Well...This was certainly a day of surprises. Regina had been through so much she should be worn out, beyond exhausted. She’d been tortured just a few hours back. She...really didn’t want to think about it. Someone like her was used to pain of course and lots of it. But...That sort of physical torment...That was new. That high voltage did a number on her for sure. She’d barely survived. But she knew the truth of it...She was only alive because Snow White had decided to rescue her of all people. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that. She didn’t like being in people’s debt to begin with. And Snow White...Well, they had a very complicated history for sure.
Snow no doubt felt the rescue was necessary to try and make amends for Regina’s mother. The naive little fool still felt guilty about it. She shouldn’t. Did Regina miss her?...As much as Mother had been a monster, as much as she’d made Regina’s life miserable, as much as she shouldn’t, as much as it made no sense...Yes. She’d actually been sad at her passing, much more so than she ever would have believed possible. Why should she mourn a woman who had caused her such grief, who’d magically abused Regina to make her act as she wished, who’d ripped out her true love’s heart while she watched powerless to do anything, who’d abducted her father, who’d turned the whole town of Storybrooke against her, crushing her spirit? But...Well..She was her mother. Regina supposed some particularly tainted and twisted part of her heart had no choice but to love her. Or...Maybe the answer was slightly more rational than that. Maybe what filled her eyes with tears, her heart with sorrow, wasn’t the loss of what had been but the loss of what might have been. So long as Mother breathed, as terrifying as her existence was, there was some slim chance of reparations. It was...theoretically possible to make amends, for Mother to show that she truly loved and accepted Regina as the woman she was. Now who was sounding hopelessly naive and optimistic? Regina had clearly been spending too much time around Snow.
Well in any case, Snow had saved her. But one near death experience just wasn’t enough for this lovely day she’d been having. That detonation device had been an awful idea. It had never been her first choice, just there as a precaution, a last resort. But well...Owen and Tamra had snatched that and then activated it....Regina had been determined to die a hero’s death to save her son, to solidify her redemption. She was sick and tired of being a villain, a miserable Evil Queen who never got what she truly wanted and didn’t even dare to think about what she was missing, love. Rumple had been right. She couldn’t have everything. He’d tried to warn her when he paid his respects to Mother. “We both know killing her will cost you the thing you want most, Henry. Why don’t you just give up this obsession with vengeance? You know it can never make you happy. You had a whole curse worth of vengeance and what did it get you? A gaping hole in your heart. Still haven’t learned your lesson have you?”
“What lesson?” she'd asked, frustrated upset.
“The same one your mother learned a long time ago. You can’t have everything. She wanted power, ripped out her own heart to get it. You want vengeance? Henry’s the price you’ll pay. Time to cut your losses.”
He’d looked so disappointed at her “never”. And...Had there even be a touch of pity in his eyes? Rumple was a difficult man to read. But despite their...rather interesting history involving screwing each other over several times...Rumple was the one who always gave her choices and good advice when she’d listen. In his own way, he seemed to look out for her and care. That was why she’d always seen him as something like a second father figure. Unlike her own father, he did guide her and was willing to protect her. He gave her real options and dared to ask what she wanted! And unlike Mother, as strict and harsh as he could be with her lessons, he’d always praised her when he felt she’d done well. He was...Tough for sure. But more nurturing than her real family ever had ever been, as twisted as that sounded.
So why? Why didn’t she listen? She could tell he was being sincere there. She could rarely figure out exactly what he wanted. But she did know him well enough to get when he wanted or needed something for her and was using her to that effect. She knew he wanted the Dark Curse as much if not more than she did. But she’d made the mistake of assuming that if that particular deal wasn’t better for her than him, that at least she was getting as much out of it as he was. That was always a terrible assumption. Every time...Rumple bested her when it came to deals. Well..Perhaps that wasn’t quite true. He had taught her some valuable lessons. He was always there to instruct her even if the process was a bit..heart wrenching. Yes, he was like a second father. The only one she had living.
Rumple’s pressing questions were always so poignant; but, they made her come to grip with certain things, precious important things. But maybe she was a slow learner at least emotionally. She’d lose her temper; and, it could take a while for his questions to hit home, for her to face them. And now was that time again.
He’d been right. She’d clung to vengeance rather than love. And because of that Henry had been abducted. It was her fault! The detonation device had provided that opportunity. But she understood now! She was done with revenge! She just wanted her son back! Henry was the only thing that mattered! And now with Snow, Charming, Emma, Hook, Rumple, and her all working together, nothing would stand in the way of Regina getting Henry back!
Regina would feel...a little better if Jefferson were here with her. She’d never come to Neverland without him before. But...She knew it was safer for him to be back home. When he’d been a portal jumper, he’d had an understanding with Peter Pan. And yes...Peter Pan was frightening and formidable. She’d never opposed him staying close to Jefferson; but, she clearly understood that fact. His power was something to fear. And..He was dangerously whimsical. Not to mention clever and cunning and just..nasty! She’d fought to keep herself from shivering the first time she’d stared into his eyes. There wasn’t a trace of empathy anywhere. It was like gazing into the abyss. All she’d wanted to do was hide behind Jefferson. Of course she hadn’t! She’d hid her terror and stood there with dignity as a queen should! But yes...She really wasn’t pleased to be coming back here! Even Rumple had looked anxious for a split second when they'd learned Henry’s whereabouts. But well...At least he was with them. The only one who cold rival Regina’s power was him. Together, surely they could put a stop to Pan’s mad scheme.
Now Hook was showing her to her quarters. Some space, to both rest and think, to recover would do her good. She was surprised at the smile that played across his lips when he lead her into her room. Had someone else stayed here before? Well that was as stupid question. She was sure they had. But someone he liked? Who could make him smile like that? Well that was a discussion not for now. They had more important matters to contend with.
He explained about blankets and water; and, Regina couldn’t care less. Henry was the priority. That’s why the two of them had to talk. She had to make sure their head was in the same place.
“A moment of your time,” she replied when he asked if there was anything else she required. They had to discuss what happened. She’d used as him as bait. He’d sealed away her magic and left her with the two psychopaths that nearly electrocuted her to death. But in Hook’s defense, he refused to help torture her. He’d left. He hadn’t even carried the device over. She was grateful for that as much as he hadn’t lifted a finger to assist her. And now...There was too much at stake for grudges of any kind. She was willing to offer a clean slate if he was. At the very least, they needed to temporarily set aside their differences.
“Can we talk?”
Tag: Regina 
