A/N: Longer chapter this time, hope you all enjoy it! As always, reviews are much appreciated :)
There were very few things that could stop Regina in her tracks. She was not at all fond of spiders, and even the thought of Henry in danger left her breathless. But those paled in comparison to her mother's voice; the words were more often than not sweet and seemingly kind, but there was always that hidden malice and underlying threat to them.
She had thought that her mother's hold on her would weaken when she pushed her through the looking glass, or as she got older. But here she was, still cringing at her mother like she was a little girl again. It took a few deep breaths to calm and steel herself before facing the woman who had caused so much of the pain and heartache she had experienced in her life.
"Mother," she breathed, turning around slowly. As always Cora wore that same self assured look on her face, and it only grew more pronounced when she saw the effect she was having on her daughter.
"Regina, sweetheart…" she began, opening her arms and holding them out in a posture of supplication.
"Don't. Just- don't start. I know the game you're playing and it won't work," Regina accused and advanced slowly to stand directly in front of Cora. "You're going do the whole innocent act, and pretend that everything was 'for my own good'. I know you too well Mother."
Cora's smile faltered and flickered slightly for a split second, but the mask was quickly replaced; the woman was resilient if nothing else. She never gave in, and part of Regina knew that things were not even close to being truly resolved.
"Goodness, always so dramatic darling. Don't tell me you actually cared for the Cricket," Cora smirked and swept past her daughter across the floor, slowing down to peer at the framed pictures in the hallway.
Regina bit back an angry retort; the woman was baiting her and falling for it would only make this little confrontation worse. She silently thanked God that her mother was not aware of her connection with Archie when she kidnapped him. There was no doubt in her mind that Cora would have exploited the situation as much as possible.
"We're not having this conversation Mother. You're going to leave this house and never come back," she threatened, moving to stand once more in Cora's path.
The only reaction she got was a head tilt and that same arrogant smile.
"Don't worry; I haven't come for admissions or apologies. I've accepted that you think you no longer need my help. If you must know… I've come to warn you sweetheart. You didn't really think that rejecting me would be without consequences," she replied calmly, her smile growing wider.
Suddenly it felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room; she should have known her mother wouldn't release her grip on her life that easily. What fresh hell could the woman possibly unleash that would make her life worse than it had been?
"You have no allies in this town, Cora." The visible wince on Cora's when she heard her first name being used by her daughter did not go unnoticed. "Everyone knows that you're responsible for killing an innocent person and making it seem like I killed Arch- Dr. Hopper. And your good friend Hook is… out of commission for the time being. You have no cards to play anymore."
How she wished she could believe her own words. At least she managed to keep her voice from quivering when she spoke.
"You always were so unbelievably small minded Regina. Always looking at the minor details instead of the big picture. I tried so hard to get you to broaden your thinking, but you always were like your father. So unremarkably… average in your ways."
The accusation stung no matter how much she despised her mother; even after all the lengths she had gone to get what she wanted, it still was never enough. But she wouldn't trade the progress she had made in the past couple of months for all the power and pride her mother could offer.
"I'm going to give you ten seconds to get the hell out of my house. And then I will make you get out," Regina warned, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"Fine. I'll leave… for now. But remember what I said darling; consequences."
And then with a swirl of her cape and a puff of smoke, she was gone. Regina let go of the breath she didn't even realize she was holding in, and slumped against the wall. She didn't think she'd be to survive yet another encounter with her mother, but here she was. Somehow, that didn't make her feel any better.
What she needed was fresh air and a walk, it felt stifling in her house and her mother's final warning had shaken her to her core. That frustrating (and often time's right) little voice in her head told her that what she really needed was to talk to Archie. With a resigned nod, she straightened up, grabbed her purse and made her way out of the house.
Archie was startled out of his thoughts by a sharp rap at his apartment door. Ever since his breakfast with Henry he'd been conflicted to say the least. He genuinely enjoyed and appreciated the relationship that he and Regina had been developing since his return from the dead. She was learning to trust him more, and he was getting better at trying to balance the scales and not just have it be a one-sided relationship. But Henry's implications had left him a little rattled… Regina was his friend and he didn't want to do anything to compromise that, but at the same time he couldn't deny that there was something between them that was more than friendship.
Sighing to himself, he rose from chair, hurrying when the knock sounded louder and more frantic than before. Opening it revealed an obviously upset Regina who looked just about ready to throw something.
"The woman is absolutely unbelievable," she raged as she surged past him into his apartment. Archie made a mental note to be very careful with what he said in this conversation.
"Regina, please come in," he teased as he shut the door and turned to face her. The smile instantly left his face when he saw that she was most definitely not in the mood for any kind of joke attempt.
"Sorry I uh- I was trying to be funny and maybe help you calm down but that was clearly a bad idea and now I'm just rambling…" he trailed off lamely, adjusting his glasses nervously. "Is everything alright? Who's the 'she' you're talking about?"
"Do you really have to ask," she demanded, and just for a moment the old Evil Queen fire blazed in her eyes. "My mother! She just never stops; she'll never stop until I'm completely and utterly miserable."
Apparently she heard herself and realized just how loud she had been talking, because her face softened as soon as the words left her mouth. And Archie was positive that he had something of a 'deer caught in headlights' look on his face.
"I'm sorry," she sighed and took a seat on the couch. Pongo perked up as she approached and nosed her hand, hoping for some attention from her. That seemed to cheer her up a bit, because a soft smile appeared on her face as she scratched him behind his ears. "I'm not mad at you obviously, and I shouldn't have barged in here ranting without explaining what was wrong," she said softly and looked at him apologetically.
"It's fine Regina, really. I can only imagine how stressful it is knowing that she's here and has full use of her magic," Archie acknowledged and came to sit on the couch with her. "She came to see you again I take it?"
"Oh yes," Regina laughed dryly, and leaned back against the couch. "And she gave me a particularly delightful promise to expect more trouble from her in the near future."
Damn that woman, Archie thought to himself. It was bad enough that Cora had ruined Regina's childhood with her abuse, but now she was trying to torment her even as an adult. It infuriated him feeling so helpless, but all he could offer Regina right now was advice and comfort; two things he knew for sure he could do well enough.
"What more could she possibly do to you that she hasn't done," he exclaimed with an incredulous look on his face.
"I have absolutely no idea and quite frankly, that terrifies me."
Archie hated seeing her so troubled and wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms… but that would of course be inappropriate, considering his earlier musings about her. He needed to remember what his role in all this was; he was her sometimes therapist/acquaintance/confidant. And he was pretty sure she would be appalled at the idea of the two of them being anything more than their already complicated relationship.
But she was clearly upset and it was completely acceptable and expected to comfort someone on the verge of tears, right?
"I know these past few weeks have been trying for you," Archie said, taking her hand in his. "And I know it seems like you're fighting against your mother all by yourself. But I promise you that I'm in your corner."
Regina's face was still uneasy, but the small smile that broke across her face momentarily made all the difference. Archie couldn't promise her that everything would be alright, and he was certainly not able to go up against Cora. Being there for Regina was definitely in his power, and it would have to be enough for now.