Broken

The Mills

Regina

I loaded the car with luggage and wrapped my thick jacket around myself, the sun hadn't risen and Alena made plans to stay with Violet for the weekend, giving me the idea to try and mend my relationship with Henry.

I rushed back into the house and curled into the sofa, resting my eyes before I heard a frantic slamming on the door.

I jumped and rushed to the door, unlocking it and gasping when I saw Daniel standing on my doorstep with a terrified look on his face.

"Please let me in?" He cried, I choked on my words and leapt into his arms sobbing, pulling him into the foyer.

"Oh my god! I thought I'd never see you again!" I cried, cupping his face as I studied it, how he looked barely twenty five.

"Regina, you look so different." He exclaimed, squeezing my hands, I sniffled and moved my short hair out of my face.

"How..." I began but he smiled and gripped my hand gently.

"Your sister got me, your other half, she got her daughter and she needed me to get her back, well I did and now I'm here, and I needed to see you." He admitted, I exhaled and shuddered, remembering instantly the one thing that connected us.

"What is it?" He asked, I bit my lip and looked upstairs, taking his hand and squeezing it. "Remember what happened between us when you died?" I asked carefully, he nodded and his eyes grew, glancing down at my slim waist that I had wrapped in my baggy sweater.

"The baby? What happened?" He exclaimed, fear filling his voice, I swallowed and took his hands, trying to prepare him.

"I gave birth to her after you died, but I had to get her away from my mother, so I sent her away, and well long story short she grew up in town and found me since my mother took my memories, and she lives with me now." I explained, his eyes grew and I felt him wrap his arms around me, tears falling down his cheeks.

"Regina." My daughter called from the stairs, her voice groggy from sleep, making Daniel pull away and grip my hand.

"I'm sorry sweetie, did we wake you?" I asked quietly, motioning for her to come into my embrace.

"No, I was going to the restroom and I heard chatting." She muttered, shoving her hand into her pants pocket.

"Who's this?" She asked tiredly, I sniffled and held her tighter, smiling at Daniel.

"This is your dad, Daniel, and Daniel, this is your daughter, Alena Rose- umm..." but before I could finish and ask about her last name Daniel had wrapped her in his arms, this time sobbing over her openly. She remained silent as he hugged her, an uncomfortable look gracing her face as he cried, but nonetheless she let him cry over her.

"You're so beautiful! Oh god you look just like your mother, I- the Queen, she's going to want to get you! Regina, she needs to be hidden!" He cried, making Alena squirm out of his grasp and compose herself.

"Okay, well I don't need protecting, and I can definitely take care of myself, believe me, I've been doing it for years." She declared, making the atmosphere in the room extremely tense as she held her hands out to Daniel, slowly inching towards me.

"I don't mean to be rude, but I don't know who you are, and you may be my father, and a great one at that, but I only know Regina, and I only trust her, and I can take care of myself, I'm not some damsel in distress or whatever you fairytale people call women." She declared, awkwardly climbing the stairs to go back to sleep.