Let down your dark hair

17.

Storybrooke:

After her night in Regina's room Mary was up bright and early and went to her apartment to get clean clothes.

Emma was sitting at the bar with a bowl of cereal. "Hey, where were you? Another date with Whale?" the blonde joked as Mary sat down next to her.

"I was home. My parents invited me over for dinner. One hell of a dinner if you ask me." the raven haired teacher replied while rubbing her temples. Emma could tell just how distraught her roommate was and sighed.

"What happened? Surely something involving Cora." the sheriff asked her friend who nodded.

"It was terrible. First Regina and Cora were fighting then Henry got between them and Cora totally freaked out and hit him and then my parents fought and Regina found out that my dad isn't her dad and well I stayed the night to comfort Regina and Henry." she explained and pured herself a cup of coffee.

"She hit my son?!" Emma shrieked and almost choked on her coffee. That was it. The final straw. She would put an end to Cora's reign once and for all.

"Yes. It was terrible, Emma. But that's not the worst part. She shaved Regina's head because aparently she has a secret relationship with Robin Locksley and my stepmother clearly doesn't approve. I think- no- I know that Cora is abusing Regina. Henry said that. That's why I'm talking to you about this. Could you talk to Regina? Maybe she agrees to report Cora or take sessions with Archie." Mary begged her friend. Emma knew why Mary was asking her. She went through something similar while in foster care and she was the sheriff. The blonde was the only one who could arrest Cora.

"I could but are you sure she would report Cora willingly? I mean I know many kids in that situation and they usually stick to their parents even if they hurt them. All that kids think that what their parents are doing is right. They think it's their fault. So if she is willingly reporting her mother Cora could be put behind bars for at least two years." the sheriff explained all the details to Mary Magaret who was a bit shocked.

"So if Regina doesn't say anything about the abuse we can do nothing?" she was helpless. She wanted to help her little sister but she knew Regina. Regina was exactly like Emma explained. She would never put Cora behind bars even if Cora was so terrible to her.

"Yeah. I will talk to her but I can't promise anything. Even if Henry agrees that she is being abused I can't do anything if Regina doesn't tell me the truth. And because of that slap. I can't do anything about that either if it was the first and only time. But I'll talk to them. Regina now and to Henry after school." Mary was relieved but at the same time helpless because her hands were tied in that case.

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Meanwhile at the mayoral mansion:

"Regina!" Cora called from the kitchen and a few moments later her daughter stepped into the room.

"Yes, mother?" the mayor montioned for her to sit at the table and Regina did so. In front of her was a sheet of paper and a pen.

"You have to sign these papers for me, sweetheart." Cora explained as  she saw her daughter's confusion written all over her face.

"Why?" the young girl was unsure of what her mother was planning.

"Just sign them." the older brunette pressed but Regina made no move. She looked down at the paper and saw exactly what it was. A contract. A contract to put her babies up for adoption.

"No!"she shouted and tried to get up but her mother held tightly onto her arm.

"Sign them, Regina!" Cora shouted back and grabbed the pen and put it into her daughter's hand. Regina however threw the pen onto the floor and kicked it away with her foot.

"You can't make me! I'll keep the babies no matter what."she put her foot down stubbornly. Leopold heard the commotion in the kitchen and walked in as he saw his wife and daughter fighting yet again.

"Cora, stop it!" he got between them and loosened the grip his wife had around Regina's wrist. "You know you can't force her to give the babies away. It's her decision. She is eighteen." he told her and gave his daughter a resuring smile.

"I don't care! I won't take care of the little bastards once their are born. I'm going to work now." Cora glared at him before picking up her purse and leaving the house, slamming the door behind her. Regina knew there would be consequences later when her mother returned from work and she was scared to think of what her mother could do next.

She had already lost Robin, her hair and her freedom. There wasn't anything else to take. However the petite girl knew that Cora always found a way to hurt her no matter what.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" the old man checked his daughter's face and wrist for any sign of injury and he could see his wife's fingerprints marking her wrist and turning into a bruise.

"Yes, daddy. I'm okay. But I have a question. Do you know my real dad?" she asked and Leopold was speechless for a moment. He loved his daughter so much but he knew that she had a right to know about her real dad.

"I don't know. Your mother was married to a man named Henry before she married me but I doubt that he is your dad. Your mother had many affairs behind his back and only married him because he had money." Regina nodded and sighed.

"Okay I understand. Thank you anyways, daddy." she replied kissing his cheek.

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a few days earlier at Gold's shop:

Cora wasn't happy to ask him for help yet again but she had to in order to get the babies out of her life one and for all. She needed him to set up a contract for Regina. The old woman would never help her raise the babies willingly so  sending them away sounded best.

"Oh your mayesty to what do I owe this pleasure yet again?" he asked, smirking as he heard the little bell above the door jingle.

"I need you to set up a contract for me. My daughter is pregnant with twins and I want them gone. They have to be put up for adoption."she explained and leaned her hands on the counter top.

Rumple was confused. A daughter? He knew she had a daughter with Henry Sr. but she died after the birth. Had she lied to everyone, including her husband, about her very much alive daughter? But why?

"I thought your daughter died?!" Just now Cora realized that he didn't know. She had been caught and there was no escape now. "You lied! Is....is she my daughter?" he asked suddenly putting the pieces together in his head. He had another child. A child he never knew about.

"It doesn't matter! She has a father already." she challenged, enjoying every moment of his suffering.

"IS SHE MY DAUGHTER?!" he demanded, screaming directly into the mayor's face.

"Yes! Now the contract. Do we have a deal?" she scoffed, already getting bored with him.

"Only if I get to meet her after this." Shoot! Now he was in charge again but she wouldn't let him win this round. She would win either way. Either she would get rid of the babies or she would watch Rumple suffer. She would only let him near Regina if her daughter signed the contract.