Regina's Most Dreadful Nightmare
Summary: (Prequel to A Promise Kept) Apparently the only nightmare worse than Emma Swan killing her was the horror of living with her. Swan Queen.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters contained here within. This is meant for entertainment purposes and is not used for profit.
Author's Note: This is the prequel to A Promise Kept, and will be written in conjunction with it. Names are used intentionally, like in APK. The tone of this story is lighter, to balance out APK, although there will be a fair deal of serious parts. Many things will eventually crop up in APK and the plot of this story will be integral to the relationships Regina develops in APK and its sequel, most notably hers with Emma. This story takes place during the events of 2.01 'Broken.'
Regina Mills was an orderly woman. She liked to keep things neat and organized, from her work to her home to even her diabolical schemes. Everything and everyone had its place in her mind.
For example: Snow—Mortal Enemy.
Filed under Eternal Loathing.
Simple things like that.
Once things had a place they were locked in, barring any unforeseen, tragic or untimely circumstances. Everything was perfectly classified until the very untimely, unforeseen and extremely tragic arrival of one Emma Swan.
That woman's file had been shuffled so many times, notes stacked, edges frayed that Regina was forced to let it all pile up unattended.
This simply would not do for her system.
So long had Emma Swan's file piled up that it was beginning to creep its way into Regina's daily life, her unconscious mind unable to process all the conflicting information. She had the most foreboding feeling that the more Swan's file integrated into her conscious mind, the more likely she was possibly doomed. At that point death would be preferable to a favourable opinion of Emma Swan, in any way, shape or form. Regina would keep denying this, telling herself that she was far too busy worrying about far more important things, like running the town and keeping Henry, to devote precious time and energy processing how she related to Emma Swan. Rightly so, she told herself, especially when Henry fell into a coma and everything else had to be shelved away.
Then her meticulously planned curse was broken and with it all she had held dear in the world without magic—Henry, power, control, all of it, gone with a simple kiss. Regina was on the cusp of facing an existential crisis but she couldn't even handle taking care of herself mentally when the town seemed hell-bent on wreaking their vengeance on her, a feeling she understood all too well.
Everyone except one Emma Swan.
Perhaps Henry put her up to it, Regina hoped beyond all which she was deserving of.
Sheriff Emma Swan had torn through Regina's very first lynch mob, demanding Whale unhand Regina (Regina loathed to give Swan points for timely arrivals but her suit was becoming unfortunately crumpled.) Regina couldn't hold back her irritation as Charming came blazing in, hackles raised, full of reckless bravado and the very image of his daughter. When Snow came to stand beside her and speak on Regina's behalf she was surprised, to say the least. Her Mortal Enemy entry would have to undergo further consideration in the future. She supposed a few days of genuine care couldn't quite become undone no matter what pain travailed afterwards.
Regina couldn't think about that—wouldn't, couldn't, shouldn't.
Luckily, Regina only got thrown in jail instead of lynched. However, the thought that she was now sharing the same cell that not only Emma Swan but Snow White had occupied as well was a wretched parallel that she refused to give more thought to.
It was when the saccharine Charming family had departed and Gold hobbled out of the shadows like some sort of creeper that Regina felt the first twinge of fear. Somehow Gold had found her bargaining chip, Belle, and it turned out he wasn't all too pleased.
Not that Regina could blame him.
She could, however, blame him for being a spiteful creature that she learned far too well from. When he burned her fate onto her palm, Regina couldn't quite believe that her fear of death was so pronounced. Only in her nightmare of Emma killing her had she ever felt so frightened of dying. Regina surmised that her fear stemmed from her need to have Henry back, to convince herself that she wasn't as broken as she felt.
When Gold left, his righteousness etched into her palm, Regina should have started worrying about her life and trying to keep it. Tried to find a way out. Muster the strength of will to make magic work for her again. Anything.
Instead of thinking about her imminent demise and determining the likelihood of death by lynch mob to Wraith, Regina's mind determined that mental anguish would take precedence over survival and she simply passed out on her jail cot.
Regina was dimly aware of a gentle stroking of fingers in her hair and soft whispers, maybe even a comforting heat, but all of that was insignificant to the pounding in her head. All she could think about was a series of jackhammers strategically placed at key points on her skull, chiseling away at her will to live. They had also eroded her common sense enough that she leaned to the source of all that was immediately good. A familiar creak indicated she was lying on her bed, the mere thought comforting her and causing her to draw in a deep breath. The scent that flooded her nostrils was heavenly with a whiff of familiar.
So very familiar.
Too familiar.
Regina's eyelids opened as quickly as the spike in her heart rate. Her cheek registered the feel of leather. Her eyes processed red. Stomach rolling, eyes darting frantically, Regina began to hyper-ventilate.
To lesser mortals, it would appear as if Regina was merely snorting irritably instead of the physical breakdown it truly was.
Satisfied by a loud grunt of dismay as Regina's hands conveniently punched her tormentor in the diaphragm, Regina straightened imperiously, her favourite scowl locked in place. "It seems that you and that infernal jacket are nigh inseparable. The mere fact that you wear it to bed is appalling, Miss Swan."
Regina blamed the abhorrent implication of her and Swan sharing a bed on her headache. It certainly was no fault of her own that she was seemingly nonchalant about the notion. Jackhammers and all.
The bed was soft, curtains drawn, Swan spluttering, headache abating, one of these was not like the other. Regina scanned her location as critically as she could with one eye twitching furiously. It was her room, for all intents and purposes. Everything looked to be in place.
Except for the fact that Emma Swan was in it.
Regina scowled tremendously and made to get up and face down Swan properly— all the better for their classic showdowns that Regina derived no amusement from whatsoever— when her legs got caught. She realized she was partially tucked in under her covers and tore them off only to let out a shocked scream that had Emma gripping her shoulders frantically.
Regina shook Swan's hands off quickly and stood authoritatively, jabbing an accusing figure at Swan's face. "I demand to know what I've done to deserve this…this…this!" Regina pointed furiously at her pants, embarrassment at her complete loss for words combined with her utter despair bringing a bright flush to her cheeks.
Emma tilted her head quizzically as she glanced at Regina's legs. Regina fumed as Swan took her sweet time sweeping her form and lingering meaningfully with an eyebrow raised while Regina's body began to react in several unpleasing ways.
"Cool it with the battle stance, Regina," Swan finally says. Regina does not 'cool it'. "I don't get it. What did you do to deserve to be clothed?"
Swan's vapid mind clearly wouldn't cut it. "It seems, to my abject horror, mind you," Regina snarled as Swan's whole face spasmed in amusement, "that I am encased in those denim monstrosities you seem to revel in!"
Swan laughs violently, whether at Regina's outrage or apparent success at her scheme of humiliating Regina, Regina couldn't tell. Both were unacceptable.
Regina positioned her hands on her hips. "Does it amuse you to inflict indignities upon me?"
"What are you talking about," Swan manages to choke out. "You always wear jeans when we go out riding. Wait," Swan begins chuckling again. "Jeans…Regina…Re-jeans…" and she erupts into giggles this time.
Giggles.
Regina gawps at Swan, aghast. Had this woman finally lost the last vestiges of her sanity? Regina didn't own a pair of jeans, let alone willingly trap herself in them. "If, by riding, I assume horseback," her voice raised enough to hopefully penetrate Swan's thick skull, "that is simply preposterous. There are riding leathers, pants, anything but jeans like some sort of, commoner," she grasps for a word Swan could possibly understand.
Unable to cope with Swan's vacuous stupidity, Regina put her palm to her face, dragging it slowly down in the hope that it would also wipe away this dreadful vision.
It did not.
Instead Regina felt something twist at her hand. She gazed down. She stared. She barely registered the sounds of Swan's raucous laughter dying down.
A garbled cry erupted from Regina's lips. Regina choked on the bile in her throat at the entrapment on her left hand- a gold band, designed like the roots of a tree, encapsulated a silver swan. A pulse of deep, warm and unfamiliar magic thrummed through it, the roots and feathers of the swan moving languidly in a soothing manner against her ring finger.
Regina jumped as she held her quivering hand aloft, directing the limb in Swan's direction. "What the hell is this?"
Swan's face turned stone-cold serious instantly. "Regina," she said slowly, "what do you mean?"
"Do I have to spell everything out for you?" She hissed. "What is this ring? Why am I wearing it? What are you doing in my room?" A slew of questions bubbled in the forefront of her mind but Regina cut herself off, seeing Emma's face pale further at each question.
Regina stood in an uncomfortable silence and she tried not to be worried at the thought that Emma wasn't breathing.
"Henry!" Emma suddenly screamed and bolted out of the room in a blink of an eye.
Henry?
Regina felt her pulse quicken. What was he doing here? Did he want to come live with her again?
"Mom?"
Regina whirled around at the unfamiliar timbre and promptly felt her knees buckle at the sight before her. Henry, her Henry, stood before her, taller, older, with an unfamiliar but heart–breaking concern etched into his face.
"Henry," she managed to gasp as she collapsed onto the bed.
"Mom, what's wrong," he asked, immediately moving to sit next to her on the bed.
Staring at him for several moments, Regina slowly shook her head. "You're older."
In a manner far too reminiscent of Swan, Henry tilted his head to the side. "Mom, what's the matter? Everyone's worried about you." At Regina's puzzled look, he continued. "You know? When you fell all of a sudden?"
Regina shakily reached a hand to caress his face. To her utter astonishment, Henry let her. "I don't know what you're talking about, dear. The last thing I remember was lying in jail…and the next thing I knew I was here, in these," Regina gestured to the jeans and Henry laughed, a sound she had long since forgotten, "and then Miss Swan…"she growled.
"The jail!"
Henry and Regina both let out a surprised squeak as Emma flung herself through the doorway.
"Sheriff Swan!" Regina laid a hand over her chest, adrenaline pumping through her. "It is unbecoming for one who is sworn to uphold the law to eavesdrop," she scolded severely, Emma rolling her eyes.
"I wasn't eavesdropping," Swan fibbed easily and Regina and Henry shared a skeptical eye roll. "I was just wandering around outside."
"Really," Regina drawled, "I was hoping you'd wandered from the path of life."
Emma blithely ignored Regina's oblique aspersion. "You seem troubled." Swan promptly plopped down on the other side of Regina, firmly situated in Regina's very personal and private space.
Regina fixed Emma with her best withering glare.
Emma seemed immune.
Curses.
"I? Troubled?" Regina echoed incredulously. "The trouble with me is you, Miss Swan!"
That honestly perplexed look fit Emma well.
"I've no idea how you've managed to infiltrate my mind so that I'm trapped in this horrid nightmare or that this wretched body has such bizarre reactions to yours!" Regina raved on, oblivious to Henry's gagging noises and Swan's cheeky grin.
"Wait," Henry interrupted Regina's supremely effective glaring contest with Swan. "So the last thing you remember is being in jail?"
Completely shifting her demeanor, Regina turned to face her son. "Yes, dear. I fear I'm in this nightmare, sans you," she added quickly. "Perhaps if I just fall asleep I will be rid of this vision, or…"
"You're not gonna go stomping off in search of danger or anything. You die here, you die for real," Swan waggled a finger before bopping Regina's nose.
Regina's fury boiled to a nigh intolerable level. She knew it wouldn't do to eviscerate Swan in front of Henry so she allowed herself to merely be incensed into silence instead of spilling Swan's guts on her carpet.
"Yeah, mom, promise me you won't do that."
It was truly unfair that Henry had suddenly showered her with love and affection. If he hadn't, surely denying this request would have been easier, Regina told herself.
Henry scooted closer to her, so much so that their legs were touching. Swan unfortunately did the same.
"I know what's happening," he whispered quietly to Regina. Emma squawked indignantly about being left out of the loop so Regina discreetly elbowed her. "But don't worry, it won't be too long, only a few days," he said conspiratorially. Regina determined that she would have to speak to him without the annoying presence of Swan looming in the background. "You're in the future," he declared loudly.
"Wh– that's not possible," Regina spluttered.
"It is," Swan sing-songed gaily in Regina's ears. "You're here, you don't remember the past few years, that is all you need to know about time jumping," she said, obviously pleased with herself.
Regina crossed her arms. "Fancy yourself an expert on pure nonsense, Miss Swan? I could just have amnesia. Henry said that I fell."
"Effect of the time jump." Swan crossed her arms, a superior smirk stretching her face wide, Regina was sure, just to spite her.
"Impossible," Regina insisted.
"Mom, please," Henry sighed.
"…fine," Regina said at length. "I'll play along. Just for a few days," she shared a pointed glance with Henry who merely hissed in victory.
"Okay, I'll tell everyone to go on ahead!" He replied and bolted out the door.
Regina turned a blank look toward Swan, her unfortunate source of information. "Everyone?"
Swan nodded. Regina rolled her eyes and stared pointedly, waiting for Swan to elucidate further.
"The rest of the family."
A dim pounding began behind Regina's eyelids. "Family?"
Emma nodded. "Yup," she replied in a chipper affirmative and produced her left hand.
Regina felt herself go cross-eyed as she inspected the proffered limb. A shiny ring, identical to the inanimate monster perched upon her own hand, glinted in the light, mocking her. The implications of her "new life" began to saturate her mind.
Even in the face of the joyous fact that Henry lived with her and loved her again (if he ever truly did in the first place) the rest of the news soured Regina's mouth. Swan.
Swan.
That Swan.
With similar rings.
In her bedroom.
On her bed.
This meant that 'everyone' downstairs would mean the rest of the Charming family.
Regina hoped that her dignity would find solace in the fact that she performed the very lady–like action of fainting only after being overwhelmed by such appalling information. All too late did she realize that Emma would probably catch her, like the Saviour she was.