To Bring Back the Dead | Regina

[whale]

It was night-time in Storybrooke. An electrical storm was passing over and the wind was battering against the closed windows of the Storybrooke hospital. Inside the hospital stood Dr. Whale, who was waiting for a certain guest of his to arrive. On a nearby table laid the body of Daniel, perfectly preserved and connected to some heavy equipment. Obviously, Dr. Whale hadn't been able to get his old equipment from his world. That was the only reason why he was working with Regina in the first place - he wanted to get back to his world to bring his brother back from the dead. To shake thoughts of his brother out of his mind, Dr. Whale walked over to Daniel's body and checked each piece of equipment to see if it was properly connected. After a few adjustments her and there, the body was ready for revival.

Dr. Whale fixed his lab coat and looked over at the machinery he'd managed to cobble up from what was in Storybrooke. It wasn't much - nothing compared to what he had in his world. Hopefully, it would be able to do the job right. Looking at the machinery made Dr. Whale proud of himself. He'd managed to cobble together something that surpassed the boundaries of the supposedly all-powerful magic of the Enchanted Forest. No matter how powerful magic was, it could never do what science was now capable of. Magic could never bring back the dead, no matter how powerful the caster. That alone made Dr. Whale feel more powerful than any of the magic-users in Storybrooke. Sure, they had physical power. They could transform things and throw things around, but he had the real power here. After all, Regina went to him when she needed her problem fixed.

The scientist glanced at his watch. It was getting late and the storm was bound to pass any time soon. If Regina wasn't there soon, he wouldn't be able to perform the operation. He considered starting it without her or at least getting things ready for the insertion of the magical heart. He decided to do so, so that the process could be done as quickly as possible. Dr. Whale took a small knife and cut a slit in Daniel's chest. He would have to insert the heart there and then get an electric shock into him for this to work. Dr. Whale glanced at the door. He was starting to get agitated. If Regina wasn't there soon they would have to move the operation to another night...

[Regina Mills]

Remorse had become a foreign feeling to Regina, and it was not one she coped with well. Over the years, she'd ripped out countless hearts without being so much as vaguely fazed, but...that had been in the Enchanted Forest. Where she had been the Evil Queen. Regina had long since begun to suspect that the life she'd found here in Storybrooke had weakened her significantly, and this...this was sure proof. What was there to feel guilty about? She'd sacrificed the life of some foolish prince whose name she didn't even know in order to achieve a very important goal. Since when did she allow her empathy for others to get in the way of what she wanted? She didn't - that, simply, was the answer. And in truth, the guilt that lingered over her like a dark cloud wasn't precisely on behalf of the prince she'd murdered - it was for Henry. She had promised him she would change. What would he think if he ever found out about this?

She knew the answer to that: he would loathe her, all over again. But...this was necessary. She needed Daniel; she was worthless without him - it was like half of her very soul was missing, while the rest of the Storybrooke reunited with their own true loves and became whole again. With him, though, she knew she could change. She knew that he could make her heart whole again, restore her to the girl she'd once been, and then no one in Storybrooke would ever have to suffer at her hand again. Henry would see how much he changed, and he would love her again, and she'd be able to love him the way he deserved - someone who was whole and unbroken and kind. Maybe then he'd love her just as much as he loved Emma.

As Regina hurried towards the hospital (albeit a bit late - the storm had held her up, and she'd already decided that she was done with magic if it meant getting Daniel back), she couldn't help but allow her guilt to be washed away by hope. She was finally going to get the only thing she'd ever really wanted. Happiness.

By the time she'd entered the operation room, she was slightly breathless - both from walking so quickly, and from her own anticipation. In her gloved hands she tightly gripped the box which held the prince's heart, clutching it tightly as if fearing it might rip free of her grip and fly away from her. As she hurried to Whale's side, her eyes shown with a light they'd been lacking since the first time they'd attempted this very procedure on Daniel. Even her voice carried the lighter, breathier of her younger days when she spoke. "Sorry I'm late, the storm..." Regina trailed off, her gaze falling upon Daniel's body on the operating table. He still looked no different than the day he'd died, so still, almost peaceful - Regina almost could have believed that he was merely under some enchantment that a single kiss could have awoken him from. She stared at him for a moment, feeling a painful tug at her heart...and then abruptly pulled herself out of her daze, turning her attention back to Dr. Whale.

"I have what you need." she told him simply, holding out the box. She could only pray he wouldn't ask questions pertaining to where she'd actually gotten what was inside...

[whale]

Mere seconds after Dr. Whale looked away from the door and back at Daniel's body the door swung open. Regina walked in and explained that the storm had made her late. Dr. Whale raised an eyebrow at that. "Why didn't you just use magic to get here?" He asked, glancing at the box she was holding. He was much less interested in actually reviving Daniel than he was in those hearts. With them, he could do wonders... he could revive his brother and probably do so much more. But, for now he was forced to use the heart to bring back Regina's true love. It was a waste of potential, in Dr. Whale's opinion. It was probably good to do a test anyway, so his brother didn't come back like a monster again in his own world. He remembered having to kill his own brother because of what had happened...

Regina's words snapped him out of his thoughts. "Yes, thank you." He replied, taking the box from her and turning to Daniel's body. Dr. Whale brought a gloved hand to the box's lid and flipped it open. Inside was a glowing red, still-beating heart, much like the one he'd used to bring back his brother. But the heart he had before was... wrong, for some reason. Or the procedure he used was wrong. Now he had a better heart, or so he assumed since Regina didn't want him to botch this operation, and a slightly different procedure. The technology in Storybrooke had forced him to do things a little bit differently, but hopefully it would still work for him. From what he remembered of his old procedure, it should work.

Wasting no time in starting, Dr. Whale picked the heart up out of the box and placed it in the slit he'd made in Daniel's body. The scientist then quickly stitched up the slit. The heart was in the body. Now there was only one thing left to do. Dr. Whale flipped a nearby switch, turning on all the equipment he needed. Suddenly, lightning struck the rod he'd placed on the hospital. The electric power went into some of the wires he'd placed on Daniel, giving him an electric shock. That was all it should have taken for him to come to life. For a brief moment, it appeared as though nothing had happened. Then, Daniel's hand began to twitch. Soon after, he slowly began raising his hand. "It's alive..."

[Regina Mills]

The moment magic was mentioned, Regina stole a quick glance at the doctor out of the corner of her eye. She supposed she'd just go ahead and tell him - she didn't particularly care what he thought, or whether he would spread it around the whole town. "I'm done with magic." she informed him quietly. "I don't need it anymore. I'll have him." Her gaze softened as she refocused on Daniel - after all, true love was the most powerful magic there was. She'd only ever started using magic in the first place in hopes of finding a way to bring Daniel back, and now that she had...there was no point in continuing anymore. Magic was power, certainly, but she didn't want power. She only wanted this. After tonight, she and Daniel and Henry, if she could convince him, would travel far away - some place safe, where Cora would never find them - and then they'd be happy. Together.

Throughout the duration of the procedure, the former queen fell silent, barely breathing at all as she watched Doctor Whale work. It was as if she was afraid one tiny movement from her would shatter the moment, ruin everything - it felt like an eternity, just standing there waiting, praying for this to work. She didn't think she'd be able to handle it failing again. The last time, all those years ago, it had crushed what little was left of her spirit - this time, well...it was better not to even think about it. Thankfully, it was very difficult to think about anything the moment lightning struck, making her startle slightly as it sent a current of electricity along the complex web of wires and straight into Daniel himself. Regina dug her nails so deeply into her palms that she was lucky she hadn't yet drawn blood. Her focus was all centered intently on the man who'd once been her true love.

And then she saw it. The faint, twitching movement of his hand - before it actually began to rise, showing sure signs of life. Anything even resembling logic or reason was completely abandoned at Whale's words, and without even stopping to think she darted forward and took Daniel's hand in both of hers, letting out a choked little sob as she held it to her chest as if willing him to recognize her heartbeat. The former evil queen, who'd once been so vehemently against showing any emotional vulnerability in front of anyone, was now openly crying in front of the doctor next to her - but she could no longer bring herself to care. "Daniel..." she murmured, releasing one of her hands to touch his cheek gently, willing his eyes to open. "Daniel, come back to me.."

[whale]

Dr. Whale took a step back, watching as the hand continued to move. Had he really done it? Did he manage to really bring back the dead with no repercussions? Was it truly possible that he had actually revived someone with their mind and mannerisms still intact? The doctor was astounded by his own work. It barely registered that Regina was hugging the body he'd just revived - all he cared about was that he had managed to do it. Which meant that he could really bring back his brother as well. This was a milestone in his work, his first true accomplishment! With the amount of hearts Regina had hidden away somewhere, he could work wonders... he could bring back everyone's lost loved ones. He would prove to the town that his abilities were more than magic could ever possibly be!

With one mere sound, all of Dr. Whale's hopes were shattered. Daniel suddenly let out a loud groan. Dr. Whale's eyes widened. No, it couldn't be... he couldn't be like his brother was brought back. "Regina, get away..." Dr. Whale said. A moment after he finished his sentence, Daniel (or the monster Dr. Whale had made out of Daniel) shoved Regina off of him and slowly got to his feet. Dr. Whale grabbed for anything he could use to protect himself. He knew how horribly violent people were when they were brought back to life like this. If only there were some source of fire nearby. When his brother had been brought back he was terrified of fire. Dr. Whale managed to find a small, surgical knife. It wasn't much at all, but perhaps he could protect himself with it. "We have to get out of here, Regina!" Dr. Whale shouted, slowly making his way towards the door.

But the monster was far faster than Dr. Whale. He grabbed the scientist by the throat and pinned him to the wall. He could hardly breathe under the pressure of the monster's incredibly strong grip. Was he going to die like this? Killed by something he'd just given life? How odd that would be... Dr. Whale tried to pull Daniel's hands away from his throat, but the monster was far stronger than him. There was no chance of getting him away.

[Regina Mills]

As she was violently shoved backwards, Regina didn't even really register what was happening - not until she found herself colliding painfully on the ground, staring blankly up at Daniel as he rose from the operating table. What on earth was he doing? Confusion and apprehension washed over her as she stared at him for what felt like an eternity - though it was really only a brief moment. Perhaps he...hadn't recognized her? Certainly, being brought back from the dead had to be a very jarring and disorienting experience - the last thing Daniel would be able to remember, she realized, was having his heart torn out. Of course he'd be a little alarmed - frightened, even. And here she was, just sitting uselessly on the ground. She needed to be there for him, needed to reassure him that everything was alright - and it was with that in mind that she got to her feet again, immediately moving towards Daniel...only to stop dead in her tracks when he moved first. Though this time, he wasn't coming towards her. He was going after Whale.

Initially, she hadn't realized what Doctor Whale had been so panicked about, and hadn't really stopped to acknowledge his warnings. Even now, she couldn't register much more than slightly panicked bewilderment. Why was Daniel angry at Whale? He...that grip he had on Whale's throat, he was going to kill him. But that wasn't like the Daniel Regina remembered - Daniel was kind, and compassionate, and noble. He would have never tried to murder someone, and it was for that reason that Regina couldn't fully comprehend what was happening now. But every moment she wasted standing here immobilized by shock, Doctor Whale's life was slipping away at Daniel's hands. She couldn't allow that to happen. She couldn't let the man who'd just helped her die, and she couldn't let Daniel have that kind of blood on his hands. Regina knew, better than almost anyone, that there was no going back after that sort of thing.

But using magic on him was absolutely not an option. Regina would never, not after the way he'd died. So operating mostly on instinct, she hurried forward and took hold of the arm Daniel was gripping Whale's neck with, making a desperate attempt to pull them apart. "Daniel!" She was almost pleading with him now, but her effort didn't seem to actually be doing anything - he was too strong, even stronger than he had been the first time he'd been alive, and without magic? Without it, Regina didn't really have anything working her favor - she was no different than any woman about 5'4 and a hundred and twenty pounds soaking wet, and that feeling of powerlessness scared her. The thought of using magic on Daniel scared her even more, however. "Daniel, please, just let him go. Look at me." Regina brought a hand up to his face then, turning his chin and forcing him to meet her gaze.

Probably not the best idea.

He released Doctor Whale, only to grab her by the arm and throw her back into the operating table. Regina gave a inadvertent little yelp of pain - but still, even as he advanced on her, refused to show any signs that she intended to fight back. Why didn't he recognize her? Why was he trying to hurt her? Through the shock of it all, nothing was making sense, and all she could do was call out to Whale. "What's wrong with him?"

[whale]

When he saw that Regina was running towards them, Doctor Whale was somewhat relieved. She had magic, which was useful for more violent applications. She could definitely use whatever powers she had to get Daniel away. When Regina reached them, Doctor Whale wasn't quite sure what she was going to do. What magical ability would require getting so close to them? Instead of using her magic, Regina just... tried to pull Daniel's hand away from his neck. If he had the ability to speak he would have told Regina to just use her magic on Daniel. Desperate times call for desperate measures, after all. He was aware that she was trying to avoid magic, but that didn't even matter to him at the moment. He was going to die if she didn't use magic.

Breathing was starting to get more difficult. It seemed like Daniel's grip was getting stronger with every pull Regina put on his arm. If she didn't do something quickly, he was going to be killed by this monster. Well, Doctor Whale got his wish in the form of Regina putting a hand on Daniel's face and got him to look right at her. Apparently, this made him angry. He released Doctor Whale and went right for Regina, leaving the doctor on the ground, regaining his breath. Between the disappointment that he wouldn't be able to bring anything back from the dead and the shock of Daniel's attack, nothing that was going on was really registering to Doctor Whale. It took a few moments for him to realize that Daniel was going after Regina next. The biggest question on his mind was why wasn't Regina using her magic to stop Daniel? This was a situation where if she didn't use it, both of them were going to die.

"He... he didn't come back right. He's a monster." Doctor Whale said, his voice panicked, as he stood up and looked around for something he could use to stop Daniel. There was nothing useful in the room and he couldn't just leave Regina to be killed by Daniel. "I think... You're going to have to use your magic." There was definitely urgency in his voice. He knew all too well how strong people were when they were brought back like monsters. The only way he'd managed to kill his brother was by using his fear of fire against him. But this was a different world. Fire wasn't commonly used to light a room anymore. The only way for the two to stop him was for Regina to use magic...

[Regina Mills]

A monster? No. No, that couldn't be right. They'd used a good, strong heart, and his mind - Daniel still had his mind. He had to still be in there somewhere. People had called her a monster, when she'd been the evil queen. No one had ever bothered to look past that. She would not condemn Daniel to the same fate, the same loneliness. She'd just gotten him back, and she wasn't going to give up on him so easily. Gingerly picking herself up off the table, and wincing slightly at the jolt of pain that shot through her back, Regina focused on Daniel intently. Perhaps, given time, she could make him remember her. But time was something they didn't have, not if Daniel kept behaving like he was now. He was going to kill someone.

Doctor Whale was still there, pleading with her to use magic, but the thought only made her feel even more panicked. She shook her head stubbornly. She'd never hurt Daniel - never. "I can't. I'm not using magic on him. Whatever's wrong with him, he's...he's still Daniel." She had to hold on to that tiny flicker of hope. Otherwise, she was going to fall apart. But Daniel was still advancing on her now, and she wasn't going to be much match for her in a physical struggle. He'd be able to snap her neck before she even got another word in, if he wanted to. Her choices were going increasingly limited, here...perhaps if she just...held him still for a moment, without hurting him. She couldn't allow Doctor Whale to get hurt, and no amount of denial could change the fact that her own safety was at stake as well. But if she just had a moment to talk to Daniel...she was sure that of all people, she could make him listen...

So, cringing slightly even as she moved, she swept out a hand to magically force Daniel back against the wall, pinning him there. He growled, struggling violently, but the magic did its job, holding him there firmly as long as she kept up her concentration. It killed Regina, doing this to him. But she couldn't allow him to hurt anyone - or himself. "Go." she told Doctor Whale without looking at him, her voice breaking slightly as he spoke. If he couldn't fix whatever had gone wrong, he'd be no use to her here. "Run. I've got him." Though, if Daniel wouldn't listen to her, she wasn't sure what she was going to do. She couldn't just let him go, certainly - but how did you contain someone with this amount of strength?

[whale]

She's... not using magic on him. She was going to kill both of them if she didn't use magic! Well, he knew that he definitely wasn't going to die because Regina wasn't strong enough to use her abilities. Thankfully, she soon used her magical abilities to hold Daniel against the wall. Doctor Whale raised an eyebrow. If Regina was going to do that, why wouldn't she just kill him? He wasn't the person she loved anymore, he was nothing but a monster. Doctor Whale had to learn the same thing when he'd attempted to bring his brother back to life. It was devastating, having to kill his brother when he was so close to bringing him back, but he knew that he had to.

The moment Regina told him to get out of there, Doctor Whale had no second thoughts about running out the door. Regina had no idea what the monsters he created were like. They weren't at all the people they were before, even if the heart was very strong. His process was flawed. He thought that the limited equipment in Storybrooke would fix his procedure with the changes it forced him to make. But, no, apparently his procedure had turned Daniel into a monster. The moment Doctor Whale was out of the room, he rushed into another room and locked the door. If Regina wasn't going to kill the monster, Doctor Whale definitely wasn't going to let it kill him. Doctor Whale was familiar with the room. It was one of the offices. It was abandoned by the previous owner, who apparently wasn't right for the job when she learned about her real self.

Suddenly, Doctor Whale spotted something odd in the window. Lightning was striking all around the Storybrooke graveyard. He rushed over to the window to see that something very strange was happening in the graveyard. As the lightning struck, it seemed like... things were coming out of the graves. Doctor Whale took a step back from the window. They looked like humans, but they weren't. They were the same kind of monsters he'd made out of his brother and Daniel. What happened? Was the combination of his procedure and Regina's magic causing this...?