Hi everyone, new year, new story! Make 2016 a great one. Face your fears and find adventure :D. This story has a few trigger warnings so I am placing that up here. Events and people are fictional. I tried to push the boundaries on the angst and make this story as real and relatable as possible, Please enjoy 24 :)

24

What can change in 24 hours? Your plans, your clothes, you're entire life? For Regina Mills her whole life would be altered forever by a young woman she ran at the coffee shop. Maybe it was time to control her own life from now on. Maybe it was time for her to love, to love herself again.

Emma went to the same coffee shop every morning in the city. It was definitely the quiet before the storm. She would walk in and suddenly feel lighter, even if she was running late for a job, which usually, she was.

She walked in and let the neutral wood shades do their calming magic as her eyes grazed over the black chalkboard. She knew what she wanted, dark roast, black. With a shit ton of sugar. As her eyes continued to sweep across the dark board with neon colored menu items she failed to see the dark haired women heading straight for her.

The blond was jolted back to reality as she felt a warm body press into her own. Luckily the woman's coffee didn't spill, as would have normally been Emma's luck. She looked up into startled espresso eyes as she smiled awkwardly, shit she was going to be in trouble, this woman was just her type.

The brunette slightly shook her head as if waking herself from a dream. Her features quickly taking form into a hard look. She quickly looked away, pulling her un-spilled coffee into her chest.

"Watch where you're going." Was all she said as she pushed past Emma.

Emma's brows rose as her eyes followed the woman through the door. Yep bitchy just her luck, and just her type. Emma sighed as she watched the brunette take off down the road. The blond turning back in line and ordering,

"Hey can I get a black coffee, tons of sugar?"

…..

Regina had started her day off much the same as she always did since her arranged marriage. By waking up and desperately wishing that this was all a bad dream.

She glanced around the expensively decorated bedroom as she once again wondered to herself how did she get here.

She had been to the best of schools, made the best of connections, what did her mother expect her to say when she was informed that she was to marry Leopold White, head of White Kingdom Enterprises? Her connections quickly dwindled as none would dare go against her mother, and any friends she may have thought she collected soon were never heard from again.

She had been raised to be a strong, independent woman, full of life. The latter having to do solely with her father, a quite man who loved his horses.

Seven years ago when she had graduated college she was looking at taking over the family business off luxury horse breeding and exporting. Pure breed Arabians was a good business to be in, if you were the daughter of legendary breeder Henry Mills. She had even had a short fling with a stable boy in her youth. He mother quickly putting a end to that and sending the boy away. Regina had figured out at this point that she was not attracted to men , well not in the traditional sense. Though there was something comforting about Daniel, she would have gladly spent her life with him having adventures. But it was not meant to be.

She tried to keep up contact when he went away. And after tracking him down she was ready to give up everything just to be with him, for the only semblance of happiness she had ever known. With him she could truly be herself and not the socialite and power hungry Cora Mill's daughter. But when she found her friend and love again, he wanted nothing to do with her. Convincing her that they would have never worked out. Not that he didn't love her, but that they simply would never work. She returned home disheartened and began to turn cold.

Her mother of course was pleased with the turn of events, reminding Regina that love is weakness. People move on and people certainly change. Regina retreated into horses and her business studies from then on and through University. She had a few flings with women in college, but she never found anyone she really connected with again. She chose to pursue her career as her only partner and love of her life. But as she graduated her mother, once again, ripped away her chance at happiness.

Her mother informed her that to take control of the family business she must marry up and produce an heir. And of course Cora had found just the man. Leopold White. The man was balding, rich, had a great deal of influence and power, an the city was jokingly referred to by its inhabitants as the "White Kingdom". But most astonishingly, Leo had a true love already, his Lamborghini, Snow. He talked to the thing as if it were his own child.

Regina ran crying to her father about how unfair life was, hoping he could sway her mother from her quest. No matter how hard Henry tried, Cora would not budge. Regina could marry Leo and have money and power, or be disowned with nothing. She had no friends and no other family to turn to, Cora had made sure of that.

It was only two weeks later that she threw on a long white dress and her practiced smile and walked down the isle to her prison of a life.

She however, was allowed to keep her last name, Mills. Their marriage was a mess from the start. She would have to get as drunk as her husband to let him touch her, and yet as the year went by her husband grew more controlling and angrier at every passing month that Regina did not produce an Heir. It was only after Leo dragging Regina to the doctor did they find out that not only was he not of a a good child producing age, but that Regina was infertile.

This did have one upside to it, Leo started to leave Regina alone in the bedroom and seek his pleasure elsewhere.

Regina grew lonely and depressed and pleaded with him to adopt a child, she knew it was going to be her one chance of ever having someone love her. And at this point there was still a small spark in her soul still alive. He agreed, but would not claim the child as his own.

One afternoon as her mother once again sought to reduce her involvement in the family business, until her marriage become more stable, she received a call about a little boy in need of a home, in Boston. It was love at first sight. Well after little Henry's first day of crying and screaming his head off. He was cuddly and quiet and would cling to his mother, just the love, attention and sense of purpose she was needing.

Regina let a smile drift her lips as she turned away from Leo in bed. At least with Henry, she would be loved and have someone who would never leave her, at least she hoped.

She cringed as the alarm blared it's obnoxious sound through the room. Leo hitting the snooze button harder than was necessary. Stretching he roughly budged the brunette.

"Get up." His tone was cold and passive.

Regina sighed. She pulled on her robe and went to get Henry ready for school.

Regina shook her head as she left the coffee shop, she had butterflies, the blond was just her type. So why couldn't she just have been nice for once. Her shoulders pulled in as she fought back tears, maybe her mother was right, no one would ever love her…

Emma sighed as she pushed open the door, sipping her coffee. Maybe if she saw the brunette again she would try and talk to her… yeah right, like she was going to see her again, there were hundreds, thousands of people in the city. It wasn't quite New York or San Francisco or even Chicago for that matter, but it was big enough and the chances of seeing the stunning woman again were slim to none.

At least she didn't have another bounty gig yet. Today she could just go to the park for a run and then play video games to her hearts content. Emma sipped her coffee, letting it fight off the bite of the morning chill. She needed to do something more with her life, get out there. After growing up in foster care and somehow finishing school she knew somewhere deep down that she should be proud of all she had accomplished. But she felt empty, maybe it was time she let her buddy August set her up with someone. August had been dying to do so for a while.

Drinking the last of her coffee and throwing it in the bin, she made a silent vow to once again take charge and change her life.