Chapter 26
Regina walked over to the archery fields. She could see Will and Emma shooting at targets on one end of the field. Quinn, Snow, and Danni were on the other end. She could see the division and she wondered if it was Danni's doing. If it was, she knew that Emma took Will's side so she wouldn't feel alone. Leave it to Emma to worry about the Vulcannonian knight. She went to Emma and Will first.
"Nicely done, Darling," Regina told Emma after she hit the bullseye.
"Thanks."
"What brings you down here, Majesty?" Will asked her.
"I came to speak with the women I care about."
Will cocked an eyebrow at her but didn't say anything in response. She just drew another arrow out of her quiver and took aim. She raised the bow and loosed the arrow. It found its mark.
"Nice shot," Emma stated as she drew another arrow and took aim.
"Not so high, Emma," Will stated as she turned to correct her stance and aim a little.
"Have you not talked to her?" Regina asked when Will finished with Emma.
Their eyes met. There was a silent conversation as Emma loosed her arrow. Will stood, almost leaning on her long bow as she watched Regina. She realized too late that the Queen was not going to drop the subject, and being where they were, she had no cause to leave without it being rude. And, there was one thing that a Vulcannonian wasn't and it was rude to their pledges.
"You know you could leave if you wanted," Regina told her.
"How do you know that?" Will asked her.
"My dear, we have known each other too long. You don't hide your emotions near as well as you believe that you do. It was one of the reasons that I knew that you loved my daughter long before you told me. It was another reason that I released your from your contract to this family, but you seem to have forgotten that. You're still here and being my shadow," Regina explained.
"You will always be my charge, Regina. No matter where I am or what I tell you, I can't quit this family. The bond to your family goes beyond my contracts to Snow and then to you. And, no matter how many times Coraline or Danni," she started and then shook her head. "No matter how many times she tells me that I am free of her and our True Love bond, I cannot shake her. If I have to wait for her, I will. I can be persistently patient. You know that."
"I do," Regina replied.
Emma just smiled as she turned to face them. She knew that there was a history between Regina and Will and she knew that it was colorful to say the least. She didn't question it. She knew that Will had been there for Regina when no one else could. And, if she loved her daughter enough to be in pain and still serve the family until Coraline came back to them, then so be it. It just made her more endearing to Emma. She was willing to wait.
"Listen, Will. She loves you, but she is confused. She's tired and she's trying to figure out who she is, again. She doesn't know where she stands with any of us. This isn't a homecoming for her. This is her coming home after a war. This is her trying to deal with the fact that the life she grew up doesn't exist anymore. Everything that she had ever based her decisions on is no longer relevant. I get where she is coming from. We were just stories to her. Now, we are more real than she ever thought possible. She's fought for this moment more than once and for her entire life. She isn't just going to be okay with everything. And, finding you…well, that is just an added bonus. But, you have to think about where she is coming from," Emma told them.
Regina gave her a strange look. Emma shook her off, but took her hands. She gave her a quick kiss. Then she turned to face Wilhelmina a little more.
"I get how she feels."
"I don't understand…"
"And, you won't. None of you will. I do, because well…. My life before Storybrooke was shit. She didn't have it as bad as I did, but she grew up thinking that her Ma died on the battlefield and her Mom wasn't strong enough to stop it or the coming Blackness. Her memories of that day are clouded by those of child and not someone who experienced love and loss. She lost everything that she loved, her mothers, her older brother, and her grands. The only things that saved her were her aunts Belle and Red," Emma stated.
"But…"
"No, imagine become the foster daughter of the town librarian and one of the last Wolves. The girl was given love. I know that she was because of the relationship that she has with Belle. I would have expected it to be no less. And, Belle is terrific with Remy. It is no wonder why Regina chose her to raise our daughter. And, I get Red too. She was strong and fast. Regina did what she could with her magic to give them a better chance of survival and it worked. But, in Coraline's eyes, Regina gave up. She couldn't live without me, so she chose death over her daughter. Then, she comes to Storybrooke and Regina and I aren't exactly friendly with each other. I am sure that it had to be a shock."
"It was for all of us," Regina stated.
"But, you have to think about what she saw. She watched her mothers fall in love. That was epic for her. Then she watched as they helped her try to defeat the Blackness from coming. She saw how far they were willing to go for each other and their family. That her mothers were willing to die for her if it meant that she would have a better life. Then, she saw the events that unfolded before her as a child through the eyes of an adult. She could no longer blame Regina for what she did. She no longer hated me for taking the armies out to fight. She realized that we weren't just fighting for love, but the kingdom and most importantly for her and Henry."
"And, we still will," Regina added.
"She learned that the stories that she had been taught were all true. They weren't legends. And, somehow she was the crown princess of a desolate and forgotten kingdom. She was supposed to rise up and defeat the Blackness. And, she did, but she did it her way."
"That she did," Will muttered.
"She didn't make that choice lightly, Will. You have to believe that. You have to know that she thought that she was doing the right thing. She figured that Remy would be the answer to everything, but we didn't know. She didn't know. There was no way anyone could."
"Remy is not Coraline," Will shouted.
"We know that. And, as we raised her, we didn't remember Coraline. She did that for us and for Remy. She did that, so that Remy wouldn't have this cloud hanging over her. She accepted the Dark Curse and the Blackness. The granddaughter of True Love, the daughter of True Love, she is the daughter of one the most powerful sorceresses of this realm and it's queen, and the Savior Princess, a daughter of True Love herself, and magic user. She is literally made from and of magic. And, knowing all that, she still chose to sacrifice herself because she knew that Remy was growing in Regina. She came back to her past to save her younger self's future and she did. She gave Remy the life that she never had," Emma told them.
"I know all that," Will replied.
"And, yet, you expect her to just love you so easily."
"Yes," Will stated.
Regina shook her head. She knew that Will had a limited view on love. With her, either you did or you didn't. There was no middle ground.
"She isn't Vulcannonian, Will," Regina said.
"I know that."
"Do you? Do you really? Can you see what being here is doing to her? She doesn't know who the fuck she really is. She doesn't have a place in this world. She doesn't know how to make things work. She has spent so much of her life trying to fix things that she doesn't know how to see what is in front of her. She has always been at odds with something. And, we weren't exactly very welcoming once she came back after killing George."
"We were all in shock," Will replied.
"So much so that we let her get away again. She slipped through our fingers and why? Do you really know why? Because we were too chicken shit to do anything. We were scared. We all knew what the powers of the Dark One were and we knew what she had the potential to be. We didn't know if we could temper her. And, she didn't know that she could do it for herself."
"I should have gone after her," Will said dejectedly.
"We all should have," Regina replied.
"And, that's our problem. We let her go. We didn't stop her. We didn't go after her. We have to live with that. She's been through enough and I for one am not going to make her do something that she doesn't want to," Emma stated.
"Meaning?"
"If she wants to go back, I will let her. She has friends and a life that she is happy with. She misses you, Will. Maybe you should go with her. That is only if you think that you can handle it. Her life is vastly different than it would be here. She's happy there. She's found temperance. She's found people that accept her for her, with no pretention and no desire to hurt her."
"I know," Will muttered.
"Have you seen how they are with her? They all love her. They love each other. If I hadn't spent time with them each separately, I would have thought that she had some sort of new age harem or something like that going on. But, they aren't like that. And, honestly, even though Coraline has become Danni, she has still found a way even as the odd woman out amongst them to still bring them all together and be their leader. She can't fight her true nature. She is still a princess. She is just Broadway royalty now."
"I wish I understood what that meant fully," Regina stated.
"I am sure if you ask her, she'd tell you," Emma replied.
"I hope you like singing and dancing," Will jabbed.
Emma gave her a pointed look. Will dropped the smirk that she'd adopted. Hell, she didn't care what Danni did as long as she would allow her to be with her.
"Talk to her, Will. Tell her how much you still love her. Make her understand. Don't let her go this time without her knowing everything. I am not saying that she is going to make it easy on you. For Christ's sake, she's my daughter. She's going to fight you every step of the way because she doesn't fill like she deserves you. You have to make her see that she does," Emma told her as she drew another arrow and aimed at the targets down range.
"How does she do that?" Will asked Regina as Emma let her arrow fly.
"What?"
"That," Will stated.
"I swear it is because of her parents, but if you tell them that, I'll find a way to kill you, Vulcannonian or not. Got me? It's bad enough that I am a Charming now," Regina replied.
Will laughed. It was loud and boisterous. It was loud enough to draw attention of the other woman at the archery field. Regina took that as her cue. She kissed Emma again and began to make her way across the field to where her daughter, the high elf and her mother-in-law/step-daughter were practicing their archery skills.
She looked at the motley crew before her as she approached. She loved them all in her own way. Quinn was even growing on her. She liked the elf, but she was unsure if Quinn understood what truly being an elf meant for her and for her friends.
As she neared them, she noticed that Snow and Danni both had a similar style in their stances. She mused on that until she turned to look at Emma. Hers was the same. It must be a family trait and she stared at little harder at Will as she loosed another arrow. It wasn't just a family trait. It had been taught to them. Will taught Snow. Snow taught Emma. In her old timeline, Snow had also taught Henry, Red and Belle, who all taught Danni. In this timeline, Belle, Red, Emma, Henry and Charming were all working with Remy. She started to wonder what her younger daughter would look like in an archery stance. She smiled.
"What is it, Mom?" Danni asked bringing her back to the present.
"Just admiring your stance, dear," Regina told her.
Snow gave her a quizzical look. She then looked at Danni and Quinn. She could see the differences between the elf and Danni, but she didn't understand Regina's amusement. Then she turned and saw Emma and Will. She looked back at Danni and Quinn. Then she saw it. She smiled at Regina and gave her a knowing nod.
Danni shot a few more arrows before she sheathed her bow on her back. Snow saw her and took her bow back up. They traded places. Danni came up to Regina and Snow went to Quinn.
If Snow didn't know any better from Quinn's own admission and Danni's stories, she would have thought that the elf had grown up in the Enchanted Forest. She was at home here, but she also seemed out of her element. It reminded her a lot of Emma when they fell through the portal. Quinn was like Emma in that respect. They both adapted to their situations and they didn't let it get them completely down. It made her smile because she knew that Danni had chosen her friends, not just for their friendship, but the qualities in which they possessed and how much they reminded her of her family.
Danni stood beside the Queen and watched as the rest of the group loosed arrows at the targets down range. They stood together for a few minutes, unspeaking, just watching. When the silence became too much, Danni turned to face Regina.
"Why are you down here?"
"I came to see you," Regina told her.
"So, you've seen me. Now what? Why are you really here?" Danni asked her.
"I wanted to see you."
"But, why?"
"You're my daughter and I wanted to spend time with you."
"But, why? You have Remy. You have a kingdom to worry about. You have other things that need your attention. Why me? Why now?"
"Because I've realized that you never got this growing up."
"Got what?"
"You never got a hovering parent. You never had us come seek you out because we wanted your company because we'd had a bad day and just seeing your smile made everything that we dealt worth it. I know that when Emma comes back from her rides with Wilhelmina, as soon as the armor is off and she can break away from the troops, the first things she does is seek out Remy. She needs that in her life. She needs to know that the hardships and trials that she faces are to help the next generation. We've done so much because you came back. We've sought out council with strange lands. We've made friends with as many kingdoms here. We've even formed alliances with other magical realms. That is what my hall of mirrors is for. It is sort of my emergency call center," Regina explained.
"That still doesn't answer my question."
"I can't apologize for not being there, Danni. I can't. Because that reality wasn't mine, but I can be the mother that you want. I can be the person that you want to me to be, if you would just give us the chance to be the family that you deserve. That is why I am here. I am here because I care. I love you and I don't want you to leave, but I understand that it might be what you need."
Danni scrunched up her eyes. She didn't want to feel anything. Feeling made the magic stronger. Feeling only caused her heartbreak and suffering. She wanted to deal with Red and whatever else might get thrown their way in the meantime, but then she was leaving.
"I can't…."
"I know. I understand that. I'll let you go, but I don't want you leaving thinking that we don't care. I don't want you to go thinking that you can't come back to us for anything. And, I do mean anything. You are my daughter and if I had to, I would move the heavens and the earth to give you everything and anything that you needed. I need you to know that," Regina told her.
"What do you want from me?" Danni asked her close to tears.
"I want to you to explain your life to us. I want to talk to us. You can gloss over the parts you don't want to tell us. I'll understand. I want to know where you've been, who you've talked to, and what you've learned. I want to see what you do for living. I want to know that you are happy and loved. I want what every parent wants for their child. I want you to smile daily, love hard, laugh often and live happily," Regina stated as she took one of her hands.
"I don't know that I deserve that."
"Take it from me. It's hard to understand that someone can love you no matter what you've done, but Emma taught me that. Hell, even your Grandmother Snow has done that for me. They didn't give up me and I'm not giving up on you. None of us are. You're not broken. You're not fractured. You're still my Coraline. You're still my blood and my daughter. I helped make you out of love and nothing, I repeat nothing that you do, will ever break that bond between us or between you and Emma," Regina explained.
"I can't stay here…"
"Then go back to Storybrooke. Run the town. I am sure that there are those that would follow up back, if they are given the chance. Storybrooke is the link between our realm and yours. You could be the guardian. And, if you stay there, we could come visit," Regina offered.
"I…I…"
"Think about it, Danni. I will give you whatever I can within my power. You know this. I know that you power exceeds mine, but if I can give you anything…anything, know that I will."
"I don't know what to do about Will."
"Maybe you should talk to her," Regina stated.
"She's just so…"
"Stubborn?"
"Yes."
"Infuriatingly beautiful?"
"Absolutely."
"And the one thing that you don't think you'll ever deserve completely?" Regina questioned.
"Yes…" Danni said a little above a breathless whisper.
"Then, tell her."
"What?"
"That you still love her."
Danni faced her mother. The questions danced in her eyes. There was so much that needed to be said between the Dark One and the Vulcannonian that Danni didn't trust herself. She didn't trust her magic. She definitely didn't trust her heart. No matter what she had done, whether it was the worst evil that she could think up or not having her own heart, she never stopped loving Wilhelmina with her entire being. Some days it was excruciatingly painful. Others it was a dull ache that never went away. How could she deal with all of this now that she had her heart back?
"I don't know that I can."
"It isn't whether or not that you can, Darling. It is whether or not that you will. I know that you can do it. I know that you want to do it. I've seen the way that you been looking at her when you think that no one is looking. I've seen the way that she looks at you. She's never stopped loving you, Danni. She doesn't know how. Even under the spell that you had Belle cast, she still felt like she was missing something. We didn't know what that was until you revealed yourself to us that day," Regina told her.
"She should have moved on," Danni replied dejectedly.
"Why? Did you? Could you?"
"No."
"Then, why should she have? She was drawn to you even though she didn't know who you were. She suspected that there was something about you that was off and she was right, but she couldn't understand why she was so taken with you. Her mind was at war with her heart and for a Vulcannonian, that can be a very dangerous thing indeed," Regina stated.
"I don't know what to say."
"Tell her the truth. It may hurt, but it hurts less than lies. Tell her you still care. Tell her that you are scared to love her. Tell her whatever you feel in your heart. You're a Charming, dear. That will take a long way with your lovers. Trust me on that," Regina told her.
Danni could help but smile. She knew that her mother would never admit that to anyone else. She hated the fact that she was technically a Charming by marriage and she was more than happy to take the name Swan. But, she would never label herself as a Charming. But, she knew that if Emma hadn't been a Charming, she wouldn't have found her so endearing.
"How?"
"You're resourceful, dear. I am sure that you will find a way. Besides, I am sure that your friends would be willing to help you. All you have to do is ask, Danni. That is all you've ever had to do with us. Just ask. You'd be surprised how much support you get," Regina said.
She looked at her mother. She could see the earnestness of her words. She looked at Quinn, who was smiling at her before she turned back to face the target. Snow was leaning on her bow watching both Regina and Danni. She saw the same look in Danni's eyes that had been in her own and in Emma's. She loved Will, but she wasn't sure how to go about courting her to get her back. When Snow and Regina's eyes met, they both knew that this was about to become a family affair. Both mother and grandmother would do anything that they could to see that she was happy.
When realized that no one in her group was going to continue shooting, she sheathed her bow. She joined Danni, her mother and her grandmother. She slightly shook her head at that, but could only smile at them as she approached.
"What's wrong?" she asked when she saw the look on Danni's face.
"I need to talk to Will."
"So talk to her," Quinn answered like it was the most obvious answer to her dilemma.
"I can't just go talk to her," Danni stated.
"Then don't talk…sing."
They all looked at Quinn. They didn't know what she meant. Regina had heard Quinn sing. She knew that the blonde had a nice alto, but she didn't know what singing really meant to them all. She'd seen Santana playing guitar. Was her daughter musically inclined?
"Sing?"
"Come on, Danni. We write Broadway plays. You, Rachel and I come up with the musical scores for the shows. She acts them out. Brittany does the choreography. I know you can sing. I've heard you. Rachel has, too. You can do this. If you can't talk to her, tell her in a song."
"I've….but…you've got to be kidding me," Danni replied.
"Why?"
"I can't sing to her."
"Why not?"
"I don't sing."
"No, you sing. You just don't do it professionally. Hell, you sang back up on Rachel's record. Don't think we don't know that. Your vocals were never cut. I know that you can do this."
"But, I can't…" Danni started.
"Hey, what do we do when we don't have the words to express how we're feeling?" Quinn asked.
"We sing."
"Then sing to her."
"Quinn…" Danni started.
"Nope, not going to work. I'm going to talk to Rachel. You better prepare a picnic or something…something intimate and alone. No offense ladies, but she works well alone."
"None taken," Snow added watching her granddaughter blush.
"Quinn, this won't work…"
"You won't know until you try," Regina told her.
She looked at her mother and grandmother. Both of them had expectant looks on their faces. She sighed. She looked up into Quinn's hazel eyes.
"Look, Rachel and I will help you. We'll help you find the right song. Hell, even San can help. You know how romantic she can be. You've got this. Trust me on this. All you have to do is sing," Quinn told her with a cocked eyebrow daring her to say otherwise.