Authors note: Oh my god that kiss! That's seriously the best part of this episode. The fact that Leopold had been engaged to Cora was just plain creepy and so unnecessary, it didn't really add anything except yet another reason why Cora felt the need to kill Eva. Ghost Cora was weird and the way she slapped Regina, I was just like 'no you friggin' bitch!'
Anyways, another chapter! Hope you enjoy.
Trigger Warning: Talk about marital rape in the last part!
...
~ Storybrooke, Present. ~
Regina groaned as she tried to push herself off her chair. She'd finally finished it. The potion she had been working on for the past two weeks was finally done. Robin had been worried she was too busy seeing that she was now six months pregnant, but she had objected saying that this was something that really needed to be done.
And now it was.
She finally had a way to protect her home and her family. She'd made enough to also include Snow's appartment and maybe even Emma's room at the bed and breakfast. That way Henry would be safe too even though he hadn't anything to worry about. The Wicked Witch wasn't after him. But just to be sure.
"Here let me help, darling." Robin chuckled as he stepped into the study. He'd heard her tired and uncomfortable groans all the way in the living room and he knew that if he didn't get up to help her, those hormones would kick in and they were quite frankly terrifying. He did not plan on making that mistake again.
No, never again.
...
Only four moths to go, only four months to go. He kept repeating the words in his head as he heard her ramble.
"Why they hell can't you just rinse your fucking cup and put it in the dishwasher?!"
He'd never really heard Regina curse and to he honest, it was hilarious. But he knew now was not the time to laugh.
He wasn't even sure if now was the time to breathe.
"I'm so sorry my love, I forgot. I wanted to clean but then I remembered that I needed to pick up Roland from school. It just slipped my mind, next time I'll put it in the dishwasher, I swear."
"Oh you definetly will!" Regina yelled as she planted her hands on her hips. Her five month pregnant belly mellowing her deathly stare and biting words. "I'm not some sort of slave that will follow you around and clean up after your ass!"
"But it's a nice ass, isn't it?" He tried to lighten the mood but immediately snapped his mouth shut when he saw her eyelids narrow.
Regina was not amused.
"Mommy I can't find my monkey." Roland came walking into the kitchen, oblivious to the thick tension that was hanging in the room. His bare feet slapped against the hardwood as he grabbed the hem of his Spider-Man pajama shirt.
And just like that Regina's face relaxed and Robin realized that he should've thought about bringing Roland in. He should just go wherever his son went. Regina could never be mad at him while Roland was in the room because even though her hormones were raging through her body, her maternal instincts always won.
"I washed him, sweetheart." Regina smiled softly and crouched down as far as she could. "He's in the hamper in mommy and daddy's room."
The young boy smiled and leaned forwards to place a kiss on her cheek. "Thank you mommy!"
"Always, honey. Now back to bed, it's already past your bedtime."
Robin almost wanted to beg Roland to stay and he watched with anxious eyes as the little boy left the room.
"So am I making myself clear, Hood?!" She went on like there had never been any interruption. "You'll put away your fucking cup, or the couch will be your bed until this baby is eighteen!"
...
Yep, that was definetly something he didn't want to experience again. Regina really had been terrifying.
Robin leaned forwards and grabbed her arm to pull her up from the couch. She didn't weigh much even though she was pregnant and big for only six months, at least that was what doctor Lock had said.
"Thank you, dear." Regina sighed when she was finally back on her feet again. "I already have problems with getting up and I'm only six months along."
"Don't worry, I'm here to help you with whatever you need." He smiled and placed a kiss on her right temple.
"Can you drive me to Snow's appartment then? I need to put the protection spell up."
"Of course." He chuckled.
...
"All done." Regina said softly and placed the almost empty flask back in her small box. There was still enough for Emma's room at Granny's. "You are now protected."
"Thank you Regina." Snow smiled and crossed her arms over her chest. "It's greatly appreciated, now we can get a good night rest again."
"I know exactly how you're feeling, dear." Regina chuckled and picked the chest up. "No one should feel unsafe in their own home."
"Regina, before you go." Emma began as she jumped off the couch. "I needed to ask you something."
"And that is?" Regina asked with a raised eyebrow as she looked at the blonde woman in front of her.
"Can you teach me magic?"
"What, you mean like last time? When you gave up?"
"No." Emma sighed and shook her head. "For real this time. I though that if your powers alone aren't enough to defeat her, then maybe our powers will be, I mean, we did safe the whole town from disappearing."
"Fine." Regina sighed after a while. "But you have to know that if you want to learn magic, you have to fully commit to it. This is a way of life, Emma."
The blonde nodded eagerly. "I understand."
"Meet me at my vault in one hour."
...
~ The Enchanted Forest, Past. ~
She wiped her sweaty hands dry on the tight body of her black dress. She didn't know why she was too nervous to even open the god damn door. It was just a simple counsel about how they were going to defeat the Wicked Witch. Nothing more.
She didn't want to think about the fact that a certain thief - who was also her true love, as it appeared - was also behind that door.
But Regina knew that she couldn't very well remain standing here until the meeting was over. And so her hand reached out for the doorhandle, and after a little pressure the door gave away and swung open.
Maybe she should've remained standing there. Because now being inside the room wasn't really any better. All eyes were focussed on her, staring at her with confusion as to why she was here, seeing that she'd spent the last two weeks ignoring everyone and everything.
It was Snow who eventually broke the tension as she stood up and slammed both hands down on the wooden table. "Back to the subject, people." She yelled and shot Regina a soft smile.
A smile that said 'I'm glad you're here'.
...
"We can't just trap her!" Regina sighed at their foolishness. "She's much too powerful for that."
"And how can we trust you, Your Majesty?" The sarcastic former drunk turned dwarf asked.
Seriously, that particular question was getting old. They'd already asked it a hundred times.
"Well, then by all means, go right ahead!" She spat back, ignoring the stare coming from someone on her right. She hardly had to guess who it was. Robin of course.
"Regina is right." Snow said and stood up to adress the group. "We can't just attack her, she's powerful, we can't compete with her magic."
"Maybe the Queen can?" Another dwarf said as he shot Regina a biting look. "Why don't we just sent her out. It won't matter if she dies."
"Shut up!" Robin growled and sprung up from his chair, causing the wood to clatter on the cobblestones as it was flung backwards and tipped over. "Don't you dare talk to her like that!"
Her brown eyes locked with his briefly, she softly shook her head, signaling that she didn't want nor needed his help.
But he wouldn't have it.
"Since when are you sticking up for the Queen?" The same dwarf asked. "I would've guessed you'd be happy if she went, that way your boy would be safe."
"She'd never hurt a child, you bastard!"
The crowd erupted in loud yelling and screaming as everyone sprung up from their chairs.
Regina sighed as she shook her head and abruptly stood up. With a flick of her wrist the entire room went silent. Their mouths kept on moving until they realized that no sound came from throats.
"The spell will wear off in a couple of minutes, then you can all go on with your yelling." She snapped and turned on her heels, leaving the deadly silent counsel room.
...
~ Storybrooke, Present. ~
"What is this language?" Emma asked with wonder as she looked at the book Regina had just given her. "Spanish?"
"We're not making tapas, we're making magic." Regina sighed as she rubbed the bottom of her belly. "It's elvish."
"You can read this?" The blonde asked bewildered and kept on staring at the old pages that had turned a light yellow.
"Yes." Regina nodded and crossed her arms. "So while we're here, who's looking after Henry? The un-Charmings?"
Emma looked up from the book and shook her head. "No, actually Hook is."
The brunette narrowed her eyes. "Well those two have been spending a lot of time together lately."
"Hook's good with Henry and Henry likes him." Emma reasoned.
"He's prone to violence and has a hook for a hand."
"I trust him." Emma sighed. "He brought me back to Storybrooke and he didn't have to."
A grin appeared on her plump lips as Regina shifted her weight on her feet. "Of course he brought you back."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Seriously?" Regina chuckled. "You're going to pretend no one notices the yearning looks and doe-eyes?"
"I don't yearn." Emma objected.
"Well maybe. But he does." Regina said and nodded at the book. "Let's start with roots for incantations."
"Are you kidding me right now?" Emma asked as she stared at the book again. The symbols were strange and elegant. But the most important thing was that Emma didn't understand it one bit. "Yeah, this is not going to work." She sighed and handed the book back to Regina. "Can't you just think about your training, what other methods did he use?"
Regina furrowed her brows. "Rumple was a bully. He wasn't the kind of teacher that would cuddle his students." Regina tried not to think about the times where he would come to her bedchamber and heal her. "If he tried to teach you how to swim and you couldn't learn... you drowned." She stated and put the book down on the dark blue chest behind her.
"Drowned?"
A sudden grin caused Regina's lips to curl up. "That's it."
"That's what?" Emma asked anxiously. She didn't like that grin on Regina's face one bit.
But the brunette didn't answer. She just flicked her wrists and evaded them both in her deep purple smoke. The next thing Emma knew was that she was standing on a wooden and not very stable looking bridge and Regina was standing on the ledge with the same grin on her face. "What the hell are you doing?!" She asked and looked down, but soon wished she hadn't.
"Teaching you how to swim." Regina stated matter-of-factly.
"Are you out off your mind?!" Emma yelled and gripped the rope tighter in her sweaty hands. She wasn't a fan of heights.
"Everytime you've exhibited your power, it's been spurred by your instinct. So today, we're going to push those instincts until you master them."
"A little reading doesn't sound so bad now." Emma said and looked down again.
"You can stop me, dear." Regina smiled and rubbed her stomach.
"Stop you from what?"
"This." She grinned and summed the magic to her palm. The wooden boards started to rip from the bridge as Regina used her magic to splinter them all.
It wasn't long before the board under Emma's feet gave away too and she quickly managed to grip the ropes to prevent herself from falling in the depth beneath her. "What the hell are you doing?!"
"Making the bridge collapse. You can either stop me... or die."
"Regina enough, stop it!" Emma yelled.
"No you stop it!" Regina yelled right back. "No more hand holding, you have to do this, Emma. Reach into your gut, you know you can do this. It's inside you. Safe the brigde, safe yourself."
And then the rope Emma was holding onto for her dear life, snapped. And the blonde fell into the depth. Regina's breath caught in her throat. Had she just killed the Savior? Henry's birthmother?
But the sudden loud creaking sound suggested otherwise and Regina let out a relieved breath as Emma came back into view. She was standing on the parts of the bridge that seemed to be glued together. Her green eyes were wide with wonder and confusion as she stepped onto the ledge next to the brunette.
"Did I just do that?"
"Yes." Regina sighed and crossed her arms. "When all I wanted was for you to re-tie the rope."
"Like you said, instinct." Emma grinned but noticed the anger on Regina's face. "Why are you pissed? I did it, why does it matter how?"
Regina cocked her head and furrowed her eyebrows. "You think I'm mad because you didn't listen to me?" She asked incredulously. "I'm mad because - look at all that potential inside of you and you've been wasting it."
"Yeah well, I didn't really have much time to practice magic when I was escaping a curse, forgetting my family and living in New York." She snapped.
"You mean when you were dating a monkey?"
Emma mouth fell open and her cheeks turned red. "Who the hell told you?!"
"I've got my sources, dear."
...
~ The Enchanted Forest, Past. ~
"Regina, can I come in?" Snow asked as she placed another knock on the door. When there was no answer, Snow decided to just push the door open anyway.
Regina was sitting by her vanity, brushing her long ebony locks as she stared in the mirror. She completely ignored Snow's presence. Even when the younger brunette went to stand behind her.
"I've always liked you hair." The princess said softly as she crouched down next to her former stepmother. "It is so pretty, I was always jealous of it when I was a child." She smiled quietly. "To be honest, I always wanted to be like you when I was younger."
"I can't imagine why anyone would ever want to be like me, dear." Regina said without any emotion as she took her silver brush and went through her hair again. It was soothing, brushing her hair like this. She always used to do this when she first came to this castle and became a Queen.
"You really don't, do you?" Snow said softly and watched how the brush went through smooth dark locks. "You are beautiful Regina, and kind. You may have been the Evil Queen, but you changed."
Regina just snorted and raised the brush again. "Kind? Really dear, haven't you been paying attention?"
"Oh I have been paying attention."
Her brown eyes locked with Snow's through the mirror as she raised a single eyebrow. "What does that mean?"
But Snow ignored her question and just smiled. "You know what else I've always admired you for?" She asked softly.
There was a silence as Regina stared at her with confused eyes. She softly shook her head and turned around so she could look at her former stepdaughter who was still crouching down in front of her. She decided to ignore the comforting feeling that Snow's hands on her knees brought her. "No." She said softly and twisted the brush in her hands.
"Your heart." Snow smiled. "It's so... resilient."
Regina shook her head as she blinked away the tears that formed in her eyes. "You know that that's not true. My heart is not resilient, it's dark and bitter."
"Regina, I've seen what life has thrown at you." Snow reasoned as she furrowed her eyebrows at Regina's stubbornness. "And you still fight against the darkness every single day."
Regina clenched her jaw to keep the tears in as she stared at the spot behind Snow's head. She couldn't bear look at the woman.
"Sooner or later your heart will find it's way towards happiness."
Regina scoffed and shook her head. "That doesn't feel possible."
"But it is." Snow objected and moved one hand to grab Regina's. "I know you. And you feel things deeply, you feel things with your whole soul." Snow smiled and she squeezed her former stepmother's hand when she saw a singular tear make it's way down her pale cheek. "Don't let anything hold you back."
Even after Snow has left her words still echoed throughout Regina's mind. And she knew exactly what she needed to do.
...
~ Storybrooke, Present. ~
She was just putting in her earrings when the doorbell sounded. With a loud sigh she turned around and opened the door, only to find no one on the other side. Only a basket of green apples.
She really wasn't one for subtlety, was she?
"A gift." Zelena's voice sounded from behind her and Regina spun around on her heels, her lips curled up into a snarl. She slammed the door closed behind her and was relieved that Robin and Roland weren't at home. They were safely at the camp where the Merry Men lived. "From sister to sister. I though you could use the extra vitamins for you know... the baby."
"What are you doing here?" Regina asked unimpressed as she stalked over to the formerly green woman.
"I saw your tree and I though you could use something better." She smiled and looked at the bowl of blood red apples that occupied the middle of the dining table. "Red apples are so sickly sweet, don't you think? People tend to like something a little... sharper."
"And green apples are just bitter." She snapped and her eyes followed her sister, who was touching the different trinkets that were laying around. "And that's not yours."
Zelena snorted and put the trinket down. "Story of my life."
"Why are you here?" Regina asked, already annoyed by the woman.
"Ah." The redhead sighed. "Sisterly concern, sisterly advice. I wanted to see if you and my little niece were alright after our little showdown."
"She's not your niece." Regina said calmly but inside she was furious. "But I'm fine, what about you?"
"Getting there." Zelena smiled and walked towards the living room. "This is nice." She smiled and sat down on the white couch. "So luxurious, you really don't appreciate what you have, do you?"
"Right." Regina said sarcastically. "Because I got everything and you got nothing." She chuckled. "If you want your superpower to be envy, go right ahead."
"Envy is just another word for ambition."
"Well that's just not true."
"You see, I strive for things, I work. But you, you enacted a curse that was just a fancy form of running away." The redhead snapped. "With every advantage you still turn your back to every chance at happiness." She stood up from the couch and rounded the coffee table. "You Regina, you just don't take any risks. You don't live your life and it's just such a waste. I can see why our mother was so dissapointed in you."
"Ah." Regina chuckled. "Dissapointed in me. Need I remind you, dear. You are the one she gave away."
Her face went sour as she glared at her younger sister. "You have no idea what really happened. And that's exactly what's going to hurt you."
Regina chuckled. "You didn't come here to give me sisterly advice. Why are you really here?"
"So perceptive." Zelena smiled. "I am here because I needed to make sure you weren't somewhere else. Don't you feel it, Regina? The Dark One is taking your heart."
The only thought on her mind was that of Robin and Roland.
...
"Robin?! Is Roland okay?!" She yelled as she ran as fast as she could.
"Yes." Robin nodded. "Everything's okay Regina, we're fine." He kissed her forehead and rubbed her shoulders. "But I failed you. She has your heart, I'm so sorry Regina."
"No." She breathed and shook her head. "Don't apologize. You had to. I understand. I would do the same for our son."
He nodded and kissed her softly. "What do we do now?"
"I don't know." Regina sighed. "I'm still alive so she doesn't need to crush it."
"Can't she control you now?"
"No." Regina said and shook her head. "She can't, I protected it against that."
He nodded. "I'm going to get your heart back for you Regina. I promise."
...
To be honest, she didn't apologize to Belleto get the candle. But it had certainly helped. And no one needed to know the real reason why she apologized. She didn't need to be seen as weak, her pregnancy was doing that for her already. She'd already sent Robin out with Roland to protect them. He had no idea that she was going to summon her dead mother. But he didn't need to know, all he had to do was protect their son.
"Sorry to keep you all waiting." She said and poured five cups of the tea. "I was busy making this special tea."
"Ah." Charming smiled and picked up the cup only to slam it down again when Regina yelled at him.
"No, don't drink it! It's a deadly poison for summoning the dark vortex."
"I prefer earl grey." He muttered and tried to get his heart rate under control again.
"The dark what?" Emma asked and looked at the cup suspiciously.
"Zelena stopped by this morning." Regina sighed, she put the kettle down and slowly lowered herself on the chair. "While the Dark One was stealing my heart she came to gloat." Regina explained. "She said that my weakness was that I didn't know enough about her past, so I decided to summon someone who does. We have to talk to my mother."
Snow looked up in alarm. "Are you serious?"
Regina smiled humorlessly. "Yes, dead serious."
...
"Do not ignore me now, mother!" Regina yelled up at the dark blue, grayish vortex that had appeared in the ceiling. The flames on the candle flickered in the sudden breeze that went through the entire mansion. "Please mother, you owe me this!"
And then there was a sudden slam against the table. Snow let out a startled scream and Regina's eyes snapped away from the vortex that was quickly closing until it returned to it's original white ceiling.
"Sorry, my foot bumped against the table." Hook apologized and had the decency to look at least a little sorry.
Regina sighed in defeat as she stood up and blew out the candle. Hesitating a little when she blew out the black side.
"Do we try it again?" Snow asked softly.
"No." Regina sighed and shook her head. "It's no use. It worked, the portal opened but... nothing came from it, she doesn't want to talk to me. I guess whatever secrets lie in her past, she wants to keep buried there."
Snow wanted to reach out and comfort her former stepmother, but something inside of her stopped her.
Maybe it was guilt.
...
"There has to be another way to beat her." Charming reasoned as he stepped out into the foyer.
"My magic is getting more powerful by the day. By the time this war goes down I'll be able to defeat her." Emma stated and turned to her father.
"Make... sure you are." Regina said softly and smiled at the blonde Savior. She meant it. She was actually starting to consider the blonde as some sort off a friend, and she'd hate to loose one seeing that she didn't have many to begin with.
"I will." Emma smiled back and then looked at her father again. "I think it's time to go." She said and walked towards the front door.
"You know what, I'm going to stay here for a while and talk to Regina." Snow said and smiled at her husband. "I'll help clean up."
Regina sighed and rubbed her stomach. The little girl inside of her has been very active today. "I'm really not in the mood for a heart to heart, Snow."
"I'm not sure that's physically possible right now." Snow chuckled quietly but she stayed put, signaling that she wasn't planning on leaving.
Regina smiled softly and gave in. "I guess you can help with the teacups."
Snow nodded and followed the brunette back to the study to collect the teacups. There weren't much so it wasn't a time eating task. Before Snow had even uttered a word, they were already standing in the kitchen. Regina had her back turned to her and she was cleaning the cups in the sink as Snow was standing by the cooking island.
There was a thick tension hanging in the air as Snow stared at the bowl filled with blood red apples. She couldn't help the shiver that ran through her spine when she picked one up and held it in her hands. She had never thought it was possible to be afraid of fruit.
"I want to apologize Regina." Snow started and watched how Regina's back went straight and her hands momentarily stopped before continuing again. "For Cora... for-"
"Murdering her?" Regina finished in a soft voice as she folded the now moist towel.
"Yeah." Snow sighed in defeat. "I don't take it lightly, I think about it every day."
"So do I." Regina said darkly and turned around to rest her aching back against the countertop. "And when I do think about it I remember that she didkill your mother. So I'll admit that it's complicated." She crossed her arms over her chest and smiled slightly at the younger woman.
"Thank you." Snow said with a sad smile. "I'm sure you had some things to say to her."
Regina huffed slightly. "Yes well, I'm realizing that my mother walled off a lot of her life for me. To give me the best. And she may not have been the warmest mother, but at least I thought I occupied a singular spot in her heart." Her voice croaked slightly as tears started to fill her brown eyes. Regina wished she could blame it on the hormones but she just knew that that wasn't true.
Because thinking about her mother had always made her cry. Pregnant or not. It hurt her immensely that her mother had ignored her, because it truly showed that Cora never really loved her. And even though Regina knew that already because what loving mother abuses her child? It was always harder to actually face the facts.
There was a kick against her ribs that had her smiling even though it hurt. Her left hand moved towards the place where the foot had just hit her flesh and she rubbed softly.
"I know it's hard, especially now." Snow said softly and took a step forwards.
"What is?" Regina asked and quickly wiped the tear from her cheek.
"You're pregnant, this is the time in your life where you most need your mother." Snow said softly and looked at her stomach. "May I?" She asked softly.
Regina stared at the younger woman and she just nodded, not even knowing why. Snow's hand softly touched the place where her little girl was kicking and she couldn't get it over her heart to say the words that she initially wanted to say. Those being that Snow was the cause that she needed to get through this pregnancy without her mother's help.
"If you want to, you can ask me if you have any questions. I mean, I've been pregnant too." Snow started nervously as she felt the frantic kicks against her palm. "But if you don't want to I-"
"Snow, thank you." Regina interrupted softly.
The awkward tension was suddenly interrupted by a rumbling coming from upstairs.
"What is that?" Snow asked as she retracted her hand.
"I have no idea."
The two women quickly made their way upstairs, following the sound of the noise until they finally stopped in front of a white door.
"What's in there?" Snow asked nervously as she followed Regina.
"Nothing." Regina said and she cautiously reached out to the doorknob. But before she even touched it, the wood got ripped away as the door broke open.
There was a ghost like creature standing in the middle of the room and Regina felt her blood turning cold when she finally saw it's face. She may have never seen a painting of her mother when she was younger, but there was no doubt about it that this was Cora Mills. Regina would recognize those sharp features anywhere.
"Mother?" She asked incredulously. "This can't be! The spell opened a limited portal for talking!"
"It's me." Snow said from behind her. "I killed Cora, she sensed my presence and found a way to break through into this world."
As if the ghost understood her words, Cora suddenly came lunging towards the former princess. Only to be stopped by Regina jumping in the way.
"Back down mother." Regina snapped. She clenched her shaking hands tightly into fists. "You will answer my questions. Now tell me, what did you do to Zelena?" And then everything everything went black as she felt a harsh push at her side and suddenly her body was being slammed against the wall.
"Regina!" Snow yelled in terror but there was no time as she was forced to jump back because Cora was quickly coming closer.
Regina groaned as she sat up and used her last bit of strength to teleport herself and Snow back downstairs. The younger brunette was breathing harshly as she looked around frantically until she realized they were back in the study. "Regina, are you alright?" Snow asked in worry as she bent down and helped the brunette up.
"Yes, I'm fine dear." Regina groaned and let out a relieved breath when she felt a kick in her kidney. Never before had she been this happy to get kicked in her organs.
A loud crash came from their right as Cora appeared through the wall and knocked over the side table. A lamp shattered as it fell on the ground. Regina quickly summoned her magic to her palms and used it to capture the ghost of her dead mother.
"You're holding her off!"
"But I can't hold her for long." Regina said and concentrated on keeping the ghost trapped. But she was already so tired.
"Cora I'm sorry, please forgive me!" Snow yelled. But the ghost wouldn't have any of it.
"Safe your breath. My mother was nothing like your mother, she only understands power and weakness! But if she wants to kill you, she's going to have to go through me!"
Regina could feel the stare and she quickly cut off Snow's sentiment. "This isn't about you. This is about her... and me!" Like she'd said, she was already so tired. And so Cora broke free, but Regina held her ground, right in front off Snow White. "It's time for answers mother! What did you do to Zelena?!"
To be honest, Regina should've seen the slap coming. But that was just the problem. She never has, not when she was five years old, eighteen years old, and even now, when she was thirty five years old. She just never fucking saw it coming.
Her side connected harshly with the desk as she slammed into it by the force of her mother's slap. For a ghost, she was pretty strong. But there was no time to dwell on such things, because her mother was currently possessing Snow White.
Why was her life never easy?
She pushed herself off the ground and moved to Snow. "Hold on, I won't let you go." She said tiredly and summoned the magic necessary to pull the ghost out off Snow's body and push it back into the other world.
...
"What the hell happened?!" Robin asked as he bursted into the study, followed by Emma, David and Belle.
"We summoned the ghost of my mother and she tried to kill Snow." Regina breathed and leaned against the desk. Robin quickly moved over to her to support her.
"Why didn't you tell me?!"
"I didn't want you to worry." Regina said softly and tried to smile at him, but instead she hissed as her cheek throbbed.
"Regina what happened to your cheek?" He asked in worry and softly touched the angry red flesh.
"Cora hit me. But I'm alright now." Regina smiled. "I just need you to call Dr. Lock and ask if she could stop by to quickly examine her. I hit the table pretty hard."
"Regina?!" He started again but her lips on his quickly shut him up.
"Just call her."
...
"Weren't you supposed to be on bed rest?" Snow asked as she stepped inside the study and saw Regina dusting the pieces of lamp together in one pile.
"I'm fine. The doctor told me I had a tough placenta, whatever the hell that means." Regina brushed the concern off and slowly stood up.
"Regina I can see you're stressed, please let me do it." Snow sighed and reached for the broom.
"Of course I'm stressed, I just found out my baby is the key ingredient in a curse that will cause me to never have been born. And you too for that matter." Regina snapped but her tone quickly softened when she saw Snow's hurt expression. "I'm sorry that was uncalled for."
"It's alright." Snow smiled. "I completely understand." She started to dust. "So do you want to talk about it?"
"What is there to talk about." The brunette sighed and sat down. "You officially have a less damaging relationship with my mother than I do, and you killed her."
"Well at least we know you and me, our history... more complicated them we thought."
Regina snorted. "You mean the fact that my mother was also engaged to your father. And that she basically sold me to him without a second thought?"
Snow said nothing, she only grabbed Regina's hand. "Do you remember our first night back in the Enchanted Forest?" She asked nervously. "You refused to stay in your former room and until this day you've never told me why. Do you think you're ready to tell me?"
Regina swallowed harshly as she avoided looking at the younger brunette. "I think you can guess, can't you dear?"
"I think I can, but I'd rather hear the words from you. It's just hard to believe he would do that. He was always so kind to me, I looked up to him and my mother too and now I find out that my mother was a horrible person and my father married the daughter of the woman whom he had been engaged to earlier. And that's just really..."
"Sick? Yes I know." Regina sighed and squeezed Snow's hand. "It was true, what you said. He was a good King and a good father, but to me he was horrible." Regina started and swallowed the bile that rose in her throat.
"I think you can remember your wedding night, can't you?" She smirked slightly when Snow's cheeks turned a light red. "Well, mine wasn't that good. I'm not going to give you any details, because the man is still your father and I'm just not ready to share that with anyone. Let's just say that I was unwilling and he either didn't care, or was too drunk to care."
Snow squeezed her hand harder but didn't say anything. Something Regina was grateful for.
"It didn't end with the wedding night. Eventually it was at least three nights a week. Whenever he missed your mother too much he came to me."
"How long did this went on?" Snow asked in a soft voice, her skin was even paler then normal.
"Until I- until he brought the genie to our castle."
Snow looked like she was going to throw up right there and her grip on Regina's hand was strong. "I'm so sorry, Regina." She breathed out. "I'm so, so sorry."
But Regina cut her off by raising her free hand. "Stop it Snow, it wasn't your fault."
"But I wanted you as a mother!"
"Don't go there Snow, everything is fine now, I survived."
"But you shouldn't have had to." Snow said softly as her teary eyes found Regina's intense brown ones. She stood up and wrapped her arms around the former Queen. "You shouldn't have had to."
...
Wow, that was longer then anticipated. Leave a review! ;)