This will either be two or three chapters depending on how long the second ends up being. I hope to have this completed before the new episode Sunday.
Disclaimer: Not mine. If it was Daniel would be alive.
"Goodbye, Daniel."
Regina collapsed to the ground outside the stall, sobbing. She had just destroyed any chance of ever being able to bring Daniel back to her. Her true love was gone forever, by her hand. She had used magic after telling herself and Henry she was done. She had used magic to destroy the one person who had always loved her, always believed in her, besides her father, but she had never noticed her father's devotion in the same way she had Daniel's.
Destroying Daniel had been different than killing her father. When she killed her father, she had been determined to get revenge on Snow White for Daniel's death at her mother's hand but when she destroyed Daniel just now, she was attempting to better herself. To prove to Henry that the Evil Queen was not who she had always been.
"Mom?"
She looked up to see Henry and James approaching her. She sprang to her feet and pulled her son into her arms. "Henry! Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"
"I'm fine," he half-heartedly hugged her back. "Who was that, Mom? Where did he go?"
"He's gone. Don't worry. He can't hurt you or anyone else anymore."
"You killed him?" Henry backed away. "You used magic to kill him, didn't you?"
"Henry. Please. Let me explain," she begged, reaching out to him.
"No! You killed him! You're not trying to redeem yourself. You lied to me." He turned and fled the stable causing the horses to snort in surprise as he ran past.
"Henry!" Regina desperately called after him.
"Did you kill him?" James asked harshly.
"Daniel was already dead. I just gave him the rest he needed," she snapped then choked by a sob. "He's gone for good. He can never be brought back to hurt anyone again."
"Good." He took a brief moment to study her. "Are you okay?"
"I just destroyed my fiancé. What do you think?" she sneered turning back to face the spot where Daniel had stood.
A hand on her shoulder caused her to flinch. "I'll talk to Henry." James said then his hand disappeared.
Turning, Regina found herself alone in the stable. She felt lost and had no idea how to make her son believe her; how to make all of Storybrooke believe that, she was trying to change.
A horse stomped its hoof making Regina aware that both times she had lost Daniel it had been in the stable, somewhere that used to be her favorite place to go. Fresh tears tried to push their way to the surface but she fought them back and ran from the building. She went to her car and drove back into town, intending to head home.
As she drove down the street, she spotted Henry and James sitting on a bench, talking. Suddenly blinded by tears, she pulled over to compose herself, for once not caring who saw her. She had to find a way to get Henry to listen and believe her.
She climbed out of her car and walked down the street, not paying attention to where she was going. She entered a building and stopped outside a door, knocking before she realized what she was doing.
When Archie opened the door, she found she could not hold back. "I used magic."