It Begins with Friendship
Apr. 12th, 2014 03:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
katleeptTitle: It Begins with Friendship
Author: Kat Lee
Fandom: Once Upon A Time
Characters/Pairing: Regina, Robin/Regina friendship, Robin, Emma, Snow/Mary Margaret, Tink
Rating: PG/K+
Challenge/Prompt: This was written for a challenge for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
onceuponaland. If you join, tell them Kat Lee of Team Regina sent you!
Word Count: 1,138
Warnings: SPOILERS! for the most recent episodes of Once Upon A Time
Summary:
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners, not the author.
She almost told him in the forest. She almost came clean and told him everything. She managed to regain her regality just in time, but not before she slipped and not before she realized why it was she won her first fight against a sister she never before knew she had and certainly wishes now didn't exist. What she told him was the truth: She did have something her sister didn't have. That something did indeed allow her to win the battle, but it was more than her heartless mother.
Cora's driven her entire life. She took Daniel from her. She would have taken Henry and everything, every one else for whom Regina ever dared care. All the things her sister envies her for -- her throne, her magick, the curse she cast, her relationship with their mother -- all of them are things she has come, at different times in her life, to regret. All of them are also because of their mother. Cora shaped her. She shaped her into a monster and wielded her as a weapon, and if it wasn't for her son, Regina never would have realized what and why she had become as horrible as her mom. She was almost heartless, but when that little boy worked his way into her heart, she knew she'd never be heartless again.
She knew, too, that that would bring problems, and she doesn't regret a single moment of it except for when she had to give up Henry. There have been times since she wished she was heartless for she wouldn't hurt so much in grieving for her child if she didn't have a heart, but now, more than ever before, she's glad she has a heart. Her heart is the reason why the Witch won't win, and it gave her the tool she most recently used to defeat her.
It wasn't the lack of her heart. It wasn't her mother. It wasn't her powers or the lessons she'd learned from Rumpelstiltskin. The Dark One was right: Her sister was more powerful than she. Regina feared she might even be more powerful than Rumpel himself, even if she didn't hold his dagger. But there was one thing the Wicked Witch hadn't counted on, one thing that Regina herself would never have considered if not for Henry and the impact he'd made upon her life and forever in her heart.
The reason she won was because she had a friend. She had a true friend, who would keep her secrets and who held her heart. Zelena would certainly be searching for her heart, but she would never expect to find it in a thief's bag. She would have her monkeys search every inch of the forest. She had most likely already searched her crypt, home, and office. But she would never expect a man to hold her sister's heart.
Regina certainly hadn't, either. It was the perfect plan, she could see that now, for every time good had bested her, it hadn't simply been because her opponent was good and she was evil. True Love had certainly played a part, but it hadn't been the only thing to tip the tables. Time and again, Snow had found friends -- the Dwarfs, Red, Ariel . . . Even Charming was a friend before he became her lover, and it was her friends who, more often than not, had helped to be Regina's undoing.
She watches him now, across the crowded cafe, as he moves with a sureness in every step. She watches him and continues to think. She remembers how Tinker Bell told her there could be another love for her. She remembers not believing her. She still doesn't. No one can ever replace Daniel in her heart, but it is nice to have a friend. She catches his smile from across the room and finds herself smiling in return.
"What did you do it?"
She doesn't turn to look at the person who's questioning her yet again. She would know it was Snow even if the Princess' voice didn't grate on her every nerve. "I am not," she snaps, "going to tell you."
"We'll find out," Emma warns her. "You might as well go ahead and tell us."
Regina turns finally to scowl at the mother and daughter team. "You both want to know so badly what I've done with something that is purely mine."
Emma folds her arms before her chest and puts on her most determined expression. "Of course we do. You're Henry's mother, too, Regina."
Regina looks at her in honest surprise. She's glad to hear her finally admit the truth, but that still isn't getting the location of her heart out of her.
"I have a right to know," Emma continues, "because this bitch could go after our son if she thinks he has anything to do with you."
Emma was right, to a point, but she still wasn't telling her where her heart was. The other woman could find it and destroy it or use it just as her sister would to control her. "Then we simply make certain that she has no reason to expect I have a connection with Henry. You don't want me having anything to do with him, after all."
"That's not entirely true. You know that."
Regina sighs, and for a moment, her mask begins to fall. Emma is right. She has been letting her take Henry for walks and even to the cafe for ice cream, but it's certainly not the same as being her mother, the most treasured occupation she's ever had and would still have if Emma had never come to Storybrooke in the first place. Indeed, none of this would have happened if she hadn't come. Regina's face hardens, and in her new smile, there is no warmth, only barely controlled malice at the woman who shares Henry's heart. "None of you will find my heart, but know this: You are also not the only ones with friends."
She whirls away from them and strides out of the cafe, aware of every eye on her but not aware of the smiles slowly growing behind her back. "Regina has a friend?" Emma whispers to Snow, but behind them, Tinker Bell is smiling as she watches the man with the golden lion tattoo on the other side of the cafe.
Snow turns toward the Fairy. "You were friends at one time."
"I know nothing," Tinker Bell replies, quickly hiding her smile. She turns from them and heads back to the bar to order another drink. Only when her back is turned to the Princess and her daughter does she allow herself to smile again, but her eyes are still glistening with joy for Regina finally has a friend outside of herself and surely every great match began with friendship.
The End
Author: Kat Lee
Fandom: Once Upon A Time
Characters/Pairing: Regina, Robin/Regina friendship, Robin, Emma, Snow/Mary Margaret, Tink
Rating: PG/K+
Challenge/Prompt: This was written for a challenge for
onceuponaland. If you join, tell them Kat Lee of Team Regina sent you!Word Count: 1,138
Warnings: SPOILERS! for the most recent episodes of Once Upon A Time
Summary:
Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners, not the author.
She almost told him in the forest. She almost came clean and told him everything. She managed to regain her regality just in time, but not before she slipped and not before she realized why it was she won her first fight against a sister she never before knew she had and certainly wishes now didn't exist. What she told him was the truth: She did have something her sister didn't have. That something did indeed allow her to win the battle, but it was more than her heartless mother.
Cora's driven her entire life. She took Daniel from her. She would have taken Henry and everything, every one else for whom Regina ever dared care. All the things her sister envies her for -- her throne, her magick, the curse she cast, her relationship with their mother -- all of them are things she has come, at different times in her life, to regret. All of them are also because of their mother. Cora shaped her. She shaped her into a monster and wielded her as a weapon, and if it wasn't for her son, Regina never would have realized what and why she had become as horrible as her mom. She was almost heartless, but when that little boy worked his way into her heart, she knew she'd never be heartless again.
She knew, too, that that would bring problems, and she doesn't regret a single moment of it except for when she had to give up Henry. There have been times since she wished she was heartless for she wouldn't hurt so much in grieving for her child if she didn't have a heart, but now, more than ever before, she's glad she has a heart. Her heart is the reason why the Witch won't win, and it gave her the tool she most recently used to defeat her.
It wasn't the lack of her heart. It wasn't her mother. It wasn't her powers or the lessons she'd learned from Rumpelstiltskin. The Dark One was right: Her sister was more powerful than she. Regina feared she might even be more powerful than Rumpel himself, even if she didn't hold his dagger. But there was one thing the Wicked Witch hadn't counted on, one thing that Regina herself would never have considered if not for Henry and the impact he'd made upon her life and forever in her heart.
The reason she won was because she had a friend. She had a true friend, who would keep her secrets and who held her heart. Zelena would certainly be searching for her heart, but she would never expect to find it in a thief's bag. She would have her monkeys search every inch of the forest. She had most likely already searched her crypt, home, and office. But she would never expect a man to hold her sister's heart.
Regina certainly hadn't, either. It was the perfect plan, she could see that now, for every time good had bested her, it hadn't simply been because her opponent was good and she was evil. True Love had certainly played a part, but it hadn't been the only thing to tip the tables. Time and again, Snow had found friends -- the Dwarfs, Red, Ariel . . . Even Charming was a friend before he became her lover, and it was her friends who, more often than not, had helped to be Regina's undoing.
She watches him now, across the crowded cafe, as he moves with a sureness in every step. She watches him and continues to think. She remembers how Tinker Bell told her there could be another love for her. She remembers not believing her. She still doesn't. No one can ever replace Daniel in her heart, but it is nice to have a friend. She catches his smile from across the room and finds herself smiling in return.
"What did you do it?"
She doesn't turn to look at the person who's questioning her yet again. She would know it was Snow even if the Princess' voice didn't grate on her every nerve. "I am not," she snaps, "going to tell you."
"We'll find out," Emma warns her. "You might as well go ahead and tell us."
Regina turns finally to scowl at the mother and daughter team. "You both want to know so badly what I've done with something that is purely mine."
Emma folds her arms before her chest and puts on her most determined expression. "Of course we do. You're Henry's mother, too, Regina."
Regina looks at her in honest surprise. She's glad to hear her finally admit the truth, but that still isn't getting the location of her heart out of her.
"I have a right to know," Emma continues, "because this bitch could go after our son if she thinks he has anything to do with you."
Emma was right, to a point, but she still wasn't telling her where her heart was. The other woman could find it and destroy it or use it just as her sister would to control her. "Then we simply make certain that she has no reason to expect I have a connection with Henry. You don't want me having anything to do with him, after all."
"That's not entirely true. You know that."
Regina sighs, and for a moment, her mask begins to fall. Emma is right. She has been letting her take Henry for walks and even to the cafe for ice cream, but it's certainly not the same as being her mother, the most treasured occupation she's ever had and would still have if Emma had never come to Storybrooke in the first place. Indeed, none of this would have happened if she hadn't come. Regina's face hardens, and in her new smile, there is no warmth, only barely controlled malice at the woman who shares Henry's heart. "None of you will find my heart, but know this: You are also not the only ones with friends."
She whirls away from them and strides out of the cafe, aware of every eye on her but not aware of the smiles slowly growing behind her back. "Regina has a friend?" Emma whispers to Snow, but behind them, Tinker Bell is smiling as she watches the man with the golden lion tattoo on the other side of the cafe.
Snow turns toward the Fairy. "You were friends at one time."
"I know nothing," Tinker Bell replies, quickly hiding her smile. She turns from them and heads back to the bar to order another drink. Only when her back is turned to the Princess and her daughter does she allow herself to smile again, but her eyes are still glistening with joy for Regina finally has a friend outside of herself and surely every great match began with friendship.
The End
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2014-04-13 12:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-04-21 10:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-04-13 02:52 pm (UTC)In the words of Dr. Dana Scully, "Well, it seems to me that the best relationships - the ones that last - are frequently the ones that are rooted in friendship."
♥
no subject
Date: 2014-04-21 10:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-04-22 07:35 am (UTC)OUAT is making me really happy right now too. :)
no subject
Date: 2014-05-06 04:20 pm (UTC)It Begins with Friendship
Date: 2014-04-14 12:50 am (UTC)