Henry walked along the muddy path, shielding his eyes from the sun as he watched Regina in the yard. He smiled proudly as she and Rocinante cleared another jump, her shiny, black braid swinging in the summer wind. Regina never looked more alive than when she was atop a horse, eyes bright and cheeks flushed.
"Hi Daddy!" She waved to him when she noticed him approaching. "Did you see that?"
"Yes, you were excellent. I'm glad to see you're improving," he replied.
"Do you need something?" Regina asked as she moved Rocinante to the fence where her father stood.
Henry sighed, "Your mother wants to speak to you."
"Then she can come outside and talk to me," Regina pouted. Henry gave his young daughter a look. "Fine. Daniel?"
Regina slid down from the saddle. Henry watched as she handed the reins to the stable boy... and the way her fingers seemed to linger on his.
She thought she was subtle in her affections for that young man, but Regina didn't have Cora's talent for hiding her true feelings. It wasn't long after she blossomed into a woman that she began looking in Daniel's direction with blushing cheeks, smiling fondly whenever he spoke to her, and spending hours alone with him in the riding yard. When the servants began whispering about Regina and Daniel's relationship, Cora had swiftly put an end to it.
Henry held out his arm for Regina and they walked into the palace together.
"Do you want to wash and change your clothes first?" Henry asked.
"Mother will only get angrier if I make her wait," Regina shrugged. "Besides, I want to go back to riding what this is done."
When Henry and Regina entered Cora's study, she was scrawling furiously on a piece of parchment.
"My dear," Henry said to get her attention.
Cora exhaled loudly to signal her irritation, then calmly placed her quill in its ink-pot. "My love. Regina."
"Hello Mother," Regina replied in a neutral tone.
Cora looked her daughter over, wrinkling her nose at the dusty riding clothes and well-worn boots Regina wore. "As you know, I've developed a close friendship with King Ulysses of Misthaven over the past few years. So close, in fact, that we both concluded that it would be mutually beneficially to join our domains through a marriage. His Grace has offered his only son, Prince Leopold, in marriage to our Regina, a match that will elevate our family higher than we ever could have dreamed. Isn't it the most wonderful news? I can hardly write back to him soon enough to accept."
"That's a very long way of saying 'Sweetie I sold you to some spoiled prince'," Regina hissed.
The words were hardly out of her mouth what Regina felts strong, thick fingers wrap tightly around her throat and squeeze tightly. She chocked out a pained breath. There weren't actually hands around her throat, but the dark purple glow of her mother's magic emanating from her fingertips.
"Oh Regina, so ungrateful," Cora shook her head.
Henry sped to his wife side and placed a hand on her should, never taking his eyes off his poor, terrified daughter as she struggled to breathe. "Please stop this Cora. She hasn't been feeling well, she didn't mean to disrespect you," he pleaded.
"Henry, I've told you," Cora scolded, "this is the only way she'll learn."
"She needs gentle guidance; force will not work." Henry shivered as Cora turned her cool brown eyes on him.
"It worked on you," she smirked. Cora dropped her hand, releasing her hold on her daughter.
Regina fell to the ground with a great, deep gasp and Henry was at her side in a flash. He wrapped his arms around her and petted her hair as she lay on the floor, sucking in air as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Cora watched the scene for a few moments. With a self-satisfied smile, she crumpled up the parchment she had been writing on and took out a fresh sheet. She then took the quill and dangled it in front of Regina's face.
"Come along, my beloved little girl, it's time to write to King Ulysses and tell him how excited you are to be marrying his son."
"No," Regina coughed. She raised her eyes to Cora's, her mouth set in a defiant line. "No, I'm not going to keep letting you get your way."
Cora's smile slipped off her face and she replaced it with a mask of cold indifference.
"What are you going to do - kill me?" Regina snapped.
Henry cast a worried glance between his daughter and wife. "Regina..."
"No, let her speak." Cora interrupted.
"You won't be around forever and I'm content to wait until then." Regina staggered to her feet and rose her chin. "You won't kill me because you need me and I can survive anything you throw at me."
Cora nodded. A cruel smirk formed on her lips. "I suppose that's true. You've always been a survivor. But can your precious stable boy survive me?"
Regina almost collapsed. "What? How-"
"Oh, you thought we didn't about your little trysts with the help?" Cora laughed aloud, a sound that pierce Regina's skin like nails. All the color fled from Regina face. "I thought I'd let you have this one indulgence, being the loving mother I am, but clearly this relationship had made you forget your duties to your family."
"No. No, leave Daniel out of this," Regina begged. Her confidence and defiance melted like ice on a summer afternoon. "Please, he has nothing to do with this."
"Oh, he's part of this." Cora grinned, showing all her teeth. She got a sick thrill from watching her daughter squirm in fear.
"I'll marry Prince Leopold, I'll do whatever you want!" Regina pleaded. "Please, mother, please don't hurt Daniel. I couldn't bare it if anything happened to him because of me."
"I know." Cora said simply.
Emma slipped on her jacket as she shut her computer down for the night. She still had no luck finding Ava and Nicholas' birth father and it seemed more likely they would be staying with her long-term. She just hoped she was up to the task.
"Turning in for the night?" Graham asked, leaving his office and walking into the main part of the station.
"Yup," Emma smiled. "Unfortunately you're gonna have to spend the night alone."
Graham looked at her through half-lidded eyes. "Do I have to?"
"Well, the schedule says you do," she teased.
He chuckled. Without warning, he leaned forward and pecked her lightly on the lips.
Emma flinched.
He looked at her expectantly. "That was..."
"Bye." Emma cut him off and left briskly, fishing through her bag for her keys as she walked so she could make as quick a getaway as possible.
"Wait, Emma, can we talked about this?!"
Graham chased after her, but Emma didn't stop. She slammed the car in his face and pulled out so quickly she was already on the road by the time she processed that the car was moving.
She wasn't looking forward to her next shift.
Moe Thorne had practically slammed the legal documents in Rumpelstiltskin's hands that morning, before turning back to his car and driving away. It felt like lightning had struck his palm and shot up his arm. Even know, he resisted the urge to march into Regina's office and wrap his hands around her long throat.
He was both pleased and apprehension while he watched from an upstairs window as Emma Swan pulled up to his house in her little yellow bug. While he lived a bit of a ways out of town, he understand there was a chance someone would catch sight of her distinctive vehicle and report back to Regina.
He didn't have a choice; Belle was running out of town.
He opened the door just as Emma rang the doorbell. She flinched, "That was fast."
"Come in."
Rumpelstiltskin sat her down in the living room while he brought out the tea he had prepared specifically for this. It came with some unpredictable side-effects, but he was willing to do anything for Belle.
"I assume you didn't invite me over for small talk?" Emma noted as Rumpelstiltskin served her the tea. He noted that she looked agitated about something, but decided not to ask.
"Perceptive as ever," Rumpelstiltskin replied. "No, Miss Swan. There's a rather serious issue in Storybrooke that only you can rectify. And it has to do with the mayor."
"What, is it money laundering? Rigging elections?"
"Something far worst, but I'm afraid I can't tell you what"
Emma shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "So what do you expect me to do?"
"I'm sure when the time comes, you'll know," Rumpelstiltskin replied.
"Okay, could you possibly be anymore vague?" Emma complained. "You're telling me that Regina's doing sinister, but you won't tell me what she's doing or how I can stop it?"
"Believe me Miss Swan, I would tell you the whole story in a heartbeat if I could, but certain factors prevent that."
"Certain factors," Emma scoffed. "Just what I asked for, more vagueness."
"Will you take this seriously!" Rumpelstiltskin snapped. "I am risking so much just by talking to you. If this got back to Regina." He stopped himself, taking in a few shallow breaths to calm himself.
Emma's annoyed frown changed into a look of confusion and worry. "So, she's dangerous? Do you think she'd be a danger to Henry? Or Ava and Nicky?"
"Henry, I'm not sure," Rumpelstiltskin admitted. "She seems to love him, but there's no telling where that'll lead. Your foster children? Definitely."
Emma waited for her internal lie detector to flare up, but it didn't. The hair on the back of her neck stood up.
"Did Regina...Do you think Regina had anything to do with Priscilla Jefferson's disappearance?"
"I'm certain of it."
Emma slammed the teacup back down on the coffee table. "And you're just now telling me this?"
"Because I'm out of options!" he answered tersely.
"Options?" Emma screeched as she stood to her full height, "This is a fucking murder investigation, you don't have the option of keeping evidence to yourself."
"I have no evidence of Miss Jefferson's death." Rumpelstiltskin remained seated. His breathing deepened and he looked furious.
"Why should I believe you? Why should I listen to anything you're telling me?"
"Because you know that not one of my mouth has been a lie."
Emma paused, studying him. She told Henry about her thing with lies, could he have told Mr. Gold? She couldn't imagine why he'd want to. Maybe she was overthinking it; maybe that wasn't what he meant. "Maybe so, but you're being extremely shady right now. How do I know you don't have some ulterior motive for this?"
"I do have one, it's called protecting my family." Rumpelstiltskin growled.
"Belle?"
"Of course."
Emma studied him, "That's part of it...but there's someone else, isn't there?"
Rumpelstiltskin beckoned her to sit down against, and she did. "My son. He's been missing for a long time and Regina stands in the way of me finding him. I won't give you the specifics - it's not a story I like to tell - but know that I'll do whatever it takes to protect my wife and child."
As Emma stared into her tea contemplatively, Rumpelstiltskin went into the kitchen then returned with the papers Moe Thorne had left him.
"What's this?" Emma set down the tea and picked them up.
"Belle's family is suing me for power-of-attorney."
"Suing you?" Emma's eyebrows flew up. "I thought you were the only lawyer in the town; isn't that why Regina wasn't able to adopt Ella?"
"The only lawyer in town who would represent her in a child custody case," Rumpelstiltskin corrected. "Moe French is old friends with Mahmud Rahim, who just retired as district attorney, but agreed to take on one more case before he finished practicing law for good. The Thornes are accusing me of criminal negligence leading to Belle's condition and they..." The words came out like rusty nails. "They want to end Belle's life support. They have no hope that she'll ever wake up and want her to die with dignity."
"Christ. I'm so sorry." Emma responded, feeling genuine sympathy but also confusion. "So, you think me...doing something to Regina...will, in a roundabout way, save your wife?"
"In a manner of speaking," Rumpelstiltskin folded his hands in his lap. "You won't be doing it for me, you'll be doing for the town, and for yourself especially. You have no idea the extent of harm she's done to all of us."
Emma woke up for the fourth time that night. She thought she had dreamed of a baby crying, but couldn't remember any other details. Feeling poorly-rested, Emma threw the duvet off her sticky, sweaty body and checked her phone for the time.
5:16 A.M.
She plopped on to the couch and after a few minutes of laying there with her eyes open, she accepted the fact that she wasn't going to get anymore sleep and went to the bathroom to take a shower. She thought back to her bizarre meeting with Mr. Gold. What did he want out of her?
Emma performed her morning routine like a robot carrying out its programmed function. When she dropped the kids off at school, Nicholas hesitated.
"Something wrong, kid?" she asked.
He turned to her with a shy smile. "No, I just realize that I like this a lot."
"What?"
Nicholas shrugged, "Living with you and Mary, you guys taking care of us. We're basically a family."
"I-" Emma blinked. She couldn't tell him how she felt about that because she didn't know how she felt about it.
He seemed to sense that the situation was becoming awkward, so he gave Emma and quick hug and said, "See you after school!" as he ran off to join Ava inside.
As she watched him, she noticed Henry standing by the door. She waved to him, but he just glared at her and didn't wave back. That disturbed her. Had she done something to upset him? The events of that morning replayed in Emma's head all day.
At work, she did her best to avoid Graham after his disastrous advance. He tried to bring it up several times, but each time Emma had some excuse to leave the room or pick up the phone. She felt him grow frustrated and knew it was only a matter of time before she had to confront him. Just before his shift ended, he cornered her at her desk.
"We need to talk," he said.
Emma frowned, "There's nothing to talk about it. I think I've made my feelings about that kiss pretty clear."
"So you're just going to avoid me the rest of your time here?" Graham sighed, exasperated.
"As long as you learn to keep your lips to yourself, we'll be fine." She got up to get her coat, but Graham blocked her.
"What, not a fan of workplace relationships?"
"No," Emma replied coldly. "Besides, I'm not anywhere near ready to be in any relationship. Especially not with Priscilla's murderer on the loose, or the fact that I got two children to look after overnight and they're still adjusting to living with me."
Nicholas had said they were like a family - she couldn't wrap her mind around.
"What about Jones?" Graham stepped closer to her; Emma stepped back from him.
"What about him? Killian's just a friend." Emma's patience thinned. "And you're a real pain in the ass, you know that? I ought to file a report against you."
"I just can't stand the fact that you look at me like that!" Graham cried.
"Like what? Why does it matter how I look at you?"
Graham pulled her in by the shoulders and pressed his lips hard against her mouth. Heart pounding, Emma reacted on instinct; she drive her knee upward and slammed it against his crotch, then pushed him off her with all her strength. He landed on the linoleum, hunched over in pain.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" she hissed as her heartbeat returned to normal. "This is the second time in as many days you've kissed me without my consent. You're my goddamn boss and you're seeing someone else!"
Graham groaned as he hobbled to his feet. Rather than angry or ashamed, he looked wild-eyed and confused, "Wait, you don't understand."
"Enlighten me," Emma snarled.
"You don't know what it's like with her. I feel nothing when I'm with her; it's like my heart is outside my body. But when I'm with you-"
"Don't," Emma held up both hands. "I've had my fill of shitty relationship and I don't need to hear about yours. Whatever you think you need to be happy, you're not gonna get it from me. I'm just a lady trying to support two kids. So how about you get over yourself and we pretend this never happened?"
He exhaled deeply. "I...I think my head's in the wrong place. I don't think I'm thinking straight."
"Agreed."
"I'm sorry, Emma," Graham bowed his head in shame. "I shouldn't have violated your boundaries like that. I'm so sorry."
"Let's just leave it in the past," Emma insisted.
He nodded, "Right, of course."
Under normal circumstances entering the stables gave Regina a sense of comfort and peace that she was sorely missing in her actually home. The warmth from so many large, equine bodies under one roof; the gentle crunch of hay under her boots; the sensation of study, wear-smoothed wood against her fingers. Right now she only felt panic and hopelessness.
Daniel came out of Rocinante's stall and set aside a shovel. "Reggie, are you okay?" Regina threw herself into his arms, tears streaming down her face. To his credit, Daniel accepted it with grace. He let her cry for a few minutes before pulling back and asking against, "Are you okay? What happened?"
Regina took a deep breath to steady herself. "It's my mother. She's so cruel. Today she told me I was to marry some prince - a complete stranger - for the good of the family and made it clear what would happened if I didn't. She threatened you, Daniel; she knows about us."
"Reggie, Reggie," Daniel held Regina's face in his large, calloused hands. His soft brown eyes held hers. "Your mother doesn't scare me."
"She scares me, Daniel," Regina snapped. "You don't know her like I do."
"What I do know is that I love you more than life itself and I'm not going to leave your side unless you want me to. Do you want me to?"
Regina swallowed thickly, "No, never."
She placed both her hands on his chest, simply relishing his presence. Daniel lowered his head to kiss the crown of her head, nuzzling her dark hair, then he raised her chin to kiss her forehead, then her lips. Regina's breathing sped up as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
"We'll thinking of something," Daniel murmured into her hair.
A wild, reckless optimism grabbed hold of Regina. "We can run away. Before King Ulysses and Prince Leopold get her, we can take our horses and get as far away from here as possible." Daniel looked skeptical. Regina, getting drunk on the brilliance of her plan, grabbed his arms, "We can married, change our name. You're a master with horses, that means you can find a job anywhere. I know magic; I can become a witch and sell spells to support us. We'll need supplies, of course, and we'll need to leave a time when everyone's asleep but we could do it."
"Are you sure that's the wisest course of action?" Daniel asked.
"Oh course!" Regina cried. Her voice dropped to a whispered. "Why? Don't you want to marry me?"
"More than anything."
She insisted, "Then this is the only way. I love you so much Daniel, I just want to be with you."
"I love you too Reggie."
Daniel pulled her close for another kiss and Regina kissed back with enthusiasm. Before she realized what her hands were doing, Daniel's coat was on the floor and the buttons of his shift were coming undone. Daniel ripped off her cloak, Regina hastily unlaced his breeches, and in moments they were atop a tall pile of hay, half-dressed and consumed in lust.
When Daniel finished inside her, Regina began laughing.
"What's so funny?" he asked, genuinely confused. He got off from on top of her and they began to dress themselves.
"I'm just imagining telling our future children how we came to be together and that we consummated our relationship next to a horse," she pointed her chin to where Rocinante stood to the side, lazily chewing her oats.
Daniel couldn't help but laugh along with her. "We're not telling them a word of this."
"Maybe you're not," Regina smirked.
"You disappoint me Regina."
Regina and Daniel froze. Cora stood in at the stall door, her arms folded in front of her. Regina's heart beat so fast and head against her rip-cage that it physically pained her.
"M-mother?"
Cora smiled coldly, "I understand that young women have...needs, but I thought you were at least smart enough to be discreet. But here you are rolling around with a servant in the muck, like a disgusting animal. Have you no self control? I hope you won't carry on like this when the royal family comes to claim your hand in marriage."
Regina was too terrified to respond; Daniel had no idea what to say.
"I suppose I have to keep a much closer eye on you, my dear," Cora sighed theatrically. She motioned for Daniel to approach, "Young man, tell me your name."
"Daniel."
"Daniel," Cora repeated. "Do you love my daughter, Daniel?"
"I do," he answered honestly. Dread slothfully trickled into Regina's mind... and then it hit her.
Regina leapt to her feet. "Daniel!" she screamed.
Too late. Cora thrust her arms into chest and yanked out his heart, crimson red and luminous in the dimly lit stables. Regina reached out and caught him as he collapsed. They fell to the ground together.
"No, no, no please, no, mother please," Regina sobbed. In her mind's eye, she saw herself and Daniel and little boy with brown eyes. "I will do anything. I will-I will obey you unconditionally. I'll never speak to him again. Just please, please don't."
"You still have so much to learn, child," Cora sneered. Her long, pale fingers curls around Daniel's heart and squeezed until it crumpled into fine, black dust.
With the last of his strength, Daniel looked up at the love of his life. "Reggie-"
