Regina feels the bed sink causing her to wake a little. She blinks her eyes trying to make out the person in her room. "Daddy?" She calls out.
"Hi Mija" He whispers setting the food down to the glass side table by the bed. "You haven't eaten anything all day. You haven't even left the room." He reaches for her hand and holds it tightly. "Are you feeling alright?"
Regina blinks a few times holding back the tears that wanted to escape. She suppresses the. pain? If she was to be honest to herself she doesn't even know what she's feeling. She has all these emotions welled up but she doesn't understand them.
"I'm alright." She says plastering a smile. "Are you?"
Henry looks at his daughter. Moving the few stray hairs away from her face. He looks at Regina closely. Where did time go? He asks himself. What happened all these years? Henry gives her a sad smile. "I'm ok Mija. Just ignore your mother for awhile. We'll figure this out. Don't worry."
Regina realizes that he was telling her that more for himself than for her. He wants to believe that nothing is going on. Regina sits up on her bed taking her father's hand with her other hand. "Daddy remember when I was 4 and I would fight with Ze for always beating me in anything. How when we would have a race she'd get there first or when we would play with the playstation and I would lose every single game."
Henry nods his head a genuine smile appearing on his face. "And you would get so mad you would sit in a corner until you'd forget what you were mad about."
Regina returns a tight smile and squeezes her father's hand. "If Mom thinks that Helena is Zelena, I think we should take the shot. I wouldn't mind having someone to compete with again as long as Mom is happy."
The Mills arrive at a small two story home.
As Cora looks around she finds family pictures all over but a picture of a child catches her attention. The child was beautiful. She has a mop of orange curls with eyes bright at the sky. Tears well up in Cora's eyes because she's absolutely sure that Helena was her baby.
Diana, Helena's mother walks behind Cora, "That was taken a couple days after we found her."
The two women sits on the living room couch followed by Henry.
"How did you exactly find her?" Cora asked, "We were in the US when she went missing."
Diana holds Cora's hand as a simple gesture. She didn't know if the other woman would be receptive but it was definitely worth a shot. Lucky for Diana, Cora was very focused in the life of her daughter and was accepting and willing to anything at this point.
"To be honest, we don't know how she got here. We looked for someone to claim her for months but no one did and we couldn't get any information from her since she didn't remember anything"
George Green stopped by the market in order to buy red onions for his wife. As he was about to climb the driver's seat in his car he heard a light sniffle. Nah, it's probably nothing. He thinks, but the sniffling starts again and this time he knows he's not imagining anything.
George tries to follow the sniffling that seems to get louder and louder. Behind a tree there was a dirty little girl that sat with her knees up to her chest.
"Sweetheart, are you lost?" George asks trying to reach for the girl.
"I want mommy." She cries.
George manages to get her to stand up and take his hand. "Where is your mommy?"
The little girl only states at him and restates, "I want mommy." and she goes back to crying her tired little blue eyes.
George lifts up the little girl into his arm not knowing what to do with her. Should he take her to the authorities or what?
George climbs on to his car thinking that it was best for his wife to decide. He positions the still crying little girl in the passenger seat and drives back home.
The minute the door opens Diana's eyes centers at the child on his arms. Her eyes lights on fire and she rushes back inside. "You motherfucker! You aren't content with all the bitches that you have! You had to bring a child here too! How dare-"
"Diana this isn't my child!" He tries to reason.
"And you expect me to believe that!" She yells as she throws pillows from the couch at him.
The little girl grips her arm tighter on the man, crying.
"Diana if you hit this child I swear!" He tries to dodge every single object that she threw at him but the sight of the child crying seems to mellow her out.
George gets closer to his wife, "Look despite what you think, I never have and I never will cheat on you. I love you." He bounces the scared and crying child on his arms trying to calm her down.
"Give her to me. You don't know how to soothe a child."
George obliges and the minute she's on Diana she quietly sniffles and calls out for her mommy.
"What are we going to do?"
George rakes his hand through his hair, "I thought you would be able to tell me."
Regina and Helena sits across from each other inside Helena's room.
"So," Regina starts, "you really don't remember us?"
Helena shakes her head cautiously, "No, I'm sorry."
Regina breathes heavily only being able to nod awkwardly.
Helena reaches for Regina's hand and looks into her eyes deeply, "This friendship we have-" she signals referring to the both of them, "I hope that it doesn't end just because of this."
Regina only nods.
Not a few minutes later Henry and Cora walk in hand in hand followed by Diana.
Cora and Henry both offer Helena the chance to be with them even againand to make their family whole once more but Helena declines. Something that made Cora's heart break.
"You're declining?" Regina asks.
Helena could only look at her with pure sorrow. "I'm really sorry Regina, Mr. and Mrs. Mills, but I can't."
"Why not?" Cora asks with her voice breaking a little bit more than intended.
"Because my family is here. I understand that you guys are my birth family but these are the people I grew up with and they know me better than anyone else."
Henry looks at both of his broken girls and tries to understand where Helena is coming from. "I- We understand completely." Cora turns to Henry and gives him a glare. "But I want you to know that we don't leave here for a couple more days so, if you ever do change your mind or if you just want to see the other side, give us a call and we'll do everything for you."
Mr. and Mrs. Mills leave soon after along with Regina. Helena sits in the backyard with her nose scrunched and her lips on a pout thinking and thinking.
"What's wrong with your face?" Helena hears behind her.
Helena looks behind her to find Robin standing with his arms crossed, She shakes her head and continues to stare out into the open sky.
"Hey what's wrong?" Robin asks taking the empty seat next to Helena.
"I'm just thinking." She states disconnectedly.
"About?"
Helena turns to Robin, "Me getting lost. Regina's parents offered me to live with them in the US and a part of me wants to go but another can't just get up and leave this place. I can't help but wonder if my life would be better and less complicated if I had never gotten lost."
Robin takes Helena's hand, something that send electricity through her veins. " I can answer that!" He smiles. "Your life wouldn't have been better if you had never gotten lost because that would mean, you would've never met me."
Helena laughs a little. "Robin! I'm serious."
"So am I!" He states firmly. "Without me your life would be dull and boring. Admit it! I bring the fun here."
Helena rolls her eyes. "Whatever." She lays her head on Robin's shoulder. "But seriously, what do I do?" She asks.
Robin squeezes her hand for reassurance. "I don't know, but I do know that you'll figure it out."
Back in the hotel room Regina sits with her parents, picking at her dinner.
"We shouldn't have left her." Her mother states coldly. 'We should've have stayed. We should have made her come."
"Cora please." Henry starts. "Let's not talk about this right now."
Regina has honestly had enough bout this. She's tired of this whole charade and the faking that she's fine so she snaps. 'Yes Mother, can we please not talk about people who aren't here right now and who chooses not to be here right now."
Cora lifts her head up from her plate. "Your sister isn't here because…" She stops before she says anything she'll regret but sadly Regina finishes her sentence for her.
"-of me. Come on just say it." Regina stands up and starts to walk to the other side of the table next to Cora. "It's my fault. I'm the reason why she's gone."
Henry stands up quickly to hold Regina back before any damage is done. "Regina! Stop it." He warns but he's too late.
"No! This is all my fault. Just admit it mom. I'm the reason why she got lost. I'm the reason why she can't remember us so she chose another family. I'm owning the blame so now when will you own yours? When will you start to admit that it's your fault why we're fucked up."
"Regina that's enough!" Her father yells.
"When will you admit that our family is a dead piece of shit because you can't move anywhere or do anything without associating Zelena. So when will you admit that this family is falling apart and is a hell hole because of you!"
Regina was silenced by a hard and loud slap from across the face.
"How dare you insult me and blame me!" Cora yells. "This isn't anyone's fault but-"
"Cora! That's enough!" Henry stops her before she says anything that can probably bring Regina into a deeper path of the darkness she's already in.
Regina wriggles out of her father's grip and runs for her bathroom inside her room. She jumps in the shower crying as she turns it on. She crouches down on the shower floor holding herself as she cries. I hate myself! I hate my life! I hate myself! She repeat to herself as she continues to rock and hold herself on the floor. Her heart starting to clench again, accompanied by her stomach. Why couldn't it have been me to disappear? Maybe that way mother wouldn't be like this. It isn't like I was and will always be the favorite. Maybe if I was to be the one who disappeared I would've just disappeared in their thoughts and memories too. If I could just disappear, I would.
Thoughts?
A/N: Btw if you haven't checked out my other stories, you totally should. ;)