Regina was in her second trimester now, not so far along that she had to leave all the barn chores to Daniel and the hired hands but far enough along that she wasn't able to ride anymore. Henry was becoming more accepting of his unborn sibling as Regina's morning sickness subsided, although he still refused to listen to anyone who told him it might be a girl. Ruth, Regina, and Daniel all had to deal with Henry asking on a daily basis when James was going to come back, and none of them ever had an answer.
One night, Daniel woke up to the sound of Regina muttering something softly about being good. He opened his eyes and leaned closer to her. He heard her whispering, "Please stop, mother. I'll be good. I promise. Please don't hurt me." Then she screamed.
"Regina, stop!" She screamed again. Daniel sighed and wrapped his arms around her and put his hand over her mouth to keep Henry from hearing his mother scream. The nightmares were happening a few times a month now, which was nothing compared to the every other night they'd been happening in the earliest days of their marriage. And considering how recently she'd seen Cora, it was a miracle that it wasn't worse.
When Regina's eyes opened, Daniel uncovered her mouth and she burst into tears. He sighed and just pulled her closer. He hated seeing her like this, but never said so because it was obviously worse for her.
"Daddy?" Daniel's heart dropped as Henry stepped into the room clutching his stuffed horse. "Why did Mommy scream?"
"She just had a nightmare, Henry."
The little boy rubbed his eyes and went over to the bed. "About what?"
"About…a monster."
Henry climbed up on the bed and crawled as close to his parents as he could. "It's okay, Mommy. Monsters aren't real."
If only he knew.
"Here," Henry put his horse down on his mother's shoulder and patted it. "Mr. Horsey will make you feel better."
Daniel smiled. "Are you sure you don't need Mr. Horse, Henry? Mommy will be okay. She has me."
"I'm sure," Henry insisted. Then he leaned over and kissed his mother on the cheek before sliding down from the bed and running over to the door. Once he reached the doorway, he stopped in his tracks and ran back over to the bed.
"I think I do need Mr. Horsey after all." He climbed back up, and instead of grabbing his horse and leaving, he laid down on the narrow empty space on the bed behind Regina. Daniel just smiled. When Regina noticed Henry was in the bed, she scooped him up and put him down between his parents. And that's how they fell asleep. For now, at least, they all had each other.
At James and Abigail's castle, James had discussed his information about the curse with the blue fairy and together they had called a meeting at the castle to discuss it, notably discluding their fathers for the time being. Reul Ghorm had brought Jiminy Cricket, who advised that giving into one's dark side never accomplishes anything. Some of his knights questioned whether the dark one should be trusted at all, but the fairies insisted that the animals in the forest were abuzz with the witch's plan: it was going to happen. They insisted that there was no point in fighting with Cora at this point. "No," said James. "I refuse to believe that. Good can't just lose."
"Yes it can," said Abigail sadly, thinking of her lost love.
James turned to her and whispered, "No. If we believe the dark one about the curse, then we must believe her about Daniel and Regina's child. Everything is going to be okay."
Before Abigail could respond, some knights walked in pulling a platform with a tree on it.
"What the hell is this?" asked James.
The blue fairy spoke up. "Our only hope of saving the child."
One of the knights scowled. "A tree? Our fate rests on a tree?"
"The tree is enchanted," explained the blue fairy. "If fashioned into a vessel, it can ward off any curse." She turned to the royal craftsman. "Geppetto, can you build such a thing?"
"Yes," said Geppetto. "I can do it."
"This will work," said the blue fairy to James and Abigail. "We all must have faith." The couple exchanged a hopeful glance. "There is, however, a catch. The enchantment is indeed powerful, but all power has its limits. And this tree can protect only two."
"I'm sorry, Mommy."
Regina turned around. Henry was standing right behind her in the barn aisle looking very guilty.
"Sorry for what?"
"I asked Ruth when James is coming back and she started crying."
Regina sighed. "It's okay, Henry. Go find Daddy."
"Okay."
Regina set down the wheelbarrow full of hay she'd been distributing and went inside.
"Ruth?" whispered Regina quietly as she nudged open the door to the house. Ruth didn't respond, but Regina could hear her crying so she went in anyway. The older woman was sitting on a chair by the fireplace hugging her chest. Regina walked over and put her arms around Ruth.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"I hope you never know this pain, Regina," Ruth whispered. "Knowing your husband is dead and you may never see your son again…" Regina shuddered a little at the thought. "Sometimes I almost wish I could just forget…"
Regina was startled at the sudden confession coming from the woman who's biggest defense was usually masking her pain.
"One time a woman like you paid my mother for a potion that made her forget she ever knew her lost loved ones," said Regina. "The woman did forget about her husband and child and the pain that losing them had caused her, but she also forgot how to love. She died a bitter lonely old hag. In some ways, our pain makes us who we are."
Ruth smiled. "When did you become so wise?"
"Mama! Ruth!" Henry threw open the door and bolted inside. "Come…look…here…amazing!" He ran back out. Both women had to laugh a little.
"That's overexcited even for him," said Ruth. "Did that horse of yours give birth, maybe?"
"No, I was just with her. I would have noticed she was in…"
Regina's jaw dropped when she saw who was outside talking to her husband and holding her son. When Ruth stepped out after her and saw, she almost fell over.
"Mother!" cried James. He set Henry on the ground, ran over, and pulled Ruth into an embrace. She half-fell into his arms and started to cry again.
"We never thought we would see you again, James," said Regina quietly. Then she walked away and let mother and son have their moment. A blonde woman on horseback was now chatting with Daniel.
"Regina, this is Princess Abigail, James's new wife."
Regina curtseyed. "It's an honor to meet you, your highness."
"Please call me Abigail," said the princess as she dismounted. "We're all friends here."
"Would you like us to see to your horses?" Daniel offered.
"That would be wonderful, thank you."
The next few hours were pleasant. James enjoyed introducing Abigail to the most important people in his life and being back home in general. Abigail and Ruth got to know each other a bit, and Henry insisted on staying in James's lap the whole time, which fortunately he and Abigail both found charming.
"So, James, if you're supposed to be a prince now, where's your crown?" asked Henry.
"Our crown and our royal carriage stayed behind at the palace because we didn't want anyone to know we're here. This is a secret visit."
"You can't go back to the palace," said Henry. "Why would you come back here just to leave again?"
James sighed. "Mother, could you please take Henry out of the house? There's something Abigail and I need to say to Daniel and Regina alone."
"For how long?"
"I'm not sure," said James. "You'll know when it's okay to come back in. We'll talk more before I leave. I promise." Reluctantly, Ruth took Henry outside for a walk. James turned and looked at Abigail. She smiled to tell him it was time.
"We have something important we need to talk to the two of you about," Abigail began. "I suggest you sit down, Daniel." Daniel, who'd been getting a refill of water for himself, sat down next to his wife. Abigail looked to James to continue.
"Our biggest reason for coming here wasn't to visit. There's something we need to tell you. You're not going to like this." Daniel and Regina both looked up at him worriedly, James sighed, hating himself a little for doing this to the young couple. Especially Regina. He knew how scared she was of Cora as well as anyone. "It's about your mother," he finally said. Regina's face turned white.
"What about her?" asked Daniel. "I thought that when you captured the dark one, dark magic would stop."
"And in some part, it has," said James. "But unfortunately, Cora is now the most powerful witch in the realm. She plans to cast a powerful curse that's going to affect all but two of us."
No one spoke for a minute. "Who are the two that will be safe?" asked Daniel. Regina looked as pale as a ghost.
"It depends. The dark one told us before we captured him that the only way to ensure that the curse will be broken is to get your child to safety. Why yours specifically I don't know, but we only have a way for two people to avoid the curse. It's up to you who goes with Henry and who stays."
Regina and Daniel quietly grasped each others hands. "What will happen to us during the curse?" asked Daniel quietly.
"From what I've heard, we'll all be taken to another realm," said James. "The dark one didn't tell me very much about the curse, and the information that Cora herself has released is very vague."
"And Henry and whoever goes with him will also be taken to this other realm, but will not be affected by the curse?" said Daniel.
"From what I understand, yes," said James.
Daniel turned to his wife, who hadn't said a word and looked more numb than anything. "Regina, you have to go with him." Regina shook her head. "I mean it."
"I can't raise two children alone in an unknown realm," Regina whispered tearfully. "I need you."
Daniel grasped both of Regina's shoulders. "We'll have to be separated anyway, and if you don't go, Cora will have power over you."
"And if I do go, Cora has power over you."
James and Abigail glanced at each other. "You'll have some time to think about this decision," Abigail assured the couple. "The wardrobe won't be ready for another few months."
"But definitely before the curse is cast," James added quickly and uncertainly.
Neither Daniel nor Regina said anything.
"Thank you for the warning, James," Daniel finally said. James and Abigail took this as their cue to say goodbye and leave.
Ruth got to spend a little more time with her son and daughter-in-law before they returned to the palace. Inside, Daniel and Regina, both slightly dizzy with shock, tried to carry on as normal for the rest of the day. Even Henry, who was mostly sulking over the fact that James was leaving again, asked his parents several times, "What's wrong?" For now they just told him they were sad because they missed James, but Henry seemed to sense that they were worried too. It took them longer than usual to get him to fall asleep that night.
When James and Abigail arrived back home, King George was waiting to have dinner with them. He kept giving James dirty looks during the meal, as if he knew where they'd been. Abigail helped by going on and on about how they were visiting a hospital near the city and how careful she'd been to stay away from the sickest children in case she happened to get pregnant, and how much a particular little boy adored James and climbed into his lap and asked about his crown. King George mostly asked questions about the dreaded plans for James and Abigail to start a family. They were planning on waiting for their one-year anniversary to start trying, because they would be more prepared by then, they said, "But you never know," Abigail assured George with a mysterious glint in her eye.
Later that night, James and Abigail were getting undressed for bed.
"You know you can't possibly be pregnant already, right?" James teased.
"Oh really?" Abigail retorted dryly.
"Yeah, you know…when a bird and a bee love each other very much…"
Abigail smacked James playfully with a pillow. "You know we have every reason not to want to risk starting a family yet. Our baby would probably be cursed before it was even born."
"I absolutely agree," James reassured her. Even though he knew the real reason that she didn't want to do anything that could possibly result in a pregnancy was that she was still in love with Fredrick.
"I feel horrible about what we did to Daniel and Regina."
"We did the right thing," James insisted. "It's awful, but they need to know."
"But did they really need to know now?"
James didn't answer. He just rolled over and pretended to sleep.
His choices in life had been so much easier when he was a farm boy.
Four months later
Unlike Regina, Cora had easily been able to use magic to locate Alan. But all power has its limits. The device she used was an enchanted paper globe Rumpelstiltskin had given her and it had told her what kingdom Alan was in and nothing more. It had taken her a month to even reach the kingdom and the rest of the time to go through every village, every neighborhood, every corner, looking for the only person who she had ever loved.
She thought she had put him out of her heart and mind by the time she finally went to Rumpelstiltskin for help at the age of twenty, before he arranged her marriage to Lord Henry and her mind became consumed with her responsibilities as the lord's wife and the dark one's apprentice. But now, thinking about seeing Alan again, Cora couldn't help but turn over the basic questions in her mind that she'd pushed away for over thirty years now. Why had he run away? Had he just not loved her enough? Had Ed threatened him? Or had he been scared to bring her home to his parents, maybe?
And at this point, was he even alive? And if he was, would Cora even be able to recognize him?
And most importantly of all…would she be able to bring herself to do it? To cut the heart out of the one person who she apparently still cared about more than she knew?
"Excuse me, miss?" Cora looked down and saw an old beggar woman. "Are you the one who's been looking all over the kingdom for some guy named Alan?"
"Yes, I am," said Cora. "He should be in his early sixties by now. Solid build. Brown eyes."
"You're in luck! I think I saw a guy like that working over by the hillside. Age you described and strong as they come!"
Cora nodded curtly and walked away, headed for the hillside, and froze as soon as she saw the man pointing at the rock with a hatchet with a burning resentment in his eyes like he was beating at the body of a beast. This was him. This was Alan.
Cora just watched him for a minute. Every line of his face was burned into her memory from before. She knew his build, his eyes, even his now greying dark hair. There was no doubt in her mind that this was the man she was looking for, but the look in his eyes would have twisted her heart if she hadn't left it hidden in a box in Rumpelstiltskin's empty mansion.
"Alan?" Cora finally whispered, walking slowly over to him. Alan's head shot up and whipped around to face her. Her skin felt numb just seeing him look at her.
"What do you want?" Alan sneered.
"Alan, it's me," whispered Cora shakily. "Cora. Don't you recognize me?"
"What the hell are you talking about? I don't know any Cora."
"Yes you do!" she insisted. "Alan please! Just talk to me for a…"
"Leave me alone!" yelled Alan. "I don't know you, okay? Can't an old man get some work done around here?"
Cora's breath slowed. "You really aren't going to acknowledge that you know me?"
"You're freaking me out, lady! I have no idea who you are!" Alan picked his pick axe back up and began pounding the rock again.
Cora squeezed her eyes shut tight to avoid letting the tears spill down her face.
"Hey, I know her!" said another man working nearby. He set down his axe and marched over to Cora and Alan. "You're that evil witch who took over from the dark one."
"I didn't take over anything from the dark one," Cora insisted.
"But you have something to do with him?" Alan set down the axe and gave Cora a hateful look that burned through her soul.
"I loved you, Alan," Cora whispered before she could stop herself. "I still do."
"What is she talking about?" asked the other man.
"I swear, I have no idea what she's talking about!" shouted Alan. "I've never seen this woman before in my life!" He turned back to Cora. "But I have heard about you. I know you're that evil witch that rips out people's hearts and enslaves them wherever she goes and crushes them to dust when they tick her off. And I know that there is no way that anyone-not even a grumpy old jackhole like me-could ever love you. People like you don't deserve love!"
It was a fraction of a second after that statement left his lips before Cora's knife went into his chest. It carved out the heart in less than a minute. Then Cora put the heart in her box and left faster than anyone could possibly catch her. Not that anyone dared approach her now, anyway.
Alan was gone. And Cora's last shred of humanity had died with him.