"Here."
Regina glances up at the warm mug Archie offers, then takes it without a word.
He's not very skilled when it comes to cooking – the almost daily receipts from Granny's are proof enough of that – but if there's one thing he can prepare, it's a cup of tea. Probably comes from being a therapist. There's nothing quite so soothing or calming as a warm cup of tea.
And Regina looks like she could use it.
Archie chances a glimpse over his shoulder as he puts away the tea bags.
She's sitting at the countertop, eyes still red and watery, staring into her tea as if looking into another world. She looks tired, fragile. Nothing like the queen who usually rules the town with an iron fist, but very much like the worried young mother who came to him all but begging advice when Henry first ran away from home.
He closes the cabinet and picks up his own mug, pulling up a stool beside her.
She glances up slightly, offering a small, forced smile.
Archie returns it kindly, angling himself to face her.
"Anything in particular you'd like to talk about…?"
Regina studies her tea for another moment, then slowly shakes her head.
This was going to be more difficult than most of his patient visits.
"Well," he says after a second, setting his mug down and folding his hands under his chin, "why don't we start with the basics…?"
She seems to snap a bit back into her old self as he speaks, and she straightens up to face him.
"How was your relationship with your parents?" he asks tentatively.
Regina scoffs.
"I loved my father, and he was the only one to love me. My mother? Well…"
She tilts her head slightly and shoots him a bitter grin. "Let's just put it this way. You think that I'm a witch? I'm NOTHING compared to her."
Archie represses a shudder at the way she says it.
"So, not a very good relationship there. How about the rest of your…family?" again, the question is tentative. He isn't sure how she views Snow or Snow's father.
Regina purses her lips.
"I think you're aware of my and Snow's...arguments."
The way she puts it obviously belittles the life-and-death quarrel that the two had been having for the past few decades. It also closes the discussion.
He watches her for a second as her eyes grow distant once again.
She's in a lot of pain. She's trying to hide it, but he can read her better than most.
"You really care about Henry, don't you?"
"More than anything else in my life." She replies quietly, not even looking up.
Archie takes a sip of tea and tries to come up with something else to discuss.
Regina returns her stare to her cup.
At length, he decides that he can't come up with any 'safe' topic to delve into, and instead hesitantly places a hand on Regina's shoulder.
This surprises her, and she looks up at him, eyes curious.
"I just want you to know that I'm here for you." He says, his voice remaining amazingly calm as he meets her gaze. "You have friends here, even if you think you don't."
She clearly doesn't believe him, but his words at least bring a smile to her pretty face.
It's small, but it's a real one this time.
Regina watched from the window as Archie walked down the path to the sidewalk, headed toward his home. As she turned away from the door, she noticed that her car keys still sat on the end table by the door.
She had been planning to leave Storybrook the other day.
No magic meant that it had become a very dangerous place for her, especially if what David said was true, and it was only Henry's request that kept her alive.
Just seconds before she had gotten in her car, however, Archie had come by to check on her.
That was the only thing that had stopped her from leaving; convinced her to go to Mr. Gold instead to get her magic back.
Picking up the keys, she tucked them back in her purse.
She loved Henry, and she would show him that she meant it, that she would redeem herself; no matter how long it took her.
She wasn't going to be leaving anytime soon.
Author's Note:
So yeah. Looks like I'm going to be updating randomly. Reviews are appreciated, and thank you all for reading!