Before he had walked out the door, the man who had unexpectedly woken up in her bed had pointed to an object on the wall and needlessly reminded her for what seemed like the hundredth time to call him if she needed anything and to call the therapist and let him know when her appointment was- whatever all of that meant. Once the man and the boy the curse had saddled her with left, she stared over at the black object that was a blemish on the otherwise tastefully decorated wall. She sensed that in this strange new land, this device was the key to things that in her own realm wouldn't be possible without magic.
She walked closer to it, noting that the curved rectangular object had some kind of coiled string that resembled a snake hanging from it for some unknown reason. When she touched the larger black piece at the top and pulled, it fell to the floor, landing on the hard floor below with a clatter that made her jump back in alarm. She tried to conjure one of her signature fireballs to defeat the evil thing that had dared attack her, but to no avail.
She stared at her hand, clueless as to why she couldn't just snap her fingers and do everything in this realm. Then she remembered that she was in the only known realm without magic and she was furious.
Get it together, Regina, she chastised herself. Even without magic you are more than capable of handling something that doesn't even have magic! Yes, magic can certainly be dangerous, but anything that doesn't have powers of some kind is no match for you. After all, you are known as the Evil Queen.
Tentatively, she picked up the object that the stranger had called a "phone" and stared at it. She could hear a faint buzzing coming from it and immediately wondered if what she had done had caused damage to the strange contraption. If so, it wouldn't make a difference to her- she had no use for it anyway. From what the blue-eyed stranger had said, the device could allow her to talk to people who weren't in the same room, and while that sounded a lot like magic to her, Regina sensed that it couldn't compare to the real thing. Once she set the strange object in its proper place, she noticed the large book beside it, and opened it, flipping through the pages. This remarkably resembled a spellbook that, judging by the words on the front, would connect her to anyone, but she didn't have the faintest idea how to find what she was supposed to be looking for. The pages inside were filled with names like Leroy and Eugenia, names that she didn't recognize from the years of her reign, or the miserable years under her mother's roof, for that matter.
Flipping to the back of the book, she saw that the pages were a bright yellow instead of the faded white of the pages in the first half of the book, with things like "Granny's Diner" and "Geppetto's Gifts" highlighted in individual squares. She picked up the black device from the wall and looked between the numbers on it and the numbers covering the pages in front of her. Judging by the proximity of the objects, she guessed that pressing the numbers on the not-so-magical object would allow her to reach the places listed on the page- whether to talk to someone there or perhaps be transported there, she wasn't sure. Either way, it seemed that even the Land Without Magic had magic of its own. Whether that magic substitute would compare to the real thing or not remained to be seen.
Still unsure what exactly the device would do when she touched it, she found the numbers that would allow her to reach the "therapist" that the man who was apparently living with her wanted her to call, then pressed the corresponding numbers.
A ringing sound filled her ears. As she listened, she pondered what she would say. The truth was out of the question. It was obvious to her from what she had observed that morning that if everyone was like the man and boy she had encountered that morning, no one in the town remembered the Enchanted Forest or who they were. If they had, she certainly wouldn't be standing here right now. A slow smile spread on her face as she contemplated what that meant. She would have to investigate to make sure, but if everyone was truly unaware of the reality of their situation, she may have finally won.
At that point, she realized that she still didn't hear anyone, which was what she thought this "phone," as the man had called it, was supposed to do. Moving the useless thing from her ear to the wall where it belonged, she pondered her next course of action. The best way to make sure that she had in fact won would be to check on Snow and her unCharming husband, which meant she would have to find whatever passed for a burial ground in this town.
Her plan set in place, she grabbed the set of keys that laid in a dish beside the "phone" and book of numbers. None of her Black Knights seemed to be here to guard her new home, so she would have to improvise and lock the dwelling instead.
It took a couple of tries (after all, she had always had defensive spells and her Black Knights to guard her possessions before), but at last her new home was as secure as it could be and she set off to explore the town. First, she wanted to visit the cemetery to make sure that Snow really wouldn't be getting her happy ending any time soon- and pay her respects to another soul resting there as well.
She set off, thankful that she had a map of the town in her mind's eye- one of the perks of being the one to cast the curse, she was sure. She still had no idea why the curse had given her a husband and child though, and she knew she needed to find Rumple if she wanted answers to that question. She added it to her mental list of stops to make, but knew that first, she was determined to find out if Snow had in fact been deprived of her happy ending.
She found the cemetery, and avoided looking at the imposing mausoleum that stood at the far end, a sentry surveying its territory. She would climb that mountain later. For now, it was imperative that she make sure that the curse did what it was supposed to do. She wanted to ensure that her father, and Rocinante, for that matter, hadn't died for nothing.
However, despite the cemetery's small size, she couldn't find a gravestone that the curse told her would read "David Nolan" anywhere. She threw up her hands in frustration. Did this mean that he had lived, that Snow had still gotten her happy ending? If she had, Regina was going to find Rumple, march right up to him and demand an explanation. Why couldn't she get a happy ending for once?
Suddenly, she thought of another option. What if the prince was still in critical condition somewhere, with no idea who he was or what had happened to him, and was currently being looked after by the healers of this realm? It was an option she hadn't considered, but no less satisfying. A clueless Prince James was far better than one who remembered everything and doted on her stepdaughter day in and day out, after all.
She went to the healers' building, asking for a man who perhaps didn't know who he was. She was led to a man they called "John Doe," and sure enough, there he was. Prince James, the man who was her stepdaughter's greatest weakness, lying in a sterile room, an innumerable quantity of tubes connected to him. Remembering where she had last seen the wannabe king, Regina smiled victoriously, knowing that these tubes were the only thing keeping the prince alive. While she certainly wished that he had remained dying on the floor of his daughter's nursery, this ending was still remarkably satisfying.
Still, she needed to make sure… It was time to find Snow White and see what her curse had done to her worst enemy.
One thing she hadn't considered that may be different about this realm was the different styles. Of course, she had noted that her own clothes had changed from the elegant gowns of the Enchanted Forest to the more form-fitting, shorter dresses and skirts of this realm, and her hair had been styled in a shorter bob, the unruly dark curls that her mother had always hated more manageable in the shorter style. However, despite the change in her own appearance, she had thought that Snow would look the same. She couldn't imagine the spoiled princess she despised without those long ebony tresses. However, as she asked the owner of the local diner about her, it was only when she began describing her perpetually hopeful personality that the older women seemed to know exactly who she meant.
"Oh, Mary Margaret?" she asked gruffly as she took a card from another patron and swiped it on what seemed to be the millionth unfamiliar object Regina had seen that day. "She was here earlier, but I'm sure she's at the school teaching now, like any other day. You should know that, Madam Mayor."
The title made her smile. Though she didn't yet know exactly what responsibilities the honorific entailed, it was clear that she was in charge in Storybrooke in addition to the Enchanted Forest, and the knowledge pleased her. After all, only then could she ensure that her curse never ended.
Careful not to reveal any of her thoughts, she nodded slowly. "Thank you." This was an interesting development. She could picture the girl who had become friends with animals and seven tiny men interacting with children. Unlike herself, Snow had a sickeningly sweet disposition that was perfect for children. Regina had to fake it, putting on a mask until the child she was interacting with was gone.
You didn't have any trouble interacting with that child this morning, a little voice reminded her, and she supposed it was true. She hadn't even had to think twice about masking her true feelings, unlike instances in the past, like with Hansel and Gretel. Those soft curls and dimples had performed miracles. She would never be the girl Daniel had fallen in love with again, but in that moment, it was easy to pretend that the Evil Queen didn't exist.
She had meant to go to the school from there, but her feet led her back to the graveyard instead. She stood in front of the entrance to her vault for a moment, took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she'd find inside, pressed a hand to the entrance, and entered.
There it was. Right in the center of the space was her father's white marble coffin. She laid a hand on the top, her father's name engraved on the top with another name, Mills, attached at the end. She had already deduced from looking at the names in the book at her house that an additional name was always added to the end of every name, and though it wasn't reflective of her father's lineage, she knew that it did fit her mother's past perfectly. There was no better name for the family of the miller's daughter.
Her fingers strayed to the lid of the coffin. She couldn't bear to open it, to face the price of her glorious curse, but for just that one second, she wanted to be closer to her father, the one person who had believed in her and her goodness. Tears filled her eyes as she whispered, "Daddy, I did it."
She could see his face in her mind's eye, his soft smile, his eyes full of the sorrow at their separation. He had always wanted her happiness, but rarely had the courage to help her fight for it. The fact that he had allowed her to make him pay the ultimate price for her had been the most selfless thing he had done for her out of a thousand he had done over her lifetime. Though he may never have fought Cora's whims as much as he should've, he had always been there to help her pick up the pieces. The fact that he had died for her, that she herself had been the one to crush his heart… Tears filled her eyes, then flowed freely down her cheeks. Although she was thrilled to have her happy ending and knew that this was the way magic worked, she fervently wished that her curse had made her pay any price but this.
Suddenly, she had a moment of clarity. He had paid the ultimate sacrifice, but here she was mourning him instead of enjoying what was supposed to be her victory. Even if that included things, people, and if she was being completely honest with herself, feelings that she was nowhere near ready for, it was time for her to stop living in the past and go see more of what her life would be like in this new reality.
With that, she left her vault and contemplated for a moment. Should she go make sure that Snow was happily living in ignorance of what had been done to her, or go to Rumple and demand that he give her an explanation for why she had woken up with a family she had no recollection of? The latter sounded far more satisfying- after all, Snow would have no recollection of her, so she would have no idea why Regina was so triumphant in her presence.
She had passed what she thought must be Rumple's residence on her way to the cemetery. She had looked in the window of a shop with a sign that read "Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop" and instantly known from the random connection of valuable objects that the curse had put every price Rumple had made people pay for the use of magic in that shop. There were all kinds of assorted objects, from a couple of well-worn puppets to, strangely, a windmill, each surface of the shop filled with what seemed to be useless items to her, but must have value to someone in the Enchanted Forest.
A bell over the door rang when she entered the shop, and the musty smell of old memorabilia filled the air. Sure enough, as she had suspected, Rumple stood behind the counter, a cane in his hand, the golden skin that had initially repulsed her when they first met replaced by smooth tan features, his rumpled, messy hair now straightened and styled in a way that left her with no doubt that although this shop may seem like a collection of useless junk to her, he was doing well for himself in this new realm, just as she had promised him he would. His elegant suit and the cane she could see propped behind the counter between them emphasized that fact as well.
She marched up to him and demanded, "All right, Gold, explain yourself. Why did I wake up with some man and child in my house this morning?"
He chuckled. "You woke up with a strange man this morning? Well, Madam Mayor, I didn't expect you to be in the habit of drinking until you were so drunk that you don't remember what you did the night before, but I suppose there's a first time for everything."
The sound she let out after hearing that remark would have easily been considered a very unladylike growl by her mother- thankfully, Cora wasn't there to hear it. "Not like that, and you know it."
"Do I, though?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "We may work together, Madam Mayor, but that doesn't mean we spend any time together outside of business-related matters."
She folded her arms over her chest. "Well, rest assured, I would never do something like that, which makes my current predicament rather puzzling, don't you agree?"
"I do, but I don't see how it's any of my business," he said, his hands resting on the cane beside him. "Why aren't you taking this to the sheriff?"
She paused. Nottingham? He was here? Her mother would just love that.
She smiled. "Thank you, Gold. I may just do that." It was clear that even though she had gotten the curse from Rumple, she wouldn't be getting any answers to her predicament from him. Apparently, the curse had erased his memories too, much to her surprise. She had thought that if anyone would have their memories, it would be him.
Frustrated, she left the shop. Knowing that she needed to make sure that the curse had done as good of a job with Snow as it had apparently done with Rumple, she headed to the school next.
By this time, it was midafternoon, but unlike in the Enchanted Forest, the weather wasn't sweltering hot, much to her relief. She had appreciated their value as a tool to help her get what she wanted, but she had still despised the tight corsets of her home realm. These undergarments and outfits were much more comfortable and breathable than what she had previously experienced, but still allowed her to keep the imposing presence that the Queen- or rather, mayor- needed in order to get things done.
When she arrived at the school, she found children in orderly lines outside. The sight made her smile, especially when she found Snow standing by one of them, talking to the children. "All right, Roland, your mommy is here, so you're free to go."
"Mama!" That same mop of dark brown curls ran toward her, throwing his arms around her legs. "Can we go see Papa at work? Please?"
"I… I don't know," she hesitated. She had no desire to see that man again, and besides, he probably didn't want a distraction while he was working anyway. It was bad enough that he was going to come home… Wait. He didn't have to come home. It was her house, and she didn't want him there, meaning that he didn't have to be. Was this her way out of this mess? "Do you think Papa wants to see us?"
"Yes!" the little boy exclaimed. She had to admit that he was cute, his curls so long that they almost hid his eyes from view. She made a mental note to get someone to cut his hair. She didn't know if there was anyone specific who did that in this realm or if people did it themselves as they had done in her realm, but either way, someone needed to do it. Nothing too drastic, just a trim- those curls were too cute for anyone to dare touch them without her permission.
"All right," Regina said. She would have to distract the boy somehow, but it was probably for the best. She didn't want his father to get any ideas, and the longer she drew this out, the more Roland would be hurt, and despite her better judgement, that was the last thing she wanted.
How do you think he'll feel now, dearie? a voice that sounded suspiciously like Rumple's whispered in her ear. He had a point. The child would likely be hurt either way, but she would help him see that this was for the best. However, to take him from his beloved father completely would be a level of cruelty that she only resorted to under extreme circumstances.
So he would get to visit his son regularly then. However, she also knew that she would have to take the fact that time was frozen for them in this realm into account. Somehow, at some point the curse may reset their memories, and then what would she do?
It doesn't matter, she thought. She needed a night to herself to gather her bearings. She was in a new realm, with completely new elements that she needed to adjust to, and she needed to do that gradually. If that meant that she hurt that little boy who tugged at her heartstrings despite her best efforts, she would make it up to him tomorrow if the curse reset his memories. If they didn't, she would deal with that when the time came.
Mindful of the large boxes that people were moving around in and the crowd surrounding them, she took Roland's hand in hers and they set off. As they walked by, people waved, and they seemed particularly fond of the child by her side. She wondered if that could be something she could use to her advantage. If the curse ever ended eventually (she hoped not, but happiness was hard for her to come by), Roland could be used to keep the citizens of Storybrooke in line if necessary- though she would only use that strategy as a last resort.
They found the recreation center without incident (well, unless she counted Roland chattering endlessly). The wooden doors opened to reveal a spacious main lobby. There was a desk that matched the decor, the beige of that and the rest of the furniture going perfectly with the green walls.
"Can I help you?" the woman behind the desk asked. She had onyx hair that was swept up into a bun on the top of her head. But while Regina's updos were always elegant, this woman had clearly put no thought into her appearance. Her hair was sticking out in every direction, to the point that Regina wondered why she had bothered to put her hair up at all. Her attire followed the same pattern: unlike the neat skirt set Regina herself was wearing, the girl appeared to be wearing a shirt made out of cheaper material and what appeared to be short pants, again made out of what seemed to be the cheapest material this land had to offer.
"We wanna see Papa!" Roland exclaimed.
The girl- she was young enough, casual enough, that Regina doubted she was much older than she had been when her mother had forced her to marry Leopold- peered over the side of the counter and smiled. "Hi Roland! You want to see your papa, huh?"
"Yes!" he affirmed, nodding his head vigorously. "Please, Megan?"
She walked out from behind the counter and held out her hand. "Well, then let's go see him!"
Regina stayed behind, watching the two of them walk away, when Roland glanced back. "Aren't you coming with us, Mama?"
The girl glanced over her shoulder. "Yes, why aren't you coming to see Phoenix with us, Mayor Mills?"
She nodded slowly and started walking toward them. Satisfied, the pair turned and skipped away, leading her down a hallway. The woman opened a set of green double doors and led them into a spacious area with wooden floors. Different objects of all shapes and sizes were scattered on the floor throughout the room, and it made Regina cringe. Didn't these people know how to maintain order, even with their possessions? If the man who was supposedly her husband in this realm (a fact that she still very much doubted) had had anything to do with this, she had no idea how his cursed memories had told him they had fallen in love, because there was no possible way she could have stood for anything disorderly in her home.
"Papa!" Roland shouted, running toward the man with his arms wide.
"Hello, my boy!" his father greeted him, his arms spread to receive his son. After they embraced, he pulled back and asked the little boy, "How was your day at school?"
"Good!" he nodded happily. "Ms. Blanchard let us sing songs all day!"
Regina snorted as the older man asked, "Did she?", seeming genuinely interested in the answer to his rhetorical question.
Stupid man, of course she had. Snow- who she was going to have to keep remembering to call Mary Margaret if she didn't want anyone to get suspicious- had never been able to resist singing. Usually, the disgusting animals and the munchkins she called her friends were her audience, but apparently in this new realm, she had found a whole new set of people to torture with this expression of her excessive cheerfulness.
"Yeah!" Roland nodded. "We sang 'Wheels on the Bus' and 'Itsy Bitsy Spider,' and she even let us sing 'I Just Can't Wait to be King!'"
Regina had no idea what any of those songs were, but judging by the titles, they were simple children's songs, too full of happiness for her liking. Snow, however… "I'm sure Ms. Blanchard liked that."
Roland nodded vigorously. "Uh huh!"
"Now that you've told me about your day, can you tell me why you've come to see me, my boy?"
Roland clasped his hands together and pouted. Though she liked to think she was made of steel, even she had to admit that the sight was adorable. "Can we go get ice cream?"
His father sighed. "I have a class to teach tonight, my boy. We'll have to have ice cream together another night." As blackened as her heart was, Regina had no idea how Robin was saying no to those adorable dimples and curls. She wouldn't be able to do it.
"Papa, please?" Ryan begged.
Phoenix sighed. "All right, I suppose I can get Meredith to cover my class tonight and we can go get ice cream."
"Yes!" Ryan cheered, punching a fist in the air.
Not long after that, the three of them left the recreation center and went to get "ice cream," which turned out to be frozen balls of sugar in different flavors. Not knowing what to get, she waved aside their offer, looking at the tan triangles they held with distaste as the sticky, sugary mess slid down what they all called a "cone."
"You could always get it in a cup, love," Phoenix offered. "Less messy that way."
Regina shook her head. "Really, I don't want one."
Seeing that they couldn't convince her otherwise, Phoenix put his arm around both of them and ushered them out of the shop, waving at the blonde woman inside as the door slammed shut behind them, the bell on the door ringing. What was it with this realm and all its bells? Did the other citizens want to annoy people endlessly?
Once they were home, they got caught up in what seemed to be the routines of this world. Much as she didn't want him anywhere near her, Regina had to admit that his cursed memories were useful. She knew nothing of this world's technology, so if she tried to do half of the things he did that night- bathed Riley and fed him, cooking the food in the strange objects that filled the room of the house where they ate- she would be guaranteed to fail. Perhaps it would be wise to keep him around- for now. She would need to make sure she set a couple of boundaries, though, that was for sure.
She shook her head. What was she thinking? How was she letting this one child influence the way she thought, her plans? She was the Evil Queen, she didn't let anyone tell her what to do, no matter who they were. Wasn't that the reason she had sent her mother to Wonderland in the first place? Freedom to make her own choices? She was going to send this man away, no matter what the cost. She and Riley would be just fine on their own. But how to approach telling him to leave? That was another matter entirely.
Once Riley had been tucked into bed by his ever-doting father, he asked Regina to join him in front of the fire. Knowing that this was her chance, she did, a glass of what he called whiskey in her hand.
Once they were seated on what he called the couch, he turned to her and asked, "You still seem a little off. Did you have a chance to talk to Doctor Hopper today?"
She shook her head. "I was too busy, there was too much to do." Perhaps not the things he thought she had been doing- after all, he probably imagined that she had been performing whatever duties were necessary as head of the town. He couldn't possibly imagine what she had really been up to.
He reached out his hand, but she retracted hers before he could get his grimy paws on them. "Somehow, I can guess that that wasn't the case. Or rather, you did do a lot today, but it wasn't anything related to your job. You still can't remember anything, can you?"
She shook her head. She knew she had to choose her next words carefully so he would see things from her point of view. "No, I don't. Which is why I need to ask you something. Could you maybe leave me to deal with this on my own for awhile? Getting used to everything is hard enough without... " she waved her hands in the space between them. "All of this."
He looked devastated at her words, and she instantly knew that she had said exactly the wrong thing. Why she cared about this stranger's feelings, she had no idea, but for some strange reason, she did. She opened her mouth to explain further, but he held up a hand. "As much as it pains me, I'll go if you want me to. But know this: This love we have between us? I'll fight for it until my dying breath. I still think you should let me stay here though, just to help you with the technology that you don't remember how to operate. If you allow me to stay to assist you with that, I promise I will keep my hands to myself and do no more than you ask of me."
She considered his offer for a moment. Having someone available to cook and clean the house for her would certainly help her focus on other, more important things. However, at the same time, she knew that she was an independent woman who was perfectly capable of figuring things out on her own- no matter how long it might take to learn the tricks of this world. She didn't want him getting in the way, trying to make her "remember" him. That wouldn't be happening anytime soon, whether he liked it or not. Finally, she told him, "Go. I'll manage just fine on my own."
"What about Riley?" he asked. "How are you going to explain this to him? He won't understand."
Her shoulders sagged. That was the one loophole in her plan, wasn't it? "I'll figure it out. We'll be fine."
He stood and walked up the staircase while she remained on the couch. When he returned, he stood before her with a bag slung over his shoulder. He reached out to touch her, then flinched and backed up a step when she backed away. "I respect your wishes, and will do as you ask," he told her quietly. "Despite the fact that it goes against everything in my code to do so. Therefore, I'll be checking in on you every day, just to make sure both you and Riley are all right. I'll want to see him as well, of course, he won't understand what's going on and we need to reassure him that we're not getting a divorce, because that's not what's happening." He rose his eyebrows. "Right?"
She sighed. He was right that she couldn't keep him from Riley, and didn't want to. He wouldn't understand, and she loved her own father and had been devastated by the price of the curse. Though she had done it in the past with both Jefferson and those two children who had robbed the Blind Witch, she wouldn't put anyone else through that pain again. "Of course you can see Riley. Just tell me where you're staying and I'll drop him off regularly to see you."
"And us?" he asked. "Where do we stand?"
She sighed. "Just leave me alone."
"All right," he responded gently. "But this isn't over."
She sat in silence as he turned and walked to the front door, relieved when at last, the door shut behind him. Now she could be left to enjoy her victory in peace.
