Authors note: So sorry for the enormous delay of this chapter but I was thinking about the plot line for this story because I'm sad to say that this story is almost at it's ending. I can't say exactly how many chapters are left, but for now, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
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"We really need to figure out what we're going to do with her, she can't stay locked up in that small jail cell forever." Robin sighed and picked Claire up from their bed. The little girl was fussing as her tiny fists bumped against his chest. He looked up again when Regina didn't answer. "Regina?"
"Mmm." Regina groaned softly and turned around to face him, still lying half asleep on their bed. "Yes, you're probably right. But can we just talk about it this afternoon, I really need some sleep now, dear." She responded in a tired voice and closed her eyes again. Claire had been awake for most of the night, crying, wanting to be changed, or to be fed. And seeing that she was the one with breasts, she got up most of the night to feed the baby.
She was really going to buy that breast pump Snow was talking about.
"Uhm, sweetheart?" Robin spoke up again, rousing her from her sleep again.
"What!" The brunette snapped tiredly, sitting up against the headboard because she knew she wouldn't get the chance for a nap this morning.
"It's just that it's already afternoon." He said with a sigh and a small smile, pointing at the clock with his free hand. "We need to pick up Henry and Roland from school in thirty minutes."
With tired movements, Regina snapped her head to the side, looking at the clock with a look of betrayal. It read 2:30 in mocking, too bright green numbers. "Damn." It wasn't like Regina to swear but this moment really called for it. "I'll go and take a shower then."
Robin looked with sympathy as his true love hoisted herself out off bed, too tired to even stand up straight - with was so strange to see because he couldn't remember seeing her not walking straight like the Queen she was, not even when she was eight months pregnant - and slowly moving her body towards the bathroom.
"Perhaps we can ask Snow to babysit tomorrow evening, that way I can take my beautiful Queen out for dinner."
"Yes well, tomorrow is not going to work, dear." Regina said as she opened the glass shower door and stepped inside, the hot water streaming down her body like soothing and relaxing rain.
"Why not?" He asked with a confused expression, stepping inside the bathroom too to grab his toothbrush, Claire still happily playing with the green scarf around her father's neck.
"Snow organized the party for tomorrow, you know, a chance for the whole town to meet Claire, after all she is a princess."
"Well, well, would you look at that Claire." Robin said with a smile as he rocked his daughter softly. "Your mommy is actually excited to go to your party."
"I am not!" Regina yelled from behind the glass door, condensation turning the glass opaque.
"Say all you want, darling." Robin smirked and put the toothbrush in his mouth, the minty taste of the toothpaste starting to become familiar. "You're excited for your royal party thing."
The only answer he got were soap subs flying into his face, causing Claire to let out an amused gurgle as she responded to her mother's rich laughter.
...
"Your father is very silly, isn't he Claire?" Regina whispered softly in her daughter's ear as her eyes remained trained on Robin and their two boys, who were hapilly playing with a football in the backyard.
The party was this evening, and Regina was still wondering what to do with Zelena, her sister. Regina had always wanted a sister, or a brother. Just a sibling, really. Having grown up without any friends, Regina had always been alone. She always thought a sibling could change that, but now she had one who'd tried to kill her own niece.
"What are you thinking about, mom?" Henry asked from out off nowhere, causing Regina to flinch at the sudden and unexpected noise.
"Henry." Her heart rate started to slow down again, looking at the mature features on her son's face. A face that had priorly been chubby with baby fat. Oh how he'd grown up in the past year, a year Regina could never get back. But she wouldn't regret it, she had saver him and she realized that.
"Yeah." He said with a smile and sat down next to her. "So, what were you thinking about?" He asked again, looking up when he heared Roland shriek as Robin hoisted him up in the air.
"Just... something." She knew she shouldn't lie to him, but truly, this wasn't really a lie. Regina just didn't want to burden him with something like this.
"Are you thinking about Zelena?"
Oh, when did he get so preceptive?
"Yes, I am." Her brown eyes went to the child in her arms, the child Zelena had almost taken from her. And that was something Regina would never be able to forgive her for, but everyone deserved a second chance, right?
"Why?" Henry asked softly, moving one hand to curl around Claire's kicking foot. The little girl immediately stared at him with eyes that Henry swore, were just copies of his mother's.
"I don't know what to do with her." Regina realized she had really come a long way if she actually asked her son for help. It was something she'd always thought was a sign of weakness, a sign of bad parenting. "She can't stay in that cell forever, but I really am not able to..."
"To forgive her for everything she has done to you and has almost done to Claire?" He finished her sentence, unaware he was spot on.
"Yes." She looked up into her son's brown eyes, a small smile gracing her tired features. "How did you forgive me?"
"Well, that was actually really easy." Henry smiled and brushed his thumb over the soft skin of Claire's leg. "Most importantly, I remembered everything you did for me, how you cared for me since day one. I realized you really loved me, and not pretended like I thought you did. And I also realized that someone really evil could never do that, so I got curious and went to grandma Snow."
A lump formed in Regina's throat but she quickly swallowed it away. All the information Snow possessed, she didn't want Henry's love just because he pitied her. She didn't want anyone to pity her. "And what did she tell you."
"Nothing specific or something like that." He quickly said when he saw his mother's distressed state. "Just that your mother wasn't always nice to you, and that you weren't happy when you were married to King Leopold."
A shudder ran through her spine at hearing Henry say his name. Of course she'd expected Snow to say something like that, give nothing specific, but small hints a child of Henry's age could quickly pick up. Somewhere in the back of her mind a voice told her to go over to Snow's and rip the princess head from her romp, but a laugh coming from the small boy currently playing with his father, broke her from her trance. Snow only tried to help Henry.
She only tried to help and that's why Regina would let it go, right now. Things may still not be running very smoothly between them, but Regina would not destroy everything they've build up over this. She would just have a talk with Snow about boundaries, but not tonight, tomorrow. She didn't want to ruin Claire's party.
"I'm sorry, mom." Henry said after a while, misunderstanding her silence.
"Oh no, dear. You have nothing to be sorry for." Regina smiled and moved one arm around his shoulder to pull him into a hug. "I love you Henry."
"Love you too, mom."
And Regina wished it would always remain this easy.
...
After two weeks of sitting in this tiny cage, Zelena has really had enough. There was nothing to do, no one to talk to. Emma was always just sitting there and saying nothing, probably still bitter about the whole 'killing Neal' thing and Regina hadn't visited since last week, who, Zelena was ashamed to admit, she really missed.
The last thing Regina had said before leaving, that thing about family. Zelena hadn't known she had ached to be someone's family ever since leaving behind her constantly drunk father. The man had been horrible, sometimes even abusive, but still nowhere near the things Regina had described.
Things about what her mother had done to her, things that made her formerly green spine shudder with disgust. And then the King, he had been known as kind and fair, even in Oz, but after the things Regina had said about him, Zelena wasn't sure what to believe anymore.
She so wanted to believe that everything Regina had said were lies, absolutely everything. And back when they'd had the showdown, Zelena had actually accomplished that, to make herself believe her little sister was a lier. Because Regina had been Queen, she had had everything she ever wanted. Or so Zelena always thought.
Back when Regina voiced those things again, just seven nights ago, Zelena had seen that small glimmer of pain. A glimmer she'd missed back in the clock tower, when she'd stood over Regina's bleeding and broken body with a vicious grin.
They were true, and Zelena actually felt bad. An emotion that she hadn't felt ever since she'd broken her mother's favorite cup, just before the woman died, leaving her alone with a grieving drunk who wasn't even capable of taking care of his dog, let alone a child.
So when the sound of heels resounded, she smiled.
But the smile quickly fell when she noticed the heels didn't belong to Regina, but to a strange woman Zelena had never seen before, dressed in a flowing, deep blue dress with a blonde braid hanging over her left shoulder.
And fear shining in her ice blue eyes.
...
The party had just started, and Regina was already feeling very uncomfortable. People who hated her were now forming a circle around her, cooing over her child like they had any right to do so. She let out a relieved breath when Robin came bursting into the circle, kindly, but firmly telling people to get lost, using things like 'Claire doesn't like it when people are hanging over her'.
"Sorry about that, I didn't think they would be circling you two like sharks." He said with a soft smile and placed a kiss on Regina's temple.
"It's fine, dear. Just take the baby, I need a break from humanity." Regina sighed and carefully handed the baby over to Robin. "I need wine. Lots of wine."
"Have fun, darling." Robin chuckled and walked off to another group of people who had wanted to see Claire, but were too afraid to approach Regina.
Regina let out a breathy chuckled and smoothed the front of her black dress. She decided to check the bar, alcohol was really something she'd missed during her pregnancy and it was the one thing she needed right now in order to deal with all these insane people.
"What can I get you, Your Majesty?" Granny smiled when she saw Regina approaching.
"A red wine would be just fine, please." Regina sighed and leaned against the bar, smiling at the older woman.
"I see you've already had it up to here with the party." Granny chuckled and placed the glass in front of her.
"Snow insisted, something to do with royal tradition and creating trust by showing Claire to the 'people'. Truly, I find it complete nonsense. We're not in the Enchanted Forest anymore."
"Don't you know it."
"Know what?" Snow chimed in suddenly, smiling at the two women as she took her seat next to the former Evil Queen.
"Nothing, dear." Regina said and took a sip for her drink.
"Well, I've got to get Grumpy his drink." Granny smiled and nodded her goodbye before moving over to the other side of the bar.
There was a moment of silence between the two royals before Snow finally spoke up. "Do you remember that trip we took back when you'd first came to live with us, Regina?" She asked softly, bringing her own juice to her lips. "We really seemed like a family back then, right? I thought you really loved me."
"Maybe you should lay off the juice, dear." It was said snappy, because Regina needed to deflect this subject of discussion. Of course she remembered that trip, the thing being that she knew exactly which trip Snow was referring to. It had been her first trip out off the castle since she became Leopold's Queen and also immediatly her first one out off the White Kingdom.
"You know what I'm talking about don't you, Regina?"
Yes, Regina sure did.
...
"It's nice King George invited us over, isn't it, mother?" Little princess Snow said with a kind of innocence that didn't exactly fit the almost thirteen year old girl. It was too young for a girl that was almost old enough to be shipped off to get married.
Regina knew she shouldn't feel this much pity for the girl that killed Daniel. The girl that ruined her life and practically forced her into a marriage with that pig of a King.
"Yes it is, dear. King George was very kind to invite us." She answered with perfectly practiced grace and kindness. The manners that were expected of a Queen and Regina had spent many hours to perfect them, to make sure the hate and disgust never shined through.
It was late in the evening when the three royals finally arrived at the castle of the Southern Kingdom. The ride had been rocky, the carriage going constantly up and down because of the poor road structure King George hadn't bothered to fix. It hadn't helped Regina's upset stomach in the slightest.
The obnoxious princess had fallen asleep on Regina's lap about an hour ago, and even though Regina's right foot had been depraved of blood, she hadn't dared pushing the girl away, for Leopold had been watching her the entire ride with suspicious eyes.
...
"Mother, why haven't you eaten anything?"
Insipid little princess, Regina thought bitterly before she put on her best smile. "I'm not feeling that well, Snow. I think I may be coming down with something." From her right, Leopold snapped his head to her direction, probably hoping he had finally gotten her pregnant.
Gods, she hated him.
"Oh." Snow wasn't really worried, Regina could tell.
"Well, maybe my healer can take a look at you this evening, Your Majesty." George chimed in with a sly grin, one that had Regina almost throwing up in her mouth. The bastard had been inappropriate with her the whole evening, even when it was obvious his wife was noticing. Who then in her turn, shot Regina a dirty look.
All kings were the same...
"Oh, that won't be necessary, Your Majesty. I'm sure it's just from the carriage ride." She politely deflected. Internally smiling when she saw George's dissapointed expression. "As a matter of fact, I think I will retire for the evening, today has been a very trying day for me."
"Of course." Queen Evelyn said with a smile. "I'll have our maid escort you to your room."
...
Only when her long dark hair had been perfectly braided and her makeup carefully removed, did Regina went to bed.
The soft silks of the sheets felt filthy against her skin and the bed was harsh on her back. Judging by the moon it was already eleven and Regina just couldn't grasp her sleep. With tired movements she got out off bed and instead took a seat at the vanity that was sitting in the right corner of the too big room. The stones under her bare feet were cold, but she didn't move them even when the cold started to numb her toes.
"Mother?"
A sudden voice from the doorway shook her out of her trance and Regina snapped around. Her gaze softened when she saw the small princess, standing in the doorway, her dark hair braided and hanging over her right shoulder.
"What is wrong, Snow?" She did her best to sound maternal, Regina really did. But she was only six years older than the girl and it just felt so wrong.
"I can't sleep." She murmerd softly, stepping into the room uninvited and closing the door behind her. "Can I sleep with you?"
Regina knew she wasn't able to refuse the simple question. Her husband would surely hear it if she'd sent Snow away. And that would result in a punishment. Regina was sure she couldn't handle that again, so she responded the only way she could.
"Of course, Snow."
Her smile was fake, her maternal warmth was fake, but the love she was trying to fake, was anything but. It was all too real, and it shocked Regina to her core.
...
Regina wasn't sure why Snow wanted to bring up memories of that trip. She may think it was a happy one, where they'd really been a family. But Regina surely didn't think so. The trip had been horrible, with George trying more than once to get her alone and do god knows what to her.
Even the memory alone brought a shudder to her spine.
"Again, lay off the juice Snow."
"I'm sorry." Snow said softly and tried to smile. "I just wanted to know if you remembered. It was one of my happiest childhood memories."
"I did love you, Snow." Regina a softly smiled before looking up towards Robin. "But now I've got to get back to my daughter."
"Of course, I understand." Snow smiled and nodded a goodbye. "But thank you for saying that."
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I've got something nice and juicy planned for this story. Leave a review ;)