A Mother's Love

29.

They walked to the graveyard and Regina found her father's gravestone. It was still standing so that meant he was still there and hadn't moved on. She felt someone touch her shoulder and looked around to see Cora. "That means he is still here, right?" She asked softly.

"Yes. He hasn't moved on. And neither has your mother it seems." She explained and pointed to Eva's gravestone.

Regina nodded and got nervous. "That means I could meet them?" She asked curiously. 

Cora nodded and sighed. She didn't want to face Henry after everything she had done to Regina. She was afraid he would hate her when she still loved him. She was also scared to face Eva and for what would happen if Eva met Regina. It wouldn't end well. "Yes. You will meet them. I'm sure your father will be overjoyed to see you all grown up." She told her stepdaughter and sighed. She really hoped she wouldn't have to face Eva.

Zelena rolled her eyes. She still didn't understand why her mother cared so much about Regina.

They left the graveyard after a while and split up. Emma went with Henry to find Neal and the others went to find Henry Sr.

They entered the diner which was run in this world by the Blind Witch who Cora had killed to get the poisoned apple she planned to use on Snow before she decided to cast the curse. Cora was once again reminded of the many sins she had commited on her daughters just to get more power and more riches. She gasped when she saw Henry Sr. He was indeed there, sitting next to Eva in a booth. She was shocked for a moment and didn't know what to do or say as the man looked her way.

"Cora?" Henry Sr asked and stood up. He was shocked to see his second wife in the Underworld.

"Henry" she said softly and walked over to him. "You are still here. " she said. She wasn't sure what kind of unfinished business Henry could have. He was the kindest man she knew.

"Yes. I am. Why are you here?" He asked worried.

"I'm not dead. Don't worry. We are here to find my granddaughter's lover and bring him back." She explained and looked at him. Oh how she had missed him.

"We?" He asked and then looked up to see Snow, Regina, Zelena and the men. He looked at them closely. "Snow? Zelena? Regina? You are all grown up." He said and walked over to them. Zelena and Snow were like his own daughters to him. He hugged them and then looked closely at Regina. "My little one. What happened to your beautiful hair?" He asked as he noticed how short Regina's hair was even though Cora had promised him that she wouldn't cut it.

Regina got teary eyed and hugged her father tightly. "It's a long story" she said softly. She wondered how much her father knew of what happened to her.

"Regina?" Eva asked and stood up, walking over to her husband and her daughter. She cupped Regina's cheek as she looked at her daughter and got teary eyed. "You are so beautiful. You have your father's eyes" she said softly and hugged her daughter for the first time ever.

Regina was a little overwhelmed. This was her birth mother. But she wasn't sure how to act around her. Cora was her mother even after everything that happened between them.

"We should go to our house to talk." Henry Sr suggested so they could get some privacy.

Snow hugged her stepfather and nodded slowly. So they went the short distance to Henry's and Eva's house, Zelena dragging along even though she really didn't want to be involved in Regina's happy family reunion. She just wanted her powers back and leave.

They sat down and Henry Sr prepared some tea.

Cora looked at Eva and glared at her and then looked at Henry. "So uhm, how much do you know about what happened after your passing?" She asked, wanting to know if he knew about the things she did to Regina. She truly felt awful.

"I saw everything, Cora. I know how you ripped your heart out and treated Regina badly afterwards. I know you cut her hair and cast a curse to seperate her from her family. " He told her and sighed.

"We know everything,  Cora. " Eva cut in and glared at the woman. She truly hated Cora for everything.

Regina frowned as she watched the exchange between her mothers. "Do you know each other?" She asked them confused.

Cora gulped. She didn't want Regina to find out the whole truth. "Yes we do. I knew your father long before he married your mother. I was just a simple miller's daughter back then and your father was a prince.  One day I snuck into a royal ball to win your father's hand in marriage. Eva was at the ball too and she embarrassed me in front of everyone. She was a real brat from the beginning. " she said and sneered at Eva.

Regina was very confused but kept listening to Cora.

"I was pregnant at the time with Zelena. Her father told me he was a prince and that he would come back to marry me but it turned out that he was only a gardener and that he never intended to marry me. Your mother told your father about my pregnancy so he wouldn't marry me and I was left embarrassed and in shame. But then I met Snow's father and he married me even though he knew I was pregnant. But he was a weak man and died only three years after our wedding. And then I learned that your father also just lost his wife and I contacted him." She explained to Regina.

Regina nodded slowly. "So you hated my mother for embarrassing you? Is that why you hated me?" She asked.

Cora sighed deeply. "I did not hate you. I wanted to but when I held you in my arms for the first time I just couldn't hate you. When I ripped my heart out I took all the anger I had in me because of your mother out on you. Because I knew your father would always love your mother and I would always be the second choice. " she continued to explain.

"Tell her the whole truth, Cora." Eva piped up and glared at woman. She would never forgive Cora for treating her daughter like trash for years.

"No..." Cora pleaded with Eva. She couldn't tell Regina the whole truth. It would ruin their relationship forever.