Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and any unrecognizable characters and dialogue.
Before their reunion in the Enchanted Forest, Evie could have counted on one hand the amount of times she'd interacted with her grandmother. Regina had done everything in her power to keep her mother separate from her beloved child, refusing to allow them to be alone together on the rare occasion Cora managed to cross the realms. On the other hand, Evie had shared a loving relationship with her beloved grandfather. Much like with his own daughter, Henry Sr. had adored and doted on his only grandchild.
Evie had bitterly mourned his loss once she learned what her mother had done to him. Only Snow White and Prince Charming had been privy to her complete breakdown, mere hours before the Dark Curse ripped their lives apart. Even now, Evie could still remember the numb feeling overtaking her as a part of her heart was broken, leaving her with a sharp emptiness that could never be filled.
Standing in the back room of Gold's shop, Evie watched as Cora fell into mother's arms. A calm settled on her shoulders, and Evie was dry-eyed even as Regina began to sob. She didn't react when Gold, color rapidly returning to his face, began to stand. Or when Mary Margaret and David came rushing in. Harry, Neal and Emma soon barreled their way into the sharp as Cora's spell keeping them out fell apart.
"Princess," Harry caught her arm, skidding to a stop at the sight of Cora in Regina's arms. "What..."
"Regina!" Voice catching in her throat, Mary Margaret could only stare in horror at the sight before her. When Regina raised her head, eyes blazing and face tear-stained, regret and guilt threatened to overwhelm her. "Regina..."
"You did this." Clutching her mother's body in her arms, her last words echoing loudly in her ears, Regina gazed up at her former step-daughter with hatred. "You did this."
Gold watched the scene intently. While it was obvious Regina, thanks to her daughter's influence no doubt, had seemed to bury the hatchet with Mary Margaret in recent weeks, he knew all that goodwill had vanished in an instant. And yet he still couldn't feel an ounce of remorse for directly leading to Cora's death. And, had she been thinking clearly, neither should Regina.
"Mother." Evie called softly, moving slowly to kneel beside the older woman. "Mother."
Whatever she felt for Cora, however much of a weight was lifted with her death, Evie refused to let it show. Her mother's wounded gaze settled on her with a single-minded desperation that sent a chill down Evie's spine. With a shuddering noise, Regina allowed Evie to hold her, all the while still clutching her mother's lifeless body.
Twisting her head around, Evie met Emma's gaze, silently jerking her head toward the door. Taking the hint, Emma grabbed hold of her mother and began to tug her out of the shop. David followed close behind the pair, eyes never leaving Regina. Neal hesitated, looking between his father, the women on the floor, and his brother. Making a decision, Harry stepped back and grabbed Neal's arm and they soon left the shop.
Glancing over her mother's head, Evie glared heatedly at Gold. While part of her knew she was being unfair, a larger part of her knew that she could lay the blame for everything that had befallen her family in the last five decades squarely at his feet. When he made no move to do anything, Evie took the choice from him. Summoning her magic, she took them to the Vault, knowing Henry was less likely to stumble upon them there.
After managing to draw Regina away from the death-grip she had on Cora, Evie guided the trembling woman to a nearby chaise she vaguely remembered from her mother's rooms at the castle. She wasn't sure how long they sat there, arms around one another. Remaining dry-eyed, Evie gently rocked her mother back and forth, shushing quietly as her mother's heartbreak spilled out.
She twisted her head, eyes resting on the still body of her grandmother dispassionately. The woman before her had caused their family so much pain and heartache, and Evie wondered what it said about her that she couldn't even muster a single tear at the woman's passing.
"I'm going to make her pay for this." Regina breathed, grip tightening on Evie's arm. "I'll make her pay, if it's the last thing I do.
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