A/N: Just to avoid any confusion this chapter has been set just before the end of the summer holidays which means that they both have to return to the school. I hope you enjoy this as much as you did the first part. Any feedback is appreciated.
Regina propped herself against the headboard and stared down at the young girl who was lying next to her. She seemed so peaceful for the first time in their hectic relationship. She didn't have to be scared anymore as she was away from her stepfather and had Regina to support her. If only things were actually that simple. Regina swallowed hard as she knew there was still a chance that Cora would find out about their relationship. She tried to uphold a professional relationship towards Emma but that wasn't exactly the easiest of tasks when she turned out to be more than just a troubled young girl. Regina slowly pulled back her part of the duvet and slipped out of the bed being cautious not to wake Emma. She wrapped the silk nightie around herself and tiptoed downstairs to try and collect her thoughts. She needed time by herself as every waking moment she had spent with Emma. It was like they were inseparable but at times Regina needed to pull herself away from that and allow time for own thoughts and emotions to be taken into consideration.
The dark haired woman made a decision on impulse which wasn't something she usually did. She grabbed the car keys and made sure that she locked the keys behind her in order to keep Emma safe. She stepped into the car and paused for a moment before putting the keys into the ignition. Is this really the best idea? Regina asked herself, would leaving Emma really solve all my problems? Without really thinking Regina carried on and forced the car into gear. She raced down the road, it was the middle of the night and the rain was pouring. She had no clue where she was going to end up but she needed to separate herself from Emma for a short while. A lump formed in her throat as she thought about Emma and the way she used to look at her. There was so much hurt filled in her eyes and it was enough to break her heart just from looking at her.
The burden of being with Emma was something that Regina had to live with from the moment that she was attracted to her. It wasn't right that she was drawn to someone so young and fragile but she couldn't help herself. There was the niggling feeling that she needed to confess to someone to get it off her chest, she had kept the secret for too long and she needed to find a release. She needed someone that could give her advice and the guidance that she needed. Regina wasn't good at opening her entire emotions to someone; she was so use to closing off what she felt and keeping professional for the sake of her career.
She didn't want to lose everything that she had spent her entire life trying to build up but she didn't want to forsake the trusting relationship she had built with Emma. Regina ran her hands through her short dark hair and sighed in frustration. Nothing seemed logical anymore, every decision she had made was for Emma. To help her grow and develop from the person she used to be.
Emma rolled over across the bed hoping that Regina would still be propped against the headboard the same way she was before Emma drifted off. There was no sign of her and the place where she was remained cold. The smell of her perfume was still present in the sheets but there was no evidence to suggest that she even got changed from her night dress. Emma quickly scampered out of the bed and ran downstairs hoping that Regina would be sat on the sofa nursing a black coffee. Her heart sank when she saw that the entire apartment was empty and there wasn't even a note to say why she left so suddenly.
Emma grabbed her cell phone from the kitchen and frantically dialled Regina's number hoping that she would at least answer her call. The constant ringing was the only thing that could be heard for those five minutes. The young blonde rushed out of the apartment, it was still the early hours of the morning but Emma was determined to find Regina once again. She couldn't just leave without even giving an explanation for her sudden disappearance.
The icy droplets of rain pelted onto Emma as she roamed the dimly lit streets hoping that she would find some sort of trace for Regina's whereabouts. Nothing seemed familiar, everything looked different in the dark and it was hard to navigate through the streets. Emma carried on walking even know she had no idea where she would end up. In the distance a black car was parked on the edge of the road with just one light on. The blonde slowly made her way over there hoping that it would be Regina. She cautiously peered into the window and saw Regina with her head cupped in her hands, faint sobbing noises uttered from underneath her hair.
"Regina are you okay, has something happened to you." Emma asked desperately.
Regina lifted her head from her hands "I'm sorry" Regina replied in a breathless whisper.
"Sorry for what? You haven't done anything I was just worried about you as you left so suddenly. I wanted to make sure that you were okay." Emma climbed into the passenger seat in order to comfort Regina.
"I don't think I can do this anymore Emma, you don't realise how hard it is trying to pretend that everything is fine when it's not. I need to go back to work and you need to return to school. I have to act like our relationship doesn't exist and so do you." Regina quickly glanced up at Emma before looking back down at the dashboard.
Emma felt her heart sink back into her chest; it wasn't the first time that Regina had said something similar. "If your job means more to you than what I do then fine, I thought you actually cared but all that really matters to you is your career."
