Memories

Clues

{Regina's POV}

We're driving back to my house. I wanted to walk back but Jake insisted on me getting the full Jake Calloway experience. I know he is just trying to make the bad situation a little better. Truth is, I don't know how I feel about what happened.

"Regina," I hear a voice taking my attention from looking out the window.

"I asked which way your house is," he says, quickly taking his eyes off the road took at me.

"Just keep going straight. It's a big white house. Can't miss it,"  I say quickly before gazing out the window again.

I got nothing. I just saw my own family member's dead body. Sure, there were moments not too long ago where I said I would kill her. It's a completely different thing to actually see her dead body. What makes it worse is I don't know how it happened or who did it.

Part of me, the mother side, wants to feel relieved. Relieved that I don't have to worry about my son being in danger anymore. Relieved that he wouldn't be put in danger because it would be the easiest way to hurt me. Then there's the other part of me, the sister side. This side of me that wanted to give her a second chance like I was given. She was the only other family I had left besides Henry. I may not have known her for long, but as a little girl I always wanted a sister. How different would my life turn out if I wasn't an only child?

A hand laying on mine brought my attention back to the real world. It was until then that I see we are outside my house.  It's a little chilly in the car again signaling we've been here for a while. I look from his hand on mine to his face for the first time since receiving the news. Even with the dim lighting, his eyes were still the most recognizable feature of his face. Worry was swarming in his eyes. Worried about me? I don't know.

Before I could ask, he said, "Regina, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," is all I say when I look away from his face again. I look down towards our hands, take a deep breath, and open the door to exit. As I pull away my hand to exit, the cold wind blow my hair away from my face. I walk around the front of the car towards my gate. With a slight wave of my hand, I unlock the protectioin spell over my house for a brief second before putting it back up. I can feel his eyes on every move I make. It wasn't until I reach my front door that I hear his car start back up. Once inside, I look through the peep hole to see him pull out of his parking spot and leave.

I turn to press my back to the door and take a deep breath. Finally, the realization dawned on me. Zelena is dead. My sister is dead. I'm no heartless monster like Gold. I do feel remorse that she never got a second chance. Yet, I am relieved to not have to batte it out with her again. We may have been able to defeat her the first go, but I don't know what would've happened the second time. She is, or was, much more powerful than me. If she could control Gold, who's next? Peter Pan?

"Mom?" I hear coming from upstairs. I walk up the few steps in front of the door to see Henry walking down the stairs.

"Henry, what are you doing here?" I saw as I hang my coat up and drop my purse on the floor.

"I heard what happened," Henry says as he pulls me in for a hug, "Thought you would like some company."

"You know you don't have to,"

"Be here," he finishes for me, "I know. Plus, I thought this would be a perfect chance to keep you from going back to the vault,' Henry finishes with an innocent look on his face and a shrug.

The rest of the night contained Henry trying to teach me how to play on his Play Station. At first, he beat me by forty points but I was able to lower that number to fifteen on NBA 2K16. There were games where it looked like I could win but he would let his competitive side take over, which he gladly takes after me. He would do anything from standing in front of me so I can't see to "accidentally" hitting the remote out of my hands. The night ended with a movie and some popcorn. Half way through the movie, I noticed he was silent and had fallen asleep. Unlike before when I could just carry him to his room, I used magic to put him in bed. It wasn't long before I too was knocked out in my bed.