First of all, I would like to say thank you for sharing thoughts about this fic, especially the most recent one. I totally agree, it's a little OC of Regina to accept all the love from Rhea, but I couldn't help myself, hahaha! I'm planning on having "ups and downs", so we'll see...

This chapter too isn't all that long, but I'll try and keep them coming!

If there are any things that you wish to see in this fic, please PM me or review, would make my day! :)
XO

Regina's eyes shot open as she woke up. She glanced towards the clock, 9am. The recent events came flashing back, and for a second she thought it was all a dream, but then she heard some noises coming from the kitchen. Regina rose from bed, took the robe, and headed down the stairs. She spotted Rhea in the kitchen, preparing breakfast, "Good morning, honey." She said casually.

Regina opened her mouth to respond, but exhaled instead, turned her heal, and walked to her study and shut the door behind her. It was all overwhelming, Rhea was getting too comfortable in her house, in a role of her new mother. Regina scoffed to herself, Cora was her mother! She was raised as a queen, to be powerful, as she was! Regina felt her sudden anger boil inside. She couldn't believe she'd let Rhea sing her to sleep last night, pathetic! Regina turned around, and Rhea was standing before her.

"I'll leave in a little while, I know that I have pushed to hard. But before I go, would you just listen?" Rhea said.

"I am not interested, do you understand? I would like you to leave immediately. " Regina replied loudly, and crossed her arms, looking at the ground.

Rhea didn't move, "It's about your parents, about Cora and Henry."

Regina shifted her gaze and shot her birth mother a surprising look. She took a deep breath, as to calm herself, and gestured for Rhea to continue.

"Your father, Henry, did not know that you weren't his, Cora never told him, as was her intention. I know, that he loved you with all his heart, and I am so happy that he raised you." She paused, but continued almost right away, "And Cora... Well, she loved you in her own way, and -" Rhea was cut off.

"My mother loved me!" Regina almost yelled, she had to fight the tears that threatened to escape her eyes.

Rhea understood that she was no longer wanted, and turned around and headed towards the door, but stopped before she went, "But know this Regina, I too, love you very much." With that, Rhea was gone.

Regina didn't turn around to see her leave, just listened for the door to shut close. When it did, she grabbed the nearest object, and threw it at the wall before her. It left an ugly mark, but she didn't care. Instead, she fell to her knees, and let the tears out, her body was shivering from the heavy sobs that left her. She was so angry, she cried. She didn't ask for this! She wanted nothing of it! She didn't know what to do. She got up, and felt the urge to scream from the top of her lungs, but didn't. No one, she repeated to herself, no one, could see her like this.

Rhea was walking down the street, almost at the centre of Storybrook. She knew her way around, she'd been there before, not in person, but by watching Regina. Rhea walked for a little while longer, and found herself at Snow White's door step. She softly knocked on the door, and it was opened, not by Snow, but by Emma.

"Hi, come in." Emma said with a smile.

"Nice to see you again. Thank you." Rhea said, and continued, "You're not concerned about me, afraid of hurting you, since I'm Regina's mother?" She asked.

Emma chuckled, "You would think so, taking everything we've been through in consideration. But, no, I'm not afraid, there's something about you that makes me... Well, not worried." She said and smiled again.

Rhea smiled, "I am glad you feel that way." She walked inside the their home, it had a comfortable warmth. Emma gestured for Rhea to sit down at the couch in the living room, and so she did.

"I take that Regina asked you to leave?" Emma asked and sat down at the opposite side of Rhea.

"However did you know?" Rhea answered with a small chuckle.

"Oh, only a wild guess." Emma said sarcastically and laughed. With that, the front door opened, and Snow came walking in.

"We have company?" She asked with a small smile.

Emma rose from her seat, "Yeah, this is Rhea, Regina's birth mother."

Hours had passed since Regina's sudden outburst, and she was now calming herself with a cup of peppermint tea. She held the mug in both her hands, finding the warmth soothing. There was a knock on the door, didn't Rhea understand that she wanted to be left alone? As the anger game flushing back, she opened the door, but to her surprise, it was Henry.

"Henry!" She exclaimed and threw her arms around him. The her relief, he didn't reject her, he hugged her back. She felt the anger disappear, and it was replaced by a warm feeling, love.

"Hey mom." He said, smiled and walked in the mansion.

Regina had been hoping to see him these last few days, thought of him constantly. Now, she'd been thinking of everything but him, and suddenly, he showed up at her door step. "I'm so happy to see you sweetheart." She said and walked behind him to the kitchen.

"I've met Rhea." He said enthusiastically.

Regina's eyes widened, "What? When?"

"Relax mom, I met her the day she arrived. She seems nice." He said casually.

Crossing her arms, Regina moved a step closer to Henry, "She does Henry, but I'm not sure I want to see her anymore."

Henry rolled his eyes, "Why not? Cora is gone, you need someone besides me. And Rhea has a heart, she genuinely loves you." It seemed that Henry just realized what he'd said, and quickly continued, "Not that Cora didn't love you, but, you know..." He stopped.

Regina smiled of Henry's words, "That's very sweet of you, but it's more complicated than that."

"What's complicated? She's here now, ready to be here for you. You should just give in." Henry replied, not understanding what the complicated part was.

Regina couldn't help but be proud of the wise young man standing in front of her; her son, she'd raised him to become like this. She approached him and placed a soft hand on his shoulder, "I can't argue with all your reasoning, but I'm not sure I'm ready for all this. There is more to it, Henry." She said with a smile.

Henry took Regina's other hand, "But mom, I just want you to be happy."

Regina's heart swelled at his statement, "Thank you sweetie. It's just all very frightening, with Rhea, but also with my birth father and siblings coming here, it's -" she was cut off by a surprised Henry.

"What? Your father, siblings, coming here?" Henry's mouth was half open of shock.

"Yes, Henry, my birth father is coming, along with my three sisters and brother." She said.

With the biggest smile plastered to his face, he seemed even more enthusiastic, "All the better reason to get involved!" Henry exclaimed.

Snow waved Emma to the kitchen, who rolled her eyes.

"Regina's mother? Isn't that Cora?" Snow asked.

Emma sighed, "Why don't you ask Rhea. She's good, I promise."

The two of them went back to the livingroom, and joined Rhea, who understood that she should explaind the situation, and so she did. She told the story she'd told Regina just yesterday, she told them everything, about the day she was born and taken, about Cora's barrier, and about her husband and other children.

Both Snow and Emma were shocked, no words were expressed. Rhea stayed silent too, to let them prossess everything. Snow took Rhea's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, "I'm sorry Rhea, I know exactly how you feel." It was true, she regocnized the situation all to well.

Emma was the one to speak now, "So, your husband and kids, where are they?"

"They're coming here, I'm hoping they'll be here at the end if the day." Rhea replied.

Snow raised an eyebrow, "They're coming?"

Rhea nodded, "I wanted to come alone at first, to see Regina. My husband, Samuel, wanted to come too, but i don't think he would've given her the space she needs, all he wants is to be with her. It would've been to much for her, she could barley handle me. But hopefully she'll come around." A single tear ran down her cheek, and Snow gave her hand another reassuring squeeze.

"Snow, Emma, I've seen everything she has done to you, and I know I can't apologize for her actions, but I know in my heart, she sometimes wishes she can take it all back. In her moments of clearness she's truly sorry, I know that." Rhea said with a smile.

"I believe that too, sometimes I can see her, the young woman that saved me from that horse a long time ago." Snow said.

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