Chapter 19: Wakey Wakey
Cora Mills hated waking up in the morning. As Queen of Hearts she chopped off anyone's head who dared tried to wake her before noon. A queen could sleep in as long as she wanted, why else be queen?
There were a lot of other reasons, obviously. But if anyone ever asked her what was the best thing about queen she'd always say the sleeping in thing. It was a nice little joke that made her appear human. A good quality for a ruler, she was told. Though, personally, Cora preferred the terrifying the masses route as a ruler. It got the job done: fast.
The past few days Cora had been getting woken up, mostly by that dwarf's horrible singing and occasionally by the fact that the window outside her cell had inadequate covering. So once it was light outside, she was wide-awake.
She hadn't been woken up like this though. Not by someone pulling her hair and her head feeling like she had indulged in one too many glasses of wine.
But she hadn't drank wine, had she? The last thing she remembered was that idiot Snow White handing her some sort of potion that was supposedly suppose to reduce jet lag called NyQuil.
Cora had a feeling that Ava's daughter lied to her.
Typical.
Rather, than getting enraged about being tricked into drinking half a bottle of sleeping potion, Cora was more focused on the person who woke her up: Pan.
He was smiling at her like a petulant child.
What an idiot.
Cora was not ready to deal with him, especially not this early in the morning. She sighed as she tried to get out of bed only to find that she couldn't get up all the way—someone had handcuffed her to the bed.
There was also something ridiculously sticky on her face; she grimaced wondering if the sleeping potion made her drool. She hoped not.
"Now, that isn't very queen like." Pan said eating what appeared to be a candy bar of sorts.
"What do you want?" She snapped. She was in no mood to deal with Pan or anyone. She needed her coffee. She needed to get the potion droll or whatever it was off of her face. That stuff was sticky.
"Not a morning person?" Pan asked.
Cora didn't bother responding. "What do you want? You have your new ticker, don't you?"
"Oh, yes. I do. And it's working quite wonderfully, I'll soon be back to one hundred percent." The boy demon said, "But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."
Cora raised an eyebrow. "It's not?"
"No," Pan said. "I want to talk about that boy you want me to dispose of."
Cora instantly felt a hole in her stomach. She did not want to talk about Harry to Pan. She didn't even know why he wanted to talk to her about him, unless he had figured out that Harry was her son.
Cora sighed heavily. "What about him? Did you get rid of him yet?"
"It's a process." Pan said, "I want to know why you want him dead, your majesty."
"That wasn't in the terms." Cora smarted off.
"Yes, but you didn't tell me a lot of things about the boy." Pan said. "And in order for me to my job, you're going to have to properly inform me about him."
Cora rolled her eyes. "There's not much to tell. He's just Gold's latest screw's brat. And I want him gone."
"Ah, yes, the darling Belle." Pan said. "Must be hard being replaced with a younger and prettier model."
Cora glared at him. "I'm not interested in Gold. That's disgusting."
"Is it?" Pan said. "You remember when we first met, when I said I was older than I looked?"
Cora sighed. "Hurry up with the monologing. I am hung. And I need to get whatever this is off my face."
Pan laughed. Cora assumed that this meant she looked truly hideous. She could only imagine. Seriously, it felt like her entire face was covered with the stuff.
Cora glared at him. "Well?"
"You know I'm actually close to Rumpelstiltskin. I know, hard to believe. That someone so young like me could be connected with someone, well, so old."
And someone who had better fashion taste, Cora noted. Though she was glad the not so boy wonder had opted to wearing jeans and a t-shirt. As distasteful as this realm's taste in fashions were it was a step up from the tights that the demon boy normally wore.
Pan laughed as he looked at Cora. "And to think, I thought you were close with the Dark One."
Cora frowned. She had been close once upon a time to Rumple. Close enough to him to be in the biblical sense, but was he telling her his life story? No. Talking wasn't really what they did when they were together. They just gelled. And had a baby together.
Of course, she ruined that when she took out her heart, and, well, he was with that librarian now.
"Did I touch a nerve, your majesty?" Pan asked with a small smile.
She wanted to deck him, but she didn't. Instead, Cora just sighed and said. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I guess I should be more direct." He said, "The reason you wanted me to kill the kid in the first place was because you wanted to get into Rumpelstiltskin's bed again. Though, I don't know why he would want an old prune like you. He might be old, but he is with such a young thing."
If she could've Cora would've ripped out her grandson's heart from Pan's body at that moment. That had touched a nerve in more ways than one. Instead, she just coolly said. "Who says I want to be in Rumple's bed."
"Because why else kill the boy." The boy said. "Unless, there is something about him I don't know about?"
What was he playing at? Did he know that Harry was her son? She wasn't going to let him know that though. So, she just played dumb. "I told you, I want to destroy that bookworm. Get rid of her son, pin it on Rumple, and she'll leave the bastard."
"But it really won't get him back into your bed," Pan said. "No, there has to be something else. Do you know that my men tried to collect the boy today?"
Finally, he was getting somewhere.
Though, when Cora heard about how Pan tried to collect her son it sent chills down her back.
"Well?" She asked.
"There were complications." Pan said, "And I think you knew about them. There's something special about that boy, isn't there, Cora?"
She shrugged. "No, he's not special. Just a hindrance to me getting a happily ever after."
It was then that Pan became nasty. And not his usual, I'm a pretend fifteen year old creepy nasty. But actual nasty. "Oh, Cora, how I wish you were more forthcoming. It looks like I'm going to have to use my failsafe after all."
"Excuse me, failsafe?" Cora asked.
"You keep complaining about something sticky being on your face."
"Um, yeah, that sleeping potion Snow White threw down my throat."
Pan laughed. "It's not over the counter drugs, your majesty. Do you know that in Neverland one never grows up."
Cora rolled her eyes. She could still do that even though she was tied up.
Pan sighed. "Really, you have the audacity to roll your eyes."
She sighed, "Because you're not making a point. You're just ranting like a loon. It doesn't get you anywhere."
"You really are horrible in the morning, your majesty. I hope you weren't such a beast in your younger years."
He smiled eerily as he said this.
Cora wasn't a stupid woman, and at this point realized he had done something, but what.
He laughed. "You catch on quick. Let's just say I gave you a little bit of the fountain of youth in the form of a face mask and it will keep making you younger, and younger, unless you do my bidding."
"Fountain of youth?" Cora said.
"The cream that's all over your face it's from a yesterday is today. A lovely plant in Neverland that can make even the oldest old crone into a lovely maiden again. You don't want to take too much though. Can lead to you wearing diapers again."
"And let me guess, you gave me an overdose."
"You aren't stupid." The boy said. "I can, of course, cure you should you do my bidding. But you have to get me the boy. Say within three days, or really bad things will happen, Cora. You won't like being a toddler again."
"You seem to like being forever young."
"Yes, but youth…well, this sort of youth is less generous. You tend to forget things. You have three days, or, well, the poison will really start taking effect."
He then left Cora there handcuffed and left aghast.
It took her another two hours to get the handcuffs off. Getting them off was harder than she thought it would. Although, she was the daughter of a low life miller, who got kicked out of bars faster than that dwarf, handcuffs really didn't exist in the Enchanted Forest. Holding someone by sword point was enough to get them to do their bidding. And in Wonderland, well, all Cora had to do was use her magic.
And poof.
Eventually though she managed to figure it out—enough. She luckily had pulled her hair back with some bobby pins and remembered hearing something on one of those true crime shows that Hook liked enough for her to undo the clasp of the lock.
The first thing she did when she got the handcuffs off was run to the restroom to wash her face.
And Pan was right it wasn't that Nyquil drool. Instead, if looked like something Cora hadn't seen before. Wiping off some of the gunk on the rag she threw it into her pocket, thinking maybe she could figure out how to brew an antidote herself.
If it really was something.
Because honestly she thought Pan was pulling her leg. She didn't notice anything particularly different about her appearance as she looked at herself in the mirror. Not the slightest. It just looked like she had a full night's worth of sleep, that's all.
That's what she told herself anyway.
Regardless, she was going to save her son, which was why she was going to find his father and have the confrontation that she had been planning to have with Rumple since she found out about Harry.
However, Cora was having a bit of bad luck. The receptionist at the hotel that her former paramour was staying at was less than likely to help her. And told her that no one by the name "Rumple" was there.
This infuriated Cora.
"Of course he's staying here." She hissed. "I saw the confirmation from his credit card company."
The receptionist "Hannah" narrowed her eyes. As if she thought Cora was some sort of stalker.
This just infuriated Cora even more. "I demand to see him."
The receptionist folded up her arms and finally said. "A moment please."
"I want to see him now!"" Cora spat out.
She was upset. Beyond upset. She had been drugged. Tied to a bed. Possibly poisoned and blackmailed by the child devil that was supposed to do her bidding. This was not how her day was supposed to be. And now some non-magic receptionist who probably getting paid minimum wage, was giving her grief.
Oh, this would not do.
She raised her hand as if she was about to take the girl's heart out, then she remembered she couldn't. Her magic.
Damn Regina.
Still raising her hand caused the receptionist eyes to grow wide. "Oh, hell no. Bernie can you come over here?"
Bernie turned out to be a bellboy who had quite the grip. He was, the temporary security in the hotel until the real security could haul Cora out. Not that Bernie was having much success. Cora was rather tough; after all, she was the miller's daughter. And she was not going down without a fight she was seeing her son.
Which was why she was causing quite the scene that when the elevator opened and a familiar man, woman, and a boy came out into the lobby, they couldn't help but stare at her.
"Rumple!" Cora shrieked as her eyes focused on him and the boy.
Her son.
She looked at him closely for the first time, as she fought off Bernie. She noticed that while he might've had Rumple's eyes and cheekbones. He had her mouth, hair, and other features. He was hers. Her beautiful boy. And she hadn't recognized him the first time she saw him. What sort of mother did that make her? She also noticed the look on his face, Harry seemed upset. She wondered why.
Rumple said something to Snow White and soon, she and her son were headed towards the other side as the hotel.
As Rumple strolled over towards her, Cora noticed that he had lost the limp. As she took in her ex, she couldn't help but feel desire. Even though he was not wearing the leather pants, she was becoming quite fond of those suits. The way they were cut to perfectly to emphasis his well-proportioned frame.
However, the look Rumple was giving her wasn't filled with desire instead it was filled with annoyance and hate.
"You aren't supposed to be here." He snapped as she continued to struggle with Bernie.
"You know this woman, sir?" Bernie asked.
"Yes, Rumple, you know me." Cora said. "Tell them, so this thug will let me go."
He sighed as if he was thinking about his options. Cora really didn't know what options. As if telling the truth about knowing her was that big of a decision.
He finally said. "I'll have a word with her Bernie, she won't be bothering this facility anymore."
"Are you sure Mr. G?" The bellboy said.
"For now," He said. "Keep security on standby though. If she's still acting psychotic after I talk to her, you can haul her off to the nearest police station."
The bellboy nodded as he reluctantly let Cora go.
Gold smiled at her and held out his hand. "I think it's time we have a long overdo conversation, dearie."
Cora grabbed his hand.
He then lead her to what appeared to be a small conference room on the bottom floor. "You're supposed to be taken care of."
"If you mean drugged and handcuffed to a bed, I was. But I used my ingenuity. You know that nothing ever can keep me down."
Gold rolled his eyes. "I should pull your heart out right now and rip it into shreds, after all you've done."
"And I should pull out yours." Cora spit out. "You kept him hidden for me. Hell, you let Snow White walk off with him to God knows where. What sort of responsible parenting is that?"
"You're going to talk about responsible parenting." He said glaring at her. "Oh, Cora, do you want me to kill you?"
She glared at him. "I don't know what you're talking about, Rumple. You could've told me that you found our son."
"And you could've informed me that we had a son and not have sold him to two of the most irresponsible dolts in this realm."
Anger flashed on Cora's face for a brief moment. "I never sold Eric."
"His name is Harry. Harrison, to be precise. It's not Eric. Or Hadrian. Or Reginald. Or any other name that corresponds with royalty that you chose because you lack creativity when it comes to names. He is my son. Not yours. You gave up any claim to him when you sold him out, Cora."
He was angry. She had seen him mad before, but this type of anger was different from anything that Cora had ever seen. He was actually ranting at her. Usually his choice of words were so precise, but not now
Cora wasn't going down without a fight though. "That's not what happened, Rumple."
"Oh, I'm sure you have your own twisted fucked up version of events. And I don't give a damn. You're not coming near my son, Cora. And if you think that Emma Swan, Snow White, or the seven dwarves are going to stop me. You're wrong."
"He's my son!" Cora snapped. "I am his mother. I have every right to see him."
"Not when you sold him out, not once but twice. And then let's not talk about all the murder attempts."
"Rumple, please, let me explain."
"What is there to explain?" He asked, "You sold our child, Cora."
"I never sold him." She said, "He was taken by this wizard. I don't, I don't remember much, but I would never sell my own baby. Not after I had to give up my little girl."
Rumple started laughing. "So, you finally admit Zelena exists when the time's right."
"Zelena? That's her name? How do you know that?"
"Never you mind," Rumple stated. "I am not going to give you any new information to twist and contort. And if you weren't a use to us right now, I'd kill you."
"I'm Harry's mother, surely that counts for something." She said.
He laughed. "Oh, don't use that card. It didn't work for Milah and it won't work for you either. When the time comes, Cora, you can be rest assured that I'll turn your little black heart into dust."
She tried to ignore that and instead asked, "You said I was use to you, how?"
"Why, bait of course." He said, "For Peter Pan."