A/N: After remembering that I had way more chapters of this story, I decided to post them, for no other reason than it being a shame to waist the work I once put into this story. It hasn't been beta-ed so all mistakes are mine, and since it's been years since I wrote the story, I haven't read through it and therefore don't know what the story is about anymore. I'll be uploading the remaining 3 chapters as well, but keep in mind that there are no more chapters than those, and I don't think there will be in the future.
Nothing really made sense anymore as Regina sat down in Ruby's living room. She was slowly starting to sober up just a bit and wasn't really sure about what she was doing anymore. She knew she shouldn't be there, but the drunken part of her insisted that she wouldn't leave until she'd gotten the comfort that she was promised.
It had been a long day. Well, at least longer than usual, considering that her usual was pretty draining to begin with. Her and Henry had gotten into a fight and he had run off after Emma. Furious with the result, she came knocking on the door.
"Can I help you Madam Mayor?" the inocent and clueless Mary Margaret had answered. Regina was just about to lash out, when a fury of blonde curls came flying forwards, screaming:
"Don't let her in!" slamming and locking the door as quickly as it had been opened.
"Miss Swan, what the hell is the meaning of this?!" Regina yelled furiously, almost knocking the door down with her fist. She could hear Emma and Mary Margaret argue rather angrily, though trying to keep their voices as low as possible.
"Miss Swan, I'm warning you! I will not tolerate being treated like this!" Regina was just about to explode completely when she heard Emma voice frantically saying 'Okay, okay, okay!' followed closely by a sharp 'thank you!', before the door unlocked and the blonde slipped out, shutting the door quickly behind her, refusing the brunette access at all time.
"I demand to know what the hell is going on?! Where is my son?!" Regina desperately tried to push Emma away to no luck at all.
"No! You can't see him right now!"
"Miss Swan, I hope you know that you have absolutely no authority over my son whatsoever!"
"Regina, please, just listen to me!" Emma was getting frustrated as well right now. This was so not what she needed right now. Her relationship with the mayor was strained enough as it was already.
"I will do no such thing as long as you deny me access to my son!"
"He doesn't want to see you right now. Please understand, he's really sad right now and the last thing he needs right now is you yelling at him!"
"You have no saying on my sons feelings!"
"Your right, I may not, but I sure as hell won't let you anywhere near him as long as you're in this mood!" Emma needed to try something. Anything.
"If I remember correctly it was you who brought me to this mood to begin with!"
But Emma stood her ground, refusing to give up on this one. After all, all she wanted to do was to protect Henry.
"Then please enlighten me! What the hell will it take for you to get me to see my son?!"
"First of all, I need you to calm down." Regina sighed as she threw her hands in the air. "Henry's upset right now and I seriously think it would be a good thing for you two to spend some time apart. This has nothing to do with you and me and not even me and Henry. This is just to protect him-"
"You want to protect him against his own mother?!" Regina interrupted.
"God woman, will you please just listen to me?! It won't help your relationship in the slightest to spend time right now! He needs some time right now!"
"Are done yet?" Regina asked, arrogance laced in her voice. "Can I please take my son home now?"
Emma sighed. She knew she wasn't really getting anywhere. She didn't really have any saying in this matter. She was pushing her luck way too far. And if she ever had any hope of getting together with the brunette, she knew that they needed to work together instead of arguing.
"No." she answered firmly, much to Regina's annoyance. "But I can let you see him briefly. As long as I get to stay in the door, making sure that nothings happening. He told me he wanted to stay over. Just for the night. I think it might be a good idea. He just needs a bit of time right. Will you at least just think about it?" Emma was calm as she spoke, trying not to escalate this into something she couldn't control.
"As long as I get to speak with him first, I'll think about it, okay?" Regina also knew that this wasn't going to turn into something pretty if they didn't start talking together. She really didn't want to, but she felt like she had no choice anymore. It wasn't like she could call the sheriff or anything. She would just have to wait and call the authorities in the morning.
"I can accept that." Emma finally agreed as she steeped aside, allowing a rather irritated mayor to push her way into the small department.
"He's in my room." The blonde simply stated, leading the way. As they reached the door, Emma stopped death in her tracks, turning to face Regina.
"Just give me a second to talk to him first, okay? I need to know that he's alright with this first." she knocked on the door gently, before making her way inside, closing after her.
"Oh, please." Regina muttered under her breath, but stayed in her place. She didn't want to make more drama out of this than most necessary. But her heart flinched in pain and rejection as she fought to keep her anger down.
A small minute later Emma returned again, getting close to the brunette.
"Please, be gentle. For his sake."
"I don't need your helping on how to raise my own son." she snapped, though knowing deep down that the blonde was right. Not that she was going to do anything different anyway.
"Hey honey, it's me." she said, sitting down on the edge of the bed where Henry was currently curled up, facing away from her. When she tried to place her hand on his shoulder, he quickly shook it off again.
"I don't want to talk to you." his voice trembled. It sent a wave of stinging pain through her, mixed with regret.
"I guess I can understand that." Normally Henry wouldn't have gotten a word through, but standing in Emma's room like this, actually made her want to stay as collected and wise as possible.
"I just want to make sure that your okay." she continued.
"Why?" he asked, never turning around. "So you can hurt me even more?" He was obviously very upset with her.
"No. Because I'm your mother and I care about you, Henry. Why do you think I want to hurt you?" It took all her willpower to keep her voice soft and careful.
"Than why is that all you ever do to me?!" he raised his voice a bit, though staying completely still. And as Regina once more tried to place a comforting hand on his shoulder, he merely pushed her away once more.
"I'm really sorry that you feel that way about me."
"No you're not." he answered quickly, as it was the most obvious thing in the whole world. Regina sighed. She couldn't do this. Not now! Why?!
"Emma told me that you wanted to stay over here for the night. Is that true?" she asked, as friendly as she could muster.
"Yes." he merely stated.
"Okay..." It was clear that she had lost. "Then I guess I should leave again..."
At this he turned around. The view broke Regina's heart. He was pouting angrily but confused, eyes red from crying. His hurt was so clear, Regina wanted to scream.
"Really?" he asked, not daring to get his hope up.
A small tear fell down Regina's left eyes before she could catch it, as she leaned down and placed a lingering kiss to his forehead.
"I love you so much my sweet little boy. I just want you to be happy."
And with that, she got up as quickly covered her face with a mask of ignorance as she literally pushed herself past the blonde in the doorway.
"Regina, wait!" Emma called out, before she got the chance to go through the front door as well.
"What do you want?" she voice was tired and hard. Cold.
"Thank you; Regina. I know this must be really hard for you." Emma tried her best to be sympathetic towards her, but the words of encouragement never reach past the firm and lost death glare she was receiving.
"Was that all?" she asked, her tone never changing.
"No. I wanted to tell you that you look beautiful today." Emma smiled nervously.
"Don't push it Swan." Regina merely stated as she slammed the door after her on the way out.
That's what made her go to Granny's. That's what got her drunk as hell, eventually ending in Ruby's apartment. She could have just gone home, but she couldn't bare it. The thought of being left alone in that big house with only alcohol and her own dark thoughts to keep her company didn't really seem like the best option. That would only end up very bad. No, she couldn't be alone right now. She needed space, she needed peace, and most importantly, she really needed alcohol, or she wouldn't make it. So against all odds, Granny's it was.
Now she just needed to figure out what the hell to do with Ruby walking in with a tray of tea in her hands.