Chapter 12: Revamping
Regina Mills frowned as she looked at the court order she had been handed that forbid her from being near her son. This would not do.
She would not lose Henry, she didn't care that she particularly disliked the boy or that the allegations against her were sort of true.
She snarled as she took a shot of the strong apple cider she had in her office before throwing the glass against the wall.
This was not supposed to happen, she had casted the curse so she could always be a winner and while not having to listen to Henry's whining would cause her to have less of a migraine he was her son.
It seemed silly that she should be complaining about the fact that Henry had been cast off from her care, when for the past few years she had always been trying to pawn him off on someone else. But now, that her rights had been currently suspended she was furious.
She would not lose.
She still remembered that coy look on that bastard's face when she was served. She had gone to the hospital, after finally turning on her phone after she realized Henry was gone again.
There were dozens of calls and texts that she missed, her son was in the hospital. Apparently, there was an incident last night. The brat had tried to escape, obviously the dose of Ambien she had given him had not been strong enough and the idiot child thought it would be a good idea to try to climb out the window and broke his arm.
It was fury rather than fear she felt when she read all those text messages, especially when she realized that the brat had somehow gotten his biological parents involved.
Honestly, Regina didn't know which of the two were worse. There was something about Ms. Swan that got under her skin. An annoyance, much like her stepdaughter. But Ms. Swan's husband, Harry Potter. Honestly, Regina didn't know what she thought about the man.
When he first came to Granny's, she thought she might be able to seduce him. That had been the plan. He was decent looking, good looking actually, and he would be a nice Graham substituted. She thought she could get control over him quite easily, after all she was the Evil Queen, but all hopes for that were undermined when he and his wife sued custody for Henry.
She was ranting at him for having no rights, and then somehow they ended up fighting outside of Henry's room when she was served.
"What's this?" Regina said shocked that someone would have audacity to sue her.
Harry smirked at her. "This, well, I do believe it's a TRO showing that my legal rights to my son are currently superior to yours."
"Don't be ridiculous," Regina said. "That would never happen here.
"Most courts don't like it when you drug up a ten year old and leave him locked in a bedroom." Harry said, "Also, they tend to not like give away children of parents' whose rights weren't properly terminated. At least that's according to my lawyers."
Regina couldn't help but attempt to slap him. He quickly grabbed her hand; his hands were much larger than her. As soon as his skin touched hers, she felt something she couldn't pinpoint, but whatever it was the look in the man's eyes. She had seen that look so many times on her son's face and she hated it, it made her want to scratch his eyes out if she could but she found herself not being able to move for some reason that she couldn't quite explain.
"Assaulting the father of your illegally adopted child is not going to do you wonders in court."
She glared at him, "Let. Go. Of. Me."
"Gladly," He said dropping her hand. "God, I wish I had some hand sanitizer on me."
She gave him an odd look not quite sure to know what to make of that remark.
"What's going on here?"
Enter Emma Swan, Regina glared at walked up to her all she wanted to do was pull out that perfect blonde hair ever strand, but instead before she could even grab hold of the blonde's hair she found herself being stopped in her tracks again.
"Don't even think about it." Harry said glaring at her before turning to Emma, "The firm got the TRO much faster than expected."
"Good," Emma said. "Then there's no reason for Regina to be here. In fact, she'd be violating the order if she stayed here."
"There is every reason for me to be there," Regina snapped. "That's my son in that room over there."
"No, he's not your son." Harry snapped.
"Harry," Emma said.
"She drugged him," Harry snapped. "Jaime's lucky he only broke his arm. He could've gotten a head injury. God knows, what else could've happened to him with all the drugs she dosed him with. He had to get his fucking stomach pumped."
Regina rolled her eyes. "You're exaggerating. It was just a couple of pills."
"He's not," Emma said in a cold voice. "Your recklessness caused HJ to be in that bed. You are not fit to raise a child."
"Fit to raise a child," Regina hissed wishing she could take out both Harry and Emma's hearts. "We're not even going to go there. You are a convicted murderer. And God knows, what your freak husband has on his record. He didn't even check on the child once."
Harry glared at her again; this time Regina felt herself flinching she didn't know why the air seemed to have almost gotten cooler. It was her imagination, she thought as the man finally spoke. "I think we're done here."
"We're not."
"I think so," He said. "If you would please leave, Regina, I think that this is something best discussed amongst our lawyers. This is the last thing Jaime needs right now. And Emma is right; you're currently violating the TRO. I wouldn't want to have to get your Saturday Shag involved."
She nodded, though she didn't know why she did. Maybe her tongue was tied and she couldn't come up with a decent response and the two of them there tag teaming—she needed to think things through which was why she was now in her office trying to figure out what she could do to get their little TRO out.
She called Sidney telling him she needed to speak with him for some legal matters, though she knew it would be more up to her than Sidney to win.
She tried to think about what she had in her favor. And not from the legalities point of view, though surely she had a case there they hadn't contested the adoption in ten years after all. But somehow, they had managed to get the TRO filed in a court that's jurisdiction wasn't privy to Storybrooke. Regina didn't know how but that was the case. She couldn't manipulate the situation like she did the other day at Grumpy's hearing where she purposely had Cruella deny bail to humiliate Emma's skills as an attorney. At least not in the court the order was assigned to. She also knew that the order wasn't wrong she had drugged the boy and left him alone, that was discerning but there had to be something—
Regina might've not been a lawyer, but surely there were other means.
If she had been in her old realm, she would've just pulled out the couples' hearts and killed them. That would be the easy way. And she still might try to kill them, if she could figure out a way. God knows, nothing would satisfy her more than either seeing Emma or Harry Potter's dead body.
But deaths in the world of no magic took awhile to plan out. Especially a death that didn't leave her fingerprints all over it. Besides, she wouldn't be able to show them that she won. She wouldn't be able to torture them with the knowledge that she was the one who had rights to raise Henry.
She frowned as she thought about her assets. Other than Graham's heart she had a few others in her collection. One of significant importance, though it wouldn't do him any good with the way he was lying in bed all these years.
Although—
Although, the back-story she gave him in Storybrooke might make things interesting. Especially if she decided to wake him up. It would definitely give her a little bit more leverage. Although, there was always the chance—
Don't be ridiculous, Regina. He won't even know her. She doesn't even know him when she reads to him.
It would work. Or at the very least, it could give her reason for a new hearing in Storyrooke-which she knew she'd win.
She sighed heavily, there was a part of her that didn't want to do it. It had been the perfect revenge, and technically she liked the way it had played out. She didn't have to deal with the daily hassle of pretending and canoodling. She could sleep with whom she wanted with very little bravado. The certificates were all there though, but no one ever cared to look because after all no one ever knew that Regina had married Daniel Mills.
Or better known as Prince Charming.
She smirked.
When she had sent Charming's unconscious heartless body in this world, at first she thought about finishing him off. But she didn't. You never knew when you needed leverage, especially leverage as pretty as that man was.
Not that Regina would ever sleep with him. Snow had ruined him.
But it had been nice coming up with a back-story for him, one that she heavily based off of her own relationship with Daniel.
Daniel.
Even after all these years, Regina still missed him dearly. She had his body in the mausoleum hoping that one day she could find some way to revive him, yet she hadn't. She was hoping that one of the hearts she had taken would eventually work. Not that there was really any sort of magic here in Storybrooke to work with.
She sighed heavily as she looked at the heart she had taken from Charming's chest. She still remembered that day of the curse, how chaotic things had been. She had meant to kill him that day. They had been trying to find a way to break the curse and Regina had put a stop to that.
She remembered seeing him about to close that stupid wardrobe and wrapping her magic around the enchanted chest turning it and their one hope into dust. He had done the stupid thing after that, not that she could blame him. She had, after all, killed his first born right in front of his eyes. It was really quite delicious really. She had told Snow as much right before the curse took over; she loved seeing the pain in the woman's face.
Rage though, was what she saw in Charming's face as he came at her with that stupid sword. Of course, Charming was stupid to realize that Regina had the upper hand as he threw his sword towards her, and with a mere swipe of her hand she turned his sword back to impale him.
If she would've been her old mentor she would've giggled there and then. Instead, she walked over to him and pulled out his heart and hissed. "Stay alive."
He gaped at her and she smirked.
"I wouldn't want you missing the party, your highness." She said. "It's going to be fun when I tell Snow the joyous news of your child's untimely end."
"You—you—"
Undoubtedly, he was going to call her an evil witch. Maybe an evil bitch if he was feeling particularly brave.
Regina laughed. "Really, that's what you're going to say to me?"
"You killed my child, you whore."
"You tried to destroy my curse, I think it was a fair trade." She said with a small smile. "And really, whore? Is that the best you can do?"
"Just finish me off."
"Now why would I do that sweet prince, when I'll have your wife finish the job for me? Now, save your strength, I want you to be awake for your finale."
The curse took over before she could do what she really wanted, have Snow forced to squeeze his heart into nothingness. At least she got the chance to tell Snow that her little plan wouldn't work.
"You failed," She told the princess who was still recovering from giving birth and not that much up for defending or having a confrontation with Regina. "The curse is going to be here any minute, and your little failsafe didn't work."
"That's not true." Snow cried.
"Is it?" Regina smiled as she took out a vile full of the ashes from the wardrobe. "You see this, Snow. This is all that's left of that magic wardrobe you tried to send your brat through. Unfortunately, for you, it didn't work."
"No," Snow said. "No, the baby made it to safety. She's safe."
"Oh, how you wish. This vile is all that's left of your sad excuse of a child." Regina said, "I caught lover boy just before he was about to close the door. If anything I'm efficient."
"You wouldn't kill a baby, Regina. You're not that evil."
"Am I?" She laughed.
"Not the baby," Snow said. "Not my baby."
"You don't believe me?"
The girl shook her head, obviously in shock.
It was the first time Regina had seen her truly upset. She smirked. "Charming, come here."
He couldn't walk.
Of course he couldn't. He had his sword wedged in between his guts, the only reason he was even breathing because of the magical command that Regina had put on his heart.
He ended up attempting to crawl his way to where Regina was standing all evil like over Snow. After a couple of minutes of watching him try to make his way with a sword stuck in his stomach (because really), she just poofed him up on the bed next to Snow.
Of course, when Snow saw him she couldn't help but have a row of theatrics that wasted precious time. Maybe if Regina hadn't allowed herself to be amused by them she could've done what she wanted to do—have Charming reveal the truth about their daughter's death and then reveal that she had his precious heart in her hands and squeeze it into dust.
It would've served Snow right, after what she did to Daniel. But instead, Regina had got caught up with the theatrics. She enjoyed how much pain that Snow was in. However, she only was able to do part of her plan.
"Drink this," She remembered telling the girl after she showed her Charming's heart.
"What?" Snow said.
"Drink it or he's dead just like your child."
Snow looked alarmed.
"Don't—don't do it, Snow."
"I'm not letting her kill you," Snow said, "Besides, she's already poisoned me once and it failed. I'll be okay. True love, remember?"
She then foolishly drank the liquid causing Regina to laugh as the purple smoke incorporated them all dragging them to the world without magic.
And then when Regina came too, she found herself with an unconscious Charming whose future she had to write because—well, she had been planning on killing him off.
Writing the story as Daniel Mills had been last minute. An insurance policy at best, but now it was time to wake up Prince Charming and have him be her prince. Not that she was looking forward to him groping her. Though, she could really rub it in Snow's face and that was a plus.
She sighed as she looked at the heart, luckily it would require very little magic. The curse had already healed the man's body per Regina's instructions he was just in a coma. And, well, that would be easily resolved.
"It's time to wake up, Charming." She said to the heart. "Or should I say Daniel Mills."
Unfortunately, heart magic did not work like true love's kiss. At least when waking up coma patients. Especially people who have been in comas for twenty-eight years, but Regina had already made the necessary precautions after performing the requisite command.
She altered the threads of the curse, to make her victims remember her going in and out to see "Daniel".
God, a part of Regina wish she could've created a new face for Charming so he really would resemble her Daniel but the amount of magic that would take was far too much than what she had. All she could use was the sources that were available. Luckily she was tied to the curse and it made it easier to use, though her grip over it seemed less than what it was before.
Curses don't last forever.
She frowned as the phrase her old teacher said came to her head.
Rumple.
She had heard that dead bastard's name or had been reminded of him way too much in the past few days. She inwardly groaned about how she forgot to write out his entire existence from the curse. She should've, he was dead. But she had other problems to think of back then, like making Snow and Charming's existence as miserable as possible.
Still though, it irked her how much of his existence she was reminded of in the past few days. Like, the fact that Ms. Swan worked for the fictional law firm she had set up for him. Regina had no idea it had outside branches; then again she had never studied the curse as much as she should've. She had never been the studious one, Rumple and Zelena had both pointed that out to her.
She frowned as she remembered how she had been riddled about her magical skills in the past.
She showed them all though. Regina played fast and quick, you snoozed you lose was her motto. It had served her well, all her magical adversaries had fallen. No, all her enemies followed. Having Henry taken from her was merely a set back, once Daniel Nolan woke up Regina could easily put up a challenge in court and win. Though Sidney had been a little reluctant about her victory.
"Did you really drug him, Regina?" He asked.
"It's irrelevant," She snapped. "He's my son and you're going to get him back."
"It might not be that easy," Sidney said. "The father is claiming he never consented to the adoption AND there's also the fact that he is a foreign national that contemplates matters."
"What?" She snapped. "That's ridiculous. The child is an American. He was born here, it says so in the birth certificate."
"Henry actually has duel citizenship, but that's not what the issue is. Mr. Potter is apparently arguing that he wasn't afforded the rights that parents in his country are afforded."
"That is ridiculous," Regina said. "And it will never fly in court. Besides, the boy has been living with me for ten years. Surely, that has to count for something. You know, best interest of the child and all that crap."
Sidney sighed. "Well, that's another thing. The Potters are married and it seems both of them are able to provide a stable life for Henry."
"She never looked for him, she gave up her rights." Regina snapped.
"She's Mr. Potter's wife." He said, "You're not married."
"I am," She said.
He gave her a weird look.
"Daniel and I married right before the auto accident."
"Oh," Sidney said. "I forgot. I mean, I knew you two were engaged but it's sort of hard to recall the marriage."
"I didn't really tell anyone, it happened right before the crash." She said, "You know the accident was hard on everyone especially with Lacey Gold dying and all. People sort of forgot about Daniel, and I've moved on. I know it's likely that he's going to be in a coma the rest of his life, but I'm married. If that helps."
"It would if Daniel was awake." He said, "But—well—"
"I know," Regina said. "But it's something, right?"
Sidney nodded.
"When do you think you can get my son to come home again?" She asked.
"There's a hearing in a couple of weeks," Sidney stated. "They're going to see if they need to extend the TRO. If you can justify your actions, I can present a case that Henry would be more comfortable in familiar surroundings, but I have to say whoever drafted these documents was quite thorough."
"See if you can get something faster, maybe in Storybrooke. I think the family court judge is Judge Reaux." Regina snapped referring to the judge that used to be a kangaroo back in the Enchanted Forest. "I don't want the boy under those people's roof. Can you use those pictures you got the other night?"
"If I want my ass sued, sure."
"What about privilege?" Regina asked. "I thought it applied in the courtroom."
"Regina." Sidney lectured. "We know that Emma isn't a drunk or a convict, we can't use that against her."
"What if we rephrase things?" She asked. "You could get more pictures, I'm sure. And frame it differently."
"I'll see what I can do."
"Also, I want you to look into that marriage. The court doesn't take well to deceit, does it?"
"No. Why?"
"There's something not right with those two," Regina said. "When Emma Swan came to town she mentioned nothing of a husband, I almost think that the two of them are together to get the kid."
"Regina. That would be difficult to prove."
"I'm sure you can find a way, Sidney. I hear that Sherriff Humbert and Ms. Swan have some nice chemistry. Did you notice anything when you were taking photos at the Rabbit Hole?"
"They were just chatting," He said. "There wasn't anything out of the ordinary about it."
"He likes her," She said. "If she were to return her feelings, that would ruin their claim on my son, wouldn't it?"
Sidney looked at her, "Right now, Ms. Swan's chances of having any rights to Henry are limited. You and I both know she never contested the adoption, and it has been ten years. However, if she and Mr. Potter are perpetuating in a faux marriage of sorts I might could make a case to have the TRO or any sort of custody thrown out. It's really Mr. Potter's character you should be focusing on Regina, Emma is a non-entity. She made herself so, and you should be grateful for that."
"Personally both of them should be non-entities." She snapped as she motioned for Ruby to get her the bill.
He sighed, "I'll see what I can do, just hang in there. Also, we need to talk about those pills."
"I was given a prescription." She stated.
"They're alleging you weren't given a prescription for the child." He said.
She shook her head, "That's ridiculous."
"Whale mentioned that he didn't prescribe them."
"They weren't from him," Regina said. "They were from Hooper."
"I know," He said. "They have a request to depose him."
"That's privilege information."
"Regina."
"Don't worry, you keep digging on those two. I'll take care of Hooper."
"Regina."
"Sidney," She said. "I know what I'm doing, just do your damn job."
He nodded, not completely convinced.
Damn genie.
She was glad that Hooper was pathetic and very easy to manipulate, that was one thing in her favor. It wouldn't take that much to have him doing what she asked and if he didn't well—
She bumped into someone very hard as she entered Archie's office: Snow White.
"What are you doing here?" She snapped.
The girl gave her the gapped eyed look of innocence and adoration that she had since becoming Mary Margret. "Regina. I—I—are you okay?"
"I'm fine," She said. "I didn't know you were seeing a shrink. Is it because of your problem?"
She inwardly smirked when she said this as she referred to Mary Margret's fertility issues. Although, the princess hadn't known what she drank before the curse was enacted, Regina had added it to her back-story: a teenage pregnancy that resulted from a one night stand that ended with a botched abortion, comported by a diagnosis of complete and total bareness.
It wasn't that far off from the truth since the potion Regina had forced the princess to take a potion that had essentially shriveled her reproductive organs into nothing so that even if she and Charming had been able to somehow break the curse alive, there would be no happy ending for them. At least in terms of children. It was a potion that Regina had almost taken herself, but stopped at the last minute since petty revenge against her mother shouldn't resort with her being permanently barren.
Snow White or Mary Margret had confided in Regina about her problem when Regina had adopted Henry. She had mentioned something about adopting herself, but bemoaned about the state of her finances.
Regina had acted sympathetic, enough. Though that mostly consisted of nodding and inwardly smirking and belittling her for having an abortion in the first place.
She sighed, "I—I really don't want to talk about it. If that's okay."
"You know you can tell me anything, Mary Margret." Regina said trying to act like a concerned friend.
The dark headed woman shook her head. "It's okay. How's Henry?"
"He's fine." Regina said with a scowl on her face. "At least I think he's fine. Those people have been a little less than forthcoming with me."
Mary Margret sighed. "Did you really drug him, Regina?"
"Don't be ridiculous," She said. "And how do you know that? Were they talking about it? I swear, I'm going to file a lawsuit on them for slander if they keep this up."
Mary Margret leaned back against the house that was Archie's office. "I was there the night he was brought in. Frank said that they found sleeping pills in his system."
"Well, I didn't give them to him." She said. "You know the boy, how he gets into everything."
"Yes, but—"
"I didn't drug him." Regina said.
"Okay," The woman said. "But why didn't you hire me. I mean, I usually come over every Saturday."
"Because I thought it might be nice for you to have a semblance of a life." Regina snapped before entering Archie's office and slamming the door shut on her stepdaughter's face.
"Mary Margret are you still there?" The friendly therapist said as he entered the office he frowned when he saw Regina. "Oh, Regina."
"Hooper," She said. "I want a minute."
"I—well, this isn't our scheduled time."
"Does it look like I care?"
One evil queen stare and that took care of him.
He sighed. "I guess I can move back my ten o'clock."
She nodded closing the door. "Good, at least you listen to reason, something's happened Hooper."
"I got the deposition request." He said taking the coffee. "If your wondering, I intend to say that the conversations concerning Henry's care are privileged but I suspect they'll get around that. And if they ask I will tell the truth, that I did not prescribe those pills for him."
"I never asked you too," She snapped as she looked at him. "I didn't even want to talk about the lawsuit. I'm worried about my son. I—has Henry ever talked about hurting himself?"
"What?"
"It's since he found out about the adoption," She said. "I caught him several times doing risky things. You said kids act out sometimes when events like this happen, right?"
"Regina?"
"I didn't give him the pills, Archie. You know that, right?" She emphasized it as much as she could.
The doctor looked at her and shook his head, as the precious influencing potion that Regina had used took effect. "You seemed quite angry the other day."
"No, Archie." Regina said. "I wasn't angry. Worried. We all know that Henry is a very sick boy."
"Yes, but—"
"Let me tell you what happened so you can give a thorough deposition to the judge." Regina said with a small smirk.
She got the call that Daniel Mills had opened his eyes for the first time in years later that afternoon.
"I don't know why or how he woke up, Mayor Mills, but it's a miracle." Whale said when he called her.
Regina nodded from the other end of the phone knowing that it wasn't much of a miracle. What would be a miracle would be if the real Daniel woke up which was why she went to the mausoleum today to talk to him.
It seemed silly talking to a corpse, reassuring him that she loved him that she'd never forget him even though someone else would be using his name now. That she would be pretending for all intents and purposes to be married to him.
"It's not a betrayal," She found herself saying to his stone coffin. "It's a necessity. I will find a way to wake you up one day, my sweet. I don't know when or how, but I am not the world's greatest sorceress for nothing."
Yet, she knew it had been a bit of a hopeless. At least logically. While she had put a preservation spell on his body, when she had access to her magic the decomposition process had already started. She had managed to rid most of it, but even if she was able to bring him back in this world she didn't know if she had saved his flesh in time.
She would find a way she told herself though.
"He might have his name but he won't be like you." She told the corpse. "This ring I'm wearing, it's nothing. Hen—Jamie is mine. I don't care what those people say, they have no right to him and I'm going to win. I am going to win."
Then as usual, she kissed the stone coffin before leaving the mausoleum and heading towards the hospital making her entrance as Charming's devoted bride.