Regina's Rose

Stronger than You

Rose's POV

We had just found an empty ink container and a parchment covered in Emma's name when Aurora threw a rock at the lever for the cell causing it to close on us. I rushed to the cell but couldn't make it before it closed.

"What the hell, Aurora!" I screamed and started stalking toward the princess as she stuttered and backed herself into a corner.

" It's not her fault she was only doing what she was told." A voice that chilled my core said as it emerged from the shadows, a glowing red heart in their hand.

"Oh you twisted bitch." I said trying to mask the fear Cora had put in me ever since she threatened to hit me at Snow's castle.

"Now dear is that any way to talk to your grandmother." She said in a condescending tone.

"No but it is the perfect way to address the bitch who ruined my life." I said with an eye roll.

"Everything I did made you stronger." She said in a soft tone as she walked closer to the cell.

"Yes, I'm the person I am today because you threatened to kill my horse." I said sarcastically, not wanting to let all the details slip to everyone around.

"Of course it did." She said while getting in my face. "You close yourself off because of me."

She struck a nerve but I quickly recovered replacing any trace of sadness with a sly smirk. "Don't you think we should give some credit to my adoptive father?" I said faking shock as I tried to annoy her.

"Like I said, it made you stronger." She said with a know it all smile.

My smirk vanished and I stepped back from the cell bars. What did she mean by it made me stronger? She wasn't there, was she? My confused expression was soon replaced with anger clearly shown by my powers.

"Rose, what does she mean?" I heard Emma call from behind me.

"You took me from my parents?!" I questioned angrily completely ignoring Emma.

"You are stronger than you ever could have been with them and Regina is a much better mother to you." Cora said calmly.

"You bitch! Who were they!" I said my eyes and hands now glowing with magic.

"You're not supposed to be able to do that."Cora said ignoring my demands as she focused all her attention on my powers.

"Tell me who they were or I swear I'll kill you and the cowardly pirate that's been waiting for his big reveal in the shadows." I said not breaking eye contact with Cora.

"Aye, what does this have to do with me." Hook said as he emerged from the shadows.

"You stole Auroras heart that's enough for me." I say still looking at Cora.

"They were no one of importance." Cora said calmly making my blood boil.

"They were my parents. And you will give me a better explanation than that." I say angrily ready to lung at Cora.

Suddenly Cora grabs my hand and puts a magic blocking cuff on my hand. My powers disappear instantly only leaving my anger.

"I don't need my magic to kill you." I say trying to seem unbothered by the cuff on my wrist.

"Oh yes, I've seen your dagger skills without magic. But you can't get out of here without magic so your threats are null and void." She said in a calm teasing manner. She then called the compass to her hand with magic. "Now, I'm off to see my daughter and meet my grandson."

"She'll never forgive you for leaving me here." I say as I grab the cell bars.

"Oh she won't have to, not after I tell her of your tragic death and how the Charmings left you for dead. Cora said with a sickening smile on her face.
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Once Cora and Hook, we're out of sight I pulled out my dagger and lined it up with my wrist right past the cuff.

"Rose, what are you doing." Emma questioned causing everyone to look up from their separate pity parties.

"No no no no no, it's not worth it." Snow said as she got up from her spot on the floor next to Emma.

"What the hell are you guys talking about?" I questioned very confused by the situation.

"We are going to get out of here but we need you here to do it." Snow said while putting a hand on my hand that was holding the dagger. And in that moment I realized why they were freaking out.

"Oh, guys I'm not killing myself." I said calmly and everyone's worried faces turned to ones of confusion. "I'm getting the cuff off my hand by cutting my hand off. That way I can take off the cuff and then reattach my hand." I explain to them in a calm manner.

They all stared at me worriedly except Mulan who nodded in an understanding manner. I was terrified but I couldn't let them see that. I stood there with the dagger in my hand hoping they wouldn't notice my hesitation.

As I readied the dagger to slice through my wrist I heard someone wince in the background.

"Sorry." Snow said quietly with a nervous look on her face.

I raised the dagger again trying not to let my nerves get the best of me. When Snow winced again. I turned to her annoyed because her nervousness was freaking me out.

"I'll stop I promise." Snow said still nervous as Emma stared at me worriedly in the background.

I took a deep breath and raised the dagger in the air for the third time. There was silence. I started to bring the dagger down quickly.

"Oh God, Oh God, Oh God." I heard Snow say causing me to stop once again.

"Snow stop it! You are freaking me out!" I screamed my nerves at an all time high.

" I'm sorry but it's unsettling to see someone cut off their hand." She responded in a nervous rambling voice.

"You're unsettled? I'm not even sure if this will work." I shouted back my nerves evident in my tone.

"Wait you don't know if this will work?!" Emma screamed finally voicing how nervous she's been this whole time.

"I mean I've read about it but never attempted it. Except for Hook but that doesn't count because he didn't do it to himself. This could be different." I said loudly still very nervous about the whole situation.

"I don't think you should attempt this if you don't know what you're doing." Aurora said clearly the most frantic out of all of us.

We then started an unintelligible argument about the situation. Suddenly, I heard the sound of a sword unsheathed and before I could react my hand fell to the floor.

"Oh my god!"
"Holy Shit!"
"Mulan!"
"Oh my fucking god. MY HAND!"

Aurora, Snow, and I were still screaming in disbelief while Emma stood there in shocked silence. Mulan sheathed her sword calmly and took the cuff off of my hand as she picked it up from the floor.

She handed it to me and I stared at her in shocked silence as I reattached it with my magic.

"You weren't going to do it and we have to get out of here." Mulan said calmly as everyone stared at her silently.

After refocusing on the task at hand I took the parchment from Emma and blew the ink toward the cell bars causing them to desingrate.

"Alright let's go make the bitch pay." I said when I was grabbed by a hand.

"You're not gonna kill her right?" Emma questioned.

"If she killed my parents and won't tell me who they are, then there is no use for her other than an obstacle." I say calmly as I step through the bars.

"You can't kill her! Killing is wrong!" Emma shouted.

"I never met my parents because of her and I promised mother that I would put her through hell!" I shouted back.

"You can put her through hell, you just can't send her there, okay?" She said calmly.

I really didn't want to kill Cora but I did want her dead. Mother wouldn't want me to darken my heart over her mother and Emma would never forgive me. She'd walk out of my life and I couldn't go back to life without her.

"Fine Swan." I said with a softened face. "I won't kill her."

She gives me a small smile and then we set off out of Rumple's cell.