Regina sat in her favorite thinking spot – on a log in a small clearing not far deep into the wood but obscure enough that nobody had ever found their way to it for all the years she'd been coming there. Regina needed her balance back and the balmy quiet of the forest always provided comfort and cleared the mind like nothing else.
Of course, now the scent of leaves, moss and wind lost all its soothing qualities – she still couldn't quite shake the sensual memory of him leaning into her. This brash blue eyed bastard, quick with his wit as with the arrows, no regards for any kind of boundaries or good taste.
She found him fascinating.
Regina didn't run from things she found fascinating.
However, for the first time in years she was caught off guard. Tinkerbell with her silly ideas about true love and all that rot was not to blame though, Regina let them root in some forgotten corner of her heart and these were the consequences. Thief deserved an explanation however, she would have to swallow her pride but The Evil Queen runs from nobody.
Decision made, Regina quickly found her way to the outlaw's camp, though technically he wasn't an outlaw in Storybrooke… yet.
Child's laughter stopped her in her tracks just outside of the clearing. The thief had arms full of a giggling dark haired boy, no more than five years old. Regina simply watched them, feet rooted to the spot, throat locked, eyes hot and hurting. Damn that fairy and her stupid prophecies. Damn that curse that she had to place on her own son and now she couldn't even hold him, talk to him, couldn't even see him more than an occasional brush in town.
Thief would have to make do without explanation, she was not in the mood. Regina turned and slowly made her way back to the town. The sooner they dealt with the greenie, the better.
The next day Regina followed everybody from the cemetery to the Granny's even though her whole being protested against it. The little hideout in the wood called her but Henry needed all the support. Of course, he didn't really remember his father, nor her and it still hurt like hell to be around him, circling somewhere in the periphery.
Regina walked to the bar and of course, who else would be there, ordering the drinks they hadn't had the chance to share at the farm house. She felt his presence during the funeral, always there, non intrusive thankfully. Her thoughts on the matter though were cut short because Tink decided it was the perfect time to badger her.
"It's the lion tattoo! It's what was prophesized. He's your soulmate."
"I know, I saw it yesterday." Regina lowered her voice as much as she could because she certainly didn't want him to hear any of this nonsense.
"And you didn't tell me?" Was the fairy really that dense? It was definitely not the time, nor place to be discussing things like soulmates, prophesies or tattoos. Tink shook her head in disagreement. However, she didn't have time to chide Regina further because the subject of their conversation decided it was the perfect moment to drop in.
"Care for a drink?" His blue eyes were focused only on Regina, the meaning in them not lost on her. She still felt guilty for ruining the moment yesterday. Yet it was him who started apologizing.
"I do hope I didn't upset you yesterday." His sincerity again stunned her. Regina had to say something, anything, yet blurting an awkward introduction to Tink was definitely not what she had in mind.
"No, you didn't upset me. I just found a clue trail that needed to be followed. One that… didn't lead anywhere."
He nodded at that, though it was clear he didn't believe the poor excuse. Regina looked away in embarrassment. Perfect time for her legendary razor sharp tongue to take vacation. How did she turn into a trembling maid who can't piece two words together, let alone a coherent sentence?
Her eyes caught on the tumbler, faint smell of good whiskey (of course he would order it) tempting her for a second.
"I don't daytime drink."
"Ah, perhaps some evening then." He looked at her, hint of a smile playing on his lips, then nodded at Tink and left.
Of course the fairy thought it was a perfect opportunity to scold her for not taking the chance all these years ago. Regina wasn't having any of that.
"So what? How did my life turn out?"
The irritating fairy definitely was that dense if she thought she knew Regina. However, it wasn't much fun making her run away even though her words cut a little too close for Regina's liking.
The day was getting worse by the minute, and to top it off, the greenie decided to crash the party, drop a bomb of a fact that apparently Regina was half-sisters with the witch and at sundown she was going to face her in the street, like every cowboy movie cliché.
What a load of utter crap.
Regina felt the beginnings of the massive headache form at her temples and longed for that whiskey but her mind had to be as sharp as ever because even if she never admitted it, the greenie seemed to be a very formidable foe.
The Evil Queen had never lost though and wasn't going to start now, not to some frog. Half-sister her ass. However, Cora was definitely that sort of person to hide something like that from everyone, including Regina.
She needed to think.
Author's notes: I do have a little trouble with the lines in the scene about daytime drink and what Robin says. I hear it as "I'm evening then" but I might be mistaken, feel free to correct me. It is after all, 2:30 am. These two will be the death of me.
EDIT: thanks for the help, fixed the line. That will teach me to write fic at night. :)