"Rumpelstiltskin?" she asked in a voice that could be barely heard. "Your mummy really did a number on you dearie?" Myra ignored his comment. "I want to make a deal," she rasped "you do deals don't you?" Rumpelstiltskin emerged from the shadows, "Why of course, it is my specialty." He walked closer to Myra. "But what can you give me in return?" he asked in all seriousness. Myra had not thought that far ahead, she didn't even think he would come to her. She thought about her life, the pain, the misery, the hurt she had nothing to offer. It was hopeless. From somewhere she found tears and let them flow. She was helpless with no way to get out. She had nothing to offer the one man who could help her, who was willing to help her... for a price, always a damn price. One single tear rolled down onto her cheek and just as it was about to fall, a glass vial appeared to collect it. "Your price has been paid dearie" was all he said as he corked the small vial. "What ever will you do with that?" she asked "What I will," he told her, "now, to your deal. Do want to get out of here? Do you want me to poof you to your sisters? Kill your mother perhaps?" he heartedly giggled at the last suggestion.
Myra knew what she wanted, she also knew the price. Her deal would be her death, if Rumpelstiltskin was successful she would be dead, or rather would never had existed. Lying there on the cold, wet, stone ground she told him. "Whatever made my mother the way she is, so cold and unloving, I wish for it to never had happened." Rumple looked at her in perplexed manor. "really?" he asked in a soft, surprised tone, "that's what you want?" he could not believe it "you would waste your deal on a lost cause such as Regina?" This of course put a damper on his plan, Regina was supposed to enact the curse, if Daniel never dies than the preceding events would never happen. This girl may have destroyed his plans, but destiny could not be changed for what had already happened, it may post pone it, but Daniel, would sooner or later die and his plan would be put back into play. This was a hindrance but one he might just be able to live with. "As you wish dearie"
Myra waited for the end to come and welcomed it. Rumpelstiltskin did his magick and the room was filled with silver smoke. True to his word, Daniel did not die on that fateful night.
Myra woke, confused by what had happened. Why did I wake up? Did the spell not work? What on earth is going on? She asked herself. Where am I? Myra looked around and found that she was in a feather bed covered with a soft warm blanket. She looked out around the room just to where she didn't have to move her head. It was a modest log cabin with wooden furniture and various nick-knacks in the shapes of horses, riddle crops, horse blankets, and even a couple of saddles. She could smell the wonderful aroma of bacon being fried and all the sudden her hunger came alive. "Myra." Came a familiar voice, but not with usual bite, it was her mother but not her mother. She had no idea what the hell was going on or where she was, Rumpelstiltskin must be mistaken. She felt a weight behind her as the bed gave way. Someone pulled the blankets away from her face and leaned down to kiss her cheek. Myra turned quickly and was starring into the smiling face of her mother. Myra had fear in her eyes as her breath hastened. "Myra, dear, whatever is the matter?" her mother asked as the smile disappeared from her face when she seen Myra's fearful one. Regina went to caress Myra's face with her hand to comfort her and Myra flinched. "Myra, tell me what's wrong?" her mother concernedly demanded.
Myra continued to stare into the face of the women who looked like her mother but wasn't the mother she knew. This women had long brown hair, kind eyes, a warm smile, and wore plain clothes. Plus she was lying so near Myra she could feel her body heat, the comforting and soothing tone of her voice made Myra want to cry. This was the mother she had always wanted. Myra began to tear. He could not say anything. If this were a dream she never wanted it to end. Regina seeing her daughter was distraught embraced the girl. Myra feeling this embrace started to cry. It was if the flood gates to her heart were opened and she poured it all out to her mother. "Shh, there there, Myra it's all right I am here, you're alright, shh" Regina whispered in the girls ear as she stroked her head. Myra felt herself go limp in this woman's arms, she felt safe. A feeling she thought she would never feel again. She cried and Regina held her. Myra didn't hear the door open or see who entered through it. She didn't hear her mother acknowledge them or try to explain what was going on. It wasn't until the bed gave way on the other side of her with the introduction of a new weight. A new person. She lifted her blood shot eyes toward her mother, "Myra, darling, look who is home" Regina said as she looked up at the man sitting on the other side of Myra. Myra slowly turned and faced a man she had never seen before. A handsome looking man with light brown hair and a strong jaw.
Myra looked back at her mother who looked back at her. "Myra will you please tell your father and I what is going on, was it that nightmare again?" she asked concerned. Father? Myra was confused. "Daniel," she said to the man, "will you fetch me a cold compress, she is burning up." Daniel? Who was Daniel?
Daniel came back with the cold compress, by this time Regina had sat Myra upright in the bed. Regina left as Daniel returned to get Myra a goblet of water. "Myra, my little one" the man whispered "what's wrong?" he asked as he as he held the compress to her forehead. "I... I ..." she stammered as she stared at him. He was handsome, and familiar, as if she had seen him before. "I just had a very bad dream." She said dropping her eyes to stare at her feet that were still covered by the blanket. "Are you back with us then?" he said "I need my best girl beside me at the festival tonight'" he said making a face. Myra looked back at him and he was scrunching his face to make her laugh. She let out a giggle "What?!" he exclaimed "Am I not handsome enough for you!" This time she laughed. "There's the laugh I wanted" he said with a chuckle.
"Regina, darling, everything is all right now, just a bad dream was all" Daniel yelled at Regina. Regina walked back into the bed area, a goblet of water in her hand. The look of relief painted on her face. "Well that one must have been very bad, you looked at us as if you didn't even know us." Myra gave a nervous chuckle "I'm sorry" she whispered. There was a moment of silence then Daniel said "Well, those horses are not going to take care of themselves," He stood up, kissed Myra on the forehead "feel better little one," and then walked over to Regina. Myra watched him, he took her face into his hands and gently kissed her for a moment. "I love you" he whispered to her, "I love you too" she whispered back. Regina followed him with her eyes as he walked out the door. Then she turned back towards Myra, "Well come on," she said as she waved her hand motioning for Myra to follow, "We have breakfast to make and it wont make its self." She said with a soft, loving, smile. I could get used to this Myra thought.
Myra was loving this new life. It had been almost two weeks since she made the deal with Rumple. She thought it was going to cost her life, but as she grew accustomed to this new life something dawned on her. If she was living this life where her mother married Daniel and not the king then surely Myra would never had been born. The fact that she woke up in this alternate universe can only mean one thing: The King is not my father. This revelation unnerved her some. Snow was not really her sister, the king not her father, her father in fact died, her mother obviously didn't know and so believed that the King was her father resulting in the following events. But if her mother were to know the truth surely it would change? Myra thought on this for a while. But, it didn't matter, she had the life she knew she had always wanted and pushed all thoughts of her previous life from her mind and lived in peaceful bliss. The family she had always wanted.
Myra spent her time divided between her parents. She would help Daniel in the stables, feeding the horses, mucking the stalls, even breaking them. She also helped to give lessons to some of the villagers. She helped Daniel draw the horse and buggy to help out the villagers who could not help themselves, moving the harvest, getting them supplies like wheat and barley, even meat. Daniel was not much of a hunter but he tried, what he couldn't get for himself he traded in labor. Her parents were so giving to everyone, always a smile on their faces. Her mother was an amazing cook, everyday the cottage smelled of some wonderful concoction she was creating. She tended her own garden so everything was always fresh; some of the village kids even come by to help pick berries or vegetables or whatever else mother was harvesting. No one had a lot of money so bartering was common place. Everyone helping everyone else. It was a life that Myra thought everyone should live. Myra especially enjoyed the time she spent with her mother. They would laugh and giggle, Regina would comb and braid her hair. Being ever so gentle so as not to hurt Myra. All the scars that the Evil Queen inflected were gone, as if they had never happened, the memories remained, but the longer she stayed here the fuzzier they became.
One night, Myra was setting the table, helping her mother prepare a meal for her father. Rabbit stew, with homemade bread and butter, his favorite. Myra had just placed the last plate on the table when a knock came at the door. Myra looked to her mother, startled by the sudden visitor. Regina turned around, meeting Myra's gaze, "I wonder who would be call at this hour, Myra don't just stand there, it could be someone in need." Myra walked to the door as Regina removed the stew from the fire to avoid burning it. Myra opened the door, and her face lit up. "It's father, Mother" Myra yelled back to her mother "Father why are you..." She trailed off as Daniel, with not so much as glanced walked by Myra, as if he didn't even see her. Something felt very off about him, something not right. She opened the door wider to allow him to walk through, as she was about to close the door, a regally dressed women followed behind him. "Sit down" she demanded and her father promptly sat down. "Um... excuse me, miss..." Myra began to say, but her mother cut her short "Mother?" Regina said shocked, then Myra could see panic over take her mother "What... How did you find us?" she demanded. "You are my daughter, did you think I would just let you go so easily?" she asked Regina, she turned to Myra "And who are you girl," she said with a grin. A grin Myra knew too well, it had danger written all over it. "Myra, come here" he mother told her, she obeyed with out taking her eyes off the women.
"Well, I must say, you have made... well I don't know what to call this" The women said with a befuddled look upon her face as she looked around. Myra looked at her father, "Mother, what is wrong with father?" she whispered to Regina. Regina stood there, not saying anything, she knew something. "So... Myra, I am sure Regina has told you all about me." The women smiled. Myra shook her head 'no'. "Oh Regina, that hurts." The women said as she held her hands over her chest "It really does." To Myra the women looked truly hurt. "Myra, I am your grandmother, Cora." She smiled "I have come to take you and your mother home." "But this is our home." Myra told her, "what have you done to my father?" she demanded "I have seen magick and he is under a spell or something." "Myra. Don't." Her mother told her. "You're right, my child he is, for you see I have his heart." Cora pulled out a glowing red heart, "Regina this is not the life you are meant to have, "Mother what are you doing?" Regina said as she took a few steps forward, putting Myra behind her, "Stop this."
Cora looked at Regina, no emotion displayed on her face, "This is something I would have done a long time ago." She crushed Daniel's heart to dust. He convulsed in pain and then fell limp from the chair onto the ground. Myra and Regina both ran to him. He was dead, "Mother how could you!" Regina screamed Myra could not believe her eyes, what was happening, how could this be happening!? "You were not meant to live this life or have his child, you were meant to be Queen and you will be Queen." She said coldly. Cora began walking towards Myra, "Myra!" Regina screamed, "Run!" Myra, taking a moment to comprehend what was going on, finally made it to her feet and began to run to the back door. Myra ran, she made it to the top of a hill and hid behind a tree. Out of breath, she doubled over, trying to catch it. A figure appeared in front of her a puff of red smoke, it was Cora. Cora sunk her hand into Myra's chest and once again, she felt the all too familiar pain that came with it. Myra's heart was gone She turned and ran back towards the house, running into her mother. Too afraid to even speak, Regina took the lead and placed the girl behind her. Cora stood at the top of the hill, Myra's heart, glowing in her hand, "Mother please, she is of our flesh and blood" Regina pleaded.
Cora paid no attention to Regina's pleas of mercy. Cora began to squeeze, Myra hit the ground in familiar pain. All Regina could do was hold her, Regina looked down at her daughter, riddled in pain, and was helpless. Cora released her grip, Regina did not release hers. She knew her mother was going to kill her child, Daniel's child. "Now would be the time to say your goodbyes Regina, I cannot let this bastard live." Regina, took the brass band off her left finger and placed it in her daughters hands. "So that you will always have a piece of us wherever you go" she whispered through tears. Myra looked up at her mother, the mother, she had always wanted, she closed her fist around the trinket, "I love you Mother," she whispered. "I love you too, my darling" Cora Myra's heart to dust. The last thing Myra saw was her mothers tear riddled face, the last thing she felt was being in the warm embrace of her mothers warm arms, the last thing she heard was her mother say "I love you."
She awoke in the dark dungeon, pain flooding back, it was as if it never happened. She clutched the small brass band in her hand as she let exhaustion consume her. She was never going to escape.
