A/N: Okay, so this is my first Once Upon A Time fanfic, and I feel a little nervous posting it. Probably because I haven't watched most of Series 1, although I have done research and watched clips on youtube. I am also watching the second series as it aires (as I live in the UK). But anyway, feedback would be nice, good or bad :)
This starts after Cora has killed Daniel, but before Regina finds out it was Snow that told Cora if that makes sense and will follow them until the curse is enacted. Hopefully, there will then be a sequel in Storybrooke. Updates won't be frequent as I have other stories that I need to finish first.

"It seems you have a daughter, my lady," Regina's maid, Abigail, told her, handing her a small bundle swathed in white, silk blankets in which a tiny baby girl lay, her eyes closed peacefully. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," the soon-to-be-Queen smiled, taking the child and cradling her against her sweaty chest. She was exhausted, but just holding her child brought the energy back into her. She had given this tiny, little thing the gift of life.

"What are you going to name her?" Abigail asked, bringing Regina out of her thoughts.

"Talulla. My little Talulla," she answered softly.

"That's a beautiful name. Would you like me to let the King know he has a daughter?"

Regina's face dropped and she bit her lip. "Abigail. There's something I have to tell you. Something very important that you can't tell anyone."

"Yes, my lady?"

"It's not his, Abigail. I think he must know, but it's not his. We haven't slept together. We're not married yet."

"Oh, am I allowed to ask whose it is then?"

Regina shut her eyes, taking a moment to scoop in a big breath. Remembering him was painful. "Daniel. Talulla's father was Daniel."

"You know I'm sorry about that, my lady." Abigail shuffled awkwardly. "Would you like me to tell your mother instead?"

"I don't wish to speak to her at this time," Regina stated coldly, but too late.

The doors to the bedchamber were thrown open suddenly and Cora strode in, her purple gown sweeping across the floor as she moved.

"Regina, my dear, how are you?"

The young woman closed her eyes momentarily, praying her mother hadn't heard her last conversation. "Go away, mother. Can't you see I'd like a little peace?"

"I always know what's best for you, dear, you know that. Now let me see him." She indicated to the child on Regina's chest and before the young woman could react, took the child into her own arms.

"It's a girl, mother," she said, and sensed Cora's disappointment.

"How is this possible, Regina? I was supposed to have a grandson! A Prince."

"Well, she's a princess instead."

"What's her name?"

"Talulla."

"Well, at least you're capable of finding a suitable name."

Regina blinked. "Mother!" she exclaimed at the insult. "Give her back, please. I don't trust you with her."

"I did what was best for you then. You need to learn that," Cora said, but handed the child back to her daughter. "You know that love is weakness. Daniel was weakening you, so I got rid of the distraction. No daughter of mine should be weak. And no granddaughter either, for that matter."

"Don't. Mention. Daniel," Regina choked out, anger starting to seep through the cracks of her previous happiness. How dare her mother come in here after such a happy occasion and bring up her lost true love? Especially when she murdered him. "Get out. I don't want to speak to you!"

Cora merely smirked. "You don't order me around, dear. Especially not the state you're in at the moment."

"If it's alright with you, I'd like some time alone with my daughter," Regina snapped glaring at her mother.

"You're hiding something from me."

Regina's heart stuttered. "No, I'm not. What makes you think that?"

The older woman stalked over to the bed and leant down to her daughter's ear. "Because I can see it, feel it. It's hanging around the air like a bad smell, Regina. Now, tell me what it is."

The young woman turned her head to face her mother, her eyes carefully blank. "I have nothing to tell you," she said slowly. "Nothing."

Cora's eyes flashed with anger and in a moment, she had stood up straight, swooping the child into her own arms once more.

"Tell me, or I take her heart." She traced a finger over the baby's ribcage.

"Mother, no! You can't do that. She's only a baby!" Regina made a move to get up, to save her child, but at that moment, Abigail moved from where she'd been standing behind Cora and snatched Talulla off her, giving her back to Regina and turning to face the surprised older woman.

"I'm sorry, my lady, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave. The Lady Regina needs time to recuperate after giving birth and getting her wound up is not good for her health."

Cora scowled. "Fine, but I will find out what you're keeping from me, Regina." And with that, she held her head up high and strode out of the room.

Once the door shut, Regina breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Abigail. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been in the room. I hate her so much! I don't know how she could threaten to take a baby's heart. Talulla's innocent in this!" She cuddled her daughter close and pressed her lips to the child's small forehead.

"I know, my lady. Please, don't stress, she's gone and I won't let her back in today."

"She will find out whose child it is. The only reason she let you shoo her out was because she'd finished talking to me. My mother won't stop until she knows, then she'll take Talulla away. She'll say it's for the best. I can't allow that. Not after she took Daniel from me!"

"I know, we won't–"

They were interrupted by a small knock on the door. Abigail looked at Regina, who nodded for her to see who it was.

After a few minutes where Abigail was talking to whoever was at the door, the young maid turned round.

"My lady, it's the Princess Snow White. She would like to see Talulla. Do you want me to send her away?"

Regina sighed. "It's alright, she is my future stepdaughter. Let her in."

"Regina, can I see the baby? Your mother told me you had a girl," the young girl asked, skipping up to the bed with her dark curls bouncing.

"Yes, of course. Come here and I'll let you hold her." She moved up to make space for Snow on the bed. "Her name's Talulla."

"I like that name, it's very pretty." She sat down where Regina had made space for her. "It suits her."

"I think it does too. If you just sit still, then I can…" she trailed off as she lowered the still sleeping Talulla into Snow White's arms.

"She's so lucky to have parents like you and Daniel. You can live happily ever after."

Regina swallowed. The child didn't know that Daniel was dead, she realised. She didn't know that Cora had killed him in front of her. She couldn't tell her. What would be the point? So she just put on a smile and nodded.

"But remember, you can't tell anyone, Snow," she warned.

"I promised I wouldn't. You know, I think she is going to grow up to look like you. She hasn't got your nose though."

"She has Daniel's nose," Regina put in. "It looks like Daniel's nose."

"Really? The rest of her looks like you, though."

"I don't think she does. I see so much of her father in her."

"Can I come back and visit when I leave to go home? Can I come back each year and see her?"

Regina knew she was going to have to break the news to her at some point, the news that she and Talulla would be going back with her when she went. However, that moment, when Snow was looking so pleadingly at her, wasn't the right one. She would have to find some other suitable time to tell her that they were about to become stepmother and daughter. Regina could only hope that when the time was right, Snow wouldn't take it the wrong way.

"Yes, of course you can. You can visit whenever you wish."

"I'm going to go and ask father if I can!" She carefully bundled the baby back into Regina's arms and jumped up. "He has to say yes. I want to be like Talulla's big sister!"

Regina watched Snow with wide eyes. Leopold couldn't know about Daniel, not even though he knew the baby wasn't his. It was unfair to think he could accept his daughter going on about his future wife marrying someone else.

"Oh, don't worry, Regina, I won't tell him about Daniel, I promise!" Snow called back to her as she got to the door.

"I can only pray she keeps that promise," Regina murmured to Abigail as the door slammed shut behind the young princess. "Otherwise, I don't know how I'm going to live with her."