Chapter 2: The Storybook

Regina stared at the girl, dumbfounded. She wondered if she had misheard her before she checked for any other children. Perhaps this was a cruel prank she and her friends were doing. No doubt they had been told to stay away from Regina Mills, that she was someone they shouldn't respect or associate with. It wouldn't be the first time she had been the butt of a joke and she was certain it wouldn't be the last.

Diana frowned. "Regina?"

"Go home," she replied wearily. "I've had a really bad day and I don't need whatever prank you and your friends are pulling right now."

She began to close the door but Diana stepped closer and placed her hand on the door to stop it. "I am not pranking you. I am your daughter, you are my mother. I can prove it. Please, just let me in."

"What is there to prove? I don't have a daughter," Regina argued, starting to close the door.

Diana scowled as she stopped her. "Yes, you do. And I can prove it."

"The only thing you're doing is going home. Run along and leave me alone." Regina closed the door and started to walk away.

Pounding on her door stopped her. She turned around and gaped at it, amazed that such a little girl packed so much power. Her doorknob jiggled and made a metallic clinking sound as it did so. Annoyed, Regina marched back over to the door and wretched it open. "What?"

"I promise I'm not pranking you," Diana said, clasping her hands together. "Please, please give me a chance to explain everything."

"What do you win?" Regina asked exasperatedly.

Diana frowned. "What do you mean?"

Leaning out, Regina once again looked for any other children. "If I let you in, do you get extra points? Do you win this sick little game? Get a good laugh with your friends?"

"No, of course not! I'm here by myself and this isn't some joke. Please, just listen to me," Diana pleaded with her.

Regina felt her resolve softening at how genuine the girl sounded and shifted a bit in her doorway. Seeing her chance, Diana squeezed past her and stood in her foyer. It was clear she was not going to leave until she said whatever it was she had to say so Regina closed the door with a sigh. She would let Diana say her piece but if it got too ridiculous, she would end it for good.

Diana dropped her bookbag on the floor, unzipping it and pulling out a book. The book was large and had a simple brown cover. Gold embellishments framed the front cover, which matched the title written in a large ornate font.

Once Upon a Time

Regina raised her eyebrow. "What's with the book?"

"It's the proof I was talking about," Diana replied.

"How is a book of fairy tales supposed to prove I'm your mother?" Regina asked. She then added: "Which I'm not."

Diana opened it. "Every story in this book is true. And everyone in Storybrooke is in it. See?"

She held out the book, now open to a page with a beautiful illustration on it. It depicted an older woman and a younger one outside a cabin, confronting a mob with torches and pitchforks. Though she wore a brown linen dress that looked like something from a movie set during the Middle Ages and carried a crossbow, the woman with graying curls and silver half-moon glasses looked just like Winifred "Granny" Lucas, who owned Granny's Diner and had been her first employer. Beside her was a character that looked just like Granny's real granddaughter Ruby who was dressed in a similar outfit to her grandmother and wore a bright red cloak.

"Looks just like Granny and Ruby, right?" Diana asked. "Except that's Red Riding Hood and her grandmother. But there's a twist. Red Riding Hood was also the Big Bad Wolf. She's a werewolf, like her grandmother was, and the people ended up chasing her off because she, uh, ate her boyfriend."

Regina crinkled her nose. "That's pretty gruesome. And this is supposed to be appropriate for kids?"

Diana shrugged. "I told you, it's based on real life. It's not going to be like all the fairy tales we're used to."

"I don't think the stories are real," Regina said. "The illustrator must live in town and took inspiration from the people he or she met."

"Okay," the girl replied, turning the book around and flipping through the pages again. She found the one she was looking for and faced the book toward Regina again. "But do you think anyone would draw Mother Superior like this?"

Looking at the picture, Regina's eyebrows went up. Mother Superior's image was burned into her memory after her years at the convent. Though a petite woman, she carried herself as if she towered over everyone else. All the sisters wore the same habits every day and often made Regina dress similarly. There was the overly starched white button shirt with collars she had to made sure laid perfectly against the scratchy wool blue sweater she had to wear over it. She then wore a knee-length navy skirt with crisp pleats, black stockings and shapeless black shoes. While all the sisters had to wear their hair in buns, Regina was allowed to style herself differently-just as long as it appeared neat and she didn't dye it. Still, it was no wonder she had been teased so often as a child when she could easily be mistaken for a sister as well.

Therefore it was surprising to see how the Mother Superior was illustrated in the book. Her brown hair was curled and pulled into a bun atop her head. Flowers were tucked amongst her locks, almost forming a crown. She wore a light blue gown with a tight bodice that showed off her breasts. Regina didn't even think she had any under the shapeless habit. Pink flowers formed two straps that held up the bodice, which was attached to a skirt the color of the sky. Its width was bigger than its length, barely reaching her mid-thighs while extending past her shoulders. Pink and white flowers decorated the skirt and lacy strips hung from its hem. Translucent blue wings came from her back and Regina could tell she was hanging in midair.

"Is...Is she depicted as the Blue Fairy?" Regina asked, surprised. Though even as a fairy, she still carried an air of superiority about her-as if she knew better than everyone else.

Diana nodded. "I'm not sure if she's a good character or not. She claims to be but can be pretty judgmental."

"Sounds like Mother Superior," Regina muttered. Louder, she asked: "So, are we in this book?"

Nodding, Diana turned the book back toward her and flipped almost to the end. She then held it out to Regina. "Here we are."

Taking the book, Regina let out a soft gasp as she studied the illustration on the page. It was definitely her and she looked beautiful, like a queen. Which she was depicted as, if the tiara was any indication. It was nestled amongst her dark locks, her curls pinned into a cascading ponytail to keep them off her neck, which had a diamond chandelier necklace around it. She wore a pale blue gown with lace angel sleeves and a silk Basque bodice with a scoop neckline that showed off her breasts in a way Regina never would after years of dressing like a sister. It included a full skirt made of lace and silk, completing the regal look. The dress was the most beautiful she had ever seen and she knew there was no way in a thousand years she would ever be able to afford one like it, let alone the diamond necklace or tiara.

In the picture, she held the hand of a young girl who looked just like Diana. Her dark hair was curled and fell around her shoulders, held back from her face by a diamond encrusted Alice band. She wore a white dress that was an exact replica of the gown Regina wore, except with a squarer neckline that was closer to Diana's neck than the neckline on Regina's gown. The young girl smiled up at Regina, who gazed down at her with love and adoration in her eyes and a soft smile of her own. Whoever the illustrator was, he or she depicted so much love in the picture that Regina almost felt it herself.

"What fairy tale is this?" she asked.

"It's our own," Diana replied, "and not well known. But I guess you could call it the untold second chapter of Snow White."

Regina frowned, lowering the book to the look at the girl, who was watching her with hopeful eyes. "So I'm Snow White?"

Diana shook her head. "You're Snow White's stepmother."

"You mean the Evil Queen," Regina commented, suspicions starting to rise as she got the feeling she was being pranked after all. "Who was so vain she disguised herself and tricked Snow White into eating a poisoned apple before being killed by a bunch of dwarves all because a mirror told her that her stepdaughter was prettier than her?"

"All the stories of Snow White here get it all wrong and leave a lot out," Diana replied, pointing to the book. "This is the right version because it's the real version. You didn't hate Snow White because she was prettier than you but because she told a secret that cost you a lot. And though you were the Evil Queen, you eventually became good after meeting your soulmate. You fell in love, married him, had me and became a hero that everyone loved."

"Enough!" It was too much and too cruel. All Regina had ever wanted was to be loved and now this little girl was claiming she apparently had all of that but forgot about it. She had long ago learned the dangers of living in a fantasy for too long. Reality always bit her in the ass and reminded her that she wasn't some great queen with some great love story. She was just an average nobody with no one to love her.

She pinched her nose. "Look, I've had a shi-horrible day and I don't need all this nonsense. Your prank isn't funny so just stop."

"You don't believe me," Diana said, eyes growing watery as her lower lip trembled.

Regina sighed, no longer seeing a child trying to prank her but a lonely little girl. In a lot of ways, she saw herself in Diana and so she knelt before her as she handed the book back to her. She then tucked her fingers beneath the girl's chin, gently lifting her head so that Diana's eyes met her own.

"Look," she said, softening her tone. "I get it. I had a lousy childhood, an orphan no one wanted either as a daughter or a friend, so I used to escape into books all the time. I used to wish that my father would be some king who would swoop in and take me away, to love me and let me be happy as a princess with lots and lots of friends. But I eventually had to admit to myself that was never going to happen. I had to learn how to live in reality."

"The reality is I'm not your mother. I've never been pregnant or given birth. Just because someone decided to base characters off us and make them mother and daughter doesn't mean we are. Besides, I know who your mother is and I remember when she was pregnant with you. Everyone was so excited and your birth was a big celebration, almost like you were a princess. She loves you very much and has given you a great life. You don't need a fairy tale," she told Diana.

Tears rolled down the girl's cheeks as she clutched the storybook to her chest. Guilt filled Regina even though she knew there was nothing she could do. She wasn't Diana's mother and there was no magic wand to make it so. There was only one thing she could do.

She stood up, reaching for her keys. "Come on, I'll drive you home. It's getting dark and you shouldn't be walking by yourself."

Other than giving Regina her address, Diana didn't talk on the drive back to her house. Regina felt smothered by the silence, her stomach twisting in knots as her guilt continued to gnaw at her. She tried to start a few conversations with the girl but each died on her tongue. Instead, she focused on getting Diana home and ending the awkwardness as soon as possible.

Regina turned onto Mifflin street and felt out of place. Large, almost palatial, homes lined the streets behind iron gates. Perfectly manicured lawns surrounded the buildings and she spotted cars she would never be able to afford in the stone driveways. Lights shone from the many windows as the families inside spent time together, enjoying each other without a financial care in the world.

It had to be nice.

Her headlights illuminated the gold 108 on a metal mailbox and she parked next to it, her Buick looking very out of place. She unbuckled herself, knowing the sooner she got Diana inside, the sooner she'd be off the block. Turning to the girl, she said softly: "We're here."

Diana let out a deep sigh before opening her door. Regina got out of the car as well, walking around to escort Diana to her front door. As the girl opened the front gate, Regina got a good look at the house. She stopped, gaping at it as she took it all in.

The house was two stories with a stone facade. Dark shingles covered the gable roof as well as the awning over the front door, a dark gray Carolina door with frosted glass flanked by two iron lanterns that illuminated the stoop. A large bow window to the right of the front door gave Regina a glimpse into a well-lit living room that looked like it belonged in the pages of a magazine-and the dining room framed by a picture window on the left side looked the same. The single hung windows on the second floor were all dark and Regina guessed those were the bedroom windows. Everything about the house was elegant and almost regal. It certainly put Regina's little cottage to shame.

She and Diana approached the front door as it opened. Mayor Nolan, still in the outfit Regina had seen her in at Town Hall, stepped out onto the top step. She crossed her arms as she frowned, green eyes focused on Diana. "Diana Eva Nolan, you were supposed to be home an hour ago. Explain yourself, young lady."

Diana just glared at her mother, trying to push her way into the house. Mayor Nolan blocked her every attempt. "No. You are going to answer me first."

Mother and daughter continued their battle of wills with Diana trying to slip past her mother and Mayor Nolan stopping her every time. Regina knew she should go; she had dropped Diana off at home. This was now a family issue that had nothing to do with her. She should just turn around, head back down the walk, get in her car and go home. Then she could go to bed, finally putting this horrible and strange day behind her.

Yet a strange feeling washed over her. Her face grew hot and her blood boiled. She clenched her fists as well as her jaw as she watched the two battle each other. Every nerve in her body was on end as her instinct told her to protect Diana, to defend her.

"Stop!" she snapped. Mayor Nolan and Diana froze, surprised at her outburst.

Not as surprised as Regina.

Diana recovered first, racing inside the house. Mayor Nolan let out an exasperated sigh, scowling at Regina. "What was that about?"

"She didn't need that interrogation. It's not a big deal," Regina said. Though her anger had dissipated, the overwhelming need to defend Diana still filled her. She knew she couldn't tell the mayor her daughter thought Regina was her real mother, so she quickly came up with a plausible explanation.

"Diana was just doing a project for school," she said, thinking it up on the spot. "They're studying surveys and collecting data. Since it was getting late, I offered to drive her home."

Mayor Nolan narrowed her eyes though her stance softened. "Why didn't she tell me that herself?"

"I think she's just embarrassed to have been out so late," Regina continued, amazed at how easy the story came to her. "And that she needed a ride rather than getting home on her own. You know how independent children her age want to be."

"Oh, I know," Mayor Nolan replied, sighing. "Thank you for driving her home, Regina. Have a good night."

"You too. And go easy on her. She seems like a good kid," Regina said before turning around. She felt Mayor Nolan's eyes on her as she returned to her car. But when she got in, the mayor was gone and the front door was closed.

Still feeling unnerved, Regina pulled away and left the upscale area. As she headed back to her house, she hoped she got through to Diana. She had meant what she said-Diana seemed like a good kid, just one with a few issues. Hopefully Mayor Nolan got her some help so she could have a happy childhood and a good relationship with her real mother.

Diana sat cross-legged on her bed, trying to ignore the pangs in her stomach. Her mother had sent her to bed without supper to punish her for her attitude. She had yet to issue a punishment for coming home late but Diana knew it was coming. And so she waited for her mother to come and tuck her in, knowing she would find out the rest of her punishment then.

Resting her hand against her cheek, she wondered what kind of mother Regina would be. She seemed nice, if lonely and jaded, and she had defended Diana earlier. Diana figured that she wouldn't be a pushover as a mom and would discipline her if she did something wrong, but she would probably sit Diana down to discuss why what she had done was wrong and why she shouldn't do it. Then she would probably ground her or something like that. She doubted Regina would ever send her to bed hungry.

(She also wondered about her real father. Would he present a unified front with Regina or would he melt when Diana pouted or cried? Was she a daddy's girl or closer to her mother?)

A loud growl interrupted her musings and she whimpered as she clutched her stomach, falling onto her side. She stared at one of the pink walls of her bedroom, hating it. Diana had asked her mother if she could paint her bedroom purple but Mom had said no. She said it would be too much work, cost too much and besides, pink had always been Diana's favorite color. Diana tried to protest, saying that her tastes had changed and her favorite color was purple. Mom insisted it was a phase and that she would love pink-just like Mom did.

Her door opened and then closed. A few moments passed before her mother said: "Sit up. We need to talk."

Diana sighed, doing as her mother said. She crossed her arms as she glared up at the woman who she knew wasn't her real mother. "What?"

"You know what," Mom snapped back. "You were late."

"You heard Regina. I lost track of time doing my homework," Diana replied, glad Regina had given her a plausible excuse.

Her mother crossed her arms as well. "I highly doubt your teacher wanted you to knock on the doors of strangers. If she did, I'm going to have a word with her. And it doesn't explain your attitude."

"It's as Regina said…"

"Ms. Mills," Mom said crossly. "She is not a friend and she is an adult. You will call her Ms. Mills."

Diana sighed. "Fine. It's as Ms. Mills said, I don't like being treated like a baby."

"You think I'm treating you like a baby?" Mom sighed. "Is this about your room? Do you think that pink is a color for babies?"

"I just want to paint it purple. I like purple," Diana argued.

Mom grew more exasperated and her eyes grew colder. "Pink is a great color. I love pink."

"But I'm not you," she replied.

"When I was your age, I wanted to be just like my mother," Mom said, a sadness coming to her eyes.

Diana thought of the storybook, which had said that she had wanted to be just like her mother. However, that was her real mother, Regina. Not this woman who had stolen her from Regina.

"You're not my mother," she said harshly, glaring at the woman.

Mom glared at her before walking over to her backpack. She unzipped the front compartment and reached in, pulling out the pink keychain that held Diana's house key. Mom then turned to her, dangling it. "I'm taking these back."

"What?" Diana shrieked, kneeling on her bed. "Why?"

"You want to be treated like an adult, you have to then act like one. And this little temper tantrum is not adult-like. So if you're going to act like a baby, I will treat you like one," Mom replied.

"That's not fair!" Diana exclaimed, outraged.

"Life isn't fair!" Mom snapped, closing her fist around the key. "Actions-and words-have consequences. Yours is that you lost the freedom to come home by yourself. You will now come to my office and wait for Lacey to pick you up. She'll watch you until I come home."

"For how long?" Diana asked, expecting it to be a couple weeks or a month. Long enough for her "mother" to make her point, she figured.

"Until you prove to me you are no longer a baby," Mom answered. "Now, go to bed. It's late and you have school in the morning."

Letting out a loud groan, Diana climbed under her covers and settled on her side. Mom kissed her forehead. "I just want what's best for you," she told her.

You just want to turn me into you, Diana thought. She bit her tongue though, knowing that would just make everything worse. The book didn't offer her many other answers, so she wasn't sure why she had been taken from her parents and put into this woman's care but she was starting to have her suspicions. She needed to resist her attempts to change who Diana was.

However, as Mom turned off the lights in her room and went to close the door, Diana couldn't resist getting in the last word. She lifted her head. "You may have think you've won, but you haven't. Good always defeats evil."

Mom paused before closing the door completely. Diana closed her eyes, a satisfied smile on her face.

Snow crept through the unfamiliar house, trying to remember the layout as best as she could. Everything looked different in the dark and she started to regret leaving her bedroom. However, she was too scared to sleep and she believed there was only one person who could help her. Finding a familiar door at last, she turned the knob and crept inside the room.

Inside was better lit than the hallway as a fire crackled in the hearth and several candles were still lit around the room. Relief filled Snow as a familiar figure rose from a writing desk, brown eyes widening as she asked: "Snow?"

"Regina," Snow breathed before smiling. "Thank goodness! I was worried I got lost!"

"What are you doing out of bed?" Regina asked, frowning. "Is something wrong?"

"I couldn't sleep," she replied, voice shaking as tears threatened to fall. Every time she had closed her eyes, she was back on that horse as it ran faster than she had ever gone. She felt her fingers start to slip from its hair, her body sliding off its back. The fall could kill her-especially if the horse trampled her. Fear had frozen her body as she worried she would soon see her mother again but leave her father alone.

Regina knelt in front of her, gently wiping away her tears. She smiled, kindness in her brown eyes. "You had a big scare today."

Snow nodded. "I keep replaying it in my mind. I honestly thought I was going to die."

"Which is something no one your age should fear," Regina replied, taking her hands. "And you're going to keep replaying what happened in your mind until you replace it with a better memory. That's why you need to get back on a horse."

"I-I don't think I can," Snow replied, trembling though the room was warm. "I'm too afraid. What if it happens again?"

Regina rubbed her arms before pointing to her lips. "Do you see this scar?"

Snow frowned, leaning closer to better examine Regina's face. It took a few moments before she made out a thin line that ran through Regina's upper lip, looking like someone had tried to fold that side of her lip in half. Had Regina not pointed it out, though, Snow doubted she would ever had noticed it on her own. "Yes."

"I got it when I fell off my horse when I was about your age," she told Snow. "I was learning how to jump when I lost my balance. Thankfully my horse had already stopped but I still landed very hard. I was lucky I didn't break anything. I had a few cuts-including the one on my lip-and lost my last baby tooth. My instructor and father cleaned and dressed my wounds while Mother called for a physician to be certain I hadn't suffered a serious blow to my head. He advised bed rest for a day to be sure.

"Once I was cleared, my father took me right back to the stables. I was scared, like you, but he told me I couldn't let fear stop me. The only way to conquer our fears is to face them so I got back onto the horse, did the jump again and didn't fall. That was what I remembered, not the fall or the pain. Though Mother did her best to get rid of this scar, I'm glad I have it. It reminds me to be strong and not let my fears control me," she finished.

Snow sniffed, squeezing Regina's hands. "I want to face my fears. I don't want them to control me."

"Good," Regina replied with a smile. "Tomorrow, we'll go down to the stables and get you back in the saddle."

"You'll come with me?" Snow asked, knowing she would be more confident with Regina there.

Regina nodded. "I'll be with you every step of the way."

Snow hugged her, thanking her over and over. She held onto Regina tightly, the scent of vanilla wafting over her. She committed it to memory, vowing that the smell of vanilla would always remind her of her hero, Regina.

"Now," Regina said, pulling back, "it is late and you should be asleep. Do you want me to walk you to your room?"

Dread settled in Snow's stomach, afraid she would still dream about the horse once away from Regina's strength. She glanced at the bed big enough to fit several people and asked: "Can I stay with you? Please?"

Regina smiled, nodding. "Of course you may. Come on. My bed is high so I'll help you get in."

Once Regina boosted her into the bed, Snow climbed under the soft blankets. She watched as Regina doused the candles and stoked the fire to ensure it wouldn't go out while they slept. The soft orange glow of the flames illuminated her face and Snow once again thought that Regina was beautiful. She had a beauty Snow had never seen at court with her long black hair and deep brown eyes. Her skin wasn't as pale as the other noblewomen and she believed she had heard it be described as "sun-kissed." It seemed an apt description for Regina also glowed with an inner beauty, the likes Snow remembered her mother telling her about shortly before her passing.

One day, Snow hoped to be just as beautiful, kind and strong as Regina was. She would take her first steps the next day at the stables and get back on her horse, facing her fears with Regina's help.

Mary Margaret pulled up to the cannery, her white Mercedes looking out of place amongst the other cars. She easily spotted the beat up piece of junk Regina drove and smiled. Checking her watch, she leaned back in her seat. Diana was safe in Lacey's care and the cannery's work day was almost over, so she didn't have anything to worry about. She kept her eyes trained on the door, ready to spot Regina's familiar form as she left.

She hated to admit it but she had been rattled to see Regina with Diana the night before and had spent most of the night worrying. Her perfect reality was a house of cards and one false move could topple everything. She couldn't risk that.

A whistle blew to signal the end of the shift and Mary Margaret sat up, knowing the employees would leave in a few minutes. She needed to face her fears and see if Regina had any suspicions. Then she would know how precarious her house of cards really was and what she would need to do to keep it standing.

If it put some fear into Regina's life, all the better.

The whistle echoed throughout the cannery's floor as Regina filled her last can of tuna. She watched as her conveyor belt slowed to a halt before she headed toward the women's locker room. Regina pulled off her gloves, tossing them into the garbage bin located just outside the locker room. She passed the other women, who chatted amongst themselves while pointedly ignoring her. Keeping her head down, she took off her hair net and placed in her locked before shrugging off her smock. Grabbing her purse, she closed her locker before heading to clock out.

Despite her best efforts, Regina had been unable to get Diana from her mind. She knew she wasn't the girl's mother but she still felt a connection to her. Regina had sensed an aura of loneliness around her and almost a desperation to believe her storybook was real. As she told Diana, Regina had once been the same. She hoped Diana was able to find friendship and happiness in her real life. Hopefully, the mayor was helping her. Mayor Nolan seemed like a good, if strict, mother.

Yet a nagging doubt about that tugged at the back of her mind.

Regina pushed that thought aside as she located her punchcard to clock out. She placed it back and headed out into the bright sunshine of the early evening, digging through her purse for her keys. Her fingers closed around them as she turned toward her car, ready to go unwind at home.

"Regina!" Mayor Nolan's voice surprised her, making her jump and drop her keys with a clang.

Pressing her hand to her chest, Regina turned around to face the mayor. "Mayor Nolan! Is something wrong?"

The mayor approached her, the creme skirt of her dress swishing with her every step. She stopped in front of Regina. "I want to talk to you about my daughter."

Regina frowned. "What about her?"

"I called her school to complain about the teacher having the students go knocking on strangers' doors. Guess what they told me?" Mayor Nolan paused but didn't really give Regina a chance to answer. "They weren't assigned any survey as homework."

Grimacing, Regina realized she was busted. "Look, I can explain."

"I'm all ears," Mayor Nolan replied, scowling at her.

Regina nodded, taking a deep breath. "I didn't want to hurt you. Diana came to my house and claimed she was my daughter."

At first, the mayor didn't react except to narrow her eyes. It struck Regina as odd-she expected the woman to gasp, to appear hurt, or to get angry. Instead, Mayor Nolan appeared not to care and had no emotions at all.

Regina grew awkward as silence stretched between them. She was about to say something-anything-to break it when the mayor let out a loud but clearly fake laugh. Mayor Nolan waved her hand. "Don't tell me you fell for that?"

"Of course not," Regina replied, feeling insulted. "I thought it was a prank at first."

"Did you tell Diana that?" the Mayor asked.

Regina nodded. "I told her that I wasn't in the mood and told her to go away but she said she had proof."

That brought a reaction from the Mayor, whose shoulders tensed up and her eyes went cold. Her voice shook a bit as she asked: "What kind of proof?"

"A book of fairy tales," Regina replied, not hiding her laughter. "I mean, according to her, the fairy tales were different from the ones we're used to. And whoever illustrated it must live in town because they used everyone as inspiration for the characters."

She expected Mayor Nolan to laugh but she didn't. Instead, it seemed like the color drained from her face. "Everyone, you say?"

"Yes," Regina answered, growing concerned. "Madam Mayor, are you feeling well?"

"Not really. It's disheartening to hear your daughter thinks someone else is her mother because of some fairy tale," Mayor Nolan replied.

Guilt churned in Regina's stomach. "I know. And that's why I didn't tell you the truth yesterday."

Mayor Nolan nodded. "Well, we're getting rid of that book as soon I go home."

"Oh, don't do that," Regina said, pleading with the mayor. She felt bad for Diana and didn't want her to lose the one thing that seemed to make her excited. "It's relatively harmless. I think you just need to talk to her. I'm sure it hasn't been easy after what happened to her father, you know, the accident."

Sadness filled the mayor's eyes and she hugged herself, appearing close to tears. "It hasn't. We miss him terribly."

"There is still no change?" Regina asked, concerned for Mayor Nolan and Diana. It had to be hard living in such a state of limbo, not knowing if their loved one would ever return to them.

Mayor Nolan shook her head. "I...We're not giving up, though. Diana and I hope he'll come back to us soon."

Regina nodded, hugging herself as she thought of how sad and lonely Diana seemed. "How is she taking it?"

"Not well," Mayor Nolan admitted sadly. "I think that's why she's acting out. She doesn't know how to process it."

"I can tell. I recognized her loneliness and need to escape into a fantasy life. She's just like I was at her age," Regina said.

The sadness retreated from the mayor's eyes, replaced with a coldness that made Regina shiver despite the late summer heat enveloping them. Mayor Nolan leaned closer, her voice low as she snapped: "Diana is nothing like you."

Startled, Regina stepped back as she tried to explain herself. "I just meant that I used to find escape in fantasy too. She needs the fairy tales right now to assure herself that happy endings exist and that everything will turn out fine."

"And did everything turn out fine for you?" Mayor Nolan asked.

Regina flinched. They both knew the answer. Her life was far from a fairy tale and a happy ending was not in the cards for her. She once again tried to explain herself. "I just meant…"

"Enough! Are you a mother? No. You didn't even have a mother of your own. So you are the last person who should be giving parenting advice," Mayor Nolan said. Her face turned red and a fire burned in her eyes.

She was right. Regina had no experience with raising a child and it was none of her business how Mayor Nolan raised hers. Even if her heart told her that she understood Diana and her need for her book, her need to have something to believe in, it didn't mean she knew what was best for the girl. Mayor Nolan knew her best and so would do what was best for Diana.

"I'm sorry," she said, close to tears and wishing she could escape to the sanctuary that was her car.

Mayor Nolan nodded. "I don't want you having any further contact with Diana. Just walk away if she tries to talk to you and call Town Hall to let me know. Diana needs to live in reality, not some ridiculous fairy tale."

"I understand," Regina replied. She doubted she would ever see Diana again but since it was a small town, she vowed to give the girl a wide berth.

"Good," Mayor Nolan said. She then leaned in, almost growling: "But just in case you are just telling me what I want to hear and plan on seeing Diana behind my back, remember that I have eyes and ears everywhere. If you think your life is miserable now, I can make it ten times worse."

Regina trembled, feeling as if she were standing outside in January without a coat. She tried to respond, to assure the mayor she wouldn't do anything to displease her. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth and her voice didn't work, though. As she stared into the mayor's cold eyes, a voice told her that this was not how an elected official treated a constituent and it was a clear abuse of her power.

She blinked and the mayor's demeanor changed. Her face showed no traces of red, just the soft pink of her blush, and her eyes were kind and warm. She smiled, a bubbly one that seemed such a stark contrast to her earlier disposition. When she spoke, her tone was bright and upbeat. "Thank you so much for talking to me, Regina. And thank you again for driving Diana home last night. It was very kind and conscientious of you. Have a good night."

Mayor Nolan walked away, pleasantly greeting people as she passed them. They all enthusiastically greeted her and Regina wondered if anyone saw her odd behavior. If they did, she doubted they would be concerned and would probably think Regina Mills had fucked up again, as usual. No one would believe her if she said the mayor had threatened her or they would just assume she had done something to deserve it.

You did deserve it, a little voice said. It sounded different from the one she had heard earlier. That one had almost sounded like her voice, just deeper and with more confidence than Regina had ever felt, while this one sounded more like Mayor Nolan. It continued to berate her: You told her her daughter doesn't think she's her real mother and tried to give her parenting advice. No wonder she went all Mama Bear on you. You would've known how to avoid that if you had had a mother.

Though the little voice was right, Regina gently shook her head. Hearing voices was not a good sign. She didn't need everyone thinking she was crazy and even just the thought of the dirty and suspicious looks she would get sent her hurrying toward her car with her head down. She opened it and climbed in, finally feeling safe. Yet the chill in her veins and the uncertainty in her gut followed her all the way home.

Once she showered and changed into comfy sweatpants as well as a loose t-shirt, Regina felt better. She still felt bad about trying to give Mayor Nolan parenting advice and wondered if she should try to apologize. As she slid a piece of lasagna into the oven, she decided it was best if she didn't bring it up again and just respected the mayor's wishes.

Since she was just reheating the lasagna, Regina had a half hour to kill. Grabbing her broom and turning on the radio, she started to sweep the little hallway leading to her front door. Cleaning wasn't her favorite thing but a dirty house drove her nuts, so she tried to make the chore as fun as possible. That usually involved her dancing with her map or broom to music, like she was doing to the 80s pop playing on the radio. She sang along with Blondie, crooning about her heart of glass.

Regina swept past the little table where she kept her mail and the bowl with her keys. The bristles hit something and she jumped as a thud drowned out the Go-Gos. She pressed her hand to her chest, calming her racing heart as she spotted a very familiar looking book lying on the floor.

Frowning, she leaned her broom against the wall. She crouched down, picking up Diana's book. Regina thought back to the night before, realizing she never saw Diana put the book back in her bag. She had looked away as she had put on her sneakers and when she had turned back, Diana had her bag on her back and the book was nowhere to in sight. She must've hidden it, hoping Regina would find it and read it. Perhaps it would also give her a reason to seek Diana out again.

She stood, pressing her lips together. Regina knew the right thing to do was to bring it to Town Hall tomorrow and give it to the mayor. And she planned to do just that. She would call in the morning and let the mayor's assistant know she would drop it off after work. Then she would do just that.

Regina stood, starting to place the book down on the small table. She paused though, the book hovering over the wooden surface. What was the harm in reading the book before handing it over to the mayor? Diana said that the fairy tales weren't told the way they were used to hearing them and the characters were illustrated to look like people in Storybrooke. It would be fun to see who the illustrator used for which fairy tale character. She was also curious about the person Diana thought she was.

Her decision made, Regina hurried to turn off the radio and check on her lasagna. She deemed it warmed up enough and plated it, grabbing a glass of wine to enjoy with it. With the book tucked under her arm, she settled on her couch with her dinner. Regina placed the book on the table and opened it to the first page.

Once upon a time, there lived a humble weaver named Rumpelstiltskin and his wife, Milah, who was expecting their first child...

A/N: Thank you for such a great response to the first chapter! Now you all know who Diana's cursed mother is and Snow isn't happy to know that the girl has reached out to her real mother, even if the curse is holding.

Regina now has the book, though, and she is going to read her own story—as well as several others. Robin won't enter the story again for a couple more chapters at least but be patient—he's coming.

Hope you have a great week! See everyone for Angst Fest, if it all works out for me.

-Mac