A/N: This ties into my other story "outside looking in" being that I am writing them coming from the same universe mindset. Anyway this story is just to give a back story on Cora and why she acts the way she does toward Regina which in turn leads Regina to acting how she does. Read and enjoy Final note, I am going with the story of the spinning Miller's daughter as Cora.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything with Once Upon a time or Disney. Copy right infringement is not my intent and I am not profiting from this.
PROLOGUE
Cora looked at the squirming bundle with a mixture of the purest love and fear. Love like she never knew possible invaded her every sense but the repercussions from a long ago made promise weighed on her heart.
Tears drenched her face as she clung to her daughter moving in frantic circles around the room. Cora was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn't notice she was no longer alone in her room.
"Well dearie it seems something has you distraught, do you need a kind shoulder to lean on perhaps? "
Cora muffled a scream and attempted to put on a cold front "What are you doing here Rumplestiltskin?"
"Now, now dearie don't play coy with me you know very well of the deal you made, which I am sure is the cause of your poorly concealed panic." With a smirk reached for the baby that Cora was clinging to.
Cora drew away from his grasp as fresh tears sprung to her eyes that she no longer had the strength to hide "YOU CAN'T HAVE HER, NOT NOW, NOT EVER!"
There are few in the land, hell in their entire world that had ever stood up to Rumplestiltskin…in his current incarnation anyway. The beautiful brown haired woman would earn a morsel of respect just for having the audacity to refuse him so passionately.
"What was our deal dearie hmmm ? It was not I but YOU who called for my services. Called because you knew I would come, Called because you needed a way out of such a dire situation. And came I did and helped I most certainly did. Now not only did you get to keep your head, you got to avoid a loveless marriage and get with the man you truly loved. You have me to thank for the child you cradled in your arms if not for my help she would be nonexistent."
Cora glared at him "You speak in half-truths Rumplestiltskin. You never told me the price would be so high for what you helped me do. Yes you spun gold so the king wouldn't behead me because of a foolish promise my imprudent father made. Yes you made it so the king was agreeable to letting me leave once the task was finished. I gave you all of my most prized POSSESIONS, you said that you would come back for something prized that I would have later….A POSSESION. My daughter is not a possession she is a life. She needs love and protection, what do you even know of these things. She is only a child, A CHILD, she can offer you nothing, and she can do nothing for you. You'll have to kill me to get to her."
With her speech said Cora squared her shoulders and held her daughter even closer.
The golden skinned man smirked at Cora "I am willing to strike a new deal with you, one that would benefit me immensely and allow you to keep your precious child."
Cora looked at him with open contempt "Why would I believe anything you say with how you twist your words? Why would you even be willing to make such a deal with me."
Rumplestiltskin stepped closer to Cora "Let's just say you're interesting to me, there aren't many who ever stood up to me. There are many who've tried to back out of deals, who've begged there ways out but it has always been for a selfish purpose. None have been willing to put their life on the line before."
Rumplestiltskin studied Cora…as her looked closer he could see what she possibly didn't even know she possessed. Magic.
Magic that was streaming through the veins of her protected bundle as well. Magic that if Cora was aware of, would have allowed her to get out of the predicament herself that first caused her to so desperately strike a deal with him all those months ago in that room filled with straw. The sheer irony of it all caused him to burst out into a series of giggling gleeful fits of laughter.
"Here is my deal dearie you can keep your daughter but it will cost you a piece of yourself."
Cora was desperate but this time she had to be sure of what was in store to protect herself and her daughter "What do you mean a piece of me, like my vision or appendage?"
Giggly Rumplestiltskin leaned forward more "No dearie, this is something you can't see, something you aren't even aware of but I would also be able to throw in the deal to let you in on something else about you…you have Magic dearie."
Cora looked at him in disbelief "What do you mean? No one in my family has ever practiced witchcraft! And if you're willing to give up taking my daughter for whatever you're trying to take from me then it must be something important. This time I won't rush into an agreement without knowing what it is you want Rumplestiltskin!"
Rumplestiltskin was at first amused by the banter but he decided to change tactics. He made deals all the time, but he couldn't go into them with an unwilling participant. The way magic worked with these things was in exchanges and willing parties. The parties may be desperate, in a panic but they had to be willing, he simply couldn't take certain things without permission, even with his abilities.
In an instant the baby Cora had been holding so protectively disappeared from her grasp and reappeared in Rumplestiltskin's arms.
Cold fear raced through Cora's veins. She lunged at him trying to snatch her daughter back.
As he jumped backwards out of her reach, Rumplestiltskin mockingly said in a sad voice "How sad this is I was hoping I could keep mother and child together but since you are so unwilling to strike a new deal with me I will have to take this lovely wee one as payment for our original bargain."
In a puff of smoke Rumplestiltskin disappeared. Cora's heart felt like it stopped beating in her chest.
"" she screamed as she broke down into a sobbing fit.
"COME BACK RUMPLESTILTSKIN I"LL AGREE TO WHATEVER YOU WANT JUST BRING BACK MY CHILD!"
In an instant Rumplestiltskin reappeared wearing a smirk "What was that dearie I couldn't hear you with all the crying."
Through her cries Cora said " I will agree to the new deal as long as you promise me my child will be with me and you won't try to take her from me again."
Smiling brightly he placed the sleeping child into her crib and turned back to the mother "Now dearie all of those theatrics for nothing. Come now what I want isn't so bad, like I said you won't even miss it and best of all you get to keep your wee one."
Rumplestiltskin helped Cora off the floor that she had thrown herself on and tilted her chin up to look into his eyes.
"Now to consummate the new deal dearie" Rumplestiltskin said quietly. Leaning forward he gently brushed his lips against Cora's ear and then ran his mouth gently down her cheek. A gasp escaped Cora's lips, she wanted to push Rumplestiltskin away but she would agree to anything to keep her lovely child safe.
After the short-lived reluctance she parted her lips, pressing against the wicked deal maker in a slow sensual kiss. Rumplestiltskin kissed her harder, probing Cora's mouth with her tongue. Cora responded, hesitantly raising a hand and tangling her fingers in Rumplestiltskin's wild, soft hair.
As they kissed, Cora felt a slight coolness seeping through her, but she ignored it as the warmth of the kiss begged for all of her attention.
Rumplestiltskin abruptly pulled away from Cora leaving her in a daze. Sudden awareness of what she has done causes Cora to hold her head down in shame.
Once again tilting her chin up Rumplestiltskin spoke "I have gotten my payment through our kiss and also unlocked your magic."
Cora looked down at herself and around the room "What is different I don't feel anything" but as she spoke she recalled the coolness that passed through her.
Rumplestiltskin laughing said to her "You felt it when it was activated"
"Here." He held out a book to her.
Taking the book she looked at it puzzled "What is this for?"
"You have magic now dearie, you have to learn to use it somehow and I must say I don't have the patience to teach you. Any who I've gotten more than enough for you for one night I must be on my way."
Before Cora could ask any more questions Rumplestiltskin was gone just as quietly as he appeared.
Cora ran over to where her daughter slept "I can't believe you are still sleeping my Regina, but mama loves you and I will always protect you my love."
Holding her daughter close, she once again cradles the sleeping form to her this time without the panic. She still doesn't know what Rumplestiltskin took from her and she doesn't care, all she knows is that she her daughter is safe.