Hello, I am still looking for a beta reader is anyone is interested. Also please review, I haven't been getting many recently, and it is nice to hear what people think. Is there something about the story that is bothering you, something that you love, are you just plain apathetic about it? Whatever the answer I would love to know. The school year just started today so it is going to be busier and harder to find time and energy to write and update, but reviews do help to provide motivation. I am not saying that I will not post new chapters if I don't get reviews, I am just saying I would like to have some. Thanks!
Also if you have any questions for ideas feel free to PM me, I don't bite.
I hope you enjoy the chapter, I had fun writing it.
Cora reappeared outside a modest home in Storybrooke. A swing was attached by fraying rope to the tree in the front yard, it looked almost sad and dejected. There was no question that it was just there hoping for use. Cora walked up to the front door and knocked, impatiently playing with her hands as she waited for a response. A middle aged man open the door, the plaid shirt that he was wearing had a stain on the pocket and his face looked flushed.
"Sorry I was in the basement working on…" The man started when his flushed face turned pale.
"So you do recognize me then?" Cora asked.
"You're the woman who brought Danielle to us, back in the Enchanted Forest."
"Yes" Cora replied.
"We never saw you after that day, but somehow we kept getting payments…" The man asked obviously confused.
"I had to go away, unexpectedly, but I made arrangements before leaving." Cora replied, "Is Danielle still with you?"
"Yes, she is just at the library. We were able to stay together during Regina's curse which was a blessing for the two of us. There are pictures inside, would you like to come in."
"Yes thank you?" Cora replied, walking in through the threshold. "You said the two of us, if I remember correctly you had a wife?"
"Yes she died about a year after Danielle came, the same disease that took our own child." The man replied.
As Cora walked in he was greeted by many pictures on the wall of a girl who looked to be about twelve years old. She was almost shocked by how much the girl looked like Regina at that age.
"I'm sorry for your loss" Cora replied, the words obviously empty.
"Thank you" The man replied with a nod. "Can I get you anything, something to drink perhaps?"
"No nothing thank you, but…what is your name?" Cora asked.
"Peter" the man asked, holding out his hand.
Cora shook it and sat down at a chair by the kitchen table. Peter sat down as well.
"I don't mean to be rude, but why are you here. Have you come to take Danielle back? As you can see she was well taken care of."
"Yes, and I thank you for that. But she does have family here in Storybrooke and I think it would be good for her to meet them. There is just a slight complication." Cora replied.
"Complication?"
"This family…doesn't remember her. But I think it would be best for both of them." Cora started.
"I agree, I think Danielle would want that. I have been honest about where she came from and she has been curious about her family. But who is this family, what do you mean that they don't remember her."
"Danielle's mother, didn't die. But it was necessary that Danielle be taken from her at that moment, for a variety of reasons. This is when I took her to you. But her mother, she didn't handle the loss of Danielle very well, she took a potion that made her forget Danielle."
"But why would a mother want to forget their own child?" Peter asked.
"I don't know, and she can't tell me either, she doesn't remember. But perhaps if they saw each other then things would start coming back."
"Why did Danielle need to be taken from her?"
"I can't tell you that, I can just tell you it was a decision I made, and it was the right one at the time."
"Fine" Peter said shaking his head, trying his best to trust the woman in front of him. "Just tell me one thing, who is Danielle's mother. Is she someone I know?"
"You most likely know of her." Cora replied with a smile.
Peter looked at her confused.
"Danielle's mother is Regina"
Regina walked from Mary Margaret's house, worry of Henry wracked her mind. They had not believed her innocence and had taken her son from her. All she wanted to do was to see him, things had seemed so confused recently and all she wanted was to see the one thimg that she was sure of in her life. Her son. As she walked she passed the library and decided to veer in. She knew there was a picture of Henry on the wall, with one of his big silly smiles plastered across his face. Last year before Miss Swan had come to town he completed the read more than 50 books challenge that the library posted. And for it he got his picture on the wall and a book of his choice, he had chosen a book about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
As she entered Blue looked up from her spot behind the counter surprised.
"Mayor Mills, can I help you find anything." She thought back and tried to think of a time that she had seen the Mayor in the library without Henry.
"No I am just looking." Regina replied as she walked past the desk and to the back of the library where the young adult books were held and on the wall was a bulletin board with Henry's picture. She walked up to it and smiled at seeing Henry's smile, and ran her fingers over the picture. Wishing that she could be standing in front of Henry instead. Her eyes wandered over the rest of the bulletin board, pictures of other children that had completed the challenge hung on the board. Along with a new picture with the caption. Sixth Grade Class Helps to Reorganize the Library. About twenty students stood in front of the book shelves the surrounding area looking spotless. For some reason Regina felt herself drawn to the picture. Looking closer she saw the penetrating eyes of a girl with dark hair, the same girl from her dreams. Regina jumped back in shock, dropping her purse to the floor. The girl wasn't real, the girl was only from her dreams. But the girl was in the picture in front of her. Regina blinked and looked again, expecting herself to have imagined it. But there she stood. Smiling in front of an organized library. Regina felt as though her lungs were being restricted and a pain started to grow behind her eyes. She shook her head, hoping it would make the feeling go away, but it only grew stronger. Regina reached down and picked up her purse and turned around to leave. As she made her way out of the aisle, turning quickly she ran into a girl and stumbled back. The sound of books hitting the floor echoed through Regina's ears.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there" came a voice, it sounded almost familiar to her.
Regina simply shook her head and muttered some sort of apology herself and bent down instinctively to pick up the fallen books, she hated messes and liked to clean them up as quickly as possible. She saw the knees of the girl she had ran into, also kneeling and picking up the fallen books.
When she looked up the same piercing eyes from the picture and from her dreams where looking at her and stumbled back again. Dropping the books, she quickly picked them up again and handed them to the girl. Their hands brushed together as Regina gave the books over and she felt a tingling in her skin as if she had been shocked and pulled her hand back quickly.
"Are you okay?" The girl asked confused, staring at Regina.
"Yes I'm fine." Regina said.
"Do I know you?" the girl asked again.
"I'm the mayor, I'm sure you've seen me around."
"I know that but I just feel as though we…but you are right you are the mayor it must be that. I am sorry again, I should have been looking where I was going."
Regina just nodded, "I'll let you off the hook" before turning and heading towards the door.
"Regina are you okay you don't look so well" Blue asked from behind the counter.
Regina stumbled over and turned and pointed to the girl, "That girl, do you know who she is?"
"Yes, Peter's daughter. Danielle."
At the name Danielle Regina felt as if she couldn't breathe and the pain behind her eyes grew stronger. But she just nodded and made her way out the door and headed back towards her home.
By the time that she had arrived at the door the pain behind her eyes had made it hard to stand, it felt like the world was closing in on her. And all because she had seen dream girl's piercing eyes. She was real, and her name was Danielle. Regina opened the door and pushed it behind her, hoping that there had been enough force for the door to close. She made her way over to the couch and laid down clutching her head.
Moments later her mother walked in the door, seeing Regina laying down quite unlike herself she ran over to her.
"Regina are you alright."
A tear made its way down Regina's cheek, she opened her eyes and looked at her mother. Her eyes full of pain, pleading and desperation.
"Help me" Regina whispered. Before closing her eyes again, the light was too painful.
"Regina what happened?" her mother asked again.
"She is real" was all Regina could say before the world completely closed in around her.
Cora looked around, hoping for a sign of what would put Regina in this state, but came up with nothing.
Hopeless and confused she closed her eyes and muttered the words, "Rumplestiltskin I summon thee."
