Selena POV

So, Regina and I are about to embark on a journey to reveal the truth, or that's what she called it anyway. I called it my right to know, but there you go.

"Where are we going?" I asked as I quickened my pace to try and keep up with her. For a woman in heels she walked fast.

"Back to Emma's." She replied.

"Back to- but I-they're all going to think-" I panicked. She stopped walking then and turned to face me, placing her hands gently on my shoulders.

"They're going to think you're a wonderful young girl who had every right to get angry. They won't be judging you at all. Trust me." She smiled, a knowing glint appearing in her eyes.

"I hope you're right." I groaned.

"I'm always right. I'm your mother." She laughed. I rolled my eyes with a grin and walked briskly away from her.

"Hey! Wait up!" She called.

"Nope."

"Selena!"

"Well, I'm always gonna be a rebel. I'm your daughter." I smirked over my shoulder.

Regina knocked on Emma's door for the second time that day, smiling reassuringly at me as she did so.

"Hey." Emma said quietly as she opened the door.

"Hey." I mumbled.

"Come in." She said, standing back to allow us to pass.

Regina reached back and squeezed my arm as we walked into the apartment while Henry grinned at me from the sofa.

I cleared my throat. "Um..." I started as everyone turned to look at me. "I'm sorry for yelling at all of you." I announced to the room, a crimson flush erupting on my cheeks. "I was just..." I couldn't find the words.

"It's okay, sweetheart." Mary Margret said softly, coming to my rescue.

"Yeah, don't worry about it, Selena. You don't even need to apologise." Emma shrugged, giving me a lopsided grin.

"Aye, your mum sure had it coming." Killian winked as Regina glared at him and everyone else chuckled.

"And I don't know what you're talking about." David announced. I laughed.

"I was just as bad when Emma first got here." Henry shrugged, a small blush blooming on his cheeks too but Regina, tutting like a mother, hurried over to him and took his hands.

"Don't be stupid." She said simply, making me wonder what had really happened and whether I would ever find out. Or whether I would always be somewhat of an outsider.

"Anyway." Regina said, coming back over to me before turning to face the others. "I think it's time we tell her everything."

"Yeah, I think it probably is." Emma agreed.

"So, you're telling me, that Mary Margaret is Snow White, David is Prince Charming, Emma is their daughter and also the Saviour, Killian is Captain Hook and my mother is the Evil Queen?" I summarised, the lack of belief evident in my voice as Killian waved his hook at me, Mary Margaret and David gave me a small smile, Emma looked at the floor sheepishly, Henry gestured towards my book and Regina just stared at me.

"I know it's a lot to take in, but it is true." Emma said. "I was in your position once too. I didn't believe a thing until I saw magic for my own eyes. Maybe that's what you need." She said, looking towards Regina.

"Are you sure?" Regina asked Emma who simply nodded.

"Alright, Selena. Check this out." And with that, she spun her hand anti-clockwise and the fire in the fireplace roared as it grew higher and higher.

"Coincidence." I shrugged although inside my heart was beating 100 times faster.

"Fine." She said and spun her hand again, this time clockwise and the coffee table in front of us began to hover about 30 cm above the ground. I stared at it, my mind trying to comprehend what I was seeing.

"That's not-that's not possible." I whispered.

"It's magic." Regina replied, trying for a smile.

"It's lunacy!" I declared before jumping to my feet. "How can-how can this be real? It can't be!" I spluttered as Emma came forwards and placed her hands on my shoulders.

"Selena, listen." She said as she looked searchingly into my eyes. "I know it doesn't seem possible, but it is. I couldn't believe it either but I had to. Henry was about to die and the only way to save him was to fight a dragon, who's actually Maleficent by the way, and retrieve a bottle of true love put there by my father on Rumpelstilskin - Mr Gold's - orders." I stared at her. She was mad.

"Anyway, I got it and Regina was meant to be manning the lift but Gold had tied her up and he stole it. We were too late. Henry was dead." She continued, her voice dropping.

"You're crazy." I decided.

"No, I'm not. Anyway, he was... He was gone before I kissed him and he came back." She stumbled, giving Henry a watery smile.

"True love's kiss." David offered, glancin at Mary Margaret.

"True love's kiss?"I scoffed.

"Yes." David frowned, looking offended.

"Oh. Um, that's a thing?" I asked sheepishly.

"Yeah, it's a thing." Regina said, speaking for the first time in a while as she stared at the ground.

"So, does someone want to tell me why you all have different names then? If you're all from the Enchanted Forest or whatever you call it."

"You've already read why." Henry stated simply. "In the book."

"That stuff with Snow White and Prince Charming putting their kid in a tree?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

"That's me." Emma waved.

I sighed. "You did not come through a tree."

"Did too."

"Impossible."

"Nope, not impossible. Just magic." Emma grinned as I began to get frustrated. Was this just some mental cover story Regina had made up so I wouldn't blame her for leaving me?

"Okay, fine. Say magic does exist, it still doesn't explain why you abandoned me." I said, turning directly to Regina.

"I can explain." She sighed.

"Please do."

"Sit down, first."

"Regina-"

"Sit down." She demanded. I raised my eyebrows in shock. That was the first time she'd ever used anything but a calm tone with me. Or second. Maybe third. I shrugged and plopped myself down next to her.

"Actually, let's go to Emma's room." Regina decided.

"Regina!" I moaned.

"What? We need privacy!" She said indignantly before grabbing my hand and pulling me to my feet as I rolled my eyes in annoyance but inside, a small flicker of happiness fluttered inside of me as I experienced another small incident that came with having a mother.

"This is a truly heart warming moment." Killian sniffed, pretending to wipe a tear from his cheek. Emma shook her head with a smile as she mouthed an apology and swatted Killian's head playfully.

"Come on." Regina muttered. "We don't have time for the Handless Wonder's pitiful attempts at a joke." She said, her voice rising. I laughed as Regina turned to grin at me.

"Emma." Regina called as we approached the door to her room. "Call Mr Gold round, will you?"

Emma stared up at her. "Are you sure?"

"I think she'll want to see him." Regina replied simply.

"Alright." Emma sighed. "I'll be here if you need me."

"Thank you." Regina smiled at her before she tightened her grip on my hand and pulled me into the room, leaving the door to snap shut behind her.

"I want to know about my father." I demanded as soon as we got into the room. She smiled sadly at me.

"Well then, this is the story of how you were born." She said as she came and sat next to me on the bed. I waited for her to continue.

"Where I come from, the Enchanted Forest, I was a princess, the daughter of King Henry and Queen Cora. Cora, my mother, was a...strict woman. She didn't want me to be myself, she wanted me to have the life she couldn't have. She had been a miller's daughter, you see-"

"Wait." I interrupted. "The Miller's Daughter? As in from Rumpelstiltskin?"

She stared at me.

"Yes, I suppose so."

I shook my head in wonder. Could all this possibly be true? It didn't sound like it had been made up. But could I be sure that it wasn't some cruel joke? "Carry on." I said nevertheless.

"Right. My mother had to go through a lot in order to become Queen, including dealings with Rumpelstiltskin, yes. She wanted me to be a Queen. Wouldn't rest until I was. That's why she named me Regina, as in Queen. And so, everything I did, I only did because she approved of it. And even then she criticised every thing I did. Anyway, she had magic and she used it against me to make me fear her, to make me do her bidding. It hurt but there was nothing I could do. But there was one person other than my father who was on my side. His name was Daniel, he was the stable boy and I loved him with all my heart. Our relationship was completely secret as we stole kisses between meals and rode to the top of the hill which was our secret meeting place. We were so in love. But one day, when we were on the top of the hill, a young girl on a stray horse galloped by, screaming for help. I jumped straight onto my own horse and saved her and she told me her name was Snow White."

"Mary Margaret?" I asked in shock.

"Indeed. Snow was ten then and so she told her father, who immediately came to my palace and asked for my hand in marriage. I couldn't accept, I was in love with Daniel. But my mother accepted on my behalf. I could do nothing else but run to Daniel and tell him of my fate and tell him to marry me so we could run away together. And he did. He slipped a ring onto my finger and kissed me like he had never kissed me before. Just then though, Snow walked into the stable, saw us and ran off to tell her father. I panicked and ran after her, reached her and told her the meaning of true love and how I loved Daniel. She understood but I had to make her promise not to tell anyone. Especially not my mother."

"She broke her promise, didn't she?" I whispered.

"Yes, she broke her promise. She told my mother Daniel and I were planning to run away together. And so my mother came barging into the barn, tricked Daniel and I into believing she blessed the marriage and then ripped his heart out where he stood, right in front of me." Tears were spilling down her cheeks now as she fingered her wedding finger. I presumed she was remembering the ring Daniel had given her.

"She ripped - she ripped his heart out?" I gasped.

"Yes. Anyway, I was forced to marry Snow's father and become Queen, much to my disgust. I didn't belong there. He didn't care about me. Three weeks later, however, I discovered I was pregnant with Daniel's child. Panicking and not wanting Leopold to believe it was his, I sought out a sorcerer, someone who could conceal the bump. And I found Rumpelstiltskin, who later became my magic teacher. He used magic to conceal the bump for me so that anyone who looked at me would be unable to see it. Eight months later and I had given birth to a beautiful baby girl." She paused then and smiled at me, tears threatening to leak from her eyes again as I gave her a small smile.

"I knew I couldn't raise the child in the palace, not without Leopold being the father and so I planned to run away. To find an isolated place in which I could bring you up and be the mother you deserved.. But it didn't work out that way. Rumpelstiltskin and my mother had concocted a plan which would - would take you away from me." She continued, her voice beginning to crack. I placed my hand on her arm, a silent encouragement.

"So on the evening of your birth, he appeared in my room and took you from my arms. Crying, I begged him to let me have you, to send me with you to this land without magic which was his plan. But he refused, telling me he needed me here. I tried to fight him but my magic was nowhere near powerful enough. He took you." She said, crying properly now. I edged closer awkwardly, not knowing whether or not to take her hand.

"I only had time to scribble your name down hastily on a piece of paper and put it with your blanket. When I did that, however, I enchanted you."

"You what?" I yelped, springing away from her. She looked at me, hurt evident on her face but not shock. She must have known I'd reacted like this.

"Enchanted you. I put a spell on you to ensure that you wouldn't start ageing until the day I gave up looking for you and that you would be protected from sight until that day. So in some ways, you were sort of frozen in time."

"How long have I been on Earth?" I whispered.

"Selena-"

"How long?" I yelled.

She looked guiltily at me. "Forty years perhaps."

"Forty years." I repeated, shocked.

"I'm sorry. But I wanted to be your mother and finding you as a baby would be the best way to do that."

I nodded. In some ways, it seemed like the kindest thing to do.

"Anyway, Rumpelstiltskin wanted me to cast the Dark Curse, the curse that brought everyone here, to Storybrooke. And I agreed, partly for revenge on Snow and for my own victory, but mostly for you. I knew you had been sent to this land and I thought by casting this curse, I would be able to reach you. And so I cast the curse and ended up here, with a hole in my heart that could only be filled by a child. For 18 years I was alone, trying to find you. But I couldn't. It almost felt like there was something blocking you from me. And so, I decided to adopt Henry so I could fill that gaping hole in my heart. The day I did, however, was the day the spell I cast on you broke and you began to age because it saw me adopting Henry as giving up on finding you. Which was not true, of course."

I nodded again. "Somehow, I believe you." I said aloud, knowing as I said it that I meant every word. The emotion and depth behind her voice couldn't possible be a lie.

"You do?" She asked disbelievingly.

"I do. What happened next?"

"Well, you know most of it. On her 28th birthday, Emma came to Storybrooke and broke my curse. We were enemies for years before we became friends and Emma became set on finding me my happy ending. It was then, this year I mean, that she found the article about you. And so I came to England, and, well, you know the rest." She finished.

"How did Emma find the article but you couldn't for more than 28 years?" I frowned.

"I'd like to know the same thing." She replied. "Although I do believe that is a question for Mr Gold."

"Rumpelstilskin?"

"Yes." She smiled, obviously pleased that I seemed to be believing her. Despite believing her, I still wanted proof. So I kept pressing her.

"Why isn't this story in the book?" I questioned. "Emma's is."

"Because no-one knew about you." Regina replied simply. "But as Henry is the new author, I'm sure he'll add it in." She smiled.

"The new author? What does that mean?"

She laughed. "It's a long story and I have a lot to tell you before we get to that point."

"Fair enough." I grinned.

"Any more questions?" She asked.

"A ton." I groaned, falling back onto the bed.

"Well, please go-"

The door burst open suddenly and Emma popped her head round.

"Regina, Gold's downstairs."

"Ah, Selena." Mr Gold smiled as he stood up to greet me.

"Mr Gold." I said stiffly, ignoring his outstretched hand, causing him to smirk at me.

"Mr Gold? I haven't been addressed so politely for a long time." He mused.

"Don't get used to it." Regina growled behind me.

"Sit down, sit down." Gold gestured to the sofas after smiling wryly at Regina.

"This isn't your house, Gold." Mary Margaret piped in.

"Of course not." He smiled as he sat down, resting his cane against the sofa. I sat down too, Regina sitting next to me.

"I have questions." I declared.

"I'm sure you do." He replied smoothly.

"Right...well, first off, I want to know why Regina couldn't find me but Emma could."

"That, dearie, is irrelevant."

"Not to us, it isn't." Regina snapped.

Gold laughed humourlessly and dipped his head. "Fine. Emma could find your daughter because she's the Saviour. It's her job to find everyone's happy endings and Selena is a big part of yours." He said in a matter-of-fact tone. I nodded. It was good enough for me. But apparently not for Regina.

"There's more to it than that. I know there is." She pressed.

"What ever do you mean, dearie?"

"It was like the answer kept slipping away from me. Like it was in my hand but I couldn't grasp it. It felt like...like magic." She said narrowly, glaring at Gold.

"Hmm...well, Cora did enchant her so you'd never find her-"

"SHE DID WHAT?" Regina yelped as she jumped to her feet.

"Stopped you from finding Selena." He said smoothly.

"And you- and you helped her?" Regina asked, now trembling with rage.

He shrugged. "It was in my best interest at the time."

"In your best interests?" She seethed. "Who gives a damn about your best bloody interests?!" Regina screamed. I just stared at her. I had never seen her so angry.

"Me." He said simply.

"Why, you twisted little imp, I'll-" Regina growled moving towards him. I jumped up and grabbed her arm, Emma doing the same with her right.

"Regina, stop." Emma said loudly.

"But he-he..." Regina shouted, stumbling slightly due to her anger.

"I know." Emma said soothingly. "But there are other ways to get revenge." Regina turned slowly to look at her, ignoring Gold's smug face.

"Well, however true that may be Swan, I think I'll get a bit of my revenge right now." She said sweetly before turning around to glare at Gold again.

"Regina." I said softly. She froze and gazed down at me. "Regina, not now." I muttered.

"Selena, this man is-" She began.

"I know what he is. But we need answers and he won't give them to us if you blast him with a fireball or something." I argued.

She sighed. "Fine. But only because you asked me to." She sat down suddenly then and resumed glaring daggers at Gold.

"Well." Gold said pleasantly. "She certainly didn't get her her wise streak from you."

Regina growled low in her throat, sounding like a lion about to pounce. I placed my hand gently on her arm and felt her relax slightly but her gaze on Gold never wavered.

"We're not done." I said curtly.

"No, I didn't think we were. Please do go on." He smiled.

"I want proof." I said quickly.

"Proof?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. "Whatever do you mean?"

"I...I want you to show me. I want you to show me what happened." I said, my voice wavering slightly with both fear and guilt as I glanced at Regina's face.

"Selena...I thought you believed me?" She said quietly.

"I do!" I said hastily. "I just want someone to show me."

"Why can't I?" She asked, still frowning.

"Because only he was there for everything."

"What do you mean?" She asked again. "He wasn't with me while I was pregnant."

"I have a feeling he was watching." I said wryly. We both turned to face Gold expectantly.

He just carried on smiling. "Like I said, she didn't get her wise streak from you."

Regina sat frozen, seething in her seat, apparently too furious to move.

"You were watching." She said slowly.

"Indeed I was, dearie." He smiled.

"I'm going to - I'm going to kill you." She said quietly, no humour in her voice.

"Regina!" Mary Margaret exclaimed.

"Shut it, princess." Regina snapped. I stared at her. How had she changed so quickly?

"Regina." David said warningly, getting to his feet.

"Sorry, Charming, did I hurt poor ickle Snow's feelings?" Regina asked mockingly, her eyes snapping up to meet his. Emma rose to her feet, glaring at Regina while Henry met my gaze with a worried look.

"Regina, stop." Emma said.

"Yes, dearie. You're not setting a very good example for your kids, now are you?" Gold smirked.

"Talk to me about my children again and I will rip your heart out where you stand." Regina growled, moving towards him. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. This was my mother?

"Now I can see you as the Evil Queen." I said quietly. Regina turned to stare at me, the anger draining from her face and shock, guilt and sadness replacing it.

"Selena, I-" She began.

"Not even the Evil Queen." I said loudly. "Just another bully."