What Was Lost: Part 10
By Arianwen P.F. Everett
Regina smiled blissfully at the eight tiny blobs under the microscope. Two of these would be implanted in her womb in but a few minutes. The rest would be placed in storage. Up until this moment she'd refused to completely believe this was all happening. She'd imagined that the sperm in the vials wasn't really Daniel's but some revolting man's intentionally mislabeled, that the file photo a was a clever Photoshop composite created from Snow White's brief memory of Daniel, that Emma was cruel and reckless enough to decimate the Sheriff's budget for the entire year on one big entrapment job. But now Regina knew it wasn't a scam. With her restored magic, she could feel Daniel in the embryos as she'd once felt his essence in the ring he'd placed on her finger, the essence that helped her survive so many pain-filled nights without him.
A box of tissues was shoved under her nose and Regina took a step back before replacing her hard-hearted mask. "No thank you. I'm fine."
"Regina, if you can't allow yourself to express your emotions now, pregnancy is going to be hell for you. Trust me; I know. When I was carrying Emma, I…"
"Miss Blanchard… Snow, I know what hell is. I've spent most of my life in it. For Daniel's child I can endure the ravages of mood swings for a few months," Regina cut off her babbling stepdaughter before she tried to touch her arm compassionately.
"Fine," Snow retreated, plopping herself on the chair across from the exam table. She had hoped that this truce between them could soften their relationship for the long run, but she was beginning to see that was a pipe dream. Regina was willing to work with Snow for the sake of her children, but she had no intention of forgiving Snow.
Regardless, she plodded on, desperate to ensure Daniels' child was given its best chance. If Regina wouldn't attempt any kind of reconciliation, Snow could at least work to make amends with the man whose life she had inadvertently cut short. She knew she'd never completely forgive herself, but a good portion of her guilt would be assuaged once Regina was out of Storybrooke with her baby. Yes, Daniel would have a child, and Snow would always know that she had helped make that a reality by arranging late night doctor's appointments and helping Regina in and out of town unnoticed by Rumplestiltskin or his informants. As she and Emma had determined, there was no way to know the level of depravity that being would inflict on Regina's helpless child if he knew of its existence.
As much as Emma hated the banishment solution, she had ultimately conceded the argument. Her turn around had surprised Snow at first but her reasoning on the subject had been sound as ever. After the town meeting, Henry had been so eager to head off to Granny's for a hot chocolate with cinnamon that he'd forgotten his jacket. When Emma had gone back to get it she overheard several townspeople, amongst them Ella's father-in-law, plotting to sneak into the town jail and beat Regina to death, once 'the witch' was captured and her powers bound by the fairies. They would wait till Emma had gone home for the night then break into the Sheriff's station using one of Regina's own skeleton keys, wearing gloves and locking up after the deed was done. Having overheard most of their conversation, Emma had arrested the four conspirators, only to be forced to let them go the next morning because she had no evidence beyond what she'd heard in the coatroom and each well respected man of the community denied the allegation even more vigorously than the last.
As the four men left with their attorneys, Emma had come to realized that no matter how hard she tried, she would never be able to protect Regina's life in this town. Understanding this herself, Regina would never consent to leave for a state prison, preferring instead to let what was left of the curse, the inability of Storybrooke residents to travel outside its limits, detain her here where her life would be in peril with each passing tick of the town clock. Emma was compelled to admit that her only real options were to let Regina be killed or let her be banished.
A part of Snow still wished Emma had chosen to allow Regina's banishment out of compassion, but cold, hard logic was good enough for now. In time she knew her daughter's heart would soften. She had come so far already, with Henry, with herself and Charming, with their friends in Storybrooke. However, Emma still had a long way to go in the trust department which made this compromise difficult on her and Regina wasn't even pregnant yet.
Snow was brought out of her thoughts as Regina's physician, Dr. Mab, formerly known as the Queen of the Dark Fairies, entered the room sending a chill up Snow's spine. "Hello Snow. Glad you're looking so well. I see from the number of legs our Regina still has that you never used my fairy dust on her as we'd planned."
"Dropped it on a Troll to save my man," Snow retorted arrogantly. Whenever her father would go on a diplomatic mission, Regina would bring her dark friends come to their castle. None of them were stupid enough to try anything against King Leopold's daughter and heir, but she'd spent enough time listing in on their conversations through the air vents to know how they conversed with one another.
"Almost as good. So, Regina, your embryos are ready for implantation. Now dear, are you sure you want to go through with this disaster you humans call parenthood? I mean, I remember you here ten years ago for baby wellness visits and look at the nightmare that boy become," Mab cooed back in mock concern. She'd never understood why dark humans sought to procreate. There would always be newer, more bereft humans to take their dark places, because for every truly happy ending to be had by a girl like Snow White, an equally tragic story must exist. Why bloodlines mattered to these people, she'd never understand, but thankfully, dark fairies were immortal.
Suddenly a stabbing pain shot through her leg and she cried out, finding the stool that had slammed into her shin and the foot that had sent it crashing into her.
"Sorry. Slipped," Snow White quipped back with a phony apologetic smile. Her grandson was not a nightmare and she wouldn't tolerate anyone who called him that.
Regina chucked as she watched the standoff between the two.
"Lay back, Regina and place your feet in the stirrups. Snow, it was nice seeing you again, but you'll have to leave. There's a small waiting room to your right. I'll call you back in once Regina and I are finished." Mab explained, moving to put on a pair of rubber gloves and prepare the catheter that would place the embryos.
"Sorry Mab, but I promised Regina…"
"Please go. Mab won't try anything. I'm far more powerful than she'll ever be, particularly in this form, and she knows I'd burn down this hospital around her if she tried anything," Regina assured Snow, making sure Mab knew her threats weren't idle.
"Alright, you know where to find me," Snow resigned herself, leaving Regina to her fate.
"You know, I have to hand it to you. Until now, I've never seen one of those princesses give a darn what happened to their vanquished. They merely embrace their happily ever after and walk way with their prince. What kind of thrall do you have over Snow that she seems interested in protecting you even with all you've done to her?" Mab questioned, very confused by the younger human woman's behavior.
"Snow knows she destroyed my happiness long before I even attempted to destroy hers. She believes that helping me have this baby will clean the slate on her part. Then she can, as you put it, 'embrace her happily ever after and walk away with her prince'." Regina explained vaguely, refusing to offer specifics that could give Mab leverage over her.
Mab simply nodded in understanding. "Ah, guilt, the second most lethal curse for you humans."
"And dare I ask what the first is?" Regina asked, already knowing it to be the weakness of love, but wanting to make conversation as to distract her from the cold plastic entering the most sensitive part of her body.
Mab sadistically enjoyed the wince that Regina gave as the catheter made its way past her cervix and into her uterus. The Dark Fairy was silent for several moments as she found the right spot to deposit the embryos and pressed the button to release them. "The greatest is hope. Hope for the future."