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The two of them spend another couple of moments watching Cora through the broken window. It seemed like she was simply reading or something, but actually one could never know whether she was really reading or plotting something. When the two sisters finally came to the conclusion that there was not much more that they could learn from their current position they started creeping closer to the hut. They could not yet tell if Cora was alone or if there was someone with her.
"I would feel a lot more comfortable if I knew exactly what she wants to achieve! And how she returned from death, I mean, Rumple once told me that bringing someone back was as good as impossible but a person binging himself back to life without the help of another person is impossible." Zelena whispered and Regina could clearly sense a trace of fear in the way she said it.
"Does that mean that you think that someone brought her back against her will?" Regina asked silently. Zelena only shrugged. It seemed to be the only possible solution but after the events of the last couple of weeks she did not want to tie herself down to this option.
The two of them reached the hut and sneaked towards the window and pressed their backs against the wall under the window.
"I'm going to stand up very quickly and peek through the window to see if she's alone and to get as much information as possible, alright?" Regina whispered and before Zelena had the chance to answer she stood up until her eyes were high enough to look inside but not high enough to make her presence too obvious. Only a couple of seconds later she let herself fall to the ground next to her sister again. Zelena looked at her questionably.
"She's alone. Everything seems normal. I think we should go in now before anything changes."
Zelena grabbed Regina's hand and in the next moment they were engulfed in green smoke. When the smoke cleared Regina found herself standing in the middle of the wooden hut facing her mother. Cora stood up and put the book down. Then she took a tentative step towards the two of them.
"Regina?" She asked with awe. Carefully she reached out and touched Regina's arm so carefully as if she expected Regina to break.
"Mother, is it really you?" Regina asked suddenly at the brink of tears. Cora who had tears running down her cheeks nodded.
"Yes, yes it is me!" Then she leaped forward and engulfed her brunette daughter in a tight hug.
"Mother, I thought that you were dead! How did you manage to get back?" Regina could hardly talk with sobs shaking her tiny form.
"And I was but I was brought back from death by…" Cora answered her voice getting quieter and quieter until her voice was barely audible.
"Who brought you back?" Regina asked.
"Rumpelstiltskin."
"What?! Why? And what happened to this dwarf at the town line. You know, Rumple told us that he did not know who killed the dwarf!"
"I'm not quite sure I have to admit, I mean I'm not alive for a very long time but he said something about repaying a debt and that things in Storybrook had changed and I had to be there to see it. He said that he wanted to change his life and wanted to make up for his misdeeds but I don't know what this has to do with me whatsoever. Concerning the dwarf I can simply say that it was me and I'm sorry. It was right after Rumple brought me back and to say that I was furious is an understatement. And in my rage I killed the dwarf. I'm sorry." For the first time in her life Regina believed her mother that she was genuinely sorry.
"Mother, do you still have your heart?" Regina asked and grabbed her mother's hand.
"Yes, yes I do have my heart and I promise I'll never have it removed again. Regina, I'm sorry for everything you've been through because of me. I should never have manipulated you and I should never have made you marry the kind. I'm so sorry." Now it was Cora's time to sob uncontrollably. Once more Regina pulled her mother into a hug.
Regina could not believe her luck. Her mother finally seemed to be the person she wanted her to be. True, she was not even close to be redeemed, in fact, she had just killed an innocent dwarf but she had her heart back and regretted the things she did in the past which was a first step in the right direction. Suddenly she remembered her sister standing awkwardly next to them and she obviously did not know what to say or how to react.
To be honest, Zelena was fighting back her jealousy. Once again she was ignored. She would not tolerate this situation any longer. She thought that Regina was on her side and loved her but as soon as there was another person that was better than her she was forgotten!
But before Zelena could do something Regina drew back from their hug. "Mother? We can talk another time but right now I want you to meet Zelena." Then Regina pointed at her red-haired sister.
Nervously Zelena stepped from one food to the other. Regina took a step away from her mother to stand next to her sister. She put a reassuring hand on her sister's lower back.
"Hello Cora, you probably can't remember me but here I am. I'm-."
"- my daughter." Zelena looked surprised and took a step back as if she expected some sort of attack. "Of course I recognize you, how could I ever forget my daughter?" Then she carefully brushed the hair from her forehead and traced a tiny birthmark just below her hairline. "I could never forget you, true, I abandoned you but I never could forget you no matter how hard I tried."
Then Cora pulled Zelena in a tight hug just like she had hugged Regina a couple of minutes before.