Once Upon A Time ~ Book 1

Chapter 14 - The Thing You Love Most

"I'd like to start by apologising, Miss. Swan" said Regina sitting down and placing her glass of apple cider on the table in front of her.
Emma raised her eyebrows. "What?"
"I just have to except the realality that you want to be here."
"That's right, I do."
"And that you're here to take my son from me."
"Okay. Let's be clear. I have no intention of taking him from anyone."
"Well, then, what are you doing here?"
"I know I'm not a mother. I think that's pretty self-evident. But I did have him. And I can't help it, he got into my head, and I want to make sure he is okay. And the more you try to push me out, the more I want to be here, especially after seeing how troubled he is."
"You think he's troubled?"
"Well, he's in therapy and I only got through a couple of pages of his shrinks notes before you had me arrested. But putting all that aside, he thinks everyone in this town is a fairytale character."
"And you don't?"
"How can I? The poor kid can't tell the difference between fantasy and realality and it's only getting worse. It's crazy."
"You think I'm crazy?" said a voice from the door.
Emma turned to see Henry in the doorway. "Henry......." she said as she stood up, but Henry just ran outside.
"How long was he there?" asked Emma.
"Long enough." said Regina smiling at Emma's turned back.
Emma took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. "You knew he would be here." said Emma turning to her.
"Did I know that my son comes to my office every Thursday at precisely 5:00pm so I can take him for dinner before his therapy session? Of course I did. I'm his mother."
Regina leaned back in her chair. "Your move."
Emma stepped closer to her. "You have no soul. How in the hell did you get like this?"
Regina's slight smile faded away as Emma walked out of her office.

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The Evil Queen walked briskly down the corridor.
"What happened?" said the man in the mirror. "Did you get your answer? What's going on?" he said as he followed her down the corridor through the mirrors. "Your Majesty. Your Majesty!"
"Did Rumpelstiltskin tell you what you needed to know?" said the Valet as the queen walked into the room.
"Yes." said the queen, walking past him.
"And?" he persisted.
"I'm not sure I should say....... I'm conflicted." she walked towards the stove.
"How bad is it? Maybe I can help."
The queen stopped and hesitated. "I have to cut out the heart of the thing I love most."
"Me." said the Valet, slowly.
The queen closed her eyes and turned to the Valet. "Daddy, I don't know what to do."
"My dear." he shook his head. "Please. You don't have to do this."
"I have to do something." she walked past him.
"Then move past this." he walked after her. "I know this may sound self-serving, but you don't need to enact the curse."
"But I can't keep living like this. What Snow did to me, what she took from me........ It's eating me alive, Daddy. Her very existence mocks me...... She must be punished."
She walked back to the stove and the Valet followed her again.
"If the price is a hole that will never be filled, why do it? Stop worrying about Snow White and start over. We can have a new life."
She turned to the Valet. "But what kind of life? All I've worked for, all I've built will be gone." she stepped closer. "My power will disappear. They already think I'm nothing."
"Power is seductive. But so is love. You can have that again."
The queen stepped forward and rested her head on his shoulder and he put his arms around her. The queens dark, beautiful eyes filled with tears and once they over flowed, they rowled slowly down her face. "I just want to be happy."
"You can be. Of this I'm sure. I believe of given the chance, we can find happiness, together. But the choice is yours.
The queen closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I think your right." she snithed as she lifted her head and looked at her father. A smile creeped up her face. "I can be happy."
The Valet smiled, in relieve.
The queens smile faded away. "Just not here."
Then, suddenly she leaned forward and trust her hand into the Valets chest. He groaned, his eyes widened in shock and the queen pulled his heart from his chest. He fell slowly to the floor.
The queen took a breath. "I'm sorry." and the tears rowled down her face.

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Mary Margaret sat in her apartment, sowing, until she heard a knock on the door. She got up and opened the door to find Emma.
"Hey. I just wanted to say thank you and pay you back the bail money." she said handing her an envelope.
Mary Margaret took the envelope.
Emma then stood awkwardly in the hall.
"You look like you need to talk."

Emma sat at the table in Mary Margaret's apartment a mug of hot cocoa in her hand. She took a sip from the mug. "Cinnamon?" she said, surprised.
Mary Margaret placed a plate of cookies on the table. "Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn've asked. It's a little quirk of mine. Do you mind?"
"Not at all. No, thanks."
Mary Margaret sat down next to her.
"When you bailed me out, you said that you trusted me...... Why?"
"It's strange. Ever since you arrived here, I've had the oddest feeling that we met before. And I know it's crazy."
"I'm starting to reevaluate my definition of crazy."
"For what it's worth, I think you're innocent."
"Of breaking and entering or just in general."
"Whichever makes you fell better."
Emma chuckled. "It doesn't really matter what anyone thinks I did or didn't do...... I'm leaving....... Thank you for everything, but I think it's for the best. If I stay, Henry's only gonna keep getting hurt."
"What happens if you go......... I think the very fact that you want to leave is why you have to stay.... You care about him."
Emma said nothing.
"Who will protect Henry if you won't?"