Chapter Twenty-Six
Still shaken up from what had transpired the night before, Regina spent most of the following day in bed. Regina was tough by nature, but even she couldn't handle all the anguish that life was throwing at her. The curse that she had sacrificed everything to cast had been broken and so had her family. Regina no longer had Rumpelstiltskin, who had served as a source of strength for her over the last twenty-eight years and she no longer had Henry, who could brighten her day simply by smiling. For the first time in a long time, Regina was truly alone. Fearing that it would be too painful, she decided not to put her heart back into her body.
Regina found herself reliving her entire relationship with Rumpelstiltskin over in her mind, not just their time in Storybrooke, but their time in the Enchanted Forest as well. Regina took herself back to the first time Rumpelstiltskin ever appeared in her bedroom, he first peaked her interest in magic with his tender touch and gentle persuasion. She recalled the looking glass that he gave her in order to send her mother away and she remembered how she had almost gotten free, but Rumpelstiltskin talked her into staying with King Leopold, which ultimately led to her utter desolation. The more Regina reminisced, the clearer it became to her. Rumpelstiltskin had been manipulating her ever since their first encounter. He may have appeared to be looking out for her, but he wasn't. He was just looking for someone miserable enough to cast his curse. Rumpelstiltskin had a hand in almost everything Regina had done since they met. Suddenly, Regina felt like nothing more than a pawn in Rumpelstiltskin's game, and now that she had served her purpose, he no longer needed her.
Was their marriage really a sham like Belle had said? As Regina recounted her time in Storybrooke with Rumpelstiltskin, in didn't feel that way to her. She loved him wholeheartedly and believed that he felt the same. When he looked into her eyes or held her hand and when he made love to her, it was just that, it was love. It wasn't a scheme or a farce, Rumpelstiltskin had let Regina into his heart and when they adopted Henry, they became a complete family. Regina now had to come to grips with the fact that she was the one who had the biggest hand in tearing them apart. She knew that Belle was alive, but she chose the easy road and lied about it. Regina knew that Rumpelstiltskin wanted the curse broken so that he could find his son, but she made the selfish choice and chose vengeance instead. This is what Regina got for trying to run from the past. It didn't just catch up to her, it overtook her life.
While Regina picked apart every aspect of her life, the telephone rang persistently. She didn't know nor did she care who it was. By noon, the answering machine was full.
In between her thoughts, Regina drifted in and out of sleep, until she was finally awoken by her doorbell. Regina was stunned to see that it was three in the afternoon when she looked over at her clock. Her first instinct was to not answer the door, but by the third ring of the bell, she wanted to find out exactly who was being so persistent. Regina was amazed when she opened the door and discovered that it was Henry. Emma was letting him come home! Overjoyed, Regina swooped Henry up into her arms and hugged him as tightly as she could. She held back tears as she kissed his forehead.
"Henry, I've missed you so much," Regina said softly.
"Didn't you get any of my messages"? Emma asked Regina, slightly irked
"No. I've been a little out of sorts today" Regina admitted.
"You look horrible," Emma said bluntly.
"How kind of you to point that out, Miss Swan. Things have been a little rough. Thanks to you…and a few others" Regina snapped.
"Can we talk"? Emma asked seriously
"Come on in" Regina replied "Henry, why don't you go upstairs while Emma and I talk" Regina requested.
Once Henry was upstairs, Regina and Emma went into the kitchen. Emma wasted no time asking Regina about her marital woes.
"I see you've been talking to my husband," Regina said perceptively.
"Yeah. He came by to see me yesterday. That's why I brought Henry over. Gold told me that you two are separated" Emma revealed.
"Now that you've broken the curse, feel free to call him Rumpelstiltskin" Regina said sarcastically.
"No thanks," Emma responded quickly "What the hell did you do to piss Gold off so badly? I know that you two argued a lot, but I didn't think you guys would split up" Emma admitted.
"I didn't either" Regina responded as tears started rolling down her face. Hearing the words out loud that her marriage was over, was like a kick in the stomach.
"I made the mistake of lying to my husband, Miss Swan, and sadly for me, an old flame was right there to pick up the pieces for him" Regina confessed as she snapped herself out of her tears.
It was clear to Emma that Regina was devastated. This was the first time since she'd arrived in Storybrooke that she'd seen Regina so broken down. While she did feel sorry for Regina, Emma didn't allow herself to forget who she was dealing with. This was a woman who wanted her dead and out of Henry's life for good!
"I'm sorry, Regina. How are you planning on breaking this to Henry"? Emma asked, "My main concern is him" She continued.
"I honestly don't know" Regina responded despondently "I haven't spoken with Rumple since the curse was broken" She admitted.
"You guys need to tell Henry together" Emma insisted "You've got to let him know that he still has two parents that love him."
"Are you trying to give me parenting advice, Miss Swan"? Regina asked mildly insulted
"I think you need it, Regina. Do you even realize how hard this is going to be for Henry"? Emma asked intensely
"I do" Regina replied, starting to cry yet again "Henry deserves so much better than this" She sobbed.
"You've got to be strong for Henry," Emma said to Regina as she put her hand on her shoulder "Things are already so crazy right now. He needs to know that he can count on you."
"I've got to call Rumple," Regina said with dread in her voice "Henry needs to hear the truth and he needs to hear it from both of us."
"Do you want me to stay here while you call him"? Emma asked trying to be supportive
"No. This is something I need to do on my own" Regina responded miserably.
Emma left in order to give Regina her privacy, but all Regina did was stare at the telephone. She didn't want to call Rumpelstiltskin. Not only was Regina not ready to speak to him, she was not ready for her marriage to really be over. In Regina's mind, by saying it out loud, especially to Henry, that would truly be the end. Even with her heart outside of her body, it was still continuing to break.
As Regina stared at the telephone, Henry came downstairs and poured himself a glass of grape juice. Henry knew his mother well enough to know that something was bothering her, so he asked her, "What's wrong mom? Are you mad at me because Emma broke your curse"?
"Oh Henry, I could never be mad at you. I love you too much" She replied as she pulled him in for a hug.
"When's dad coming home? I miss him" Henry asked innocently, instantly bringing Regina to tears.
"He's at his shop. Why don't you go back up to your room while I call him" Regina answered Henry through her tears.
"Why are you crying"? Henry asked out of concern
"I'll tell you later. Go upstairs, OK" Regina answered somberly.
Henry hugged Regina once more before he went to his room. Regina knew what had to be done, she just didn't know if she could actually bring herself to do it. She picked up the telephone with shaking hands and a racing heart. There was a lump at the base of her throat and tears in her eyes. With every ring her heart pounded louder, when Rumpelstiltskin finally answered the phone, Regina felt like she was drowning. His voice literally took her breath away.
"Rumple" She muttered.
"What do you want, Regina"? Rumpelstiltskin asked belligerently
"I know you don't want to see me, but we have to tell Henry about us. He's already asking for you" Regina replied.
"Let me guess, you painted yourself to be a victim and me to be a villain, right Dearie"? Rumpelstiltskin asked contemptuously
"I didn't tell him anything. I thought it would be best if we sat Henry down and told him together" Regina responded.
"You can actually manage to bring yourself to do the right thing. Imagine that" Rumpelstiltskin said scornfully.
"Can you come over"? Regina asked
"Yes. I'll come by now, but only to talk to Henry. I have no interest in any of your useless drabbles, Regina" Rumpelstiltskin replied before he hung up the phone abruptly.
Rumpelstiltskin arrived much faster than Regina had anticipated. She took slow deep breaths to calm herself. Regina didn't want to reveal her sadness to Rumple, she was too proud for that.
When he opened the door to the house that he'd lived in for the last twenty-eight years, it was Rumpelstiltskin who began to feel strange. The first thing that hit him was the aroma, the house still smelled like fresh honey crisp apples, it took him back to a happier time for both him and Regina. Rumpelstiltskin thought about the night that they brought Henry home from Boston. He recalled opening the door and ushering his new family into their home, it was still one of the happiest nights of his life. Rumple's eyes kept fixating on the many pictures scattered throughout the house. Each photo contained a different memory, a different smile. Lastly, Rumpelstiltskin made eye contact with Regina. He was shocked by her haggard appearance. Ever since he'd known her, she'd always been the epitome of style and beauty, now she just looked defeated. For a moment, Rumple actually felt sorry for Regina, but then he thought about poor Belle being held prisoner for so long. In his mind, that was intolerable cruelty.
"I'd say you look well, Regina, but you and I both know that I'd be lying" Rumpelstiltskin teased.
"I'm glad to see you haven't turned back into a sparkly crocodile, Rumple" Regina shot back.
"Where's Henry? I want to get this over with" Rumpelstiltskin demanded.
"I'll go get him in a second, but first, I want to know if you plan on telling him about Belle yet"? Regina asked nastily
"Belle is living with me, so yes, I intend on telling our son about her" Rumpelstiltskin replied honestly.
"Such a fine example you're setting for Henry" Regina retorted.
"You have no room to talk, Dearie. Shall I remind you that you cast a curse that devastated an entire population"? Rumple responded bitingly
"I'm getting Henry" Regina snapped as she made her way to the staircase.
As soon as Henry saw his father, his eyes lit up and he started running towards him.
"Dad! I missed you so much"! He shouted
"I've missed you too son. I promise that we'll never go this long without seeing each other ever again" Rumpelstiltskin assured Henry.
"Henry, why don't we all have a seat in the living room"? Regina suggested
"OK," Henry replied.
Rumpelstiltskin, Regina and Henry all gathered in the living room to have a talk that no family ever wants to have. There was no real way to break this to Henry gently, so Regina decided to just come out and say it, "Henry, your father and I are separated."
"What"? Henry stammered
"Your mother and I are longer going to be living together" Rumple replied gently.
"What? Why"? Henry asked heartbroken "We're a family. We're supposed to be together" He insisted.
"I angered your father, Henry. If you want to blame someone, blame me" Regina said nobly.
"No. If you're mad about the apple, don't be. Mom saved me" Henry pleaded "I ate that turnover. Nobody made me. Be mad at me, not mom. Please"! Henry begged Rumpelstiltskin
"I'm sorry son, but it is far more complicated than that" Rumple replied softly.
"Where is everyone going to live"? Henry asked, visibly shaken
"You and I will still live here and your father will have his own house now" Regina responded.
Henry sought refuge in Regina's arms as he burst into tears. Everything he'd known was crumbling and he was scared. Henry just wanted his family to be as it always was.
"Henry, there's something else that I need to tell you," Rumpelstiltskin said sensitively "Someone that I loved long ago has returned and she's living with me now. Her name is Belle and I just know that you're going to love her as much as I do" He continued.
"You should love my mom"! Henry screamed "I hate this and I hate you"! He cried as he ran back up to his room
"You're on a roll, Imp. That's two hearts that you've broken in this house" Regina sneered.
"Don't play innocent, Regina. We wouldn't be here right now if you weren't so unimaginably selfish" Rumpelstiltskin fumed.
"I'm well aware that I'm not innocent, but neither are you" Regina replied, defending herself "You and I are exactly the same. You're every bit as malicious as I am and don't pretend like you're not."
"I'm quite conscious of who I am, Regina. I always have been" Rumple replied frankly "Unfortunately for you, who I am has nothing to do with your incessant lying."
"Yes. I lied" Regina admitted "I lied because I loved you and I didn't want to lose you" Regina explained, her voice escalating "I can see that my fears were not without merit. You left me the second Belle reappeared."
"Belle was the love of my life" Rumpelstiltskin barked "You led me to believe that she was dead while you held her hostage. Did you expect me to thank you, your majesty"?
"I didn't hurt or kill her. Belle found her way back to you in one piece" Regina mumbled as she walked away from Rumple and towards the mantle that showcased so many precious memories of the life that they shared.
"Oh, so that makes it all OK"? Rumple asked angrily "Belle, you remember the woman who locked you up for twenty-eight years? Since she was kind enough not to kill you, let's all go to Granny's" He shot back sarcastically.
"I will never regret my decision for one second. Do you know why"? Regina asked
"Do tell" Rumple replied flippantly.
"My lies gave me twenty-eight wonderful years with you" Regina poured her heart out as Rumpelstiltskin looked on silently "My lies led us to Henry" Regina managed to choke out, voice cracking, before she was overtaken by her tears. Watching Regina mourn the loss of their life together was a distressing experience for Rumpelstiltskin. The love that he had for her still lived deep inside of him, it was just buried under his anger.
"Regina," He said quietly as he walked towards her.
"It's OK" Regina trembled as she walked away from Rumpelstiltskin "I've accepted that I'm going to have to live with just my memories for the rest of my life. But I wouldn't trade our time together for anything in the world" She acknowledged "I'm just sorry that you don't feel the same way. I'm sorry that I meant so little to you. Now get out" Regina commanded with agony in her eyes.
"What about Henry"? Rumple asked
"I won't have you upsetting him" Regina replied aloofly.
"He's my son, Regina. I wouldn't allow Emma to keep him from me and I won't allow you to keep him from me either" Rumpelstiltskin replied sharply.
"It's not up to me. It's up to Henry" Regina responded "If he wants to see you, he can. If he doesn't, I'm not forcing him to."
"I will be back for my son"! Rumple thundered as he stormed out of the house.
On his way to the car, he started getting piercing pains in his heart that left him breathless. Rumple clutched his chest as he fumbled with his keys. Once the pain subsided, he desperately tried to figure out what could have been wrong with him.
Gutted by the fact that Henry was hurting, Regina went into his bedroom. He was lying on his bed crying into his pillow.
"Henry," Regina said soothingly as she rubbed his back "Talk to me."
"Why is dad doing this to us"? He asked tearfully
"Don't be angry at your father. This is my fault" Regina confessed "I cast a curse out of vengeance and then I lied to the man that I loved."
"He should be with us" Henry replied sadly.
"I don't know how to love very well, Henry. I wasn't capable of it for a very long time" Regina explained "But I do know, I remember, that if you hold on to someone too hard, it doesn't make them love you."
"I'll always love you, mom," Henry said as he got up to hug Regina.
"I love you too, Henry" Regina replied, grateful that she still had her son.
Later on that night, tired of running from her feelings, Regina got into bed and put her heart back into her body. She let out a loud gasp before she buried her face into her pillow and cried herself to sleep.