(In light of recent events the season finale has entailed, I do believe this waiting several months until season four is hardly fair. Until then, here's one go at a continuation. Please let me know your thoughts and if you wanna talk about OUAT , I am only a message away! xxx)
She reasoned that she could possibly do several things that would lead to various altering scenarios. Being the better person was an obvious enough option, rather fitting for a hero.
She could pretend to take part in the happy reunion, implant a smile and welcome joy at the lovely reunion of the Hood family. They were reunited and that in itself was a miraculous notion. The moment for her however, held bitterness in her throbbing heart...regretfully so. It was the heart only recently returned that had found its own loss not a moment later. The looks of pity swept at her by the Charming's were insulting; reaching their height after the tenth time in mere seconds David sent his blue scornful eyes her way. Snow hadn't dared look after the first glance and Emma was slowly backing away in her own swallowing guilt.
It was enticing, marveling over her newly accepted chance at love that now stood with his reoccurred wife, Regina couldn't hate him; of course he went to her. Of course he went to his lost love. The mother of his child had come back and it only made sense Regina became a memory the instant his eyes fell on Marian. The corner of her eye noticed Henry, his gaze confused and mislead. His eyes were set on scrutinizing the couple before settling on her and she almost flinches at the pity coming her way, to her surprise he simply offers a soft smile in comfort.
But that in itself is far worse than pity, she doesn't want the love. It was a condolence that she deserved something else, something happier. No. The evil queen could not redeem herself from her horrors. A villain could not gain their happy ending. It amazes her she can make out their features with such a blurry haze in her way, but she couldn't falter to recognize the man that she admittedly found herself falling for. Now she was just falling. Hadn't she redeemed her happy ending? Had the villain not been diminished? No, she decides. A heroic action didn't gain her the right to be a hero. Only heroes were granted a happy ending. Yet it is that moment faith chooses to prove her wrong in the most twisted of ways. A newly wedded couple enter, the diner's door letting out a shrill to announce their entry. The previously great and terrible wizard himself enters with his beautiful princess at his side and suddenly it's all too much. The ache in her chest becomes a clutching reminder. The evil queen never won against her foes, and this would be no different.
And it's the fact that it wasn't villains that were deprived of happily ever after, just her. The royal who had never wanted the title in the first place was deprived of what she had only just started to accept was within reach. Regina couldn't fathom what false hopes led her so far as to believe she would end up happy, never had she deemed herself to be this foolish. As her tears release, the sobs escape her tightly shut lips and suddenly Regina is no longer in control. The sting of her fingernails digging into tightly enclosed palms goes unnoticed. The sound of her heels hitting the sidewalk give way that's she's exited before the drop of temperature does.
Her body has somehow met a state of unfeeling, numb to the harsh air and spiraling winds. She's fully aware of the changes in herself. The notion of another loss hadn't left her vengeful like the first. She was instead left defeated and it was somewhat disconcerting.
What had happened to the Evil Queen?
The question rings as her watery gaze finally glances at the parking lot that's missing her black Mercedes and then she just gives. How it happens, she isn't fully aware, but she simply falls. Wobbly knees no longer able to support her trembling form collide with the harsh sidewalk as she recalls herself walking over to the obscene diner. Her hand had been gripping the small fingers of Roland who had only hours ago welcomed the taste of an ice cream cone. The boy had then proceeded to share the experience by offering her the melting cone with dimples she couldn't even attempt to refuse.
His father had sent her looks of absolute adoration and she relinquishes how the smile on her face had refused to leave, how easily the grin would slip on and threaten to only get wider the longer she was with them. The feeling of being wanted had never been so prominent for her. No longer would that smile be triggered, Robin Hood now had his Marian and her entrance meant the queens departure. She would return to her vacant castle with a heart that waited its end.
It only made sense. This was a fairytale in all its forthcoming. No evil queen got a prince. And a second chance at love diminishes in its entirety when your first love returns, she could support that indifferently. Daniel had been lost to her and her great lengths to bring him back had majorly ended in a revived heartache. Marian was not dead, no she had escaped death to rejoin with her love. Daniel's life, however, had been lost to her. But Regina had listened to his last request. She had truly listened, only to be met with the reality of her ending. And no it wasn't happy. But her mind had stopped reeling and the logic of it washed over her.
Robin's earlier words on timing couldn't be any better in the message; maybe they had been meant to meet now. And maybe they were meant to end now, too. So he could learn to welcome love before his first love was returned to him and when Regina's role ended she would be cast off to the side as she was meant to be. As she always was. The sobs had quieted and she simply grabbed at her black stilettos before standing and heading home. The cold ground soothed her; the stability of the solid concrete was so opposite of her own flimsy body that it almost made it bearable to walk home with a hollow heart.
Her phone vibrated and a message from her son reminded her he was to be staying at Emma's, but his next message asked her if he was allowed to stay with her instead. And at first she scrunches her eyes as if she's reading wrong, but she agrees quickly because nothing seems more inviting than the one constant in her life. His footsteps are hurried as he runs towards her and she's surprised at how fast he's approached her. Falling into step easily, eyeing her heels before simply taking them and placing them in his backpack.
"Is Emma okay with this?" Regina tries to question after the few coughs she heaves to clear her voice of the previous hysterics, only to bite her lip at the cracked tone that still remains.
"Yeah, I'll just see her for breakfast or something." He shrugs indifferently and she wonders about the sudden change in plans.
"So, uh...too crowded for you over there huh?" She manages a hoarse chuckle, shuddering quite obviously at the sound. She waits patiently on the agreement from her son regarding the growing household.
"I just felt like staying with you." And it's her sharp intake of breath that leaves a ache in chest. His mother never even considered his actions were solely based on desire. That he would willingly want to spend time with her. Want to be with her, want to comfort her and never leave her side. How he hopes to never break her.
"Oh, well I'm glad." Her reply is lackluster and she knows that quite plainly, but before she can add on to the conversation, her son is pointing at the increasing snow on a road previously untouched.
"Mom, there's no snow falling. How is that happening?" He's walking closer and she chases after, stopping him only to be met with a gaze of ice blue.
"Mom...that's...Elsa?" He looks dazed, simply gawking at the blonde of incredible height, her braid falling loosely at her side as she walks forward, a flash of ivory leg with every step in the shimmering gown.
Regina can't be bothered at first, her head was throbbing erratically and she ached for any and every painkiller her hands could grasp. But confusion flickers at the queen from last weekend's movie night.
"Elsa is real!" Henry cheers suddenly. The blonde meets his gaze with a tentative smile.
"You've heard of me?" Her voice lingers through the air, each word a whisper with the snow.
"Yes, it's hard to explain but you're very known and quite...popular." He's met with perplexed eyes that move to the woman beside him, widening in recognition.
"Are you Queen Regina?" Her words hold suspicion, but also a certainty that leaves the woman unable to respond with deception.
"I-yes. I am." The blonde rushes out a breath of relief, her previous persona of confidence altering as she continues onward.
"I knew it was you. Please I need your help. I need to defeat the man who imprisoned me."
"You were imprisoned?" The boy can't help his curiosity, the character had only months ago been an introduced fairytale with Disney and already the story wasn't matching up.
"Cursed really...by a man you know, Regina;"
And she could almost taste the name as it met the cold nights air.
"By Rumplestiltskin."
Before the name reaches the woman's ears, a wave of nausea does. Eyes flutter closed as legs give out once again. Her body doesn't meet the cold ground, this time. Pale hands shoot out to catch her limp form, crystals forming under the unconscious woman like a bed. The fingers easily guiding the crystal forward, eyes on the boy who's struggling to mask his new state of panic.
"Lead me to your home, we can lie your mother down." Her voice breathes out softly, worry evident in her words.
"How did you know she's my mom?" He wonders suddenly, but is met with a simple shrug.
"It's not hard to guess." The strain in her voice is a surprise he isn't sure he should welcome.
So he instead frowns at an irritable fact, how easy it was for a stranger to guess the relationship half of the town still refused to acknowledge. Henry wonders if he should ask her to elaborate, but he chooses to focus on guiding the ice queen to the Mayor's mansion. If the movie followed anything that really happened, she was bound to have family problems.
He notices the blonde's hand trembles as she treks on in her heels; the only sound is their impact as the transparent heel connects with dark pavement. It's the snow trail that follows behind which confirms just how cold she truly is. The ice around her however is comforting, allowing him to shiver, matching his mothers frozen form almost unjustly. He watches her soft intakes of breath as the queen follows him without complaint, her gaze altering between his mother on the crystal bed and the path leading them to their destination.
This was a conflict to mention to people, but the vacant streets confirm that for some reason things needed to be kept at bay. Maybe his mom really only needed him and then they could help Elsa together. They could focus on fixing the new problem in Storybrooke and he would help Regina. He would be the one to help his mom get her happy ending. Part of him was quite certain Marian was an obstacle that would lead his mom to be with her true love. She would just need hope and guidance, something he was happy to provide. But another part was contemplating the unfairness of it all.
His mother deserved her happy ending, not a taste of it before it ripped out from under her. She was good; she was truly good and her soul mate should have been here for her when she had fallen, should have caught her. Instead, he was with his wife that was believed to be dead. Henry just couldn't fathom why all this had to happen, but he believed. He believed in Regina and he believed in Robin Hood. He believed in their love most entirely. He faltered however, in worry for his mothers' loss. What if she broke from this? He knew at once, as he had witnessed her heartbreaking expression that she no longer could lash out as the Evil Queen would. The boy was dreadful in that he saw defeat, something he was not accustomed to. She had never looked so tired. And he hoped his mother would pull through to reach the ending he knew she deserved.
"Is this Queen Regina's home?" Her voice was slowly becoming familiar to him and he gives a quick nod before unlocking the door of the Victorian mansion.
"She's just Regina here." He states softly before stepping inside and helping carry his mother's freezing body towards the plush couch. Elsa's quick to grab the throw blanket, wrapping it tightly around the small frame of the dark haired woman deep in a defeated slumber.
The boy starts on lighting the fireplace. Noticing the picnic blanket and wine glasses in front of it, he almost cringes in realization. His mom had mentioned her date prior to that evening, had nervously checked and rechecked that everything was in its place. He recalled repeating that no she did not need to change earrings because she had already chosen the perfect pair and she laughed and commented on how he was exactly what she needed to calm her uncalled for nerves. He sighs sadly before taking the glasses to the kitchen, setting them by the sink and returning to find the picnic blanket being used as another layer on his mother by Elsa. She looks up at him with a sheepish smile.
"Your mother looked cold." The blonde offers as explanation.
"Yeah, ice does that." He responds weakly, settling in at the end of the couch with a tired huff.
"What exactly happened prior that May have caused her to fall faint?" She targets lightly.
"She's had a long day that left her heart hurting." It's as simple as he can put it and something keeps him from hiding the ordeal. And he watches as understanding dawn on the queen, but he's somewhat shocked she regards his mom without the pity that's usually thrown her way. Elsa's eyes glaze instead with tears of a weary sadness.
"How awful that must be." He nods at her slowly, wonders internally if she's recalling her past with her sister Ana. If she even has a sister Ana. He wants to ask, but his eyes are drooping and she can tell as much. The boy courses enough energy to go lock the house door and lead the ice queen up the staircase with seemingly no end.
The blonde follows silently, fully aware of his slumped form. She runs her hand through her light locks before stepping into a bedroom that seems to hold an almost untouched status.
"Here's the spare room you can stay in. I'm sure my mom will have you stay anyway so you can use this room..." He trails off before he eyes the blue gown she adorns.
"I'll bring you some of her pajamas because I'm pretty sure she'd rather you borrow her clothes than ruin that pretty gown, I'm sure. It's probably what she'd say, too." He laughed lazily as he exited. Hands slowly rummage through the wardrobe, stopping on a pair of blue silk pajamas. He returns to a solemn looking Elsa and places them gingerly into cold awaiting palms.
"Thank you. I'm sure you're tired but before you go...you mentioned she isn't Queen Regina here." She waits for him to recall his words and he motions for her to continue.
"Where are we?" She finishes.
"Oh!" It finally dawns on him that she is not one of the enchanted forest inhabitants and he'll fail to explain the entirety of their location so he settles on a short introduction instead.
"Welcome to Storybrooke." Her brow furrows, but the boy is barely standing with his sleepy posture and she thanks him once more and bids a good night. Storybrooke? Her mind reels but the exhaustion from exerting her powers so much and so soon catches on. She takes the unfamiliar clothing and manages to slip it on, relishing in the slippery and light comfort before meeting the inviting plush of a mattress and shutting her eyes to the unfamiliar world. Her memories unforgiving even in the state of unconsciousness.
Downstairs, Henry has returned with his own comforter, falling softly onto the cushioned love-seat by the sleeping woman. He gives her a final glance if only for his own reassurance, before giving in to the exhaustion, permitting sleep to take over. It's then the women on the opposing coach stirs from her haunted memories that she had thought to be locked away for quite some time.
Her body jerks as she stands helpless watching her own mother rip his heart out.
"Daniel!" She screams, but her protests are in vain. No one can hear her. No one is coming.