A/N: Well, it's been a while! Sorry about that but as usual life took over and before I knew it 4 months had passed. I hope those 9000ish words will make up for it. Your response to the last chapter has been greatly appreciated. To all the guests to whom I couldn't reply thank you so much for your reviews! To everyone who is still following this story, enjoy the ride :D Also a big shoutout to my darling Manon aka Lolymoon for her beta work. I don't remember if I said this here before but you can come and say Hi either on Tumblr at thisisamadhouse or on Twitter at thisisamadhous3.

Chapter 6: Cold hard truths

Cora and Henry appeared in Regina's vault, and while Henry tried to get his bearings back after travelling this way for the first time, Cora was already looking around and exploring the place.

"Mmmmh, so this is where my daughter hides her treasures," she commented, going through the shelves, sweeping the dust gathered there with her index, shaking her head and tutting disapprovingly. "She should be taking better care of those, some are rarities in any world."

"She isn't really using magic anymore, she doesn't need all of this," Henry replied, inching his way towards the stairs slowly while Cora's back was turned.

"Don't even think about it, dear," she warned still looking away from him. "You're not getting out of here unless I let you," she said as she continued to peruse her daughter's collection. "Not really using magic? I don't understand, magic is all around this town, why wouldn't she use it?" she then asked, confused.

"Because I asked her not to," Henry answered, and Cora swirled around, a hard, dangerous expression on her face.

"And why would you do such a thing?" She sneered.

"Magic has only caused trouble, it ruins everything, I don't want my Mom to hurt or be hurt by anyone because of that," Henry defended but Cora would have none of it.

"What do you even know about magic, boy? Who are you to ask anyone to give up a part of themselves, hmm?" she questioned insistently. "For that's what magic is to those who have that gift. Before you are awakened to it, you feel like there is something missing, something vital, you are incomplete, always looking for that piece of the puzzle that would make you so much more than what you are. Once you can wield it, once you have all that power at your fingertips, just waiting to be unleashed, everything clicks into place, everything finally feels right, you realise why you always had the impression that you were different from the rest of the rabble aimlessly going through life. Magic is not just a weapon, a tool to be used and then put away when you don't need it anymore, magic is like blood, like air, being deprived of it means death and suffering, an agony worse than any curse."

Henry was hypnotized by Cora's speech and he swallowed hard when she finished, trying to organize his thoughts. "But she never…" he started before changing course. "She was fine during the Curse!" He exclaimed.

Cora rolled her eyes. "Don't you understand? This town was built by the Curse, by magic, it's all around us, it has always been there. It is what sustained Regina and Rumplestiltskin and all the other magical beings who were swept away," she explained, annoyed with her adoptive grandson for being so slow to understand her point.

"So when I asked Mom to stop using magic…" Henry trailed off.

"You made her go through the most intense pain she has ever suffered," Cora completed for him. "She must love you immensely to have accepted to do this," she seemed disgusted by the idea and Henry felt sick to his stomach.

He had never realised how much it could hurt his mother to stop using magic. When he and David had found her a few weeks prior sick and exhausted at the mansion, he hadn't really made the connection with her attempt to keep her promise to him, but now he got it. She had gone through all of that for him, had even risked her life without ever telling him.

"I wonder what you ever did to warrant such a sacrifice," Cora pondered and Henry hung his head in shame, remembering words like 'you're not my mom' or the multiple times he ran away from her.

A purple cloud of smoke suddenly materialized between them and revealed a Regina shaking with anger. It didn't take her more than two seconds to take in the scene and grab Henry, forcing him to move behind her while she kept her mother in her line of sight.

"Are you alright Henry?" she asked him, bending an arm backwards around him while the other was raised in front of her defensively.

"Yes," he answered in a small voice. "I'm so sorry, Mom," he whispered shakily against her back. Regina craned her neck to look at him for a moment, taken aback, and then turned towards her mother again.

"What did you do to him?" she snarled, but Cora remained calm.

"Nothing dear, I only told him a few truths he had chosen to ignore until now, it's not my fault if he has trouble handling it," she replied in a deceptively soft tone.

"Truths? You have never been able to tell the truth a day in your life so colour me doubtful," Regina snarked back at her, taking a few steps back to put some more distance between her mother and Henry.

"Please my darling, do not react this way. I simply wanted to make sure that your son was aware of how much you love him, and that he was deserving of it," Cora explained in that infuriatingly calm tone that didn't suit her at all. "I am not certain he passes the test."

Regina snorted. "And how would you know? Love is weakness for you but I don't think you would ever be able to recognize it. You don't know anything about my relationship with my son, leave him out of this."

"I can't do that, Regina, not when he has hurt you so badly. I don't need to know much to understand why the so-called Savior is in town or who brought her here, she never would have found this place otherwise. I maintain that love is weakness, just look at what you went through for this boy and what did you get in return?" Cora tried to placate her but Regina would have none of it.

"Nothing that I didn't deserve," she said, shushing Henry when he gripped the back of her coat in protest. "And certainly more than I ever got from you. I already told you that I want nothing to do with you, and kidnapping my son to provoke a meeting won't make me more receptive."

"Regina, I am your mother, that will never change. You can try to have me killed, you can shut me away, send me through portals to any world, nothing will change the fact that I am your mother and I only want what's best for you," Cora pleaded, taking a step forward with a hand raised, attempting to reach her daughter's face. She was stopped by Regina raising a shield between them.

"We have very different definitions of what is best for me and I won't be sucked back into letting you decide it for me again," Regina replied harshly, pushing the shield towards her mother, forcing her to retreat towards the wall while she and Henry crabbed towards the stairs. Cora had placed a spell that allowed Regina to apparate in but not out, and she felt her frustration growing at the idea of being stuck in her own vault.

"It could be so different if you were only willing to give me a chance," her mother tried again but Regina was too fed up.

"I don't know why you are insisting so much but I can only guess that there is something else you want, something you think I can help you with. Sorry to disappoint but it won't happen. I'm going to find out what you're planning, I'm going to stop you, and then I will find a way to lock you up forever, where you can't hurt anyone again," she told Cora, still walking backwards with Henry. "Goodbye Mother," she added as they reached the stone steps and disappeared up without another look.

Cora knew Regina had poofed them away when the shield came down, and she let out a scream of rage and frustration. She had never imagined her daughter would resist her so much and for so long. It was time to find another way to get through to her. She needed to put her plan into motion without Regina's help.

David entered the loft after Snow and closed the door slowly, resisting the impulse to lean his forehead against it, instead letting out a silent sigh. He would have loved to stall this moment but he knew it was useless, Snow had lost her last thread of patience while dealing with Anton and they were both exhausted after having spent the better part of the afternoon running after the giant. They were going to have that talk whether he liked it or not.

Snow was already in the kitchen, filling a kettle with water and putting it on the stove to heat it up, pulling two mugs out of the cupboard and setting them on the counter with a little more force than was necessary. David winced.

He sat heavily on the couch, watching her wearily prepare their tea, her silence only causing his anticipation of an explosion to grow. Finally, she joined him, placing their mugs on the coffee table and turning to him.

"So, you and Regina? Care to tell me what happened there because I am really confused," she demanded to know without preamble and this time the sigh he let escape was audible.

"It is not what you think," he started.

"There has never been in the history of humanity a conversation containing those words that went well," she cut him off, and he was reminded at probably the worst possible time that Regina had raised this girl, nurture over nature was making an appearance in this case.

"Nothing happened between us," he replied, the lie heavy on his tongue and she must have felt his hesitation because she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Define nothing," she said. "Because I can't help but think back to when she woke up in Gold's shop and the way you two looked at each other then… I thought I was imagining things or reading too much into it but now… after seeing how you act with each other…There is more to it than mere friendship."

David combed his hand through his hair and scrubbed it down his face. "Look, you have to understand that it wasn't an easy time for any of us. We didn't know if you and Emma were alright, if you had even survived your trip through the portal, Regina had given up on her magic and she was going through hell because of it, everyone was looking up to me for guidance. I didn't know who to turn to," he tried to explain but he could see that he was doing a poor job at it.

"So you turned to Regina, the very reason we found ourselves here in the first place, cursed, separated from our daughter, from each other, for all those years?" Snow countered in disbelief, shaking her head, turning away from him, her lips pursed.

"Henry needed her, even if he was struggling with that, he needed her, and despite my grievances against her I couldn't separate them out of spite. Being with them, watching her interact with him, trying so hard to be someone he can look up to again, it made me see her under a different light. I could see what you have always seen Snow, what you wanted me to realise, that under the layers of the Evil Queen, there is this caring, selfless person who would be ready to do anything for the people she loves," David told her, grabbing her hands, forcing her to look at him.

"So you're blaming me for sleeping with her?" Snow exclaimed.

"We didn't sleep together, Snow. It wasn't like that." David shook his head, and then let it fall forward, gathering his thoughts and searching for the right words suddenly seemed easier to do while he wasn't looking at his wife.

"But you were intimate in some way. You touched her, David. She doesn't let people just touch her, only Henry. So, I'm asking again, what happened? And don't insult us by saying nothing," Snow insisted, ripping her hands away from his.

No, it definitely wasn't nothing, David thought, but the problem was he didn't know what it was either. Regina and he had never talked about that night afterwards, not in a way that mattered, not in a way that could have helped him sort through the mess that was his troubled mind. They had gone through the motions, pretending they hadn't crossed that line, while being all too aware that they had.

David exhaled, gathering his courage, there was no point trying to downplay it anymore. "She was in a bad place after giving up her magic, but going to see Archie did her some good, she was opening herself up more, Henry and her were talking, rebuilding their relationship, and then Whale brought Daniel back from the dead. It was awful, she was so hopeful and the next second she realised she had to kill him. Standing there, holding Henry back, watching her be reunited with the love of her life before having to end his misery, completely unable to help her… You have no idea what that was like," he paused, taking in Snow's horror struck expression before continuing. "When I went to check up on her, she had destroyed everything downstairs and she was just sitting there, Daniel's handprints on her neck, staring into nothing…. We were both in a bad place emotionally and I guess one thing led to another, until we stopped."

Snow swallowed heavily, trying a couple of times to form words before she succeeded. "Before you stopped," she repeated. "Both of you at the same time stopped whatever was going on?" she asked, doubt written all over her face, and once more David couldn't look her in the eyes.

"Not exactly, no," he amended.

"Who stopped first then?" The way she phrased it, her tone, everything told David that she already knew the answer, that she had a pretty clear picture in her mind of the events of that evening.

"Regina did," David replied and Snow inhaled sharply, the admission harder to handle that she had thought.

"If she hadn't, you would have happily went on without a care, wouldn't you?" She asked, lips turned down in disgust, her voice raising with every word.

"You're not being fair, Snow," David said, keeping his tone even and calm.

"Fair? You want to talk about fair? Emma and I were stranded in the middle of a desolated Enchanted Forest, hunted down by Cora, fearing for our lives, while you were here playing house with Regina and Henry," she yelled out, standing up to put some much needed distance between them. "What happened during the Curse with Kathryn is one thing but this… this, you can't blame on not being able to remember. You knew what you were doing, you knew with whom you were doing it, and yet you still went for it. How could you David?"

"There is nothing I can say that will make any of this better," he told her quietly.

"You could try! Do you at least regret what you did? Would you have ever told me if I hadn't put two and two together?" Snow insisted, tears falling along her cheeks.

He shook his head. "Probably not. Regina feared your reaction, she didn't want anyone to find out about it, she didn't want to risk her newly mended relationship with Henry." In retrospect, it probably wasn't the best thing to say in that moment but he was determined to put it all out.

"So you put Regina's wishes above being honest to your own wife? David, do you have feelings for her?" Her voice dropped down considerably, on the verge of breaking, as if she couldn't quite handle letting out the thought any louder.

David straightened up, his jaw dropping, suddenly the words wouldn't come out and he realised he had never actually stopped to ponder it before.

"I… I…" He stammered and then paused, swallowing heavily. He remembered his interactions with Regina ever since Snow and Emma disappeared down Jefferson's hat, how close and protective he had become of her, even standing up against everyone when she was accused of murder, the worry he had felt when she took the sleeping curse in his stead, the relief when Henry was able to wake her up, all culminating to yesterday when he had seen her at her most vulnerable and she didn't push him away.

The realisation hit him hard. "I think I might," he heard himself say, the words had formed on his tongue and were out of his mouth before his brain had fully processed them, but the moment they did he felt something akin to relief, a weight lifting, the tension in his insides unclenching slowly. Finally being able to voice what had been plaguing him for weeks made him feel free and light. It only lasted for the couple of seconds it took him to look back up at his wife though.

Snow had a peculiar expression on her face, a mix of devastation and resignation, as if she had been expecting his answer, only waiting for the confirmation, but the blow still was too much to bear. "Of all the things I imagined happening while we were gone, you falling in love with Regina was never one of them. You killing each other maybe, but not this," she said quietly, the fight drained out of her.

"Snow," David started, not really sure what else he could say but she seemed to sense it and smiled sadly at him.

"Don't bother, there is no point pursuing this tonight. I'm exhausted and I don't think I can handle hearing much more anyway," she admitted, defeated and any other attempt to discuss died on his tongue.

She sighed and went upstairs to Emma's room, the need to put as much distance between them as possible crystal clear.

David stayed where he was, unmoving, pondering what he was supposed to do now, and then his phone buzzed. He welcomed the distraction as his daughter's name appeared on the screen. He listened intently to her retelling of Hook's attack on Mr Gold, that they needed to bring him back to Storybrooke if they wanted to try and save him. She was leaving the unpleasant task of warning Belle to him. He grunted his agreement and ended the call after telling her to be careful. He was about to look through his contacts to find Belle's number when he noticed a missed text… from Regina no less. Just two words: "Home, safe".

The next day, Regina and Henry walked through the door of the pawn shop after David had called to inform her of Gold's rather dire situation. The exchange had been brief, to the point, and entirely too tense, leaving Regina convinced that something was definitely up with him and she wasn't sure she wanted to know what it was.

She would have wanted to stay in with Henry, making sure he was alright after the events of the previous day. He had clung to her from the moment she had appeared in the vault until well into the night, almost never letting her out of his sight, but she had yet to hear all about what had gone down between Cora and him. He wouldn't talk about it so she decided to give him some time, for now.

As they walked towards the back of the shop, he molded himself even more into her side and she squeezed the shoulder she was holding reassuringly. They stepped through the curtain and were greeted by the sight of Rumpelstiltskin lying on the cot Regina had gotten quite well acquainted with not so long ago, looking rather pale and weak, something she never thought she would be given the privilege to observe. Belle was sitting beside his head, wringing her hands nervously. Snow and Charming were standing on the left, and the amount of space between them, Snow's crossed arms and dark looks, made Regina gulp uneasily. On the right, their offspring was pacing back and forth but seemed to always end up by the side of a young man Regina didn't know.

She remembered David mentioning Gold being on a quest to find someone and requiring Emma's assistance. It appeared they had been successful, mostly anyway.

They all turned towards them and Emma took a step forward in their direction but stopped when Henry only pressed himself closer to Regina, she fleetingly wondered if they would become permanently attached by the hip if this continued for too long.

"Hey kid," Emma greeted awkwardly, unsure in a way Regina had never seen before, or maybe once, when she had brought Henry back from Boston.

Henry only looked at her blankly and Regina sighed, rubbing his arm and she felt the answering squeeze of her coat's belt which Henry wouldn't let go of.

"Miss Swan, we will talk about your attempt at kidnapping later, but before that could you tell me what's going on?" It was phrased like a question, the interrogation mark at the end almost visible but the tone let no doubt that Regina had zero patience and more than a little justified anger to go with.

"Kidnapping?" The stranger questioned, eyebrows raised high, and there was just something about him that Regina couldn't place but that seemed oh so familiar it was uncanny.

"Neal, not now," Emma muttered, glaring at him but it only made him shrug.

Regina watched the exchange curiously, the two knew each other, that much was obvious, but how… Oh hell no, she thought, looking from Emma, to this Neal, to Henry, and finally locking eyes with Rumple, this could not be happening. But it was, it was written right there in the depth of her former mentor's gaze, you just had to know how to read it, and she knew, she damn well knew. It was no wonder this man seemed so familiar.

Regina suddenly felt nauseous, she felt betrayed, she finally understood why she was chosen for the job all those years ago, what it was really about, and how even now Rumple was still pulling the strings to make her dance. Blood was pumping in her ears, her body invaded by this rage that had kept her alive for so long. She extracted herself from Henry, gently pushing him towards David, ignoring his protests or the way he still tried to cling to her belt, and surged towards Rumple.

She grabbed him by the chin hosting him up and against the wall behind the cot, paying no attention to Belle's outraged cries or his pained grunts. When the younger woman tried to intervene, Rumple raised his arm to stop her.

"You knew, didn't you? When you found him for me, you knew who he was. He was just a pawn in your game to get your son back, we were all pawns in this little quest of yours," Regina whispered in his face, her tone so low he was the only one who could hear.

"No, I didn't know," Rumple muttered through gritted teeth. "I knew he was hers but that's it."

"He is not hers, he's mine, you hear me, you manipulative little imp? My son. I don't care what you have planned in that twisted mind of yours since you made the connection, nothing will change the fact that he is mine. You won't get him, and you certainly won't use him to get your own son back. Do I make myself clear?" She threatened, her face so close to his their noses were touching.

"Crystal," he replied.

She let him go, he slumped back on the cot like a ragged doll, breathing heavily. Belle immediately started fussing over him, glaring at Regina who glared back. She threw one last disgusted look at Rumple and turned towards the newcomer.

"So you're the reason my life was turned into a living hell. I would say it's a pleasure to meet you but I'm not feeling too benevolent at the moment," Regina addressed him, her nose crinkling, a glint in her eyes, and it must have softened the blow somehow because the man's wary look gave way to a smirk.

"People usually call me Neal," he answered, offering his hand, and she looked at it as you would a foreign, potentially dangerous object for a second before shaking it.

"They didn't always though, did they?" She countered and he nodded, pressing his lips as he looked down at his father for a moment.

"Indeed. I was born Baelfire, though that was a long time ago," he told her. "Given what Emma has told me about this town, I'm guessing you're Regina." There was no judgement in his voice, that was a novel concept for her.

"The one and only, yes. You don't seem too suspicious, though, so many things must have been left untold."

"Well, I don't make a habit of forming an opinion about people only through things I hear, and if what you just said gave me any indication, it is that my father never stopped his tricks, maybe even upped his game and you were unfortunate enough to prove useful to him."

Regina decided that it would be very hard to hate this man. She grinned and leaned towards him slightly. "We'll see how long this lasts in this narrow-minded town."

"You might be surprised," he replied and she hummed, humoring him.

"Mom, what's going on?" Henry called out to her and she crossed the room to him in a couple of long strides. He immediately claimed back his place by her side.

"It appears that Mr Gold found his son and ran into… let me guess, Hook?" Regina told her son, looking from Rumple, to Neal, to Emma, with a perfectly arched eyebrow.

Rumple grunted his answer, locking eyes with her once more. "The damn pirate finally got what he wanted and he had help," he said, the implication leaving no doubt in Regina's mind.

"Cora," she let out and he nodded. "What could she gain from this…" She thought out loud, and then trailed off when something occurred to her, Rumple straightened up when he saw the epiphany glint in her eyes. "She needs you weakened, she needs you to be unable to fight back. I knew she was planning something but I couldn't figure out what it was. This is it, you fighting for your life, your defences low, vulnerable to attack."

'You mean..." her former teacher seemed to catch up on her train of thoughts.

"She wants your dagger, she wants the Dark One's powers," Regina finished, leaving only a stunned silence in the wake of the revelation.

Belle looked from Rumple to Regina, slightly fascinated by the ongoing silent exchange of stares between them, wondering what was being said, probably something along the lines of 'Can I trust you? Will you help?' and 'What do I have to gain from it?'.

"But the poison is supposed to kill him, isn't it? What happens when a Dark One dies without the dagger being used?" Belle intervened, suppressing a shudder at the thought.

"She won't let it come to that, she will deliver the final blow herself, with the dagger. By becoming the Dark One she would be nearly invincible, she could do anything she wished," Regina explained, still focusing on Rumple, still pondering.

"Alright, so we need to find it before her. Where is it?" Emma spoke out and Rumple sneered.

"You really think I'm going to just tell you where I'm hiding the only thing that can completely destroy me? Who do you take me for? I will fetch it myself," he said, trying to heave himself up.

"Don't be ridiculous," Regina snapped. "You can't even stand right now, and even if I would immensely enjoy seeing you accelerating the process, it would be pointless. Stop being stubborn and just tell us."

Rumple looked at her, a bit stunned by her vehemence, and sat back down.

"Also, I need you to stay put so I can work on an antidote," Belle added.

Regina's lips pursed as the younger woman spoke. "Yes, you could do that…"

The derisive way in which she said it made Rumple and Belle bristle.

"What, you think it's a waste of time? You would let me die?" The sorcerer demanded. "Even with what you just found out?" He added, the hint of his usual smirk pulling at his lips.

"Wouldn't you?" Regina countered. "If our positions were reversed, if my death would mean the end of such a dangerous source of power as the Dark One is, would you hesitate?"

The silence that followed was deafening, the others seemed to be following a tennis match, looking from one to the other, waiting.

"That's what I thought," Regina said after a long moment, all emotions suppressed from her voice and her face, a blank mask, a blank gaze, and yet it still felt like a punch in the gut for all present. "You're lucky that the girl who once asked for your help is only agonizing and not completely dead. You're lucky I remember what I owe you, even if you have more than abused your due. Now, where is your dagger?"

"The clock tower," Rumple replied with a defeated sigh.

"That wasn't so hard, was it? Alright, the bookworm can work on an antidote or anything that can slow this down and buy us some time, Miss Swan you stay here and work on building defences around this place. I will bring Henry somewhere safe and go look for the dagger," she announced, seamlessly taking the lead, not leaving any room for arguments, and turned around, her son following.

"You're not planning on going alone, are you?" David spoke up for the first time, Regina had to admit she had almost forgotten he and Snow were there.

"That's exactly what I was planning to do. Why? You object?" She replied, not sure she wanted to get in the middle of whatever was going on between him and Snow.

"Yeah, I object," David confirmed and Snow scoffed, shaking her head. Regina looked at her, raising an eyebrow, and then back at David.

"Well, that's your problem now, isn't it?" She told him and clasped her hand in Henry's, leading him out.

She thought they were in the clear, but just as they reached the door, she heard David's rapidly approaching footsteps.

"Wait, Regina, wait," he called out. "Why do you always insist on doing everything alone?" He lamented, catching up with them.

She just stared at him, hard, and he sighed. "Yeah, okay, I get it, but this time someone is actually offering to help. Maybe it wouldn't be so terrible to accept?" He was giving her what could only be described as a pleading look, bordering on puppy dog eyes, and she huffed impatiently.

"Just don't slow us down," she muttered, wrenching the door open, the little bell ringing annoyingly.

"Mom? That man in the shop? That's Mr Gold's son, right?" Henry asked, wanting to cut through the tense silence between the adults in the front seats.

"Yes, honey," Regina answered, eyes focusing on the road, royally ignoring the man by her side.

"How come Emma knew him?" Her son continued and Regina swallowed nervously.

"That's something you would have to ask her," she said, clutching the wheel tighter.

"But you know, don't you?" He insisted.

"I guessed, yes."

"So, why won't you just tell me?"

"Henry," Regina sighed. "No matter how I feel about Miss Swan at the moment, I do think it is something she should talk to you about herself, but don't worry I will be there for that, and I will let my opinion be known, loud and clear," she said, ominously.

"Okay," Henry drawled. "But does this mean things are going to change?"

"They might, but only if you want them to. Henry, whatever you find out, whatever happens, no one will force you to do anything you don't want to. I will make sure of that," she affirmed, catching his eyes through the rear-view mirror.

"I know, Mom, I trust you. That's why I won't badger you into telling me," and he dropped it, just like that. Regina thought that it was a good thing the road was deserted because her focus was definitely not on her driving.

"Where are we going anyway?" Henry asked after a moment, causing Regina to blink at the abrupt change of subject.

"To Granny's. I figure two armed wolves should be enough incentive to keep Cora at bay until we find a way to stop her. That and a protective spell should do the trick," she explained, pulling herself together.

Before long, they were parking in front of the dinner and it took surprisingly little time to convince Granny and Ruby to help her, but Regina was certain it had more to do with Henry than her. The few patrons left as soon as they heard that Cora was on the warpath, though a couple of dwarves stuck around, waving around their pickaxes menacingly.

Grumpy's 'We've got him, sister," was probably supposed to be reassuring but Regina's gaze was more fixated on the too short distance between the pickaxe and her son's face.

A protection spell around the diner later and Regina and David were back in the car.

"You really didn't have to come with me, I'm a big girl, I know how…" she started.

"To defend yourself, you've been doing it your whole life, you don't need anyone doing it for you. I know the speech by heart but still I chose to come and support you, so can we just drop it and focus on finding the dagger before your mother?" David cut her off and Regina honestly couldn't remember the last time he had been so short with her.

"Just because there is trouble in paradise doesn't mean you can take it out on me! I'm the one supposed to be mad at you for what happened with Henry, remember?"

"Don't, Regina, please don't," he suddenly sounded very tired and looked uncomfortable. She studied him for a few seconds and blanched.

"Oh," she exhaled. "You told her."

He let out a sound that could have been a humourless laugh but to Regina's ears resembled a bark and she flinched, he noticed and his expression softened.

"You say that as if I had a choice. She is not blind, she realised something was going on and she confronted me. I couldn't lie to her anymore," he said, trying to read her but she was rebuilding her mask too quickly.

"I'm surprised she didn't pounce on me, all claws out earlier," she commented. "Or even let everyone know what a husband stealing whore I really am."

"Don't call yourself that! And you know that's not Snow," he rebutted.

"She is a woman scorned, David. What do you think is going to happen here? That she will stew on this for a bit, make you sleep on the couch and then welcome you back with open arms and rainbow kisses? She may be a lovesick fool, but even that has to be the last straw for her!" Regina ranted and David's lips pursed in irritation.

"Who says that's what I want?" He blurted out.

Regina hit the brakes rather briskly in front of the clock tower. "What do you mean by that?" She asked but he didn't answer, only got out of the car.

"What do you mean by that?" She repeated, louder, her tone harsh, eyes flashing.

"Only that I would like it if people let me figure things out before assuming what my course of action will be," he snapped back.

Regina was bewildered; "What could there possibly be for you to figure out? You're Snow White and Prince Charming, the ultimate true love story that puts all other true loves to shame. I've been fed that bullshit for years, practically gagging each time I set eyes on you two, and now you're saying that this is all it took to tear you apart?"

David crossed the distance between in the blink of an eye, standing so close to her she had to crack her neck up to see his face. "Are you really going to pretend that it meant nothing to you? That the time we spent together means nothing?"

She was speechless, her mouth was hanging open, trying to come up with a form of retort that simply wouldn't pass her lips. "I… I… It's not the point," she managed to stammer and he scoffed.

"Of course not," he huffed and turned away towards the library entrance which seemed to have lost its chains.

Regina followed silently, too stunned to really process what had just happened. They took the elevator up, and then climbed the stairs separating them from the clock, but she already knew they were too late. Cora didn't need to break the chains to enter the place, she had only done it to leave a message, a very clear message 'I'm two steps ahead of you, you better catch up."

"She is taunting us but she only just left. I can still feel the strong presence of her magic," Regina said.

"Yeah, she definitely knows her mind games but maybe we still have a chance to beat her," David concurred.

"We should go back, I will transport us, the car will take too long."

"I thought you wanted to save up your energy?"

"Well if we arrive after she does, it won't be very useful, now will it?" And with that she grabbed his arm and poofed them away, leaving only the trail of smoke behind.

Back at the shop, the remaining party was left a little stunned at Regina, Henry and David's departure.

"Well that was... interesting," Neal let out slowly, trying to break out the ice.

Emma rolled her eyes at the attempt. "You can say that," she muttered, throwing a look towards her mother who seemed to be internally boiling.

"We should get to work," Belle said hesitantly. "We probably don't have much time," she squeezed Rumple's shoulder gently, giving him a worried look before heading over to her books.

"She's right," Emma concurred. "So what do you have here that could help protect this place from Cora?"

"The list for that is way too extensive for you to handle in the limited amount of time we have. Now, the list of things I have that your amateur hands could be able to operate will be much, much shorter," Rumple snarled.

"You know for a guy on his deathbed, you are awfully insulting to the people trying to keep you alive," the blonde Sheriff snapped back. "Might want to lay off the attitude if you don't want to end up facing the She-Devil on your own."

Rumple exhaled forcefully. "Fine, there is a glass jar on that table in the corner, what's inside should help."

Emma quickly located said table and the seemingly empty jar. "There is nothing in this…" She started but stopped as she heard the jingling sound of something hitting the glass.

"An invisible chalk, if used properly it will draw a barrier, a shield that should prevent anyone from entering," the sorcerer explained.

"We should probably wait for Regina and David to come back then," Emma said, frowning.

"You can start now. It will take a while to be activated," Rumple told her and Emma nodded.

"Alright then, let's do this I guess," and she turned on her heels and walked to the front door.

Neal looked between her father and her, and decided to follow the lady.

Snow was pacing in the background of it all, unable to even think about focusing on helping Belle with her research. Rumple studied her, looking for the cracks. He needed a backup plan and he had a feeling the Princess could be just what he needed.

He waited until he was in her line of sight again before shivering. "Could you give me another blanket? There should be one in that cabinet," he asked her, pointing to an antique piece of furniture.

Snow opened it and right there, right in front of her was a black and white candle that she knew all too well. She took it slowly, looking at it with disgust, holding it with the tips of her fingers as if a simple contact could contaminate her. Her mind was flashing back to a time long ago, caring for her ailing mother, wishing and praying for her recovery, being given the opportunity to heal her but being unable to carry it through.

"Why do you have this?" She demanded shakily.

"Because it's mine, I always thought it could be useful for a rainy day," Rumple grunted, struggling against a wave of pain.

"Yours? How long has it been yours?"

"For a long time but I have been known to lend my possessions for the right price."

Snow's hand closed in a fist around the candle. "Lend it? Who did you lend it to?"

"You know who, deep down you know, you have always known," Rumple replied, giving her a piercing look.

"Why would she do that?"

Rumple shrugged. "To free a most coveted spot."

"To place Regina on the throne? Is that what you're saying? Cora went to all this trouble to stop me from saving my mother to free the place for Regina?"

The man only continued to stare at her and Snow took a step back in horror as it dawned on her. "No, no, no, my mother was sick, she was just sick."

"She was perfectly healthy her whole life and suddenly she caught a deadly, mysterious disease, that only a sacrificing candle given to you by a blue flying insect could heal? Are you really that naive? Did you never make the connection?" Rumple hissed but Snow kept shaking her head in denial. "She killed your mother and she won't stop there. She already tried to kill you and your daughter but you can put an end to it, you know how this works."

Snow took a deep, steadying breath, trying to work around the lump in her throat that threatened to break into sobs. "Let's say I would even consider it, aren't you supposed to whisper the name of the person you intend to sacrifice while standing over them with the candle?"

"Her heart will do."

"Where would I find it?"

"Where can you find hearts in this town?"

Snow looked at him, not really seeing him, just thinking about everything she had had to deal with lately: David's betrayal, Regina's part in it, now learning the truth about her mother's death, the guilt she had carried around for years, struggling with the choice she had made, all of that because of Cora. She was moving without realising it, the impulse too strong to resist, and before she knew it she was out, walking towards the graveyard and Regina's vault.

Belle, Emma and Neal remained oblivious. The brunette was immersed in her books, letting out a frustrated sigh every now and then when she failed to find anything helpful, while Emma was kneeling down drawing a line on the ground with chalk she couldn't see and feeling more than a little foolish. Neal's smirk certainly didn't help.

"So the Evil Queen has a son, and the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming has magic. Do you think we should send Disney a memo?" He quipped, causing Emma to roll her eyes at him.

"It's more complicated than that," she grumbled.

"Yeah, I noticed the weird vibe going on in there. Maybe you could explain to me what the hell is going on in this town?"

"When we have dealt with this, I will, but believe me we're going to need another setting and probably several strong drinks."

"I can't wait. So, meanwhile, tell me if I've got this right. We are preparing for the arrival of the Evil Queen's mother who is also a powerful sorceress and…" Neal started, trying to organize his thoughts.

"The Queen of Hearts," Emma completed for him and he cocked his head.

"From Alice in Wonderland? Okay," he said, lingering on the last word. "And in order to stop her, the Evil Queen herself is helping Snow White, Prince Charming and their daughter. Yeah, you're right, something strong is going to be necessary."

"For someone who could very well lose his father today, you don't seem really affected," Emma commented. "You barely talked to the guy."

"I know my father, he has plans and then back-up plans, and then backup plans for his backup plans, all of which pierced with some nice loopholes. He will find a way to survive this, he always does," Neal answered bitterly, looking towards the back of the shop.

"What if he doesn't this time?"

"He has spent centuries looking for me, you think he is going to let anyone stop him from trying to get me back now that I'm here? Nah, that's not how this works."

Emma only raised her eyebrows at him. "It must be nice to know that there will always be someone out there looking for you. I spent 28 years trying to find my family, trying to find someone who would give a crap about me for more than two minutes, while all this time and more you were running away from yours. Guess that explains why we never worked out, that among other things."

Emma went back to tracing the line frantically and Neal shut up.

Regina and David reappeared in the shop, making them all jump. The Mayor immediately went to the back of the shop.

"We were too late," David told the others. "She has the dagger, it won't be long now."

"Well it's a good thing I'm nearly done here," Emma said, biting her lips and giving the final touch to the line and a golden wall of energy flew up from the ground. "Let's do the separation as well to be covered. Also it would probably be a good idea if you two found some weapons. Belle, how are you doing?" She threw over her shoulder as she started to frantically trace another line of chalk she still couldn't see.

"I'm finding nothing that can help us. I'm sorry Emma," the young woman looked down at her books as if they had offended her.

"Don't worry, we will find something, isn't it supposed to be a family thing?"

"We need another plan," Regina was telling Rumple, standing before him, arms akimbo.

"We do but I don't see many options here."

"Really? Mister I-am-always-ten-steps-ahead-of-the-game can't think of anything to go against a woman he taught to?"

He suddenly seemed to be in deep thought and Regina caught the expression.

"What is it? What did you just think about?"

"I did teach her and I also remember the first time she outdid me. When she took out her heart."

"Her heart? What do you mean?"

"She took out her heart, said that she had no use for emotions that could prevent her from going through with her plans."

"She took it out and never put it back in? Is that what you're saying?" Regina asked, floored, though it did explain a lot.

"As far as I know, yes."

"And you think it would be enough to stop her?"

"She certainly wouldn't see it coming."

Regina considered him, biting her bottom lip in her contemplation. "What do you get out of it? It wouldn't help you."

"I'm making my peace with that, but at least I'll know that if I'm to die, no else will get the Dark One's powers."

"Since when are you so selfless?"

"I found my son after centuries of search. I know he is alright, I was given the chance to see him one last time. At least it wasn't all for nothing."

Regina let escape a humourless laugh. "You've got a convincing act here, I almost believed you. Unfortunately for me, I don't have time to look for your real motives, so I'll just have to take this option and hope for the best. Where do I find it?"

"You know where."

A loud bang against the front door resounded in the whole shop. "She's here."

"You should go then."

With one last searching look, Regina disappeared.

"Belle, you should go with him," Emma told the brunette, pointing the back with her thumb. "We'll try to hold her off.

The woman did as she was told and Emma finished drawing the line in front the beads curtain, waiting for the magic to kick in, and then she straightened up, assuming a defensive position. David and Neal imitated her.

"Where are Snow and Regina?" Belle asked Rumple as she looked around the room.

"Out, on a last-ditch attempt to stop Cora," the man replied, taking her hand and pressing a kiss there.

"Together? Isn't that dangerous?"

"We will find out soon enough," he squeezed her hand tighter. "Belle, I wanted to tell you that if this is to be the end for me, I am sorry for everything you had to go through because of me. I'm sorry that loving me caused you so much pain," he told her heartily and she shook her head.

"What are you talking about?"

"You were ostracized by your family, spent years locked away, all because you fell in love with a monster. A beast who couldn't even return your feelings until it was almost too late. You are a hero, Belle, never let anyone tell you otherwise or I will come back to haunt them."

She felt tears falling slowly and she leaned her forehead against his, hanging on and hoping that this wasn't their last conversation.

It took a few minutes for Cora to break through the shield. Once inside, she barely spared David, Neal and their swords a glance, immediately sending them flying through the open door, where they landed harshly on the sidewalk.

She turned her attention to Emma, who was gathering her focus on a spell, any spell, anything that could hinder Cora.

The witch smirked at the intense look of concentration, and laughed at the weak burst of magic thrown her way, brushing it away. "Is this all you have? Pathetic."

Emma tried again and again but Cora diverted all her attempts.

"As amusing as this is, I don't have all day," she said, faking a yawn, sending Emma to join the others. She then collided with the second shield, sighing in frustration. "One would think you were afraid of me Rumple, what with all those protections," she sing songed, getting through the shield quicker this time.

She set her eyes on Belle, standing defiantly in front of Rumple, as if she could stand a chance. "Should I even bother disposing of her, or will you tell her to stand down? This is over, oh Dark One, there is no more tricks for you to pull out of your hat."

She slithered to him, holding his dagger, and he pushed Belle aside with the few strength he had left. Cora's smirk deepened and she raised the weapon above her head, ready to strike. Suddenly, she let out a gasp, the dagger falling from her limp hand, clattering to the ground as she felt a hand invade her rib cage and placing there a beating organ she had been separated from for so long she barely remembered ever having it.

A sensation of warmth filled her and she clutched at her chest, pivoting around to catch her daughter's wide eyes and trembling hand. It was like she was seeing her for the first time, as if the fog was clearing, and all those repressed, buried feelings were crashing back, a giant wave submerging her.

"Regina," she let out breathlessly, a smile, a true smile on her lips.

"Mother?" Regina's wary expression was replaced by a tentative smile, a pull at the corner of her lips she seemed afraid to let blossom.

Cora lifted her hand, taking a step towards her beautiful girl, her strong, amazing daughter. For the first time in a lifetime she felt this motherly love all women were always raving about. Just as she was about to cradle her daughter's cheek, pain invaded her body like never before, debilitating, excruciating pain stealing her breath away, robbing her force, making her knees buckle. She fell and only Regina's arms prevented her to crash on the floor.

"Mother?" She called out and Cora tried to smile at her reassuringly. She knew it was the end, she understood that the poison that was coursing through Rumple was now invading her every cells, destroying everything in its path.

The beast had bested her, but maybe he had also given her the greatest gift, this chance to love her daughter truly. She cupped Regina's cheek tenderly. "This would have been enough. You would have been enough," she murmured, thinking about years spent grabbing for power when she could have been watching Regina grow up into the kind hearted, generous, loving young woman she was destined to be. Whiskey-brown, tear filled eyes were the last thing Cora saw before hers closed forever.

"No, no, no, Mother? Mother!" Regina cried out, shaking the lifeless body desperately, turning towards Rumple for help. She saw him standing up above them, looking down with pity and maybe sadness, but Regina only noticed that he had completely recovered and the dagger was back in his hand. She understood that she had been played, hook, line and sinker and she had fallen like a gullible girl.

"Regina?" David called, joining them, taking in the scene and falling on his knees by her side. "What happened?"

Before any of them could reply, Snow barged in, Emma and Neal on her heels. "Regina, don't…" she started to say but stopped when she saw Cora's body cradled in Regina's arms. "No," she moaned, covering her mouth when she realised what she had caused.

They all understood, and rage, familiar, comfortable, all destructive rage filled Regina. She felt like a snake ready to strike, like a wounded beast trying to bring down her attacker with her. Only David's arms stopped her.

"You did this?" She hissed at Snow, the girl breaking down in front of their eyes. Regina wanted to strangle her, she wanted to thrust her hand in her chest and crush her heart, she wanted her to burn and suffer for taking away from her someone else, she wanted… she was so tired, so very tired. She sagged against David, her mother's head falling on her lap.

David tightened his embrace and looked at Snow. "You should leave," he told her. "I think you have done enough." He didn't know how to deal with this, this wasn't the woman he knew.

Snow didn't seem to understand the words coming out of his mouth, she only saw the lips moving, only saw that he was comforting Regina. Emma, noticing her mother's distress, put her hand on her arm. "Mom, come on, let's get out of here," she said, guiding the shell-shocked woman away.

Regina had shut down, the object of her rage gone she had nothing to focus on, she was like a ragged doll in David's arms. He rose them up, supporting her, Cora's body sliding to the ground. He looked at Rumple. "You will make the necessary arrangements," he growled at him. "And without comments," he added as the older man opened his mouth to retort.

"He will," Belle placated, placing a hand on Rumple's chest. "I will make sure of it."

David and Regina left. He helped her into his truck in a way that reminded him all too well of the time Daniel had been brought back.

They stopped by Granny's to pick up Henry. Apparently Emma had come by right before them to ask him to come back to the loft but he had refused. Seeing his brunette mother completely unresponsive in the front seat was a shock to him but he refrained to ask for details.

Once they were back at the manor, Regina headed upstairs without a word and David and Henry sighed. The man rubbed his grandson's shoulders and steered him towards the kitchen, preparing a snack for them, giving Regina some time to herself. David answered Henry's questions, telling him as gently as possible what happened, trying not to turn him against anyone.

The boy abandoned his dinner towards the end of his retelling and he couldn't stop him from going up to find his mother, not that he would have wanted to.

He found them in Regina's room, the woman curled up at the edge of the right side of the bed, her face turned away towards the wall, Henry plastered against her back, his arms around her, holding her tightly against him as best he could. She was wrecked by silent sobs.

David slid down in the doorway, watching over them but staying out of their space. He lost track of time, waiting until Henry was asleep to bring him back to his own bedroom. He woke up just long enough to ask him: "You will take care of her right?" and David nodded, tucking him in as he let out a "Thank you" before sleep took him away.

He took off his shirt and shoes but kept the rest and went back to the master bedroom. He lied down on the left side, leaving a good amount of space between them.

"I'm here if you need me," he let her know, the only reply a whimper and a heart wrenching sob.

Let me know what you think :)