Summary;
A drunk driver. An old car. A black dress. A lifeless body laying in an open coffin.
That's all that Regina cares to remember about the day her fiancé died. Her heartless mother could only manage to give Regina unwanted pity, so she turned to her sister, Zelena for comfort. The two became closer than ever, but Zelena was whisked away to England for work, and Regina was once again left alone. She somehow picked up the pieces and managed to put her life back together, but she only ever felt like a ghost, drifting through life without purpose. But when Zelena comes home with her client, Robin, and her boyfriend, Arthur, Regina's life is flipped on its head.
But will she learn that it's okay to let her heart beat, or will she forever be haunted by the memories of her past and the grudges she has held for years?
Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or the characters, just the plot :)
Chapter One; Falling Apart
Muffled voices that belonged to people expressing unwanted sympathy were all Regina could hear. She was sitting in a chair shoved back into a corner, staring blankly at the wall opposite where she sat. Her hands sat still in her lap, which was unusual. Regina was the sort of person whose hands needed to constantly be moving; whether she was twiddling her thumbs or twisting the engagement ring on her finger.
The engagement ring that now held no meaning besides a painful reminder of what wouldn't ever happen. What couldn't ever happen. But the simple golden band still rested on Regina's finger and she couldn't make herself remove it, even after all that had happened.
One voice broke out amongst the hundreds of others that had simply said, "I'm sorry for your loss." As if that actually meant something.
"Regina."
The woman's voice was gentle, and Regina knew who it was before she even spoke. If anyone could comfort her, it was this woman. Her sister, Zelena.
"How are you holding up?" Zelena sat down next to Regina, her eyes full of concern.
"I don't know," Regina whispered softly. Her eyes drifted down to the ring encircling her finger and she felt tears begin to flood her eyes again. Zelena pulled her sister into a hug, doing what she could to help Regina. But now, the only thing Regina could do was mourn her loss and hopefully move on one day.
one week later
Regina sat at a table in Starbucks, awaiting her sister's arrival. The table in the back left corner was practically theirs. It was where they met up whenever they needed to talk, or if they were simply craving a frappucino.
Regina was out of it today, staring blankly at her coffee cup that was still full. Zelena sat down across from her, phone pressed against her ear. "Robin, I know, but you have to understand-" Zelena huffed and sat down, listening to Robin talk. Finally, she interrupted him, "If you can't respect that my sister needs me, then I am not going to work with you." Robin said something else, before Zelena said her goodbye, "I'll see what I can do. But I'm not making any promises on how long I can stay. And I'm busy right now, so let's finish this discussion later." After Robin bid Zelena farewell, Zelena hung up and looked over at her sister. "Sorry about that. He's a potential client."
"That's okay," Regina muttered.
"That's actually what I'm here to talk about..." Zelena's voice trailed off. She didn't want to break the news to her sister, but she had no choice. "Robin...he lives in England."
"So?"
Zelena sighed, building up the courage to break the news. "So I'm temporarily moving to England."
"What?!" The look of betrayal in Regina's eyes was almost enough to make Zelena call Robin back and say it wasn't going to work out. But Zelena needed the job, and she couldn't work from America if Robin was in England.
Regina was hurt that Zelena was choosing her job over her sister. In childhood, they only had each other. Their mother was the perfect emotionless business woman who hardly ever talked to her children, and their father had died shortly after Regina was born. After Regina's fiancé had died, the only person Regina would even look at was Zelena. They were inseparable for most of their lives, so much that people assumed they were fraternal twins.
And now Zelena was throwing all of that away for the sake of a job offer?
"I'm sorry, Regina," but Zelena knew her apology sounded empty, "I really am. I promise I'll call you to make sure you're okay as often as you'd like. And I'll help you as much as I can before I leave in a month."
Regina nodded absentmindedly. She hadn't been drinking her coffee before, but now it seemed even more unappetizing. Regina had been used to the feeling of being alone, but soon she would truly have no one. Her fiancé was dead, her sister was moving across the ocean, and her mother hadn't spoken to Regina since the empty, "I'm sorry," she had offered at the funeral. The only other person Regina even cared about was her half-friend, Emma Swan, but she had her own family and her own group of friends now.
Zelena murmured a final apology before standing up and pulling her phone out again. Regina watched as her sister left, unsure what to do now. Everything she had built up had fallen down at the hands of a drunkard who thought it was a good idea to drive while under the influence. Regina didn't even know his name, or if he had been properly punished for what had happened.
As Zelena walked away, she called Robin back. "Hey, Sorry about earlier..."
"I'm sorry too," he apologized. "I understand that your sister has been through something no one should ever have to go through. If you want to stay with her, I can respect that."
"No, it's fine," Zelena assured him. "I'll be in England in a month, it's already decided. I'm sure Regina will be alright."
"Are you absolutely positive?"
"Yes." Zelena's decision was final. "I look forward to working with you in a month."
"And I you," Robin replied politely. He hung up, and Zelena put her phone away. She rubbed her forehead and sighed. She had her reasons for being so persistent in taking this job, but she just wished it was a little closer. Either way, the job was hers now, and she wasn't going to give it up. She would simply have to do what she could to make sure Regina was okay from an ocean away.