Chapter 21: Daughter of the Miller's Daughter

The ten days where up. Hell, twelve days had gone by due to a little detour they took while walking. Now here they were, sitting around in a damp cave. No one wanted to go inside where the beating of many hearts could be heard quite distinctively.

"Where the hell is she?" Regina half-whispered to Daniel.

He looked up from the stick he was sharpening and shrugged.

"She said ten days, either she got caught up in something or she got taken captive."

"And if its the second option?"

"We wait a few days to make sure she just wasn't delayed then we go after her."

"She could be killed at any second."

"Then what would be the point in holding her captive?"

"What?"

"If they wanted to kill her, they would of already done it so there would be no point in going after her. However, if they did take her, she's still alive for a reason."

"What reason would that be?"

"One of two things, they want something from her or they want to lure us in to kill us."

She looked down and thought about it. They most likely wanted them dead. If they went to save Cora, there's a chance they could all get killed but if they didn't, Cora could die and if she was one of the people they need, everyone could be killed.

She leaned in closer to Daniel so only he would hear.

"Do you have any idea where she is being held?"

"I know exactly where she is."

She bit her lip and thought carefully.

"I'm going to go get her. I'll take Robin and Will with me since they're not part of the prophecy."

He looked up to her, worried.

"I'm going with you."

"Either you or Cora fill one of the roles. If she dies, you need to take her place and you can't do that if you're dead."

"There's still a chance Cora's delayed."

"We both know my mother's always on time."

"You're important too."

"Not like you guys are."

She stood up and walked over to the others.

"Robin, Will, you two and I are going to try and rescue Cora, we believe she's been captured."

Robin quickly gathered his things and ran up to Regina. Will groaned, kissed Anastasia and slowly walked over. Daniel went over to them with a map and held it out to Regina. As she reached out to grab it, he took her wrist and pulled her close.

"These guys aren't like thugs back home, you need to be careful."

She nodded. As she pulled away, he held on for just a second too long. She quickly looked away then headed out the cave.

It took them a few hours to get there, Will mostly leading the way while rambling on about the caterpillar. Even after everything she's been told, she couldn't picture a damn caterpillar being this world's mobster. One of her favorite pastimes as a kid was catching the little bug and watching it morph into a butterfly and now one was holding her mother captive.

"Here we are." Will said and gave the map back to her.

"A bar?"

"Its where they do all their business."

"So I guess sneaking in is out of the question." Robin grumbled.

He pulled out his bow and Will drew his sword. Regina lead the way into the building.

The joint was crowded with people and had little light coming in but it wasn't hard to get noticed.

"Well look who came here to save her mommy." A bald man with a black vest and eye-patch yelled as he strolled over to them with his hands on his hips.

Regina straightened her back and held her chin up to look him in the eye. Everyone in the bar had stopped what they were doing to turn their heads and watch them.

"Where is she?" She growled.

"Come along now, pup, I'll take ya to your mama." He said with a deep laugh. He started walking to the back room, the crowd splitting apart like waves being sliced by a boat. He looked back and waved his hand for them to follow. Regina kept her focus forward and moved toward the man. Robin was scanning the faces of the people staring back with some of them bumping Will around. The man pulled back a curtain and lead the three inside.

The entire room was littered with gold, coins scattered across the floor and strands hanging off of things. Along the walls were some of the thugs with weapons ready, staring ravenously at them. In the back of the room, there was a wide, cushioned platform with the caterpillar perched on top of it. She knew the creature wouldn't be a small, fuzzy critter but she wasn't expecting this either. It took a big puff from the pipe it held and blew a smoke ring at her. She coughed and swiped at the smoke.

"Who are you?" It said in a deep voice.

"Queen Regina of the Enchanted Forest." She replied.

"The daughter of the miller's daughter." He noted. "I suppose you came to retrieve her?"

She nodded.

"I admire your courage, young one." He took another drag from his pipe. "But I'm afraid that courage won't get you much."

"I'm willing to trade for her."

"And just what can you hope to offer?"

"Well I'd suggest gold but it seems like you're practically drowning in it."

"You can never have too much gold. However, there is something else I require."

"Which is?"

Another drag. "You."

"Me?"

"Well your heart really. There's none other like it." He said placidly.

"Oh?" She said, feigning interest.

"Tell you what. You stay here and your friends go back with the queen."

She thought about it. She'd have a better fighting chance than Cora would.

"Don't do it." Robin whispered in her ear.

"We need my mother."

"We need you too." He tried to point out.

She snorted and looked back up at the caterpillar.

"Deal."

"Regina!" Robin and Will said in unison.

The caterpillar chuckled and motioned towards her with his hand. The other men in the room moved towards her, causing Will and Robin to nod at each other and start fighting. She stood there starting at it as it took a few more drags from the pipe. The other two were taking down those that got near her while more men spilled in from the main room. Suddenly, more and more bodies were rapidly dropping. She looked around to see Will surrounded and Robin pinned against a corner and... Daniel quickly cutting down the oncoming men. He ducked under a sword and kicked out the legs of the man then thrust his sword into the gut another about to tackle him. Her interest no longer remained on the caterpillar but the one who was killing him men with astounding ease.

She watched him come out of the tent, alone. His face dead serious as he made his way over to her.

"Well?"

He took a few more steps.

"I'm sorry. I failed."

She never knew four simple words could hurt her like the way they did. It felt as if her heart was shattered into a million pieces and the one person who could fix it was gone, forever.

"The heart wasn't strong enough. It couldn't withstand the procedure."

No. She didn't want to hear it. She walked straight past him and into the tent to lay her eyes upon her fiancè. He was laying on that table in the last position she saw him in. The position he'd forever remain in. She walked over to him and put one hand on his chest and one on his forehead. She felt the stinging in her eyes from tears threatening to fall as she stroked his cold face. She re-buttoned his vest and rested her head on his chest. One time she was about to run away with this man, start a family, and live happily ever after. Although that time was only a few months ago, it felt like an eternity went by, separating her from the happiness that once occupied her life. She closed her eyes and leaned into him.

Never again. She would never get to kiss him, get to hold him, get to see him smile and hear him say "I love you" for the rest of the time she lived. She was only eighteen and a half. That would at least be another 20 years without him. She looked at him again, She desperately wanted him to do something. To open his eyes, to sit up, to give her a smile, to pull her into his arms and tell her everything will be alright. It won't. He only remained there, motionless. She wanted to do it, to end her life right then and there but she knew that wouldn't be what he wanted. He'd want her to move on and be strong. She wanted to but its a hard thing to do when he was always her strength. She took a deep breath.

"I'll try."

Another body dropped and now it was down to the bug and the man with the eye-patch. Daniel twirled his sword and put it in his sheath.

"So nice to see you again, Ponyboy." Eye-patch jeered.

"You will release my queen or pay the consequences."

"And what consequence is that?"

"You wouldn't want to find out."

"Actually, I'd love to." The man pulled out his sword and charged Daniel but before he could do any damage, the stable boy darted to the side, grabbed Regina's arm, pulled her over to him, spun her around, wrapped on arm around her neck while the other held a knife to it.

"You move and she dies."

"No!" Robin and the caterpillar shouted.

Regina tried to look up at Daniel but the knife pressed to her throat made it hard to turn her head. What the hell is he doing? The man looked over to the caterpillar for answers.

"Bring Cora out." It said.

"Aw c'mon! He ain't gonna hurt her."

In a split-second, Daniel pressed down on the knife and dragged in sideways, leaving a small cut on her. They all shouted for him to stop before he could bring the blade any further, She took a deep breath, her heart was beating out of control, she was so terrified because there was a small part of him that might actually do it.

"Bring the queen out! We'll get this young one later." It demanded.

Eye-patch nodded and left. He came back with Cora who, with one look at the scene, was puzzled. The man roughly pushed her towards them and before he could say anything they teleported out.

"Regina!" Snow exclaimed and ran to her.

Daniel immediately released her and walked over to Cora. Snow almost toppled her to the floor with a hug.

"I was worried. When Daniel left after you, I thought something serious happened!"

"You were worried?"

"Of course! You're the only family I have left."

She smiled and pulled the princess in tighter. She caught Daniel's gaze and mouthed "Thanks." If he hadn't showed, there's a good chance they would be goners. He gave her a smile.

"You're cut!"

"Its nothing." She laughed.

"I highly suggest you don't do something like that again." Cora scolded.

"Well it worked." He said back.

"Because you got lucky they found her so valuable."

"Why do they?"

"I have no idea."

He stood there, frozen. Cora's looking glass replaying Frankenstein's failed experiment. The despair he saw in his fiancèe's eyes crushed him.

"I'll try."

Those words made him smirk but he knew that she would go down the wrong path. He reached out and put his hand on the mirror. Day by day she was learning how to live without him. Now, he'd have to learn to live without her. He looked over to the box that sat on the table behind him. He brought his hand parallel with his chest and took a deep breath. He quickly plunged his hand inside and ripped out his heart. Almost instantly, a numbness washed over him and the pain that afflicted him every waking hour vanished. He carefully put his heart in the box and locked it. He took one last look at Regina and left.

Here's another chapter I quickly came up with. I'll try to update more frequently since the show went on break and its a time were some fans don't know what to do with themselves so they go to fanficiton. I have to say, Rumbelle isn't my favorite couple but that goodbye was just too much.