Emma had had enough. She threw back her last shot, and slid off the stool at Granny's. Once on her feet, she waited until the diner stopped spinning, and she was sure she had her balance. Falling was a definite possibility. She vaguely heard Ruby's voice behind her.
"Emma, where are you going? You can barely stand, and you're not driving home. You gave me your keys an hour ago, remember?"
Emma responded without even looking behind her. Turning her head might have disgusting consequences. "I'll be fine. Where I'm going, I don't need to drive…or walk."
"Emma, don't you dare practice magic like this! Who knows where you'll end up, or in how many pieces!"
Emma held her up hand, and responded firmly, "It's ok, Ruby. I got this. I've been practicing."
Truth is she had been practicing ever since she had returned from the Enchanted Forest. She had practiced only one thing – showing up at 108 Mifflin over and over again. At first, Emma had practiced getting to the sidewalk, outside the former mayor's home. Then, she managed to appear a little further down the concrete walkway. In the last few days, she had made it onto the porch. She had done all this secretly, when she knew that neither Regina nor Henry were home. She was sure that if Regina had been home, and aware of what she was doing, she would have been greeted with a scathing look and fireballs. And while that was nothing new, in the last few months, Emma thought they'd moved away from some of the hate and animosity with all that they had been through. But Emma returning through the portal with Robin's wife, Marian, was just too much to bear for Regina. She hadn't spoken to Emma since that night outside of Granny's. In the three weeks that had passed, Regina refused to be in the same room as Emma, leaving Granny's whenever she showed up, and never coming to the door whenever Emma picked up or dropped off Henry. Emma had tried to apologize but Regina had glared at her, walked away or worse, thrown the door in her face. She simply refused to acknowledge Emma in any way. Emma needed to apologize and make sure that Regina heard her. There was only one way to do that.
Emma stumbled out of Granny's, missing a step or two, and turned to walk towards Regina's home. She breathed in the cool night air. She was grateful for the peace and quiet of Storybrooke, even on a Friday night. She thought tonight was the night. Henry was with his grandparents, and Hook believed she was home in bed with a migraine. She had never suffered from migraines, but mysteriously, she seemed to be getting more and more of them as Hook insisted on seeing her. She knew she'd have to deal with the amorous pirate, but first things first. Regina was her priority.
As she walked, listening to her footsteps and feeling a little surer on her feet, she thought that maybe she could just walk to Regina's, but she'd just be met with silence, or a door slammed in her face. No, that would not do. She needed to appear inside Regina's home, suffer her wrath, and make sure that she was heard, hopefully before being killed. Emma shook her head, and chuckled at her own thoughts. Regina wouldn't kill Henry's birth mother, right? But she'd come damn close.
Emma turned down one of the town's side streets, and stood in the shadows. She took a few deep breaths to clear her mind. She could feel her heart almost beat out of her chest, and willed it to slow down. She closed her eyes, and imagined Regina's foyer. She knew it well – its pristine grandeur and décor. It would be dark, only lit by the porch light, and maybe a night light in the kitchen down the hall. She tried to remember as many details as she could, and then as she had done before, willed herself there. Emma wasn't used to the whole transporting thing yet, and always arrived exhausted. She managed to lose her footing as well, and usually ended up on her knees. As she felt the magic swirl around her and begin to transport her, she wondered if Regina would be in her study, or perhaps in her bedroom, considering the late hour. For a brief moment, she let herself imagine Regina in a beautiful bed, with luxurious sheets and duvet, with only the starlight and moonlight filtering in.
Emma slowly opened her eyes and knew she had been successful in transporting herself. She was on her knees, which was normal for her, but something was off. Her knees weren't pushing down on the tile in Regina's foyer. Instead, there was soft carpet beneath them. Maybe she'd been a little too successful. Emma let herself fall back on her heels. She groaned in the darkened room, before hearing that all too familiar, sultry voice.
"Miss Swan, most of my suitors usually wait to be invited into my bedroom."
Shit Emma, what have you done?