Narrators Point of View
The brunette stood in the white, marble master bathroom in front of the large mirror – her eyes intently focused on the deep red lipstick she had opened and closed at least 10 times, her lips still a natural pink as she put off the inevitable. Her eyes glanced up to land on her own countenance – 'what a fool' she scoffed at her own sorrow filled eyes; she should have known better, that teenager in the next room was never hers. This was always temporary yet somehow she had allowed herself to love Arena as if it were forever. She shook her head, opening the lipstick a final time and placing the lid aside as a defiantly shaky hand reach up to paint her full lips the deep color, she paused inhaling sharply, it was the final step in her dressing process. After this she would walk to Arena's room which would be packed up, all of their memories in boxes and bags, to go to Rumpelstiltskin who would introduce the blue eyed angel to her biological mother and then…then Regina would never see her again.
A tear fell down her face as she set the cosmetic aside, letting both hands grip the cool countertop for some sort of stability in the midst of the hurricane of emotions that was sweeping through her heart. It wasn't fair. But then again, it was, she knew the terms of this agreement from the start but deep down, if she were honest, she'd hoped they would change. Guilt ran through her chest – what kind of woman was so selfish she would rather a child never find her 'real' than have to give her up?
'If she really loved her she'd let her go, give her the chance at true happiness and to have the missing part she'd been longing for her whole life – right?' She tried to convince herself, biting her lip lightly as her head tilted back trying to stop more tears from destroying her perfectly made up face.
She gasped out of her thoughts as a pair of slender arms wrapped around her waist from behind, a delicate chin resting on her shoulder.
"I'm gonna miss you too Gina." The tiny, tear wracked voice whispered from behind.
The former Mayor let out a broken laugh with no humor as she saw the mirror reflecting the teenager wrapped around her, eyes bloodshot from her own broken hearted meltdown.
"Oh my love…" Regina whispered turning to pull the young girl into her arms, pressing kisses onto her temple and into her golden tresses as she rested her head into the older woman's neck.
The teenager couldn't help the sobs that escaped her lips against the Mayor's shoulder. Tears of her own that fell into the girl's hair, pulling her even closer, memorizing the feel of her nearness and inhaling her soft vanilla scent. She didn't want to forget being loved by something – someone so pure, so genuinely authentic in their care and acceptance of her. She shook her head internally at the irony of the boy she raised doing everything in his power to get and stay away from her then the young woman she'd only known for months weeping at the thought of being anywhere else. Life was a cruel task master.
"Now look at me…" She pulled back, tenderly lifting Arena's chin with her finger "You're going to meet your…mother…" She swallowed thickly at the world, scolding herself for her lack of maturity "today and it will be wonderful. This is a happy day."
She wasn't sure whom she was striving to convince more, herself or Arena but she gave it her best pushing a small smile through in attempt to comfort the girl.
"It doesn't feel happy." Arena whispered "I feel guilty saying that, she's all I ever wanted and I should but grateful but you….you're home." She confessed from quivering lips, her eyes meeting dark chocolate orbs.
Why did she have to say things like that? Why did she have to cut right to the heart of the former Evil Queen? Regina looked away, composing herself, struggling to find the right words to argue that the life Arena would leave to would be better than the one she was currently living.
"Home is where the heart is." She said gently "So your home can be in many places, everywhere your heart is shared. I will always be a part of your home and now your mother will be too." She pressed her lips into a small smile before pulling away quickly, she had to walk away or she would end up sealing them in with a spell, keeping the girl hers forever at this rate.
"There's no reason for us to walk, I'll magic us to Rumpelstiltskin's shop and he will take you from there." She said matte of fact, stopping in the hall mirror to look at her appearance 'so weak' she chastised herself internally before waving her hand to perfect the flaws. Rumple could certainly not see her like this, God knows how he'd use it against her.
Arena nodded silently, the back of her hand coming up to wipe away her tear before she moved to pull her hair up into a high pony tail with the rubber band around her wrist. They moved to her room where all of her belonging were neatly placed in boxes in a pile.
"You did well with this." Regina complimented the girl's organization skills, though her voice was barely a breath as the air had been knocked out of her at the sight of the empty room – a metaphor of what her heart would soon be as she gave up her girl to the imp and whomever she shared DNA with, it was overwhelming.
Arena gave a weak smile going to stand by Regina who had her hand reach out to her, the teenager threaded her fingers through the older woman's, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
"Here we go." The brunette said closing her own eyes as purple smoke engulfed them and the items.
"Ah! Here they are now!" A devilishly familiar voice quipped, his smirking face clearly seen to them both as the cloud surrounding them dissipated.
But he wasn't the only one in the room, a few feet behind him stood a red head woman looking to be about Regina's age, her mouth agape and eyes watery as her gaze fell on Arena.
"Arena…" She said the girl's name in a barely audible voice as she slowly approached the wide eyed teenager, moving in front of her she slowly reached her hand up to cup her cheek "Oh my baby!"
She pulled the girl into her arms suddenly, causing Arena to gasp a bit, stiffening at the theatrics of the embrace.
"Hi…Mom…" The title felt thick and unnatural rolling off of her tongue but she didn't want to push away her mother, she wanted to try to make this work.
"Isn't it beautiful – mother and daughter reunited?" The imp sang mockingly in the ear of the broken brunette who stood nearby.
She wanted to strike back with her usual quick, cruel, acidic wit but her grief wouldn't allow it. It was time to go.
"Well I think it's time for me to go." She announced straightening her suit jacket, causing the red head and Arena to pull apart to look in her direction "I wish you the best of luck and much happiness."
She turned on her spiked heel, making her way quickly to the door desperately trying to beat the tears the threatened to resume their falling as she walked away from the girl she had loved with her whole heart for the past 8 months.
"Regina wait!" Arena called after her, breaking away from the red head's grasp to chase after her, glancing back at her mother apologetically " I'll be right back, I'm sorry just…"
"Let her go Arena." Rumple instructed firmly, grabbing the young woman's arm as the brunette made her way out the door "Regina isn't capable of truly loving anyone, she may have fooled you into believing she can but trust me, after knowing her in many lives, she is not."
"Why the hell would I ever trust you?" She all but snarled, jerking her arm away before leaning in to his face "Master."
The title fell from her lips as a confirmation to the old demon that she had not forgotten how he had treated her in both of her lives, how he had abused her in the most despicable of ways – how he had locked her away like an animal, only released for moments of his entertainment or personal gain. She hadn't forgotten. She would never.
"Now Arena, Rumple is just trying to help." The red head cooed walking near her and touching her arm "let's just breathe and calm down…"
"Did he tell you how he caged me up my whole life?" She rebutted the woman's suggestion "That he abused me and let others do the same and much worse? He did that to your child….I don't think that warrants calming down."
She rolled her eyes turning to make her way towards the door to catch up with Regina but suddenly felt her feet stuck the floor as if they were welded.
"What are you doing?!" She screamed twisting her body, struggling as she attempted to break free.
"I'm making good on my deal with your mother." He answered holding his hand up, gritting his teeth, tiny flecks of green shimmering her and there on his skin.
Panic flooded her heart, she knew this monster – he wasn't Mr. Gold anymore, no in this moment he was the nightmare that she had lived with as a child – the dark one. Her gaze fell to the red head who looked on.
"Mother…please help me! Stop him!" She begged feeling helpless.
The woman's bewildered look suddenly melted away along with her every aspect of her appearance except for the auburn hair, to reveal a smug older woman with a smirk spreading across painted red lips.
"Now why would I stop what I asked him to do?" She chuckled lowly sauntering towards the confused, fear engulfed blonde "and I go by Cora dear, but to you…" She grabbed her chin roughly "It's her majesty."
( Reposting this chapter due to typos!)