Thank you so much for reviewing! I love your feedback and I love that you're excited fo this next installment. I have big plans for this story :) The italics is Regina's backstory on her childhood. Enjoy and I'll update soon!

Chapter 1 All She Needed

Regina Mills-Halliwell huffed impatiently as Emma Swan attempted the power control spell for what seemed like the hundredth time. Emma's magic was powerful and destructive and if it remained uncontrolled then there was the risk of accidently hurting someone which was why Snow had asked Regina to teach her. David was hesitant about letting his daughter learn magic from the once Evil Queen who wielded dark magic but since he trusted her he agreed it was for the best. Emma didn't think twice about accepting Regina's help as long as she learned to control her magic. So here they were, in the back yard of Regina's mansion and trying to summon her magic so that she can stop it on her command. Regina never used her magic but since she agreed to help Emma, now was the only exception for teaching purposes. She was standing a few inches away from Emma, holding a red apple in her palm. All Emma had to do was move it with magic but she couldn't seem to summon her powers. They usually only came at the least expected times especially when emotions were high.

Emma concentrated her gaze on the apple in Regina's palm, the Mayor's silver wedding and engagement ring shinning from the bright afternoon sun. It was only a few months ago that Jason and Regina had gotten married and to be honest she had never seen the former Queen look so happy as she did on the day of her wedding.

"Focus Miss Swan!" Regina suddenly snapped, forcing Emma back to the present.

"I'm trying and you yelling isn't helping," she retorted. Frustrations were high at this point. They had been trying to attempt this for three days and there were still no improvements. If they were to move on to the real lessons, Emma must complete this one first.

"Remember what I told you, magic is emotion. You have to want it." Those were the words Rumplestiltskin had told her back when he was her mentor. Emma nodded and focused on the apple again, putting her all into this but just like her recent attempts she failed yet again and Regina sighed in defeat.

Another day wasted.

"That's it for today. I need to get dinner started," Regina said coolly, her frustration for her student obvious on her face and Emma couldn't help but feel like a failure. Their relationship was better since Emma had gotten Regina to trust her emotionally but that didn't mean they still didn't argue. If anything, they had a love hate relationship.

"You know, maybe we should just forget about all this," Emma suggested as she followed Regina into the kitchen. It was Saturday and Jason had got called into work to deliver some puppies at the shelter and knowing Henry usually liked to witness these kinds of cases at the shelter, Jason offered to take him. What surprised all three adults was the fact that Henry had declined to go. Usually he was excited to go to work with his adoptive stepfather but instead the 13 year old rolled his eyes and said he'd rather wait in his old room till Emma was done and it was time to go home. Emma had wondered when he gotten so moody when Regina replied to her statement.

"Sure let's do that and if you're lucky you won't accidently kill someone," Regina quipped as she started pulling out the ingredients she needed to make lasagna. It was Jason's favorite dish and she wanted it to be done before he got back home. She knew he was going to be exhausted and she wanted him to relax as soon as he gets home.

"It's been almost three years since I've discovered my magic and I haven't hurt anyone yet," Emma grumbled.

"Tell that to Snow's living room," Regina stated, referring to the way Emma had lost control of her magic in a very heated discussion with Regina and before they knew it everything in Snow's living room had lifted a few feet off the ground before falling to the floor. A lot of the furniture had broke but even though Regina had magically repaired everything, it was still a shock to everyone. Someone could have been hurt and they realized Emma needed a teacher. This had happened only last week and since then she and Emma hadn't even made the tiniest bit of progress.

"Alright fine, but what if I never get control over it?"

"You will," Regina said confidently, shooting Emma a smile just as Henry came into the kitchen.

"Emma, are you done so we can leave?" he asked and Regina frowned, not at all liking his attitude. He was a little taller and lost his baby fat. It hurt that he had went from the sweet boy she had raised into a brooding teenager. He was only 13 and it seemed as if he had changed overnight. He didn't even call Emma mom anymore. Maybe in the past Regina would have loved that but now she didn't like it. She didn't like seeing the rejection flashing in Emma's eyes each time he called her by her name.

"Henry I didn't raise you to be disrespectful," Regina said sternly, her gaze locking on her son's and he had the decency to look remorseful. Even though he didn't live here anymore he still knew not to act up around his adoptive mother.

"Sorry, I'm just bored and I want to go home," he said, glancing at Emma, silently pleading with her to leave. She sighed in defeat although she planned on giving him a lecture. He normally wasn't rude. She guessed he was just cranky today but still. He wasn't getting away with it.

"Fine, get your jacket," she said and Henry happily rushed out of the room as she turned to Regina. "Same time same place tomorrow?"

"Yes, now go and hopefully tomorrow we can accomplish something."

The moment they were gone Regina had to sit down. She's been feeling nauseas all day and had to keep herself from getting sick in front of Emma. She had woken up like this and tried to think of anything she had eaten yesterday that might had upset her stomach. Apple pancakes for breakfast? No she had made them herself. She had a salad for lunch with Jason at Granny's Diner. It could be that but then wouldn't other people be sick as well. She was there just this morning and not one customer had complained. Jason had made her dinner yesterday here in her kitchen. It couldn't have been that either so what was it?

Deciding to let this go for now, she got up to finish dinner.

Cora was awakened by the sound of her one week old infant crying. She cursed under her breath and she could hear the nanny that she had hired trying to calm her down. Regina cried all through the night every night and she was sick of it. If the nanny couldn't get the crying baby to stop then she was going to fire her and hire someone who knew what they were doing. With that in mind she got up and stormed into the nursery. Her husband Henry was away on a business trip but she was too tired and too annoyed to even realize that she would be alone once she dismisses the nanny.

"You insolent girl! I had enough of that baby's crying. If you can't make her stop then you are not qualified to look after her." The young woman looked at her boss with wide fearful eyes. She knew of Cora's magic and fortunately for her it wasn't strong enough yet to cost her her life.

"But if you'd only hold her, maybe she'll stop," she said, her voice low as she rocked the crying baby girl in her arms. If only she would stop. The nonstop crying was driving her mother insane.

Cora hasn't held her child since she gave birth and right now she didn't see that happening. She narrowed her eyes and walked up to the poor girl who had the sense to put the wailing infant back in her cradle.

"How dare you address me like that. Leave this house. I will not have someone incompetent around my daughter." Her voice was low and angry and her eyes flashed with danger.

"No… I can't… Please don't do this. I can't lose this job."

"You only have yourself to blame dear now leave." The order was final and the look in Cora's eyes were cold. The nanny was distraught but she didn't dare say anything else and with one last look at the still crying baby she left in the dead of night. After a few minutes that Cora was left alone, hearing nothing but her daughter's crying did she realize the mistake she had just made

Her baby was crying and she was alone.

She angrily approached the cradle and looked down at the wailing infant with resentment. She's been fed and changed so why was she still crying. She honestly didn't know what to do and blankly looked at Regina. Usually Henry or the nanny would tend to her but now she was the only one here and that terrified her. The nanny's words echoed in her mind and even though it annoyed her to no end she decided to give it a try. She reached down and lifted Regina from the cradle, making sure to support her head the way she'd seen Henry and the nanny do. The moment she held her against her, Regina started to calm down and before she knew it she had stopped completely and was looking up at her with a curious expression.

All she needed was her mother to hold her.

If Cora had her heart she would have felt the love that she should've felt as those innocent brown eyes looked up at her. All she felt was a void. She felt nothing as she sat down on the rocking chair and rocked her daughter to sleep. If that beating red organ was still in her chest she would have cried tears of love and joy when Regina finally closed her eyes but instead she got up and put the baby back in her cradle and left without even a second glance. Sleep and thoughts about hiring a new nanny was more important to her than the infant that already craved her mother's love at such a young age.

Cora is just learning magic at this point which is why she doesn't seem to have full control over it yet because we all know she would have hurt the poor nanny if she had full access to her powers :( And I don't mean to make Henry so off character but at this point he's 13 and going through his awkward teen faze. Don't worry it won't last long though and he'll be back to his old self ;)