my lovelies.
Sorry its been so long but I've had to change beta's for the time being. My lovely Geli is amazing and i adore her but she's a busy girl right now and just hasn't got the time so we decided together that she would take a break for the time being so I can get these fics out to you faster but i'm so grateful for all she's done for me and my writing and i'm hoping when she has more time she will work with me on a multi chapter i have planned for the future.
My wonderful friend Ivy has stepped in as my beta as I finish your prompts for these oneshots and I'm very grateful for her assistance because she's amazing and very passionate about Outlaw Queen so I know she will assure as Geli did that I do them justice.
Personal note- I know that our lovely couple took a knock in the last season but I hope you will all try and keep the faith, they will get back on track and it will be beautiful we just need to keep positive and trust in the writers. Keep the faith guys remember ``If you want the rainbow you have to but up with a little rain.'' #TeamPositive.
Ok today's fic is no prompt just my own idea from spoilers that Cora will be back. Hope you enjoy
Not mine, if they were then OUAT would be one continued vault scene lol.
`Hello, darling.''
Robin instantly knew something was wrong when he felt Regina freeze beside him, her hand which had been entwined with his went limp in his grasp and he heard her breath hitch. He looked curiously at the owner of the voice which was a woman he had never seen before. She was older, maybe early fifties and was dressed refined like a lady. The smile she wore was meant to be sincere he was sure of that but he was good at reading people and it was false, fixed almost like it had been practiced over a long period of time. Even if he hadn't been tipped off by her smile her eyes would have told him all he needed to know, they were cold and calculating.
He looked at Regina and his suspicions about the woman was confirmed further, he had seen Regina upset, angry and even scared before but he had never seen her look this way before.
She looked terrified.
``Regina?'' He asked in question.
Her wide eyes flicked to him briefly before they shot back to the woman standing a few feet away, she did however tighten her grasp on his hand until her hold was almost painful. He had no idea what was the matter but his need to comfort her kicked in, and he soothingly ran his thumb over her knuckles.
The woman took a small step forward and he grunted in surprise and almost stumbled when Regina let out a tiny cry only he would have been able to hear. She tugged sharply on his hand as she went to position herself directly in front of him, taking up a protective stance and blocking him from the woman's curious gaze.
His hand not in hers dropped to her hip as he tried to tell her without words that it was ok and he was here with her. He did not know that though, he had no idea who this woman was and why she had spooked Regina so much, he was confused and a little anxious.
If the woman was surprised or uneasy by Regina's reaction to her she didn't show it. The fake smile stayed firmly on her face and she still held herself straight with the poise of a lady. However Robin caught her eyes flick briefly to his and Regina's linked hands and he swore he saw them harden further.
Still she smiled that sickly sweet smile and spoke again in a voice dripping with forced pleasantry.
``Manners Regina, are you not going to introduce me to your handsome friend?''
Regina said nothing but he heard her breathing pick up slightly and her hand that was still in his tremble. He knew by now this woman was not a welcome guest but he needed to make steps to find out who she was and what threat she posed. He gave her hand a last squeeze before working his free from hers. He went to move round her and step forward towards the woman his hand extended and his voice as pleasant as he could manage as he spoke to the stranger.
``Robin of Lock-.''
His words trailed off into a grunt as he was hit by a solid force in the chest which was Regina. On instinct he wrapped his arms around her waist and uttered her name in shock. She had thrown herself at him as he had moved forward a panicked cry leaving her lips. One hand gripped tightly to his forearm but it was the other that confused him more. She had placed it on his chest directly over his heart, he felt it tremble as she spread her fingers wide to cover the area fully under her hand.
He looked at Regina but was unable to see her face, her head was down and her hair acted as a curtain concealing her face, he heard her ragged breathing though. He gently cupped her chin and lifted it until her frightened eyes met his, he searched her eyes and silently asked her with his what was wrong. She just shook her head in response before taking a deep breath and slowly turning to look at the woman over her shoulder, her hand never left its firm position over his heart. His hand on her chin fell as she turned but he placed it on her neck and rubbed soothing circles on the soft skin.
``Hello mother.'' Regina spoke in a calm voice yet Robin knew her well enough to detect the stain beneath it.
`Mother.' He spoke the words silently to himself in shock, all became clear and he understood fully now Regina's reaction, the woman in front of them was Regina's mother. He used the term mother loosely, Regina barely spoke of the woman who gave birth to her but what little he did know wasn't pleasant. He felt anger raise in him as he looked to the woman again, the woman who had terrorised the woman he loved all through her life before selling her off to the highest bidder to secure power for herself - no, mother wasn't a term fitting this person in front of him.
The woman smiled brighter and took a step forward, stopping abruptly when Regina pushed herself and Robin back a step, making sure to maintain the same distance between them. The woman looked slightly disgruntled for a moment but then spoke in the same sickly sweet tone she had used before.
``What, doesn't a mother even get a hug off her daughter that she hasn't seen in such a long time?''
Robin could see that this conversation would be difficult with their current positioning so he did the only thing he could think to do. He gripped the fingers of the hand Regina still had over his heart and pried them with some difficulty away from his chest. She let out a small whimper as her hand left its place over his heart and he softly shushed her in her ear before moving to stand at her side, keeping her hand firmly gripped in his. He had heard the story of her first love Daniel, how this woman had crushed his heart in front of her. He understood now why she has placed her hand over his heart, she was trying to protect it, make sure her mother didn't take him from her too. He rubbed his thumb in soothing circles over the back of her hand, telling her silently that he was there, that he wasn't going anywhere.
``How are you here Mother?'' Regina asked with forced calmness.
The woman's eyes flicked from their joined hands before bringing her full focus on her daughter, the smile still did not leave her face as spoke.
``I've come to see my daughter, isn't it obvious?''
``No.'' Regina spat in annoyance. ``You were dead, mother. How are you no longer?''
Regina's mother folded her arms in front of her and let out a small laugh, the sound set Robin's nerves on edge, it wasn't a friendly sound, as a matter of fact nothing about the woman was warm or inviting, his heart squeezed painfully as he thought of a young Regina trapped with this woman throughout her young life until she managed to get free.
``It's a very long boring story darling i'd much rather we catch up, it's been so long.''
Regina let out a bitter laugh at her mothers words but didn't say anything, silence stretched between them and he saw for a moment Cora's calm collected mask slip, annoyance flashed across her face, the look of a person vexed that things wasn't going there way. It was only a few seconds and the mask was once again firmly in place. Cora seemed to realise that neither he nor Regina was going to anisette conversation so she spoke again with the same forced pleasantry, though now it seemed a little more strained under the surface.
``You look beautiful Regina, glowing in fact and I dare say it in some part has to do with this handsome friend of yours you seem so affectionate with.''
As Cora regarded him, Robin felt Regina grip onto his hand tighten, her nails biting into the skin. He could feel her panic, being soulmates their emotions seemed almost interlinked, they sensed each other's emotions almost like they were feeling them themselves and right now he could feel Regina's panic building in his own chest as Cora carried on speaking.
``It looks like it is up to me to form introductions as my daughter seems to have lost her manners, I assure you she was raised better than that.''
Cora had stretched out a hand for him to step forward but he just stared at it in disdain causing her to have no option but to drop it. He was too focused on his irritation as he heard this woman belittle her daughter, his irritation turned to anger as he felt Regina appear to deflate beside him at her mother's criticism of her. His voice was cold as he spoke to the woman who dared belittle the woman he loved.
``I assure you madam your daughter is the best person I have ever met though I would not rush to give yourself the credit for that.''
Cora was momentarily taken back by his words until she slid the mask firmly back in place. It was possibly not wise to make this mad witch angry but he could not regret his words when he felt Regina straighten taller beside him and squeeze his hand in thanks at his words. His words had had the desired effect in letting her know that no matter what this woman said he loved her for exactly who she was and always would. Cora's voice was as sharp as a blade as she spoke.
``I see, and may I ask again of who it is that feels he can pass such judgment over me on our first meeting?''
`Robin of Locksley.'' He answered her plainly while making no move to bridge the gap between them.
Cora's forehead crinkled in thought for a moment before he saw recognition flash in her eyes and she let out a bitter laugh that chilled him to the bone. He glanced briefly to Regina to see her look increasingly stricken, he dropped her hand briefly and saw the look of panic cross her face before he wrapped a arm around her shoulder and trailed his fingertips soothingly up and down her bare arm. His open affection towards her daughter appeared to only anger Cora more and her eyes flashed as her cold voice rang out over the space between them.
``The thief.''
Her words weren't lost on Robin and the irony of them almost made him let out a chuckle. Oh how different he had felt hearing them from Regina on both of their first meetings, the less than favourable nickname had sounded almost sweet when it came from the beautiful mouth of his soulmate though he had no doubt at the time it wasn't meant to. He was snapped out of his thoughts as Cora continued her voice dripping with distain.
``My, my Regina you have excelled yourself this time darling. I thought the stable boy was bad enough but you upped your game this time with a common criminal, tell me are you determined to whore yourself all the way through the dregs of society?''
Robin felt white hot anger flow through him which only grew impossibly hotter when he heard Regina stifle a sob beside him. Her words directed at him were of no consequence, they rolled off him like rainwater dripping off of leather, after all he had been called much worse in his time. However vile slur directed at the woman he loved, by her own mother no less had him grit his teeth in anger and clench his free hand into a fist. He took a deep breath to calm his raging fury and turned his head to press a tender kiss to the top of Regina's head, he felt slightly calmer when he felt her lean into him to accept his comfort. He then put his full attention on Cora, fixing her with a pointed glare before speaking in a voice that was shaking with rage.
``What kind of mother are you? What mother speaks of their child in such a way? You abused her all of her life, both physically and emotionally, you never showed her an ounce of love or kindness and you took away any chance she ever had of happiness before dooming her to a life of sadness and loneliness with a man almost three times her senior that she never did and would never love. You madam have in no way the right to hold the privileged title of `Mother.' ''
When he finished his speech he was breathing heavily and shaking in anger, he felt like he was about to be sucked under by the intense rage he felt. He was brought out of his dark thoughts by Regina softly mumbling his name beside him, her voice along with her hand sliding to the back of his neck to rub soothing circles allowed him to calm enough to think clearly. She wasn't worth his time or energy and certainly not his anger, the important thing in this equation was Regina, making sure she knew that he would never let this woman hurt her again.
Cora appeared to be shaking with rage at his words, the mask she worked so hard to keep in place was completely gone now and he had a glance of the woman his soulmate would have had to deal with all her life and it was a fearful sight. Cora's lips were pulled back in a snarl and her eyes flashed in fury. Her voice also shook with rage as she spoke.
``I do not know what tale of woe my daughter has spun to you about me thief but whatever it is do not presume to have the right to judge me. I pushed my daughter to succeed yes, I wanted her to have a good life, for people to respect and admire her, not a life of struggle and ridicule like I had, if wanting those things for my child makes me a bad parent than so be it.''
Regina's bitter laugh beside him stopped the retort that was on the tip of his tongue and he looked at his soulmate to see that her fear appeared gone now and in its place was rage directed at her mother. Gone was the shrunken and fearful woman that had been beside him a few moments ago and in her place had returned his strong and brave Regina. She stood straighter and looked her mother head on as she once again moved to stand in front of Robin in a protective stance. Her voice was strong as she regarded her mother.
``Do not pretend that you did the things you did for my benefit mother, you did it for you. You used me to give yourself the life you yourself never managed to secure, a life of power and privilege and it didn't matter what you had to take from me or how miserable it made me as long as you got what you wanted.''
``I made you queen.'' Cora roared at her daughter. ``Queen Regina, a ruler, if it had been left to you you would have been penniless and destitute as the wife of a stable boy. I saved you from that life.''
``I NEVER WANTED TO BE QUEEN.'' Regina screamed at her mother, as tears streamed down her face. Robin moved forward and took her into his arms, wrapping one arm around her back and the other in her hair to offer comfort as she finally told her mother what she had done to her. She clung to his shoulders but turned her head against his chest so she could still look at her mother.''
`` I wanted a simple life, I wanted freedom and I wanted to be happy and you took all that away from me. I went from being your prisoner to being Leopold's and I blamed a ten year old girl for a situation that you manipulated.''
``Why you ungrateful brat.'' Cora roared at her daughter. I am your mother and-''
``No, you're not.'' Regina screamed back working herself free from his arms and stepping closer to Cora. Robin moved as she did and was about to stand in front of her but was stopped by Regina placing a firm hand on his chest, halting his movements.
``A mother is someone who loves and protects their child at all costs. A mother is someone who will put their child's happiness above their own every time because their happiness is so much more important to them than their own. Snow is a mother, Emma is a mother, I am a mother, you may have given birth to me but you are not my mother.''
Robin stared at his soulmate in awe, pride rolled off him in waves and he blindly reached for her hand, linking their fingers together and giving her an encouraging squeeze. She squeezed them back before continuing addressing Cora, her voice was now calm and matter-of-fact.
``But it doesn't matter anymore. For so long I wanted your love and pride more than anything in this world but I no longer need it. Robin has given me more love in the year I have known him than you showered me my whole life and that along with our boys is all I need.''
With that Regina tugged on his hand and they turned to make their exit, their fingers still entwined.
``Goodbye Cora.'' She stated firmly not even turning back.
``You will not walk away from me Regina. Remember I took your love from you before and I have no problem taking this one's heart from him too, I'll delight in seeing the look on your face as I crush it in front of you, maybe then you will learn some manners.'' He heard Cora scream in a venomous voice.
Everything then happened so fast that Robin had no time to process it. The whole forest that they were standing in seemed to crackle and vibrate with magic and he stumbled slightly as Regina pushed him to the side and turned so fast it didn't seem to be possible. He watched with a mixture of awe and worry as sparks of purple magic rained out from her fingertips meeting the darker purple that had shot from Cora's own. The two women's magic seemed to lock in a brief battle against each other before the lighter sparks dominated the dark ones and slammed into Cora full force.
With a startled cry Cora flew back until her back hit the nearest tree, she slid down the rough bark of the trunk until she fell to the forests dirt floor with a soft thud. Regina purposefully walked to her mother's form until she was hovering over her. Worry made his forehead crease when he saw Cora stumble to get up but before she could, magical restraints appeared out of thin air to wrap around Cora's wrists and legs. He slowly approached Regina as she lent down to bring her face closer to Cora, she spoke in a voice he had never heard before but if he was to guess he would say that right now he was as close to The Evil Queen as he had ever been.
``I don't want to hurt you, that's not me anymore but believe me, I will. If you come anywhere near the man I love, our boys or anyone else I care about, I will end you and this time I assure you I'll make sure it is permanent. I'm not a little girl anymore, you can't intimidate me, and you can't bully me and believe me if you want a war I'll be ready.''
Cora let out a shaky laugh but Robin could see the intense fear in her eyes. As she spoke, she was unable to disguise the shake to her voice. Robin felt a jolt of triumph at Regina turning the tables on this woman, showing her what it felt like to be beat down and intimidated for a change.
``How many times have I told you Regina? Love is weakness.''
Regina straightened up into a standing position and slowly backed up until she was at Robin's side, she reached for his hand and he took it, running his fingers over the back of her hand and leaning in to whisper in her ear how proud of her he was.''
Regina turned her head and gave him a small, sad smile before turning back to her mother. Her voice was strong and firm as she spoke.
``Trust me mother you have no idea how strong his love makes me.''
With those words they both turned and left the forest and Regina's past behind.