Pairing: Some Dragon Queen, but mostly Snow Queen

Warnings: I'll put a mention of dub-con, because of lusty magic spells

AN: Takes place in the second half of season 4 when Regina pretends to go on the dark side with Maleficent and Co. This is a request and a birthday present to my lovely future wife. She asked for a smutty one shot and I did what I always do and made it multi chaptered and about snow queen angst. I know I have a few unfinished stories, which I'm still working on, but this took birthday priority.

"You're falling behind." Maleficent spoke softly, her gaze locked on my mouth as I threw another shot of whiskey back. It had been a long time since I drank so heavily, and even though the night was winding down into a blackout hangover, I still couldn't help but cringe from the burn of alcohol as it poured down my throat. Putting the shot glass down roughly, my attention went back on Mal who had been spending the last twenty minutes staring me down like prey. It was a bit unnerving. Familiar, but unnerving.

"I'm not as young as you remember." I joked, trying to lighten the tense expression on the older woman. Cruella and Ursula were somewhere around the diner as well, causing me to look around the booth I was occupying even though I didn't really care to find the two. I only cared about having an exit plan, because Mal got ideas when she was drunk and every one of them were usually terrible. I wasn't as drunk though, three or four drinks in maybe but it didn't occur to me that anyone was counting, so I was pacing myself.

"But just as soft." That did cause me to meet the dragon's gaze, quickly feeling lost in the intense but unreadable expression. Maleficent reached over to brush fingers along my jaw, but the action was also familiar and unnerving, so it was short lived as I gently moved my cheek away.

"Mal, as happy as I am that you're back, I'm not looking to rehash ancient history." Purposely trying to keep my tone light, I didn't want to ruin the undercover position so early, but also knowing that this road was one I had gone down before, but still seemed to get lost on every time. Ancient history, as I had said.

The problem of course wasn't that I didn't feel tempted by Mal, maybe quite the opposite, but getting in bed with the dragon had more downsides than ups. I remembered well that rollercoaster of possessiveness and apathy, never knowing exactly where I stood with the older woman, and taking advantage of a naivety in me that no longer existed.

"What are you looking to do?" She responded curiously, but bordering on suspicious.

"Get my happy ending. Just like everyone else." And that much was true regardless of what side I was playing.

"Snow White." At the sound of that name, I looked over to Mal with hesitance. "Your eyes used to light up with rage when you would hear that name." She pointed out, and I casted my eyes down at the reminder. "The thought of your hands around her throat, squeezing the life out of her, it would set your body on fire." That low timber mixed with conflicting words did make my face catch some heat, pouring myself another shot and drinking it all in one move. The memories that the older woman brought up were long and buried for me, and the mention of them now was causing knots in my stomach. Maleficent of course took advantage of the downcast stare by closing the little space left between us in the diner booth, her lips against my ear, breathing in deep and smiling. "I love a good fire."

I was regretting that last shot, taken too quick and carelessly, the buzz of it lasting too long and when I felt Maleficent's tongue snake out and trace the shell of my ear it brought a weak whimper from my throat.

Once Mal got something in her head, some kind of terrible idea, she made it very hard to resist.

"You're insistent that I wake up with regrets, aren't you?" I said finally, the rasp in my voice hiding the annoyance. Mal moved her hand along my shoulder, fingers weaving their way through long brown hair.

A familiar but unnerving action.

"Is there any other way?" She responded simply, her grip tightening.

"I have a gift for you." Maleficent said a bit suddenly, watching me get dressed with a piercing stare I felt even with my back to her. We made do with the accommodations of my crypt, since we had things to hide on both sides, so some place private and quick was all the two of us needed. It ended up being where we slept as well, the night going on too long.

I was the first to wake up, not sleeping well to begin with, hungover and wishing I was in my bed at home and not wrapped up in Mal's arms; surrounded by death. I cursed myself and conjured up a glass of water which brought the dragon out of her sleep.

We didn't say anything though, as I gathered my clothes as soon as the headache would allow, imagining how wonderful a shower would be right about now.

"Was I that good?" I joked, but the humor sounded empty, not even turning around to look at the older woman that was still naked, lying on a pile of blankets and pillows as if she was building a nest.

"It's a potion, I made it specially for you."

That did catch my attention, looking over my shoulder suspiciously at shining eyes full of malice.

"To help you get your revenge."

"My revenge." I repeated back, like it was a word I was still learning, or still trying to remember.

"Snow white." Mal reminded me, and a lot of the blurry parts of the night before started to sharpen. "We have that in common now, so take this and cheers to happy endings."

A slight cloud of smoke appeared then disappeared, leaving a small vile behind. Dark red, maybe it was the glass but it looked like blood inside of the bottle, with a simple cork top. I squinted and walked over closer to Mal. It wasn't something I recognized, but that wasn't saying much. It could have been anything.

Cautiously I plucked it from her hand, looking it over.

"What exactly is this?"

Maleficent smiled in a way that sent chills down my back.

"Trust me, it's a show stopper."

Being back at the mansion should have felt better than it did, but the hangover from last night made me feel out of place in my home. Not only that, but things that couldn't be blamed on a little heavy drinking. Waking up with regrets, just as I knew I would.

I undressed absently in my bathroom, and cringed in the reflection of the mirror, seeing the scattered shadow of bruises around my lower neck. I hated when she left marks, it always gave such a feeling of ownership to our relationship instead of the equality that I wished for.

When I turned the shower on, I made sure it was hotter than I was used too.

It wasn't as if she had tricked me to sleep with her, or that I wasn't in the right mind. That was probably what made it all worse, that I ended up just wanting it. As a distraction, as an escape, an excuse to dip my toes back into the familiarity of that darkness. I thought it a win-win, that there would be no way the dragon would doubt me after. I was on her side, I let her claim ownership in me once more, and we would be stronger than ever against a common enemy.

It was all for Snow, though. Which, I suppose, it always had been.

The heat of the water on my back made muscles tense then slowly relax, forcing myself to get used to the temperature. I closed my eyes and lost myself in thought.

"This new storybrooke you is a far cry from the fearless queen."

I could still hear her words against my neck, trying to bait me into a trap that her teeth laid out.

"We're all a far cry from who we once were."

Maleficent was trying to get me to let my guard down, trying to figure out my hand. A few well-placed touches burned into her sense memory wasn't enough to call my bluff though. It was all just a show, and a few nights of falling behind on bad habits wouldn't change that.

"She found quite a pet in you, just as she's always wished for."

My eyes had opened at her words, feeling a flair in my cheeks. A bit of red in my glare. My hands that were pulling off the tie from her suit stopped, then gripped it firmly to pull her up from the slow descent that her lips were taking, forcing her to look at me.

"Tread lightly."

Maleficent smiled at me in such a way, that I felt a few cards slip from my fingers.

"There's that fire."

I turned off the shower, skin red and hot, feeling more drained than ever. All the double-sided talk and falsehoods took its toll, not being as good at mind games as I once was. Maybe I just didn't enjoy them as much. It was exhausting to think in such terms anymore, even if it was a show. To remember all the fighting, all the pain and suffering it caused. Hate begetting hate, in a cycle that never ended. I found the end though, and even if I didn't get what I thought I wanted, I got what I needed and that was love from my son.

There had been set backs, there was still pain and disappointment, there was Robin.

I closed my mind off from those thoughts, knowing it wouldn't lead anywhere good. Still though, a heavy feeling lingered in my stomach. It was probably guilt, but I didn't have time to deal with it now.

Throwing on a robe, I went back out to my bedroom to examine the bottle of potion Mal gave me. Looking at it wasn't going to give me much information, but I had to figure out what was in this suspicious gift. If this had truly been a way to get revenge against Snow, why didn't Maleficent use it herself? Was she testing me to see if I would be able to go through with it?

With a sigh, I put the bottle back down on my dresser and grabbed my cell phone, and it only rang once before Snow picked up the call, not at all to my surprise.

"Regina?" Her rushed greeting was already lined with worry, and I felt the dragging of this already long day.

"Yes, can you come over to the house? I have to talk to you." I keep my voice leveled, not trying to instigate any panic from someone so perceptible.

"Of course. What's wrong? Are you okay?" Panic was still in her voice, and I rolled my eyes before I could stop myself. It wasn't as if Snow had no right to be worried, I hadn't checked in with anyone after my undercover night of chaos, and there were more than a few things destroyed in town that I had to answer for. It was just that that Snow had a tendency to mother people, and it felt like knives on the back of my neck when she did it to me. It never fit with our roles, because us being friends was still something so new. We hadn't figured out a good flow.

"I'm fine, just don't tell anyone." I paused, momentarily sidetracked, then I added quickly; "And don't bring Neal." My line ended the call without waiting for an answer.

That was a bit short of me, but I felt distracted by the sudden light glowing of the potion bottle. Putting the phone down, I picked it up from the dresser I was standing next to to look at it closer. It wasn't glowing anymore but it did feel warm. It could have been my imagination, I could have been losing my mind all over again.

It was a show stopper, Maleficent had said, and I hoped no one would have to find out what that meant.