A/N: I just want to dedicate this chapter to impureevilregal who is having a rough time at the moment. Hopefully this should cheer you up a little! :)
Also, thanks to TinaRomana, AndromedaEBlack and impureevilregal for follwing/reviewing/favouriting. It really does mean a lot to me! :)

"Hey, Talulla, shh. It's alright, Mama's here. Shh," Regina tried, frantically trying to calm the crying child in her arms. The little girl had woken up a few minutes before and had immediately burst into tears. Regina had rushed over feeling worried, for her child had been a very quiet baby and it certainly wasn't like her to cry so loudly.

However, it seemed Talulla wasn't listening and refused to stop bawling, even as her mother held her close and whispered soothingly in her ear. It was really starting to worry the young woman. What happens if her mother heard? She didn't want her in her chambers yet! Not with the portal where it was.

At this moment, Regina desperately missed Daniel. He would have known what to do. He always did. He had been the one to calm her after she had found out about her pregnancy. He had been the one that had told her to tell her mother it was the king's.

"Oh God, Daniel, I need you," she murmured aloud, on the verge of giving up. But then, something miraculous happened as she leant to kiss her daughter's forehead. Talulla's cries quietened. Regina brought her face backwards and furrowed her brows. "Is that all you wanted, Talulla? A kiss?" The young girl screwed up her face in an expression so like her father's that it made Regina laugh. "You're more like Daniel than I thought, little one."

"Yes, and nothing at all like the King."

Regina let out a little scream and turned around to find her mother standing behind her, her hands on her hips and fire in her eyes.

"Mother," she breathed in horror.

"Yes, it's me, dear. Oh, don't worry, I was already told that Talulla isn't the King's daughter. That's why I'm here," Cora smirked nastily.

"You're not taking her from me! You can't have her," the young woman cried, clutching her daughter close to her chest.

"Oh, my dear, I fear that it's not up to you. You see, someone was a bit disappointed that she doesn't have a blood-related sister."

"Snow," Regina gasped. That child had betrayed her, again.

"You seriously don't think I can allow you to keep that child?" her mother continued. "What will the King think?"

"He already knows, mother. He is willing to keep the child and love her as his own." Regina would not back down this time.

"Well, I am not. She will be a distraction, a weakness for when you take over the kingdom."

"She won't, she–"

"That's enough, darling. Now, I'll give you a few minutes to say goodbye and I'll take her elsewhere. I recommend that you take these few minutes and use them wisely instead of arguing with me," she added as her daughter's expression grew fierce.

Regina tried to swallow her anger and looked down at her daughter, who was now wriggling in her arms and looked as though she was about to start crying again. "I'm so sorry, Talulla. I promise I love you, and I will never forget you."

She was saying these words only to please her mother, but she knew she would not lose Talulla. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Cora inspecting the portal with a frown on her face. It wouldn't be long before her curiosity got the better of her, she thought, letting Talulla grab hold of her little finger.

"What's this?"

Regina smiled to herself as she turned round to face her mother.

"I don't know, a gift?" she suggested, walking closer and setting down Talulla in her crib, although making sure she stayed just in front of it in case her mother tried anything.

"Maybe it's a portrait." Cora waved her hand and the white cloth slid off and onto the floor. "Oh, a looking glass, not nearly as personal." She shook her head at Regina, clucking her tongue and then sighed. "I wonder sometimes whether people really love you."

Regina could feel the hate bubble up inside of her again, whatever she did for the woman wasn't right. "I'm doing my best, mother."

"Oh honey, I'm sorry," Cora apologised and walked over, taking her daughter's hands and trying to pull her over to the mirror. "Come here."

Reluctantly, Regina let herself be dragged over.

"Look at you, with your whole life ahead of you and it's going to be better than you imagine." She smiled at her daughter as she took hold of her shoulders and looked her directly in the eye. "The King is not a strong man, the kingdom will be yours. Raise the tributes, form a personal guard. Let everyone know where the new power lies and you will hold the hearts of your people in your hands."

Regina pulled herself away and turned round. She didn't want that. She wanted to marry for love. Except that her true love was dead.

"Is that what you would do, mother?" she asked finally.

"That's exactly what I would do."

The young woman bit her lip and looked down. "Well, the thing is," she started slowly, preparing herself for what she was about to do. "I don't want to be you!" She span round on the last word, flames dancing in her eyes furiously as she attempted to throw her mother backwards like Rumpelstiltskin had instructed.

However, before she could do that, her mother smirked and she found her arms bound against her side. She struggled, yet to no avail, whatever her mother had done had her completely stuck. Inside, she was panicking. Without her protection, Talulla was vulnerable and she wasn't about to let her mother take her child.

"What are you doing?" Cora asked incredulously, amused by her daughter's struggling. "You think it's that easy to get rid of me? You're stuck with me forever darling, because I'm your mother. And I know best."

Behind Cora, the mirror's surface wobbled, making Regina frown slightly and she had to force down a gasp as the man who had first given her the portal appeared in it, grinning and miming for her to push her mother into the portal. Cora didn't seem to notice a thing.

"Now, about Talulla, I'm afraid I can't allow you to keep her, Regina, you must know that."

"You can't. I won't allow you to!" She could feel her anger reaching breaking point and fought to keep control. She needed the perfect moment.

Cora let out a loud laugh. "And who's going to stop me? I don't think you're capable of that right at this moment."

Regina couldn't hold it in any longer, and so let it out with a scream, breaking her mother's bonds and throwing her arms forward. Cora was pushed backwards, falling straight into the mirror. A look of utter surprise was etched on her features as she grappled for some hold on the mirror, on finding none, she continued to fall, leaving nothing but a few ripples on the mirrors surface before it shattered into a million tiny pieces.

Stepping back, Regina's hands flew to her mouth. What had she done? She'd used magic. Like her mother had done. And she'd enjoyed it. The feel of the magic flowing through her veins, the power she had when she let it all loose… It had just felt so… so good. However, she now knew something. She could not allow herself to use it again; for Talulla's sake. For everybody's sake.

A/N: Please let me know what you think!