#…unless Archie does this every time he enters or exits a building

[diltonsstrangescience]

[megairishrose]

Recruited chapter 49: Showdown

The laboratory was in the middle of nowhere. It was a large, cold and bleak building with only a handful of windows. Robin and Tink used the darkness of night to land the jet about a mile away, hoping it was enough space between them and the building. They all suited up and began walking.

Kathryn had already disarmed all the alarms by the time they reached the front door. The team entered the silent building. If the outside was cold and unwelcoming, the inside was no better. It was just a blank empty room. No chairs, plants, or information about the company, its research or its founder.

"I'm going to break you into team. Each team take a floor and search it. We need to find Cora and or the experiments." Robin began. "Team one is Tink, Belle, Killian, and Jefferson. Team two is Mary Margaret, Ruby, David and Ashely. Team three is Emma, Neal and August. I will be taking Regina and Archie with me. I hope you all studied the layouts Tink was able to steal of this building. If you find anything, report in immediately."

Thankfully that's what the plane ride had provided, time to study the layout. Each team headed for the stairs. Getting doors open wasn't going to be a problem, Kathryn was going to do that from their headquarters.

"You kept families and friends together." Regina whispered to Robin.

"I felt I had to. Families and friends need to stick together. They need to help each other succeed."

The small team was taking the fourth floor. Archie and Robin began searching the rooms closest to them. Regina, on the other hand, went to the room at the far end of the hall. Her mother's office to be exact.

Regina had her gun drawn as she entered the office. It was empty and dark. She knew she had little time before Robin noticed her absence. Carefully, she ruffled through a stack of colorful papers. Her mother was not usually one for color.

Then Regina found a small pile of pictures and her eyes unexpectedly watered. Her first birthday, school pictures, her whole childhood.

What was Cora doing with these?

"Regina? Where are you?" Robin called none too quietly. He ran down the hall then looked in the last room. "What are you doing?"

"Keep your voice down. You want someone to hear us?"

"I think we are alone. None of the other teams have run into security and according to Gold, there is no movement besides us in the building."

"Cora is very protective of her experiments. She would have security posted at every entrance…"

"Unless…" Robin began, the sick truth dawned on him.

And Regina caught on. "She was excepting us."

"Are you aware there is another lab in the basement, dearie?" Gold's voice came though the headset. "And there is one person in it at the moment."

An underground basement with a secret lab, definably her mother's style. "Cora."

"I have your back; you know that right?" Robin had to ask, he needed to hear those words from his wife. They were sprinting down the hall with Archie close behind. Robin noticed she was still holding a small stack of pictures.

"I know you do, and I have yours, always." Regina paused, did they have time? To hell with time, she pulled him close and kissed him. For all they knew, this could be their last kiss. She took a step back too quickly and spoke into her headpiece. "Gold how many entrances does this lab have?"

"One main door and three emergency ones." Gold told her.

"You heard the man, each team takes an emergency door. My team is going to take the main entrance. We need to surround her." Regina gave out the orders.

She wanted and needed to face her mother first.

The teams were getting into position inside the lab, keeping an eye out for any movement that wasn't theirs.

"So Swan, when we get out of this mess, want to grab a drink? I know the owner of some club in town."

Emma rolled her eyes but hid her smile. "Killian, are you seriously asking me out on a date right now? When everyone, including my brother and my ex can hear you?"

"Yeah, he must be insane." August said.

"Or very brave. Take your pick, Jones." Neal added.

"Bravely insane." Yes, that's what Killian was going with. "What do you say, Swan?"

"If we get out of here in one piece, I'll consider it." She answered.

"And if I don't make it out in one piece, you can play doctor on me." Killian felt he had to ease the tension of the whole situation.

That earned an eye roll from everyone who heard it. But Emma Swan was considering it. Now she had even more reason to succeed with this mission.

Cora was peering into a microscope when she heard something behind her. She only smiled to herself. "Hello dear." She turned around to see her youngest daughter standing there. "Time certainly has treated you well, you look beautiful."

Regina was not there to talk about her looks. Actually she wasn't there to talk about much. Her gun was in her hand, hanging to her side. She could pull it up in the blink of an eye if needed.

"Is that your husband back there?" Cora asked. Regina controlled her feelings. She wanted Robin to stay back, didn't want him involved in this mess any more than he, and the rest of the team, already was. She caught his reflection in a glass on a table. Of course Robin had his gun drawn. "Hello there, I'm Regina's mother, Cora Mills." Cora introduced herself then turned back to Regina. "He's quite handsome, I hope he makes you happy. I do feel hurt I wasn't invited to the wedding."

"Were you surprised you were invited or even told? We haven't been on the best of terms the last time we spoke." Regina asked, though it felt like she was talking to a brick wall.

"I know that and for that I am sorry. I made some selfish choices in the past but that is behind us now. I am making amends." Then Cora noticed the pictures in Regina's hand. "Couldn't help yourself, could you Regina? Sneaking into my office? Well, this saves me the trip. Can I have yours pictures?"

Unsure what to do, Regina handed over the small collection. Maybe she just had to keep her mother talking, she would eventually spill everything.

"I am almost done with this page." Cora took the pictures, went to another table and picked up a glue stick. A moment later, she lifted a sheet of red paper, it had pictures from Regina's eighth birthday party. "You kept changing your mind on the theme, everyday it seemed it was something new. Finally, I got tired and picked for you. Red was elegant and royal."

"You were always making my choices for me, even then." She sounded hurt then shook her head at the page. "Zelena said you have taken up scrapbooking, I didn't believe her."

"Speaking of Zelena, was that the right way to treat your sister? She only just got out and has been carrying on like a child. Honestly Regina, I thought I taught you better than that." Cora actually thought she was in a position to scold.

It was laughable. "The way I remember it; you weren't really around.' Regina corrected her. It was true, Cora was always working. Regina had learned the important lessons from her father.

"I know that now and I am sorry. I should have been a better mother to you and Zelena. But I am making up for that now."

"How? By changing our memories? By turning back time?" There was no logical way to make up for everything.

"Something like that. Take a look over there." Cora pointed to a giant pod. Suddenly, Regina did not feel so good, something was seriously wrong.

There was a body inside and it had a face that Regina would never forget. "Daddy?" She whirled around to face her mother. "What are you doing with him?"

"I'm bringing him back. So we, all four of us can be a family again. Though, from what I hear, the family got bigger. Regina, darling, you can have the family you always dreamed of."

"This is madness. You have lost your mind, Mother." Regina took a step back.

"I'm quite sure not everyone shares your option on that. All your little recruits, for example. They have one thing in common." Cora then directed her statement to the agents at the emergency exits. "You all lost someone dear to you: mothers, fathers, brothers. Wouldn't you do anything to bring them back? Be happy, be a whole family again?"

There was no movement, it seemed that all breathing even stopped. Cora was offering them the impossible.

And for the first time, Regina wasn't sure she trusted her team.