A/N: This is the Prologue to a mult-chaptered Archie/Regina fic that I've started. The first chapter should be posted not too long after this one and I'm hoping that the updates will be at least once a week, if not more often.
It figured that the one time Regina was not responsible for a crime, was the time that everyone else thought she was guilty. But after her not so happy reunion with her mother, it was not at all surprising that Emma and the Two Idiots were fooled; Cora was a master manipulator and very determined when there was something she wanted. But in spite of her mother's efforts, her name had been cleared and Archie was home safe.
That damn Cricket. The whole experience had been eye-opening for Regina to say the least. She had not expected to feel so heartbroken over the "death" of Archibald Hopper, former Conscience and Cricket. If she was being perfectly honest with herself, she had grown quite fond of the man who had so willingly offered his services to her. What had upset her the most about him telling Emma about their sessions, was not so much that he had violated the Doctor/Patient confidentiality (really, his qualifications were received from a curse), but that she thought of him as a… well, as a friend. But they had spoken not too long after his escape, and had both apologized for the things said in their last conversation. She had made it clear to him that he was not her doctor and she was not his patient; the word "friend" had not been said explicitly, but the way that he had grinned at her in that reassuring way (that was somehow both infuriating and attractive) told her that she was understood. It was comforting to know that she could count on him and depend on him to be there for her.
What was it that Daniel had said to her? To love again? The idea of truly loving another man after Daniel had seemed unthinkable to her previously, but now she was not so sure. Archie was an unforeseen, but not unpleasant, addition to her life and she found herself asking "what if" questions about their relationship.
Cause I can't make you love me if you don't
You can't make your heart feel something it won't
He was genuine, sweet, and intelligent. She used to confuse his compassionate and understanding personality nature as a weakness, but she was quickly realizing that there was a quiet strength in him that she hadn't seen and appreciated in someone since Daniel. And the fact that he got along so well with Henry was an added bonus; she was actually thinking about giving Henry some riding lessons over at the stables, and inviting Archie along-
But thinking about all this was not helpful and was coming at the worst possible time. Cora was still at large and she had no idea what that woman had planned. And there was still the whole issue of her relationship with Henry and the struggles with having to share with him with Emma and the Two Idiots. Most importantly, there was no way he would actually consider being any closer than friends with her.
Here in the dark, in these final hours
I will lay down my heart and I'll feel the power
His genuine concern for her well-being was only platonic; no matter how much he smiled at her, encouraged her and believed in her, there's no way his conscience would allow him to be romantically attached to the former Evil Queen. Dwelling on what if's was no way for her to continue on the path to redeeming herself; distractions weren't an option at this point.
She heaved a sigh as she looked in the mirror and fixed her hair. She was meeting Archie at Granny's in ten minutes and it would not do to meet him in the emotional state she was in right now. He was her friend and he cared. For now, that was enough.
But you won't, no you won't
'Cause I can't make you love me, if you don't