Regina awoke the next morning to the scent of waffles filling the air, an aroma that, thankfully, didn't make her sick to her stomach. After nearly an hour of tossing and turning, she'd reluctantly applied Emma's advice and fell asleep within a matter of minutes. Much as she'd hate to admit it, it had been a far more relaxing slumber than the hospital bed the night before.
From down below, Regina heard muffled voices as Emma and Henry continued to prepare breakfast. A low guffaw echoed through the house, though Henry tried his best to stifle it. Regina hadn't heard what it was that was so funny, but assumed the worst if he was with Emma; most likely something grossly inappropriate or embarrassingly infantile. And yet, there was something rather comforting in hearing her son so happy.
Tossing the covers to the side, Regina swung her legs over the bed and stretched her arms towards the ceiling. She paused for a moment as a dizzy spell washed over her, leaned against the nightstand in an effort to steady herself. When the room stopped spinning, Regina grabbed her bathrobe, tied it around her ever expanding waist, and headed for the staircase.
The closer she drew to the kitchen, the louder her stomach growled.
"Hey," she heard Emma reprimand. "Save some for the rest of us."
Getting ready to turn the corner, her hands in the pockets of her robe, Regina stopped in front of the hallway mirror and glanced at her reflection for the first time in two and a half days. She'd been dreading this moment, terrified that along with her life, her reflection would be yet another reminder that she was as stranger in her own body.
Aside from the length of her hair and the fullness of her cheeks, Regina was relieved to find that her appearance hadn't changed too drastically. Her laugh lines were a bit more pronounced and the crinkles around her eyes somewhat bigger, marks of the the years that had passed. On the outside, Regina was the same person she'd always been.
"Well, I see you two have gotten an early start to the day," Regina said as she shuffled through the doorway.
Still chewing on his third strip of bacon, Henry pulled out Regina's chair for her and gestured for her to sit. "Ma made French toast!" He eclaimed. "Don't worry, you're gonna love it," he promised when he saw the apprehension in Regina's face.
She watched as Emma set down two large plates, one with waffles and one with French toast. Scanning the various items on the table, Regina huffed slightly. "Don't tell me this is a normal spread? There's hardly anything green. And where is the fresh frui—"
Regina fell short when Emma returned with a platter of sliced bananas, apples, and peeled oranges. "Fresh from the garden," the blonde informed as she took her seat across Henry. "Well, the apples are. Everything else is store-bought."
All the food was set and everyone sat in their usual places. For a moment, it felt like any other morning; like any second now, Henry was going to challenge Emma to a waffle-eating contest while Regina rolled her eyes and made a comment about "childish behavior." Or that Emma would reach for the last piece of French toast and Regina would stop her, block Emma's fork with her own.
When Regina simply stared at the miniature feast that laid out before her, Emma remembered that it wasn't like every other morning. It wouldn't be for a while.
"I wasn't sure how hungry you'd be," Emma began before reaching to fill Regina's glass. "Tried to cover all the bases: meat, eggs, bread, fruit," she said with a slight smile.
Unable to tear her eyes away from the plate of bacon, her mouth watering at the sight, Regina cleared her throat and said, "What, erm… what do I normally eat?" Only after she'd said did she realize how foolish she sounded.
"When you're hungry, everything," Henry chuckled. A sharp hiss escaped his lips as Emma kicked his leg under the table.
"Eat whatever you're hungry for," Emma murmured assuringly. "No rules here."
"Yes, I can see that," Regina muttered.
Emma and Regina had shared many meals over the years, and though the blonde often teased the brunette for her prim ettiequte, it wasn't until now that Emma truly felt bad about it. Watching Regina sit with her back pencil straight, her forearms barely resting against the table, a fork in knife in separate hands— Emma could almost see the concentration in Regina's face.
"I've gotta go into the station today," Emma began as Regina continued to cut her food in nearly equal portions. "There's some… stuff that I need to take care of."
"By 'stuff,' I assume you mean my mother," Regina said without looking at Emma. "I thought so," she quipped when she noticed Emma's lack of denial. "In that case, I'll be going with you."
Henry and Emma exchanged a brief moment of shared uncertainty. "Are you… are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, you heard Whale. Too much too soon can—"
"Oh, what does he know? He got his degree from a curse," Regina said dismissively. "Besides, if Cora is the one responsible for all of this, I think I have a right to find out why, don't you?"
"Fine," Emma said somewhat curtly. "There's just one thing I gotta take care of before we go."
"Tell me again, dearie, just why is it you needed my assistance when we both know you are more than capable of defending yourself?" Gold followed Emma begrudgingly down Main Street, the Savior marching boldly, fueled by fury.
One hand resting on her holster, Emma stared out at Granny's Bed and Breakfast as she spoke. "We don't have time for 20 questions, Gold."
"Oh, I think we do. If you want my help," Gold replied in a steely tone.
With an aggravated sigh, Emma put it in the simplest terms she could. "Hook isn't afraid of me by myself, but the two of us— I figure that's enough fire power to get him talking."
"Ah yes, the Dark One and the Savior. A truly destined duo."
Stopping in her tracks, Emma spun around and glared at the wizard. "Look, you didn't have to come. If you don't want to help, fine. Go. But I've got a feeling you hate this guy just as much as I do, if not more. As the Savior— hell, as the sheriff, I'm giving you a free pass to do whatever it is you wanna do to him." They stood there for a moment in a silent standoff, Emma daring Gold to walk away. The Dwarfs scurried by, every one of them felt the tension that lingered between Emma and Gold.
It was true, Emma could do this on her own. She'd confronted evil far bigger and far more powerful than Killian Jones. She'd fought a dragon, had faced Peter Pan, had defeated the Darkness. But it was also true that the two of them had more power combined. There was more to the story than what Cora had told her, Emma could feel it.
Eventually, Gold relented. He nodded to Emma in a curt manner, as if he'd just been given an order by a superior and was rather unhappy about it. In a rare moment of compromise, the Dark One gestured for Emma to lead them again as he trailed behind.
When they got to the room, Emma banged on the door with a closed fist. As if propelled by adrenaline, she pulled her gun out of its holster, and kicked down the door. "Hook?" She called out as she searched the room. "Hey! Guyliner!"
Gold emerged from the bedroom and shook his head. "Nothing," he half-growled.
Emma let out a mirthless scoff. "Figures. Bastard probably skipped town the second he heard Cora was here." Pressing her hands down against the wooden dining table, Emma cursed herself for not putting Hook under surveillance sooner. Without warning, Emma one of the chairs and let out a gruff, "Dammit!"
Gold, meanwhile, remained calm. "Cora said she doesn't know who has her heart?" Emma nodded. "And now, the only other person who might have had any information is gone? How convenient. Of course, it's not exactly a surprise. Something like this happening, to Regina of all people…" Gold thought aloud.
At Gold's furrowed brow, Emma stood up straighter. "What?"
Shaking his head, Gold said, "If you don't mind, I think I'll join you in speaking with Cora."
It wasn't without great reluctance that Emma gave into Regina's request to walk to the station on her own. Emma never had any say in what Regina did, she knew better than to try now. She was worried, though. She couldn't help herself. She couldn't stop thinking about all of the things that could go wrong in the five minute route from their house to Main Street.
To her immense relief, Regina arrived unharmed. If anything, she even seemed relaxed, refreshed. Emma could tell that Regina had taken a shower since breakfast, her hair shinier and blow-dried; the scent of her shampoo sent Emma back in time to when they first met.
Emma met Regina at the door and gestured to Gold. "Don't worry about him," she said when she saw Regina's lip begin to curl. "He's on our side." Whether it helped or not, Emma couldn't tell. "Are you ready?" Regina simply nodded, expressionless. Emma suppressed the overpowering urge to lead Regina by the hand, and instead, stepped aside and opened the path.
"Regina," a voice beckoned. "Is that you?"
Suddenly, the whole room shifted and all Regina could see was her mother. Cora sat in her cell, her back against the wall, her hands cuffed together. Wearing the same clothes she'd died in, she looked as if time had stood still.
Regina's legs carried her forward, as if they had a mind of their own. "Mother?" she inhaled sharply. The word slipped from her lips with the same disbelief as the day before, the same wonder and confusion.
Now standing at the edge of her cage, nodding slowly. "Regina. I'm… I'm so sorry." Her eyes fell to the swell in Regina's abdomen, felt the sting of tears as she realized.
It sounded sincere, but a small voice inside of Regina told her to tread carefully. "You… you died. In my arms. I held you as you took your last breath," she said as she shook her head.
"You don't remember?" Cora sighed sadly. "In the Underworld… you and your sister. You both forgave me. You allowed me to move on."
"I don't understand. How are you here?"
Avoiding Regina's question, Cora looked to Emma. "You went to the pirate, I assume? Did he say anything?"
"Nothing," Emma grumbled. "He's gone."
"Hook?" Regina echoed. "What the hell does that mangy pirate have to with anything?"
Emma offered Regina a sympathetic look. There was so much Regina didn't know, so much Emma had to fill her in on. It hadn't even been two days yet and Regina was… well, being Regina.
Regina turned back to Cora, unable to sort through her racing thoughts. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. "Mother. How did you get here?" She asked again, this time with more force.
"Don't leave us in suspense, dearie," Gold poked.
"And don't even think about lying," Emma threatened. "Your daughter's been teaching me a thing or two about magic."
Not only was she confined in a metal box, but Cora was now surrounded. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't escape. And though she no longer possessed her heart, a shimmer of guilt flickered in her eyes. Cora parted her lips in preparation for a confession.
In a soft voice, Cora shook her head. Right when it seemed as if she were about to offer an explanation, the same coldness she once embodied, the coldness Regina had grown up with, returned with a vengeance. Regina saw the shift in Cora, the flicker of bitterness in her eyes, recognized the abrupt change. Almost instinctively, she shot an arm out in front of Emma, as if to protect her. Emma, meanwhile, attempted to put herself between Cora and Regina for the same reason.
Standing up a little taller, holding her head a bit higher, Cora smiled wickedly at the group. Glancing over at the clock, she hummed, "God, this is exhausting. I'll admit, I'm a bit disappointed in you. You have quite the reputation. I'd have thought you'd surely be a bit quicker. Some Savior you are." Turning to Regina, Cora's grin only grew wider. "It really is a pity about your memories," she sighed. "I assure you, this was the least painful route.
"Ah, Rumplestiltskin. Long time no see," Cora nodded cordially to Gold. "I seem to recall you were a bit… scalier last we met."
Gold had crossed paths with many people in his existence, some of whom left longer lasting marks than others. Though the woman standing before him looked and sounded like Cora, he knew for a fact it was not her.
"Where is Cora's heart?" Gold asked in a clipped manner.
Cora let out laugh. "You know better than that, Rumplestiltskin. Telling you would take away the fun."
Emma could practically feel Regina's heart beating, could hear the woman's staggered breaths. "Who are you?" The Savior asked.
"Does that really matter?" Cora countered. "There's nothing you can do."
Frowning deeply, Emma put the pieces together. "You sent Hook here," she breathed. "You set us up." When Cora replied with a tight-lipped smirk, Emma's hands curled into fists at her sides. "You took Regina's memories— you took away everything!" Her body vibrating with rage, Emma fought the urge to lunge at Cora. "She's pregnant for Christ's sake!" Her chest felt as if it were about to explode, but Emma kept going.
Unfazed by Emma's show of anger, Cora remained still. "It's amazing isn't it? The lengths a mother would go to protect her child, to care for it. And what do they get in return? An ungrateful, impudent daughter who doesn't understand that mother always knows best."
Gold examined Cora curiously, silently. It didn't take long for him to realize who it was they were truly speaking to. "Gothel," he hissed.
"In the flesh," Cora said with a proud curtsey.
"I thought you'd been turned to dust."
Cora waved a hand dismissively. "Oh that? That was just… a hiccup. I assure you, I've never been better."
"Is that so?" Gold countered. "In that case, why don't you show yourself? Why hide behind Cora?"
"A girl's got to maintain some mystery," Cora said coyly.
Peering over at Emma and Regina, both of whom were completely and utterly lost, Gold held out an arm like a circus master and motioned to Cora. "Ladies, it is my extreme displeasure to introduce you to Mother Gothel."
AN - Idk what's happening here. I couldn't stop myself.