Chapter 13: Cider Time
Regina was not one for therapy. Sure, she forced Henry to enter therapy, but that was different. She didn't expect the bug to help her son; she just wanted to gaslight him.
Yeah, probably not mother of the year material there and she regretted it. But she was scared at the time. Besides, it wasn't like the cricket's time was completely useless, he did manage to get Henry to talk about his adoption issues. Not that that had really been that much of help since Regina was suppose to accept Emma as part of Henry's life. Even though it was a freaking closed adoption.
She really should call the shrink ethics board and get that guy canned.
However, right now, she was thinking she needed the bug's help again with her brother, who was obviously more traumatized than Regina originally had believed.
She shuddered as she thought about what happened at Gold's the other night. She wanted to ask questions, but she knew she shouldn't. That was one thing she had learned from her mistakes with Henry, you waited until they came to you. But it was obvious that something had happened to Harry.
The imp seemed to think so too. He wasn't exactly talkative about it though. In fact, he told Regina to mind her own business, which was ridiculous because she was a part of Harry's family. Though to be fair, she did sort of understand where Gold was coming from, he was Harry's father and she was just his sister. But still, she was legitimate family member unlike Emma Swan who just decided to intrude on their lives with no thought whatsoever to the legalities of the situation.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked sipping the cider Regina had bought to the library.
"I'm fine," Regina said. "I'm just thinking. And how are you?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Really, how do you think I'm going to answer that question?"
Regina gave him a blank look.
"Everyone has asked me how I am," Harry said. "Because of the other night. I think Gold and Belle think they broke me."
"Well, you were upset." Regina said.
Harry shrugged.
"It's important to talk about your feelings." Regina said.
Harry laughed.
"What?" Regina said. "It's a proven fact that talking about your feelings helps."
"You don't talk about your feelings." Harry countered.
Regina folded her arms. "That's not even relevant."
"Yes, it is." Harry said. "You're clearly upset. What happened?"
What the heck, maybe if she opened up a bit he'd talk some too. Besides, it was better than having an awkward conversation about how they were both fine when they obviously weren't.
"I talked to Henry." Regina said.
"Oh?" Harry said. "And how did that go?"
"It was painful." Regina said. "She lets him eat cookies before dinner."
Harry looked at her. "And that's bad because…"
"Because it's going to ruin dinner." Regina said.
"We're drinking cider."
"That's different." Regina said, "It's just a beverage. And you're eating late tonight, Gold's doing inventory and Belle is doing whatever she does here."
"Which is why you're baby sitting me."
"I wouldn't call this baby sitting." Regina said. "You're my brother. We're supposed to talk."
"You don't talk, you interrogate."
Regina glared at him.
"Well, it's true." Harry said. "Especially since the other day."
Regina sighed. "You clearly weren't okay that day."
Harry shrugged.
"Don't do that." Regina snapped.
Harry glared at her. "What am I suppose to do?"
"Talk about it?" Regina asked hopefully.
Harry shook his head. "No."
Regina sighed. "You know, we're not going to stop bothering you until you talk."
"And you said you weren't interrogating me." Harry said taking a sip of his cider.
She sighed. They sat in silence for a minute, the only sound being Belle's clicking heels. Finally Harry spoke, "They're getting married, you know?"
"Belle and Gold?" Regina said surprised. Seriously, the Dark One married? Could Dark One's even get married, it just seemed so sacrilegious. Then again, stranger things have happened—like her mother and the pirate.
Harry shrugged. "Who else?
Regina shrugged. "So, when's the big day?"
Harry shrugged again. "A while, I think. He didn't even get her a ring yet."
"That's not like Gold." Regina said.
Harry shrugged. "I'm sure they'll get one sooner than later."
Regina rolled her eyes. "I'm sure it will be the flashiest ring you've ever seen."
"Yeah, he does have expensive taste." Harry said. "I don't think I've ever seen him wear jeans."
"You should be glad he sticks to suits now." Regina said shuddering about the leather pants that the imp tended to wear back in the Enchanted Forest. She shuddered more when she realized how much her mother liked them.
Double ew.
Harry gave her a weird look. "What did he used to wear before?"
Regina shrugged. "Never mind. Other realm fashions were different."
"It's the first time you've mentioned it," Harry said.
"What?"
"The other realm."
Regina sighed. "It was a long time ago. It doesn't matter now. How are your lessons going?"
He was telling her about how he was relearning some sort of unlocking spell. Regina really didn't pay much attention since her mind was more or less focused on the elephant in the room—the past.
How was Harry going to react to all of it?
She sighed heavily putting her fingers through her dark hair. She didn't want him to hate her. But her past, it wasn't one of exactly sunshine and roses. And she wasn't going to change, as much as Henry wanted her too.
Deep down, there would always be a part of her that desired darkness. And she knew Gold was the same day.
Harry though, she didn't know if he could accept it. Her brother seemed to be the quintessential hero, at least with his past actions.
"Are you okay, Regina?" Harry asked.
She sighed. "I'm fine, Harry. Don't psychoanalyze me."
He smirked.
It still amazed her how much of herself she could see him. How much of Cora she could see in him. She sighed. "It's been a long day."
"I can tell." Harry said. "I don't get it."
She raised an eyebrow. "What don't you get?"
"Why your kid won't talk to you." Harry said.
"It's complicated," Regina said. "I wasn't exactly the nicest person to Henry's birth mother."
"That's no reason to snub your own mum." Harry said.
Regina sighed. "Believe it or not, Harry, I haven't always made the best choices in life. It's one of the reasons…well, the reason we're here now."
"What do you mean?"
How to explain the thing to an eleven-year-old that portrayed herself in the best light? "Let's just say, that Henry's birth grandmother hurt me and I did some things that really weren't appropriate."
"What did she do?" Harry asked.
Regina sighed. What did Snow do, except kill her love. Well, to be fair Snow White hadn't been the one to pull Daniel's beating heart from his body and squeeze it to nothing but dust—that had been their mother. But she was responsible. And Regina couldn't forgive. She couldn't forgive.
Harry looked at her. "It's okay."
"It's really not." Regina said. "I did things that were horrible. Things I don't regret doing, but are awful and have consequences."
"Like being in this realm." Harry said.
Regina nodded. "Yeah, like that."
They sat in silence for a while. Harry changed the subject. Obviously, trying to get rid of the heaviness in the air but he couldn't. It would always exist. The subject matter was just heavy. Eventually, Belle came and told Harry it was time to go to the pawnshop to pickup Gold.
When leaving the library, she noted how normal Harry looked with Belle. Almost like mother and son, if Belle would've had him when she was like twelve.
The imp was such a pervert. The girl had to be no more than twenty-seven and he was three hundred and something.
They invited her to dinner, well, Harry did Belle more or less pleaded at her via eye contact not to come. She knew while she and Gold had called a truce of sorts, things were still sort of tense between them and honestly Regina sort of wanted the night alone.
What she didn't want was to see her mother.
But that was what happened.
Regina groaned when she saw Cora.
"You just won't give up, will you?" Regina asked.
Cora shook her head. "That's really a way to talk to your mother, Regina."
"I should get some sort of restraining order when it comes to you." Regina said. "Mother, I'm not interested. Especially tonight."
"No need to get testy," Cora said. "I just wanted to check on you. You seem upset."
"You think?" Regina said.
"Is it about your son's birth mother's new paramour?" Cora asked. "I can tell you, I understand perfectly. That pirate…"
"I thought you were sleeping with that pirate." Regina cut Cora off. She was in no mood to be manipulated.
"I dumped him," Cora said. "I can do better."
"What, found some one else in this town who wears leather?" Regina asked, "Really, Mother, that's a fetish of yours that's extremely disturbing."
"I have no idea what you're talking about, dear." Cora replied.
Oh, that's right. She didn't know Regina knew about Gold. God, sometimes Regina wished she didn't know about Gold and her mother.
Regina shook her head. "I have to go home."
"To that empty house." Cora said. "Really, Regina. All the meetings in the world aren't going to change the fact that you come home to nothing.
How did that song from that silly Disney movie go—conceal, don't feel. Yeah, she was so feeling that song right now even though she was hardly a snow queen. Still though, she wasn't going to let her mother bother her.
"Actually, Mother, I could deal with a little alone time right now. So, if you wouldn't mind—"
Cora sighed. "Regina, seriously. How long are you going to ignore me?"
Regina glared at her. "Do you really want me to answer that?"
Cora sighed. "You know, Regina, one day you'll appreciate me."'
Yeah, like when hell froze over. Looking at Cora, Regina said. "What do you want?"
"My daughter." Cora said. "Just like you want your son."
Oh, how Regina did want Henry. How she wanted him at home again, to be able to tuck him in, and yell at him whenever he ate cookies close to dinner. It was something she desperately wanted and maybe for a second, a split second, she sympathized with Cora.
Then it hit her just how horrible Cora was to her and to Harry. Hell, she sold Harry out. Left him with those horrible people. And on that note, Regina couldn't sympathize with Cora at all.
Regina shook her head. "Don't use Henry against me, Mother. That would be the worst way to repair whatever sort of relationship we have."
Cora sighed. "Fine, I won't. But Regina, I am worried about you."
"And I'm fine." Regina said.
"You're sleeping with Rumple." Cora said.
Regina rolled her eyes as she felt a small tap on her shoulder.
She gulped when she saw who it was.
Harry.
This was not good at all.