Everything that happened up to when Snow "killed" Cora happened, but after that, it's not canon. Um, beyond that, it's a surprise.
Regina sat in the far corner booth wearing a hoodie and sweatpants hunched over a notebook. Granny shut down the bathroom for "renovations," giving Regina the freedom to not be bothered by anyone for the entire day. It was the twenty-fourth day of the tenth month, and Regina woke up that morning feeling her limbs protest every moment. She shouldn't have drunk as much as she did the night before. Regina could handle her emotions during the week, letting the distractions of being mayor keep her busy enough to ignore the emptiness in her bones. But when five p.m. on Friday rolled on, she reverted into her shell and made her way to Killian's ship for the only alcohol in town to keep her demons at bay. The first time it happened, Killian was too shocked and too wary to let her on board. When she started crying, Regina assumed the pirate's heart thawed enough to be a gentleman.
Of course, it came at a cost, and Regina spent the entire night telling Killian about Charles and Liana, about her children, and about Snow White. Regina passed out shortly after, but when she got up that morning, Killian had a plate of bread and cheese for her. He apologized for his actions in Neverland and with Cora, and Regina forgave him. She had no reason to hold a grudge against him. He was a pawn just like Regina was, and they both drank to forget their past. Naturally, Ruby found out, and she made it her mission to bring them water and fruit every Saturday morning. Then Granny found out. Regina's weekly trip to Killian's ship became monitored by Granny, and she fed them an insane amount of pancakes to soak up the liquor. Killian became a surprising ally, helping her dodge Snow White and Charming when she could and listening to her complain about her crush on the ever-oblivious Savior. Killian confessed that Emma wasn't his type, that they'd spoken in Neverland about how they wouldn't work as a couple. The only person who didn't get that memo was Snow White, who seemed torn between pushing Emma toward Neal and Killian whenever they were around.
Regina's phone vibrated on the table, and like clockwork, Ruby appeared and sat down in the booth. She put a cupcake with one candle between them, and Regina smiled. They blew out the candle together and grabbed hands.
"Happy birthday, Kieran," Regina whispered.
"Please don't be surrounded by books and papers," Ruby added.
Regina snorted and pushed the cupcake to the side. She knew without a doubt wherever her daughter was, she was still eager to spend more time with books instead of people. Smiling to herself, Regina turned her sketch toward Ruby and tapped her pencil against it.
"I was thinking of painting this one in the vault."
"Where? Most of it is already covered," Ruby said.
"I have a wall in the back that still has space. Do you like it or not?"
"Of course. What is this from, anyway? I don't remember Kieran having that hairstyle."
"I'm not sure why she went blonde, but after three days, she went back to brown. And they were in the library. Kieran was teaching Isabella how to speak Spanish so they could surprise me for my birthday."
"How long did that last before Isabella got frustrated?"
Regina laughed and said, "She actually stayed the entire time. Isabella was just as smart as Kieran, just didn't have the same dedication."
"You mean obsession," Ruby corrected playfully.
Regina inclined her head and took the notebook back. She had plenty in her vault locked away. She'd started drawing so she wouldn't forget her children's faces, and Ruby liked to tease her about it. Regina didn't care. She was that kind of mother, and she would keep being that kind of mother until she found them again.
"Are we still on for later?"
"Yes. Since most of the furniture is staying at the mansion, I don't have much to move. My clothes are already boxed up, some of them going to the thrift store, and the rest is just miscellaneous items."
"I can't believe you're moving in with Killian."
"He has the space, and I need a break away from the house. It's so empty now without Henry."
"Fair." Ruby stood up from the booth. "I have to go, but I'll be back to check on you before you leave. Do I need to bring anything tonight?"
"Bacon."
"Regina."
"Killian doesn't have any in his galley," she argued.
"Whatever. Do you want tea?"
Regina flicked her wrist, and a cup of tea appeared in front of her. She gave Ruby a cheeky smile, and her niece shook her head.
"Sometimes, I wonder which one of us is the adult."
Regina stuck out her tongue, and Ruby left with a vague promise to go to the store. Regina chuckled and wrapped her tea in both hands, letting the warmth chase away the persistent coldness in her limbs. Despite how much Regina enjoyed being around Ruby, Killian, and Granny, she was still alone. She'd cast the curse as revenge, wanting to steal Snow White's chance at a happy life the same way Snow stole hers. But nearly three decades had passed, and Regina still hadn't found her children. She thought fate blessed her with a second chance when she had Henry, but as soon as that stupid storybook landed in his lap, she'd lost him. Snow latched onto him through Emma, and Henry was gone before Regina could blink. Then that shit with Cora happened, and Regina sighed. Not even Snow killing Cora could make the town give Regina a little slack. They rallied around the princess with sympathies after Snow found out Cora killed Johanna. Regina huffed and took a sip of tea.
Cora wasn't the best mother, she wasn't even a good mother, but she cared enough about Regina to protect her and the people she loved. After Liana died, Regina made the room a shrine. She was the only one allowed in there. Not even her children went inside. It was off-limits, and everyone in the castle knew that. So why was Johanna in there in the first place? Why was she snooping around and taking jewelry from Liana's box? Had Regina been there, she would've done much worse than what Cora did.
Regardless, Regina had reached her limits. She was tempted to drive over the boundary and never come back. If it weren't for Ruby, Granny, and Killian, Regina would be gone.
"Your Majesty."
Speaking of the Devil….
"Hello, Killian."
"Morning, I'm sorry I missed the birthday celebration. Baelfire cornered me when I was leaving the grocery store and threw me off schedule."
"It's okay."
Killian stretched out and ran a hand through his hair. He was growing it out, saying that he wanted to try a shaggy look, and Regina didn't have the heart to tell him he was starting to look homeless. He was mid-story about what happened with Baelfire when the door opened. They both looked in unison, and Regina slid to the furthest corner and pulled up her hood. Killian sunk down and matched her position. Emma walked up to the counter, and Regina's position gave her the chance to hear the conversation without being spotted. Ruby made her way to Emma and gave her a polite smile.
"Hello, Savior."
"I take it you're still mad at me?"
"What gave it away?"
Regina snickered under her breath, and Ruby spent hours complaining about Emma being Team Charming. They apparently had a full-blown argument that led to Ruby kicking Emma out of the diner.
"Listen, I'm not here to fight. I wanted to know if you've seen Regina?"
"No, but I can pass along a message."
Emma pursed her lips and removed a familiar journal from her waistband. Regina's eyes widened, and she physically stopped herself from jumping from the booth. Ruby had a similar reaction, and she clenched her fists on the counter. Killian kept his mouth shut, but it was clear he was curious.
"Where did you get that?" Ruby gritted out.
"I was changing out Snow's mattress as a favor for David and found it there," Emma said.
"Did you read it?"
"Just enough to know it belonged to Regina." Emma chewed on her lip and added, "Who's Lian-
"Don't," Ruby said sharply. "You don't get to ask that."
"Ruby, how long are you going to be mad at me? It's my family-
"And Regina's mine."
"Since when?"
"If you pay better attention to anyone who isn't kissing your mother's ass, you will see not everyone here is Team Snow White. You don't know anything about our world or what we went through. You only know what that damned book told you, and it doesn't even tell the whole truth."
Regina poked her head around the corner and watched Emma's face fall momentarily. Then it was gone, and she threw the journal on the counter.
"Tell Regina to avoid trying to kill my mother for having this."
"Unlike your mother, Regina doesn't kill for petty reasons. Enjoy the rest of your day, Savior."
Emma scoffed and left the diner. Regina held her breath as Ruby made her way back to the booth. Ruby put the journal on the table and sat down next to Killian.
"How can you have a crush on her?" Ruby huffed.
"Stubborn blondes are my weakness."
"Liana and Charles were brunettes," Ruby pointed out.
"They were the exception." Regina picked up the journal and caressed the spine. "I cannot believe Snow had this the entire time," she muttered.
"What is it?" Killian asked.
"My diary, of sorts," Regina said.
Regina opened it and turned to the first page, showing two sets of tiny handprints. She pointed to the red one and said, "This is Kieran." Regina pointed to the orange one and added, "And this is Isabella."
Regina flipped the pages and laughed at the slightly larger handprints in green and blue.
"These two are Emmett and Ruby."
"I assume Ruby is the one in blue," Killian said.
"Those are actually Emmett's," Ruby snorted. "Mine are the ones in green."
"Oh."
Ruby grinned and playfully flexed her fingers before she said, "I can't believe Snow's had it the entire time."
"I'm not. I knew it was stolen, and I guess I should've known better. Pages are missing, though."
"Like someone tore them out?"
"Yes, but only the ones that mention Isabella, Kieran, and Emmett."
Ruby shifted and asked, "Are you alright?"
"Oh, yes. I remember everything I wrote in here, so it's not like the memories are gone. If anything, I'm happy to have the handprints back."
"So, you're not going to go after Snow?" Killian asked.
"What would be the point?"
"Okay, who are you, and what have you done to my aunt?" Ruby joked.
Regina just smiled. She waved her hand over the journal and sent it away.
Gold exited his backroom and came around the corner. A journal sat on the counter, and he cast a few spells to make sure there was nothing harmful attached to it. He frowned when he sensed Regina's magic, and Gold opened it to the first page. He traced the handprints in the front, and then he flipped through. Some of the pages had been ripped out, and Gold could imagine what they mentioned. Despite what the Savior and the others assumed about his relationship with Regina, they were friends. And she only sent him things that she wanted to be destroyed or protected.
Based on the handprints, Gold assumed it would be the latter. Gold took the journal and placed it in the same vault as his blade. He knew Regina was still looking for a way to leave Storybrooke safely, but he wanted to give her some kind of direction. Whatever portals Snow threw Regina's children into split into six different realms, and each one was made up of ten various mini-realms. Gold was having to search a much larger map than he anticipated. But he did know one thing. Something was wrong with those beans, and whoever gave them to Snow wasn't out to simply send them away.
They wanted to take them out of the picture entirely.
Regina adjusted her blazer as she walked into the office Monday morning. Her move to Killian's ship went well, and she had the best sleep she'd had in a long time. Sunday was a lazy day, and she stayed on board with Killian. Regina taught him how to cook eggs, and he taught her how to fish.
It was a rare day where Regina could just be herself.
"Madam Mayor."
Regina sighed and said, "Sheriff."
"May we speak?"
"Depends on what you want to talk to me about," Regina said. "Close the door."
Emma did as she was told and came over to Regina's desk. She leaned down on the chair and said, "Henry went by your house yesterday."
"Did he now? And why would he do that? He made it very clear he wanted nothing more to do with me or that home."
"He wanted a comic book."
"All of his things have been sent to your apartment, Sheriff. If he cannot find it there, then he should look again. Your son would overlook his feet if they weren't attached to him."
"You changed the locks."
Regina exhaled through her nose and clasped her hands on her desk.
"How about you say what you want to say so we can both move on with our lives?"
"Did you get the journal?"
"I did."
Emma waited. When Regina said nothing else, she asked, "That's it? That's all you have to say?"
"What sort of response were you expecting?"
"Anger? Rage? Maybe another curse," Emma said sarcastically.
"That Charming gene really kicks in at the most inopportune times."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means, Sheriff, that I have no desire to go after your mother for something she clearly did as a child."
"You're kidding, right?"
Regina stood and came around the desk until she was face-to-face with Emma. She said, "Despite what you have been told, my anger toward your mother has nothing to do with anything she did as a child. It has everything to do with what Snow did as an adult. A child would not have done what she did. A child would not have taken everything that I ever loved and destroyed my world in a matter of minutes. I have no desire to go after your mother for stealing my diary. I do, however, have to spend every waking moment of my life not snapping her dainty little neck!"
Emma reared back and stared at Regina with a mixture of fear and confusion. Regina took a deep breath and stepped away. She went back to her side of the desk and sat down.
"If there is nothing else, I have work to do."
"Regina-
"Tell your son to look in the boxes that are already in his possession. I have nothing else of his in the house, and I have no reason to lie. From now on, do not show up to my office over something trivial. If it is an emergency, call me. If not, figure it out. You have what you wanted, Savior. Your family is together and whole. So leave me the hell alone."
Regina glanced down, her silent way of ending the conversation, and she held her breath until the door closed. She deflated against her chair and pinched the bridge of her nose to keep her tears at bay.
Emma walked up to the counter and looked Ruby in the eyes, saying, "I want to know what happened."
"No."
"Listen, I went to Regina's office today, and I saw something in her eyes that scared me."
Ruby continued to wipe down the back of the bar.
"Please, Ruby? What happened to her?" Emma asked. "Why is she so-"
"Enough." Ruby threw down her rag and leaned on the counter to match Emma's position. She added in a low voice, "You do not get to come in here and demand answers. You made your choice very clear when you helped Henry move out of the house he grew up in while Regina was at work. You made your choice clear when you were about to crucify Regina for killing Archie even though she had no actual reason to do so. And when it was proven to be Cora, all you did was move on as if you didn't spend weeks calling her a murderer and a cold-hearted bitch to anyone who listened. You made your choice clear when you comforted your mother after she killed Cora. That was Regina's mother, Emma. No matter what happened between them, no one should watch their parent die in front of them. You went home with everyone else to celebrate Snow and remind her that she wasn't evil. Regina carried her mother's body into the woods for a private burial. You, Emma Charming, are not interested in knowing what happened to Regina because you care about her. You're a selfish, demanding brat just like your mother."
"Ruby."
Emma and Ruby turned as Granny came out of the kitchen. Granny put her hand on Ruby's shoulder, jerking her head. Ruby huffed and went to the back. Granny clicked her teeth, and she looked at Emma.
"I think it would be best if you did your orders by delivery from now on, Sheriff," she said.
Emma swallowed roughly and nodded. She shoved her hands into her pockets as she left. Emma let her feet lead her and somehow ended up at Gold's shop. Emma chewed on her bottom lip as she went inside. Gold didn't seem surprised to see her. If anything, he seemed relieved.
"I'm tired of being out of the loop," Emma said. "Ruby hates me, Granny pities me, and Regina wants nothing to do with me. Snow is lying to me, and David refuses to do anything to upset Snow. I want to know what pieces of the story I'm missing."
"You sound as if you are required to know."
"Look, I know, okay? I know that I've made some stupid choices since I've been here. I've been so caught up in having a family that I've forgotten," she paused, "that I'm not from here. I saw Regina today, and I saw something in her I see in myself every time I look in the mirror. So, please. What did my mother do to Regina?"