"Don't tell Emma."

Regina's tone, usually clipped and demanding but now with a hint of fear, made Red drag her eyes away from the large ornate double doors in front of them. Regina's expression gave nothing away. Her eyes, though, gave away more than either Red or Emma would ever tell her (in part because Emma made her promise never to tell another soul as she whispered the secret to reading Regina's emotions). Red had no intention of ever telling Regina about just how expressive her eyes could be because, for one, Emma would kill her, and for another, Red could still remember being Ruby and the futility of trying to read the emotions of Mayor Mills.

Red couldn't figure out why she wasn't with them (Emma was marrying Regina after all, not her), but she saw a glimmer of fear in Regina's eyes. A thrill of terror shot up her spine at the thought that Emma wasn't with them because Regina felt she had to protect Emma. She glanced up at the full moon. If Regina, former Evil Queen, was afraid of her mother than, of course, who better to bring along on a full moon night than a werewolf?

Realizing she'd been silent for too long, Red reached out and trailed her fingers along Regina's arm hesitantly. "I promise I won't tell Emma." Regina's eyes darted to Red's fingers, and Red wrapped her hand around Regina's upper arm and gave it a reassuring squeeze - or at least, she hoped it was reassuring; her stomach lurched again at the flash of fear in Regina's eyes, and she might have squeezed too hard to be comforting. "It'll be fine. What's the worst she could do? Tell you that you can't marry Emma?" Red smiled to lighten the mood, but it vanished the next instant.

Tears glimmered in Regina's eyes. Her hand darted to her necklace: a ring on a chain. Red couldn't remember ever seeing Regina without it since a few months after Regina and Emma had started dating in Storybrooke, and she remembered Ruby - no, she remembered as Ruby - wondering once who had given her that ring (Emma said it wasn't her), and now she recognized it as an engagement ring from this world.

Eyes widening, she asked, "Who - " She paused, took a deep breath and tried again in a calmer voice, "I've always wondered...who gave you that ring, Regina?" She rubbed a thumb along Regina's arm, concentrating hard on the feeling of Regina's silk shirt. "It's beautiful."

Without answering, Regina pulled away from Red's grasp and threw open the double doors in front of them. They found themselves in a large dining room, and Regina strode towards the other end, brisk and regal and every inch the Evil Queen Red remembered - the Evil Queen that Red had only caught glimpses of since Emma and Regina got together. Red jogged a step to catch up with her. Seeing Regina pull down the hood from her cloak, Red moved to do the same, hesitated, dropped her hand and then lifted it again. She felt a tug on the back of her cloak, and the hood slipped off.

Regina leaned close for a moment, her hand dropping from the back of Red's cloak and slipping into Red's hand for a brief moment in what Red assumed Regina meant to be a comforting gesture. "Don't respond if she mentions the cloaks. She's bound to take offense for not removing them. Let me handle it."

Red gave her a slight nod. They passed the long table, drawing closer to the other end of the room where a large fireplace crackled away and a woman dressed in black sat watching them in one of four leather chairs. Her gaze bore into Red. She looked away, drawing her eyes along the wall of windows to their right. Regina's hand bumped against hers. Red tore her gaze away from the perfect view of the full moon and back to the woman rising from the chair.

"Regina, darling, it's been too long." The woman, Cora, had dark hair and eyes just like Regina but even though Red could see they were related, she couldn't bring herself to believe this woman was Regina's mother. She wasn't sure why until Cora turned to Red, a polite smile on her face and then she realized it: there is no warmth in Cora's eyes, none at all, even when she had looked at Regina. No matter how angry Granny ever got with Red, here or in Storybrooke, Red knew that Granny loved her; Red saw no love in Cora. "I see you've brought company? Why don't you introduce us, dear?"

Regina shifted closer to Red and said, "This is Red, Mother. She's a good friend of Queen Snow White and Princess Emma."

Red blinked, startled that Regina would bring up Snow (or Emma, for that matter, since Regina had been adamant that Emma know nothing about Regina going to see her mother). Then Cora's smile got a bit more polite, and she said, "It's a pleasure to meet you," and Red realized that Regina had just put her under the protection of the Queen - and implied that she had far more status than she did. Red bit her lip. Regina couldn't expect this to go well if she had already begun this kind of maneuvering.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well," Red said, then continued, "I've heard a lot about you." It seemed like the polite thing to say, but Red prayed that Cora couldn't tell she lied through her teeth.

Cora's smile became forced. "All good things, I hope." She turned to Regina as she said this, and Red clenched her fists and suppressed a violent shiver.

"Of course," Regina said at the same time Red said, "Certainly."

Cora turned to gaze back to Red. "Well, why don't we have a seat? My servants could take your cloaks."

"There's no need for that, Mother," Regina said, sitting down and smoothing out her cloak. "We won't be staying long." Red sat down in the chair beside Regina's, resting her hands on her knees.

Cora's gaze moved from Regina to Red and then back to Regina before she sat down, smoothing out the creases her dress. "Very well. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"I'm engaged to be married," Regina said. A stilted and too formal way of saying I'm getting married for Red's taste, but Red wondered if Cora handled this language better. Maybe she thought it made her sound more sophisticated or something.

Cora's eyes narrowed. "Please, dear, don't tell me you're planning to run away with a stable boy again."

Red's eyes widened. She followed Cora's gaze to rest on the ring Regina wore around her neck.

"His name was Daniel, and he was a good man," Regina said, her voice colder than ice. "I loved him."

Cora sighed. "You only think you did, dear. You were happy with King Leopold. He was a much better match for you. You were Queen."

"I know I did, and I hated King Leopold. Only you were happy."

Red frowned. She reached out and brushed her finger tips against the back of Regina's hand. Both her hands gripped her knees. She loosened their hold at Red's touch, and she took a deep calming breath. Red hesitated, unsure if she should remove her hand. She did. Cora would not appreciate Red holding her daughter's hand.

"You're being ridiculous, you silly girl," Cora snapped. "I did what was best for you. You became a Queen. If I had not stepped in, you would have run off with that boy and ruined your life."

"I should have let Snow White die on that horse," Regina snarled. Red jumped and recoiled. Regina glared Cora, every inch the Evil Queen and then some, and Red could never remember seeing Regina so murderous. "Then Daniel would still be alive."

Cora scowled. "If you had been grateful, he would still be alive."

"Don't you dare." Regina rose to her feet. Red grabbed for her hand, but Regina pulled it away. "You were the one who ripped out his heart. You were the one who killed him in front of me."

Red's jaw dropped. Bile threatened to rose in her throat, and she croaked, "Ladies?" Both Cora and Regina turned to stare at her, looking as though they had forgotten she was there. "Regina just came to inform you she's getting married." Red got to her feet, unsure whether her legs would support her now that images of Regina screaming while her mother plunged her hand into a man's chest swirled around in her head. Well, at least that answers the question of where she learned the heart trick."She's done that. I think we should leave now." She paused. "Snow's waiting for us."

"Of course," Regina said. For the first time, Red was grateful for the mask Regina had perfected; Cora didn't need to know that no one was waiting for them, that no one knew where they were. Regina headed for the door, and Red matched her step for step.

"Who are you marrying, Regina?"

Red didn't falter at the sound of Cora's voice, but a few steps later, she realized Regina had stopped. She turned. Regina stared at her mother, taking deep even breathes, and said, "Princess Emma."

Red didn't expect Cora to laugh. "Don't be stubborn, girl. Who is it really?"

"Princess Emma," Regina said with an edge to her voice.

"It's true," Red said, hoping Cora would accept it, and that she and Regina could get as far away from this mansion as possible.

Cora frowned. "You can't. It's against the laws."

"The laws have been changed, Mother," Regina said, standing taller. "Better ideas have been brought back."

Besides, like Snow and Charming of all people would stand in the way of true love,Red thought (and perhaps she imagined the way that Regina's lips press together as though to hold back her thoughts). She pressed to her lips into a thin line, mimicking Regina, because with the way Cora stared at them, Red knew any talk of true love would end in disaster.

Regina continued with a hint of sneer. "Besides, I'll be a Queen again. Isn't that what you've always wanted, Mother?"

Cora wore the most interesting facial expression. Red couldn't decide if she looked like she'd swallowed a bug or if she looked like she was about to get hit by a bus.

"You can't produce an heir. What do you plan to do then?"

"We have a son," Regina said. Cora's eyebrows rose. For a moment, Red thought Regina might elaborate, but she said nothing.

"What's his name?" Cora asked.

"Henry."

Cora scoffed. "Henry? Such a common name, Regina, and far too sentimental."

"Regina?" Red rested her hand against Regina's arm. "We should go." Regina nodded.

"When is the...wedding?" Cora's lips twitched downward.

"This summer."

Cora frowned. "Summer is nearly here. Surely you haven't waited this long to get fitted for a dress?"

Red's breath caught in her throat; they were in danger, she could sense it. She grabbed Regina's hand. "We need to go now," she muttered.

"Of course not," Regina said. "The dress had already been made."

"Why are you only telling me now? I'm your mother." Cora stalked towards them, and Red took a step forward. She didn't shield Regina, didn't think Regina would appreciate that, but somehow the knowledge that she stood between Cora and Regina comforted her as the air became heavy with magic. "I should have been there. I should have-" Cora stopped short, eyes darting to Red who took a small step to the side, half-shielding Regina now. "You weren't planning on inviting me, were you? This was just a...a formality for you."

"Of course, Mother," Regina said. Her voice was cold, but there was a tremor to it now. Red couldn't blame her: Cora looked ready to rip both their hearts out. Without thinking, Red grabbed a fistful of her cloak in her hand, ready to yank it off at a moment's notice. The wolf would be facing Cora, giving Regina time to realize what happened and make her escape.

The next thing Red knew, she crashed into a wall, and she heard Regina shout. Regina slammed against one of the windows, cracking the glass.

"You ungrateful, insolent little bitch." Cora stalked towards Regina, one hand raised. Magic crackled like electricity around her hand. Regina stared up at her. She gingerly touched the back of her head, and Red saw the blood smeared against the glass.

She ripped off the cloak and lunged.

. . .

Regina stared at the blood on her fingers, dazed, and a scream rose in her throat. Her mother would finally kill her, and she never told Emma or Henry goodbye. Emma didn't know where she was. Would they think she left? Just ran away? How could she be so stupid?

A snarl ripped through the air. Before Regina could process what happened, a huge wolf sunk its teeth into Cora's arm. Cora shrieked. A blast of magic rattled the windows, sending the wolf flying away from them, but the wolf took a huge chunk of Cora's flesh with it. Blood splattered to the ground. Cora huddled over her arm, trying to heal it. Regina leapt to her feet, lunged for the cloak laying several feet away, and turned, cloak in hand, to face the wolf. It stalked toward her.

Regina threw the cloak over it. The wolf snapped and growled, but it stumbled as the magic started to take hold. She jumped forward and clamped her arms around the wolf. Cloak pinned in place, the wolf weakened and fell to the ground. Regina covered the wolf fully with the cloak. Regina felt Red take its place.

"Red?"

Red groaned. Regina glanced over her shoulder; her mother was gone.

"Red, we need to get out of here." Regina pulled her to her feet.

. . .

Regina yanked Red to her feet and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, trapping Red against her side and holding her up. She wore the cloak again, and the whole world spun and lurched under her feet. They were alone in the room. Blood splattered the floor.

"What happened?" Red stumbled, falling back against Regina.

"You attacked my mother," Regina said. "What in the hell did you think you were doing?" She glared at Red. Red peered into her eyes, blinked, and gave up trying to read them.

"Dunno. G'me a min..."

Red wasn't sure how long it took them to get outside. Time blurred together at the moment, and she was vaguely aware there was a huge junk of time she missed completely. Regina helped her clamber onto her horse, and then climbed into the saddle of her own horse with the grace of a pro. Red's stomach lurched, and she leaned to the side, vomiting. Her fingers knotted in her horse's mane to help her keep her balance.

The reigns were pried from her hands. Gasping and spluttering, Red watched Regina slipped the reigns over the horse's head, gripping them in one hand. Red opened her mouth to demand her reigns back and vomited again.

Perhaps it was best if Regina lead her horse, she thought. They rode this way in silence for half an hour, Red taking deep breathes to calm her stomach and nerves, and Regina keeping a close eye out for any guards. Red didn't dare ask what would happen if Cora decided to come after them.

Red wiped her mouth on the on the back of her hand. "I take it your mother isn't invited to the wedding." She forced a small smile.

"No." Regina gave a shaky laugh. "But Maleficent might be."

Red's eyes widened. "Oh, honey, we need to have a talk about your friends."