is no confusion: a) for the purpose of this fic time passes quicker in the real world than in FTL and b) Bonnie is Rapunzel will be referred to by both names throughout this fic and there will be back story for each so if you are worried don't be. Also, since this story will bounce from Mystic Falls to Storybrooke to Fairytale Land and then back again I will be letting you know where you are with a heading in bold italics, and all flashback content which will mostly be FTL content will be written entirely in" italics". Last but not least this fic is dedicated to Lilou because she is perfection incarnate and I love her dearly. This fic will be long and probably on-going for a while. Also I didn't have time to edit so bear with me. Anyway I hope that you all enjoy. Any feedback, questions, or constructive criticisms are welcome. Please do not PM regarding updates however. Things will happen when I have time. Thanks for reading and enjoy!
Chapter One: A Lovely Name
Mystic Falls, Virginia
Bonnie Bennett looked on with a sense of detachment as Abby Bennett-Wilson's shoulders slumped in defeat. She should have felt something; she was after all using her mother to do the bidding of vampires who didn't give a damn about either one of them. She should have been touched that Abby was willing to reclaim the magic that she had given up for her sake but she couldn't bring herself to be.
In fact from the moment that Bonnie had realized that she would have to find her mother in order to open the mystery coffin that Klaus possessed she had felt nothing but empty and hollow. Like with most of her thoughts and feelings she had hidden it well. Still she knew that it was only a matter of time before her feelings would come spilling out like the night that she had tried to kill Damon, she would breakdown eventually. She had thought that finding Abby would make her feel better but it hadn't.
From the moment she had laid eyes on Abby Bennett-Wilson, Bonnie had felt nothing but underlying anger on her Grams' behalf. But she didn't feel anger for herself, no resentment, perhaps a vague since of curiosity as to why the woman had left and even that reason had been bullshit. Abby cared more about her lost friendship with Elena's mother and the adoptive son that had been good enough for her to raise even after splitting with his father, than Bonnie. Bonnie couldn't hate her for that either, after all it was Bonnie's friendship with Elena that had brought her to Abby's doorstep and she felt no degree of attachment to the woman which was why she had no problem with luring her back to Mystic Falls and using her guilt against her.
Their reunion hadn't been anything like Bonnie had imagined her reunion with her mother would be. The term lackluster seemed to fit well for the scene that it had made. She had been calmer than she should have been. She had cried for her Grams and nothing else. The awkwardness still hadn't ebbed. She had no desire to know the woman in front of her, no need for a connection. Now she was using the woman to her advantage, it was odd as she was used to being the one that was being used, yet she got no pleasure or gratification from it.
Bonnie gave a half-assed speech about a mother willing to do anything to keep her family together, hoping to tug at Abby's heartstrings enough to get the woman to make another attempt at opening the coffin. Instead Abby looked away from her and began ringing her hands together.
"What is it?" Bonnie asked. She hoped that the woman wasn't really thinking of giving up. She wanted to open the coffin and hoped that whatever was inside would rid them of Klaus. Besides she wasn't looking forward to hearing anyone's mouth if Abby decided that she was going to back out.
"I know why this isn't working," Abby sighed, "I should've said something before but I thought that with your powers it would still work…"
Bonnie took a deep breath and tried not to show her agitation. It seemed like the woman was always keeping something new from her just so she could reveal it on another day of their acquaintance. "What's the problem?" Bonnie asked calmly.
"The spell," Abby said carefully, "It works better if it's performed by two witches that are from the same line." Abby stopped there and seemed to be measuring Bonnie's reaction.
Bonnie nodded. "I still don't see the problem," Bonnie said. She looked around at the damp dark walls of the cave and wished that she could be anywhere else. She closed her eyes and imagined herself in a land far away. A land where her thoughts and feelings weren't disregarded. Where she didn't have to play savior and put everyone's needs before her own. Where the people that she loved, loved her in return in greater or equal measure. Somewhere where Bonnie Bennett could have a happy ending. Happy endings aren't given they're fought for, a voice somewhere inside her mind said. She didn't know how long she could keep up the fight when it seemed that she was fighting for everyone else's happy ending as opposed to her own.
"I should've told you this sooner," Abby sighed, regaining Bonnie's attention, "I just never thought you would find me." Bonnie looked at her expectantly and waited for her to continue. "Bonnie," Abby began hesitantly, "I…I'm not…There was a reason that I could leave you without looking back. It wasn't exactly easy…but I told myself that once you found out….once you realized that you would leave me and I wouldn't matter to you anyway so…"
Bonnie met Abby's brown gaze evenly. "Whatever it is you're trying to say please just say it," Bonnie said, "I don't mean to harsh but we don't have time for this. Klaus isn't going to back off because I want to have a heart to heart chat with my mother-"
"That's just it," Abby said, cutting her off, "I'm not your real mother."
:::
The Enchanted Forest, Before the Dark Curse
Rapunzel sighed as she looked out of the lone window in her tower. The sun was out but she took little joy in seeing it. It only served to remind her that she had never felt its' rays on her skin. She reached her small hand out of the window and closed her eyes. She wondered faintly if it would be twelve more years before she would be able to walk in the sun.
"What is bothering you my sweet child?" An omniscient voice echoed from behind her.
Rapunzel looked around her immaculate room. The queen sized canopy bed. The hand carved wardrobe. The toys, the jewels, the dresses. The hundreds of books that lined the tall oak shelf that stood propped against the wall. The room could have been empty for all she cared. Her mother made sure that she had never wanted for anything. Anything aside from companionship.
Her only contact with the world was through the rare visits from her mother and her grandfather. The only one who she saw everyday was the only one that was just as trapped and alone as she was, her father. Finally, Rapunzel looked across the room at the vanity that held the mirror that at the moment housed her father. "Hello father," she said, as his face smiled at her from his glass prison, "I've missed you."
Even though his face was slightly distorted Rapunzel could have sworn that his eyes sparkled just a bit when she gave him a genuine smile of her own. "And I you my dear," he said. "I apologize that your mother has been keeping me occupied as of late. You know how she can get once she has her mind set on something."
Rapunzel nodded minutely her smile turning sad. "Yes," she said softly, "I know." She had begged her mother to let her out, one day, one hour, five minutes, but every time she asked the answer was the same. No one outside of her mother, her father, or her grandfather even knew she existed. She was her mother's best kept secret.
She wanted out. To be known, to see the world, to have friends, or even experience the great love that she had read about in her books. But she knew better than to run. She knew better than to defy her mother. She knew the consequences. She saw them every day when she saw her father's face in the mirror.
"I haven't been gone so long that I wouldn't know when my own daughter is upset," he said, "Tell me my darling what is bothering you."
Rapunzel shook her head. "The same as always," she said, "The one wish that you can't grant." She watched as his face fell to something akin to heartbreak.
"Is there nothing else that I could do to make you happy?" He asked. There was not much he could do while trapped in a mirror but he could speak to her mother or her grandfather. Still he wanted nothing more than to please her. She was his daughter. The one person that he loved more than her mother, if it were not for his own blindness he could be holding his daughter even now. But it was his blindness that caused his daughter's conception and so he could not regret it.
"I've been thinking lately and I've come to find that nothing that anyone is willing to give me will ever bring me happiness," Rapunzel said looking away from her father and back outside of the small window, "It isn't that I don't appreciate the things that you are all willing to give or I don't love you it's just that…" In every book she had ever read the heroine wasn't sitting on the sidelines and waiting, she was fighting for what she wanted. And though she didn't want to admit it, because she could not face her mother she was not a hero but a coward.
"You've realized that a happy ending cannot be given," he said, "It must be fought for." He knew that he was giving her his blessing to defy her mother and perhaps even leave, but he was beginning to think that perhaps that was for the best. Besides no matter where she went or how far she traveled whenever she looked in the mirror he would always be there.
Rapunzel stood from where she was settled on the velvet window seat. She walked across the room her long tresses trailing behind, the long wavy tendrils seeming unending. She stopped when she reached the vanity, reaching out and touching her hand to the glass. "I knew that you would understand father," she said smiling more genuinely, "You always do."
Rapunzel stiffened as she heard the familiar sound of her mother's carriage stopping a few feet away. "If you talk to her," her father said gently, "Perhaps your mother will understand as well."
"Perhaps," Rapunzel responded. She stepped away from her vanity and looked toward the window. "And perhaps not," she said, "But I must try."
"And as you are my daughter I must support you," he replied. He could see her resolve strengthen even as he wondered about the strength of his own.
All conversation ceased as they heard the sound of her mother's voice ring up through the trees and into the open tower window. "Rapunzel…Rapunzel...let down your hair…"
:::
Mystic Falls, Virginia
Bonnie frowned at Abby. She was in shock. She hadn't wanted to find her mother. Hadn't even thought about it. She had gotten used to her life. To her Grams being a memory. To her father caring more about his job than he did her. To the only memory of her mother being vague shadows that seemed pleasant enough to cling to. She had been content to live her life and move on. She was content with her friends, friends that she would do anything for even find the mother who had abandon her because she would do anything to keep those friends because she couldn't handle losing anyone else. Now Abby was telling her that, the parents, the family that she had known was never even hers in the first place.
It didn't make sense yet it made perfect sense. She had always believed she had spent her whole life in Mystic Falls and yet she had no real memories of it. She could only fill in the blanks with what others had told her. Grams, Elena, and Caroline. Aside from what they had said she couldn't remember another life. That wasn't entirely true, she had flashes of things and there were dreams that woke her up at night that she couldn't quite remember but she had never thought…
Finally she was able to feel. Confusion was at the forefront. Sorrow at the possibility of not being Sheila Bennett's biological granddaughter the next emotion, but then again that didn't matter, Grams would always be her Grams. Greater than anything was Bonnie's relief. The possibility of not having to carry on the Bennett line, the name and the legacy of servitude and haplessness that came along with it would be gone. She wouldn't be the last in a line whose destiny didn't seem to go beyond serving the very creatures that they had vowed to protect the world from.
More than even that she felt relieved that she may not just be the girl who did more for her friends than she should have because she was afraid of being alone. Afraid because of the mother who had left her and the father who couldn't bother to stay at home long enough to ask her how her day was going before he was off on another business trip. A father whose idea of taking care of her was sending a check each month and allowing her to stay with his relatives, the strangers, each summer, while he vacationed in Boca or Peru, with a nameless, faceless beauty more deserving of his time than Bonnie. No, she could be the girl whose real mother and father were out there somewhere, actually worrying about her and her safety in the way that Jeremy had seemed to before things had fallen apart between them. They could be somewhere loving her and hating the fact that they had ever let her leave their side.
"Bonnie," Abby said sounding concerned. Bonnie's eyes snapped back to the woman's and she finally understood the detachment she had felt. A part of her had known that the woman wasn't who she was looking for. "I'm so sorry," Abby said when Bonnie didn't speak, "I'll explain if you like…."
Abby looked lost and Bonnie suddenly didn't care that she was in a cave trying to open a coffin that may or may not hold something that could kill Klaus. She didn't care that there was chance it would never be opened and that Klaus could continue to reign terror. She wanted answers. Klaus, Damon, and Stefan would just have to wait. "Am I adopted?" Bonnie asked trying to remember something, anything that had happened farther back than her sophomore year when the Salvatore had showed up. She frowned. There was nothing. The farthest back she could remember was the age of twelve. She could remember bits and pieces. The sound of a cane hitting the ground. A gold tooth grin and then Abby and the man who she had thought was her father. Then there were sprinklings of memories some good but mostly bad. "Please," Bonnie said shaking her head to clear it, "Tell me what you know."
"Your father…," Abby paused biting her lip, "I mean my husband. Our marriage…it wasn't working…he couldn't accept what I was. I thought that maybe if we had a child, something that was a part of us both but had my power that he would understand. That he would be able to love it, and me. He agreed…thinking back on it I think that maybe he just wanted a sort of buffer between us…something that we would be able to look forward to in between all of the fights. The thing was I couldn't have a child…I tried so hard but I couldn't conceive." Abby paused and checked to make sure that she still had Bonnie's full attention. When she saw that Bonnie was meeting her eyes head on she looked away again and continued. "After a while we gave up and decided to look into adoption," she sighed, "Six years ago we were approached by a man. I can barely remember him now but he said he had a child, a girl in need of special care. A magical touch he had said…the way that he said it…."
"He knew didn't he?" Bonnie asked, "About your powers? About mine?" Bonnie frowned as a memory came to her unbidden. A hand on her shoulder, a voice in her ear. "I will find you a good home," adeep voice promised, "You will be well taken care of my dear."
"Yes," Abby said, "He knew about me and about you. I'm not sure how he found us, Rudy and I, but he was adamant about us taking the best care of you, he seemed very reluctant to let you go."
Bonnie's eyes widened. Something in the way that Abby spoke gave her pause. "Do you think he was…," she trailed unable to say it. As distant as her father had been all these years a part of her still and always would love him. He was flawed but Bonnie knew that in spite of everything he loved her.
"Was he your real father?" Abby asked. Bonnie nodded. Abby shook her head. "He was a lawyer for your family," Abby said, "There was an incident he said or an accident rather. A car wreck. Your father loss his memory, you were in a coma, and your mother she had died giving birth to you years prior. Your father was all that you had left but with no memory of you he wasn't fit to handle your care. When you woke they discovered that your memory was compromised as well. Your father couldn't claim you and they wanted to put you in the system. Your father's lawyer knew of your powers and what could happen to you if you were left in foster care and so he took you in and I guess he became close to you…grew attached to you, when Rudy asked he had said he was rather fond of you. He couldn't care for you himself and so he vowed to find you a new home, a good home."
Bonnie blinked, something seemed off about the explanation but she couldn't put her finger on it. She silently mourned for the death of a mother whom she had apparently never known, and yet even that didn't seem right. "So you took me," Bonnie said, "Then what happened."
"It didn't help our marriage," Abby said, "We loved you…we did. It was each other that we couldn't love enough." Abby met her eyes again. "I can't help but think that things would have been better for you if we hadn't taken you. When I decided that I wanted a normal life…away from all this, your father agreed to take care of you. You loved your Grams even more than you loved us and so I thought that you would be okay. I thought that with Mikael taken care of there would be no danger. Your father promised to keep you and take care of you…I couldn't not leave after what happened with Mikael and Elena's mom. Seeing you just reminded me of everything I lost and everything I no longer wanted. My husband, my powers, this place. But I see now that I was just running away, leaving my responsibilities. Leaving you to lead a life I had brought you into, to deal with the mess I and my family had created; a family that you weren't born into."
"You were a coward," Bonnie said plainly. But so was she. She kept her mouth shut when she should have spoken. She said yes when she should've said no. She did the thankless job of protecting the people of Mystic Falls with a quiet strength that didn't need acknowledgement, and there was no cowardice in that. No, she was a coward because she hadn't done what she had wanted to do from the moment that Sheila Bennett's ghost had told her she was stronger than all of this, which was pack, leave Mystic Falls and prove the woman that she loved more now than she had then because she now knew that the woman had loved her in spite of not being her biological grandmother, right. Sheila had been the only person who had ever truly loved Bonnie unconditionally and completely, and it only seemed right to take her advice and stay out of Original business. But was it too late. "But I know what it's like to be one so I can forgive you for that," Bonnie said softly, "And you're telling me the truth now so I can respect you for that."
"I don't want to just offer you the truth Bonnie," Abby said seriously, "I want to offer you a way out. I owe you that much. I got you into this life and I want to get you out of it."
"How?" Bonnie asked. She knew she was in too deep. She had been for a while now. Besides, she couldn't just walk away. Even if she wanted to her love and her loyalty to her friends wouldn't let her.
"I'll stay here," Abby offered, "I can contact Lucy and she can help me open the coffin. Whatever is inside whether or not it can stop Klaus we will deal with it, your friends will be protected and you can go."
"Go where?" Bonnie asked, "Do you know where I can find my father? And how do I know I can trust you?"
"You don't know that you can trust me," Abby said defeated, "All you have is my word. But the lawyer, you can go to him and find your family. You don't have to stay away from Mystic Falls forever, if you want to come back then I can stay until you get back but at the very least Bonnie you deserve a break from all of this."
Bonnie only gave a moment's thought to what the others would think before she made her decision. It was time she lived for herself. She had left after Grams had died and everyone had managed to survive, if they had found a way to make it through her absence then they should have been able to survive should she leave now. "This lawyer," Bonnie said, "What's his name? Where can I find him?"
Abby smiled a watery smile. She had been fighting with her guilt since Bonnie had showed up at her doorstep. Finally, she would have a chance to make things right. "His name is Mr. Gold," Abby said trying hard to latch onto the memory, "He said he's from a town called Storybrooke, in Maine."
"And you'll stay," Bonnie pressed, "You'll protect everyone here while I'm gone."
Abby gave a definitive nod. "I promise," she said. She reached over the coffin and held out her hand for Bonnie to take.
Bonnie took Abby's hand and shook it firmly. She nodded. "The deal is struck," she said her voice echoing faintly off the cave walls.
:::
The Enchanted Forest, Before the Dark Curse
Regina watched as her daughter's hair wrapped around the tower that Rapunzel had occupied since birth, transforming into a spiral staircase leading up to the large bay window. She smiled openly, something that she denied herself while she was away from her daughter. It was always a sinister smile here or a vindictive smirk there.
To show emotion was a rare thing for Regina, something she gifted to only a few and her daughter was one of the few. Rapunzel was the one person that she was still able to love outside of her father after Daniel. As Regina took the stairs made from her daughter's hair she thought back on the last twelve years of her daughter's existence.
Seducing the mirror had been a chore but it had been an easy one. It was just after King Leopold's funeral that Regina had discovered that she was with child. As her husband had only touched her a few times during their marriage, her wifely duties mostly consisting of being the perfect replacement mother for his precious Snow White a job which Regina had never fully been able to accomplish in either of their eyes, Regina knew exactly who the father of her child had been.
Her plan had been to disappear for a year after the funeral (nine months being much too suspicious), to "mourn" her husband's death and to more importantly have the child. She would then give the child away, and find it a suitable home, as it wouldn't fit into her plans. The problem had been that the very moment that she had looked into Rapunzel's green eyes Regina had fallen in love for the second time in her life.
Her daughter had been beautiful, powerful, and perfect. Her traits had only grown more prominent as she grew older. Regina had decided that she would never let the world tarnish such perfection. Her daughter would remain untainted, she would protect her the way that Cora had neglected to do for Regina.
Cora had spit on Regina's wishes and turned a once innocent girl into something evil, empty, and hungry for revenge. She had taught Regina a valuable lesson however, the world was unforgiving, and so she would be. Still even if Regina showed no mercy to the rest of the world she would be merciful to her daughter and make sure that she never knew the pain that Regina felt.
Regina had decided not long after Rapunzel was born that she would protect her from the world by keeping her from it. Rapunzel would never be lied to because she would never be exposed to anyone outside of those who cared enough to tell her the truth. She would never know heartbreak because she would never fall in love. Regina didn't have to worry about Rapunzel becoming restless because Rapunzel could never miss a world that she never knew. It was for the best, for Rapunzel's sake.
So Regina had locked her daughter away, far from a world that had the power to rip her apart. Rapunzel would never know that sometimes there were no happy endings.
Regina could still remember when the tower had been built, deep within the Dark Forest, where she knew no one would dare journey, as the bricks had risen above the earth Regina had smiled at the thought of her daughter having a fortress in which to live.
Despite her solitude Rapunzel had been a happy child, content with company in the form of Regina, Regina's father Henry, and her own father in the form of a magic mirror. Her daughter wanted for nothing, whatever she asked Regina gave willingly in hope that Rapunzel would always be content at her side.
To this day Rapunzel was still a happy and agreeable child. On the rare occasions that Rapunzel became upset Regina could always soothe her by singing to her as she brushed her long hair, hair that grew as Rapunzel's powers did and held her daughter's magic.
Regina stroked the soft strands fondly as she climbed the final step and then walked through the open window using the soft cushioned window seat as a stepping stool before her booted feet finally hit the carpeted floor. She smiled at her daughter whipping her blood red cloak to the side as she leaned forward her hands on her knees, so that she was eye level with her. "Hello, my darling," she said fondly, "Come…embrace your mother."
Rapunzel did as she was told but she seemed hesitant which gave Regina pause. Still she wrapped her arms around her daughter placing as kiss atop her head. "Hello, mother." Rapunzel said lovingly and Regina almost thought that it was safe not to worry.
Rapunzel was still stiff as Regina let her go. "You look lovely today my dear," Regina said stroking her daughter's cheek, "I knew that purple dress would suit you the moment I laid eyes on it. It's very becoming."
"Thank you," Rapunzel said smiling slightly. As she looked at her mother's glamorous and intimidating form she almost lost her nerve. She glanced over her shoulder and as she met her father's eyes in the mirror she found her resolve once again strengthening. "You look beautiful as always," she said.
"Thank you dear," Regina said her tone dismissive though Rapunzel knew she loved the flattery. She held out the basket in her hand. "Shall we have lunch?" Regina asked. She flipped the cloth covering the basket's contents over so that Rapunzel could see what was inside. "I've brought your favorites," she continued, "I even managed to find another one of those ridiculous books that you so love. I have other things as well. A few surprises from your grandfather."
"That's nice," Rapunzel said softly.
Regina frowned. That was not the enthusiastic response that she normally received. "I didn't mean to insult your books darling," Regina said hoping that was the problem, "I know how much you love them." Rapunzel gave her a weak smile and Regina knew that something else was upsetting her. "I have gifts for you Rapunzel, my love," she noticed Rapunzel wince at the particular term of endearment but Regina pressed on, "Don't you wish to open them?"
At this Rapunzel's head snapped up, her brown skin flushed angrily, and there was no mistaking the defiance in her eyes. She was tired of her mother ignoring what she wanted in favor of buying her obedience with empty gifts that in the end meant nothing.
"What is it mother?" Rapunzel asked her tone taking on a bitter note, "More toys that I have to play with alone or more books about places that I will never see?"
Regina's eyes went from loving to lethal within in seconds. Admittedly this was not the first time that Rapunzel spoke of seeing the outside world but the tone that she was using was angry and borderline disrespectful. Begging Regina could tolerate but this she just would not have. "Excuse me?" Regina asked the underlying threat clear in her voice.
"I'm tired mother," Rapunzel sighed on the verge of tears and sounding much older than her years, "I'm tired of looking out of the window at a world I'll never see. Tired of dreaming about friends I'll never have or wondering what it would be like to fall in love when I've never even seen another person outside of you and grandfather up close, let alone a boy my age. I don't want to leave you; I just want to live with you outside these walls, outside this prison."
Regina looked so stricken that Rapunzel had to turn away from her. She had hoped her mother would understand. She didn't want to hurt her mother but she didn't want to hide what she was feeling. But her mother clearly saw her feelings as betrayal which was what Rapunzel was afraid of.
"This is not a prison this is your home," Regina said placing her hands on Rapunzel's shoulders, "I grew up in a place that could be called a prison. My choices were taken away from me and my feelings were ignored. My mother was cruel, she didn't understand me. But I understand you Rapunzel, I know what's best for you."
Rapunzel shook her head and turned to face her mother. "All you are doing is making it harder for me to understand why you don't understand," she said. Henry had told Rapunzel of her grandmother but she had never laid eyes on the infamous Cora. Seeing the haunting look in her mother's eyes she had never been more grateful for not having been exposed to the woman. Still it was chilling how close Regina's description of Cora was to how Rapunzel would describe Regina were she asked.
"Rapunzel sweetheart…," Regina trailed when her eyes met those of the man trapped inside of the magic mirror. His face was set in stone and she knew that he not only supported Rapunzel in this but had likely put the idea into her head to begin with. "You," Regina hissed at the mirror, "Is this your revenge? To turn my own daughter against me? To have her leave me?"
"No matter the state I may now be in she is my daughter as well Regina," he answered. He aided her and followed her in most things but this he could and would not. His daughter was and always would be the only thing that he loved more than Regina.
Regina opened her mouth to emasculate him and refute his claims but Rapunzel grabbed her hand and stopped her. "No one is or could ever turn me against you," she said, "I love you, mother." Regina's eyes softened as she looked down at her. "I don't wish to leave you; I just want to leave this tower once in a while, even for something as simple as taking a walk at your side. Even if you want to keep me locked away then let it be with you in the palace. Somewhere I can see you and grandfather every day. I just don't want to be stuck in this tower for the rest of my life. Surely you must understand that."
But Regina could not understand how Rapunzel couldn't understand her need to protect her from the world. But then again she could. Rapunzel had yet to experience the world so of course she would feel as if there was something to be missed but her daughter would thank her one day.
"How can you have me understand when you're telling me that you wish to go out into a world that will break you rather than stay in the safest place that there is with the ones who love you the most," Regina said.
"But the people who love her aren't here Regina," Rapunzel heard her father chime in, "You and your father reside in your castle and even I as trapped as I am must appear and disappear at your whim. Rapunzel is alone more often than not. This is no home for a child. You've locked her away from the world for her protection but you've not only locked her away from those who wish to do her harm but those that love her as well. Move her to the palace. She will be with us every day. The loneliness will fade and she will be satisfied."
Regina shook her head. She couldn't let her out. Living in the palace may satisfy her but for how long? How long before she wanted to journey out onto the palace grounds, and then the land surrounding it, and then the rest of the kingdom? The more people she would meet the more she would want to. The more she experienced the more she would wish to. It would go on like this until one day Rapunzel would find that she liked her freedom more than she liked home. She would fall in love or perhaps go on a grand adventure and that would lead to betrayal and heartbreak or worse death. Either way, Rapunzel would be lost to Regina and Regina could not lose another person that she loved.
No, she couldn't give into Rapunzel's wishes, not now or ever. She would simply have to show Rapunzel what true loneliness felt like. Only then would her daughter learn to appreciate what she had.
"You know nothing of being alone," Regina said her voice sounding strangely hollow to Rapunzel's ears, "But you will learn."
Before Rapunzel could process her mother's words, Regina waved her hand and Rapunzel's mirror shattered. "Father," Rapunzel cried.
"Don't worry," Regina said sadly, "He lives. You however will be unable to see him. Until you learn the value of what you have, of family; your father, your grandfather, and I will be strangers to you." If Rapunzel could get a hold of a mirror she would have her father back, but there was no link to the outside world outside of Regina so it would never be possible.
Rapunzel fell to the floor where the pieces of glass lay strewn. "Father," she whispered tears burning her eyes, "What have I done?" She frantically began to piece the mirror back together. Her tears fell bouncing off the glass as she ignored the cuts that appeared on her fingers as her small hands handled the glass. She turned to Regina as her mother moved to leave. "Please mother," she begged weakly, "I'll behave. I'll do whatever you ask. Just don't leave me. Don't take father away. I'll be good. Just bring him back."
"I'm sorry," Regina said stiffly though she allowed a single tear to fall, "But this is the only way that you will understand. You have no need of anything that I cannot give you. The world outside these walls has only loss and misery to offer. I can give what the world cannot but what I can give I can take away. You will have nothing if you do not have me."
"I understand now," Rapunzel pressed, "I do." She would say anything, do anything, she just couldn't handle the loneliness.
"Goodbye Rapunzel," Regina said her voice cracking only slightly at the end. Regina disappeared in a puff of smoke, not bothering to leave the way that she came.
Rapunzel stared at the place where her mother had been, heavy sobs leaving her throat. When finally she could cry no longer she knelt down and picked up the glass that littered her floor. As she looked at the blood, the glass, and the tears she wondered if the chance to live out in the world had been worth it.
:::
Mystic Falls, Virginia
Bonnie stood in front of Sheila Bennett's grave a bouquet of roses in her hands. She placed them in the ivory vase in front of the grave stone. She smiled as she ran her hand over Sheila's name though there were tears in her eyes. Sheila had not been her grandmother biologically but she would always, even in death, be her Grams. Even without her blood running through Bonnie's veins the woman had for years been her only caregiver, guidance, and the only person who had ever loved Bonnie unconditionally. Even knowing what she knew, that Bonnie wasn't her real granddaughter, she had died helping her help the very creatures that she hated and Bonnie wasn't sure that she could ever forgive herself for that. "Thank you," Bonnie whispered, "For loving me."
Bonnie kissed her fingers and then touched them to the gravestone. "I'll always love you," she said, "No matter what family I find out there."
Bonnie stood, wiping her tears and turned away from the grave. She walked out of the graveyard her mind on the letters that she had left for Caroline and Elena. They would understand she hoped and even if they didn't, she wouldn't change her mind.
After Sheila Bennett had died Bonnie had struggled to find herself and come to terms with her powers. But no matter how many lives she saved or how much she had tried to tell herself that she was a Bennett witch, responsible for keeping the balance, there had never been a moment where she didn't feel lost and she couldn't help but think that there was clarity to be found out there.
She wasn't naïve. She didn't expect all her answers would become suddenly clear if she found her biological parents. She had no thoughts of a fairytale reunion. No. But she knew that if nothing else she would find escape. She would find freedom from the prison that she had built for herself in Mystic Falls. A trap that she created from one-sided relationships, and a willingness to risk everything including her life and sanity in order to help those who seemed to expect her to do nothing less.
Bonnie realized now that she would never find herself if she could never go out on her own. So as she left the graveyard she walked to her car and promised that there would be no regrets if she left. The others would survive. She had made sure that they were protected. If they were the friends that Bonnie hoped that they were then they would understand.
Bonnie climbed into her car and closed the door. Starting the engine, Bonnie glanced at the bags in her back seat and then the map that lay in her passenger's seat. Taking a deep breath Bonnie pulled out of the parking lot and headed in the direction of Storybrooke, Maine.
:::
The Enchanted Forest, Before the Dark Curse
Rapunzel began to rather stiffly clean up the remnants of the glass of the mirror that had once housed her father, but she stopped as the sound of an odd laughter came from behind her. Whipping her head around Rapunzel frowned immediately straightening at the sight of the man before her, if a man was what one would call him. His hair was messy, skin oddly textured with a greenish tint, and he had the eyes of not just a mad man but a dangerous one as well. Oddly enough as this was the first person Rapunzel had seen outside of her family she was equally as intrigued as she was scared.
"Oh dearie," the man said almost fondly, "Such a pretty little face to be looking so down." He gave her a yellow toothed smile. "Perhaps I can be of assistance."
The girl's eyes narrowed in a way that reminded Rumplestiltskin of her mother. It had taken an extreme effort on his part to learn that the queen had a daughter, and even still he had yet to discover the little one's name. "And who might you be?" The child asked in such a way that made his smile grow wider.
"A friend," he said simply, "One who is willing to help you out of your current predicament. There will be a small price of course Miss… Oh I don't believe that you've told me your name, my dear."
"No," Rapunzel said her mouth pinching into a thin line, "I haven't. Nor have you told me yours." She winced when his shrill laughter once again filled her ears.
"No," he said clearly amused, "I have not." This child was smarter than he thought, but considering who her mother was this should not have surprised him. But she had a weakness, everyone did, and everyone could be bought for the right price. "And if I could not only get you out of this tower but also into a life that you could live and love without being under the watchful eye of your loving mother, the queen…would you tell me your name then?"
"You know my mother is the queen and yet you have the nerve to show up here…." Rapunzel paused as she realized she didn't know how he had shown up in the first place as the window was the only entrance and exit, but she recovered quickly, "By whatever means in which you came here and offer to free me from her when I have given you no inclination that I wish to be freed, on the risk that were I to tell my mother of this little visit, my knowing your name notwithstanding as you have enough telling features," here came his laugh again, but Rapunzel continued undeterred, "That a description of you would likely lead to the immediate discovery on my mother's part of your identity and in turn lead to your immediate disposal. If you know of the queen then you must know of her power-"
Here was the right time to stop the child's rambling and false bravado. "Of course I do, dearie," he said, "I am the one that gave it to her." Now he had the girl's attention. "By the same means in which I entered your lovely home, in fact."
"Which would be?" Rapunzel asked an eyebrow raised in question.
"Why, magic, of course," Rumplestiltskin said as if she should have very well known the answer. The girl looked unimpressed.
"I have magic of my own," Rapunzel said her hand moving subconsciously to run her fingers through her hair. She only stopped the gesture when her hair caught on one of the open wounds the glass from her mirror had caused.
"I have no doubt of that," Rumplestiltskin agreed, "You come from great power so it would only make sense that you possess great power. The question is….do…you….know….how to use it?"
His manner of speaking was beginning to give Rapunzel a headache. Still she couldn't help but consider what he was actually offering her. He was giving her a way out. Freedom from her tower and freedom from her mother, if he could actually do what he had said which with Rapunzel's luck was unlikely. Then there was the question of whether she wanted freedom from her mother. She loved her mother, even after her mother had done the unforgivable and walked away from her. But the thought of living her life outside the walls of the tower was too seductive to pass up, and the thought of the loneliness her mother left her to was too much to bear.
But there was one thing that caused Rapunzel to hesitate. "In this new life that you could bring me," Rapunzel hedged, "My mother wouldn't come after me?"
"She wouldn't even remember that you exist, my dear," he promised.
Rapunzel frowned. Her mother not knowing she existed would mean never seeing her again. She didn't want that, even if she could be free as a result. But then she remembered that her mother had told her that she was now a stranger to her. How long would her mother willingly leave her alone? Would she see her mother again either way? "And my father," Rapunzel pressed, "What of him? Would he remember me? Could I see him?"
"He will remember you my dear," Rumplestiltskin nodded, "And if you wish to see him it would only take but one look into a mirror for you to do so."
"What is it that you want from me in exchange?" Rapunzel asked.
"All magic comes with a price dearie," he sighed, "Truly it's nothing personal. You tell me your name and then we can discuss the particulars of our deal."
Taking a deep breath, Rapunzel met his unnerving gaze. "Rapunzel," she said, "My name is Rapunzel."
Rumplestiltskin made a contented sound and smirked strumming his fingers against each other. "Rapunzel," he said as if he were tasting the name on his tongue, "I understand now why you were guarding it so well. It is a rather lovely name."
:::
Storybrooke, Maine
Bonnie had been on the road for fourteen hours and twenty four minutes. After the first six hours she had stopped in Pennsylvania and stayed at a cheap motel eating pizza and dodging phone calls from first Elena, then Caroline, and then Stefan of all people. After having breakfast at a local diner she had stopped off and stocked up on junk food and any beverage that had caffeine, and then completed the remaining eight hour drive while listening to her old Spice Girls CD, eating an ungodly amount of Cheetos Puffs, and stopping only twice to get gas and use the bathroom. When finally she got to the sign that said, "Welcome to Storybrooke," she felt just as accomplished as she did apprehensive.
She decided before tackling big stuff like finding her father, she would find a place to stay. Though, that proved harder than she thought as she was also focusing on not turning the car around and going back the familiar life that she led back in Mystic Falls. But she couldn't go back, going back would basically be saying that she accepted how she was being treated, that she would continue to live the legacy of the family that was not her own.
Instead of turning around Bonnie drove through town at a much slower pace than was probably legal, which was probably why everyone that she drove pass that happen to be standing out on the sidewalk as she drove pass seemed to be staring at her. Bonnie did her best to ignore it as she kept driving, only pausing a moment to wave at the little brown haired boy that stood on the sidewalk next to a tall woman with blonde hair in front of what looked like the Sheriff's Department. The only reason that she had waved back apart from the fact that the boy's face was the only welcoming one that Bonnie saw, was the fact that he looked almost oddly excited to see her. It was weird as were the stares that Bonnie was receiving but living in Mystic Falls where weird was the norm had made Bonnie immune to such things.
As she passed a diner her stomach growled and Bonnie found that her body was none too pleased with her diet sense leaving Mystic Falls even if only a day had gone by. Sighing Bonnie pulled her car over and parked. She ran her hands down her red sweater and adjusted her black leather jacket, before she made her exit. She tried to ignore the stares as she made her way to the diner and walked inside, though she did not fail to notice that the blonde and the little boy were close on her heels.
Bonnie sat down at an empty table and picked up a menu, she stared at it but she didn't really see it. She could feel the weight of the eyes that were on her. "What the hell am I doing here?" Bonnie muttered to herself. She was about to stand when a voice stopped her.
"Don't mind them," the small voice said, "We just don't see a lot of strangers around here."
Bonnie looked at the brown haired boy in surprise as he sat down across from her not seeming to feel as if he needed an invitation. Bonnie looked around at the people that were now trying to pretend that they weren't staring. "I can see that," she said as her eyes came to rest on the little boy again.
"My name is Henry," the boy said smiling, "What's yours?"
Bonnie returned the smile. She liked kids, for the most part. She knew they could be a handful as she and Matt had dealt with a few unpleasant ones when they were lifeguards that one summer but this one seemed okay enough, at least so far. "Bonnie," she said.
"So," Henry said, "What brings you to Storybrooke?" Just like August he had never seen the girl before, but unlike the writer she didn't seem to be hiding anything. The weird thing was, she kind of reminded Henry of someone, but he just couldn't put his finger on it; however, the fact that she did made him almost one hundred percent sure that she was a character from his book as well as the rest of the town. The only thing to find out now was who she was, and the only way to do that was to ask questions. "Do you know someone in town?"
Bonnie grinned, shaking her head. "You sure do ask a lot of questions, kid," she said.
Bonnie was surprised when the boy laughed. "That's what Emma always says," Henry said, just as the blonde approached the table.
"Emma?" Bonnie asked.
"Sheriff Emma Swan," the blonde said, stopping in front of the table and taking a seat next to Henry, "And you are?"
Bonnie frowned at the abrasiveness of the woman's tone. She wondered if everyone in the town thought it normal behavior to intrude on someone trying to have a meal without invitation. "Bonnie Bennett," Bonnie answered more because she didn't want to piss off the sheriff on her first day in town than anything else.
"Nice to meet you Bonnie," Emma said smiling, though her expression was guarded, "So what brings you to Storybrooke?"
Bonnie raised a brow at Emma and then Henry. Both of them simply looked at her curiously. She knew that neither of them would leave until she answered their question though she doubted that either would be so forthcoming with information were she to ask them who they were and why they felt the need to interrogate her on sight. She decided to give them some variation of the truth. "I'm in town to see a friend of the family," she said, going back to studying her menu.
"Really?" Emma asked, raising a brow, "Who?"
Bonnie had to physically fight the urge to roll her eyes. Did the woman really need this much information from her? Why the hell did she care? Wasn't there some petty crime taking place that she could stop? "I doubt you'd know him," she said, with a tight smile.
"Well," Emma said, "I am the sheriff. Besides it's a pretty small town."
Henry nodded in agreement. "Yeah," he said, "Everyone knows everyone in Storybrooke."
Mystic Falls was small too but this wasn't how they greeted strangers. Though, given their track record as far as strangers went they probably should. However, Bonnie was starting to wonder if there was some Stepford Wives type cult stuff going on. "He goes by Mr. Gold," Bonnie answered them finally.
Bonnie frowned when both of their eyes widened. "You know Mr. Gold," Henry asked, his surprised expression almost comical.
Bonnie nodded, although that wasn't necessarily the truth.
"And he's a friend of your family's?" Emma asked, her brow raised and her tone not hiding her skepticism.
Again Bonnie nodded. She recalled Abby's words. "He's actually rather fond of me," she said, hoping that would make them believe her enough to stop asking her questions. She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth however, as they looked even more shocked. Bonnie sighed once more. Well, she thought, at least they know him so they'll likely be able to help me find him. "You wouldn't happen to know where I can find him would you?" Bonnie asked.
Emma shook off the shock that girl's words caused and nodded. "Sure," she said, "And I'd be happy to take you to him after lunch. You don't mind if Henry and I join you, do you? We've recently found a missing person and I haven't eaten much all day."
"Of course not," Bonnie said, plastering on a plastic smile, "I'd be happy if you'd joined me. I don't mind one bit."
"Good," Emma said, "While we eat you can tell us all about your life in….Where was it that you're from again?"
Bonnie didn't recall telling her where she was from but she decided to play the Sheriff Swan's game. She just hoped that when the Spanish Inquisition, or rather, lunch was over that the blonde would make good on her word and tell her where she could find Mr. Gold. But more than that she hoped that once she found Mr. Gold that it would actually be worth her while.
:::
The Enchanted Forest, Before the Dark Curse
Rapunzel regarded the Dark One, her eyes full of doubt. He waited as she considered his proposition, his fingers drumming against each other as he rocked back and forth on his heels.
"You mean to tell me," Rapunzel said slowly, "That you would get me out of this tower and into a better life, without the threat of my mother's wrath if I give you my hair?"
"Not all of it of course," Rumplestiltskin said amiably, "You are much too beautiful to be made to go bald." The statement ended on one of his strange laughs and Rapunzel cringed. "You needn't worry about risking your powers. You are young yet, they will grow back and in greater magnitude and your pretty little curls will grow with them."
Rapunzel shook her head. "What I mean is," she said, "Your price seems to be a bit…small given what I would be asking of you." He merely shrugged. "Why do you want my hair anyway?" She asked with a childlike sense of curiosity, "What will you do with it?"
"Nothing that you should concern yourself with my dear," he said, dismissively. He leaned forward, invading the girl's personal space in a way that made the child uncomfortable. "Now," he said his voice low, "Do we have a deal?"
Rapunzel looked around what had been her home and her prison one last time. She would be leaving with only one regret. "If one day I wanted my mother to remember me?" She asked.
Rumplestiltskin shook his head. "Let us save that deal for another day, shall we?" He asked. Sighing, the girl nodded. He held out his hand for her to take.
Rapunzel's hand shook as she reached out and took his. "We have a deal," she said her voice more steady than her actions.
Rumplestiltskin smiled as he shook the little girl's hand. "The deal is struck," he said. He snapped his fingers and Rapunzel heard but one loud snip and then her long hair was gone leaving only enough to fall just past her shoulders. She had only a moment to think about what she had done before they were surrounded by dark cloud of purple smoke.
:::
Storybrooke, Maine
Gold sat in the basement of his shop. He was at work behind his wheel. However, he was not spinning straw into gold. He smiled as the long black locks spun around the wheel and came out on the other side as sparkling purple strands that fell into the basket at the other end. No, he was not spinning straw into gold; he was spinning his Rapunzel's lovely hair into magic.
Still to this day the girl was able to assist him. It was she who was the only one who was able to carry magic into this world because of the dual magical heritage that both of her parents had provided one a genie and the other a witch. It was the hair of hers that he still possessed that allowed him to pull off the tricks that he was still able to and that allowed Regina to get away with exactly what he wanted her to feel she could get away with.
He smiled fondly as he thought of Rapunzel. Stranger than his love for Belle, was his fondness for Regina's daughter. He had never been able to corrupt the girl no matter how hard he had tried and even when he found himself imprisoned just before the curse it was she that had risked herself in trying to set him free, seeing what little good in him that could be seen until the bitter end, much in the same way Belle had.
But her attempt to rescue him had only gotten her into a similar state to that of Prince Charming, in a hospital bed in a coma. For twenty two years she had laid there unchanging with only him as company as he read from her favorite books at her bed side, though it had seemed like no time at all had passed, as until recently time stood still in Storybrooke.
When she had finally woke, with no memory of much of anything, he had become her guardian for a short time. He had thought more than once of giving her to her father, but he didn't remember that he had a daughter thanks to the curse. Regina had not remembered her daughter before the curse and stayed in the dark still, and Gold knew better than to keep Rapunzel in town with him when he discovered some of her magical ability was still intact. Regina was already watching them closely from the moment that Gold had brought the girl home, and had she discovered the girl's powers without knowing who she was, Gold was sure that she would be labeled a threat and Regina being Regina, the girl's death would swiftly follow.
So, even in knowing the risk that he took in doing so, Gold found the girl a family. A family that possessed what passed for magic in this new world of theirs, so that she would not stand out. He fed her soon to be new parents a tragic story of a father with amnesia and a mother that had died during child birth. Her name was changed from Bonnie Glass to Bonnie Bennett, and he let her go.
But he was getting to the last of her hair, and with Miss Swan present the curse would soon be broken. He could not have his Rapunzel somewhere else when the curse broke. She would need to be in Storybrooke in order for her to remember. He would need an ally for what was to come and with Belle gone, and no way to find his Baelfire in sight, Rapunzel was all that he had left.
Gold heard the tingling of a bell coming from up above, a signal that someone had entered his shop. Sighing, he stood from his wheel, grabbed his cane, and journeyed upstairs, his leg making his pace much slower than it should have been. Mr. Gold came from behind the curtain that separated the back of the store from the front and his eyes landed on Sheriff Swan, not taking note to her two companions. He wondered what she wanted as she had found the missing Mrs. Nolan and therefore had no need to bother him. "Sheriff Swan," he greeted, "What can I do to assist you?"
As usual the sheriff looked at him with suspicion. "Henry and I were over at Granny's and we happened to run into a friend of yours," she said.
Gold raised an eyebrow. "Friend?" He asked. Surely this was some sort of trick. He had no friends to speak of, unless the sheriff was being sarcastic.
Gold's eyes left the sheriff and wandered toward the two at her side. He nodded at Henry, before his eyes moved to the female. Dark hair, brown skin, and those eyes, green eyes, eyes that he would know anywhere. She was older, yes. More beautiful, perhaps. But it was she. It would seem that he wouldn't have to hunt her down after all. "Ra-" He stopped himself from saying her real name, clearing his throat loudly. "Bonnie," he said after collecting himself, "What a lovely surprise."
"You remember me then?" Bonnie asked, sounding as relieved as she felt.
"Of course, dearie," he said, he took a step forward, ignoring the flabbergasted look on the sheriff's face, "And what about you? Do you remember me?"
And suddenly she did. The voice she had heard in her mind as Abby had told her the truth in Mystic Falls finally having a face to go with it. She remembered him being the first face she saw when she had woken up in a hospital bed. She remembered the few weeks she had spent in his care. She remembered him reading to her, his voice soft and surprisingly warm. She remembered wanting to stay with him instead of leave with Abby and Rudy. "You used to read to me," she said, aloud, "You always said I had a lovely name."
Gold watched as she took a step forward and then hesitated. He wasn't surprised when the girl suddenly launched herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He nearly laughed at the looks that the sheriff and her son had on their faces. "Yes," Gold said, allowing the hug but not returning it, "A lovely name indeed." The girl had always been far too sentimental for her own good. Though, just as it had many times before, he was sure that it would work out to his advantage.