"Open wide, dearie."
Regina snaps her mouth shut, vacuum sealing her lips tightly from whatever vile liquid Rumpelstiltskin contains. He takes a step forward persuading Regina's back to press into the hard wooden chair behind her. Emma leaps to her feet and holds her hands up to block this strange man from whatever he has in mind for Regina.
"Stop!" Emma rigorously commands as she throws herself in front of Regina. "Don't you dare touch her!"
She sets her face, eyebrows pinched together, her lips slowly turning white from being pressed so firmly together and a snarl twitching her nose. Yet all of this means nothing to the powerful Rumpelstiltskin. The man smirks in return and glances at the former prince and princess.
"Would you like to reprimand your daughter or would you like my magic to contain her?" Rumple sneers through clenched teeth at the young couple.
"Emma, please," Snow White begins in the sweetest tone. "We need Regina to break the protection spell over this town. We cannot leave and she's the only one that can fix it."
"Why can't you fix it?" Emma coldly spits as she locks eyes with her boyfriend's father. "You claim to be oh so powerful," she mocks while Rumpelstiltskin just smiles in return. "You said yourself, you are way more powerful than she is."
"I cannot undo whatever spell she enacted around this town during the dark curse because she cast the curse. It's her blood magic." The older man is slowly growing impatient and Emma is well aware she's running out of time and options.
Green orbs that so easily express anguish, dart around the room. She's looking for anything to keep these strangers from harming Regina. They claim this sparkling blue liquid is a memory potion, to awaken the Evil Queen that supposedly resides somewhere in the back of Regina's mind, but how can Emma trust them? She knows nothing of these people and who they truly are. For all she knows, this drink is poison and will slowly kill her one true love.
"No, I can't allow that blue thing anywhere near Regina," Emma firmly states with confidence. She squares her shoulders and keeps her hands out, ready to attack anyone that dare crosses her path.
"Emma step aside," David calmly says, but his eyes read that this is not a request. One way or another Emma will be moving out of the way.
"No," Emma shakes her head vigorously as her eyes bounce back and forth between her alleged parents and Rumpelstiltskin. "I will not stand by and allow you to hurt her."
"Alright Miss Swan, then I have no other choice," the older man's upper lip twitches as a glint of excitement sparkles in his eyes.
"Wait!" Snow worriedly calls out again. "I don't want any magic used on Emma."
"Then I suggest you make her move," Rumpelstiltskin growls so deeply, his voice alone strikes fear in everyone's bodies.
David jumps into action and gently reaches out for his daughter, but Emma is quick to smack his hand away. She doesn't know this man and she will be damned if she starts obeying people now. However, David has spent a good portion of his life sword fighting against the most diligent guards. He easily clasps onto Emma's hand and spins her around. He crosses her arms over her chest and locks them into place.
Emma screams at the top of her lungs and flails against his embrace, but he hangs on with all his might. His thick arms are wrapped around her body, holding her flush against his, as though she is strapped in a straitjacket.
"Please! Please don't hurt her," Emma wails as though she was just stabbed through the heart with the dullest knife, drawing out as much pain as humanly possible. She kicks, screams, jerks her body viciously but to no avail. Her cheeks are beet red as they glisten from all her tears flooding her flesh. "Please!"
Regina is in a frenzy as she attempts to scoot the chair back. The expression of terror that's controlling her face is enough to make Emma break down and throw a temper tantrum like she never has before.
"Please, I swear I don't have a clue as to what you all are speaking of. Please just let me go," Regina cries out in sheer horror. She's begging for her life because honestly she has no idea what's to come if the drink is forced inside her mouth. Her face is a pool of liquid as she heaves and weeps for her life. "Please, I-I don't want to be who you all claim I am. I would never harm anyone," she tries to reason but the man is stalking closer.
She understands how ridiculous this will be but instinctively she bends down in her chair and attempts to untie her legs. As she suspects this Rumpelstiltskin man, waves his hand and with a blink of an eye, Regina is once again tied to the wooden chair.
"Calm down Regina," the man gently urges as he stalks his way toward the brunette. She seals her lips once again and shakes her head frantically. "This won't hurt, we are just going to bring back your memories. You won't feel a thing."
"P-please," she mumbles through the heaviest of cries.
"Please leave her alone!" Emma screeches once again as her body doubles over from her harsh sobs. David follows along and holds her even closer, but his touch only makes her cringe.
"Either open your mouth, or I'll make you," the older man states with conviction, but Regina refuses. She's not about to go down without a fight. "Fine."
Rumpelstiltskin clenches her jaw and squeezes Regina's cheeks until her mouth pops open. She's sobbing uncontrollably, her tears pouring down her face, soaking into Rumpelstiltskin's fingers. He presses the bottle to her lips and quickly pours the entirety down her throat. He holds her head back and keeps his hand upon her chin until she finally breaks and swallows the liquid.
When Emma watches Regina's throat strain to swallow the potion she screams out in agony. "You son of a bitch August, I will fucking kill you!" She threatens as she gasps for air.
Rumpelstiltskin casually strolls in front of Regina's chair and waits. Everyone is so eerily quiet, the only sound to be heard is the gasping and sniffling from Emma. Rumpelstiltskin leans down in front of Regina as her eyes flutter. To Emma, she appears loopy as if she is struggling for consciousness.
Regina's head seems far too heavy to keep upright as it bobs from side to side. Emma can tell she's fighting against the liquid in the back of her mind. She fears that if she keeps fighting that Regina might causes more damage in the end.
The special liquid suddenly devours all of Regina. Her eyelids grow heavy as they fall closed and darkness consumes her.
~~~~~~~~
The Enchanted Forest: Twenty-six years ago
"The child?" The Evil Queen inquires as she turns her attention to her most entrusted guards.
"Gone. She was in the wardrobe but she's gone," her right hand man announces causing her to lose her temper.
"Where is she?" The Evil Queen snaps at the distraught Snow White who is weeping over her husband's lifeless body.
"She got away," Snow White breathes in relief because she finally feels as though she might come out on top in this battle. "And you're going to lose."
Glass shatters around the baby's nursery, grasping both women's attention. A gust of violent wind swarms through the broken windows, revealing a thick, dark cloud of smoke.
The Evil Queen watches as the dark curse begins filling the room. Panic starts to consume her heart, forcing the organ to beat as though it's trying to escape her chest, escape this curse. Her mind swirls as she thinks about her revenge and what's to come.
Is this really what I want? To be banished to a new land where I am trapped with the insufferable Snow White and her incompetent husband? Do I really want to spend my days watching her suffer? Do I really want to live the rest of my life, sharing my time with this spoiled brat?
Her entire body breaks out in a sweat as her blood boils in dread. No, she cannot stand one more day with this goody two shoe princess. This is her curse, this is to better her life.
Regina's terrified eyes shift all around as she wonders how she can escape this curse. How can she send all these infuriating people away, but not be forced to follow? That's when her eyes lay upon the wardrobe.
Snow White watches intently as the Evil Queen second guesses herself. She follows her gaze and notices the way she's staring at the wardrobe her husband just sent their daughter through.
"It won't work," Snow snarks as the wind whips wildly around her. Her dark tresses fly all around her face as she holds Prince Charming closer. "The wardrobe only contains enough magic for one. For Emma," she smiles proudly from ear to ear as stuffed animals begin to swarm the air.
The Evil Queen ignores the pesky princess and stomps over to the wardrobe with determination. She opens the doors and climbs inside, hugging her knees to her chest.
This is my curse! There should be more than enough magic filling the air right now to transport me to another realm. I will not spend another minute trapped in the same place as Snow White! What the hell was I thinking? I shall banish my enemy to another land while I transport myself somewhere far away.
The wardrobe begins to quake as the winds pick up speed outside of the wooden contraption. Regina pulls her knees closer to her chest and thinks back to when she was younger. She recalls a time when she hated magic. She hated her mother and everything she stood for because of magic. She vowed she would never succumb to the pull of darkness, yet here she is...locked in a wardrobe from the magic she caused.
If she never grew up with her controlling mother, things would have turned out so differently for her. All she ever wanted in life was the comfort of true love. This wasn't the life she imagined. This wasn't the life she ever planned for herself.
How I wish for a second chance. I wish I was never raised with the Queen of Hearts. I wish I could be like Snow White's daughter, escaping this curse, being brought to a land without magic where she will never be tempted with such vile darkness. How I wish for a fresh start, just as she.
The wardrobe shook as though an Earthquake was trembling below. Regina snapped her eyes shut and repeated her wish over and over again, hoping that this dark curse would have enough magic to send her far far away.
~~~~~~~~~
Emma counts the seconds as they tick by until Regina's eyes pop open with purpose. Her bloodshot eyes reveal the brown orbs that are slowly dilating. Emma shudders as she studies how the pain quickly fills those beautiful eyes that used to dance with love. She watches, completely mortified as those enchanting brown irises turn dull and fill with hate.
"Regina," Emma cries out because she must know what the other woman is feeling, but the prisoner doesn't respond.
Emma's blood runs cold as she thinks that she just lost the love of her life for good. Her stomach turns as bile burns a path up her chest and tingles the back of her throat. Her eyes instantly fill with more tears, blurring her vision of Regina...the Evil Queen, strapped to the chair.
Rumpelstiltskin leans further down, his nose almost grazing the tip of Regina's. He doesn't utter one word, he just stares...waiting.
"Rumple," Regina growls with pure hate lacing her words.
"Ah, the Queen," he cheers in a high pitched squeal that's uncharacteristic according to Emma.
Regina jerks her body forward, attempting to grasp onto the imp before her, but the ropes keep her firmly in place. She wiggles her fingers and clenches her fists as she scowls at the man before her.
"That little cuff is blocking your magic dearie," he explains, heartless, ignorant to her pain and fear.
"You," she breathes through her hoarse voice.
"Regina!" Emma wails out again hoping she will steal the woman's attention.
Regina's eyes stay glued to the man before her. Emma knows she heard her and now her gut is twisting as the harsh reality settles upon her. This isn't her Regina and this woman most definitely wants nothing to do with her.
"You couldn't just leave me the hell alone," Regina grunts as she continues to fight against the ropes scratching into her flesh. "What's the matter Rumple, couldn't stand to be in this town any longer with the two idiots?"
"Well truth be told, when we were awaken from the curse, I wanted to find my son, but I couldn't because of some spell the Queen placed around this town to keep us all trapped inside. Imagine my surprise when I found out my son was having a torrid love affair with the Charming's daughter," he vindictively snickers.
Emma slams her foot against the concrete below, the sound bouncing off the walls and resonating right back at them. "Regina!" She calls again, refusing to throw in the towel for this woman. Nonetheless, Regina resumes ignoring the blonde.
"So you had to kidnap me," Regina deadpans as she stares at the man unamused.
"Regina! Talk to me right now dammit!"
"Emma, she's not worth it." Snow softly speaks as she reaches out for her daughter. "She doesn't deserve your loyalty."
"Don't tell her what she can and cannot do Snow White!" Regina snips as she finally breaks her trance upon Rumpelstiltskin. "Emma is a grown adult and is more than capable of speaking for herself."
"She is my daughter!" Snow advertises as if she has justification in claiming the young woman.
Regina scoffs out a small chuckle under her breath. She glares at her enemy with a hint of humor twinkling in her eyes. "Yes, Snow she is your daughter, but she loves me."
"Excuse me," the former princess breathes in disbelief. Snow takes an assertive step forward and bends so she can meet the Queen's cold eyes. "She would never love a monster like you."
"Snow!" Emma yells because she cannot stand one more horrible word muttered about the woman she loves.
Regina laughs lightly to herself and nods with a smirk slowly creeping along the corner of her mouth. "That's why she could never keep her hands off of me, right? Because I'm such a monster," she sarcastically quips. The former queen leans forward and smiles proudly. "That's why she tossed me on top of a car and went-"
"Regina!" Emma bellows loud enough to snap the brunette's mouth shut. "This isn't you so knock it off."
Regina desperately wants to spew more hateful comments. She's itching to explain in great detail what Emma and her did against that Camaro to her enemy. She wants to show exactly who she is to Emma, because this is her. She's the Evil Queen and that's all anyone will ever see her as, no matter how many second chances she receives. She's always brought back to her past. Fate's a bitch.
However, Regina remains silent. She bites the inside of her lips for Emma. At the end of the day, Emma is the love of her life and she would do anything for her. Only her.
"I need a moment with the Queen," Rumple announces. "Can I trust you two to keep your daughter in control?"
"No! No! No!" Emma panics hysterically as she squirms in her father's arms.
The lights in the basement begin to flicker, strobing the small area causing everyone's temples to pound fiercely. Everyone's heads snap back and forth in search of the unexplainable light show. The light bulb that illuminates the stairwell crackles before it bursts into hundreds of tiny little pieces.
"Enough of this," Rumple calmly states and waves his hand in front of Emma.
The blonde slumps like a lifeless body, knocked out cold, but David is quick to keep her upright.
"Rumpelstiltskin!" Snow shouts in fury. "What did you do to our daughter?"
"Seems as though she has magic," he nonchalantly replies and turns back toward the Evil Queen. It doesn't go unnoticed to the vile man how the Queen is more agitated now than ever, but she's keeping rather quiet to his surprise.
David slips his arm beneath Emma's legs and the other around her shoulders. "We will lay her down upstairs for now. I'm sure she can use the rest anyways," he confirms. "Neal, August, move now. Up the stairs you go," the Prince orders as he motions toward the stairwell with his head.
"You think I hated you before Papa," Neal coldly announces. "I will never forgive you for this."
"We will speak later my son," Rumple gently replies with a small smile that is only reserved for his son.
The group of imbeciles climb the stairs and disappear from Regina's view. She groans knowing she can longer keep a watchful eye on Emma. She knows in her heart the Charming's would never harm their daughter, but that doesn't help settle her anxious nerves.
Rumpelstiltskin pulls up a chair across from Regina. The man so eloquently takes a seat in the chair and leans back. He crosses one leg over the other and meets Regina's gaze. His face is blank, impassive, causing Regina's skin to crawl.
"What do you want imp?" Regina mutters. Her mask is up, protecting her from revealing her inner emotions.
"Let's not drag this out, do you know how to take down that barrier?"
"Why would I do that? The minute I bring down the barricade, Snow White and her obtuse husband will have my head. I'm not ignorant Rumple," Regina laughs humorlessly and relaxes the slightest bit knowing it's just them now.
"I will have to remove the cuff for you to vanquish the barrier, then you are free to defend yourself against the Charming's," he gently explains as he examines ever inch of her face. Regina scoffs as her eyes drift to her lap. She rolls her wrists and flexes her fingers to help alleviate some of the numbness forming from being tied up. Rumple chuckles, but Regina continues ignoring the man. "You love her." It's not a question, but a simple acknowledgment.
Regina rolls her eyes and shakes her head at the insanity of her life. "It wouldn't be wise to murder her parents," she deadpans causing Rumple to chuckle to himself.
"I suppose not."
Regina is completely baffled by this man's placid responses. It's as though a switch was flipped in his head the moment the unCharming's made themselves scarce.
"Why are you being so...levelheaded?" Regina skeptically inquires as her brows furrow in confusion.
"I quite enjoyed my life here, besides not having my son," Rumple reveals as his leg drops to the floor. He straightens his posture and readjusts his dress coat appearing as though this is a simple business meeting. "I was Mayor, I ruled everyone," he chuckles as he reminisces. "After the curse broke, I spent my days happy, with Belle." Regina's face contorts painfully into bewilderment. "Now we would like to travel the world and maybe start a family. We no longer want to be trapped in this painfully boring town."
Regina instantly relaxes as she listens to Rumple's new reformed self. She's absolutely astonished at how calm he truly is. She's unsure, but she believes Rumple was simply playing a part in front of the Charming's.
"So what happened after the curse was cast?"
"Well you were clearly sent to a different town," Regina nods and waits patiently for more details. "We were sent here, to Storybrooke. We were all deprived of our memories while time stood still."
"Well that explains why none of you aged. I was hoping for Snow to be full of wrinkles," she snarks producing a small chuckle from the man across from her. "So how did the curse break if Emma was suppose to be some savior and rescue everyone?"
"Every Savior needs a villain. You were not here. You did not control the town. The source of the curse was you. You were meant to be the villain and with no villain present, there was no longer a need for a savior. The two halfwits still took their sweet time falling in love again. After five years they shared true love's kiss and broke the curse."
Regina listens carefully to everything this man is explaining. This curse could have ended up so differently if she would have stayed. She is sure her and Emma would have been destined to destroy one another if she didn't step foot inside that wardrobe. She has never been more thankful than in this moment for her life as a foster child. Having Emma by her side was much more pleasant than living in a small town with Snow White.
"So why stage all of this?"
"We couldn't leave this town and we didn't have access to the outside world. We needed you to break down the barrier. I wanted to find my son and Snow and David were insistent on finding their daughter. We don't have normal resources like the rest of the world, we were trapped. Seventeen years after the curse, August tried to convince Bae to set Emma on the right path. My son refused obviously and kept Emma hidden from all of us. The puppet somehow grew a conscious and decided he wanted to see his father. He found us and that's when we convinced him...or paid him a hefty price to track down Emma and Neal again. It only took him nine years," Rumple rolls his eyes expressing how annoyed he is with the other man. "I believe he took our money and was off galavanting around."
"Why didn't he kidnap Emma? Like the moron did to me," Regina retorts dryly.
"Snow and Charming didn't want to lay a hand on their precious daughter. After August explained Emma's connection to you, they knew she would come for you. August was having some trouble tracking them down and we assumed you would hand her over, but you fought us for awhile. Eventually August found Emma and Neal and drew them in with the information about you being in danger."
Regina allows this new information to soak in. She thinks about her life as the Evil Queen and the tormented hell she inflicted upon Emma's parents and countless others. Her chest constricts tightly because there's no way Emma will ever forgive Regina for her sins.
"August is good, I'll give him that. He pretended to be interested in some real estate and lured me out into the middle of nowhere," Regina explains while Rumple nods along, familiar with the plan from the beginning. Regina pauses for a moment as she finally meets the older man's gaze. "H-how..." she clears her throat as her old memories mix with the life she created here. "If this was my curse, for my happy ending, how come I endured so much pain. If the curse granted my wish of a fresh start, why was I adopted only to have my parents die in front of me? Why did I meet Emma, only to have her ripped away from me time and time again?"
"All magic comes with a price." Regina sighs heavily as the weight of the world crashes into her chest. "You received your chance at a new life, but you had to pay the price. It's seems as though Emma has been your ultimate payment."
Regina refuses to admit her true feelings for Emma Swan in front of Rumpelstiltskin. He may be intuitive and see the bond they share, but Regina has never fully confessed. That would be foolish in her eyes, handing over her weakness on a silver platter.
"Shall we begin then?" Rumple inquires clearly finished with their small talk.
"Like I said, I'm no fool. I will not be the puppet on your strings just to ensure a blade through my heart. That barrier is not coming down."