Chapter 29.
"Mother?"
Emma watched the color drain from Regina's face. She had a tight grip on Emma's arm as she looked at her mother in front of her, looking the same as she had when she closed a coffin on her.
Regina stumbled as she tried to get to her feet and as far away from her mother as she could. She backed into the wall as Cora smirked at her reaction staying in the same spot as before. 'I can still strike fear in her eyes that is good, fear is power.'
'She looks so terrified.'
'God, Cora hasn't changed one bit.'
"Y-you're not real. You died. I s-saw you." She shook her head. 'This has to be a dream. A nightmare. She can't be real.' She wrapped her arms around herself in an act to protect herself. Cora tutted.
'Still weak like her waif of a father.'
"Not wise to trust a pirate to do your dirty work dear." Regina eyes widened at the realisation that it was in fact her mother before her and not a trick. She didn't want to believe it. The only reason she could function in any way in Storybrooke was because she was sure her mother was dead.
"No, you can't be real...no." Cora took a step forward to approach her. Emma stood up. 'She is not getting anywhere near her. Not if I have anything to do with it.' She shielded Regina from the volatile woman in front of her. She narrowed her eyes and glared at her.
"Sweetheart..." She tried in a soft voice. Regina pointed her finger at her.
"No! Don't you dare call me that." Cora rolled her eyes at her daughter's insolence. 'I had wished that kind of behavior would have been taking from her. This is obviously over that thing with the stable keep.'
"You can't be still upset about the whole Daniel thing?" Regina looked at her like she had three heads. 'How can she even ask that?! Who forgives that?!'
"YOU KILLED HIM! You...you ripped out his..." Regina voice broke and she tried desperately to stop the tears that were forming in her eyes. 'She wants me to cry, I can't give her that satisfaction.'
"He got in the way of your destiny, dear." Cora tried to explain her actions and took another step closer.
"And what was that?" Regina spat back at her.
"To be Queen. Have power." Cora said simply but in a softer voice than before. Emma scoffed. 'Her mother is a piece of work. And I thought the Hendersons were bad. Regina would have done better in the system than with that.'
"I never wanted any of that! You married me off to that monster." 'Keep it together.' The tears she tried to hold back fell. Snow stood up at the word monster. She knew Regina was talking about her father. She wasn't going to let them sully his reputation, his name.
"Monster is a bit harsh." She interrupted.
"No one asked you Snow!" Regina screamed at her and closed her eyes trying to calm down and not let her mask slip in front of the reason she had it. 'Keep it together.'
"Yes, really. She was always a bothersome child, I see that hasn't changed. Besides Leopold was the better option of Kings." Cora stated.
"Better option? Better option?! Have you any idea what he, what he did to me?" She couldn't keep it together. She broke down and slide against the wall behind her. Flashbacks tore through her mind like a film reel she had no way to shut off. Tears fell quickly down her face. She covered it in her hands.
"Regina honey..." Cora went to approach her crying daughter but Emma stood in her way blocking Regina from her. She had already caused her so much pain. 'I know she is Regina's mother but there is no way in hell she is gonna get anywhere near her.'
"Look lady, you need to back off." Emma fumed and pushed Cora back. Cora stumbled back and watched as Emma hunched down beside her crying daughter moving strands of hair of her face carefully. Cora watched the exchange as the blonde rubbed Regina's arm lightly. "You're okay." She said trying to reassure her.
"And why exactly is the daughter of Snow White protecting you dear?" No one answered her. Snow tugged on Emma's sleeve pulling her into a standing position the second she saw Cora watching them intently. She moved closer.
Emma blocked off the former queen once again. "I said back off!"
"Quite...protective. Peculiar." Cora stepped back and walked up and down as she watched them like a lion stalking it's prey. She suddenly smirked at them.
"Oh this is too good...the daughter of Snow White has a fallen in love with her grandmother."
"Step grandmother!" Emma corrected then blushed a dark red and added "And I...we are just friends." Regina hadn't heard what she said but Snow did. She groaned and whispered to Emma. "Tell her nothing." The Sheriff nodded.
"What was that is little Snow keeping more secrets?" Cora said in a sing song voice as she moved closer to Snow. "I wonder how daddy dearest would react to find out his granddaughter was a dyke."
Snow gritted her teeth and held Emma down knowing it would do no good to take the bait. She wanted to attack Cora but she wasn't sure if the woman had powers left. So she tried her best to ignore her.
"Regina? Get up off the ground." Cora called out but she ignored her and wiped her eyes. "You are showing weakness, around Snow White and her dyke of a daughter." Cora told her with a sound of disgust in her voice. Regina looked up at her with tears gleaming in her eyes. She grabbed Emma's hand to pull herself up off the floor and on to her feet. She stormed up to her mother. The pain in her eyes replaced with anger.
"Don't you dare call her that!" She poked her mother in her chest aggressively and flared her nostrils. Cora gulped and tried to retain her composure. She knew if Regina had her powers that they out weighed hers easily and she didn't have her book with her to help with harder spells that she knew Regina had mastered. She shrugged "That is what she is."
Emma pulled her back by her wrist. "She is not worth it, just let it go." The blonde looked into Regina's eyes and gave her a weak smile. "She is not worth it."
Regina sighed and nodded in agreement and moved back to where they were.
"Oh..." Cora smirked at what had just occurred. "This is too good to be true." She let out a cruel laugh. "I thought I was bad but you always had to be the best."
Regina spun around. "What is that suppose to mean?"
"You getting back at little Snow by making her daughter fall in love with you. You even convinced her it is some what mutual." Cora laughed.
"It is!" Regina spat out standing in front of Emma. Cora stopped laughing and stared at her. "No..."
Regina stared back and clenched her jaw. She didn't want Emma in danger. She had seen what her mother was capable of. What she did to her first love.
"You love that?" Cora asked pointing at Emma with a look of disgust. "You can't...My daughter is not a homosexual."
Regina rolled her eyes with a frown on her face. Snow grumbled to herself. "Okay with her killing but sleeping with women is where you draw the line?"
Cora flung out her hand and levitated Snow into the air trapping her body. "Shut up you imp!" She screamed making the others jump. Emma clutched Regina's hand and she felt magic course through her body. She held her hand up and released Snow with her own powers. Snow fell on her knees and Emma rushed over to her.
The former queen raised Cora of the ground who looked at her shocked. "You chose them over me?"
Regina looked over at them and smirked. "Every time."
To be continued.
