Regina took a deep breath to calm herself down. It wasn't working. Her steps were confident, and unforgiving against the hard linoleum that was on the floor of the sheriff's station. Her head was held high as her chocolate brown orbs stared straight ahead to nothing in particular. Just one more corner to round, one more corner and she would be face to face with the woman she's been trying to get away from for almost her whole life, face to face with the woman she had banished to another world so she would stop hurting her. She had even hired a pirate to kill her, but not that that worked out seeing that she was still alive and well.

And then she rounded the corner, only to stop dead in her tracks when she was met with the sight of her mother. The older woman looked horrible, there were tear tracks on her cheeks mixed with black stripes of her make up. And even though she was still wearing her as usual regal dress, it did nothing to make her look powerful, or in control.

"Regina." Cora said more to herself then to her daughter. She quickly got off the cot and stopped just in front of the bars, that were still softly buzzing with fairy magic. The look in her eyes was hopeful.

Regina felt a soft shiver going down her spine when she heard her mother's voice. It was the voice that still sometimes haunted her in her dreames, the voice that still popped up sometimes in her head whenever she felt like she wasn't worth anything.

Emma looked up immediately when she heard Cora utter Regina's name. She saw the brunette standing there in the doorway, nailed to the ground with shock and the older brunette standing in her cell, looking at her daughter with hope in her eyes. God, it was heartbreaking to watch.

And then the mood was suddenly twisted 360 degrees. Regina's walls went up full force. Her eyes, earlier filled with shock and just a hint of fear were now cold and completely devoid of any kind of emotion.

"Mother."

You could literally see the pain in Cora Mills' eyes. She finally came face to face with the destruction she caused. The destruction of her daughter. A daughter who later became The Evil Queen, and mostly by her doing.

Before another word could be said, Emma interrupted. "Regina, would you like to sit down?"

Regina seemed to snap out of whatever was holding her in it's spell. She looked up at Emma and smiled a small smile. "Yes, thank you Emma."

She walked over to the office chair, the click-clacking of her heels the only sound filling the room. She sat down with her usual grace, the grace of a Queen. Cora would've been proud of she hadn't know that it had cost a lot of punishments for Regina to be so graceful, it was drilled into her mind.

Cora was overcome with an emotion she had never really felt before. Guilt. And when her daughter turned around to look at her, her mask securely in place and her eyes giving away nothing. Cora felt it so strong it physically hurt her newly returned heart.

Regina didn't know what to say, or what to do. So she just sat there, stroking her protruding stomach on the spot her daughter was kicking her painfully hard.

Emma was the one to break the unbearable tension. "I'm just gonna get some coffee at Granny's. Can I get you anything, Regina?"

Regina looked at the blonde with a smile. "No, dear."

"Alright." Emma said while she grabbed her keys off of her desk and walked out of the room, leaving the two brunette's behind.

There was another long moment of silence after Emma had left. The two women were just staring at each other, noticing how they both had changed. Her mother physically looked exactly the same, but emotionally her whole demeanor had changed. Her eyes were warmer and Regina could see the maternal love shining in them. Not that that suddenly changed how Regina thought about her mother. She couldn't just forget all the things that her mother had done to her, the years of abuse, killing her true love and forcing her to marry the King, who was thrice her age, knowing that he would force her to 'perform her wifely duties'. No. She could never forgive her mother. Not when she was one of the two people who still haunted her in her sleep after more then three decades.

Cora stared in awe at her daughter. She looked absolutely beautiful. So this was what they called 'pregnancy glow'. Her hair was short but not too short, it still looked feminine and the clothes of this world suited her. The black dress she was wearing fitted her body very well. But there was still that pain in her eyes. Cora had seen it in her daughter's eyes for too many times. She has seen it when she killed Daniel, and she had seen it everytime she spied through one of the mirrors in her castle in Wonderland whenever she wanted to check on Regina.

Cora felt her heart ache when she thought back at the pain she had then seen in her daughter's eyes. Regina didn't know it, but back when Cora had first arrived in Wonderland and taken over the crown she used the mirrors there to spy on her daughter. And the things she had seen made her feel sick to her stomach now. Of course, at that moment she felt nothing. But now... it was unbearable. If her daughter hadn't killed that pig of a King, Cora would've done it herself.

"I don't know what to make of this, mother." Regina said, breaking the heavy silence. "I wish I could trust you and forgive you, but I... I just can't. Too much has happened."

Cora nodded her head in defeat. "I understand, Regina. I just want you to know that ever since I put my heart back, I've felt nothing but intense guilt at what I've done to you."

There was a lonely tear rolling down Regina's cheek but neither women commented on it. "Is that supposed to make up for everything that has happened?!" Regina was getting angry and Cora sensed it. "Do you have any idea what you've put me through?!"

"I... I, I'm so sorry, my darling." Cora said in a desperate voice.

"Don't call me that! You've got no right to call me that. Just- just don't!"

There was another moment of silence. The only sound that could be heard was Regina's slightly labored breaths.

"I don't know what to do, mother. I love you, but I hate you at the same time. I've been hurt so much in my life, lost so much. And you're one of the reasons why."

"Words can't explain how sorry I am for that."

Regina closed her eyes for a moment, keeping the treacherous tears at bay. "I just... I need time to think about all of this."

"Of course." Cora said in a soft voice. At least there was still some hope. "As many time as you need."

And with that in mind Regina stood up and quickly left the station.

...

That night Regina lay awake, staring at the ceiling while Daniel was softly snoring next to her. One of the side affects of pregnantcy were very vivid dreams, and since her mother was back Regina was terrified to go to sleep, fearing for another nightmare.

But of course she couldn't keep off sleep forever, so after two hours of lying awake her eyeslids were starting to fall close. And as expected, the nightmares swallowed her quickly.

...

"Regina!"

Her mother's voice woke her up from her slumber. Regina quickly sat up in her huge bed and looked around her new room, a room fit for a Queen.

The wedding was in a week and Regina was dreading it so much she felt sick to her stomach just thinking about it.

Her mother was standing by her vanity, her arms crossed in front of her chest in an impatient stance. "The King has requested your presence."

Regina swallowed and rose up from the bed. "Why?"

"You'll see when you meet him." Her mother said in an annoyed voice she then turned to one of the maids. "Get her bathed and dressed and bring her to the dining room."

The maid quickly nodded and walked towards the bathroom.

...

Regina felt her heart beating in her throat when she stepped into the large dining room. She had no idea what the King wanted from her.

"Regina." He said as he saw his young bride enter the room.

"Your Majesty." She said while she bowed down.

"Snow thought it was a good idea to announce our wedding to the people today." He said in a low voice while he gently stroked his daughters hair. Snow was standing there with a big smile on her face.

"I think it's such joyous news, that we should share it with the people, don't you think so mother?" Snow said in a chirpy voice.

Of course Snow White was behind this. Regina thought bitterly. She smiled at the princess and the King. "Of course, that is a wonderful idea."

Twenty minutes later, she was standing on the balcony, together with the King and Snow. The three of them were waving at the people below. Regina was starting to feel very uncomfortable with all of those people staring at her and the King's hand on her lower back.

But she didn't really have a choice but to smile and wave.

A soft and surprised gasp left her lips when she felt the King's hand drop lower and lower. He cupped her behind and squeezed it before he quickly moved his hand up again. Regina snapped her head to the left to look at him in shock, but the old King just smiled and kissed her on the lips.

Regina wanted to pull back and run, but she couldn't or she would be hanged for treason. No one runs from a King. So she just let him and waited until he pulled back.

The people on the ground were cheering with joy, while Regina felt desperate and humiliated.

The King leaned in and whispered in her ear. "Next time I want a real kiss, you're to be my wife Regina. Don't forget that." He pulled back and kept on waving like nothing had happened.

Regina swallowed the lump in her throat. The realization dawned on her that this was going to be the rest of her life. She looked down into the depth, at the hundreds and hundreds of people, exclaiming sounds of joy. It was like no one noticed that their 60 year old King was about to marry an 18 year old girl.

In seven days Regina would be Queen. And she couldn't be more miserable.

...

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