Helpless

30-The Confrontation

  I find myself at what I can only assume to be Rumplestiltskin's camp. He stands across from me, staring into my eyes like he's trying to dig into my soul.
  "What do you want with me?" I speak out against the uncomfortable silence. He scoffs and shakes his head.
  "It's not what I want with you. It's what she wants with you," He snaps his fingers and my mother stands before me. She looks up at me. A smile breaks out across her face and a tear rolls off of her cheek.
  "My beautiful daughter," She whispers and rushes towards me. I don't hesitate to slip my knife out of the strap on my thigh and block her with it. Her smile turns to sorrow. "Audrey...?"
  I laugh a bit hysterically. "You think after all you put me through, I'm just going to hug you and forgive you for everything? You think we're just going to be some perfect happy family now that you care? You're delusional, Mayor Mills," I finish coldly.
  Her expression almost breaks my heart. "Audrey, I can explain-"
  "No, no. You don't get to explain. You put me through hell, and now you just expect me to drop everything and be your daughter? You expect me to trust you? Newsflash, Madame Mayor, I'm happy here. And I could never be happier with you," I snap.
  "Audrey, listen to me for a minute, please. Pan is dangerous-"
  "You know, everyone keeps telling me that, but I don't really care at this point. He's the only one who's ever cared about me. The only one to make sure I'm safe and happy. Maybe if I didn't have a childhood deprived of that, I'd want to leave. But I didn't, and I love him now. And you can't just swoop in and expect me to abandon my life here and go with you. You'll have to kill me and drag my body off of this island."
  "No, Audrey. You can't love him-"
  "You don't get to tell me who I can and can't love. I will not go with you." Suddenly a gust of wind brushes past me and Peter appears at my side. I grin smugly. "Perfect timing..." I pull his shoulders closer to me and kiss him hard. Luckily he responds, pulling my waist closer and closer until our bodies are touching. I pull back and turn to my mother.
  She looks like she's about to either decapitate someone or burst into tears. Peter decides to carry on his own conversation.
  "Rumple. It's been awhile," He says, bitterly.
  "There's a reason for that," Rumplestiltskin replies. I can sense Peter getting angry.
  "I heard you taken an interest in Audrey. What does your diseased mind want with her?" He growls. Rumple scoffs.
  "And who told you that?"
  "I've got eyes and ears all over this bloody island. Now answer the damn question before I murder your boy with one spell," He threatens. I tighten my grip on his shoulder, warning him not to do anything to the boy. He responds by pulling my waist in closer. He's safe.
  "I swear if you do anything to my son I'll-"
  "Lose your second child as well? Maybe you should. Obviously you haven't been a very good mother so far-"
  "You think I wanted to give her up? You think I wanted to give up my precious girl not even a day after her birth? I had to! It wasn't my choice!" She shouts. Anger boils up in my veins.
  "Well then who's damn choice was it?" I scream back.
  "My mother! It was my mother's choice..." Her volume decreases with every word. She breaks down into tears. Peter suddenly disappears from my side, and Rumple from across. Regina doesn't notice. Once her tears die down a bit, she finishes explaining. "My mother wanted me to be a queen. She wanted me to marry a king. I never wanted to. I found true love with the stableboy. Your father."
  I kneel down next to her, intrigued. "What happened to him?" I ask, waiting intently for her reply.
  "She killed him. She ripped his heart out and crushed it. My royal status meant more to her than my happiness. That's why I had to give you up. If I kept you, like I wanted to, I would've been worthless to kings and queens. It happened to my mother. She didn't want the same for me, so she made me give you up." She looks up at me and my woeful expression. Her eyes dart to my hand. She gives a sad laugh and smiles.
  She picks up my hand, and hesitantly I let her.
  "This was the engagement ring he gave to me. It doesn't look like much, but it was for him. I gave it to you so you'd have a piece of your father with you as you grew up. Just like the necklace and blanket from me. I always loved you. I never wanted to give you up."
  I shake my head. "That makes no sense. Just a few months ago you told me to leave town. You said you didn't want me..." My eyes fill with tears just at the words.
  "Oh Audrey, that was two years ago. Neverland doesn't tell time accurately. I cast a curse to create Storybrooke, and Emma, the saviour, was about to break it. When you came into town, everything was happening so fast. Rumplestiltskin told me unless I got rid of you, the curse would unravel and Emma would break it. I didn't want to kick you out of town. It broke my heart. But after realizing if I didn't shove you out, I'd have to live with the emotional torture of knowing I ruined your life, I couldn't do it. I... I was weak," She admits. "But I changed my mind. I want to make up for it. I want you to come home with us. I want to redeem myself. Please, Audrey. Let me be your mother."
  I look down and swallow. My hands begin to shake and I start crying.
  "I can't."