Let down your dark hair

12.

Storybrooke:

For months Regina sneaked out and into her home, behind Cora's back, to see Robin. They had become really close and everytime Regina saw him her heart jumped and sank into her stomach.

She didn't really know what was going on but it was all in the books that she had read so often. She was in love!

But she couldn't do anything about it. She certainly couldn't tell him, he was married afterall. She couldn't forget about him either, however. The brunette just couldn't be without her one and only chance of freedom.

Now she was in her room waiting for Robin to show up. Ever since Cora found out about the twins she always made sure to lock the door to Regina's room whenever she left for work so that her daughter couldn't leave. The window to her room was the highest in the mansion so she couldn't climb out but Robin could sneak in with the help of Regina's apple tree.

"Hey" he shouted before climbing up to her. A bright smile crept onto her face and he returned it just as brightly.

"Hi" the brunette greeted him when he had reached her room and he wrapped her in a tight embrace before kissing her head.

It was rather unexpected for the girl but she loved the feeling of his lips against her hair.

"I'm sorry I'm late but Marion and I had a fight again and we are probably getting a divorce."Robin added as they sat on her big bed.

Her mouth dropped open in shock at the sudden news but she was somewhat happy at the same time. If they were really getting a divorce their was a big chance that they could be together  But there was still the problem of Cora.

"I'm sorry to hear that. You must be really upset and still you came to see me." her head sank low and she expanded the distance between them. Feeling ashamed to even think about them being together as a pair.

"No, don't be sorry. It's not your fault. Besides I'm not upset. How could I be? The Marion I married is not there anymore. She is different and I've moved on. I have feelings for you Regina. Strong feelings! Ever since I ran into you in front of the diner I knew you were the right one. I think-I mean- I know that I love you." the blond reached out a hand and pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear while pulling her closer with the other.

Regina didn't know what to do as his hand stroked over her still bruised cheek and he leaned in closer and closer until his soft lips met hers in a passionate kiss. It was a long kiss but they enjoyed every minute of it. After a few moments they pulled apart to catch a breath.

Regina didn't really know what to say or do in that situation. "I love you too. That was nice." was the only thing that escaped her full red lips because Robin was starting to kiss her again. This resulted into a full making out session where both of them forgot everything around them.

They didn't even hear the front door opening and closing and the clicking of high heels making their up the stairs directly to Regina's room and opening the locked door.

Cora couldn't believe her eyes as she saw her daughter kissing Robin Locksley. First she finds out that her daughter is pregnant and now she is kissing a married man. She should have known the moment she caught him standing in front of her house that something was wrong. That her daughter had in fact disobeyed her and left the mansion. But how? How did she manage to leave the house on her own? She always made sure to lock the front door when she left her daughter alone.

The old woman watched the two lovers a little while longer before she finally had enough and strode into the room furiously. She was so angry that she ripped the two apart and slapped her daughter hard across the face.

"Mama?" Regina mumbled in shock and looked scared between her mother and Robin.

"How dare you! How dare you sneak out of the house without my knowledge and meet married men? How dare you invite said man into my home and kiss him!" She screamed and Regina began to cry.

Robin reached out a hand to squeeze hers in comfort but Cora was quick to slap his hand away. "Don't touch my daughter!!! LEAVE! Leave and never come back!!!" she screamed and he got the message and ran out of the house leaving Regina alone in her misery.

"Mother, please I can expla-" she tried to say but the older brunette cut her off with a wave of her hand.

"I don't want to hear your excuses! You know I don't tolerate such behaviour. This screams for punishment." without another word Cora grabbed her arm forcefully and dragged her small daughter down the stairs into the kitchen. Her long hair that now reached to her slim waist was up in a high ponytail as Cora sat her down in a kitchen chair.

"You will never see him again! But let's be honest, darling. When I'm finished with you he won't want you anymore." the old woman threatened and left for a few moments to get something. Regina didn't dare to make a move. Her cheek hurt and she was terrified of what her mother would do next.

The threat hurt more than anything because she didn't know what could happen. Her mother was cruel she knew that ever since she was a little girl and tried to leave the house once when she was 5. Cora had caught her in the act and locked up in the basement for three days with only water and old bread to eat.

This time however was different. Her crime was far worse than when she was 5. She had kissed a man, a married man, without Mama's permission.

When Cora returned she grabbed her daughter's ponytail and took a pair of scissors from her pocket and cut it straight off. There was no stopping the tears that escaped the young girl's eyes as she felt her ponytail being cut from her head and thrown forcefully onto the floor. "I'm fed up with your long hair! It's growing too quickly." Cora shouted as she plugged in the clippers. She remembered the thief's obsession with her daughter's hair from the Enchanted Forest and seeing him touching it today made her so unbelievably angry.

Regina heard the buzzing noise of the clippers and sobbed. She tried to get away but Cora grabbed her arm tightly and squeezed so hard that Regina was sure it would leave a bruise. "Mother,please! You are hurting me." she sobbed and Cora let go off her arm. As Regina turned round to look at the clippers she was even more afraid. There were no clipper guards this time, meaning that her mother would shave her completely bald.

Without saying anything else Cora started to run the clippers across her young daughter's head starting at the front. Hair fell soft and prickly on Regina's face and on her shoulder's before joining the thick ponytail on the floor. Her little body was racked with voilent sobs as she caught her reflection in one of her mother's many mirrors. Mother was right. Robin wouldn't want her anymore after this. He would go back to his beautiful wife without a second thought because she was too ugly to love.

This was what broke her heart completely and the big and heavy tears now freely flowed down her cheeks. Her hair meant everything to her. She loved it ever since she was a toddler and her daddy told her how beautiful it was. And now she would lose it all. She had seen it coming. Her mother had always made sure to keep her hair short ever since her first haircut. She remembered the envy in Mama's eyes as Daddy told her how beautiful and soft it was.

She saw said envy in her mother's eyes now as well. But there was something else in her cold brown eyes that terrified her more. It was happiness! Her mother was happy to hurt her.

Suddenly the buzzing stopped and the clippers were turned off and laid now on the table. However her mother still didn't stop. The mayor covered her daughter's head with shaving cream and took the straight razor from her husband to complete her work.

When she was finally finished she stroked over the now bald head almost lovingly and smiled down at her broken daughter.

"Now clean this mess up before your father comes home." the old woman spoke in a strict tone referring to the hair that now lay lifelessy at the floor. Regina stared down to floor while new tears began to gather in her eyes. She was now trapped forever.

And she would never see Robin again. She laid down on the floor and cried for what felt like hours until there were no more tears to cry and picked up her ponytail and put it away in her vanity drawyer before throwing the rest of the hair into the garbage.

She laid on her bed for hours and just cried until she heard the front door opening and close, signalling that daddy was home.