Can I call you? – R

Regina threw her phone down into the cup holder of her Benz as she leaned her head back on the seat. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and tried to loosen the tightness in her chest.

I don't think I can do this.

She had been feeling…less than happy for the past month. Hopper had suggested the word depression – something she wouldn't even allow herself to consider. Yes, things had gotten difficult, going through a close political race that dug up many of the memories she spent days and nights trying to forget, along with the fact that Henry suddenly decided his mother was evil.

Catching herself spiraling into pity, she shook her head at herself.

You've been through far worse than anything you're dealing with now.

Regina's stomach tightened as she suddenly remembered some of the "worse" she had been through. Images of her mother's face, contorted with rage and just inches from Regina's own, bled into one another as she felt a familiar emotional numbness taking over.

Before she could slink completely and totally into the emptiness, the glow from Regina's discarded cell phone lit up the dark interior of the car. Sighing, she opened her eyes to glance at the message:

Of course. Call when you're ready.

With slightly shaking hands, she pulled up her friend's number from her starred contacts, put the phone on speaker, and stared off blankly as the dial tone filled the car.

"Hello? Regina?" Kathryn's slightly worried voice finally broke the spell Regina had been under, as she cleared her throat to talk to her friend.

"Thank you for letting me call you, I know it's late." Regina played with the hem of her shirt, unsure how to tell her friend where she was or why she was having such a sudden lapse of strength.

"Of course. What's going on?" Silence hung in the air for a moment, as Regina glanced at the clock on her dashboard.

Ten minutes. Ten minutes to decide.

"Regina?" Kathryn's voice broke through the heavy silence once again, and Regina braced herself for an uncomfortable conversation.

"I'm here. I…I'm not sure how to say this." Regina bit her lip, silently cursing herself for sounding so weak.

"You're scaring me, Regina."

"It's nothing to be scared of." Regina quickly jumped in. "I'm just…embarrassed. I'm outside of the dance studio you told me about and I just…don't think I can do this".

"OH MY GOD!" Kathryn's voice screeched excitedly through Regina's speaker, causing the brunette to wince and lower the volume a few notches. She expected there to be more of that, the more she told her friend. "You signed up for a class?!"

Sighing, Regina ran a hand through her hair. "Yes, it seems I did. I'm sitting outside now and I have half a mind to just let them keep my money and drive home right now."

"Regina. If you don't go in there, I am not going to make any donations to your campaign next term, I swear to god."

Regina's eyes flashed, narrowing at her phone, despite knowing her friend couldn't see the fire burning behind her eyes. Of course Kathryn would know just the thing to threaten her with, and she didn't doubt the blonde would follow through. It wasn't like she needed the money, she raised over a million dollars during her last campaign. It was the threat of abandonment by her closest friend that brought up a flash of anger tinged with fear. Despite the fact, she desperately wanted to hang onto that spark of emotion, bringing some life back into her previously shut-off brain.

"By all means. However, I don't suppose the admissions board at Harvard would take well to knowing that one of their newly admitted students was attempting to blackmail a public official. Especially not if that student were to be studying law. It sure would be a shame if someone were to let that…slip." Despite the words, both women knew the threat had no real bite behind it. Kathryn had known the other woman for far too long, and knew she had a deep-seated love for argument and debate. It was what made her such a great politician in the first place.

Sighing, Kathryn tried one last time to convince the brunette. "Regina. You wouldn't have called me if you didn't want me to convince you to go inside. Just think about it as another day at the gym."

Regina bit her lower lip, glancing at the clock once more and realizing she only had a minute left to decide. Quietly, she whispered "I'm scared, Kathryn."

The blonde's heart clenched at the quiet admission. She had listened to Regina cry far too many times in the past few weeks. She knew what pain the woman was going through, and every fiber of her being wished she could do something to ease the pain her friend was in.

"I know. I completely understand the feeling. I was terrified my first time too. But I promise, Regina, it isn't anything to be scared of. It's really fun and really relaxing. Everyone is going to support you. Plus, nobody will even know who you are, so if you hate it, you can always leave and never go back. I'll even help you sue the place if you feel like it, pro bono."

Regina couldn't help but smile lightly at that. Serious as the woman was, Kathryn was one of the few people who could make her laugh anymore.

"Thank you." She breathed out, leaning her head back against the cold leather once more. "I'm going to go in now. But if I hate it, the blame will fall squarely on your shoulders."

"I would expect nothing less." Kathryn laughed. "Have a great time, and tell me all about it after!"

"I will." Regina ended the call, pulling her coat tighter around herself as she stepped out of the car and made her way towards the door of the building – The Rabbit Pole Dance Studio.