Authors note: Some Regina and Henry fluff! Warning: If you believe in Santa Claus, don't read!

Cora leaned her back against the hard cot that was supposed to be a bed, she couldn't lean against the bars seeing that they were still loaded with stupid fairy magic. She let out a loud sigh and brought her hands up to rub her tired eyes. Sleep was something she hadn't had for over three days, nightmares - or actually memories - were plaguing her constantly. The nightmares were always about her daughter. Or better said, about how Cora had destroyed her own child. Horrible beatings, lessons, but the most disgusting thing was still selling her off to a King.

Cora was disgusted with herself. What kind of mother- what kind of loving mother sells her own child to a King more than thrice her age, older than her own father, knowing what that monster would do to her.

She wished the answer could be anyone, but alas it wasn't. Even though it was custom to trade marriage for gold or power in the Enchanted Forest, this was still extreme. She had never met a mother who would sell her child to someone that old. There was a limit somewhere. Well, apparently not for me. She thought bitterly. Cora just wished that her daughter would find it somewhere in her heart to still come and talk to her. It was almost christmas after all, and from what Cora had gathered from Emma, it was a time for forgiving. Not that this was something that Regina would easily forgive her and Cora knew that and understood that.

Christmas was something that wasn't a part of the Enchanted Forest, but then again most if this world's celebrations were foreign to her.

Would Regina come to her? It was one of Cora's biggest wishes that she would, that the answer would be yes.

Maybe she could put it on her wish list and sent it to that overweight man dressed in red that Emma called Santa Claus.

...

"Mommy, mommy! When can we go see Santa?" The four year old boy asked his mother, excitement shining in his brown eyes. If you wouldn't know that Henry Mills was adopted, you could easily mistake Regina for his birth mother. The young boy had the same brown eyes, and his hair was also dark but a few shades lighter then that of his mother.

Regina looked up from the file she was working on and looked down at the child, standing next to her chair, his big brown eyes were staring up at her. She smiled down at him and picked him up so she could place him on her lap. "Mommy just needs to finish this paper and then we can go, alright my little prince?" She asked while she tapped the boys nose with her index finger.

She got back to her paper, the boy still sitting securely in her lap. But she couldn't concentrate anymore, not when she could practically feel the excitement dripping off her son. She took off her black reading glasses and laid them down on the desk.

"I'm ready Henry." She said and she put the boy down again.

"Yes!" The small boy yelled as he ran away and into the foyer.

"No running Henry!" But Regina knew it wouldn't stop the boy.

Every year with Christmas, the Town Hall had arranged with 'Santa Claus' that he would stop by and take pictures with all the children. This year was the first time Henry had asked to go and the small boy was over the moon when his mother said they could go.

So here they were, standing in line in Town Hall, waiting so Henry could take his picture with the overweight man dressed in red, sitting on some sort of throne.

Everything for her little prince.

"Mommy, can you carwy me, I'm tiwed of standing." Henry said as he reached up with his small hands.

Regina smiled at her son and bent down to pick him up. "Look, after these two children it's your turn Henry." She said gently once Henry was settled comfortably on her hip.

The boy grinned and buried his head in the crook of her neck, inhaling his mother's comforting scent.

After waiting for about another five minutes, it was finally Henry's turn. Regina walked over to 'Santa' and moved to put Henry down on his lap. Henry turned his head so he could look at the man and quickly grabbed his mother's shirt collar before she could stand up again.

"No mommy! I don't want to anymore! I'm scawed!" The young boy whimpered.

Regina looked at the man apologetically and took Henry in her arms again. "But I thought you wanted to take a picture with Santa, Henry?" She asked in a soft voice.

Henry scrunched his face as if he was in deep thought. "You need to take a pictuw also, mommy! Together!"

"But Henry, I'm a grown up. They don't take pictures with Santa Claus."

"Why not?" He asked while he crossed his small arms. "I want you in the pictuw too!"

Regina sighed, she knew that if she refused, Henry wouldn't want to go on the picture with the guy and he would surely regret it later.

"Alright, mommy will stand next to you, okay?"

Henry shook his head defiantly. "No! On his lap!"

Regina closed her eyes for a moment in exasperation. "No, Henry. Mommy will not be sitting on his lap."

Henry poked out his bottom lip. And the man dressed up as Santa Claus laughed. "If the boy wishes it, ma'am." He said with a smile.

Pervert! Regina thought, but she couldn't very well slap him in the face in front of all these children. She sat down carefully on Santa's lap with Henry still in her arms. A small man dressed up as an elf held up the camara and snapped a picture. He held up his thumb as if to signal that the picture was a succes.

She quickly scrambled off of the man and stood up. "Thank you." She said through gritted teeth and she moved Henry so he was resting on her hip.

"Thank you!" Henry said with a smile while he waved at 'Santa' over his mother's shoulder.

The elf handed her the picture and together they made their way out of Town Hall.

"Mom?" Henry said while he held his hand up, waiting for another christmas decoration that he could hang in the tree.

Regina seemed to snap out of her memory and handed her son another streamer. "I'm sorry, dear. I was lost in thought."

"Yes we noticed." Daniel said as he smiled at her and lifted the boy so he could hang the streamer up in the top.

"About what?" Henry asked once he was on the ground again.

"You remember the time you first went to see Santa Claus in Town Hall?" She asked with a smile.

Daniel looked confused as both mother and son started laughing. "Why? What happened then?" He asked.

"I was terrified of the man, and I made mom sit with me." Henry said with a grin. "It wasn't until later that I realised how awkward sitting on his lap must have been for you."

Regina smiled back. "Yes, it was. You know, I wanted to slap him in the face when he said I should sit on his lap because you asked me to."

Henry let out another hard laugh. "That would've been hilarious!"

"Well, I fired him after that, instead." Regina turned to Daniel again, who was smiling at the both of them. "I still have the picture."

Daniels eyes went wide. "Seriously?! I've got to see that!"

"Henry has it, somewhere in his room."

The boy jumped up immediatly. "I'll go get it!"

Daniel walked over to her sand wrapped his arms around her. "So, there was a perverted Santa here in Storybrooke." He said while he kissed her softly on the lips.

Regina smiled. "Yes, but I've dealt with him."

"I hope you kicked him in the nuts."

The growling tone on which it was said caused Regina to laugh. "No, dear. But he may have had a black eye."

"Good."

"Here it is!" Henry said, causing the couple to part.

Daniel smiled when he saw the picture. Regina was sitting on his lap, with a small Henry securely in her lap. She was smiled even though you could see she was extremely uncomfortable. She kept Henry as far away from Santa as possible and Daniel smiled at Regina's protectiveness, he loved that about her.

"Beautiful." He said because it was the only way to describe his family.

...

Cora quickly stood up when she heard someone approach. Even though she had her heart back and could feel again, she still thought it was weakness to let anyone see her sulking on the floor of a prison cell. Through it wouldn't really matter anymore, seeing that she as wearing something Emma had bought her.

A simple grey t shirt and black slacks. It truly looked horrible, at least that was what Cora thought. There wasn't really a mirror inside of this place.

The person rounded the corner and finally revealed it's identity to Cora.

"Well, well. Snow White." She said slowly when she saw her daughter's former enemy.

"Cora."

If Snow was surprised by how Cora looked - and Cora knew she was - she didn't show it. "Why are you here?"

It was a logical question. One that Snow couldn't even answer herself because she didn't know why she was here. "I just wanted to see for myself."

"See what, dear?"

Snow felt a shiver run down her spine, the older woman sounded exactly like Regina.

"See how you supposedly changed."

"Well, I have changed."

"I also wanted to say something to you."

Cora rolled her eyes. Regina had been right, the woman was infuriatingly annoying. "Spit it out then."

"I want to help mend your relationship with Regina."

Cora's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Why? You hate me."

Snow nodded. "Yes I hate you. You ruined Regina's life what eventually ruined my life. But I don't hate Regina."

It was the truth. She didn't hate Regina, what actually seemed really weird. Regina had tried to kill her and her husband on several occasions, but they didn't hate each other.

"I want Regina to have a mother. Like I did when she was my stepmother. At least I had one - or even two - but Regina had none. And I want her to have you, especially now. She's pregnant Cora. She needs her mother, even though she won't admit it."

Cora knew the princess was right. She knew Regina needed her even though she didn't want to. But she was afraid that her daughter would reject her again, and she couldn't handle that.

Snow witnessed the inner turmoil the older woman was having and decided to leave her alone. She knew Regina didn't like to show weakness, and seeing that Cora had taught her that, Cora must hate it either.

She rounded the corner. But not before she heard a faint 'thank you' coming from the crumpled form in the cell.

...

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