Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to the Once Upon a Time creators.
Inspired by the prompt "I've been texting my friend for about a week now and they don't reply but turns out I was texting a random person and there was some deep personal stuff i sent oh my god why are they calling me now" by dailyau on Tumblr.
Big thanks to Sarah ( ginaandrobbie) for betaing the very first version of this and also a big thank you to TreNesha ( queen-of-the-merry-men) who helped me with the plot and did the betaing for the finished version of the Prologue.
Prologue
Her phone buzzed, just when she had put her paperwork, which had been lying about her office all day long, aside. She calmly got up from her moving chair to walk over to the device and languidly stared at its display. When she noticed who had sent the text her eyes widened in surprise.
New message from Emma Swan.
She opened the message curiously while she swiftly brushed her hair to its place behind her ear where it never seemed to stay.
"Hey there, I know it's been a while… I've got something I need to tell you. It's urgent and it definitely requires drinks. Meet me tonight at the Magic Rabbit. 8 o'clock.
Emma x"
Regina scrunched her eyebrows in confusion and wondered if she would finally discover the reason behind Emma's distant behaviour over the last few weeks.
Of course she was disappointed that the two of them barely managed to find the time to catch up. She also had to admit she was mad at her best friend for not seeming to care about her at all lately. Yet Regina would be lying if she said she hadn't been worried about the young cop. She was glad Emma finally seemed to be seeking for her company again.
Regina quickly typed a reply, unable to contain a snappy remark at the end of the text.
"Oh hello, Miss I-don't-feel-like-seeing-my-best-friend. Back to normal again? Thanks for ignoring me for the past few weeks. I'll be there tonight because I care about you. A lot.
That doesn't mean I am not angry at you, just to let you know…
See you soon,
a very pissed Regina."
She hoped that she wasn't being too harsh on her friend, but it was Emma, after all, who hadn't answered any texts or calls - let alone open the door after ringing the bell for what seemed like an eternity - for Regina.
"Emma is tough, she can handle some bitterness," muttered Regina, calming her conscience.
Talking to herself wasn't an uncommon thing for her. It always happened whenever she felt slightly nervous about something, in this case the oncoming evening with Emma.
For a short moment she played with the idea of telling Leopold, her boyfriend, about her plans for tonight but then she remembered he wouldn't even be home until late. It was a Wednesday so he would be out playing tennis with his friends. It had been their tradition since they all met at Columbia University while studying medicine.
She and Leo had been going out for almost two years now. Her mother Cora was starting to get impatient about the couple finally getting engaged. She called Regina multiple times a week, asking about anything unusual about her long-term boyfriend's demeanor, which Regina always answered with, "No, mother". She was the one who introduced the wealthy heart surgeon, who she had met at a medical conference held in Philadelphia, to her daughter.
Even though Professor Leopold Roy was almost twenty years older than Regina her mother insisted that they were a "perfect match". In Regina's eyes they were far from it.
He had lost his first wife Eva to cancer and still seemed to cling onto her, even though she had been dead for four and a half years now. He was rarely at their home and when he was they would argue about insignificant things, like whose turn it was to run errands next.
She couldn't help but feel like Leopold didn't truly love her; he only loved showing her off in front of his friends like one of his tennis trophies.
Regina felt quite unhappy in their relationship, yet her mother pressured her into believing that she was simply afraid of marriage and couldn't even think the word without her mind making up excuses for not facing a bright future with Leopold. Still Regina presumed she was at the very bottom of his list of priorities; work, success and his friends being at the top.
There was most definitely no need in telling him about her evening out with Emma.
###
The rest of Regina's work day in one of the most well-known law firms in New York passed far too slowly for her liking. She constantly checked the fashionable clock, which was hung up on the wall opposite to her glass desk, only to see that no more than ten minutes had passed since she last checked it.
Shortly before six o'clock, she put one of the cases she had been working on into her bag, as she wanted to go through it again at home. Afterwards she stepped out of her office and closed the fragile door carefully behind her.
On her way out she ran into her colleague Mallory Ignis, who she had grown quite close with since working in the office.
"Hello dear, how was your day?" Mal asked, who was also known as the Dragon in the office for the fiery way she was defending her clients in court.
"Hi Mal," Regina replied with a smile on her face after hugging the blonde.
"It actually was quite a long day." She shrugged.
"What about yours?" Regina asked curiously.
"Only the usual. Paperwork, paperwork and even more paperwork." The blonde gave her a lopsided smirk.
"Any news?" the Dragon asked with her deep voice.
"Emma texted me this afternoon." Regina tried to hide her excitement by biting her lower lip.
"Seriously? Did she finally realise that she actually needs you in her life?" Mal's tone seemed sarcastic and incredulous at the same time.
"Mal, please don't talk about her like this. You know her. Sometimes she just needs space." She let out a deep breath which she wasn't aware of she was holding in.
"We're going out for a drink tonight".
"Well, have fun then," Mal raised her eyebrows but pulled her close nonetheless.
"Regina?" She called after her. Regina was already making her way to the door but turned around when she heard her name.
"Don't let her bring you down. I don't like to seeing you hurt," Mal said with a stern look on her face.
"I won't." Regina smiled gratefully at her friend before waving her goodbye and heading out of the tall building which seemed to be made out of glass.
Once she stepped outside, she took a deep breath of New York City's air which - although it was full of fumes - usually helped her to clear her mind. But not today. She felt nervous.
What was it that Emma had to tell her, that would make them want to have drinks? She wasn't ill, was she?
Keeping an eye on her watch, she quickly made her way to the house she shared with Leo. The walk lead her through Central Park's beautiful scenery. This was one of her favourite times of the day. Walking through the green calmed her down after a long day at work. Normally she would take a break here, sit on a bench, enjoy the warmth of the sun on her skin and watch strangers taking photographs or playing with their children in the grass. Today she needed to get home so she could get a shower and change her clothes before meeting Emma at the pub.
She arrived at the place she had called home for almost a year now, even though she didn't feel at home in the castle-like mansion owned by Leopold.
She didn't mind all the space. What she despised was the empty, cold feeling that crept through her body whenever she entered the hallway, where a couple of old pictures of Leo and Eva were still hung up on the wall.
Regina kicked off her newest pair of Louboutins, then placed them neatly in the shelf next to the door.
She headed towards the kitchen to open the fridge, which was almost empty again. She made a mental note to herself to go grocery shopping tomorrow after work.
Regina decided on preparing a bowl of salad with sweet tomatoes and leftover grilled chicken since she was in a rush, so she would be on time to meet Emma. She usually enjoyed cooking fancy meals but there was no use in it if there wasn't enough time to do it properly and nobody to eat it but her.
After she sat down at the ancient wooden table, one that could be a part of the Manhattan Art & Antiques Center, and finished her meal she carefully made her way up the massive stairs.
Regina stepped into one of the mansions' many bathrooms which was connected to her walk-in closet. She stripped out of the black pantsuit she'd worn at work and took a quick shower in order to freshen up for her meeting with Emma. Wrapping a towel around her still damp figure, Regina walked over to her wardrobe to pick out an outfit for the night. She opted for a royal blue dress that just touched her knees. Next, she strolled to her dressing table to fix her hair and make up. Regina applied another coat of her favourite red lipstick and touched up her light brown eyeshadow.
By the time she finished her make up, it was twenty minutes to eight. She made her way back into the busy streets of New York City. The walk to the Magic Rabbit took her ten minutes, so she was a tad early.
After breathing out a nervous "Here we go" Regina walked through the door and greeted the barkeeper who was engaged in a conversation with a guest. She made her way to a table in a quiet corner of the room, hoping she and Emma could get a bit of privacy in the overcrowded place.
Once a blonde waitress arrived, Regina ordered a glass of red wine. She was taking her first sip of the enticing liquid when Emma sat down on the chair opposite to her.
"Starting out classy, aren't we?" she observed. "I thought you would opt for something stronger."
"Hello, Miss Swan, it's good to see you too," Regina arched an eyebrow, unable to suppress the smile that was forming on her lips.
"Sorry," the blonde offered a smile as well. "Good to see you again, Regina."
Emma waved the waitress to come over and ordered a glass of scotch.
Regina kept a steady gaze on her friend who seemed to be avoiding eye contact at all costs. An awkward silence that filled the air with tension followed.
Hell, they hadn't seen each other in weeks, yet they didn't have a thing to talk about.
Regina was starting to feel even more disappointed in her friend than before.
She couldn't help but think that something obviously had to be on Emma's mind, usually she was always able to bring up a topic, mostly about work since she experienced a lot as a cop working in the Big Apple.
"So," Regina stated as she anxiously played with her fingers underneath the table. "You wanted to talk to me."
"Uh-huh." Emma chose that moment to intently stare at the floor. "Let's just enjoy our drinks first, then we'll talk."
###
After Emma was started to sip on her second glass of whiskey, Regina decided that it was no doubt time for ordering her beloved Appletini. By the time she took her first sip and let the liquid, which tasted of her favourite fruit, run down her throat, Emma had already finished up her drink and seemed to be quite distracted by her own thoughts once again.
"You wanted to talk about something?" Regina tried to encourage her friend to finally share what was on her mind.
"Yeah… You probably won't be happy about this," Emma looked at her with a guilt in her eyes and sad smile on her face.
"Oh come on, it can't be worse than pushing me away for what seemed like forever," Regina pressed her lips together.
Emma closed her eyes at that, taking in a deep breath, "I'm moving."
Regina turned her head away from the blonde and swallowed a little more of the alcoholic drink she was holding in her right hand.
When Emma didn't continue talking about her upcoming move she curiously asked, "Where to?"
"Storybrooke. A small town in Boston," Emma paused. "It's because I was offered a new job as a Sheriff and I've always wanted to do this, you know?"
"Are you kidding?" Regina's face lit up. "This is great news! When are you leaving? Do you need any help?" She offered her a warm smile, making a mental list of preparations about what needs to be done before her friend left.
Emma turned a bright shade of red and looked away from the brunette's face once more.
When, again, there was no reply Regina realised that something had to be wrong.
She spoke with a lower voice than usual and chose her words carefully, "You've known about this for quite a while now, haven't you?"
Emma just nodded at this statement.
"And you've avoided me for the past couple of weeks so you wouldn't have to tell me," Regina concluded.
Emma closed her eyes and crossed her arms.
"Regina, look, I just wanted to get some distance between us so you could see that you don't need me around all the time. You can manage standing up that idiot Leo and you've got Mal. Regina, please don't be mad at me," the blonde pleaded.
Regina took another long sip of her Appletini and avoided any eye contact with the person sitting in front of her who didn't seem to be her best friend from a few months ago. What had she been thinking these past few weeks?
"When are you leaving?" Regina asked dryly to break the uncomfortable silence.
After a beat Emma replied, "4:30 in the morning, everything has already been taken care of."
"Alright." Regina pursed her lips. "Well, thanks for letting me know in person and not via phone," she snapped at Emma, anger sparking up in her eyes.
"You know I wouldn't have done that! You're my best friend, there is no way I'd tell you such big news over the phone, Regina!"
"Seems like that's what we'll be doing from now on." Regina chewed on her lower lip and glared at her friend.
"Yes, but still, this doesn't mean that everything's changing," Emma tried to lighten the mood.
"The only thing that will change is my phone number, here let me write it down for you."
She pulled a notepad out of her handbag and scribbled down the new number for her mobile phone. She handed it over to Regina who violently pulled it out of her hand and stored it in her purse without uttering a single word.
###
"So, this is goodbye?" Regina's voice was shaking and a big lump formed in her throat.
"It's only for a few months. We'll see each other again in no time," she paused. "You have to come and visit, Regina, you're gonna love this town. It's so beautiful and calm," Emma offered a small smile while Regina was trying to keep her anger at bay.
She couldn't believe that Emma had actually been serious.
"Make sure to call or text me whenever," the blonde walked over to pull her friend into a long hug.
Regina sighed, "Will do, Sheriff to be." She released Emma out of their friendly embrace.
After saying their final goodbyes, the two women parted ways.
Regina stopped in her tracks after a few steps. She turned around to take one final look at Emma, but she was already getting into her yellow bug, ready to drive off into her next adventure.
###
When Regina arrived at the still empty mansion she got rid of her shoes. Not bothering to put them in place, she left them lying about the hallway. Regina was sad. Disappointed. Furious. All at once. She felt betrayed by Emma. How could she leave her like this?
She was about to call and confront her, but decided against it last minute.
"She needs to rest, she needs to get up early in the morning and you should calm down," Regina murmured to herself.
To distract herself, she took another shower in the pompous bathroom connected to the master bedroom. She took her time and washed her hair with her favourite shampoo that smelled like fresh lavender growing on wide fields in France.
She changed into her pajamas, wrapped herself up in her cozy gray bathing robe and brushed her teeth. After applying moisturizer on her face and body, she lay down in the double size king bed she and her boyfriend shared together and stared at the ceiling.
Regina felt guilty. Guilty for not telling her best friend how much she really means to her and how different her life will be without her living in the same city as her. How much she will actually miss her.
She eventually picked up her phone once again, looked at the time - 1:30 AM, how did time pass so quickly? - and quickly typed in Emma's new phone number so she could send her a well deserved apology.
"Hi Emma… Sorry for snapping at you tonight. Multiple times. You know how bitter I can get. I just wanted to let you know that I am very happy that you got this new job in Storybrooke. I will make sure to visit you there once you have settled in. I'm going to miss you. Have a safe flight and call me when you've arrived!
Love, Regina"
She immediately pressed send so she wouldn't change her mind. Regina felt relieved instantly. She lifted herself up from the bed and plugged her phone onto the charger. She sighed when she crawled back under the cream coloured sheets. What a day. Once she closed her eyes, she realised how tired she had actually been all this time. It was way past her bedtime and she had to work in the morning. Mentally preparing herself for a headache the next day, she drifted off into a peaceful and dreamless slumber.
###
New message from unknown number.
Robin groaned when he turned around to his left to look at his alarm clock. 1:30 AM? Who even texts at this ungodly hour?
He grabbed his phone, which was lying on the floor next to his bed, plugged into the charger.
Confused, he opened the text message and saw what was meant to be an apology to a friend that was most definitely not him, as he had no intention of moving to Storybrooke, wherever the hell that was.
Robin shrugged and didn't wonder any further. He put his phone aside, turned back to his right and pulled up his blanket. He could figure out who this Regina was tomorrow. Now, it was the time to go back to bed, he had a stressful job interview ahead of him tomorrow.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!
You can find me on Tumblr keepshiningon :)