Let's see what you think of this new chapter ... let's make those ladies talk a little more, shall we? *evil grin*
Don't hesitate to review/follow, I love every single email alert.

Ohh and I have an other OUAT fic in progress, post 3x11, whose first chapter might pop up over the week-end if I find time to type and courage to post :p

CHAPTER 4

Far from granting Regina her wish, Emma stood her ground.
Tightening her hold around her slim waist just enough so she'd feel it without feeling restrained, she moved her mouth closer to Regina and whispered reassuring words over and over again.

For an outsider, the picture they offered would seem odd, each caught in their own mantra: Regina begging Emma to leave and Emma begging Regina to come back to her.
Two women naked in a room where they just shared an entire night or passion.

She didn't know how long it lasted before little by little, her voice prevailed over Regina's. Her own voice sounded hoarse and screechy to her ears signaling that it might have taken some times to break trough Regina's walls.

When Regina fell silent, she kept going on, making sure whatever comforting words she was giving her were fully understood, and hopefully, sank in.

She had long lost track of time when Regina turned and faced her. But she refused to meet her eyes, keeping her face stubbornly down.
Taking it as the improvement it was, Emma reached up with both hands and cupped her face. She didn't push her to look up, just wiped her damp cheeks with her thumbs.

She smiled when Regina sniffed loudly, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.
She was quick to retrieve a couple tissues from the box sitting on the nightstand.
As she handed them to Regina, she found it quite amusing that the former Queen turned around to blow her nose and wipe her cheeks.
Was she trying to save some kind of regal appearance?
She told her just yesterday that she didn't care if she were a fallen Queen, Evil or otherwise, or Storybrooke former Major. She was just interested in Regina, the woman behind the cold façade.

When caramel eyes rose to meet green's, Emma Swan, couldn't help but gasp at the pain and insecurity laying there for her to see.
But the most frightening emotion displayed in their depth was surely the fear. Regina tried to hide behind a tight smile but Emma didn't buy it a second. The woman was afraid and it was written all over her face.

-"What are you so afraid of Regina? I'm not going to hurt you", Emma whispered, trying to reassure her.
-"But I will', Regina answered sadly.
-"No you won't'.
-"How can you be so sure Miss Swan?"

Emma chose not to address the use of her name, for the time being at least.

-"What are a poisoned pastry, a dragon, Ogres or a deadly curse when everyone says you're the all mighty Savior?', she joked but her joke fell flat.
-"My point exactly", Regina went on with a sad smile. "I'm the Evil Queen and always will be".
-"Former Queen, Regina, You're not in the Enchanted Forest anymore. Whatever happened there doesn't belong here".
-"I've condemned you to years of loneliness, of pain; and I hurt you in this realm".
-"And what would it change to keep beating yourself over and over again? You've changed Regina", she held her gaze as she grabbed both hands in hers "You might not see it, or the inhabitants of the city but I do. You're nothing like the woman you used to be. That … person … is dead".
-"If only it were true", Regina replied vehemently.
-"What's that supposed to mean?", Emma questioned her, refusing to release her hands.

Taking a big breath, Regina went on:

-"Wouldn't it be best for everyone if I were gone for good?"
-"You suicidal now?"
-"Maybe', she pushed.
-"Regina, don't say things like these. What about your son?"
-"_Your_ son", Regina spat back.
-"_Our_ son. I might be his biological mother but I gave him up for adoption just the same".
-"To give him better chances", Regina added "All I did was snatch him up to fill some hole in my heart".
-"Well then that's the case for most adoptive parents".
-"You don't understand Emma", she was getting frustrated by Emma's inability to see her as who she really was.
-"Then explain to me, Regina. Please. I don't see the monster you obviously see in yourself. For ten years, you took care of Henry, loved him like your son".
-"But he never was and never will be, right?", she accused.
-"Regina … Henry is only a boy, but he's very intelligent, you know he just needs some time to ..."
-"To what? Hate me completely like everyone else in this town?", she yelled in Emma's face, fresh tears running down her cheeks.

She wiped them furiously, clearly infuriated by Emma's inability to understand and her own emotional state.

-"That's enough Regina!", Emma yelled back as equally, hoping it'd make Regina snap out of the self pity state.

But when the former major's hand connected with her cheek, she knew she had done it the wrong way.
Regina's life had always been fueled with sorrow and pain and yelling back at her only shoved it back in her face.

There was other path to travel and she vowed to prove it to Regina, whose hand was ready to strike again.

-"Fine, hit me all you want but it won't change the way I see you", when Regina didn't respond, she pushed her advantage, her face inches from Regina's, invading her personal space some more. "You're not a monster Regina. Sure you did terrible things but that was 30 years ago for God's sake!"
-"I'm a monster Emma! I'm Regina Mills! I'm the Evil Queen! I ..."
-"Fine! You want me to say it? You killed dozens of people, cursed a whole land because they rejected you. You brought sorrow and destruction to innocent people who didn't deserve your hatred.
I get it Regina! Damn it, living in the past won't erase it all! You can't bring back the lives you took, nor can you erase the past 28 years!
But there is one thing you can do and have done for the past year: you can redeem yourself Regina.
Prove to everyone that you are not her anymore. Show yourself, not Cora's daughter.
I'm not saying it'll be easy, we both know it won't. But if this outburst is your way of dealing with the fear and pain you feel inside, don't expect me to stand by and watch it destroy you", she went on, her voice lowering as she spoke.

She had Regina's attention now, she'd rather not enrage her any further:

-"What … what if you … they … don't want to see?", she asked in a scared voice.

Her voice sounded childish, just like her behavior. Coming from a thirty something, it might look cute and endearing but given that the woman standing before her was closer to her sixties, she found it scary.

What was even more scary was her lapses which wasn't lost to her. For all they lived together this past year and these last 24 hours, Regina still didn't see her in her corner.

How she could have allowed her in her bed didn't make any sense. Again, she reminded herself that it was Regina she was talking to, and she was quite a handful when it came to deal with her emotions. No one ever taught her how to deal with them in a rational and non excessive way and Cora's last visit didn't really help.

Regina's eyes were fixed on her with such a lost look that she fought back the urge to engulf her in her arms and protect her from the world.
From the world outside which wanted nothing more than see her fail.
But she couldn't let that happen. Not as much as The Savior, but as a woman who cared deeply for her son's mother.
Whatever there was between them would be sorted out later. But this, this hatred Regina felt towards herself had to be diffused. And quickly or it might end up badly.

So ... what daya say? ... :)