Chapter 51 :) Thank you to all of you for your support. This story took such a turn from what it was originally supposed to be. Because you all keep reading/reviewing, I'm going to keep writing :) This chapter is mostly dialog, but it's a build up for our next little fun session; Emma learning magic. I don't know what will be more fun, Emma trying to learn it or Cora and Mal teaching her.
I could have ended this, but your reviews to keep going is keeping me going. I hope that you are really still enjoying this as the reviews aren't as plentiful as they used to be. I get that though, as I am HORRIBLE at remembering to leave reviews. Just please, if you're ready for me to stop, just tell me.
Read~Enjoy~Review
Chapter 51
"You said she wouldn't get hurt! You lied!" Neal yelled at his father as he slammed his fist on the counter.
"I didn't think Regina would physically hurt her, Balefire. I didn't know."
"That's bullshit, dad! You made her dark! Darker than she probably even was as the Evil Queen."
"Yes. I am aware." Rumple was surprised that, other than Neal, he hadn't heard anything about Regina. By now, he figured someone would have come for him needing his help. Emma would have been the only one who could have broken the spell and there was no way she'd be able to do that. She simply wasn't powerful enough. Was she?
"You ruined any chance I may have had to even be friends with her!"
"Son, that was not my intention."
"Maybe not, but you still did it. I don't even know why I agreed to come back here. I have more to lose than ever before. Do not go after them again, Papa. Promise me that."
Rumple sighed, rolling his eyes. Baelfire, or Neal as he now preferred to be called, was always much more emotional than Rumple. "Oh come now, don't be like that. It's not as bad as you're making it out to be. Go to bed for the night. It will be better in the morning, you'll see."
Neal shook his head. "Leave them alone, dad. Please, just leave them alone."
"No Snow, my daughter will not be married in the forest."
"But Cora, it's beautiful out there."
"Maybe, but it won't happen. I'll try to compromise though. The two want it small, but I have a feeling that everyone will want to be there. What if they get married in the courtyard?"
"The courtyard? Where we have miners day? Wow, that's actually a great idea. We already have lights and tents and all that for the courtyard."
Snow marked 'venue'off the list and let out a yawn. "I think that's enough for tonight, Cora. It's been quite a day."
Cora looked at the clock and nodded. "You're right. I need to go pay an old friend a visit before I head home. Have a good night, Snow."
With that, Cora was gone in a puff of smoke and appeared in front of the pawn shop. Ignoring the 'closed' sign, she went in and saw father and son. Before she could be stopped, Cora appeared behind Neal and reached in, taking his heart. Rumple growled as Neal hissed. Cora raised a brow and gave a squeeze.
"Stop it! Cora, stop it right now!"
Cora stopped and looked at Rumple. "I will leave your child alone once you leave mine alone. Both of them. Your spell didn't work as you had planned and you best not keep trying." Cora made the heart disappear. "It's mine until I can trust you. Stay away!" With that, all that was left was a puff of smoke.
"What the hell just happened?"
Rumple looked at Neal and growled. "She found a way to be a step ahead."
"Well I hope you'll stop now."
"Right. Of course."
Neal didn't believe him completely, but he left the shop to go to his room at Granny's. He knew he should be more upset about Cora having his heart than he was, but the truth was, at least this way, Rumple wouldn't do anything to hurt Emma. At least he hoped he meant enough to his father for him to listen to Cora. At any rate, Neal would do anything to keep Emma safe and happy, even if it wasn't with him.
Rumple grumbled as he locked up his shop and hobbled to his empty manor. Neal had agreed to come to Storybrooke, but not stay with his father. The imp changed and lay in bed thinking. How did the potion not work? His potions always worked. "That liar! It worked, but Miss Swan must be more powerful than I thought. That changes things. Oh yes, that chances a lot."
Cora took a chance to check in on her girls, not hearing anything, she figured she wouldn't walk in on anything bad. The woman smiled as she saw Regina and Emma all snuggled together with Malory and Eva in their bassinet. The woman then went downstairs and got into bed hoping that this was the beginning of a happier life for her daughter.
The next morning, Emma woke up early. Her eyes rested on her fiance for a moment before moving to her daughters. The fact that they were sucking their fists let her know they were hungry. She got them and got back in bed, situating herself so she could feed them. She was getting better at feeding them at the same time and loved every moment of it. She loved how they looked into her eyes, how they completely trusted her and how she loved them more than she ever thought possible.
"What a beautiful sight to wake up to." Came a husky voice next to Emma. Regina smiled as green eyes found brown. "Good morning, my love." She sat up and leaned in to kiss Emma.
"Good morning to you, too." The blonde smiled back as Regina put an arm around Emma and they both leaned back against the headboard.
"They are so damn beautiful, Emma. I'm so proud of you for bringing them into the world."
Emma just smiled as she looked at their daughters. "They are beautiful. But you created them just as much as I did."
"Maybe, but you carried them and birthed them. You were so strong, you are so strong."
Emma blushed and shook her head, focusing on the babies and making sure they were feeding.
"You are, Emma. More than you know. What you did yesterday, getting that poison out of me. Emma...you shouldn't have been able to do that. I wouldn't have been able to, hell even Mom or Maleficent wouldn't have been able to do it. But you did, and with out even knowing what you were doing. I don't think you understand how powerful you are, Em." Regina watched as Emma tried to grasp what she was saying. "With that, though, comes danger. Emma, you can't let anyone know of what happened, especially Rumple and Neal. They can't know. If Rumple finds out, he'll use you. Much the way he used me, only it would be worse because you wouldn't be willing."
Emma situated the babies, burping them as she listened to Regina. "I don't even know what it is I did. I just did what came to me."
"Exactly. It's a natural gift you have."
"Won't Rumple know? If he wanted you dark, and you're not, he's going to know that someone did something."
"We'll deal with that when it comes." Regina took Malory and cuddled with her. "For now, let's not think about it too much. But I do think that we should do lessons or something with your magic. That way you won't accidently blow something up when you don't mean to."
Regina chuckled, but Emma swallowed. "You think I'd do that?"
"Yes. Not because you want to, but because you have to learn to control what you have, my love."
Emma nodded. "Okay. But you teach me. Maybe for once, I'll like learning something." She grinned and Regina chuckled.
"Oh dear, you have no idea what kind of teacher I am. You may regret this when I have to punish you if you don't listen."
Emma looked at Regina, the grin never leaving her face. "Threaten me like that and I may not listen on purpose."
Regina playfully hit Emma's arm and leaned over to kiss her. "I'll teach you. But I want you to also take lessons from my mother and Maleficent. The truth is, what you have is special. By only learning from me, I'm afraid it may limit what you're able to do."
Emma bit her lip, not wanting to ask something stupid. "At the risk of sounding like an idiot, isn't all magic the same? I mean, can't you do what your mom and Maleficent do?"
"Come, let's go change the girls and we'll talk about it. And my dear, you do not sound like an idiot." Emma took Eva while Regina took Malory and they went to the nursery, each picking a changing table and changing the babies. "You see, my love, all magic is not the same. You could have Rumple, Maleficent, My mother, Ursula, Cruella and I all in the same room and everyone's magic is different. Well...Rumple isn't technically magical, he just has the power of the dagger."
"Right. The Dark One. Belle told me about that."
"Belle would be the one who knows about it. You see, Magic is based on things like emotion, feelings, even thoughts. If I were trying to magic up some ice cream, but I was in a foul mood and thinking of bad things, I may accidentally magic up something like...charred liver. Of course, I'm not a beginner, so that wouldn't happen, but the point is, it's all different. Rumple taught me by having me focus on my anger; and boy did I have a lot of it. That's why I am good with fire. Fire comes from anger and darkness. Maleficent...well she's a bit harder to explain because she's also dragon, but back in the day, back when she was really dark, her fire power was amazing. My mom is more of a natrual. No dark dagger, no dragon. She learned everything herself, but what she excels at is potions. Well, potions and of course ripping out hearts and controlling them. Ursula uses the sea and air while Cruella talks to animals."
Emma was listening intently as she dressed Eva. "I'm just me, but I guess if it's emotion, I have enough anger and hurt to fuel it."
Regina shook her head. "No. No Emma. I will not let you use anger and hurt. That will only make dark magic and you are too good to have dark magic. Besides anger and hurt, you have love and kindness. Emma, you're special. You're special in so many ways."
Cora had heard the last part of the conversation and came into the room, sitting on a rocking chair. "She's right. Do you even know why you have magic, Emma?"
"Doesn't it have something to do with my parents? Or the prophesy or what ever?"
"Yes. To both. It is because you are the product of true love. True love, the purest love, is special and not everyone gets to have it. Especially in our old world. Your parents fought Regina, Rumple, the king, hell they fought time and even class differences to be together. No matter how hard others tried, your parents always found each other. They had true love and because of that love, they produced you. The Savior. The thing with prophecies and everything that happened back then is...while a prophesy is stated, it does not go into effect until the people involved accept it. Of course, they didn't know that, so when Rumple told them that the baby your mother carried would be The Savior, they accepted it right away, sealing your fate. That could also be a contributing factor in you having magic."
Emma swallowed this and digested it. "So if they wouldn't have sent me away, if they wouldn't have accepted it..."
Regina sighed. "The curse would have still happened, Emma. Unfortunately, that could not be stopped. If they wouldn't have sent you away, I would not have killed you like they thought. When I heard who you were to be, I had decided to take you and raise you as my own. I would have molded your fate, changed it. You would have broken the curse, but I'd have made you dark."
"But if they hadn't accepted it..."
"We can't know for sure, Emma." Cora stated. "Because Rumple accepted it. The fact is, no matter what happened, this was how it was set to be. However, I don't even think Rumple had an idea that it wouldn't be as he hopped. You wouldn't be the demise of Regina; you are her hope. Her rise, her..."
"My happy ending." Regina finished with a smile. "But that's all done, Ems. The curse, all of that is done. Now we focus on you and your magic. Mother, I was hoping you and Mal would help us. I figure it best that she learn from more than one person."
Cora smiled brightly. "Oh yes! Oh I'd love to teach her potions and such. I never did get to teach you, and now that we're all in better spots, I think we'll be able to teach her so much."
Regina smiled and turned around with Malory as Emma turned with Eva. The women laughed as they saw that they ended up dressing the girls in the same little purple and green outfits. Cora rolled her eyes and grinned all the same.
