I am finally back. I'll be updating a lot of A Beautiful Swan and then the last chapter for the stories Waiting for the Bus and Lion Tattoo. I'm taking down Black Knight. I made BK as a baseline for SQ romance that I was anticipating in OuaT, since they have said that SwanQueen is not romantic (they are like sisters, dafuq – all those eye sex and they are sisters? Who the heck looks at their sisters the way they look at each other? Dafuq!) I thought its no use continuing the story. I don't have the stomach for it anymore.

Otso (1)

It has taken Mary Margaret three days to conjure all of her kindness to see her sister in private. As a whole, the Swan matriarch is a kind, patient, mild mannered and well educated woman. She may have not gone into college, but the manners that were drilled into her and Eugenia, and her love of books when they were young lives on despite all adversities in life. But now, when it comes to her family... or should she say ex-family, all those manners seemed to just fly out of the window.

She took her time going to the inn, and when she arrived there, she took more time looking into the books in the old library that she was once so familiar with. She only left the room when Eugenia's secretary came and asked for her. So here she is now in front of the office that used to be her mother's, taking deep breaths and reciting a mantra in her head 'calm down, calm down, calm down'.

Yet despite the mantra that usually works, her nerves are still shot and there was a frown on her face when she finally decide to open the door and enter the office.

"Finally, I thought you got lost finding the office." Eugenia started without looking at her younger sister. She was signing a paper that was on top of a small pile of documents. Mary didn't reply and waited in front of the door.

The younger woman sighed and started to turn around to go out when the white haired woman spoke again. "I was thinking you would have come in and sat at the chair. I don't bite." the older woman said in her usual sassy tone.

"You requested I come. I hope this is something important."

This time the older woman looked up and stopped what she was doing, "I remember agreeing to the day after you and your little family came to the diner, that was three days ago."

Mary smirked, very unusual of her but she did, "It was a request, I could have just turned it down." then she shrugged her shoulders, "If you ask me here to give me some lecture on something that doesn't really matters to me, then you are wasting my time, I should just go." once again she turned and opened the door to go out.

A loud sigh from the older woman, "Mother is dying, she has cancer... terminal." The voice was minimally laced with sadness.

Mary just looked back at her sister then looked forward again, "May her soul rest in peace." Mary said and stepped forward.

"Margaret!" Eugenia shouted and stood, stopping the younger woman from moving forward. "She is dying!"

The black haired woman turned abruptly, "Everyone dies Eugenia, we are not immortal."

"She wants to see you,"

"I don't,"

"Please?"

Silence

"Why?"

"She's in her death bed, can't you let the past go and see her? Even if your purpose is to scream at her, slap her... just see her? She needs it."

"The fight has left me a long time ago Eugenia, and you know it. What would me screaming at her accomplish? Why would I stoop low as to slap the woman who gave me life?"

"She needs you beside her right now, I'm not asking for me-"

"I would have come and see you if it was you in your death bed Eugenia. But them?"

"She won't let go until you come."

A sad smile, "All she needed was father right? He's with her, she has no need of me."

She turned for the last time and stepped forward, leaving the office.

"She needs your forgiveness!" the young woman heard the older woman shouted.

Then nothing.

She closed her eyes as she left the inn, her heart in her throat, eyes burning from the tears she won't let fall. There are a lot of hard things that comes by her since David whisked her away of her parent's castle, and she had met all of them head on.

But to forgive the woman who gave her life and yet just watched at the sideline as that same life was taken from her?

Mary Margaret Swan is kind, patient, mild mannered, include there loving but there is one thing she isn't – a saint.

-0-

"Did I hear it right?" Cora Mills said as she went out of the Swan's house and into the porch where her daughter was quietly sitting on the porch swing, nursing her cup of coffee. She looked down at her daughter with one brow raised, "Is that coffee?"

"Yes mother,"

"You drink coffee? Since when? Before you came here you are a strict tea drinker."

Regina smiled, "Well, you've been staying here three days... a lot could change when you are living with the Swans, including perceptions."

"Aha," Cora said nodding then stepping over her daughter as she situates herself on the empty swing seat, beside her daughter. "So tell me if I get this right, but the Swan we are really talking about is female, about 5'7 in height, blonde hair and enigmatic green eyes?"

The younger brunette frowned, "Motheeerrr," she growled,

"Hush," the older Mills said waving a hand in Regina's direction, "I'm your mother, I do at least know you. And it's not as if I have no knowledge of your bi-sexual proclivities when you were in college." she took a deep breath, "That cup of brew dear though smells divine," she smiled and held out her hand.

"Mine," Regina said pulling her hot cup away from her mother.

"Do learn to share dear,"

"Mine,"

Cora looked at her daughter and smiled, "Did you think I didn't know what your relation with this classmate of yours back then? Mally was it? Tall, blonde and blue eyes... or was it green?"

"Here!" frowning the younger woman handed the older one her cup of coffee. Cora sipped with a smile on her face. "You didn't just blurt out 'did I hear it right' just to make a point about my bi-sexual proclivities as you so eloquently say mother, isn't it?"

"Oh no, but I heard from your father that there is going to be a festival to open next week?"

Regina's frown deepened, "I didn't hear any of that. If there is one, Emma would have told me already or Jr." she made a thinking expression, "I do heard about some 'lumber day' that's going to be opened next month though,"

"Oh," Cora said after another sip from the cup, "Your father must be making that up then,"

The younger brunette raised one brow, "Father doesn't know how to make an event up even if his life depended on it."

"You're right of course," Cora said as she began pushing the swing lightly, one leg crossed over the other and have this satisfied expression on her face.

"Are you going to give that back?" she asked eyeing the hot cup of coffee from the older woman's hand.

"This is good coffee,"

"Emma made it, she makes the best coffee in town."

"Okay I sat corrected, this is the best coffee." she looked at her daughter grinning, "Satisfied now?"

"Mother,"

Cora raised one hand in surrender, "So what's on our agenda today? I've like wasted two days cooped inside the house resting, and that's no thanks to this wonderful arthritic hands and traumatized knees of mine, one thing money couldn't prevent."

"Is it really that painful?"

"Not much back in California, but dear, the weather there isn't as cold as here. But it's getting better, I think my joints just need to adjust a bit." a pause.

Regina looked around, "The house seemed dull, it never get this silent when Mary Margaret is around. Time seemed to pass quickly with her here."

"Any idea where she went?"

The younger brunette shook her head, "Didn't she tell you? You've been like long lost sisters since you arrived."

"Well that gave you much time talking with Emma doesn't it?"

"Mother!"

"Aww don't get too flustered dear," she laughed, "But to answer your question, she didn't tell me specifically where, she just said she's meeting some family."

Silence

"It's still early, I need to get Henry... I mean Jr. from school later, but we could visit Emma at work so I can get coffee, then maybe some ice cream?"

"Ice cream? Isn't it cold to get ice cream?"

"Nothing's not cold in here,"

Cora smirked, "Except your heart burning with passion..."

"Mother quit teasing!"

"Ah well, I do wish to see your Emma in action, come on dear let's go!" Mother says as she stood.

"Can we leave Mary Margaret a message first? She's a worrier..."

"Say no more!" Cora said entering the house and going straight to the living room to get the pen and memo pad. There was a while of silence which was broken by Regina.

"Until when are you and father staying here?"

Cora looked at her daughter with a knowing smile, "Eager to get your parents off your back?"

A dark red tint appeared on Regina's face, "I was just asking!"

"Look at it this way dear, if we stay longer then the longer you'd be sharing the cabin with your Emma."

"Mo-"

"Alright, alright!" she said handing her daughter the note, "Nothing incriminating," she followed and Regina looked at it. Satisfied, she walked over the dining table and stuck the note on the refrigerator door.

"What about father?"

"Oh I'm sure your father is enjoying pretending to be a deputy sheriff!"

Regina's brows both raise and then she smiled, "If father keeps going to the station, sooner or later he'll lose all those flabs running after vandalizing kids." mother and daughter laughed at the idea and then they went to get their coats and left.

-0-

The two brunettes entered the diner, they found an empty seat at the back and sat there. The older one has her eyes at the bar where there was a line waiting for their turn to get their coffee.

"Aren't there other who could make their coffee?" Cora leaned and whispered.

Regina nodded her head, "Yes there is, but these people will not have someone else coffee if Emma is around. There are some who would rather leave if they found out Emma is not in."

"That great coffee?"

"Part of it," at the bewildered look on her mother's face, she continued, "A lot of these people knows Emma since she was young, and all of them knew of her story and how she had fought against her condition and seemed to be winning. And all of them love Henry Jr."

"Ah..." Cora relaxed and smiled, "But she makes great coffee,"

The smile on the younger woman's face was radiant, "That she does."

"I should probably have my second cup of coffee for the day."

"Soon mother you'd kill for coffee instead of tea."

"May not happen to me Regina, unless I decide to replace your father with someone tall, blonde and makes great coffee..."

"Argh..."

"You started it, besides you know how fun it is to tease you."

"Mother,"

"I'll behave,"

"You should,"

-0-

"Look who visited you?" The slimmer blonde, Ashley whispered in Emma's ear. Emma looked up and followed where Ashley was looking. A radiant smile found its place on the other blonde's face as she recognized the two brunettes at the back of the diner.

"It's Gina and Mrs. Mills!" she said trying to contain her excitement, then she frowned, "I still have coffee to serve, Ashley what will I do?" she looked at the line of people.

"Well not everyone in the line is your faithful patron, like the next three aren't going to mind if you excuse yourself for a while and see what they want?" Ashley suggested. Emma looked at the three smiling customer.

"I surely won't mind," the man next in line said and looked back, "Do you?"

"I won't mind, but you better make my coffee next time?"

"I will!" Emma happily replied, "okay I'll be back," she said hurriedly turning around, stepping out of the bar and walking towards the back seat. It took her less than a minute to arrive and she stood beside the table. "Hi G-Gina, Mrs. Mills, may I get your orders?" She said smiling.

"I thought it's order over the counter? We were just waiting for the line to shorten..."

"Ashley is covering the next three, I could get what you want?" Emma said looking at Regina adoringly and then at Cora.

"You look adorable on your uniform Emma," Cora said. The old Mills never run out of nice things to say to the blonde woman since she noticed how the green of Emma's eyes lights every time.

"Thank you,"

"I'm sorry Emma but I stole the coffee you made for Regina so we came here so she'd get her coffee, we don't want Regina grumpy do we?"

The young blonde laughed, "I didn't know Regina gets grumpy... I only know one who is always grumpy and its not her!"

Cora laugh, "Oh she's good at pretending-"

"Mother I thought you said you'd be good?"

"Oh aren't I?"

Emma laughed again, "You are very funny Mrs. Mills,"

"I told you hundred times Emma, you should get use to calling me Cora or you may call me Mo-"

"Cora, call her Cora Emma."

"I-" she smiled sheepishly, "I'll try,"

"Anyway, since you seem to have a lot of customers, I'd like the one you made Regina earlier,"

Regina rolled her eyes, "Make that two," she frowned, "Are you sure this is alright?"

"Yes, you are my guest!"

"I see," Cora said nodding then remembering something, "Regina, maybe we could go to the ice cream parlor later?" she said to her daughter then to Emma, "What time does your shift ends Emma?"

"I go home at five,"

"Do you want to join us?"

"Yes!"

"It's a deal then," Cora said smiling, "By the way," The older Mills eyed the blonde, "Have you heard something about a festival coming?" she asked.

Emma nod her head enthusiastically, "Lumber day,"

"Lumber day? I thought it will open next month?" Regina asked,

A shrugged of well formed shoulders was the answer, "They said its next week,"

"Oh,"

"Your father isn't making it up then, and he should have heard since he's been shadowing David for three days now." Cora sighed.

"I- I'll go get your coffees!"

"Thank you dear,"

"Thank you Emma,"

"You're welcome," Another sheepish smile and the blonde left to get their drinks.

-0-

Mother and daughter made great use of the back seat of the diner, a little less than an hour when they emerged from the establishment. They decided to walk to Henry Junior's school and look around, they were five minutes off the diner when they saw her.

"Regina, isn't that..."

"Yes, Mary Margaret -" The black haired woman was walking opposite them, she seemed rattled, crying and out of her head. "Mary!" Regina called as she hurried her pace to get to the woman.

The smaller woman stopped and then suddenly she move to cross the street...

"Mary Margaret!" Regina screamed as she ran.

TBC

(1- This is how we spell eight in my language, not sure how the Spanish speaking people spell theirs)

Don't worry I didn't kill Mary Margaret. Next chap will be more of history, so like this chap, there will be not much SwanQueen interaction.