David and Snow sat the booth that was to just the left of the center of the diner, making mild conversation as they waited for Regina and Chastity to show up. They were a half an hour late, and the couple was beginning to grow concerned. Grumpy sat next to David, keeping his usual pissed off facial expression on, and tightly gripping the cup of coffee Ruby had brought him. As if they thought they weren't obvious, the better half of the town had showed up, their curiosities for Regina's daughter were too irresistible not to fulfill. Ruby frequently checked up on David and Snow's table, wondering if they had heard anything. She was more curious than most people about Chastity. Her brief encounter with her had left her heartbroken.
"They blew us off David. We should just go to her house." Snow began to doubt them, her voice and words insisted as much.
Just then, the bell on the door rang, and in stepped Regina, holding herself up in a way that suggested trouble was following close behind her. Snow was a little shocked, as well as the rest of the diner, and they all turned to look at her. Regina gave a smooth smile and walked over to the table that was expecting her, making no move to sit next to Snow.
"Where's Chastity?" Ruby piped up from behind her. Her grip on the pot of coffee stiffened as she became morally concerned.
Regina turned around to look at Ruby. Her crimson lips slid into an unpleasant smile. "She left. She'll be back later. Anyway, her absence doesn't matter." She turned back to David, Snow, and Grumpy.
"Well darn…" Grumpy mumbled.
Regina smiled again, amused with all of their reactions, and leaned forward, gripping the sides of the table. "I've come to tell you that if any of you dare to touch my daughter, I'll kill you. Every one of you." She warned; her sudden change of posture alarmed everyone, and the chilling tone of her voice set David's blood on fire. He stood up abruptly, making Regina take a defensive step backward, but her stiff facial expression did not waver.
"It's unfortunate that she's not here to keep you in line. What did you do to her?" David asked fiercely, standing over her with an incredible amount of force. He wasn't backing down this time.
"It's not what I did to her, it's what you all are doing to her. Stay away from her and we won't have a problem." She responded coolly, narrowing her eyes at David, and balling her fists. Snow stood up then, as well as Grumpy, and slowly, the entire diner began to surround Regina, however, she didn't back down either. "If you value your life, you'll stay away." She repeated, her voice so threatening it had sounded as though she had growled.
Just outside, Chastity was crouched behind a bush, watching the whole situation unravel. Tears were streaming down her face. She knew it; her mother couldn't do it. She didn't even attempt to negotiate with any of them. Hurt and enraged, Chastity got up and turned the corner of the diner. Through the window, she saw David grab Regina's arms and shake her as she yelled in her face. They had all gone too far. She slammed the door open, smashing the bell off the ceiling. Pieces of the copper fell in front of her as everyone turned and stared in terror.
"ENOUGH!" She hollered, causing a few people in the room to jump in surprise.
David's grip on Regina loosened and she pulled away, making a move to go after her daughter. Chastity put up a hand, not ready to forgive anyone yet, and Regina hesitated, stopping in her tracks. "Chastity, I-I can explain. I-" She began. Her lips were still parted, but she found that she couldn't say anything more.
"No. You did it again. I can't believe you. This was your last chance. I'm done." Chastity was brief, and her words were steady, but a tear still escaped her eye. Gritting her teeth, she turned and stepped outside, not bothering to shut the door behind her.
Regina started after her. "Chastity, wait! Please!" She cried, and, outside now, grabbed her daughter's right arm. Chastity ripped it from her grasp as she turned around to look at her. Her cheeks were wet, but her eyes were narrowed in rage. "I'm sorry. I am so sorry, sweetie." Regina begged her for her forgiveness, unsure of what do with her hands now, considering Chastity would not allow her to touch her at all. "Please, give me another chance. I can't lose you too. I can't." Regina's voice shook as she realized the detrimental mistake she had made.
Chastity had about had it, but the desperation in her mother's voice softened her dark eyes. She unclenched her firsts, making her much less intimidating, though her lips remained a straight, pale line. Taking a deep breath, shaking a little as she did so, she opened her mouth to say something, but thinking better of it, she looked down at the ground. Regina brushed her fingers up against Chastity's arm and pulled her in for a hug. Her sudden distress for the fact that Chastity was mad made Chastity unable to stay that way. She hugged her back, burying her face into her mother's shoulder, wanting to hide from the world if only for just a moment.
Her chest loosening now, Regina held her daughter closely. She had come to the diner to attempt to get her daughter back, and even though she had her in her arms, she still felt as though she had slipped far away from her. She was terrified that there was still the possibility that she would let her down again. "Chastity…" She said softly, pulling away and staring into her daughter's beautiful brown eyes. "I know I can't make a promise to you…but can you promise me something?" She asked, taking in a shaggy breath. Narrowing her eyes a little in wonder, Chastity nodded, hoping the promise would be a reasonable one. "Will you promise that you'll never leave me by your own choice?" Regina inquired tenderly, brushing a single strand of hair away from her daughter's eyes.
Chastity inhaled deeply, keeping her eyes level with her mother's, and pondering the question and its consequences carefully. She studied Regina's face for a long moment before answering her with a broken voice, "Mom…I-" She started, but she seemed to have lost her train of thought. She squeezed Regina's arm and then bit her lip, searching her mother's face again for an answer that didn't seem to be there. When she saw the extreme anxiety in Regina's eyes though, her answer was clear. "I don't think I'd have the heart to leave you…" She said finally, "You've become far too important to me."
Regina gave a pitiful smile that made Chastity let out an elated laugh and fall back into her arms. Their tears were joyful ones now as they held each other, and even though Chastity's heart was pounding in her chest like a kick drum from the amount of tension she was feeling, she still found herself at a slight ease in her mother's arms. She knew that staying would propose a challenge for the both of them, but she was willing to do what it would take to save the not-so-sleepy little town and everyone in it.
It was then that their heartfelt moment came to an abrupt stop. A clap of thunder resounded across the town, tearing mother and daughter from each other's arms to frantically look around, both of them readying themselves for whatever was coming, but both of them knew. Regina's hands balled into fits and she forcefully led Chastity inside, despite her cries to stay with her.
"NO! I'm not leaving you with her!" Chastity yelled over the howling wind, clenching onto the door with in immense amount of force.
"Chastity please!" Regina begged her, trying to pull the door shut, "You need to let me do this!"
There was something about leaving her mother alone that set Chastity's head spinning and her heart pounding even harder than it already had been before. There was no way she'd let her grandmother keep her from her mother. She shoved open the door, pushing Regina a few steps back, and stepped outside before slamming it behind her.
"No." She said firmly, keeping her eyes level with her mother's.
"Oh how sweet; a mother and daughter's first fight." A voice mocked from next to them.
Cora.
Both of the women turned to look at her, Regina placing a protective hand on Chastity's shoulder, and Chastity raising her hand in warning.
"Don't let me interrupt; please, do continue." Cora said slyly, her hands folded at her waist as she stood watching them with a bone chilling smile.
"Mother, please." Regina began, her jaw tightening from the attitude that was so thick in Cora's voice.
Cora chuckled slightly, unfolding her hands and spreading them outward in defense. "Come on dear, you want to spend quality time with her, don't you? Fighting is only half of it! You honestly think she'll stay with you through all of this? She's you're daughter, Regina; she'll leave you just as you left me." Her voice was frostbitten as the words came from her mouth.
She wanted to turn her against Chastity.
Concerned by Cora's attitude, Chastity looked over at her mother with her now distraught brown eyes, and slowly started to panic. "Mom, don't listen to her, she's trying to play mind games with you. I'd never do that to you, never. Don't let her manipulate you." She pleaded, not letting her eyes leave Regina's.
Regina turned back to her daughter, looking at her carefully as she evaluated the situation. "You're right." She said simply after a few moments, but neither Chastity nor Cora knew who she was talking to until a fireball began to form in her hands.
She aimed it at her mother.
"MOM WAIT!" Chastity screamed suddenly, and grabbed her mother's wrist, causing the fireball to fly off in the other direction and ignite a nearby bush.
Looking infuriated, Regina took a step back and glared at her daughter, "What are you doing?" She demanded harshly, but it was too late.
Cora took a single step forward and was behind Chastity. She grabbed her around her waist, pinning her arms to her sides before she had the chance to react. Regina let out a scream as her daughter and her mother were engulfed in a purple mist and disappeared.
It all happened too fast. Regina fell to her knees, her heart and head racing so fast she found herself having trouble breathing, and yet she continued to scream. David and the others rushed outside to her aid, David picking her up off of her feet, and Ruby trying to get her to stop hysterically crying. The screaming had receded, but her uncontrollable shaking had not. She pried herself from David's arms, hugging herself instead, and took a few steps forward, away from the crowd of people that had emerged from the diner. She began to finger the necklace Chastity had given her nervously, becoming more anxious with every passing moment. She turned back around then to face everyone, and she lifted her hand to cast a teleportation spell, but Snow took a step forward.
She carefully grabbed Regina's arm to stop her before she cast the spell, and she said as gently and as tenderly as possible, "It's okay. We'll help you find her. We all will." Her voice was reassuring, and for a moment she had Regina convinced.
"My mother is too powerful. She will not let me get to my Chastity even if you all fought her at once." Regina said with an unnaturally shaky voice. No one standing before her had ever seen her break like she was now.
Snow took both of Regina's arms now, looking her in the eyes with her own soft brown ones. She wanted to console her. She understood the pain she was feeling. Most importantly, she wanted to help. "Regina we are going to do whatever we can. I promise." Snow's voice was firm. She had meant every word.
Regina nodded slightly, a tear trickling down both of her cheeks. Though she was grateful, she couldn't let the townsfolk see her in the condition she was. "Fine. But I need to be alone." She said coldly, and with that, she cast the teleportation spell.
Letting her go this time, Snow took a step backward and reached for David's hand.
Still thrashing and screaming when they arrived in the forbidden part of the Enchanted Forest, Chastity pleaded Cora pitifully to let her go to return to her mother. Cora said nothing as she held onto her, but a moment later, she released Chastity. She stumbled forward, almost not catching herself, and turned to face her grandmother, her fists balled tightly.
"What the hell is wrong with you!?" She cried ferociously, "Do you have any idea what you've done?"
Cora remained completely calm and folded her hands in front of her, her cold eyes level with Chastity's wild ones. "There's no point in arguing, dear." She replied plainly, holding a proud smile on her lips that disgusted Chastity to the point of making a face. "You can't escape me." She added.
Arms folded across her chest now, Chastity lowered her voice and regained her balance completely. "What is your deal? I've done nothing to you and yet you seem to have a need to kill me." She remarked, tightening her jaw.
Cora let out a laugh that made Chastity even more furious. When she ceased her amused laughter, she said gently, "Oh darling, I don't want to kill you; I want to teach you."
Taken aback, Chastity raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"I want to teach you the dark arts, familiarize you with them. It isn't something I believe your mother could handle." She responded, keeping her pleased smile on her facial expression.
Shaking her head, Chastity unfolded her arms and took a defensive step back. "No. There's no way. You just want to corrupt me. I know it." Her words had become short and choppy, for she was feeling even more vulnerable now.
"If you don't learn willingly, I'll have to force you." She retorted sharply, lowering her chin slightly, making her gaze frightening.
Chastity sealed her lips shut, gritting her teeth behind them. "I will not expose myself to such a filthy craft; you won't make me. If I wanted to be aware of it, I would have asked my mother, but even I wouldn't put such a burden on her as you've done. You disgust me." She said callously behind her teeth, sucking in a quick and ragged breath, knowing she had made a bold move.
Cora's facial expression fell immediately, making Chastity fear the worst. She raised her hand, and Chastity was dragged forward by an invisible force toward her grandma just like the first night she had arrived when she and Cora met. The event was being repeated, and yet there was no Regina to save her this time. She let out a scream, and a second later, she found herself face to face with her rival, growing deathly silent being so close to her.
"What was that you said, dear?" Cora hissed, holding Chastity by the throat now as she pierced through her soul with her eyes.
So tense that she could hardly move now, Chastity struggled to keep herself from being choked to death, and said through a ragged breath, "She'll never forgive you if you hurt me."
The corner of Cora's mouth slightly quirked upward into a snide smirk, and she looked entirely delighted. "Oh she won't mind the least bit, but I won't be the only one to do it." She stated, freeing the hold on Chastity's neck, but still keeping her from moving.
Chastity shivered. Her grandmother was planning something, and Chastity began to dig for the answer in her mind, but she kept running into a brick wall. Cora was blocking her out somehow. Alarmed now, and entirely shocked, she struggled to break loose from the binding spell. Cora released her, and she fell to the ground on her knees at her grandmother's feet, rubbing her wrists soothingly from the sting that the spell had left behind. Her jaw was shaking violently and her heart was pounding in her chest severely fast and hard. Cora had released her throat long enough ago for her to catch her breath, and yet she found that she couldn't.
Coughing hysterically now, Chastity doubled over in pain, unable to rise to her feet. Cora looked down at her, not caring much about her state of being now at all, and said expressionlessly, "Get up."
It took another minute, but Chastity did as she was told, though when she stood, she swayed slightly. Another moment passed and she was eyeing Cora directly in the face, holding her ground with a sudden vitality she did not know she possessed. She was going to see her mother again, even if it was the last thing she did. Her dying breath would be at her mother's side.
Her face hardened and she spit out her own blood the other direction, away from Cora, before turning to look back at her. Her voice was firm when she spoke, "Hit me with your best shot."
A vase hurled across the room and exploded on the opposite wall, sending shards of glass flying left and right. Another one soon followed it, and that one was followed by a book that just happened to be sitting on her desk. Regina was fully wrathful. She hadn't been this fuming since the day the huntsman brought her a deer's heart instead of Snow's, and she hadn't acted this violently on her fury ever before like she was now. No one could have witnessed this outburst, as she was underground in her vault in the secret room, the place she ran to when everything seemed like too much. She couldn't think straight, her mind was racing, and with every moment that she let slip past not looking for Chastity, the more her insanity increased.
She was losing it without her daughter.
Anxious that Chastity couldn't hold her own, she'd been trying to think where her mother might have taken her, though she hadn't come up with much. She knew it had to be somewhere in the Enchanted Forest, but where? How could she track them? The idea came to her suddenly, her eyes widening, for she was shocked that she hadn't come up with it sooner.
Ruby.
She took a deep breath and teleported herself to her office. When the purple mist around her faded, she approached her desk swiftly, swiping up her cell phone that lay near her computer. She punched in the number to the Granny's and waited impatiently as it rang, tapping her foot by habit. It seemed like a century had passed before Granny picked up.
"Yes may I speak with Ruby, please?" Regina asked as soon as Granny said hello.
Granny hardly hesitated to hand the phone to Ruby, and she did so with a smirk. Ruby, eager to hear what Regina had to say, didn't pause for a second as she put the phone up to her ear.
"Regina? Have you heard anything yet?" She asked urgently, her voice thick with angst.
Regina began to pace back and forth as she spoke into the phone, "Nothing yet, but I have something for you to do for me. Do you think you could track them down? I know my mother has taken her to the woods, I just haven't a clue as to where."
Ruby's response was immediate, "Sure. I can be at your office in less than ten minutes."
Again, the wind was knocked from Chastity as she flew backward into a tree, however this time, she heard a crack. She slumped to the ground, her entire body shaking again, and she put her hand to her rib cage, coughing up a little blood which she spat into the dirt next to her.
The pain was excruciating.
Cora stood a few yards away from her, her hand raised and crackling with energy. There was a triumphant smile spreading across her face as she watched her granddaughter crumple in pain entirely to the ground now. "You can't win, my dear." She says smoothly, taking a few steps closer.
Chest tightening sharply, Chastity climbed to her feet, her face creased in pain. Blood ran down the corner of her mouth and she wiped it away without a second thought. "But I can fight until I'm found." She countered, her jaw tightening as she realized that talking hurt.
Cora laughed amusingly, bringing her hand to her lips. "My my, don't you look a mess," She said, as though it were a compliment, "Are you ready to listen to me yet?"
Chastity let out an agonizing chuckle before she replied, "Heal my ribs . . . and then we'll talk."
Seeming to be uninterested now, Cora's lips pursed, as she found that healing her would be no fun, but realizing that she had to. She approached her now, raising her hand near Chastity's heart, and it began to glow a golden color. Chastity sucked in a quick breath as she left her ribs snap themselves back into place. She let out a gasp when Cora finished and fell back against the tree, clutching her chest and trying to catch her breath.
"Thank you." She said through an exhale, her eyes lingering over her grandmother's, completely fixed and firm. "Now, what is it you want to tell me?" She inquired, standing herself straight now.
"I told you, I want to teach you the dark arts." Cora said with a sly smile, turning on her heal as she began to pace.
Chastity didn't seem to believe her, and she folded her arms across her chest. "Right. But what is it you really want to do with me?" She questioned, her voice stronger now.
Cora finally looked impressed again. "Dear, you're putting ideas in my daughter's head that don't need to be there," She said, taking a few steps closer to her, "but you could be very useful to me…"
"As if I'd do anything for you." Chastity retorted, brushing the dirt off of her pants, acting unusually casual. "And I've done nothing but help my mother, just as you have not. It's clear to me that you took part in breaking her, like you are now."
Core chuckled before she responded, "No matter," She gave a horrifying smile that made Chastity shiver, "Do you know why she gave you up?" Chastity shook her head, looking solemn now, as it was a subject she preferred not to discuss. "Well, sweetheart, it was because she didn't want you. She knew that you would cause problems, so she sent you away. Why do you think she hasn't come looking for you yet? She doesn't want you back, Chastity. She never wanted you."
Chastity felt a pain in her chest that she could not rid of, and she shook her head again, not believing her grandmother. "No. You're lying. She loves me." She said defensively, her eyebrows furrowing in lament.
"No my dear; she never did. She wouldn't have so easily let me take you if she did. She never wanted a child, you were accidental." Cora continued, her face rigid with seriousness.
The memory of the event with her mother this morning sent a shiver throughout her entire body. Regina had broken off a shard of Chastity's trust toward her, and even though she seemed to have regained it at Granny's, Chastity still felt the crack. Suddenly, she found herself believing her grandmother, and Cora seemed to notice the look of defeat on her face.
"She was just going to use your abilities to help her get Henry back and reclaim the town." Cora said, further pushing her thoughts with a wicked frown that seemed to be awfully unsympathetic, though it convinced Chastity and threw her off the edge.
Chastity let out a horridly piercing scream and threw her hands downward, sending an unknown wave of energy from her fingertips. Cora was knocked backward by the blast as Chastity collapsed to the ground, holding her stomach in an unbearable pain. Infernal tears streamed down her face that seemed to burn her skin, leaving red marks on her pale cheeks. Cora had been knocked unconscious, and even though Chastity knew that she would soon come to, she didn't move from her spot. There was no where she could go. She didn't know which way was home; and the fear that was clawing at her heart prevented her from standing anyhow.
She wasn't going to be used anymore.
Regna had been following behind Ruby for at least twenty minutes now. She was growing incredibly irritated and her faith in Ruby was slowing draining. She knew it was wrong of her to hate the wolf right now, and she kept her mouth shut to prevent herself from making a malicious comment. She'd promised Chastity she'd try to better herself, and it was a promise she did not plan on breaking. In fact, she was holding that promise for both Chastity and Henry.
"I got her." Ruby said suddenly and finally, and she darted forward.
Regina's heart jumped and she followed after Ruby, her mood brightening the slightest bit. "Thank god!" She said as she carefully made her way down a dip in the ground, having to grab a nearby tree to keep herself from falling.
They were coming up a small clearing surrounded by enormous trees. Regina could feel that something was wrong, and just as she saw her daughter come into view, she stopped short, though Ruby continued on after Chastity. She spotted her mother, knocked unconscious and not too far from her daughter, and her stomach tied itself into a knot. She watched hesitantly as Ruby knelt down beside Chastity, and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest like she never had felt it do before. Something terrible was about to happen.
"Chastity? Oh my god! Are you alright?" Ruby asked immediately, going to rest a gentle hand on Chastity's back, hoping to calm her down.
Chastity was curled up into a ball with her hands clutching the back of her head. Her grip tightened on the clumps of her hair she had in her fists and her chest tightened as she restrained her wrath. She growled under her breath a warning, "Get away from me, Ruby."
Ruby pulled her hand back uncertainly and stood up, taking a few steps back from her. She turned and looked up at Regina, wondering what made the woman stop. Regina looked back down at her and began to make the rest of her way down to the small ravine. It was then that Chastity lifted her head, revealing her cheeks that appeared as though they were burnt with little lines that ran along them. Ruby noticed the movement and glanced down at her, letting out a small gasp.
"Chastity…" She said breathlessly, backing away from her nervously and turning to catch Regina's gaze.
Regina stopped in her tracks, more frightened now than ever of the situation, and held back. It was too late, however, for Chastity had already spotted her, and she rose to her feet, wobbling slightly from having been crouched down in that position for such a long time. A fury flared up in her eyes like a fiercely burning blaze of fire.
"No!" She cried, her voice seeming to rip as she spoke her next words, "Stay away from me!"
Regina, looking pitifully hurt, put a hand over her heart and asked miserably, "What?"
"You lied to me! Everything you've ever told me was a lie! All you ever wanted was to use me for your own advantage because of my ability!" She screamed accusingly, more blistering tears running down her cheeks in an endless flow of anguish.
Regina leaned forward somewhat, as though she'd been shot through the heart with a shard of ice, and the necklace that Chastity had given her slipped out from behind her jacket. Chastity saw it glisten, and her face softened the slightest bit. Regina's eyes were swelling with tears that she simply could not blink away. "No . . . Chastity I could never do that to you." She pleaded for her to believe her, taking a cautious step forward. "Whatever my mother has said to you, please do not consider any of it. She was the one that lied."
Chastity's jaw quivered as she shook her head, and she looked at the ground now instead of her mother. "But what you did this morning…" She began, but hesitated as she thought of the memory. She shuddered faintly, though her entire body began to shake.
"Chastity." Regina said firmly, and when she didn't respond, she repeated her name again, "Chastity look at me."
Closing her eyes, Chastity lifted her head before opening them back up again to stare her mother in the eye.
"Read my mind. If you won't believe me saying it, then listen to my thoughts." Regina seemed to demand this of her, and with her words, Chastity could feel the wall around her mother's mind shatter.
The invitation made Chastity ponder it, but when her eyes caught another glimpse of the necklace around Regina's neck, she let her mind go free.
And she was hit with something she had never experienced before in her entire life.
Regina's emotions were so strong, it put Chastity to her knees. She could see a vase exploding on elegant wallpaper, a boy telling his mother something and hugging her in a rear-view mirror, her mother sitting alone at a table in Granny's surrounded by a crowd of joyful people, a man with a distant face that her mother watched fade to dust as her heart snapped in half, the same man falling to the ground limply with his heart nothing but powder in the palm of Cora's hand, and then her mother clutching a silver rattle with the initials C.J.M. engraved on it. Gasping for air, Chastity felt a wave of desperation wash over her and the fear of never seeing someone she loved ever again. She felt a craving for someone's affection, and when she let her eyes lock on her mother's again, she found that it was her own that her mother was craving.
"Mom?" Chastity's voice sounded isolated, and she felt her heart beat loudly in her chest once.
Knees buckling, Regina lurched after her daughter, falling to her knees in front of her and scooping her up in her arms. She buried her face in Chastity's thick, wavy hair, and held her so close to her that Chastity could feel her heart beating in unison with her own. She hid her face in her mother's hair as well, her tears not burning her face anymore, but healing it. Her red scars faded as her mother cradled her in her arms, the heat coming from her body comforting Chastity.
"I love you." Regina choked out through her tears, saying this to her daughter for the first time, and pulling her even closer now.
Chastity smiled pathetically as she replied, "I love you too."
The time that followed that was a blur to Chastity. All she remembered was walking arm in arm with her mother following close behind Ruby as she led them back to town. Now, as she layed curled up next to her mother on the couch, all she could think about was staying as close to Regina as possible for the rest of the day and the days that would pursue it. Regina had soundlessly fallen asleep on the armrest of the couch, and Chastity's body lay at length with hers, and though they were both covered by an incredibly warm blanket, Chastity still couldn't fall asleep herself. She was anxious as to what Cora would do when she awoke, and the thought was haunting her despite the fact that she was in the safety of her mother's arms.
The feeling was unsettling to Chastity, and, feeling like she needed to stretch her legs, slowly slipped off the couch without disturbing her mother as she slept. She took one last glance behind her at Regina before heading toward the front door. She decided it'd be best for her to grab her things, considering she was interrupted the last time, and stepped outside into the fresh air. The crisp feel off it in her lungs and on her skin rejuvenated her body, and as she made her way across the dark lawn, she could feel her body getting stronger with each step.
At her truck now, she opened the driver's door to grab her purse first. She took out two particular items from it: her cell phone and her Gerber pocket knife. She slipped them both in her back pocket before slinging her purse over her shoulder. She grabbed her gym bag from school that was filled with her clothes and slung it over her shoulder as well before turning to head back inside.
When she stepped through the door, her mother was in the kitchen, standing in front of the open fridge. "Hey?" Chastity said and she slumped down to set her bag and purse on the ground. For some reason, something felt unusual. Something hung in the air that disturbed Chastity.
Regina turned at the sound of her daughter's voice and gave a lovely smile before she spoke, "Hey, what do you want for lunch?" She asked in such a pleasant voice that Chastity raised an eyebrow in suspicion.
"What?" Chastity asked, prolonging the 'a' to indicate that she knew something was different.
Giving a look, Regina cocked her head slightly and replied, "What? Everything is okay."
Chastity eye-balled her a moment before approaching her. "Okay then why are you so excitable suddenly?" She inquired, now in the crossway between all the rooms. Impulsively, she looked into the living room where she and her mother had been resting, only to find that her real mother was still sleeping on the couch. She whipped her head back to the Regina in the kitchen and instinct made her reach to her back pocket to pull out her knife. She gritted her teeth before saying the one word that explained it all, "Cora."
Regina's body was engulfed in a thick purple smoke, and when it faded, Cora stood in her place. She smiled grimly and said as though she were speaking to an old friend, "Hello, Chastity. Did you really think you could get away from me that easily?"
"What the hell did you do to my mother?" Chastity asked immediately, gripping her knife tighter, and taking a quick glance at Regina, who was still sleeping soundlessly on the couch through all the commotion.
Cora chuckled and said as a matter-of-factly, "Oh it's just a simple sleep spell, my dear; nothing that would hurt her. In the meantime, let's have a little chit-chat, shall we?"
"Why would I want to talk to you? You damn near killed me last time you wanted to "talk"." Chastity countered lowering her knife the slightest bit.
Taking a deep breath, Cora looked down at a stool next to her and pulled it underneath her, sitting on the edge of it. She folded her hands in her lap, giving a strangely uncomfortable smile, and looked Chastity dead in the eye. "Because, sweetheart, I just want to talk to my granddaughter." She replied, her voice very gentle, and still deceiving.
Chastity smirked. "I doubt that." She retorted, shaking her head slightly.
"Well don't, my dear, because it's true," Cora responded with a sweet smile, "Now, come sit with me, please. And put that pathetic blade away."
Looking down at her Gerber knife, Chastity was almost offended at the word "pathetic", but she shook it off and flicked her wrist to snap the blade shut. She returned it to her back pocket before looking back up at Cora, eyebrows still furrowed. "I prefer to stand." She said haughtily, crossing her arms over her chest.
Cora seemed mildly insulted, but she smiled again anyway. "Sweetheart, I have a way to help the both of you. You're mother wants Henry back, and when she gets him, she'll want to return to the Enchanted Forest with the both of you. I can get Henry." Cora struck her deal like a cobra piercing its pray without even trying or putting forth much effort. She was fluently manipulative.
Pondering this, Chastity took a deep breath, lowering her eyes from her grandmother's. She could understand why Cora would want to get Henry back for Regina, but why would she help her as well? There was nothing apparent that she would be getting out of it. "I…" Chastity began, but second guessed herself, making sure she was choosing her words more carefully, "And how would you go about that?"
"Well," Cora began, titling her head in thought, "Your mother and I have little to no idea of what Henry is thinking, so perhaps if we knew, we could formulate a plan… That is where you come in, of course." She gestured at Chastity, who, at her grandmother's words, gave a disgusted look.
"I could never do that to my own brother," Chastity remarked harshly, leaning forward a little to emphasize her seriousness, "It is his choice whether or not he wants to stay with my mother, not ours. There is no way I will do that."
Cora's face hardened and she stood up abruptly, both her hands balled into fists. "Very well, then. If I can't have you do it, I'll do it myself." She said sharply, and took a generous step forward.
Chastity was only able to let out a gasp before Cora had her hand firmly fastened around her neck, a horrible pain rushing through her body like lightening. After that, all Chastity could do was scream and slowly sink to her knees. "What . . . are you doing!?" She cried, grabbing Cora's hand to push it away from her, but without success, "STOP!"
A dark purple light emitted from Cora's palm, and the brighter it glowed, the weaker Chastity became. A bruise suddenly formed above her eyebrow and on her left cheek, a long, deep cut down her right arm, and her knuckles ripped apart and began to bleed. Cora was attempting to steal her powers, which in turn was reversing them, and even though Chastity screamed to be released, Cora held fast. All her wounds from previous years that Chastity had used her magic to heal were slowly reopening.
Terror rushed through her veins like poison, and suddenly, Chastity found herself crying out like a little child for her mother.
"MOM!" She shrieked, turning to look at her mother who was sleeping soundlessly on the couch, hardly moving. "MOM PLEASE!" She tried again, a black cloud forming in the corners of her eyes, threatening to make her pass out.
Regina stirred the slightest bit, giving Chastity hope, though she was running out of time. Her tears soon came, blurring her vision, and she struggled to hold onto consciousness. She feared that if she tried to call her mother again, she would drain all her strength and she'd blackout, but she knew she couldn't let Cora get away with this. With her last breath, she said, "Mommy…" with a broken voice before she found herself freely slumping to the side. Everything went black.
Regina's eyes flashed open, the scene in front of her unfolding like a terrible hallucination, and she shot up from the couch, wobbling slightly as she went. She put her hand to her head, still swooning faintly even though she was ready to throw a fireball or two, and managed to take a step forward. "Mother!?" She asked miserably, a knife lodging itself into her back when she saw Chastity lying on the floor looking as though she'd be beaten and her mother clutching the kitchen counter with her hand to her chest. "What have you done?" She yelled, rushing to her daughter and falling to her knees next to her, pulling her into her arms.
"Regina . . . I-" Cora tried, but she couldn't seem to finish her sentence. She watched as her daughter cradled her granddaughter, gently kissing her forehead and repeating her name softly. And suddenly, the only word that could possibly describe her was green.
"Sweetie? Sweetie say something." Regina voice was thick with angst as she tried helplessly not to panic, "Chastity hunny I need you to wake up…" When she said this, her tears came on like an endless stream, a few rolling off her chin and silently landing on Chastity's cheek, "I need you."
And Chastity gasped.
Her eyes fluttered open, and nothing could have been more wonderful to Chastity than seeing her mother's face before she saw anything else. She took a few deep breaths before she was able to speak, "I need you too." She smiled as her mother let out an elated laugh and pulled her in for a close hug, burying her face in her daughter's neck with her mass of wavy caramel hair.
Rocking her back and forth, Regina held her daughter as closely as possible as her tears still flowed. "I'm never letting you out of my sight ever again." She whispered in her ear, tightening her arms around Chastity slightly, planting another firm kiss on her daughter's cheek, her propensity way of showing her affection.
Chastity could only nod now as her mother cradled her there on the floor; Regina's love and adoration for her daughter sent Chastity's heart and soul fluttering. It was enough to make her utterly speechless.