Chapter 10: The Apple Tree

An hour had passed, and Emma, Charming and Snow were still huddled around the kitchen table working on a plan to help Regina. Her children, Henry and Lillian, had been flipping through the storybook together, mostly reading about Regina and Snow. A bond had already started forming between the siblings, and they were truly enjoying being together.

Snow kept stealing glances at her sister and grandson. She desperately wanted to get to know Lillian and was envious of the time she and Henry were getting to spend together.

Lillian turned to the next page in the book. She started a bit when she saw that the picture on this page was of Regina standing in front of an apple tree. She recognized that it was exactly the same type as the tree she had grown up with.

"Henry, what's this?"

Henry looked at the picture, "That's mom by her apple tree."

"Her apple tree? Was it special?"

"It must be. She's had it ever since she was little, and when she married the King she had it brought to the palace." Lillian nodded, thinking about her own tree and how similar it was, she had had her's since she was a child too.

Henry continued, "She even brought it to Storybrooke."

Lillian turned quickly to look at her brother. "It's HERE?"

Henry didn't understand why Lillian was so excited about a tree. "Yeah...it's in our backyard. It looks exactly the same too. Well, it did until Emma took a chain saw to it." He chuckled a bit at that last detail, remembering the incident.

Lillian ignored the part about the chain saw. This was a big deal to her, it was like finding a crucial peice of a puzzle, something that connected her with her mother. She had to see this tree. "Henry," she said quietly. "Will you take me to see it?" He looked confused, so she elaborated. "This tree was important to her and, I don't know, maybe if I see it I'll feel closer to her somehow."

Henry considered this for a moment, he could see this meant a lot to his sister. "Sure, I'll take you there. But we've got to ask first." Lillian nodded and the two walked over to the table.

"Hey, Emma?" Henry still called her by her name, but they had become very close. Emma turned to look at her son as he asked his question. "Can I take Lillian to mom's house? She wants to see the apple tree."

Emma looked at Lillian who gave a pleading smile. She had already discovered the apple connection between Lillian and Regina, so she understood why she wanted to see the tree. "Yeah, I guess that would be alright. But not by yourselves." She went to stand up to go with them when Snow beat her to it.

"I'll go, Emma. I'd like to stretch my legs and get some air." Snow smiled at her daughter.

"Alright, " Emma conceded. "Why don't we meet at Granny's in an hour for dinner?" They all agreed and the threesome headed out the door.

It did feel good to be outside after waiting in the apartment so long, but the real reason Snow offered to tag along was because she wanted a chance to talk to her sister.

Lillian walked in the middle with her little brother on her right and her big sister, who also happened to be her brother's grandma, on her left. This had to be the strangest family ever.

"I bet today has been a pretty crazy day for you, huh?" Snow was trying to get the conversation going.

"Yeah, it sure has." Lillian kicked a small rock out of the way. Silence resumed. Snow had been waiting for what felt like days to talk to Lillian and she couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Listen," she said, putting her hand on Lillian's arm. "I'm not going to pretend that I know what you're thinking or how you're feeling about all of this, but I just want you to know that you're not alone." Lillian turned her head to look at Snow as they continued walking. "Your whole world may have been turned upside-down, but you gained a family. And, disfunctional as it may be, I'm so happy we found you." Lillian smiled, she wasn't the only one that thought this family situation was strange. Snow returned the smile and went on, "If you want to ask any questions or just talk about anything, I'm here for you. That's what big sisters are for, right?"

Big sister. That genuinely made Lillian happy. She had known of Snow in the Enchanted Forest, and had heard of her bravery and kindness. She was proud to be able to call her sister. "Thanks, Snow."

As they walked on Lillian thought about her sister and father and what her mother had said in her letter about being unhappy, and gaining her freedom and revenge. She began to wonder what exactly Regina had done to them. Her face showed that she was struggling with the questions now running through her mind. Snow noticed.

"Lillian," she asked tentatively. "Is there something you want to talk about?" Lillian wanted to ask this question of Snow, but she also didn't want to upset her. "You can ask me anything," Snow encouraged.

Lillian decided to go ahead, "She killed our father, didn't she?"

Snow was a little surprised at the question, but she knew that it was something her sister needed to understand. "Yes, she did."

Hearing her suspicions confirmed set Lillian off. "Then why do you want to save her? After that and everything else she's done, how can you even stand to be in the same room with her? Doesn't it make you so...angry?"

Snow stayed very calm. "It did, for a very long time. I was very angry with Regina. But, after some time, I've come to understand, at least a little bit, why she did those things. And I've decided that it's not really her fault."

Her answer surprised Lillian. "What do you mean?"

Snow spoke thoughtfully, trying to express herself clearly. "Regina has had someone manipulating her every step of the way, since she was a child. Starting with her own mother."

"She said her mother used magic to control her," Lillian added.

"She did. Cora used Regina in an effort to get more power for herself, by forcing her to marry our father. She treated Regina like a puppet in her master plan, but what she didn't plan on was her daughter standing up to her. Even after Regina freed herself from her mother, someone else was waiting to take control of the strings, Rumplestiltskin. He manipulated her into learning dark magic, and eventually, casting the curse that sent us all here." Lillian hadn't known about all that, it made her feel sad for her mother.

"How long have you known her?"

"Since I was a little girl," Snow replied. "She saved my life once."

Lillian was not expecting that. "Really?"

"Yes. When I was about 9, I was riding my horse through the countryside when he suddenly went wild. I was terrified. I was screaming for someone to help me, when all of the sudden this girl rode up beside me. She pulled me off of my horse and onto hers. It was Regina." Lillian smiled, she loved the idea of her mother doing something so heroic.

Snow continued, "I was so shaken up, I said that I would never ride again, but she told me that I needed to face my fears and get back on the horse as soon as possible. She was so beautiful, brave, and kind, I loved her instantly. When I got home and told father about what had happened and about the beautiful young woman who had saved me, he decided that any woman who would risk her life for his daughter was worthy to be her mother.

"The next day he went to her house and proposed. Her mother accepted, and Regina was heartbroken because she was in love with someone else. Daniel, the stable boy, who her mother never would have approved of. She went to tell him what had happened and I saw them kissing. I was so upset, I had wanted Regina to be my mother and she was kissing another man. I ran off in tears, and she came after me. She explained that she loved this young man, and that they were going to run away to be together. I wanted her to be happy so I promised to keep her secret and let her.

Snow paused and her face became sad. "But I didn't keep my promise. Cora convinced me that she only wanted Regina to be happy too, so I told her about their plans. She confronted them on the night they planned to run away and she killed Daniel, right in front of Regina. She has blamed me ever since. " So, that was the whole story. Regina had mentioned the incident in her letter, but hearing it from Snow's perspective made it seem sadder; she could hear the regret her sister felt.

Snow cleared her throat, fighting the emotion that had come into her voice. "So, to answer your question, I'm trying to save your mother because I want to save that girl who saved me. Because I know she's still in there." The two sisters looked at each other, and Lillian was amazed at Snow's goodness. She wanted to believe that she was right, that the old Regina was still alive. She felt incredibly grateful to Snow for believing it too. Lillian slipped her arm through Snow's and rested her head on her shoulder. Snow leaned her head against her little sister's and heard her say quietly, "Thank you."

Regina stared out the window and absently fiddled with her necklace. It was the one she wore most of the time, a delicate gold pendant of an apple tree. She had been watching the sky throughout the day, it had slowly been growing darker as clouds mounded higher and higher above the trees. Her mother was getting closer, she could feel it. The energy in the air was electric, magic was everywhere.

She had spent most of the day brushing up on defensive spells and devising a strategic plan for destroying the portal. It had to be done just right, and because she would probably only get one chance at it, she had to make sure it would work.

Her thoughts went to Henry and Lillian often. She couldn't help wondering how they had taken the news, especially her daughter. Whenever she thought of them her resolve to close the portal and keep them safe grew. It wouldn't be long now. She continued to keep watch and held tighter to her necklace as if it connected her to her children, tying them together across space and time.

Lillian stared up at the grand white house in awe. It was so strange. Having lived in Storybrooke for 28 years she had obviously noticed the Mayor's home before, but it had never meant anything to her; neither had the people who lived inside it, for that matter. That got her to thinking, how many times had she seen her mother and never paid any attention to her? Surely she had seen her occasionally at town functions and things. How strange that must have been for Regina to see her daughter and not be able to speak to her as such, to forever be a stranger to her own flesh and blood.

That idea also prompted another question: what about in the Enchanted Forest? Had they had any interactions there? Lillian tried hard to remember.

For four years Regina had tried to forget the little daughter she had given up. But for four years she had only been haunted by the memory of the child. She threw herself into her magic, letting it take away the pain, but that only worked while she was awake. The girl filled Regina's dreams, and they were getting worse. She dreaded closing her eyes at night for fear of the guilt and pain she would experience. Finally, she decided that the only way to ease her conscience was to see for herself that the girl was indeed better off without her.

One evening she snuck out of the castle and rode to Marie's home. The family was inside sitting down to supper. Regina silently crept up to the window and peeked in. She saw her daughter sitting at the table waiting for her dinner. She was as beautiful as Regina remembered and for the briefest moment a smile crossed her lips. She looked around the room to see what the family would be eating but the sight was not the one she had been hoping for.

Marie carefully placed a small portion of broth into a bowl in front of the child. The girl looked at the tiny meal and asked, "Broth again mother?"

Marie smiled sheepishly at her and replied, "Just for a few more days love, until papa can sell the last of the harvest. Now, be a good girl and eat up." The child obeyed.

Regina pulled back from the window, they were starving. She raced back to the castle. This was worse than the dreams, this was real and her daughter was the one suffering. She had to do something. She called one of the guards and instructed him to find Marie's husband and buy any crop he had left, he was then to report back to her every detail about their farm: what they grew, how much land they had etc.

The guard learned that while the family had excellent soil and normally grew several crops that did quite well, Marie's husband had fallen seriously ill in the last planting season and had not been able to tend to the crops properly. The result was a loss of nearly half their normal harvest.

Regina was saddened by the hardship the family now faced and she resolved to make it right. The previous fall she had overseen the planting of an apple orchard near the palace, the trees were still young but would be ready to produce fine fruit for the coming year. She ordered every single tree to be dug up and placed on wagons, they were going to be transplanted somewhere else.

A few days later Regina's carriage pulled up to Marie's home. The family was stunned to see the royal carriage and worried that there was some kind of three of them stood by, heads bowed in respect as the Queen climed down. Regina looked over the farm, inspecting the general conditions. After she had completed her inspection she stood before Marie's husband. The man bowed himself even lower, "Your Majesty," he started to say.

Regina cut him off, "You may arise." The man cautiously straightened himself, and Marie and Lillian follwed suit. Regina continued, "I hear that your soil is some of the richest in the kingdom. As you may know, I am very fond of apples, but have yet to find a farmer capable of producing a crop to meet my expectations." The man looked confused but did not dare ask any questions. "I have decided to have my own private orchard grown, however there is not sufficient room for it at the palace. Therefore, I have decided that you shall have the honor of having my orchard planted on your farm."

Regina motioned to the guards to begin unloading the trees, "My guards shall help you plant them, and you will care for them, and harvest them. I shall take all that I want and then you may sell the remainder for your profit." Both Marie and her husband looked stunned. It would have cost them a fortune to buy this many saplings, and considering how many there were, they would be able to sell nearly half the harvest every autumn, if not more. It was very generous.

Marie and her husband thanked Regina again and again, which she waved off. As the couple observed the planting of the trees Regina took the opportunity to get a closer look at her daughter. She sat on a tree stump near the house rocking a small homemade doll in her arms like a baby. Regina watched her for a moment, enjoying the way the girl sang softly to the doll. Marie came over to check on the child, Regina replaced the careful mask she had trained her face to assume, devoid of emotion. She knew she shouldn't but she couldn't help herself. "What a beautiful child," she said to Marie.

Marie beamed as proudly as any parent, "Thank you, your Majesty."

"What is her name?" She desperately wanted to know.

"Lillian. Her name is Lillian, ma'am."

Regina repeated the name in a whisper, "Lillian." When she said her name Lillian looked up at her mother and smiled. Regina returned the smile and then asked one of the footmen to bring something from the carriage. It was a very young sapling, with a cloth wrapped around its roots. The man placed the tree next to Regina who bent down to speak to Lillian.

"I brought something for you, Lillian. It's a very special tree, and it's to be your very own. It is a sapling from my tree that I've had since I was a little girl." Lillian eyed the tree impressed by how important it sounded. "Can you promise to take very good care of this tree, Lillian?"

"Yes, I will," she replied softly.

"That's very nice of you, your Majesty," Marie said. "What do you say, dear?"

"Thank you, your Majesty," Lillian said with a little bow. Regina nodded and Lillian ran to her tree, inspecting it curiously.

Marie smiled at the Queen and said cheerfully, "This is so kind if you, ma'am. I don't know what we've done to deserve it."

Regina looked around the farm and then back at Marie, "My guards will be returning occasionally to ensure you are...caring for them properly." She meant both Lillian and the trees. Lowering her voice to sound more intimidating she added, "See you don't disappoint me." The smile faded from Marie's face.

"Yes your Majesty."

Regina turned, climbed back into her carriage and stole one last look at Lillian before the carriage pulled away.

Lillian had forgotten the memory until this very moment. Staring up at the very tree hers had come from, her mother's tree, had brought the memory back to her. She stepped closer to the tree and placed her hand gently on the trunk. She imagined her mother caring for the tree, pruning it, and picking the beautiful red apples, just as she had done for her own tree. It struck her how symbolic her mother's gift had been. It was like she had given Lillian a piece of herself, something that only the two of them could share.

As she stood there the emotions she had been trying to deal with all day became overwhelming. She burst out into tears, unable to control or hide them. Snow ran to her side and without a word swept her into a big hug. Henry came over too, a little unsure of what to do, but he was concerned about his sister. She cried non-stop for a few minutes before she finally felt able to control herself. She started to settle down a bit so she apologized for breaking down. Snow pulled back a little and said with a smile, "It's alright. You've been through a lot today." She smoothed her little sister's hair gently and asked, "Can I get you anything?"

"Maybe some water,"Lillian replied.

"I'll be right back, "Snow answered, happy to help.

As soon as she was inside Lillian turned to Henry and spoke very seriously, "Henry, I need your help. I need you to show me where the entrance to the portal is so I can go through and see mom."

"What?!" Henry was floored by her request. "You can't do that, it's too dangerous."

"I have to Henry. It's the only way to save her."

"But you heard what Emma said, if anyone goes through she'll just use her powers to knock them back."

Lillian shook her head, "Not if it's me. Not if I explain that I needed to see her, that we want her to come back."

Henry thought about what she was saying, he knew that she was probably right. But it would be dangerous and he would have to lie to Emma to do it, which, given her ability to know when people are lying, could be problematic.

Snow was coming back outside with a tray of ice waters for all if them. Lillian looked at him, begging him to agree. "Please Henry," she whispered.

"Alright," he said quickly as Snow approached. Lillian smiled at him and mouthed, "Thank you." Henry was in.