Chapter twenty-seven

Regina opened her eyes, and looked around the familiar oblivion. Knowing the rules of a sleeping curse, she never expected to be allowed back to her little purgatory. She had actually spent the last couple hours debating whether going to sleep would be worth the fiery pit, wanting to watch Emma alive and breathing was only part of the reason she had put up so much of a fuss about going to sleep.

She inspected her surroundings, am I alone? She wondered, as she waited for the fires Henry had once described to come bursting through the floor, but she stood for minutes and still nothing happened.

The brunette simply shrugged and went and leant against an invisible wall, shouldn't complain I suppose?

"What have I told you about slouching?" a female voice asked playfully.

Regina turned her head and instantly stood up straight, which caused her mother's face to contort in guilt, "I was joking," she said quickly.

Regina nodded, but steadily retreated from the woman she hadn't long talked to.

"Regina, this is a dream," Cora assured.

An image of Cora driving her hand into Daniel's chest flashed to Regina's mind, the woman who had bound her with tree branches, forced her to marry the king.

Regina shook her head and found she was unable to form words. She felt like she did with the ogre, only this time she was faced with the woman who had set the optical illusions upon a child, but at the same time she was a completely different woman. To say that Regina was confused about everything was an understatement.

Then an image of Cora thrusting a cursed dagger flashed into Emma's stomach flashed into her mind and she felt anger erupt, and she began to stalk towards the other woman.

"How could you?" she shouted.

"Regina, I didn't-" Cora tried, she had been truly horrified by what she had seen herself do, she had genuinely hoped that Snow White would kill her again, just so she couldn't hurt her daughter anymore.

"But you would," Regina replied, as a fire ball appeared in her hand. The younger woman looked down at her hand in shock.

Cora answered her unasked questions with her hands held up in surrender, "this is your own personal space, you can make anything happen, including making me appear."

Regina looked at her other hand, and another fire ball appeared.

"You killed Daniel, and you proved today that you would do it again, and this time there was not a reason that even a twisted evil bitch like you could come up with."

"Your right," Cora replied calmly, though she visibly winced, "and if you think hurting me would make you feel better than by all means, use every spell you know."

Regina inspected her for a moment, and realised just how irrational she was being. Letting out a heavy sigh she closed her hands around the tiny burning infernos and turned away from her mother.

"I've just always wanted a mother," she sniffled, desperately hoping she wouldn't see her cry.

Cora offered a small sad smile to her daughters back, she walked over and placed her hand on the woman's shoulder.

"I know that I've never been the best of mothers to you," Regina scoffed, and Cora continued after a brief pause, "but now I know that I want to be." Regina remained silent for a moment, before she turned to face her mother.

Cora smiled, and ran her thumb across a silent tear.

"You promised you wouldn't allow me to hurt anyone you love," Cora reminded her after a few moments silence.

Regina shook her head, "at least she's alive." Cora winced, and Regina deflated, "I just meant-"

"No, you don't have to explain," she quickly replied, "I deserve every quip and fireball you have."

Regina smiled, and nodded vigorously, "well maybe eventually you won't."

"From what I've seen that will take a while. But please understand," before she continued, Cora brought Regina's hand over her beating heart, "that I can love you."

Regina smiled at the sensation she felt under her fingers, before a pressing question occurred to her, "are you against Emma and I?"

Cora shook her head softly and she let her daughter's hand drop, "I was just generally against love, seeing that you were attracted to both men and women made it less likely that you would marry into royalty in my mind. That's why I taught you that your 'tendencies' were wrong, but believe me when I say that you couldn't have found a better suitor than the saviour."

Regina let out a light hearted laugh, "you approve?"

"Your father told me that she has saved your life enough to deserve a million chances."

"She certainly has, but I don't think you should tell her that."

Cora laughed, and silence fell.

Regina fell back against an invisible wall with a sigh.

Cora furrowed her brow, "what's wrong?"

"I suppose, I just want you to come back with me and send her here," Regina laughed darkly, "You're a completely different people."

Cora nodded in understanding, "love is a powerful thing, without the ability to feel, it becomes difficult to be who you really are."

"So love isn't weakness?" Regina laughed mockingly.

"I think you have proven me wrong," Cora retorted, and much to Regina's shock, she leaned next to her.

Regina nodded, and gave her a half smile.

"I may not be able to return with you, but if you wish to try and return her heart, I can promise you that there is no way she can resist loving you."

"And if you're wrong?"

"Then I am confident that you can protect yourself, with Emma you're practically unstoppable."

The younger woman smiled at her mother and silence fell again.

"Why am I allowed to be here?" Regina asked after a moment.

"I suppose you deserved a break from being tortured," Cora laughed sadly.

Regina looked in her mother's now slightly watery eyes, and saw true remorse, "I have forgiven you...for the most part," Cora laughed, and Regina added, "but you're not the problem."

"I love you, you certainly should have been enough," Cora said after a few more moments of silence.

Regina smiled broadly at the words, and replied; "now I just need another version of you to say that."

Cora nodded in agreement, and they sighed in unison.

"Regina, it's time to go," Emma whispered softly.

Regina let a small sigh as she opened her eyes, to be met with the forest green ones.

Smiling broadly she leaned up and attached their lips in a short good morning kiss.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?" Emma laughed, as she helped Regina to sit up.

"Just happy you're alive."

The blonde nodded in agreement, and put an arm around the smaller woman's shoulder, and leaned in for another kiss.

"I'm complaining," Snow announced.

Emma and Regina looked over to see the other woman packing their bags and they each laughed as she was adamantly looking away from the smitten couple.

A/N So I need to give credit to LauratheChef for the title 'The Queen and her Savior' that I used in the last chapter. It turns out that I subconsciously copied it haha, but I urge you guys to check out her story of the same title XD

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I'm literally not allowed to leave the sofa surrounded by medication, so I've had a lot of time to write XD lol Please feel free to review, it would be much appreciated.

As always I need to thank QueenApples, who is now my official beta :)

I decided to try out beta-reading, so please pm me if your looking for a beta, it looks like it should be fun :)