A/N: Oh! I am so overwhelmed by the love for this story. Especially the last chapter. I guess you all were not expecting that little detail. I'm glad. I like a good shock.
This was meant to be a shorter fic (and it will be shorter than Pictures of You, definitely) but I have gotten myself into a bit more complications than I mean to, lol. Oh well. More story for everyone!
If you enjoy this, please let me know. I really appreciate each of you for reading and commenting and sharing this on social media. You are precious.
"Regina?"
Emma wasn't sure she had even said the word. Maybe she had only thought it. How was this possible? How was Regina here?
The two women just stood staring in awkward silence as if Mare wasn't standing there, watching them curiously. Emma tried to speak again but her voice had fled the moment she realized Regina was really there. Brown eyes darted away from Emma as if suddenly realizing they were not alone.
"Yes, I am Regina. And you are welcome to call me that if you like. Mrs. Blanchard seems overly formal. Yes… well… We are so happy to have one of Mary Margaret's friends up for a visit." The woman finally spoke but it wasn't Regina—not her Regina. She looked like Regina. She sounded like Regina. But it wasn't her Regina. This woman seemed smaller… lesser somehow. Her Regina had been a force of nature. This woman was scarcely a gentle breeze. What was happening? How was this possible? What was she saying?
Focus, Swan. Focus.
"Did you have a nice drive up from school?"
"I… um… we… yes… yes… it was… it was nice." Emma tried to focus. The room was fading to black in her periphery. Was she about to faint? No. But she might be ready to throw up. Regina was here? Regina was here and she was Mary Margaret's step-mother.
Regina is married?!
Suddenly her lie about being in college rather than high school didn't seem such a big deal.
"Wonderful. Now, I am sure you two girls will want to freshen up before dinner. I'll speak to Mrs. Bullary and be sure there is a place set for you." Regina hurriedly stepped toward the exit. She seemed like a rabbit fleeing a predator in pursuit.
"I've already spoken to her. You needn't bother."
Who was talking now? Emma was staring so hard at Regina's retreating form, so overwhelmed at the sight of her, she had forgotten anyone else was in the room. Mare. It was Mare speaking now.
"Oh. Alright. Thank you, Mary Margaret. Then I will see you both shortly. It…" Regina hesitated as she made eye contact with Emma for only the second time since she had stepped into the room. "It is a pleasure meeting you, Emma. I hope you enjoy your visit. If you need anything, you have only to ask."
Emma stared into deep chocolate pools, searching for the fire, the passion she had seen just weeks ago. Instead she saw a caged animal, pleading with her, begging her to play along, to pretend that beautiful week had never happened. They were strangers. They'd never met before now. They'd never kissed. They'd never made love. They'd never shared dreams or whispered promises. No. They were strangers. Of course she would play along.
And it would be easy because the frightened woman peering at her now was definitely a stranger to Emma.
"Yeah. Yeah, good to meet you too, ma'am." Emma's mouth felt like cotton as the words fell out. Her heart that had been galloping like a horse toward the finish line at the first glimpse of her in the doorway was now falling like a hunk of lead toward her feet.
Regina was here. Regina was Mary Margaret's step-mother. Regina was married. Regina…
And just like that, she was gone.
"Sorry about that. I was hoping she wouldn't be here this weekend." Mare's words brought Emma back to the moment. "If only I should be so lucky." The pixie haired brunette was mid eye-roll when Emma finally tore her eyes from the door… the place where Regina had disappeared.
"Uh, why are you sorry? She seemed fine to me." Emma frowned. Why didn't Mare like her?
"Well, yeah, I guess she would seem fine to you. She's on her best behavior. She came in Daddy's office a minute ago and he gave her a stern warning to behave herself." There was a kind of sadistic glee in Mare's smile at the memory of what had been said in her father's office. "But, I'd prefer not to waste any more time on her. We'll already be looking at her all weekend across the dinner table as it is."
Emma watched Mare and tried to process her words. Regina was being scolded and told to behave? The same woman who had handed Gary his ego after she mopped the floor with it and sent him scurrying away like a whipped pup? It didn't make any sense.
"But you never even mentioned a step-mother before. Not in all these months we've been roommates. There's not even a photo of her in all the ones with your dad. That's… like a major plot point to leave out, Mare. Why didn't—"
Mary Margaret huffed and rolled her eyes again, this time at Emma.
"Oh, Emma. Let's discuss her later, ok? I'll fill you in after dinner. But the short version is… I haven't mentioned her because she isn't worth mentioning. I don't hate anyone on this planet but if I did… I'd hate her." That last reference to Regina was spat out with so much venom, Emma for a moment didn't even recognize her friend. Was this some kind of bizarro world? Had she fallen down the rabbit hole? Maybe she was having a stroke.
"Ok. Later then." Emma was a raging inferno beneath her skin. She wanted to know now. She wanted to march out that door and confront Regina. She wanted to flee out the front door and never look back. "But for now, maybe you can show me my room. I think I'd like to lie down."
~ (SQ) ~
Just outside the door as Mary Margaret and Emma talked, Regina Mills Blanchard leaned against the wall trying to trying to catch her breath. Doubling over, she rested her hands on her knees and took deep, calming breaths. Her heart was beating wildly, her eyes glistening with tears. She was trembling like a new born colt. She wasn't all together certain she might not pass out.
Emma was here… her darling… beautiful, sweet Emma.
What am I going to do?
~ (SQ) ~
Emma sat on the edge of a huge poster bed and tried to take in her surroundings. This was only a guest room, one that was probably seldom used, and yet it was the nicest bedroom Emma had ever been in. She couldn't help the tiny feeling of resentment and jealousy that pressed its way forward at the thought. She'd never had a chance in life and here these people had more than they could ever need. Why hadn't someone like this reached out to help her?
She shook her head. She knew she was only trying to find something to be angry about in order to avoid thinking about the fact that somewhere under this same roof was Regina. Was she angry with the woman? No. Not really. How could she be? They had both lied about themselves and both had enjoyed a break from reality.
Yeah. Maybe that was how Emma could survive this. Just imagine that she and Regina both had stepped into a fantasy for a week, a short vacation from stressful lives. They had both enjoyed their time together, both gained pleasure from it. It meant nothing to either of them because it was just make believe. Right?
The blonde flopped roughly back on the bed and flung an arm across her face. Right except it was wrong. It hadn't been a vacation from reality for her. She had developed real feelings for Regina in those few short days. Feelings she had never felt for anyone. But it was clear that for Regina it had just been a walk on the wild side, away from her husband and family.
A light knock on the door was followed by its opening slowly before Emma could invite anyone to come in.
"Emma? Are you all set? I'm sure dinner must be ready by now and they are probably waiting on us." Mary Margaret hadn't changed clothes, but she had combed through her hair and touched up her make-up. Emma had done neither. Standing, she started towards the door. Almost as an afterthought, she slipped the purple scarf from her neck and dropped it on a chair. She didn't want Regina to see it and think it meant anything. It did. But she didn't want Regina to know.
Emma tried to listen to Mare as she told her something about the guest bath at the end of the hall and where the towels were. She tried to listen as they descended the steps as Mare gave her the plan for tomorrow and who would be in attendance. She tried to listen as Mare pointed out this room or that so Emma could get her bearings. But all she could focus on was the fact that every step she took was leading her closer to Regina again.
Entering the large dining room, Emma saw that four places were set at the table. Leo was sitting already at the head of the table, with Regina to his left. Two additional places were to his right. Emma tried not to look at Regina, but even here in this ridiculous situation, she was stunning. She hadn't really had a chance to consider her in their earlier meeting. Emma had been too shocked to register anything other than her existence. But now, she couldn't take her eyes off the woman.
Her dark hair was pinned back in a knot at the nape of her neck. Her gray dress was modest and somehow not drab despite the color. But the cut, the material, the fit… it made Emma remember momentarily every curve and dip of the soft flesh beneath it. Regina would look like a goddess in anything—or nothing at all. Her downcast eyes were smoky and her perfect lips painted a demure shade of red. Everything about her drew green eyes to her, and yet Emma noted no one else seemed to notice her presence at all.
While Emma's heart silently cried for Regina to look at her, brown eyes remained trained on her lap. Her hands were fidgeting with a linen napkin and a lipstick smudge on her wine glass told the blonde that the older woman had already had a glass before they had come in. Was she nervous too? Of course she was. She was the one with something to lose.
Leo was standing now as the girls approached the table. "Here we are, my angel and her lovely friend."
"I hope we haven't kept you waiting, daddy." Mare motioned for Emma to take the seat closest to her father, which meant she was sitting directly across from Regina who still hadn't looked up. Emma hesitated until Leo stepped around and pulled the chair out for her and then did the same for his daughter.
"Not at all. I've only just come in myself." He took his seat again and smiled gently at them both. He seemed nice enough to Emma. Why would Regina cheat on this man?
The meal commenced and Emma mostly sat in silence, smiling occasionally and nodding or giving a short answer to a question. Mostly, Leo Blanchard listened and laughed with his daughter. Emma noticed, Regina was no more a part of the conversation than the drapes. In fact, she was faded so far into the background of the domestic setting she may as well have been the drapes. Where was her vibrant commentary and sharp wit?
More than once the blonde saw a smirk on full lips and the woman looked as if she might say something, yet she remained quiet. Elegant hands carefully cut her grilled chicken breast into tiny bites, which was chewed much more than necessary as if Regina was pacing her consumption to match that of the other diners. Constant conversation caused their meal to stretch longer than hers but she seemed to have a system worked out to ensure she did not finish before them. Once or twice coffee irises had glanced up from her plate and locked onto emerald ones before one of them looked quickly away.
"So, Emma. Evidently you and my wife have something in common." Leo said, placing his wine glass down.
Startled by his choice of words, Emma's eyes shot up to meet Regina's. But before the blonde could form a suitable response, Regina's glass dropped from her fingers and spilled across the table. "Oh!" she cried as all eyes fell on her. "Clumsy me. I'm… I'm sorry." She quickly dabbed the liquid with her napkin.
"Dammit, Regina! How many glasses of wine have you had today?" Suddenly the gentle voice of Leo Blanchard took on a hard and hateful tone. Mrs. Bullary appeared then from seemingly thin air and cleaned the rest of the mess up, looking to Leo before refilling Regina's glass. He nodded his permission and only then did she pour.
"I… I said I'm sorry. It just slipped. And this is only my third glass." Emma marveled at the quietness of Regina's voice.
Emma noticed then the look of disgust on Mare's face and her rolling eyes. "Third my ass," she whispered through gritted teeth.
"I'm sorry, Emma. You'll have to forgive my wife. She is quite clumsy." Leo's tone was kind again as he looked back to her. "As I was saying, the two of you seem to have something in common."
"Oh? We do?" Emma said, trying to seem as casual as possible despite the rising bile in her throat.
"Yes. Mary Margaret tells me you are planning to attend Tufts in the fall. Regina was a student there for a time, although she didn't finish her degree." The man rolled his eyes then and Emma knew where Mare had learned it.
"You went to Tufts?" Emma addressed Regina for the first time all night.
Brown eyes looked up from her lap with a smile. "Yes, I was—"
"She went for a few semesters but she dropped out. I don't know why I was forced to pay off those student loans with nothing to show for it. But I am sure you will do better than that, Emma. What will you study?" Leo cut off his wife as if he hadn't heard her speak at all.
"I plan on entering the clinical psychology program. I am torn though. Part of me would like to become a social worker and really make a difference in the world. There are so many kids in foster care who need an advocate and unfortunately most social workers are so overworked they can't dedicate much time to them individually." Emma spoke without taking a breath, wondering if she too would be cut off. But instead, Leo and Mare seemed to hang on her words.
"Well, it is admirable to want to give back, Emma. But a career as a psychologist, especially if you continue your education, could be quite lucrative. Always follow the path to wealth. You can do more good with money than without it." The man seemed sincere in his assertion, but something about it made Emma frown. Money wasn't everything.
"Of course, none of this is relevant unless I am accepted. I've been working hard in school and trying to round out my resume so to speak. I'm in some clubs and I volunteer on campus. But I feel at a slight disadvantage because of my age." Emma tried to see if there was any reaction from Regina as she spoke. "I mean, it isn't everyday someone applies for scholarships as a twenty year old freshman."
Brown eyes shot up immediately and bore into green. The look of confusion was evident. "You're twenty? But I thought you were in Mary Margaret's class."
"I am in her class. You may not know this, but I was homeless for a time and I was so far behind in school that I started my senior year at Foxhaven at nineteen." Emma watched genuine relief spread across the other woman's face.
"My angel did mention your unfortunate circumstances to me, Emma. As awful as I am sure that was, it may work to your benefit. You should include that in your entrance essay. Everyone loves a story of overcoming difficulty." The man smiled and patted her on the arm, drawing her eyes away from a silent conversation with Regina.
"Oh daddy, I am sure Emma would prefer to get into school on her own merit, not because of some hard luck story. Right, Emma?" Mare smiled brightly at her friend.
"Right. I'd rather not use what I've been through to get a pity vote, you know? If someone wants me, I want it to be real… not out of pity." Emma hoped her words were understood by everyone around the table in the way she intended.
Leo clapped a hand onto her shoulder and squeezed. "Well, I am glad to hear that. A girl with real integrity. I'm glad my Mary Margaret has you for a roommate. I bet I can count on you to keep her straight."
A very distinct giggle sounded across the table then. Emma turned to see Regina and Mary Margaret looking at each other. Mare's green eyes were full of confusion, Regina's full of fear. She hadn't meant to laugh out loud.
"What's funny, Regina?" Leo said, his tone again harsh.
"Nothing, Leo. I just… I suppose I found it humorous to think our Mary Margaret would need anyone to help keep her in line. She always seems to make such good choices on her own." Regina tried to cover her mistake though her cheeks were colored red.
Mare still frowned toward the woman and Leo merely shrugged and looked back to Emma. "Well, why don't we all retire to my study? I'd like to talk more about your plans, Emma. I know several men on the board of trustees at Tufts so it is possible I could put in a good word for you."
"May we have a small sherry and light a fire, daddy?" Mary Margaret was already standing and following her father toward the door.
"Of course, my angel. Anything for you."
"Are you coming, Regina?" Emma stood waiting for the woman to rise from her seat.
She shook her head no and opened her mouth to respond when Leo's voice again interrupted. "Leave her be, Emma. I'm sure she has some book to read or whatever it is she does with her time."
He waved a dismissive hand toward his wife and looped his arm around his daughter's shoulders, guiding her down the hall. Emma stood looking at Regina for a moment, unsure what to do.
"You'd better go. If you stay you will only get me into trouble for keeping you." Regina stood then and started toward the door at the opposite end of the room. "After all, I have a book or something to attend to."
~ (SQ) ~
Emma didn't see Regina again that night. After a boring chat with Mare and her father, the two girls had gone into a media room and watched a movie. By the time it was over, all Emma wanted to do was go to bed and wake up in the morning to find this was all a dream.
"Goodnight, Em. Don't worry about getting up at a particular time tomorrow. I'm going with daddy for a drive in the morning." Mare stopped outside the door as her friend went into her bedroom.
"A drive? Are you going into town?"
Mare shrugged. "No. He wants to show me some property he cleared out on the western end of the estate. He's tired of the stables being so close in to the house so he's relocating them there. He wanted my opinion, I guess. But when we get back, we will watch the parade on TV and relax until dinner, ok?"
"Um, yeah. Sounds good. So I'll just sleep in then." Emma tried to fake a smile though in her mind she was wondering how she would avoid facing Regina alone while her hosts were away. "I didn't know you liked horses. You never mentioned them either."
Mary Margaret frowned. "I don't like them. They are huge and they stink. These horses belong to Regina. And she's pretty pissed daddy wants to move them but… oh well. He wants them away from the house."
Emma nodded. "So, is now a good time to hear why you seem to dislike her so much?"
"Not really. I'm tired and I think I shouldn't have eaten that last bit of pie during the movie. I over did it and it isn't even Thanksgiving yet." Mare started toward her room but called back over her shoulder. "I promise though. I will tell you all about it… eventually."
Nearly two hours later, Emma found herself just staring up at the ceiling in the darkness. The night outside was darker than she was used to, perhaps because the house was so far from anything out in the country, but there was a dim light shining in the room from a nightlight in the corner. She wondered if the nightlight was Mary Margaret's doing or if Mare had learned to keep a nightlight from them being in her house.
The sound of her door opening had Emma sitting bolt upright in the bed.
"Regina? What are you doing?"
"Shhh. Not so loud. They'll hear you." Regina padded quietly toward the bed in her nightgown and bare feet.
"Not so loud? Are you crazy? What are you doing in here?" Emma pulled the covers protectively up to her chin as the woman approached and sat on the edge of the bed, facing the blonde.
"I wanted to talk to you without an audience and this seemed like the best way. I haven't slept all night for worrying about what you must think… Emma, I'm so sorry—"
Emma cut her off. "Sorry? Jesus, Regina. This isn't the time or place for this. Won't your husband notice you missing from the bed? You need to get out of here."
Regina laughed a small, bitter laugh. "I assure you, my husband wouldn't notice if I sprouted wings and flew away from here. Besides, we haven't shared a bed in many years so as far as he knows I'm asleep. Emma, please. Listen to me. I never would've…" Regina looked away, embarrassment in her dark eyes. "I never would've gone to your hotel if I'd known you were a student. And certainly not if I had known you were Mary Margaret's friend. You have to believe I thought you were an adult. I don't prey on young women—"
Emma held up a hand to silence the other woman. "I know, Regina. I didn't think you were a perv. I should've told you after the first night that I wasn't at university. You deserved to know that. But I'm not a seventeen year old kid. I'm as much an adult right now as when you thought I was at Tuft's. So just… forget about that. I feel bad for misleading you but… I guess we are even on that, huh?"
Regina's eyes fell closed and she pulled her feet up onto the bed under her. "Emma… I know I didn't tell you about Leo but—"
"But what? But what, Regina? You are married! Even if I was a senior at Tuft's… you have a husband. Why didn't you tell me? If I was just a fling for you, I could've lived with that. Maybe I wouldn't have let my heart get involved." Emma tried to keep her voice low, but even her whisper sounded loud in the sleeping house.
"Your heart? Emma what… what does that mean?" Regina's voice reflected the shiver in her body. The room was cold against her thin nightgown.
Emma took a deep breath and scooted to the other side of the large bed. "Get under here before you freeze."
Regina hesitated, looking back to the closed door to the hallway. Had she locked it behind her? Emma patted the blank space beside her. "Come on. It's cold and I can't talk to a popsicle… even a married one."
Finally relenting, Regina slipped from the bed and crawled under the covers. The spot where Emma had been laying was warm and already she began to relax. "What did you mean, about your heart?"
"Nothing. I didn't mean anything, Regina. I just wish we had both been honest before." Emma's voice was surprisingly calm as she felt the other woman's closeness.
"I know. Me too. But I need you to know I am not some horrible person, no matter what the princess might have told you. Her father… well, he… this isn't a real marriage, Emma. I don't love him. I never have loved him. And I haven't picked anyone up in a bar like that in… well, only ever once in the entire time we've been married. So, no matter what you think, believe me when I say I wasn't out trolling for an affair when we met. I wasn't." Regina's eyes were wet with unshed tears, and her voice was pleading with Emma to understand.
"I don't think that. To be honest I don't know what to think. And Mare hasn't said a word about you… yet. Although I think she will. She's never even told me she had a step-mother until she introduced us."
Now it was Regina who rolled her eyes. "No, I suppose she wouldn't. I'm not exactly her favorite person. When she was younger, I tried very hard to have a relationship with her but… she just wouldn't let me in. Did you know I used to baby sit for her when her mother was alive? I was just a teenager back then but she was always special to me. But after I married her father… well, things are obviously different now."
Emma just stared at the woman before her. They were facing each other under the covers, a respectable distance apart, but despite the unusual circumstances, all she wanted was to kiss her. What kind of reaction was that? She should be angry. She should be hurt. She should be running away from this soap opera looking for a place to happen… but instead she felt her own hand betraying her brain at reaching out to touch Regina's cheek in the darkness.
"Emma… don't." Regina's words commanded her to stop but her body language, her voice, begged her to continue. "I can't take it. Not unless you mean it, my darling. This is wrong, isn't it?"
Emma's fingers made gentle contact with the flushed face before her and both of them sighed into the night. "Yes, it's wrong. But I can't help it. I've missed you so much. You looked so beautiful at dinner tonight. Always so beautiful."
Chocolate eyes fell closed as Regina pressed into the hand against her face. She seemed for a moment like a starving man at the first taste of food—relishing the sensation and yet somehow afraid to trust it would be enough to satisfy his need. "Emma… This is all so complicated. I want to explain everything so you can understand. But… I can't think of anything to say except I—"
"Emma? Emma? Are you awake? Can I come in? I thought I heard voices." Mary Margaret called from the door, jiggling the knob. Yes. Regina had locked it.
The two women in the bed stared wide-eyed at each other. Another bubble burst, another moment destroyed. This wasn't Boston. Emma was a student, Mare's roommate. Regina was her step-mother. This wasn't supposed to happen.
"Yeah, I'm awake. One second and I'll get the door." Emma called quietly as Regina slipped from the bed, already looking for a place to hide.
She smirked, looking more like herself in that moment than Emma had seen all day. "The closet. How ironic." She disappeared behind the door as Emma let her friend in.
"Who were you talking to?" Mare said making her way across to the bed Regina had just been lying in.
"Um, no one." Emma shrugged. At the brunette's disbelieving look, she went on. "Actually, if you must know, I was talking to myself. I couldn't sleep and it is a throwback from my foster care days. Sort of, self-soothing in a way."
Mary Margaret immediately looked ashamed for pushing Emma to tell something about her past. "Oh. I see. Well, I couldn't sleep either. It's too quiet here, isn't it? Nothing like school. Come on, I'll keep you company a while."
"Uh…" Emma looked from the place where Mare was crawling into the bed to the slightly ajar closet door where Regina was hiding. "I… uh… I hate to keep you up. I'll try to sleep. It's all good."
"Nonsense. I can't sleep either. And I guess now is as good a time as any to tell you about my wicked step-mother." The girl scooted over as Emma had done such a short time ago and patted the place for Emma. "Come on. Please?"
Looking again to the closet, Emma knew she had no choice than to comply. "Sure. Ok. But, I wish you would lay off the name-calling about Regina. I haven't noticed her doing anything wrong since I got here. Why are you so mad at her?"
"I'm not mad at her. She just… she's a gold digger." Mare shrugged as she settled into the bed. "She was my baby sitter when I was small. And when my mother died daddy needed her more often to help out with me. She saw an opportunity to better her station in life and took it."
Emma frowned deeply then. "What? What do you mean?"
The girl sighed loud and long, blowing air out her elfish little nose. "I mean… she took advantage of my daddy. She came in here, week in and week out, young and beautiful, flaunting herself around. Daddy was lonely and heartbroken over losing mother and Regina manipulated the situation to her benefit. Mother had only been gone a year when they married. I'll never forgive her for that."
"So you are mad because you think she married your dad for his money?" Emma was not surprised. The thought had occurred to her that no woman married a rich man thirty years her senior for love.
"I know she married him for his money. Her father used to be a member at the club. He was well off, not like us but not exactly poor. And his wife… oh god, Regina's mother was the worst. She was from a working class family in town and didn't know the first thing about people with money. Anyway, Regina's father lost everything in a bad business deal. They moved into this little house across town and never came back to the club. But daddy felt bad for them and let Regina sit for me. So when she saw a way to get back into the social circle she was ostracized from, she took it." Mary Margaret spoke in such a superior tone, it was as if she had forgotten the girl she was sharing a bed with was even worse off than Regina's family probably ever was.
"I see. Wow. I had no idea. How long have they been married?" Emma knew she should be ending this conversation and getting rid of Mare. She knew Regina could probably hear every word they were saying. But she wanted to know.
"Ten years. God, can you imagine? Ten years my daddy has endured this sham of a marriage." Mare shook her head against her pillow. "It was ok at first. He seemed happy. But I'd say for the past eight of the ten years it has been hell. He's miserable but he won't divorce her because… well, in his grief he neglected to get her to sign a prenup before they married so… I guess he'd rather be married to her than give her half our money."
Emma let the words settle into her. None of this sounded like that strong, confident woman sipping martinis and teaching her the art of pleasing a woman. Emma felt her face pink all the way to her ears at the thought of some of Regina's lessons. It just didn't make any sense. Why stay with Leo and be so clearly unhappy if she would get money in the divorce?
"So, I despise her. For marrying daddy, for trying to replace mother, for making us all so miserable for all these years… for everything she is and says and does." Mare ended her story as if she had given Emma all the information she would ever need on the subject.
The girl yawned big and stretched. "I'm getting so sleepy now, Em. Can I just sleep here with you?"
Emma glanced toward the closet and wondered if Regina could see her confused face in the dim light. "Uh, yeah. Sure. You can stay."
~ (SQ) ~
It didn't take long before Mary Margaret was sleeping soundly, snoring lightly into her pillow. When Emma was sure it was safe, she slipped from the bed and padded to the closet door. Pulling it slightly open, she saw Regina there, her face marred with tears.
"You don't believe her, do you? You don't think I… that I would ever… oh my darling. Please tell me you don't think so little of me, Emma. I am not a gold digger. It isn't like that at all." The brunette was shaking where she stood.
Emma stepped into the closet, closing the door softly behind her. In a moment, she had engulfed the other woman in an embrace. "Shhh, don't cry. Of course I don't think that. I honestly don't know what to think, but I don't think you did what she said. Hush now, don't cry."
Regina fell hard against Emma's chest and tried to control her tears. Her arms slipped around Emma's waist and drew her closer. The younger woman tightened her own grip and whispered soothingly into her hair. Suddenly, Regina looked up into green eyes and before Emma could comprehend what was happening, she crashed their lips together in a needy and emotional kiss.
Regina's hands fisted the back of Emma's sleep shirt and her tongue sought to plunder the treasure of the other woman's mouth. Groaning quietly, she allowed the intrusion and tangled one hand in silken black locks, the other slipping below the small of Regina's back, pushing the shorter woman up and into her body. For several moments the kiss went on, desperate and passionate. But then Emma remembered where she was, who was in her arms and who was sleeping a few feet away.
Breathless, she broke the kiss. "Regina, stop. We can't do this. We can't."
"Right. You're right. She might wake up." Regina loosened her grip on Emma slightly and glanced toward the closed door of the closet.
"No. Regina… I…" Emma took a deep breath. "I don't mean we can't do this now. I mean we can't do this at all. Ever. Mary Margaret is my friend. And whether you want to be or not… you are still married to her father. I want to hear your side of things. I do. I want to know what happened and why you are here… why you were in that bar in Boston. But this… this is wrong. Too many people would be hurt. We can't."
Emma watched as a tidal wave of different emotions washed across Regina's face. Sadness, disappointment, fear… all in dark brown orbs. But the one that she settled on, the one that frightened Emma most of all, was practiced indifference. All emotion fled, the light in her eyes was extinguished, and Regina freed herself from Emma's embrace.
"I understand. And I'm sorry. You needn't worry about the truth, darling. It wouldn't matter anyway. And don't worry about… this. I won't throw myself at you again. I… I truly am sorry. Goodnight, Emma." She stepped then to the door and opened it softly. Seeing the girl still asleep in the bed, she made her exit and disappeared into the night.
