all friendship comes with a price | reginaaa (:

[Regina Mills]

Regina remained utterly silent and still as Oswin told her story, taking it all of it in without commenting, just sort of...listening, because she imagined that was what Oswin would need the most right now. These 'Daleks' - well, they didn't sound even remotely close to pleasant from what she could tell. In fact, she was getting the feeling that 'dangerous' was a bit of an understatement. Oswin had said they'd converted her, robbing her of humanity, of what defined her - all because they wanted to make use of her mind. Cora probably hadn't even realized what she'd done, making her relive this...though Regina doubted she would feel any remorse even if she had. It'd be just another weakness to file away for future use, the way she exploited everyone's emotional weaknesses. Which was why the less Cora knew about how all of this had turned out, the better.

She was silent for a moment longer, her expression uncharacteristically troubled by all of this - until Oswin's last comment prompted her to say something at last. "The Doctor would not hold you responsible for something that...they did in the past. He knows you better than that. He knows you're not like them." she stated firmly. Though Regina had no way of being absolutely positive of this, she had seen the interaction between Oswin and the Doctor - had seen how much they adored each other, how happy they were simply being in one another's company. Regina couldn't imagine that changing because of some traumatic event that was entirely out of Oswin's control. She shook her head, and softened her tone a fraction. "And even if he didn't, there's no need to worry about that now. We fixed it. It's over now." And it wouldn't be happening again - even if she had to get Oswin and the Doctor as far away from Storybrooke as possible to ensure that.

Unable to keep herself from casting a vaguely apprehensive glance into the trees behind them, Regina wondered how to proceed from here. The impending explanation on her part was inevitable, but she just wasn't sure how to...go about it. It was more than just the still-lingering guilt that sharply nagged at her, it was the fact that Regina had never really talked about her mother - with anyone. The only one left who knew exactly why that was, perhaps, was Snow, and Regina wasn't eager to expand that knowledge to anyone else. She supposed she owed Oswin that much at this point, though. But out here, so close to the woods where she could only assume Cora had just recently been, she felt far too uneasy to continue this conversation for much longer - especially when she was still feeling more than a little hazy from the spell she'd just performed.

With one last glance back towards the woods, Regina abruptly stood up, swaying a little as she did, but quickly managing to steady herself and focus on Oswin once again. "I think it would be better if we..." she paused, not quite able to voice her feelings of insecurity. So she tried again, "Would you like to come inside and sit down? I could fix you something - tea, maybe? We can talk more, just not..." Uncharacteristically, she trailed off yet again, struggling to clear her magic-hazed mind and throw off the fear of her mother's presence simultaneously.

[Oswin Oswald]

Unfortunately, Regina's attempt to comfort fell rather short. She hadn't been there to see how he'd looked at her, how his eyes had slowly hardened with hatred and anger, how his mouth had twisted with disgust for the creature in front of him that had once been Oswin Oswald. Perhaps this was an earlier regeneration of him, but she had very little doubt that the reaction would have been any different, had he seen what she'd become just a few moments ago. However, Regina was right on one part. It was over, and there was no use in sitting out here in the grass, wallowing in the misery that shouldn't have been existed now that everything was all fixed. Oswin would just have to keep moving forward, and wasn't that what she did best anyway?

"Yeah." Shakily, Oswin pushed herself up, wobbling just a little as she got used to actually having legs again. No matter how short her time as a Dalek again had been, it was still odd to find herself in her proper body once more. Steadying herself, she gave Regina a faint smile that didn't quite meet her eyes. "That...sounds good." It was wonderful to hear her own voice again, and had she not been shaky and still just a little upset, Oswin might have been talking up a blue steak, just to hear the sound of her normal, human voice. Luckily for Regina, she was still shaken, still nervous. Following the other woman inside, Oswin glanced down at her hands, noticing that the very tips were trembling and quickly clasped them together. No one would notice that way.

Stepping into the house, Oswin took little notice of the surroundings. Where most would have been a little impressed by the near-mansion, Oswin had been in here before and quickly made herself at home in the sitting room near the kitchen. It was until a few minutes had passed that she noticed she was wringing her hands, a nervous habit that had formed whenever her fear of tight spaces began to act up. Regina's house was anything but tight, but it was logical, she supposed, that memories were going to be triggered. Memories of being shut up in that pod, far away from sunlight and fresh air and human contact. And the stars. She'd have to ask the Doctor to just let the TARDIS drift at some point soon. Sitting in the door and watching galaxies go by would make her feel better.

Oswin wasn't sure if it was a psychological thing or a reaction to magic, but she was beginning to feel a little sick from what had just occurred. Closing her eyes, she drew her knees up to her chest again, willing the feeling of nausea to go away. Thankful that Regina couldn't see her, Oswin bought a hand up to her cheek, gently running her fingers over the skin there, reassuring herself that it was skin she was touching, not cold, hard metal. The urge to actually cry was welling up, but there wasn't any way she was letting Regina see her like that. Or anyone, not even the Doctor. Tears could wait for when she was alone in her room on the TARDIS. For now, though, she could stay miserably balled-up and waiting for Regina to return with the promised tea.

[Regina Mills]

She was more or less operating on autopilot as she prepared the tea, mindlessly following a routine she'd followed so many times before as she slipped more and more deeply into thought. Oswin had been uncharacteristically, almost frighteningly quiet as she'd headed into the house. It was understandable, of course, but that didn't make it any less unnerving. And Regina was not a person who was easily unnerved. She still didn't have a full idea of the damage that had been done here, or how deeply this incident would affect Oswin - but as Regina knew all too well, Cora was horrifically skilled at leaving the sort of scars that never really faded away - and not just physically. This incident had not ended anywhere near as badly as it could have, and Regina had managed to reverse the spell, but...she still, quite literally, couldn't help but worry. It was a psychological impulse that had developed some time between losing Daniel and enduring the emotionally neglectful marriage to the king, this...sometimes frantic overprotective-ness of the few people she grew close to.

Her concern, however, was difficult for her to express - especially when she knew that Oswin wasn't exactly the most emotionally open person either. So she allowed her worry to manifest here, in the kitchen, where she was alone. She set the teapot down and rested her palms flat on the counter, leaning slightly for support as her eyes closed. This was only the beginning, Regina knew it was. Cora would not stop - would not rest - until she'd either robbed her daughter of everything that mattered to her, or until Regina submitted to her will. Perhaps the latter would be...easiest, after all. Regina's instinct was to fight - it always had been. But at what point did the cost get too high?

Another moment, however, and she'd managed to compose herself to the point where her hands were steady enough to pour the tea into two cups. Carefully, she took them and walked back out of the kitchen, faltering only slightly when she caught sight of of Oswin, looking downright miserable with her knees pulled up against her chest. Wordlessly, Regina continued into the room and set one of the cups down on the end table next to her before taking a seat nearby, gripping her own mug a little more tightly than she normally would have as she allowed her tea to cool in silence. She searched her mind for something - anything - to say to make Oswin feel better, but...making people feel better wasn't exactly Regina's forte. And what ended up slipping out almost certainly wasn't going to make anyone feel better - but the guilt was becoming a little more than she could bear. "I'm sorry," Regina stated quietly after a moment, her gaze fixed on her tea. "This is all my fault." She should have known Cora would do something like this, should have thought to warn the few people close to her before now - but she hadn't. Maybe if Oswin knew that, the anger would help her through this.

Pain was always easier when you had someone to blame for it.

[Oswin Oswald]

Oswin wouldn't blame Regina for being unnerved. She'd never really been this unlike herself before, not since that time before she'd arrived. Adventure and wonder had chased away any feelings she might have gone through upon arrival, and the fact that she'd arrived in a graveyard full of Weeping Angels. There had been no time to properly assess what had happened to her, not until now when it had been painfully pulled back out into the open. And in front of Regina, no less. Oswin valued their friendship quite a bit, but Regina was the last person she wanted to appear weak in front of. Despite everything, the other woman seemed in control most of the time, even just a few moments ago, when Oswin had been panicking inside her Dalek casing.

And now Regina knew of what had happened to her. She'd only ever told the Doctor that, so they were the only two people in this place who knew anything about her past. And Oswin planned to keep it that way. Only two people (well, four counting Nina and his leggy wife) in the whole of time and space who knew what truly became of Oswin Oswald. She liked that. And, despite what had happened in Regina's past, something inside her told Oswin that she could trust her to keep the secret. Pulling her knees a little tighter, Oswin closed her eyes, resting her head down. The sick feeling hadn't faded away, and she had a feeling it had more to do with her mental state than her physical state. The fact that she'd been robbed of her humanity again...

No. She had always been human. Never stopped really, if she'd stopped, the Doctor would be dead, wouldn't he? She was human, and there was no need to be upset because she always would be. Her gaze flickered upwards as Regina entered and set a cup of tea down beside her. Attempting a faint smile with mixed results, Oswin took the cup, wrapping her fingers around it in order to allow the heat to seep through and let her know there was something there that could still feel. It was somewhat comforting, but certainly not enough for Oswin to really start feeling better yet. Still, she sipped gratefully, trying to find something to focus on. If she did, she might be able to pull herself out of this before she went back to the Doctor.

Regina turned out to be that thing. Frowning, Oswin looked up from where she'd been staring into her cup. "Sorry? 'S not your..." Well. This was confusing. How was Regina supposed to know that she'd be led here and something would happen to her? It hardly made sense at all...unless Regina had known. And that seemed rather unlikely, due to the fact that she'd been caught off guard by what happened as much as Oswin. Regina's reaction had been the sort that couldn't be faked, but clearly something else was at work here. "How's it your fault then? You couldn't have known." Could she?

[Regina Mills]

How did she even begin to explain this? It somehow felt...shameful, talking about the way her mother treated her. It always had, as if it was somehow Regina's own fault - the rational part of her knew that it wasn't, of course, but a small part of her had never forgotten the thoughts she used to think as a little girl: other mothers didn't treat their daughters like this. So why was Cora different? And was it somehow because of her? Regina had learned long since that when your parent deliberately hurt you, over and over again, no amount of rational thought ever completely banished those faded, lingering doubts about yourself from the back of your mind. But right now, she couldn't be afraid of her own insecurities, and she couldn't be afraid of what Oswin would think, or if she'd be angry. After everything she'd been through today, she deserved the truth. Regina just wanted to get it over with.

"The woman who did this to you," Regina began almost numbly, hesitating for only the briefest of moments before she finished, "is my mother." She allowed that to sink in, her eyes narrowed faintly as she stole another quick glance at Oswin. Whatever reaction was forthcoming, Regina didn't want to stop and analyze it - she just wanted to say what needed to be said. "Cora. She must have hurt you because of...because of me. The way she controls people, the way she gets them to do what she wants, is by going after the people that matter to them." Regina really wasn't one to acknowledge it when she felt anything more than general indifference or disdain towards another person, but she and Oswin...they were friends, and that was a rarity for her. Even if she didn't speak of it often.

There weren't words to describe everything that Cora was capable of, everything that she'd done. And Regina didn't think Oswin needed to hear them right now anyway - things like 'my mother abused me as a child' and 'she ripped out the hearts of hundreds and hundreds of people only for the sake of collecting them' had a time and place, and this situation was already traumatic enough. What she needed to find a way to articulate was the guilt she felt. She needed to clarify this so Oswin fully understood why this had happened, and who was to blame for it. "And this is far from the first time she's done something like this, so I should have known. I knew she was here in Storybrooke, I knew what she was capable of, and I did nothing to stop this from happening." She'd been stupid to hope that Cora would focus her anger on her alone, that she wouldn't hurt anyone else the way she had so many times before. There were so many things she could have done to prevent this from happening - she could have swallowed her fear and confronted Cora sooner, or told Oswin and the Doctor to get out of Storybrooke before it was too late, or even pushed her away so that Cora wouldn't know they were friends at all.

It was too late for any of that now. The damage had been done.

"And you got hurt because of it." she finally finished, meeting Oswin's gaze as steadily as she could. "But I won't allow it to happen again."

[Oswin Oswald]

Was it odd that Oswin had never really considered Regina's mother, or her parents at all? When she'd gone back in time to the Enchanted Forest, she'd only gotten a passing mention, and Oswin hadn't really thought too much about her. So, to know that it had been Regina's mother that had just caused what had happened...her eyes widened just a little bit, but for now, Oswin remained silent. Clearly there was more to whatever Regina was going to say, and she had a pretty good feeling this wasn't something to interrupt with questions. Not that she really had any. Well, save for wondering why Regina's mother had done something this horrible to her daughter's friend. Then again...not all mothers were good ones.

And it turned out she was quite right about that. Oswin's look of surprise became a frown of concern as she put the pieces together. Cora had come after her because she was Regina's friend, because the two of them had something of a bond and that could be used to exploit her daughter's emotions. Neither of them really spoke of their friendship out loud, but surely Cora must have seen them talking somewhere around Storybrooke. And that meant she was watching Regina and the people she interacted with on a daily basis. Had she been watching Oswin too? Had she seen the Doctor, or God forbid, Em? She remained quiet while Regina finished, still looking concerned. Seeing Regina discussing such...personal matters was more than somewhat troubling.

Never being one to be good with words in a situation like this, Oswin unballed herself on the couch, reaching out to touch her shoulder. "Blaming yourself's what she wants you to do. 'S why she did this, to make you feel like it was your fault. And it's not going to help fix anything." With a situation to focus on beyond just being a Dalek again, Oswin was beginning to feel a little more stable, a little more confident. This was the sort of thing she was used to getting into, during her travels with the Doctor. Problems that didn't require getting emotional or dealing with that sort of thing. "I don't blame you, even if you're going to be blaming yourself." How could she? Regina had been the one to fix this, not cause it.

"I'll....have to tell the Doctor." And by 'tell the Doctor', Oswin meant leaving out the little details of what exactly had happened to her. " 'S pretty obvious that we can't stay here. Probably shouldn't...come back for a bit either." Oswin faltered. To be entirely honest, Storybrooke had become a bit of a regular stop for the TARDIS. The Doctor was fascinated by the presence of magic, and most of the people outside Oswin's travels that she'd come to call friends were here too. But, now with Cora coming after her, and using her to hurt Regina...it was probably best that they stay away, at least until the threat had died down. "You'll...be all right here, yeah?"

Oswin couldn't find the proper words to say "I'll miss you."

[Regina Mills]

She knew, ultimately, that Oswin was right. Cora had a way of making it...very difficult to be angry at her. Either she manipulated someone else into taking the blame, the way she had with Snow after Daniel's death - and it was far too easy to be angry at someone else when being making yourself enemies with Cora was the alternative - or simply made people feel guilty themselves - as if the pain she inflicted was some inevitable consequence they'd brought upon themselves. But once again, the logic of that reasoning wasn't quite powerful enough to overcome her emotional state, and Oswin's words didn't do much to dull the guilt she still felt. Surely she could have done something to prevent this. It would have been so much easier if she'd just complied and given in to Cora's demands in the first place. It was selfish not to, when so many other people could get hurt as a result.

But Oswin was right about one thing: lingering on it was not going to fix anything, and it certainly wasn't going to stop Cora in the future. She'd have to think of a way to accomplish that later, whatever it might take. For the present, however, she needed to focus. It seemed Oswin genuinely didn't blame her for what had happened to her, and even if Regina was convinced she should have, that at least was vaguely comforting to hear. In an effort to disguise the fact that she remained somewhat unconvinced, she forced a small smile and a slight nod, but avoided commenting further, not quite trusting herself to speak.

Fortunately, she was distracted from doing so at the mention of the Doctor. Cautiously, she stiffened a little at that, allowing faint concern to seep back into her expression. The Doctor, from what she knew of him, had seen all sorts of things and faced all sorts of terrors during his travels. Cora was someone who probably wouldn't faze him much - or at least, a mere description of her wouldn't, but Regina knew all too well that anyone who underestimated her mother or felt confident that they could take her on gave Cora the opening she needed to completely use that to her advantage. She'd managed to best Rumpelstiltskin, after all. If Oswin told the Doctor, and the Doctor decided that Cora needed to be stopped...well, Regina just wasn't willing to risk anyone else getting involved in this. Still, she could hardly argue. After what had happened to Oswin, the Doctor needed to know. She just hoped his reaction would be...a cautious one. "Don't let him go after her," she responded after an uneasy pause. "No matter how angry he gets. If he slips onto her radar, she'll find out exactly what his weaknesses are - and the best way to hurt him." She was telling Oswin this, not so much out of concern for the Doctor, who she didn't particularly know all that well - but because she knew Oswin's level of devotion to the Doctor, and she knew that making her concerned for his safety was the best way to get her out of Storybrooke as quickly as possible.

It was her first instinct, to put distance between Oswin and Cora. What that would actually mean didn't quite register until Oswin spoke again. Until this threat was dealt with - if it was dealt with - the two of them probably weren't going to be seeing very much of each other. Regina...well, she'd never really been very good at goodbyes to say the least, so it was difficult for her to acknowledge this. Instead, she merely focused on reminding herself how dangerous Storybrooke was right now - and how this was clearly the best option they had. She nodded again. "Of course. Once you're out of Storybrooke, she...shouldn't be able to find you. Especially if there's enough here to keep her distracted." In an attempt to be rational about this, she kept her tone somewhat calm and to-the-point. Oswin's last question provoked something of a sad little smile - but if there was one thing she had learned to manage over the majority of her life, it was being on her own. She'd be alright here, up until Cora decided to confront her again, at least.

"And I'll be fine, really. I'll find a way to deal with her before she can hurt anyone else. This'll all be over soon enough." She wasn't sure how convincing her false confidence was - Cora wasn't someone who could simply be dealt with, just like that, after all - but right now Oswin didn't necessarily need more to worry about.