it would be an AU. Regina and Neal go to highschool and have a secret relationship because Cora is very strict and overprotective. One day Cora overhears them while Neal is brushing her knee long hair for her and tells her how beautiful it is. She walkes in and confronts Neal and throws him out of her house. As punishment she shaves Regina conpletely bald and homeschools her from then on, never letting her leave the house. One day Zelena helps her sneak out and Neal and her run away together. A few years later they come back with their little daughter for Cora's birthday and Cora apologieses.
"Hey," Neal approaches Regina in the hallway and wraps his arms round her, she snuggles in to him but thoughts of her mother bring her back to her senses.
"Don't." She wriggles away from him and he sighs, "I don't want mother finding out."
"I know, I just- I want to be able to hug my girlfriend." Seeing the disappointment in his eyes kills her and she tries to think, they hardly get any time together, it's a miracle they started dating in the first place. Regina's mother had gone away for a few weeks and she'd been able to go out with Neal as much as she wanted. Thinking about it made her weep for the relationship they now shared.
"My mother's out tomorrow, for a few hours." Regina offers, "if you came round we could do something?" She bit her lip and twiddled her hair, trying to be suggestive, he remains oblivious as always - it was quite endearing.
"I'd love that," he beams, she loves making him happy.
"So, you are not to have anybody round, no alcohol or drugs, I catch you smoking I'll make you eat your lungs," Cora laid down the law all the while scribbling down numbers, she finished and held up the list pointing to each number in turn, "my number, the number of where I'll be, the police and ambulance. If you get hungry, cook something. Do not unlock the door for anything and make sure to do your homework."
Regina nods, she does not know why her mother bothers anymore, she knows the rules by heart, she's never broken one - till tonight of course.
The moment her mothers car leaves the drive she calls Neal, "she's gone!"
Regina bristles with excitement, tonight would be amazing.
"You'll stay out of the way?" Regina asks her sister.
"Of course, I know how important this boy is for you but I want you to know how dangerous this will be if Cora finds out."
"Thank you!" Regina pulls Cora into hug and her sister pushes her off and slinks up to her room.
Not long after Neal pulls up in an old yellow , presumably stolen, Bug, she asked him to stop but he doesn't have anyone, no family looking after him and so stealing is the only way he can stay alive. He sleeps in a stolen car overnight then he parks it back where he found it, he's good like that.
He gets out and nervously approaches the house, Regina knows her house is intimidating but her mother won't hear any of it, "if you want respect you must demand it." She always said, Regina sees differently. One must earn respect.
He lightly taps on the door, she lets him in and they embrace. A proper one, where your bodies become one and you feel as though if you let go you'll die.
"Come on," she grabs his hand and gives him a tour, he's amazed that they have more than one bathroom and when Regina brings him into her bedroom he seems astounded.
"This room is bigger than Pa's shack." He lets slip but quickly jumps in to rectify himself, "I mean..."
"It's okay, you don't have to talk about your family if you don't want," she sits on a stool in front of her dressing table and looks at her reflection. Her hair needs brushing so she picks up her brush and begins.
A moment later and she feels the brush being taken from her hand, Neal had snuck up behind her. He ran the brush through her hair, it felt nice, she loved having her hair brushed.
"You have beautiful hair you know?" He never takes his eyes off it, fascinated.
Suddenly she realises he's stopped, looking around she sees him coated in green magic.
"Mother?" Her mother comes out of the shadows.
"I knew you were up to something, this boy is a no good thief and I don't want you spending any time with him."
"Mother no!" Regina doesn't know why she protests but her mothers face contorts into one of complete rage.
"You are a treacherous little witch," her mother floats Neal through a window and drops him in their swimming pool, "you're lucky we're not still in the Enchanted forest or I'd kill the boy but, I can do what I like to you."
"Mother?" Cora always scared Regina, but now she was petrified.
"Come." Cora turns and walks out, Regina's only choice is to follow her mother to the bathroom, "sit." Her mother makes her sit while she shaves Regina's head.
Regina lets out light sobs every now and then but she never shouts, it would spur her mother on.
"I love you darling, it's that boy... He's no good, no good at all." Her mother spoke while she worked.
Regina's heart broke, there's no way Neal would want her now.
Looking down she can see her hair falling, her beautiful, beautiful hair falls to the floor.
"There, now no boy will think you're beautiful." She shows her daughter a mirror.
Regina looks at herself, she looks like an egg. Rubbing her head she feels the skin, each bone jutting out and her mother just laughs.
This sets Regina off so her mother walks out, leaving Regina crying into a pile of hair.
"Regina?" Zelena creeps in, "oh Regina." She sighs and holds her sister. Her mother had gone too far, she couldn't see her baby sister like this, "we'll get you out of here."
At this her sister sits bolt upright, "no, I couldn't let you. She'd kill you!"
"After what happened with Rumplestilitskin she's close anyway. I'll go when you do, I'll leave, go my own way."
"So what do we do?"
The next day Regina goes to leave for school to find several bolts have been added to the the door.
"You'll be homeschooled from now on. No leaving this house." Cora says once Regina finds her.
Regina smiles and nods, she's never getting out of this hellhole now.
She sits through a day of lessons with her mother, when Cora says lessons she means - sit, read a book and write out every page.
A few nights later and Zelena sneaks in to Regina's room, "it's tonight."
"What?" Regina wake groggily.
"Tonight, I've disabled the locks and Neal's waiting round the corner." Regina sits up, rubbing her stubble and gets out of her bed.
She changes and meets her sister at the door, she spots on of the camera her mother set up and gives it the finger. Her sister chuckles and pulls her out of the house.
Round the corner the dive into Neal's red pick up, Regina gives him a quick peck on the cheek and he stares at her head.
"It's horrible I know." She turns red with embarrassment, she can't believe her mother did this.
"I was just thinking you look so beautiful in the moonlight." He smiles and she blushes now, but not out of embarrassment.
"Okay, we can do this once we've got five hours between us. Let's go." Zelena sits like a meerkat watching out for Cora through the back window.
"Right."
They set off and Regina cheers. Finally, freedom.
Five years later and Regina's 23, she's been happy for a long time but she wants to make amends with her mother.
They've driven from New York to Illinois and Neal could feel her tensing, they'd been sat outside her old home for 10 minutes.
"It'll be okay, we've got the protection spell from your sister if we need it and you are stronger than you were, we can defeat her if we need to," he reassures her, she takes a deep breath and gets out.
Neal knocks the door and steps back, this moment is for Regina and her family.
The door swings open and a woman resembling Cora opens up, she takes in the scene.
Her daughter and a baby.
Her daughter holding a baby.
Her daughter's baby?
She puts her hands on either side of her daughters face and kisses her forehead.
"My child, I'm so sorry."
"Mother, it's okay. I forgave you a long time ago."
"Come in," she heads into the house and all they can do is follow. Cora makes a cup of tea for them all and Regina sits in her old seat at the breakfast bar.
"After we left here we went to New York and got jobs, we were in a motel for a few weeks before we saved up to rent a place. Then we had little Filia here," Regina coos to the child.."
"I am sorry for everything I did, I'm so sorry. I hope now we can spend time together
"Mother, it's okay."
They all smile