A.N. I listened to, Black Widow by Iggy Azalea (ft. Rita Ora) for this chapter .. thank you for the reviews/thoughts, follows, favs, messages .. it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside :) Love to all ~

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Eight years ago - Upstate, New York -

The clinking of metal draws Cora's attention as she makes her way down the dimly lit corridor, following the sound. She leans against the wall, peering slightly into the wide, windowless room.

Regina raises her sword clashing it against Emma's before she side steps a jab and rolls her body forward. Emma quickly turns around but Regina is faster, quick to get back onto her feet as the blade from her sword nicks Emma above her left eye.

"Shit .. " Emma leans back, dropping her sword in the process as she feels a sticky trail of blood begin to trickle a path down the side of her face. Regina instantly drops her weapon, the cutlass finding a home alongside Emma's, on the ground. Strong fingertips grip her chin, pulling her forward, toward Regina's intense scrutiny.

Cora narrows her gaze, leaning her body further into the room as she curls a hand around the doorframe for leverage. She curses herself for putting off a visit to the optometrist, as she squints her eyes trying to clear the blurry vision of Regina and Emma but to no avail. Her daughter is standing so close to Swan but she can't be sure if Regina's lips are in deed pressing along Emma's or if she is just merely checking the apparent injury to the younger woman.

Surely, it is the latter, Cora thinks. But yet -

"Boss! There you are .. I - " Cora turns around, ducking swiftly out of sight as Regina looks over Emma's shoulder and catches a shadow inch away from the open doorway.

She drops Emma's hand, slipping a cloth bandana out of her hair and giving it to Emma. "Here, keep pressure on the cut. It's not too deep, but let's go have Doc take a look at it. It might need some stitches." Emma goes to hold one of her hands again but Regina pulls away, shaking her head before whispering, "Mother is back early, and I fear she was just watching us, Emma." Her brown eyes widen, beckoning for the younger woman to follow her lead and Emma nods her understanding. She lets Regina take a few steps ahead of her before starting to follow as Regina loudly says, "You lost focus, Swan .. you took your eyes off the weapon .. "

Both women clear the doorway, turning left in the corridor before coming face to face with Cora and her trusty henchman. Regina feigns surprise, eyes widening before taking a quick step forward, kissing the air by her mother's cheek. "You made it home early. What a lovely surprise." Emma watches as Regina manages to add a sparkle of excitement into her brown eyes and for the thousandth time, she wonders just how the older woman does it.

It's a neat magic trick, Emma thinks as she finds herself the study of scrutiny by the monarch of the dynasty.

"Swan, you're hurt?" She steps forward and roughly turns Emma's cheek sideways, as she studies the cut that hugs right below the corner of her left eyebrow. She misses the suspicious gaze thrown in her direction from Regina, as she drops her hand. "Well, the bleeding has stopped, but it is a decent gash. Go up and see - "

"Exactly where we were headed, Mother, to let the good doctor take a look at it. Let's go, Swan." Regina takes a few steps forward but is stopped by the older woman calling her name.

"Regina, dear, I think Swan can manage getting patched up all on her own. I need a word, please." Cora's tone is sweet and passive and it makes the small hairs on Emma's neck prickle as she brushes past Regina.

She fights stealing a glance back at her lover and tries instead to remember what Regina has told her. It's a quiet mantra, Emma finds comfort in as she imagines Regina's voice spurring her on.

Never show weakness Emma and always keep your head in the game.

Regina makes it a point not to stare after Emma but to keep her eyes trained on her mothers as she tilts her head and waits for the woman to continue the conversation.

"It appears you and Swan have a nice routine set up here. A dollop of a friendship perhaps? I do hope nothing else has been entertained, dear. You know that is a rule that is never to be broken. No exceptions, Regina. Whether you are my daughter or not."

Regina hopes her features are neutral, impassive as she finally stills her heartbeat long enough to speak. "Of course, Mother. Besides, I believe we both can agree I'd be delving beneath my station, no?" She chuckles and gently pats her mother's shoulder, hoping that the woman doesn't pick up on the mocking gesture. "I mean, come now, Mother, Swan and .. me? I think not. The woman can barely hold a sword upright let alone - "

"Oh, I think she has come along quite nicely, darling. In fact, I think she is ready for the next phase."

"Next phase? I'm sorry, did I miss something, the next phase is - "

"Oh, Swan, is special, Regina. Very special and I have an even more special phase aligned for her. So, as I was saying before you interrupted me, and you do know how I abhor being interrupted, Regina .. "

"I'm sorry, Mother." She looks down at the floor and only glances up when she feels cool fingertips grip her chin, pulling her close.

"Today is your last day training Swan, dear. She will be mine starting tomorrow. I have big plans for her and it's best you not get in the way of that." She unhands her daughter, pushing her away as she brushes past her.

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Present Time - Storybrooke, Maine -

Regina wakes up late as her eyes begin to adjust to the bright sunlight streaming into the bedroom. She rubs her eyes, rolling over and focusing on the alarm clock she hadn't thought she needed to set.

8:15

She rolls her eyes, stretching her limbs as she removes herself from the bed that is fit for a queen. She powers through a quick shower before making her way into the kitchen, deciding to surprise Henry with his favorite breakfast. Dinosaur shaped pancakes.

The little boy finds her stirring up a batter in a deep glass bowl when he makes his way into the bright open kitchen.

"Don't forget the chips, Mama .. " He climbs up onto his chair at the table and takes a quick sip of juice, wiping the back of his hand over his mouth before he remembers to say, " Please."

Regina smiles to herself before replying, "Use a napkin to wipe your mouth, Henry .. please."

His eyes widen and he finds himself thinking once again that his Mommy must really have eyes in the back of her head. He's about to ask her if she really can see him like that but his thoughts are interrupted by Uncle Graham coming into the room. He quickly finds a new focus on the two toy trains his mother had placed by his plate when she set the table, as he grabs them in each hand and ducks down under the table to play with them.

Regina glances up at Graham when he enters the room and her brown eyes immediately widen as they peer up into the worried gaze.

He scopes the room quickly and she watches as he runs his fingers through his hair. She knows this is his nervous tick and she feels her throat close up as a familiar anvil lands inside her stomach.

He slips his radio up to his mouth and it crackles to life as he calls out for White to join them in the kitchen. The short haired woman appears less than a minute later, nodding her head as she takes over for Regina in front of the stove.

Regina quickly tells her, "Don't forget the chocolate chips, please .. " Before she is turning around and going to her son, kneeling down by the table and peering underneath it. He looks up to see his Mommy's bright smile staring back at him and he barrels out of his makeshift play area, jumping onto her lap and wrapping his tiny arms tight around her neck. "You hafta work, don't you?"

She hugs him back, whispering a quiet, "Yes, sweetheart." Before she kisses his temple and rubs her nose against his.

He whispers into her ear, "It's okay, Mama .. play with me later, promise?" He holds out his little pinky finger, with his bright eyes pleading.

Regina nods her head, crossing her heart before wrapping her own pinky finger around her son's. "Promise, my little prince. Now, behave for Mary."

He smiles at her and nods his head excitedly, dashing back under the table to his neglected toy trains. Regina reaches out and ruffles his hair before getting back to her feet and marching out of the kitchen with Graham trailing close behind.

They make it to the end of the grand staircase before she spins around and crosses her arms in front of herself. "Out with it."

"I can't find Swan. She isn't in the office .. or the gym - "

Regina finds herself exhaling a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding since she left the kitchen. She shakes her head and relaxes her stance. "I put her in the guest wing. The summer bedroom. She's probably still sleeping .. we - she had a rough night." She doesn't meet Graham's questioning gaze as she begins the climb up the stairs. He doesn't know if he should follow her or not but he decides to follow nonetheless, knowing full well if Regina didn't want him to, she wouldn't hesitate to tell him as much.

She knocks on the door and waits a moment before she looks back at Graham, indicating for him to stay back. He leans against the wall and nods back in understanding. She turns the knob and enters the room. A freshly made bed stares back at her and the anvil falls again inside her gut. Her eyes roam around the room until they find what they are searching for, as a folded piece of paper lying on an end table, glares back at her. The plush carpet slips between her toes, caressing the soles of her bare feet as she slowly takes a few steps forward.

She opens the note and immediately recognizes Emma's scratched penmanship. She swallows down a lump in her throat as she feels an old familiar tug of betrayal wash through her. She feels the weight of Graham come up to stand behind her and she can't bring herself to look at him. She feels her hand move; she watches as the note floats in midair and she closes her eyes as Graham grasps the paper into his own hands.

His eyes roam over the sprinkle of words.

We are each other's weakness and I can't protect you this way. I need to keep my head in the game.

Regina's eyes are still closed, her thoughts galloping against a heart that still beats a long ago sadness when Graham's voice fills the silence.

"Boss .. Regina - "

"She remembers, Graham." Those three words lay between them, billowing around the room as a morning breeze rustles the curtains before Graham finally speaks.

"I'm sorry, Regina .. but .. how do you know she remembers? I mean - "

She turns to meet his gaze and he sees brown eyes shining with unshed tears before she says, "Because what she wrote is exactly what she said when she walked away from me eight years ago." Graham watches as she stubbornly wipes a few tears away from her cheeks before she raises her head and makes her way toward the open door. She stands under the threshold and turns to face him one more time, pointing toward the bed. "Strip it and burn the bedding in the incinerator; have White put fresh linens in the room. Oh, and remove the couch from my office, destroy it and get me a new one. Then sweep the plane and have it fueled and ready to go for this afternoon."

"Uh .. where are you going?" He asks, biting his bottom lip in the process as he shuffles his feet.

She walks out of the bedroom, casually saying over a shoulder, "It's time to pay my dear old mother a visit."

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