Hi everyone! This is my first fan fiction ever. I hope I did these great characters justice. It will be dark and angsty. Rated M.

This story is set after the Final Battle, a few months after Henry's departure. Season 7 doesn't exist. Regina finds herself heavily tormented by an unsuspected event. No one can know about this. Not ever.

I figured I'd suggest a song you can listen to for each chapter. The music itself and the lyrics I'll quote will give you a taste of the atmosphere they convey.

Here's for Chapter 1 : Dead Meat, by Sean Lennon, 2006

Dead meat

Don't you know you're dead meat

You just messed with the wrong team

Better not try and fall asleep now

You'd better run out of here

I'll close my eyes and count to

Ten and then I'll come find you

Yeah

You're gonna get what you deserve

Gonna get what you deserve

In the end you're gonna learn

How you get what you deserve

The characters in the following story belong to ABC.

Chapter 1 : Dead Meat

Cold. It was freaking cold these days. But Emma had decided to go for a walk. At 3 a.m.? She couldn't sleep anyway. Just like the night before. She couldn't pinpoint the origin of the awkward feeling that seemed to linger at the back of her throat. She left home, as quiet as a mouse, and shivered as the night air engulfed her tired body. Step after step, she tried to steady her heartbeat and focus on her breathing. Storybrooke was fast asleep. It was so peaceful in here. Years had passed since the final battle, and new beginnings felt good. Freaking cold, but good. Jesus, she should have opted for a warmer jacket. Her mother would have known better. Of course she would...

Still lost in thought, Emma walked past Regina's mansion. Henry had left a few months before, leaving her on her own. Madam Mayor made her so proud. She pondered over everything they had gone through. What a challenge this woman used to be! Danger incarnate. Insidious, vicious, carnivorous danger. How could she ever forget their first encounter? And she... Wait a minute. Emma took a few steps back. The front door was ajar. As she carefully made her way to the porch, she realised the lights were out. Something wasn't right. She had to check for herself.

"Hello?" Emma entered the lobby, squinting as she tried to get accustomed to the darkness. "Regina, are you here?" No answer. She retrieved her phone from her back pocket and turned on the flashlight to scan her surroundings. No one. She climbed the stairs and approached the master bedroom. Everything was neat, as usual. Henry's room and the spare room were empty as well. Nothing seemed out of place, except that Regina was nowhere to be found. Emma went back downstairs and headed for the kitchen. In an instant, fear seemed foreign to describe what was going on in her head. "No, no, no! Regina!" Her friend was lying face down on the floor. She switched on the lights and rushed by her side to check her pulse.

Three weeks before

It was almost midnight when Regina said goodbye to the Charmings. What a lovely family dinner it had been. Even Zelena was there, with little Robin. With Henry away, she cherished every moment she could spend with them. The past few years had been the most peaceful she had ever known. Madam Mayor was a Queen, in Storybrooke, and it was ok. She couldn't remember the last time she experienced fear or hatred in the eyes of a fellow citizen. She felt loved and respected. She felt alive. Instead of driving home, she parked near the seafront, where Henry's castle used to be. She was getting used to being alone, but she sometimes needed to feel close to him. She found a bench to sit on and took her time to relish the beauty of the night sky. After a while, she closed her eyes to take in the music of the waves lashing on the shore. It was perfect. Sleep was slowly taking over her mind when she felt a hand land on her shoulder.

"Emma, if you wanted to congratulate me on my apple pie, you could hav... Oh, sorry sir, I thought you were someone else."

The man she beheld was rather young but something in his demeanour was telling otherwise. He gazed at her without saying a word. Regina stood up and approached him.

"Can I help you? Are you ok, sir?"

She tried to recall seeing him before but she couldn't. That was odd. The Mayor took pride in claiming that she knew everybody in Storybrooke. In 28 years of curse, you get to know your own people for sure. The man let his hands dangle to his sides and kept staring at her. This time, she could tell he was about to say something. The sadness in his eyes reminded her of darker times. All of a sudden, he dropped to his knees and burst out crying. Regina was taken aback, she crouched and extented her hand to help him up. He grabbed her wrist and held her still. At first, she thought he was trying to steady himself but when he wouldn't let go, she sensed something was wrong. She tried to stand up but he pulled her back.

"What are y..."

The man took out a knife from his breast pocket and gave the Queen a devilish smile. The instant fear that struck Regina left her helpless. Frozen in time. She felt the cold blade run through her flesh, right above her hip. No sound escaped her parted lips. No one could hear her anyway. He stood up and kicked her hard. She was now lying on her back, blood streaming down her face.

"What do you want from me?" she gasped. "What did I ever do to you? Talk to me, I don't want to hurt you!"

"Maybe," he replied. "But I certainly want to hurt you, Your Majesty."

The man swiftly knelt astride her and reached for her throat. The pressure applied on her wound was unbearable.

"Let me go, I can make it right!"

"Never."

Regina couldn't think straight anymore. All she could feel was pain. And with a magical twist of the hand, she snapped his neck.

I hope you guys liked it. Feel free to leave comments or PM.

See you next week for chapter 2!