Chapter 2: The letters
One by one the council members entered the portal and returned to Storybrooke. As the Blue Fairy was about to enter the portal she turned back to look at Regina. "Good luck, your Majesty."
Regina nodded as the Blue Fairy stepped into the portal. Emma, Charming, and Snow were all who remained. Snow and Charming were about to step into the portal, hand in hand, when Regina spoke.
"Miss Swan."
Emma turned to look at Regina, "Yeah?"
Regina stepped closer to Emma. "Might I have a word with you?"
Emma turned to look at her parents, who met her with worried faces. She smiled to reassure them, "It's okay. I'll just be a few minutes."
Snow looked at Regina, trying to decide if it was safe to leave Emma in fairytale land with her. She chose to play it safe. "We'll wait in the other room for you." After giving Regina a knowing look she added, "We'll go back together."
Normally Regina would have made some sort of come back or at least smirked at Snow, but what she had to discuss with Emma was serious so she held her tongue. As Snow and Charming left the room Regina crossed back to her seat at the table. She stood behind the chair and rested her hands on its back. Emma followed her and stopped at a chair across the table from Regina.
Emma waited for the door to close behind her parents and then asked, "You wanted a word?"
Regina took a breath to steady herself. "Yes. I wondered if you might do something for me when you return to Storybrooke?"
"What might that be?" Emma proceeded cautiously, unsure of Regina's intentions.
Regina reached into the pocket of her blazer and withdrew two letters. They were written on old fashioned parchment and sealed with red wax. "I need you to deliver these letters for me."
Emma wasn't sure what she had expected Regina to say, but this surprised her. She moved closer to Regina to take the letters and asked, "Who are they for?"
Regina look down at the letters and replied, "One is for Henry."
Emma nodded. Of course, Regina would want to explain to Henry why she was choosing to use magic.
"Who's the other one for?"
As she took the letters from Regina she read the name on the second letter, it was addressed to someone named Lillian. The name was unfamiliar to Emma, so she asked, "Who is Lillian?"
When Regina didn't respond Emma looked up at her. Regina's face was tortured. This puzzled Emma. She decided not to press her for a response. It seemed as though whatever Regina was about to say was tearing at her heart.
Finally, with an anguished sigh, Regina said, "She's my daughter."
Emma was shocked. She tried to wrap her mind around what she had just heard. "You have a daughter?"
"Yes." Regina's voice was a whisper.
Questions flooded Emma's mind. "You adopted another kid before Henry?"
Regina shook her head, "No." The thought of having to explain all of this to Emma made her feel more ashamed than she already was.
"She's yours?"
"Yes." Regina's voice was full of uncharacteristic emotion as she considered the implications of this question. Yes, she had carried this child inside her. Yes, she had given birth to her. She was Regina's. And yet, she wasn't.
Emma needed more information, "How old is she?"
"Sixteen." Regina turned her back to Emma and walked to the nearby window.
Emma struggled to understand how this could be possible. People don't age in Storybrook, or at least they didn't until she arrived. And they certainly aren't born there. That left only one possible explanation.
"She's from this world, isn't she?"
Regina turned around to face Emma. "Yes, she is."
Regina knew Emma wanted to hear the whole story. She walked back to her chair and sat down, Emma did the same.
Regina took a moment to collect herself, and then she began her story.
"I was forced by my mother to marry Snow's father, the King. And, although I did not love him, I was... obligated to act as his wife." She paused, unsure how to proceed.
Emma helped her by guessing what happened next. "And you got pregnant."
"Yes, I did." Regina looked down at her hands, the shame of it all coming back to her.