Title: The Girl who would be Queen.

Author: Starbuck1980 (Livejournal and Tumblr)

Fandom: Once Upon a Time

Pairing: Swan Queen

Rating: NC17 for trigger warnings and language (and eventual sexy times)

Summary: Eventual spoilers for Stable Boy S01E18 but none at present.

Emma is sent a book, similar to Henry's containing the story of the Evil Queen's past and it makes her question everything she knows. I am ignoring the whole M&M jail storyline. (Mixed Fairy Tale Land with Storybrook) Warning this is dark & twisty, see triggers below.

Trigger Warnings: Child abuse – Physical and emotional, emotional neglect. Cutting/suicidal tendencies, flashbacks, nightmares, Self-loathing. Please consider before you read this if you have been/still are affected by any of these. I write from experience so these scenes are fairly detailed and could be difficult to read. I do not in any way condone cutting but having lived with this tendency for a long time, I understand it. I am also in no way saying that if you are affected by abuse, you should keep quiet. In fact if you or someone you know has been affected by any of these topics, please consider seeking help. There is someone out there who can and will help you and if the first person doesn't believe someone else will.

Disclaimer: I own nothing; if I did OUaT would be taking a very different path with this pairing. Chapter titles are taken from various songs by Evanescence; part one is taken from Everybody's Fool. All rights belong to Disney/ABC and Amy Lee/Evanescence.

A/N: I am a tad rusty, this is my first fic adventure in a couple of years. There are more parts coming soon, I am just taking my time posting them.

Part One – No flaws when you're pretending.

Without the mask, where will you hide?

Can't find yourself lost in your lie. - Everybody's Fool, Evanescence.

Emma ran her fingers lightly over the leather cover of the book on her desk, tracing the gold lettering on the cover. It was old; the pages were turning brown and had that musty smell that reminded her of Henry and his book. In fact it looked a lot like Henry's book except that it was smaller and, unlike Henry's book, had very few pictures. She picked up the manila envelope it had arrived in, turning it over to see if there was a return address or some identifying mark but there was nothing. Even the address label had been typed. She looked inside again but there was no note to say who had sent her this book.

Picking the book up Emma turned it over inspecting the cover before running her thumb over the pages, flicking through them to see if there was anything tucked inside. She frowned, her eye brows pulling together; she didn't see anything special about this book so why would someone send it to her? Her fingers brushed the title again: The Girl Who Would Be Queen. It sounded familiar, like it should be the title to a movie but as she searched the dark recesses of her brain she just couldn't quite place where she'd heard it before. What it did sound like was a fairy tale, which automatically made her think of Henry but why would he send her this book and especially through the mail? She sighed heavily, placing the book on her desk and leaning back in her chair, rubbing her eyes.

It was only one o'clock but she was already exhausted from combing through the mountain of paper work that was on her desk after spending most of the morning running around after 'security breaches' that the lovely Madam Mayor insisted she make her top priority. However, every place that Mayor Mills claimed to have a security breach was either locked up tight or the residents seemed surprised by Emma's arrival, unaware any breach in security had been reported. After the third visit turned out to be a bust Emma felt suspiciously like she was being given the run around.

She rubbed her eyes again and took another paper from the large pile on her desk. For a small town that hardly factored on the crime scale, Storybrook seemed to have an unusually high number of crime reports, statements and other documents that needed the Sheriff's attention. Her eyes tried desperately to focus on the paper in front of her but the lines kept blurring. She put the paper down and leaned back, maybe lunch and a caffeine jolt would perk her up. The break certainly couldn't hurt. Emma stood up, stretched out the knots in her back and pulled on her jacket, absentmindedly grabbing the book before heading out the door to Granny's.

Emma slid into a booth and put the book down on the table as Ruby sauntered over, flicking her pen against the note pad she held between her slender fingers.

'What can I get ya?' she asked, grinning broadly down at Emma.

'Oh... Erm the usual, I guess?' Emma answered, glancing up and briefly smiling, focused instead on the book beneath her fingers.

'Gotcha, one grilled cheese sandwich and black coffee coming up!' Ruby answered pleasantly.

Emma drummed her fingers on the cover of the book as she watched Ruby stroll back to the counter. Flicking open the cover Emma looked for publishing information or at least a date of publication but again she found nothing. The next few pages were blank as was the custom but the page before the first chapter had a single phase etched into the page, the lettering making indentations for every letter.

"Evil is not born, it is made" she whispered to herself, the fine hairs on the back of her neck standing to attention as a shiver ran down her spine.

The page was especially thick and she wondered why she hadn't noticed it before, running her fingers across the impressions on the page.

She only vaguely registered Ruby as the waitress placed her lunch on the table. She muttered her thanks with a cursory glance before returning to the book and turning the page.

"On the Eve of Mid-Summer, Regina..."

'Regina?' Emma exclaimed aloud, wondering what the odds were that this book contained a character who shared the same name as their 'lovely' Mayor. Realising she had spoken aloud she glanced around to receive a few raised eye brows before turning back to the book, unable to tear herself away.

"On the eve of Mid-Summer Regina had been born to the most loving of couples. Henry and Cora had almost everything except for the one thing they both desperately desired; a baby. But even the most difficult of tasks could be conjured into existence with a little magical help.

With the pains ripping through her hour after hour Cora thought she might die before this baby was ever born. And yet on the eve of the third day, just as she thought that death would be preferable, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl with a crop of jet black hair. As Cora looked down at the tiny child in her arms expecting to feel the joy and happiness of a new mother, she felt instead a seed of hate and disgust begin to grow inside her for this helpless, wet and wriggling thing in her arms. As she stared down at the child she felt this seed grow, wrapping its vines tightly around her heart, suffocating her love from within.

Placing the child in her crib, she thought back to the strange little man who had offered them help; his green skin speckled with gold as his eyes flashed back at them from the darkness of the road. 'All magic, comes with a price' he had warned but, too eager to see their dream of a family come true, Henry and Cora ignored his warnings and blindly agreed to his demands: one night alone with Cora and their unborn child's name. What could be the harm in spending one night with this man and giving him her child's name? Wasn't this what they had always dreamt of? And so the deal was struck and begrudgingly Henry let Cora go to him. After the deed was done the man claimed he would return for his second prize in six months' time. Unbeknownst to Cora, the deal had already compromised her and Henry's love; the tiny seed had been planted that very night.

Six months passed in a blur of sickness and pain but Henry was always the gentleman, he never once asked her about that night and took care of her throughout her difficult pregnancy. Sure enough almost six months to the day, the strange little man had returned; making Cora shudder at the mere sight of him. He predicted the sex of their child and demanded to know her name. Of course Cora had known it would be a girl, even after she missed her first course, and so she had named their child Regina, after Henry's Mother.

Now she looked down at this squalling, hungry child feeling nothing but her own nausea and exhaustion. The midwives urged her to put the child to her breast but the very thought disgusted her and so a wet nurse was found and paid handsomely. Cora never held her daughter again.

While Cora was reeling from the pain of having her hopes for happiness dashed upon the rocks of her disgust, Henry fell in love with the child from the very first moment and doted on her constantly. This only caused Cora's heart to harden toward her husband and slowly their love, which had seen them through much hardship, shrivelled and died. In place of her love Cora fostered a torrent of hate and jealousy aimed solely at Regina.

Henry had always been a mild mannered man but after the birth Cora found she could command him with ease and would only have to threaten their daughter's wellbeing for him to bend to her will..."

'Hey Emma!' The blonde jumped as Henry jostled her shoulder and she tore her eyes away from the book, bleary eyed she squinted back at her son.

'Henry? What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in school,' Emma questioned both confused and slightly disgruntled by the interruption.

'Emma, it's 4 o'clock, school has been out for an hour!' Henry replied.

'What? Shi.. Um... Damn!' Emma tripped over her tongue for a less offensive word, wondering how she had not realised the passing of three hours.

'What are you reading?' The boy asked as he slid into the booth opposite his birth mother.

Emma held up the book to show him, 'Did you send this to me?' she asked.

Henry's small brow furrowed as he took the book from Emma, eagerly opening it and flipping through the pages, absorbing himself in a passage before he shook his head, frowning pensively.

'What is it?' she asked looking at him with concern.

'I know this title...' he trailed off, continuing to flip through the pages. 'Where did you get this from?' he ask curiously as he stopped on a picture and studied it, his nose just inches from the page.

'Someone sent it to me in the mail...' Emma began.

'Who?' he interjected before Emma could say more.

'Well actually I thought it might have been you, seeing as this book has more than a few similarities to yours,' Emma speculated.

'Hmmm...' he mumbled still scrutinising the picture he was looking at.

'Hey kid?' Emma said waving a hand in front of Henry, 'So it wasn't you?' she asked outright.

'No, I've never seen it before' he replied looking up at her, a frown still etched on his small features. 'But it is like my book, even the writing on the front is the same as mine and the pictures too, you know what this means don't you?' he asked anxiously.

Emma cocked an eyebrow at her son; shrugging slightly 'That it's a good read?' she said half joking.

Ignoring her joke he ploughed on, 'No... It must have come from Fairy Tale world! But looking at the pictures it looks like it's about the Evil Queen and not Snow White or anyone else...' he remarked.

'Why would you think it's about Snow White?' Emma asked curiously, retrospectively considering that if it had been about Snow then it might've contained more about the child she bore.

'Because she was Queen too but all those pictures look like my Mom, they look like the Evil Queen,' Henry stated.

'Well she doesn't look very evil to me, look at her there, she is wearing a blue silk dress and not an elaborate black gown like in your book,' Emma pointed out.

Henry frowned, staring at her for a moment. Emma could see the cogs going round in his head as he concocted another notion about his book. His face suddenly became grave and deadly serious.

'Emma what if She sent this to you?' he suggested apprehensively.

Emma furrowed her brow, 'Who? Your Mom?' she asked.

He nodded, still serious as he looked her in the eye. 'What if this is some kind of trap and she sent you this to throw you off the scent, to make you think things that aren't really true?' Henry explained.

For a moment Emma wasn't quite sure how to answer that without contradicting Henry's whole belief system. 'Henry, why would she do that? This is just a story; so far there has been no mention of fairy tale land and yes while I agree that those pictures look a lot like the ones in your book I don't think we can make assumptions before I have had the chance to read the whole thing,' she blandly stated.

Emma hated lying to Henry even if it was just a small white lie. She recognised the character of Rumplestiltskin when she'd read about him but she didn't want this book to encourage Henry any more than his other book had.

'Can I take it home and read it?' he asked softly his face still serious.

'Henry I don't think this book is really for kids...' Emma said hesitantly.

'What? Why not?' He asked, cutting her off.

Damn she thought, that was certainly the wrong tact.

'Well adult themes, you know? And besides wasn't I in the middle of reading this when you arrived?' Emma pointed out raising her eyebrows.

He grimaced up at her for a moment before they heard the bell tinkle above the door. Henry glanced over and the familiar clack of heels on linoleum sounded the arrival of his adopted Mother.

'Quick hide the book!' he hissed at Emma as he shoved it across the table at her.

She frowned at him but tucked the book into the rear waist band of her jeans.

'I might have known I would find you here...,' Regina Mills threw at Henry before addressing Emma with a curt 'Miss Swan' and a slight incline of her head.

Emma's gaze slid over Regina's form, from her perfectly fitting grey pencil skirt to her plum coloured silk blouse flowing effortlessly over her rounded bosom. Emma's eyes focused on Regina's lips which were pulled into a tight smile, her lipstick matching her blouse. They then slid up to Regina's dark chocolate eyes that were dazzling back at her own with a hard gaze that sent a shiver down Emma's spine. Despite Emma's disbelief in the validity of Henry's 'story book characters are real' theory she couldn't help but think about the tiny baby that Cora had ignored so heartlessly.

'Afternoon Madam Mayor, Henry was just about to get out his homework, weren't you Henry?' Emma prompted, raising one eyebrow.

The small boy nodded as he glared up at his adopted Mother, suddenly mute in her presence.

'And I assume you have work to get back to, Miss Swan?' Regina interjected, her sharp eyes never straying from her own, her tone sardonic to say the least.

'Of course Madam Mayor, I was just finishing a late lunch,' Emma explained, a touch too defensive for her liking.

Regina still held the blonde's gaze in her own sharp glare. 'Well it looks like you've finished so don't let us hold you up,' Regina bit back.

Emma gave her a forced smile before sliding out of the booth. She expected the Mayor to move over slightly and allow her some room but Regina didn't budge. As she exited the booth Emma's stomach grazed Regina's hip, electricity sparking across her stomach and spreading warmth down her thighs to pool at her centre. She looked up at the Mayor and saw her eyes falter for the briefest of moments before gazing back at Emma with her brows pulled in a scowl.

'I'll see you later Kid,' Emma said she he looked up at her, his eyes pleading with her to stay a few moments longer.

She turned to go, one hand grasping the handle of the door before stopping and turning slightly she looked back at Regina who had slipped into her place with ease and grace. Emma could still feel the woman's eyes on her as she turned, brown eyes seeking green.

'A question before I leave Madam Mayor, What was your Mother's name?' Emma asked boldly, watching as darkness passed over the Mayor's features like a thunder cloud. Regina's hard eyes glared back at Emma's, sadness pinching at the corners of the brunette's lips. If she hadn't been looking for it Emma might have missed it and to the casual observer the Mayor looked as she always did; her mask perfectly intact.

Regina let out a small breath, clenching her jaw as she snapped 'What business is that of yours, Miss Swan?' Regina's voice, icy with threat.

'Just curious, I guess. I never knew my Mother's name and Henry has never mentioned his grandparents. Are they still alive?' Emma pushed brazenly, trying to keep her voice light. She glanced down at Henry who was looking up at her, imploringly. His mouth, slightly agape as if he didn't know what had just possessed her.

'No Miss Swan, my parents are both dead,' Regina replied with utter calmness, 'which is why Henry doesn't talk about them, he never had the opportunity to meet them.'

Regina continued to glare in to Emma's green eyes, her features motionless and Emma wondered briefly how many hours Regina must have practiced in order to be able to keep that mask of hers intact so brilliantly.

'Good day Miss Swan,' Regina said, dismissing Emma from the public space.

Emma blinked, turning as if to go, her fingers still grasping at the brass handle of the door.

'So what was her name?' she insisted, sure that this time Regina would give her some lecture about how it was none of her business, but as she looked at Regina a far off look came over her features and she whispered:

'Cora'.