Regina knew deep in her heart it was a bad idea, yet she couldn't stop herself from going to Granny's in search of the blood. Gathering the courage to stroll into the small diner, her eye's landed on Emma and lingered on the tiny figure in her lap. That was her daughter, a child she had no hand and helping raise and the thought alone caused some bile to rise in the back of her throat. Emma , Leia and an unknown figure sat alone in a small corner of the diner, separate from everyone else and Regina couldn't help but feel guilty. This had been something Emma had to deal with and Leia by proxy, it all seemed to much to handle.
"I don't know how to even begin to heal from this! Don't think I haven't tried. I never wanted for things to end up this way! Emma spoke harshly to the woman across from her. Her face blanched of color when her eyes landed on Regina and the other two occupants followed her line of vision. Tearing her gaze away from Emma, Regina felt like she was physically punched in the stomach by a blast from her past.
"Mother...how, what are you doing here?"Regina gaped at the older brunette.
"Nana you know da mean lady?" Leia asked loudly as her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Regina didn't have time to mask the look of hurt that graced her face before Emma and her mother saw it. Regina tried to blink back the burning sensation in her eyes at the irony of the whole situation. On one handed Henry had hated her for the curse even after she raised him for ten years, on the other here was her daughter who she just found out about and she hated her for her actions against her mother.
"Honestly Emma!" Cora chastised causing Emma to look sheepish.
"It's not like I encouraged her! Regina earned that title all on her own." Emma grumbled
"I understand that everything hasn't been smooth sailing but you had to know this was going to hurt in the end." Cora looked at the blonde semi-disappointed
"Hurt? No I don't think she knows what that means. It may sting for a little but she'll get over it." Emma said coolly
"Mama da lady look sad. Did da mean hurt her too?" Leia asked turning Emma's head towards her.
"I guess you could say that Lovebug." Emma swallowed looking into a pair of identical eyes.
"Regina come sit. I'm sure we have a lot to discuss." Cora scooted down in the booth.
"I'm not sure if that's a good idea..." Regina was able to rasp out her voice heavy with unshead tears.
"I insist!" Cora said firmly eyeing her daughter with a withering glare.
"If she doesn't want to, don't try and make her. You can't force her to care about her" Emma glared at Cora gesturing to the child in her lap.
"I do care, otherwise I would be here!" Regina said firmly. She didn't like the taste that was left in her mouth after Emma implied she wouldn't want to be around her child.
"I was jut merely trying to respect you and give you space." Regina continued as she slid rigidly into the booth next to her mother.
"Yet you still showed up here." Emma mocked with a fake smile her arm unconsciously tightening around Leia who whined for a moment before settling back down.
"Emma that is enough. Open yourself up and allow yourself to hear what Regina has to say." Cora snapped at the blonde who pouted.
"Fine!" She grunted.
"How you know my Nana?" Leia asked Regina cocking and eyebrow.
"Your Nana is my mother." Regina said stiffly sending her mother a grateful smile.
"She's your Mama? That means your my sister!" The tot clapped thinking that she just figured out a great mystery. She was unaware of the tension her comment caused the three adults in the diner. Cora looked at Emma pointedly.
"Either you tell her or I will." Cora warned
"You don't have the right!" Emma spat unable to control her anger at being boxed into a corner.
"I understand you being wary of revealing this but it's only going to hurt everyone in the long run. Including Leia. This was the whole point of you coming back to Storybrooke. I understand you want everyone who hurt you either directly or indirectly to suffer but it shouldn't be at the expense of Leia's happiness." Cora said firmly. Emma just stared at the older brunette who helped her throughout her entire pregnancy. She never asked for anything in return besides Regina get the opportunity to know her daughter. Slumping her shoulder in defeat she glared at Regina and Cora before she turned her attention to Leia.
"Lovebug do you remember when we talked about you not having a Papa?" Emma asked turning the toddler around in her lap to face her.
"I gots to Mama's." Leia nodded eagerly
"Remember how I promised you'd meet your other Mama someday?" Emma asked the child who nodded so fast Emma thought her head was going to pop off.
"I think now is a good time, what about you?" Emma asked leaving the choice up to the toddler.
"I wanna meet her!" Leia clapped excitedly.
"Okay baby. You already met Regina but she isn't your sister." Emma swallowed harshly, her eyes burning.
"But Mama, her Mama is Nana." Leia pursed her lips together tightly.
"Lovebug Regina is your other Mommy." Several tears managed to break free as Emma finally said the words out loud. Leia was silent for a couple of minutes before she shook her head violently.
"Nu huh! She already gots a baby! He Henry!" Leia continued to shake her head no.
"Henry is my son but he is also your Mama's son. He came from her tummy." Regina watched the duo helplessly.
"But your mean! You mad Mama sad! You no like us!" Leia practically shouted as Emma chocked back a sob.
"Lovebug, that was before she knew you were her baby. I promise you from now on she is gonna be rel nice to you." Emma pressed a kiss to Leia's temple.
"What bout you? You gots to be nice to Mama!" Leia told Regina with a glare that nearly rivaled her own.
"I promise I'll be nice to your Mama." Regina promised a few of her own tears falling. Leia squirmed underneath the table before she popped up next to Regina.
"I be your baby?" She asked cocking an eyebrow.
"Yes Princess you'll be my baby." Regina nodded and caught the child who flew into her lap. Emma rushed from the table before fleeing to the bathroom. Regina look torn between the child in her lap and the child's mother in the bathroom.
"Go on, I'll watch her." Cora said taking Leia who snuggled into her side.
Regina swallowed deeply before heading into the bathroom after Emma. When she got there she noticed how pale the blonde actually was as she rinsed her face with cold water.
"I need to get this off my chest so I just want you to hear me out before you interrupt me. I am so sorry for everything that I have put you through for the past three years. Instead of being there and protecting you and our daughter I turned my back on you. Nothing I say or do can ever erase the pain I have cause you. I allowed my own pain, not mater how shallow turn our son against you. I stood by at watched as nearly everyone in the town turned against you and said nothing. Hell I entered a relationship with one of the people responsible for the whole entire thing. I let her belittle you and assault you because I felt that you deserved it. You acted like nothing had happened, like what we built was nothing! I was just so angry and so hurt that I refused to see the truth. I ignored all the hints that you dropped because I was so sure that what I saw was the truth...What I'm trying to say is that if you need time, then I will gladly give it. If you want space away so that you can figure everything out without the painful reminder of me then I understand. I'm just asking for a second chance to get to know Leia and to make things right with you." Regina breathed deeply noting the mask Emma had slipped back on. The blonde took three heavy breathes before she replied.
"I don't think this a situation where sorry is going to cut it. I won't keep you away from Leia, but I swear to God if you hurt her not even your mother can save you." Emma spoke seriously but she didn't glare at the Queen.
"I won't hurt her." Regina said firmly.
"It's going to take time and I'm not sure if I am ever going to get over this but I willing to try for my daughter. Her happiness precedes mines and it wont do her any good for me to be kicking your ass every weekend ." Emma's mouth quirked in a slight smile before it vanished and she mutter a loud 'shit'.
"What? What is it?" Regina was concerned.
"I forgot my little pirate problem. I have to go, this has to end today!" Emma stalked out of the bathroom and up to the booth.
"I uh, I have to g deal with the second part of the situation." Emma said careful of little ears.
"I'm going with you!' Regina said finally catching up with her.
"Well he does love audiences." Emma grimaced.
"Can you watch Leia until Ruby shift is over. She can keep her until we get back." Emma asked Cora who nodded. Emma turned to talk to Ruby while Cora spoke to her daughter.
"Whatever happens, you can't let Emma kill the pirate!" Cora whispered harshly
"Excuse me? He deserves to die!" Regina said in outrage.
"Yes but she is already walking a fine line. If she is to be the one to kill him, she fall over the edge. If you care for her, you'll do what needs to be done!" Cora said firmly.
"You mean I have to do it?" Regina asked in confusion.
"Precisely, I shall be there when the time comes. Let her expel some of her hatred, just don't let it control her. I will be there to hold her back while you finish it!" Cora's voice was devoid of emotion and it reminded Regina of her childhood.
"Let's go." Emma jerked her head to Regina. She lead her out to a blue Jeep and Regina looked confused.
"Where is that hideous yellow contraption ?" Regina pursed her lips together just like Leia did earlier.
"I put it in storage. It wasn't the safest for a newborn but I couldn't find it in me to junk it. Henry can have it if he wants it when he is older." Emma shrugged starting the car. She drove a little ways into town before stopping at Main Street. There was already a large crowd, demanding the pirates head as Hook stood there shackled down.
"How lovely of you to grace us with your presence." Hook said mockingly, however his eyes lost their gleam. He looked sullen, like a person on death row. Which in some ways he was, he just wouldn't be waiting twenty years for his punishment.
"The time for justice is now!" Came a shout from the crowd as Emma approached the pirate.
"I am not here for justice today!" Emma snarled as the crowd gasped.
"He deserves death!" Came another cry.
"And he shall have it! However I am not as naive as my parents in the quest of justice! There is no such thing. I have come to receive what is rightfully mine and that alone is vengeance." Emma spat causing the person who said it to cower back.
"Well do get on with it love." Hook said in a bored tone.
"I am going to take my time." Emma waved her hand a small knife appeared. " This should be very fun!" She smiled at him evilly causing Regina to shudder. She could see what her mother meant and she refused to let Emma tumble down that path.
Emma walked up to the pirate with purpose, gliding her knife down his cheek biting into the flesh. Without further warning she thrust the knife into his shoulder blade twisting it, eliciting a strangled scream from Hook. Emma tsked in disappointment.
"Surely you can do better than that!" She repeated the action in the same spot twice more. Until she got the full on scream.
"That's the spirit!" She mocked using his own words on him. "On your knees!" She demanded meeting him glare. When he refused she plunged the knife deep into his groan, and he fell sobbing.
"Why the tears? You didn't cry why the positions were reversed!" She spat and Regina flinched at the memory from the dream catcher. Emma's hand began to glow bright as she reached out and touched his face, he screamed out louder than before.
"You see, our sins have a way of catching up to us!" Regina gasped when she realized Emma was play with old magic. The kind that made you relive the pain that you cause other, only tenfold.
" Yes but I fixed you of your sins, slut!" Hook seethed out in pain and Emma literately lost it. Anywhere she could hit, she made the knife plunged in and out of his body, a small pool of blood formed as Regina stepped forward. She noticed her mother followed her motion unsure of when she had exactly arrived she pushed it to the back of her mind. Gathering her magic she pushed Emma away.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Emma roared but was immobilized by Cora who walked up to her. Regina didn't meet her demanding glare as she stalked towards Hook and plunged her hand into his chest.
"She is doing what I asked of her. I couldn't allow you to do this Emma. You'll understand later." Cora whispered to the blonde who was struggling to break free.
"I need to kill him!" Emma screamed
"Just let her do this for you." Cora cooed calming the girl down with magic.
Regina looked over at the blonde and she could see how broken she was. She held her gaze as she slowly squeezed the her until the man laid limp and the heart was dust. Summoning a torch she lit his body aflame, not giving him the proper pirate funeral was her last blow to him.
"Why'd you do that?" Emma gritted out as she stalked up to her ex.
"If I let you do it, he would have won. That would have been the straw that broke the camels back and you truly would feel broken. I did it for you and I did it for Leia. I only hope that in time you forgive me." Regina said before walking away.