Cora Is Still Company, Chapter Four: Home Where The Heart Is
Author's Note: Now Cora is out of jail and we can (to some degree) leave behind Emma, Snow, and Charming and focus on the more important characters. Please review
Characters:
Cora Mills
Regina Mills
Mr. Gold
Neal Cassidy
Henry Mills
Mary Margaret Blanchard
The next day, while Emma, Mary Margaret, and David went about the tiresome business of governing the people of Storybrooke, Henry Mills spent some time with his father and grandfather.
Mr. Gold, Neal, and Henry sat at a table in the back room of Gold's shop playing Go Fish.
"So you met Cora, Henry?" Gold asked nonchalantly.
"Yes, I did," the boy replied.
"And what did you think?"
"She seemed glad to meet me."
The Dark One laughed. "I'm sure she was. If anyone would give her a chance, it would be you. But you didn't answer my question. What did you think of her?"
"Leave him alone," Neal groaned, tired of his father's prying. "Henry, do you have any sixes?"
"Go Fish!"
"Did she chill your very soul? Make your hair stand on end?"
"No," Henry responded simply, wishing his grandfather would drop the subject. "She seemed like someone who made a mistake and felt bad about it. Do you have any fives?"
Gold looked at his hand and passed Henry two fives.
"Interesting, Henry," Gold continued. "Bae, do you have any queens?"
Neal looked at his hand, smirked, and passed Rumplestiltskin a card.
It was the Queen of Hearts.
Gold, having noticed his son's mirth, shot him a look of annoyance.
Henry looked from one to the other, thinking nothing of it, ready to continue the game.
Cora awoke in her own bed in Regina's large home. She saw the sun's rays peeking through the curtains. She glanced at the small picture of Regina on her bedside table, and was suddenly filled with hope. She was free! Free to build a new life with Regina! And in this new world, she could leave her past behind, focusing not on being the Miller's Daughter, but the Mayor's Mother instead.
The door to Cora's bedroom opened and Regina, wearing her pajamas and a light grey apron, brought in a tray laden with pancakes, bacon, honeydew, and orange juice.
"Good morning, Mother!" Regina greeted enthusiastically.
Cora was so happy to see her daughter's face that she nearly leapt from her bed to hug and kiss her. However, she still had not regained her full strength, so she smiled warmly and returned the greeting.
"I thought you would still be tired, so I brought you breakfast in bed."
How could she not have seen it before? Regina's capacity to love made her such a powerful presence, for good or for ill.
"Oh, my sweet daughter," Cora sighed, reaching for Regina's hand. Regina grasped her mother's enthusiastically.
"Thank you, Regina," Cora said, looking into her daughter's eyes.
"It was really no trouble, Mother," Regina replied.
"Not just for the breakfast, dear. For my heart. Thank you for loving me enough to save me from myself. If I had known that love felt so good, I would not have shut it out for so long."
For Regina, hearing these words was like water in a parched land. All she had wanted as a girl was to be loved, and now that she had that, she felt that she could accomplish anything.
"Thank you, Mother. I wish my words could make Henry feel that way."
"Henry is a good boy, dear. Thanks to him, I have my whole life ahead of me.
"I owe him a lot too," Regina agreed. "He taught me a lot about life. But he always chooses Emma and the idiots over me."
Emma Swan's name brought a grimace to Cora's face.
"Before I met Rumplestiltskin, when I was still very poor, I had the misfortune of meeting one Princess Eva."
"Eva?" Regina asked. "Leopold's first wife?"
"The very same. Did you know that one day, when I was delivering flour to your grandfather's castle, she tripped me and made me spill my flour everywhere?"
"Really? Everyone seemed to think that she was very kind."
"Maybe she became so after many years, but I don't believe she ever truly changed. When I tripped, your grandfather asked her if she was alright, completely ignoring me. Even though I won the prince, history will always remember her as a better person, simply because I made many mistakes. You, my dear, have made far more mistakes than Snow White, and are in the same predicament. Even now, I'm on the wrong side of history. So is Rumple."
Regina noted her mother's mention of Rumplestiltskin, but remained silent. Cora, meanwhile, consumed the excellent meal that Regina had laid before her.
"Mother, I thought that we might watch some television together while you're recovering."
"That sounds very nice, Regina. Will Henry be joining us?"
Regina scoffed. "I doubt it. I can imagine they won't let him come over for awhile."
"That's a shame," Cora said, frowning.
Cora got out of bed without too much difficulty and waved her hand to magically send the tray to the kitchen. She was pleased to find that, even after her ordeal, her magic was still intact.
"Let's get to the couch."
As Cora and Regina were on their way down, the doorbell rang. Regina proceeded to answer it.
It was Mary Margaret.
"Regina, I had to come to tell you how sorry I am," she said.
Regina's expression hardened when she saw her arch-nemesis.
"I never should have cursed the heart to kill Cora."
"Lucky for you, she's just fine," Regina said.
"Regina, honey? Who's at the door?" came Cora's voice.
Mary Margaret made as though to leave, but Cora came to the door.
"Snow!" Cora gasped. She had forgotten about all of the pain she had caused the girl in her lifetime. Eva had been a nasty piece of work, true, but her daughter did not deserve to be punished for that.
"Cora!" Snow gasped in response, not expecting to see Regina's mother so mobile yet.
"Oh, Snow, I owe you such an apology," Cora said, tears coming to her eyes. "I killed your mother, your handmaid–"
"We don't have to discuss it now," Snow cut her off. She was less than eager to hear Cora give a full account of all of the terrible deeds that she had committed.
Cora waved her hand, drawing a cloud of purple smoke. Snow flinched and recoiled, expecting an attack.
"Nothing to worry about," Cora reassured her. The smoke cleared, revealing a flower pot from which a single snowdrop had sprouted. "Accept this token of my goodwill, please."
Mary Margaret looked at the flower and slowly took it from Cora's hand.
"Thank you," she said, turning and walking away.
Cora and Regina re-entered the house.
"You have nothing to apologize to her for, Mother," Regina snapped.
"Why not, Regina?"
"She ruined my life," Regina cried out.
"I ruined your life!" Cora shouted. "Snow White did not kill Daniel or pressure you into doing anything. I manipulated her. Blame me, not Snow."
Regina was speechless. She began to cry, and Cora stepped forward, embracing her flesh and blood.
"I'm sorry, Regina. I'm sorry for all of it."
The Mills women stood like that for awhile, before Cora gestured to the living room.
As they were walking there, Cora asked her daughter, "What is that box that you can talk to people on when you're out of the house?"
"A cell phone, Mother. Why do you ask?"
"There was a man in a car near your house while we were there with Snow. He was holding one up towards the three of us when I made the flower for her."
"You mean he was recording us?" Regina asked, dumbfounded.
If you hadn't already guessed, this all took place during the time inhabited be the episode, "Welcome to Storybrooke." That should tell you all you need to know about the man with the cellphone. ;) Please review.
