A Promise Kept
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters contained within nor the shows from which they appear in. Any coincidence to real life is unintentional. This story is not used for profit and is for entertainment purposes only.
Summary: Snow and Emma return to Storybrooke but something is amiss. Henry and Regina strive to find the true Emma and to that extent they contact a Dream-Walker: Morganna. (Swan Queen, Regal Red Belle teamwork, Regal Cricket, Evil Regal Mafia Coven, Mills family reparation, Merlin/Morganna)
Author's Note: A Promise Kept is second in a series of three connected stories, centering on Regina Mills, Henry Mills and Emma Swan. The prequel to this story is called Regina's Most Dreadful Nightmare. It is not necessary to read that story to understand A Promise Kept, however, many elements will slowly crop up over the course of the story, and it will be an important aspect of several points made in the story and ensuing sequel, so I would highly suggest reading it in conjunction with A Promise Kept. It may not seem that way, but the names used to identify characters are used deliberately. I'm including a quote from Batman Begins as I feel it resonates strongly with the series.
Please read this link to my tumblr for an idea for how I will be handling the Regina/Henry dynamic.
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Chapter Notes: Thank you all very much for taking the time to read this series and your continued support! I cherish all of your comments, alerts and favourites. I love to read your thoughts! I apologize for the delay between chapters. Thanks for your patience and continued support- it means the world to me.
"…But I know the rage that drives you. That impossible anger, strangling the grief until the memory of your loved one is just…poison in your veins. And one day you catch yourself wishing the person you loved never existed, so you'd be spared your pain. Your anger gives you great power. But if you let it, it will destroy you."—R'as al Ghul, Batman Begins
Merlin glanced curiously at the woman named Emma. She was pacing furiously in the dungeon, throwing furtive and exasperated looks at the blank Looking Glass he and Morganna recently constructed. It was as if the item did Emma a personal affront. "Is something amiss?" He ventured.
Emma halted and gave him a condescending look so vile Merlin swore he felt the blood drain from his face. Morganna merely chuckled at the dark look. "Do forgive him, Miss Swan, he's usually not this observant." Merlin scowled as she flashed her teeth at him.
"Don't call me that," Emma growled at Morganna, shoulders hunching as she pouted.
Morganna smiled in a placating manner. "As you wish. Dear." There was something goading about her tone and Merlin jumped into action the same moment Snow did. Snow restrained Emma, whose arms were straining wildly for Morganna.
"Emma! You know she's just trying to upset you!" Snow wheezed with the effort of holding her daughter back. Their other two companions, Mulan and Aurora merely rolled their eyes at the exchange.
"Morganna," Merlin chided. "Behave," and he tilted his chin in his best impersonation of the woman.
A genuine laugh filtered through Morganna's lips. "I was only attempting to distract her. Is alleviating the tension an unwelcome act on my part?"
"You're deliberately saying things only Regina can say to me!" Emma fumed before realizing what she said and promptly all the fight drained out of her. Snow gave her daughter a mixed look of consternation and relief.
Morganna raised a hand to her chest in faux confusion but Merlin elbowed her to prevent another confrontation. She growled and stomped his foot in retaliation. "Leave it be," he hissed between his teeth.
"Do stop being an arse, then," Morganna retaliated. "She's worried for her son," she said in a softer tone. Merlin felt his chest constrict painfully.
Would Mordred look like him or Morganna? Would the colour of his eyes be the same as his mother's? Would he be doomed to magic like his parents? What kind of things did he like? Was he happy?
Emma resumed her pacing with increased mutterings under her breath, her agitation causing her feet to stomp with each step. Morganna had informed Merlin of the broad situation, and he knew that Emma's son had his other mother with him. Merlin had heard of the Evil Queen and he found it strange that he and Morganna were similar to Emma and Regina. He idly wondered if Emma felt similarly for her other half.
"Your son will be protected by your Regina," Merlin assured quietly.
Emma comically tripped over her own feet at his words. "She's not my Regina," she spluttered.
Merlin glanced at Morganna who wore a smug look, which was typical of her. "But you have a son with her," Merlin scratched his head. "Surely someone who you trust with your son is important to you."
Emma chewed her lip thoughtfully. "It's a bit more complicated than that." She looked deep in thought for several more moments. "But it's not him I'm worried for. I know Regina won't let him get hurt. She'll do something stupid like crushing her own heart or something before she lets him get hurt." Emma folded her arms irritably.
"I'm actually worried for Regina, too," Snow piped up, her eyebrows gently pulling together. Emma looked at her mother in shock. "Cora can be very persuasive…you know that, Emma. She can make anyone talk, and none of us have lived under her for years as Regina did. Even when her mother killed her fiancé, Regina couldn't hate her."
"Daniel?" Morganna started. Her hand grasped blindly for Merlin's and he wove their fingers together.
"Wait, Regina was engaged?" Emma demanded.
Snow stared at Emma for a moment before nodding. "Yes, it's the reason she hates me. I believed her when she told me he ran away and she married my father instead but she told me the truth right before I ate the poisoned apple." Her eyes cut to the side for a moment. "I always wondered why she told me that."
"Did she not know you told her mother about her and Daniel?" Merlin asked.
Snow nodded. "I told Regina about me letting Cora know right after Regina lied to me about Daniel. I was confused because Regina taught me about True Love and I knew she and Daniel were meant to be together. I even made a wish the night before—Emma, are you alright?" Snow's focus centered on Emma who had begun to rub her chest.
"I don't know," Emma admitted. "My chest hurts. Kinda like it did a little while after we got here."
Snow hastened to her daughter's side and fussed over her. "But not as bad as it was then, right?" Emma shook her head.
Merlin dropped Morganna's hand and went to join Snow in inspecting Emma. "It may be possible to ease the pain with magic," he offered. Emma nodded after a moment's hesitation. Merlin closed his eyes and felt the warmth of his magic tingle in his fingers. He brought his hand to hover in front of Emma's chest. Through his magic he could feel Emma's heart and the cause of her pain was eerily familiar. He dropped his hand.
Emma looked at him curiously. "Uhm, whatever you did didn't help."
"I know," Merlin answered. Emma frowned while Snow got a scared look in her eyes. "Don't fear—it's nothing that will kill you," he lied.
Emma's frown transformed into a scowl. "You're lying," she asserted.
Merlin pulled his head back in surprise. "It's not a physical malady," he explained. "It's a pain of heartbreak, of the soul," he said softly, and the sting of Morganna's betrayal ignited in his chest once more. "The pain happens to everyone, regardless of their affiliation to the light or dark, whether or not they have magic. Sometimes it happens when the soul is being torn, when it's trying to be in two places at once."
The gasp that ripped from Snow's lips brought the attention upon the slight woman. Her pale complexion had whitened further to the point that Merlin feared she may faint. He moved to her back to support her and felt her weight instantly lean into his body for support. Morganna strode over and laid the back of her hand on Snow's forehead. She grimaced and held out an arm to prevent Emma from shaking her mother.
"Steady, Emma. She's merely fainted. Merlin can bring her to if she doesn't wake by the time Henry contacts us through the Looking Glass. Trying to rouse her now could lead to dire consequences."
"What do you mean?" Emma demanded.
"There was something Snow thought of that she couldn't process or a sort of revelation she had. That kind of emotional turmoil caused her to faint and her heart needs time to accept that. If we don't allow her to deal with her feelings it will put a block on them and potentially never allow her to find peace," Morganna whispered while looking at Snow's face. "It's a possible side effect of going into Dreaming—it's more prevalent in those without magic. If the soul isn't strong enough, they'll go mad." Morganna let a disinterested look settle over her features, an eyebrow slightly raised. "I've killed many that way."
Merlin took a deep breath, let the implications settle over his mind.
"So you know the signs, then, so you can stop it, right?" Emma questioned tightly. "Even though you're mad at her?"
Morganna tore her gaze from Snow to look at Emma. "Yes."
Emma pursed her lips but the tension left her shoulders. She continued to look down at Snow in
concern for several moments before Merlin could feel Snow's body begin to stir in his arms. The woman groaned slightly and shook her head before she attempted to stand on her own feet. Merlin kept an arm positioned on the middle of her spine for support.
"Mom, are you okay?" Emma asked hurriedly. Snow's eyes sparkled as if the words were all she'd waited for. Merlin felt his throat constrict and he didn't need to glance at Morganna to know a similar pained expression was on her face.
"Yes, Emma," Snow replied. There was clarity in her voice that had been absent before, Merlin noted. It wasn't that Snow didn't have confidence in her words or actions but there was something in her tone that belied a new understanding and belief, one she didn't have before.
She sounded more like herself.
"I'm ready," Snow smiled. "Emma," she grasped her daughter's hands and brought them up between their faces. "Emma, honey, our family needs us. Cora's grip on Regina's heart is strong. We can't lose Regina again. We need to show her we believe in her. And after we've dealt with Cora, I can finally apologize to Regina because now I know how to apologize to her." The light shining from Snow's soul was so strong Merlin had to avert his eyes.
His eyes, like always, found Morganna's already waiting for him.
Regina rubbed a hand over her chest, something intangible causing it to ache. She mulled over the sensation as she brought her fingers up her crimson blouse, deftly buttoning the garment up. Her eyes drifted back up to her mirror and another tightening occurred in her chest, this one not painful at all. An image of an older Emma was reflected in her mirror, the woman lounging on Regina's bed, eyes fixated on Regina, a smile so soft on her face that it made Regina's eyes water.
Two drops, three circles clockwise, ring and middle finger. She focused on her technique for applying concealer, willing the voice in her head to overpower the one from her heart, calling her name, her ring finger twitching with a burn that she couldn't—wouldn't—satisfy.
Her hands automatically went to scrunch her hair, her lips forming a mild frown as the desired effect was muted. When had her hair grown so long? She'd let it grow the past few months, neglecting some of the aspects of her body that she normally paid scrupulous attention to. Regina leaned forward and poked at the bags under her eyes. They were blood-shot and there was a sag in her face, due to her lack of proper nutrition. She brought her comb to her hair with an almost violent fervor, raking it through her raven locks with a mindless intensity before growling and slamming the accessory on her vanity's counter, recoiling when the force busted the handle clean in half.
Regina gripped the edges of her vanity so tightly her tendons felt the strain within several seconds, but still she clung on, slamming her eyelids together until she saw the bursts of colour.
Today was the day she would face her mother again, her mother as Cora, not a facsimile of Snow. Today was the day she would have to make a choice again, between her mother and everyone else, between who she was and who she could be.
She was terrified.
Ever so gently, a warm weight settled on her hips, hesitant but sure. The fingers danced lightly across the bone, a terribly sad sort of waltz as they wound their way to her front and the feel of a body molded itself to her back, a chin dropping to the juncture between her neck and shoulder, the intimate trust forcing Regina's eyelids to decrease their pressure. A feeling of anguish fought for dominance across her features, the hold catering to a need Regina had longed for since what seemed like the beginning of her life.
She was tired of being alone and lonely. She wanted to be alone and together, with her son, with…with…
"You're not here." Her voice was garbled and she would have to fix her make–up. Regina lifted her chin and looked over her shoulder.
Emma wasn't there.
"Oh my!" Nova squeaked as her right arm was yanked and her body followed the force into something squishy and warm. She recovered quickly enough and wriggled her arm out of her captor's grasp only to feel a familiar skip in her chest as she perceived her kidnapper was none other than Grumpy, grumbling under his breath and gingerly rubbing his jaw.
She may have flailed a bit more than she intended. And actually clocked him a good one. "Grumpy, oh, dear, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you," she immediately said and moved forward to caress his jaw. He gulped loudly and got that adorable look in his eyes like when he was Dreamy.
Grumpy gently grabbed her forearms and brought them away from his face. "No, Nova, that's what you should do when someone grabs you out of nowhere. And in an alleyway." His fingers slid away from her arms.
Nova bit her lip in confusion. "But it's daylight. People don't go around kidnapping in broad daylight, or in the alleyway of Granny's." Grumpy sighed affectionately.
"Hey, Nova!"
Nova shifted her gaze to see that Grumpy had quite the following behind him. Henry Mills, who had just called exuberantly out to her, Ruby, Jiminy and a pretty girl she didn't know. "Hello, Henry. I'm guessing there's a reason you're all here to see me?"
Even though she had been waiting since the Curse broke for Grumpy to come see her.
Henry nodded rapidly and the pretty girl came up to stand by his side. "We need your help to construct a Looking Glass. Belle has the instructions for you and we set up the supplies and everything at the library."
"A Looking Glass?" Nova asked, intrigued. She knew that many residents wanted to go back to their old world but she kinda liked it better here. Once the problem with the town line was fixed, she could go explore the world like she had always drea—a lump rose in her throat and she pointedly fixed her gaze on Henry and not Grumpy. "Why do you need one?"
"Long story short, Snow is still trapped in our world and the person pretending to be her in Storybrooke is Regina's mother," Grumpy filled her in. "Snow already made a Looking Glass on her side and we need someone with magic to create one on our side. Gold and Regina staged a fight outside of Granny's a little bit ago to create a distraction while we get the mirror ready."
Henry looked anxious and Nova returned her focus to him. "Are you okay, Henry?"
"Yeah," he said. "It's just, I'm scared for my Mom. Cora's not good for her and she's trying to be brave and I want to be with her." Jiminy rubbed his hand reassuringly along Henry's back and it seemed to calm him for a moment.
Nova smiled. "I used to know Regina before she was the Evil Queen."
"What!" Everyone gasped around her and Nova jumped at the sheer incredulity behind the word.
"Well, I didn't really know her but she was kind and good and I was gonna be her guardian fairy but I didn't, well, Blue told me I wasn't ready for that responsibility." The shame she felt at being unable to accomplish even the most basic of tasks flooded her sensibilities.
"Wait, so Regina was supposed to have a fairy godmother or something?" Archie questioned slowly, like he was trying to put the pieces together.
"Yes, most people in our world had a fairy looking out for them, if they were pure of heart," Nova was pulled out of her memories. "I know Rumplestiltskin's son, Baelfire, had one, Blue, I think." She frowned. It was just a silly rumour, though.
Henry's mouth worked soundlessly for a moment before something dark and terrifying flashed across his face. "That wasn't in The Book. And if my mom was supposed to have a fairy watch over her, Daniel wouldn't have died and she wouldn't have been hurt and became the Evil Queen." His thunderous expression lifted. "But I guess I wouldn't have been born, otherwise. It just doesn't seem like it was worth it."
Belle placed her hands on Henry's shoulders before anyone else could speak. "Of course you're worth it, Henry, and I'm sure Regina would be the first to agree. You didn't ask for anyone to suffer for your sake, nor did you inflict pain upon them, so don't you ever feel bad about yourself. Living in the past or the future will never accomplish anything, but more pain. What you do in the present is what defines you, not the actions of others, your past or the possibility of tomorrow."
Contemplating her words, Henry looked down at the ground, maybe hoping that in it he could see the answers he was seeking. "She always lied to me, you know. But then she apologized to me and I've been trying to be like you guys, like the good guys from The Book." He looked up and his jaw trembled tremulously. "But I'm different. All my life I've been trying to be like others and thinking that no good person made mistakes and to take everything as I saw it to be. But that's not the way it should be. I may have come from a family of good people and was raised by someone who was evil but that doesn't make me who I am. I make my own choices. Regina showed me that. She's shown me that the past shouldn't be what defines a person, like you said, Belle, but what they're accomplishing now. And she's not just Regina, but my mom, too, and I know what I have to do. What I want to do." Henry stood a little taller and for a second, just a fracture of time, Nova could see in him the man he would become and the vision bought a tender smile to her lips.
"Let's go make that Looking Glass."
Emma had felt this before, more times than she'd care to admit. This feeling, like she crying, even though no tears were running down her face. There were so many times in her childhood where she would sneak out of bed, climb onto the roof and just sit, staring at the stars. Emma would wish that someone would come to save her from the life she led, shuffled in the system, that her parents would find her and tell her it was all just a big mistake and yes, they always wanted her and would she please forgive them?
She was still waiting on that.
The Curse of having no one, that was something she knew she shared with Regina, the woman possibly being the only one she knew that could ever understand what it was like. To be abandoned and betrayed by their own parents, albeit in different ways, was a pain so acute that even though Emma still had Mary Margaret with her, there was still an ache that gnawed at her mind. Emma wanted that house with her family, her childhood dream. She almost had it with Neal before…
She touched her necklace briefly. A reminder for her to never trust someone again. Since Henry came into her life Emma found herself eventually trusting him and others, to the point where she almost forwent wearing the necklace. Emma still felt the betrayal of letting Neal into her heart and him just…taking off, leaving her to take the rap for the watches. A part of her was just waiting for the ball to drop with everyone else in her life. Snow had started putting Emma first and tearfully told her to 'get used to it' but Emma couldn't choke the words out.
She had gotten used to it. It had happened before.
And, like always, it was taken from her. The ones she was to trust most always wound up breaking that trust, not trusting her, not believing in their love for each other. Emma had been betrayed by friends, lovers, and she was fighting to believe it would happen with her family. It hadn't happened before, but that didn't mean it wouldn't. Now, as Emma struggled with her conflicting emotions, she once more thought of Regina.
It was weird. She wanted to talk to Regina, like the woman would understand her or–or comfort her or something. Like they were friends.
Emma rubbed her ring finger absently, the sensation soothing her mind. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the wall. For a second Emma could feel her memories come alive, of afternoons spent kicking her heels against the Castle with Henry, nursing a cup of cocoa with Mary Margaret, saving Regina from fires…
"Wait, what!" Emma shrieked as her body and mind jolted awake. Her cry scared the rest of her companions out of their slumbers but she paid them no heed. That memory, it couldn't have been hers. Regina was trapped in a fire, but there was something different about her. Emma's mind wasn't scrambled, she was sure of it. She brought her fist up to her face and rubbed at her eyes. She just wanted to go home and have a burger and sleep in a bed and take a shower and see Henry and Regina. Emma seriously didn't think that was too much to ask for and how long did it take to construct a Looking Glass anyhow!?
"Not too long," Morganna stiltedly said.
Emma swiveled on her butt to gawp at Morganna. "Did I just—"
"—ramble out loud about remembering things that haven't happened to you and how much you miss home and Henry and Regina?" Snow stammered out in a fashion much like Mary Margaret. The familiar action made Emma grin wryly.
Before Emma got a chance to reply, the Looking Glass, nestled between Morganna and Mulan, began to emit a chime like the bells of a cathedral. The intricate golden casing pulsed with each chime and the glass itself began to shimmer, like it was a pool of water and Emma poked the middle of the water, the ripples traveling out the middle and growing bigger. It was funny how something so small would turn into something much larger. There was a metaphor in there, somewhere.
Emma quirked an eyebrow at her thoughts.
"Mom?"
Emma leapt off the ground and scrambled her way to stand in front of the mirror. Henry's reflection was already grinning wildly back at her. "Henry!" She squinted, trying to make out the blurs behind him.
"Snow!" Leroy and Ruby's voices fought for dominance while they squirmed their way into the visible portion of the mirror, Henry grunting as he got caught between them.
"Grumpy! Red!" Snow exclaimed and bounded over to Emma's side, bowling Emma over. She yelped, losing her balance but before she could bury her nose six inches into the dirt, Mulan caught her forearm and righted her.
"Thanks," Emma muttered.
"You're welcome," Mulan replied. She looked askance for a moment before unhooking her sword and its scabbard and offered them to Emma.
"Huh?" Emma eloquently expressed herself.
"This sword is enchanted. It can reflect magical attacks," Mulan explained.
"Uh, well, I appreciate the offer and all, but I'm not really that good with a sword. I kinda just, er, throw it. I'm more of a 'bullets of justice' kinda girl, which doesn't really work here or against magic, but that's what Regina and Gold are for," Emma shrugged.
"Emma, don't sell yourself short," Aurora said gently.
"You guys saw how well I did with Hook, and he's nothing compared to Cora," Emma dejectedly toed the ground.
"Your power may not be the same as Cora's or on the level of Hook's skill, but that doesn't mean that you cannot defeat them," Mulan said. She held Emma's gaze for a moment. It bolstered her resolve.
"Emma! Let's go," Snow eagerly called. "Mulan, will you and Aurora be alright guarding the Looking Glass without your sword?" She observed as Emma struggled with attaching the string for the scabbard through one of her belt loops.
Mulan nodded crisply. "Merlin already conjured up another sword for me in case of emergencies, and set up wards around the basement."
"We will keep it safe," Aurora reassured.
Emma growled in consternation before somehow magically succeeding in her quest to attach the scabbard to her jeans. She pumped her fist in muted triumph and loftily ignored the looks of everyone around her, and their 'well done, peasant' vibes.
"Go ahead and step through. You've nothing to fear," Morganna spoke as Emma warily eyed the glass.
"I'm not scared," Emma insisted and to prove it she took a giant step into the mirror, the effect being like stepping through water. Unfortunately the mega-Swan-step was too much for her to handle, and she lost her equilibrium nearly instantly, toppling the rest of the way into the mirror and crashing into Henry, Leroy and Ruby.
"Oof, Mom, you're crushing us!" Henry squirmed under Emma's left ankle. Thankfully she misjudged her fall even more so most of her body fell onto the space between Henry and Ruby.
"Hey, I'm barely even touching you," Emma pointed out and hefted herself off the ground and wasted no time picking her son up and twirling him around in happiness. "I missed you," she whispered into his hair.
Henry grinned up at her. "I missed you, too, Mom."
"A dwarf, cricket, werewolf and fairy are our reserve forces? Quite a menagerie of allies you've got, Henry," Morganna laughed. "Look at us, we're a nice little coven," she cooed at Merlin who rolled his eyes with the long-suffering look Emma was quite familiar with.
"You're going to the battle with us?" Archie asked.
"Mordred's whereabouts are unknown to us, plus we are unfamiliar with your land. Rumplestiltskin knows about Mordred and Arthur, so it makes more sense that we would join you," Merlin answered.
"Not because you have a bone to pick with Cora or to help Regina or anything," Snow snickered as Morganna looked to the sky.
"Of course not," Morganna said sternly. She looked back to Archie. "And you're not coming with. This will be a warzone with powerful magic. We cannot waste time and effort protecting you when you're next to worthless on the battlefield. I don't care if you're there as moral support or some other pathetic excuse you've got lined up. You lot are our reserves and we need this Looking Glass protected."
"No, if they want to come with, they can," Snow stubbornly insisted.
Emma clenched her jaw as Morganna and Snow began to bicker and everyone's voices rose with their opinions.
"EVERYONE, STOP IT!" Henry screamed at the top of his lungs and Emma yelped, shooting him a look as her ears rang. He was quite unapologetic.
"Let's stop wasting time and get to the Town Hall—my Mom and Mr. Gold need us," he said decisively and broke away from Emma to lead the way out of the library.
Emma smiled softly at her son even as her heart burned with uncertainty.
For someone who was lauded for her conniving ways, Regina had to admit she was surprised that her mother and Hook swallowed the bait so readily. Cora was second only to Rumplestiltskin so it must have been obvious that Regina was luring her away but Regina was confused as to why her mother followed her straightaway. Surely she wasn't expecting Regina to make a move so quickly?
Or perhaps she was. Cora knew that Henry was Regina's son, and the most important thing to her. Would she assist Regina in reclaiming him or would she do him away as she did with Daniel, a lesson in weakness already in motion?
Regina smiled ruefully as she and Gold stood in the middle of Town Hall, in the exact spot where Emma and Snow had fallen into the portal months before. The Mark burned on her palm, a stinging reminder that somewhere a Wraith was merely biding its time to reclaim her soul. David, Cora and Hook had trailed them immediately after the little ruse in front of the diner. Regina could only hope that Nova had been able to construct the mirror in enough time to bring Emma and Snow back because she was not quite sure she'd be able to handle Cora.
Cora as Snow, yes.
Cora as her mother…the mere thought sent a tremble through her body, an icy chill worming its way down her spine.
There were only so many things Cora could say as Snow that would hurt Regina, things she's heard time and time again, words she's told herself many times over.
But as her Mother…there were an infinite more ways Cora could wound Regina with words alone, methods to sway Regina back to her side, tiny little suggestions that would crawl in her mind, infect her sensibilities and take control of who Regina was. After the last several weeks with Henry and Jiminy, Regina found she was more frightened of losing herself, now that she was slowly fitting the pieces of who she was together. She didn't want to turn on her son, on Emma, on her friends.
Regina had friends. Like many other words in her world, 'friendship' was used lightly in this land, much like 'love'. There were people now who cared about her well–being, who believed in her and trusted her. Some were merely allies, reluctant or otherwise, some were acquaintances, some bordering in the in-between, but there was Henry. He hadn't returned her love through words but through his actions and the implications during their discussions, Regina knew he believed in her, and he had an affection for her.
And then there was Emma, the one who saw Regina as Regina, even after she had learned that Regina was the Evil Queen. Belle had begun to look past Regina's edges much as Emma had, and Jiminy even was beginning to understand her. Henry, even, who was her son, was Emma's son, had begun to be more than just that to Regina. He had started to become her friend, too.
For the first time since Daniel, Regina had true, legitimate friends.
Her left hand burned with the strength of her feelings and Regina was enraptured by the purple mist that began swirling between her fingers.
Magic.
It had returned to her.
Gold had told her to 'relax.'
Emma had touched her arm and her magic—her trust— had filtered through into Regina's and augmented her abilities. Just like in her dreams, visions…memories. The pieces were falling into place in her mind and gave Regina a clearer picture of just who she was. She would be tested sorely by Cora in the moments to come, and that, more than anything else that would crop up in her future, would determine her worth, her character, her destiny.
Regina didn't quite believe in a pre–determined plot of the universe. Yes, machinations by people, yes, some events that were fated to happen, but she could never quite make herself pretend that destiny was set in stone. Seers had warned others that the future did not always unfold as predicted.
And she would be damned if she would just curl up and wither away on the inside again.
Whether or not her memories were a vision of her heart's desire or future, Regina didn't care anymore. She could have that future, a Happy Ending and she would fight for it.
After all, isn't that what everyone fought for?
"It's no use running, Regina, you can't escape," Cora spoke, Snow's voice echoing in the empty building.
Gold leaned back slightly on his cane, a mild defensive posture that surely wouldn't slip Cora's notice. Hook was already glaring at Gold, an impressive poker face on his features.
Or maybe that was just a typical Emma Swan face, sometimes Regina couldn't tell.
David edged closer to Cora, sword already drawn and pointed toward Regina. The brash fool, Regina thought, aghast that her exasperation was laced with a mild fondness. Just like Emma and Henry, he was always itching for action. She would have to act quickly to ensure his safety when Cora got tired of her cover. If there was anything Regina knew about her mother, it was that she had an impressive well of patience when she was plotting something, but when it came to Regina, that well was nothing more than a bucket of anticipation.
Regina and Cora moved to their lefts in tandem, eyes scanning the area, taking in the environment for use in the upcoming battle. "I've been running my whole life; I think I know the difference between running and falling."
"…into a trap?" Hook peered up at Regina under Emma's eyelashes and she was quite impressed at the detail of make–up he applied to the face. "Did you seriously think we wouldn't see this as a trap? We've got you cornered, with nowhere to go, no way to teleport thanks to this," he smirked and did the dishonorable thing and dug into Emma's cleavage to produce a pinch of fairy dust.
Regina glowered at him. He would be punished for touching that which wasn't his.
"Well, it would seem that one of you actually has a head on their shoulders," Gold taunted, well aware of the fact that the fairy dust was contaminated and would break under a powerful spell.
Cora brought Snow's head back in an action that was easily hers. "Now, Regina, surely you don't think you can win? Do you think Rumplestiltskin will stick by you when you've outlived your usefulness to him? Once your deal has been completed? That Henry would choose you over us, his real family?"
And, of course, Cora would be cognizant of all there was to know about Regina, even after decades apart. The pain from Cora's words were whispers that cut themselves into her mind and heart daily, and they flared once more and Regina choked back a sob.
She would not cry.
She had to be strong.
"Face it Regina," Cora's own voice mingled with Snow's now, and it felt as if the room had darkened immeasurably and Regina was caught in the same nightmare from birth. "…you'll always be alone."
Alone.
Alone Alone Alone Alone Alone Alone Alone Alone Alone
…Alone…
…she's… Alone Alone Alone
Not.
Alone Alone Alone
Alone!
Regina tore her eyes open. When had she closed them? When had she gripped her head so tightly she could feel the blood trickling down her face? Whose voice had called to her?
"She's not alone!"
The tears kept falling down her cheeks as Henry's voice resounded in the Town Hall. She straightened, Gold's hand on her back steadying her. A crack echoed that shook the very foundation of the building and Regina blinked as black smoke erupted from the ground in front of her.
Regina opened her eyes to the sound of Snow, the true Snow White, drawing her bow within two feet of Regina's right side. Regina quickly took stock of all those who had appeared alongside her and Gold. Morganna and a man, presumably Merlin, were next to Snow, as was Leroy, standing in front of Archie and Nova. On her left was Belle, already positioned next to Gold, with Ruby in her wolf form snarling at Cora and Hook.
A circle of warmth grew from Regina's shoulder blade and she looked down to see her Henry looking up at her, his support shining from behind his eyes. He was slightly behind her and…
Regina looked at Emma as if she had never seen the woman before.
Emma leveled her sword at Cora. "You're damn right she's not alone."