A few days later...
Regina stood by the well as Henry begged her to stop the death curse from the well. The brunette wanted to believe that Rapunzel would make it through but she was still scared that it would be her mother instead.
But if there was the slighest possiblility that it was her daughter coming through, she couldn't let the death curse happen. She couldn't lose Rapunzel. So the brunette began to absorb the curse which took most of her energy. When she had finally absorbed all of it she sank to the ground, against a tree as she was extremely exhausted.
A moment later, Emma came climbing out of the well as did Snow and Rapunzel after her. Henry was so happy to see them. "Mom!" He exclaimed and ran into Emma's arms, glad they were alive and well.
As soon as Alex saw Rapunzel, he ran over to her and held her tightly in his arms. He was overjoyed. "How have you been? Are you alright? Did anyone hurt you?" He asked worriedly as he looked at her to see if she showed any sign of injuries. He was so worried about his fiancèe.
"I'm alright. But my grandmother Cora tried to get to us. Luckily we were able to stop her." The blonde explained to him and then leaned in to kiss him lovingly. She was so glad she was back in Storybrooke. After she broke the kiss, she looked over to her mother who seemed exhausted. She was still conflicted about her mother and their past but she knew she wouldn't be able to avoid her forever.
Henry noticed his sister looking over to their mom. "She saved you. All of you." He explained to them.
Emma looked over to Regina who seemed exhausted. She wasn't sure if she could trust her but at least it seemed like Regina was trying. "Well, thank you. Your mother...she is..." The blonde wasn't quite sure how to say it.
"I know." Regina nodded as she thought about her mother and then looked at her daughter. She wanted to just hold Rapunzel and never let her go, even though she knew it wouldn't happen. Her own daughter hated her and was scared of her and she honestly didn't blame her. The brunette hoped though that they could fix things between them. She was unsure if Snow and this boy Alex would ever let her daughter near her again.
"Rapunzel? Can we talk, please?" She asked as she watched her daughter with the boy. She despised him but she couldn't show it. Rapunzel wouldn't talk to her if she showed her distain about their relationship.
Sighing as she heard her mother's voice, Rapunzel turned to look at the brunette and nodded slowly. "Fine." She agreed and told Alex to go with the others to David while she talked with her mother. The young girl walked over to Regina and studied her for a moment. "Are you alright? Maybe you should sit down?" She suggested as she noticed that her mother was struggling to keep her balance. She was seemingly very exhausted.
"I'm fine. Just exhausted. Don't worry." The brunette told her with a reassuring smile and petted her shoulder gently. She didn't want to appear weak in front of her daughter. "We should go somewhere to talk." She added and walked with her daughter to the stables. She couldn't keep secrets from her any longer.
"What are we doing here?" Rapunzel questioned as they arrived at the stables and looked around confused. She had no idea why her mother chose this of all places to talk to her.
Regina sat down with her daughter on a bench and took her hand. "You know I always told you that your father was Leopold, because that's what I thought for years too. But now I know that isn't true." She started to explain to her.
The blonde frowned at that. She wasn't sure what her mother was talking about but she guessed it meant that her father wasn't really her father. It made sense though since Leopold never cared about her. "What do you mean? And what does this have to do with the stables?" She asked confused.
Regina looked at her and gently cupped her cheek. "Everything has to do with the stables. It all started here. Here is where I met your father. His name was Daniel and he was our stable boy when I was your age. We fell in love and then I met Snow White. Everything went downhill from then on. Your father and I wanted to run away but Snow found out and she told my mother. Your grandmother killed Daniel right in front of me and I had no choice but to marry the king. Then I found out I was pregnant." She explained to her daughter and sighed sadly as she thought about Daniel.
Rapunzel was shocked. All this time she thought her father didn't care about her but actually he was dead. "And you didn't know until now? What happened while I was gone?" She asked confused and laid her head on her mother's shoulder.
Regina sighed deeply as tears gathered in her eyes. "While you were gone, Daniel came back from the dead. It's hard to explain but Dr. Whale revived him. And then I realized that he was your father all along. He was not himself, he was a monster and he begged me to end it. And he told me I should love again. I am sorry you never got to meet him." She told her daughter and held her close. She hoped her daughter wouldn't push her away again.
Shocked, Rapunzel looked at her mother and cuddled close to her. She couldn't quite believe it. "This is why you hate Snow so much. And Cora killed him? You realize that you did almost the same thing to me with Alex." She stated as she thought about it and let go of Regina.
"No, Rapunzel. That's not the same. I didn't kill Alex." The brunette told her and looked at her a bit shocked. She had hoped that this would go differently.
"No, you didn't but you made me think he was dead. That is worse. You aren't any better than Cora." She pointed out. "You knew this whole time that he wasn't dead but you watched me mourn him. You wanted me broken so I would come back to you." Rapunzel added and glared at her mother. She couldn't believe this. Sure, she was sad about Daniel and understood that her mother was heartbroken but still she couldn't understand why her mother would do this to her and Alex.
"Please, Rapunzel. Listen to me. I just wanted you back. I know I didn't do it right. But I...I don't know how to love very well. I push people away and try to keep the ones I love as close as possible. I know I was too protective and tried to keep you close for all the wrong reasons. I know I wasn't a good mother but I want to be better. Please give me a chance." She explained to her daughter and hoped Rapunzel wouldn't push her away again. She couldn't lose her.
Rapunzel was conflicted and confused. She loved her mother but at the same time was angry and scared and didn't trust her. "I... I need time and space. I need to think about everything before I can really give you a chance." She told her mother and got up. The blonde wanted to believe that Regina could change but she didn't fully trust her. Her mother would have to make up for a lot of stuff. "You know, you trapped me all my life and you almost killed Alex. I lost my child because you just abandoned me in the woods." Rapunzel reminded her and new tears gathered in her eyes. She could never fully forgive Regina for this.
The brunette was a bit taken aback by her daughter's words but she couldn't blame her. She had done all of those things to her and never even thought for one second about Rapunzel's wellbeing and the unborn baby. "I...I'm sorry, Rapunzel. I was so blinded by rage when I found out you betrayed me with the prince and wanted to leave me. And then the baby...I didn't care in that moment what happened to the baby. Honestly, I only cared about punishing you and getting my revenge on Snow White and her friends. I was selfish and even a tad jealous that you were happy with Alex and not with me. It can't be changed. It can't be made up. I know this will always stand between us, that you lost your baby because of me. I know you won't forgive me but at least let me try to be a better mother now." Regina told her honestly with tears gathering in her own eyes.
Regina knew she had messed up as a mother, not just with Rapunzel but with Henry too and she had to own up to her past and try to be a better person. It was just so hard.
Nodding, Rapunzel wiped her tears away and sighed. "Thanks for your honesty. We both did things we regret. I never wanted to betray you but I wanted to be free and be with Alex but you wouldn't let me. So I had to find a way to escape. You are my mother and I love you but for now it's best if we get some space." She told her mother and gave her hand a squeeze before she left to go back to the others. She hoped Regina would stay true to her words and try to change.
To celebrate Snow's and Emma's return, they threw a party at the diner. Emma even invited Regina since she wanted to thank her for helping them and also for Henry's sake. She knew the boy dearly loved Regina, even though she lied about the curse and everything.
At the party, Regina arrived a little late. "Sorry, I'm late." She said as she entered the diner and put the lasagna she had made for the party on the counter. She went over to Henry and hugged him and looked around for Rapunzel. "Where is your sister?" She asked her son curiously and stroked his hair gently.
Henry shrugged his shoulders to her question. "She should be here soon with Alex. She is staying with him now." He told her and hoped she wouldn't freak out. Everyone knew that Regina despised Alex, even Henry at his young age noticed everytime Regina saw Alex, her body immediatly tensed up and her face showed disdain.
Indeed, as soon as Regina heard Alex's name, she tensed up and glared a bit though she tried to stay calm for Henry's sake. She made a promise to Rapunzel and Henry and would try to behave. "Right, of course she is. They are engaged after all." She said, more to reassure herself than him actually.
A few minutes later, Rapunzel did finally arrive with Alex and went to talk with Snow, completely ignoring her mother for now. She was surprised Snow even let Emma invite her but she guessed it wasn't fair to shut her out after she helped bring them back. She talked with her friends and sister for a while before she noticed her mother leaving. The blonde went outside after her to make sure she was alright. "You are leaving already?" She asked curiously.
The brunette turned around to look at her daughter. "Well, no one really wants me there. Not even my own daughter." She told her a bit sarcastically but then sighed. She didn't want to be mean to her daughter. "Sorry. I didn't mean it like that." The former queen added and gave her a sympathic look.
"Don't worry, I get it. I'm sorry but I still need space and I didn't want you and Alex to fight so I tried to avoid you. I wish it would be different but that's just how it is for now." The young blonde explained to her and sighed deeply.
Regina knew what her daughter meant. She didn't like the situation but she only had herself to blame for this. "It's alright. But are you really happy? Is he making you happy?" She questioned and hoped Rapunzel would answer her.
Rapunzel huffed. She knew her mother didn't like Alex or any boy near her for that matter, but she wasn't a child anymore. She could handle the world. "I am. I truly am happy with Alex. I love him and he loves me and we make each other happy." She told her and hoped her mother would finally realize that Alex wasn't the problem.
Sighing, the brunette nodded slowly. "Then I won't stand in your way. But if he ever hurts you I will hurt him." She told her daughter and then opened her arms to hopefully get a hug from her.
Rapunzel rolled her eyes a little but hugged her mother nonetheless. "Thank you for trying." She said softly and then parted from her and watched her leave.
What both of them didn't know was that Cora had found her way to Storybrooke too and was watching the exchange between mother and daughter, setting her plan in motion. The witch smirked as she disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke and reappeared behind Rapunzel, knocking the girl out before disappearing with her.
The next morning, Regina was called to the sheriff station. She had no idea why she needed to be there but she hoped everything was alright with the kids. She was surprised to see David and Snow there as well. She sat down in the interrogation room as Emma asked her too and studied the others. "It's nice to see the sheriff station is now a family business. Why am I here, Ms. Swan?" She questioned and raised an eyebrow at the blonde. She knew Snow and David were watching them. The former queen wondered what was going on.
"Dr. Hopper was killed last night. You went to see him after you left the party. Ruby saw you leave his office. Your file was missing and so were Henry's and Rapunzel's." She cut right to the case and studied Regina to see her reaction.
The brunette frowned. She knew that she didn't do it and wondered who was setting her up. "If Ruby saw me, she is lying. I went straight home after I left the party. Someone is setting me up. If I did it, I would make sure there would be no clues or rather a lot of clues leading to someone else." She told Emma and hoped she would believe her. Emma knew she wouldn't be so careless. "There is no reason for me to steal those files. I know what is in them. I don't need them." She added since it didn't make any sense for her to steal those files. She knew why she was in therapy and why the kids were in therapy.
The sheriff nodded slowly as she listened to Regina. She wasn't lying. If Regina did it, no one would know but who would set her up. Rumple? She would have to deal with him later. There was more she needed to ask Regina. "Right. But there is also something else. After you left, Rapunzel disappeared too. You were the last person to see her. She didn't go back to the party and didn't go home to Alex either." She told her and raised an eyebrow. She may not have a reason to kill Archie but she definitely had enough reasons to kidnap her daughter. After all, everyone knew Regina's only goal right now was to get her children back.
Regina was completely in shock when she heard this. Rapunzel went missing? No, it couldn't be. "Ms. Swan, trust me. If I had my daughter right now, you would know. When I left the party, Rapunzel was still outside the diner. Instead of excusing me of doing all those things, you should be looking for my daughter. If anything happens to her I'll end all of you." She told her in a threathing tone. When it came to her kids she would anything to protect them.
The brunette didn't like this one bit. Who could have her daughter? Sydney? No, he was still locked up. Maybe Rumple? She always suspected he wanted her daughter for her magical hair. But she wasn't sure if the imp would really go through with it. It seemed sloppy of him to set her up like this. But who else would want to take her daughter? Regina needed answers.
Sighing, the blonde nodded. Regina was right. Someone was definitely setting her up. "Well thank you for your time. I'll keep you updated." She replied and then let the brunette go. They had to find out who did this.
Rapunzel woke up in a dark room. Her head hurt from being knocked out and she had no idea where she was. The last thing she remembered was talking to her mother in front of the diner and then everything went black.
The blonde gasped as suddenly the door opened and Cora walked in. She couldn't believe her grandmother was in Storybrooke.
"Hello, my dearest. You are finally awake, good." Cora said in a sweet tone and stroked the girl's cheek before gently stroking her long hair, feeling the magic coursing through it. Her granddaughter was indeed special.
Flinching away when Cora touched her, Rapunzel looked at the old woman with fear in her eyes. She had no idea why her grandmother took her and what she wanted with her. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. That much was clear. She began to struggle against the ropes that were holding her in place, though it was in vain. She knew she couldn't escape. Her grandmother was too strong. "What do you want to do with me? I have nothing to offer you. I'm not special." She told the witch in an attempt to get her freedom back.
The witch chuckled slightly at her weak attempts to get free. Her granddaughter was naive and foolish, just like Regina had been. "Oh silly child. You, my dear, are very special. And you will get me what I want." She told her and lifted her chin slightly to make Rapunzel look at her. The resemblance to her daughter was uncanny but it was also obvious who her real father was, unlike what Regina wanted everyone else to think. Rapunzel was a product of true love and therefore had some of the purest light magic of all.
"And what is that?" The blonde questioned, trying to act calm, though she was extremely nervous.
Cora smirked at the young girl and stroked her hair again. "You are the key to me getting my daughter back. Regina needs me, she just doesn't see it yet. But when I'm done, she'll have lost everything and then she will be more than happy to have me. And I will bring her, what she wants most. You." She explained to the girl and kept smirking. The plan was perfect. She would get everything she desired most, thanks to her granddaughter. She just needed to carefully plan her next move. No one could suspect her.
