Chapter 10

I want to thank all of you who left reviews or favorited this story or followed this story. It means a lot to me that you've taken the time and consideration to read what I have written and even cared enough to give words of encouragement. It does feel good to breathe life back into a story that most, including myself, had probably assumed dead. Anyway, on with the story. That is why you're here anyway

Dawn broke the hazy New York skyline. Regina hadn't slept well in the constantly shifting and squeaking air mattress. Her make-shift dinner had also given her fierce heart burn that made being in a horizontal position difficult. She decided that after she'd acquired proper groceries, a bed was the next thing on her list to procure. She could practically feel the queen in her scoffing at the pathetic arrangement she had, taunting her for how far she'd fallen. It was the exhaustion making her irritable, the brunette rationalized. She knew that if she wasn't where she was at that moment, she would have been equally, if not more, exhausted from bone wracking sobs and haunted dreams. She understood that sacrifices had to be made in order to get what she needed. Compared to ripping out her father's heart, surviving New York ought to be a breeze. A regal voice from deep within whispered that they shall see about that.

There was no way to tell what time it was without a clock but judging from what little sky that could be seen from the windows, Regina guessed that it was very early. Too early to go see Henry and Emma. She rolled out of her nest on to the floor because that was the only way that the plastic beast would let her go. An immediate chill enveloped the bare spots of skin that weren't covered by ratty tank top and threadbare boxers and it looked like those would be the only pajamas she'd be wearing for a good while. It might be a bit impractical to buy full length silk sleepwear when she couldn't afford food but, feeling the goosebumps prickle down her legs and arms, it was tempting.

The former queen, who was looking and acting less and less as the queen she once was, started sorting through the basket of clothes Emma had donated. The outfit she had on now was conveniently set on top of everything else; otherwise, she would have done that task last night. All in all, there were three pairs of jeans (one pair had holes down both legs), two black tank tops in moderately better condition than the one she currently wore, two t-shirts (one white, one red), and four pairs of socks. She had seen Emma put something in the closet and hoped against hope that there was a coat and a pair of shoes hidden in the dark. The hollow plywood doors of the closet stuck when Regina first tried to pull them open. A creak and a pop later, they burst open, sending Regina stumbling backwards until she tripped on the edge of the mattress and landed squarely on a hip.

After cursing at the doors, Regina spied another basket of wadded cloth. She hobbled closer to inspect the painfully earned treasure. Jackpot, a pair of shoes that may be suitable for working. It was a good thing that she and Emma were close in size. They weren't a perfect fit but would do until money was flowing better. Next to be uncovered was, to the brunette's immense distaste, Emma's old blue leather jacket with a note stuck in the pocket, a big 'R' scratched across the visible portion.

"Regina,

This is one of my favorite jackets. Do not injure this jacket or I may be

Forced to injure you.

You're welcome,

Emma."

"Well," Regina held the coat up heavily by the tips of her fingers, "I suppose this'll have to do." She slipped her arms through the sleeves and found that if she had to wear the thing, it was at least comfortable. The shoulders were a hair wide and the cuffs came down a bit low but…and this is where she grit her teeth… she would wear it. A voice in the back of her head offered to bleach her hair blonde and title her as 'Savior 2.'

Beyond the shoes and the jacket, another pair of clean white socks and a sports bra that looked only lightly used had been stuffed in the basket. At least getting dressed wouldn't take long. The mildly disheveled brunette assumed that the short sleeved shirts were for work and that the tanks were for every day wear. It appeared as if she would even have to endure wearing the jacket, too. New York winters were not to be trifled with.

Regina reserved the jeans with no holes for work and began the process of shoving her slightly more rounded end into the holy ones. It was Sunday, after all, and only the best holy clothes for Sunday. She started by slipping one foot through the leg and then the other, shifting herself back and forth as if trying to remove a stubborn cork from a bottle of fine wine in reverse. Once the material made its way over her posterior, sailing was smooth. They buttoned and zipped as if she'd owned them for years. Just a bit of readjusting and the hand-me-down jeans would be perfectly acceptable in the absence of slacks.

A knock at the door as she was slipping the black tank over her well-toned stomach gave the brunette a start. It could only be Emma. Regina had assumed that the blonde would be sleeping late that morning. A quick glance around the bedroom found the heels that she had come to New York in. She wanted some of her own style after practically becoming a clone of the former sheriff.

"Hey." Emma shuffled momentarily, "I didn't know if you'd be up yet but I didn't sleep too well and thought I'd come find out."

"Would you like to come in? I've only just gotten dressed." Regina had turned away to let Emma inside but turned around so the sincerity of what she said next wouldn't be lost or come across as aloof, "thank you very much for everything."

"No problem. I didn't wear most of that stuff very often anyway so it's all yours. I hoped it would fit." Emma took a chance to look over the brunette top to bottom and found that the change in style was, indeed, a favorable one. Nice clothes suited her but jeans and a tank showed off her body in a most alluring fashion. The heels, well, they only added a sleek class that Regina pulled off very well. It was hard not to admire such art. They mayor of Storybrooke never would have agreed to such an ensemble.

Emma walked in like she was the one who owned the place and, after she was done eyeing the former queen, looked around at the bare walls as if she hadn't been there only a few hours before. She hadn't noticed last night how lonely the place felt. The urge to do something about the negative feeling was strong but no ideas quickly surfaced. "Did you sleep alright?"

Regina headed towards the bathroom, purposely ignoring Emma's question, to run fingers through her bed mussed hair and to at least swish out her mouth with water. It wasn't even close to what she would have preferred in the way of personal care; but, like most things the last two days, it would have to suffice. She peered at her face in the small mirror. Her hair was flat, she had no makeup to speak of and the sudden realization of a lack of deodorant made her cringe. If only her mother could see her. If Cora wasn't already dead, she would have dropped that very moment.

Emma had followed her friend to the bathroom and leaned on the door frame. She stayed silent while watching the other woman attempt to primp. Part of her had to chuckle at high society falling so swiftly down to lower class. She wished she knew how to tell the poor girl that she was beautiful as she was.

"Sorry, I just…" Regina trailed off trying to find the right words to apologize for taking so long.

"You're fine. I was thinking, if you need anything, I have a brush and some deodorant at home. You can't use my toothbrush, though, that's just gross." The last was said with a wry grin that slipped itself over to Regina's lips as well.

"May I? And, of course, not your toothbrush. Don't be silly."

"Of course, Your Majesty. How silly of me to imply that you would ever consider such foul things. My apologies." Emma pretended to bow and back away from the bathroom door to let out a scowling Regina.

"You're so funny…" The brunette tried to make her voice as flat as possible while suppressing the urge to snicker. Emma hadn't a clue as to how spot on she was.

As she walked out the door to follow Emma downstairs, Regina felt mildly self-conscious of her attire. If anyone from the Enchanted Forest ever saw her dressed like the former sheriff, they would never let her live it down. As comfortable as the outfit was, it bore the very distinct signature of what she'd always been lead to believe to be trash. Even as the thought slithered through her brain, Regina chastised herself for ever entertaining such ideas. Emma was Henry's biological mother and a princess by birth, she was far from trash.

When they reached Emma's apartment, she opened the door to let her friend in first. As the other woman slipped by, Emma could feel her heart beat faster. If she thought Regina's ass looked great in boxers, it was nothing compared to how her old jeans hugged and squeezed in just the right places. There was an irresistible swagger to the brunette's walk that seemed to grow increasingly confident every time the two spent time together. Emma allowed her eyes to linger only a second longer before slowly shutting the door behind her and trying to shake yet another attack of the strange feelings that surrounded the brunette.

"Want some coffee?" Emma whispered over a shoulder as she searched for coffee cups. Henry was still sleeping and she didn't want to wake him.

"Yes, thank you." Regina joined Emma by the kitchen sink.

"Well, you never answered my question. Did you sleep well?"

Regina slumped her shoulders a bit and allowed her exhaustion to show, "not really." She paused for a long while. Emma handed her a steaming cup of coffee and she blew on it to make the extended silence less awkward.

"Are you okay?" Emma felt her friend's lack of energy. It was like when they had first met, Regina was in danger of freezing to death or worse but also so full of energy and enthusiasm. Then, somehow, most of that energy had leaked out of her like helium in a cheap balloon. And, now, she was barely hanging there. Maybe whatever she was running from was finally catching up, at least in her mind.

"I think so. It just…" It was just what? The brunette couldn't find a good way to tell Emma that she was scared and uncomfortable and lost. That she had spent nearly a year crying herself sick to end up in a world she did not belong and hanging on to the people she needed only by a slender thread. She had on planned on getting to them, not what she would do once she had gotten there. It was impossible to know those things in advance but perhaps a wiser person should have been consulted, a less distraught ally. Someone who could have helped her think beyond just finding Henry and Emma and more of what to do beyond being wished to the city. But she'd gone straight to Snow because Snow was the only person in the entire realm who felt anything near what she did. She'd, in the moment, only wanted someone who could help nurture her hurt.

Emma was curious but didn't want to push the other woman to talk. Besides, she was reading far more from Regina's expression than could have ever been said in words. Emma saw a strong woman who was caught up in a whirlwind that she had little control over. It was obvious that the person in front of her was used to having an unbreakable mask of perfection at all times but, whatever had caused her to run, was starting to fracture the façade.

"I might ask the same of you, Miss Swan." Regina peered into the blonde's face and waved a hand around to bring her back to the present. Both women had faded into their own minds for a minute.

Emma shook her head, she'd become so entranced by watching the brunette that she lost track of how long she'd been staring. There was a story to tell and she was beginning to wonder if she even wanted to hear it. Her own story started echoing through her head in small bursts. She remembered having to fight for everything she had just to learn that it was never really going to be hers. When she was small, she fought for living space and food; as she grew, she fought for herself. Regina had the look of someone who was trying to learn how to fight for themselves after a lifetime of being run over. Ghosts terrorized Regina's past as much as they did hers, just out of sight, Emma was sure. Once they decided to come out in the open, she could only pray for her new friend.

"Where is the book? You mentioned going through it." If Emma was anything like her, it was best to move to the next subject. Neither of them wanted to be the spotlight of conversation.

"Uh…" the blonde slowly came back to reality. Dredging up the past would almost always derail her. "Let me go get it. I think Henry may have put it back in his room."

Regina fidgeted in her new clothes and, after a minute of waiting on Emma to come back, took her up on the use of promised supplies. Running a brush through her hair was nice but she wasn't sure what to do with it otherwise. Deodorant was on the counter and she gratefully made a swipe down each underarm. Before, she would have either spent hours getting ready in the morning or use magic to speed things along. Neither were much of an option there so she moved on. Toothbrush sharing was out but mouthwash was perfectly alright. She had to get the taste of sleep funk out of her mouth before it drove her crazy. Once she had allowed the minty liquid burn away all the fuzzy germs, she took a finger and rubbed it around her teeth until the former sheriff called to her from the kitchen.

"Do you feel better now?"

Regina nodded and retook her place at the table to begin combing through the book with Emma. Her plan was to nod at all the right places and be flummoxed about everything else and, most importantly, try to not set off the lie detector.

Before either of them knew it, hours had passed. Most of the time had been spent in silence but occasionally, one of them would point to a part and ask questions. Regina knew the book backwards and forwards, of course, but there were parts of the story that she only knew the surface details of. She would form the questions to ask the why of things rather than try to prove or disprove the reality of the content. Emma would consider each question and try to answer as herself in that situation but it was hard. Most of the reasoning to a situation was driven by the emotion of a moment and it was difficult to find answers when a person couldn't remember experiencing it.

"I can't understand why this book exists." They had finished reading every page and going through every detail they could. Regina felt guilty for causing Emma confusion but it was too soon to give everything away. She wasn't even positive that she would ever find the right moment. She'd been in the world she'd created for her son and his mother for three days now and they did appear to be happy living the lives of normal people. No magic meant no twisted price to pay and that in itself was a blessing. In this world, Emma didn't have to be a savior and she could have as many days off from the job as she wanted, if not retire completely. Why would Regina want to destroy that? She wondered if it would be best to borrow the book and keep it long enough that the memory of it faded into obscurity.

"Maybe it exists to remind you how good things are now?" It was not a lie or a copout. Regina, after reading with Emma, could see the vast difference in both her son and his other mother. While they had times where life was hard in New York, it was not near as complicated as it had been the last couple of years. From the moment the blonde had driven over the town line with Henry, everything either of them had known was violently turned upside down.

"Possibly, but isn't it creepy? Why would anyone go through the trouble of making this even for noble purposes?"

"Maybe it was someone you used to know. Maybe someone who wants to help but is too afraid to come forward?"

"Maybe." Emma was quiet again for a long time and Regina let her be.

…..

Snow pressed her face to the reflective glass. Regina had been gone three days now and was, as far as she could tell, nowhere near bringing her family back. Snow didn't know what she had expected but her patience was low. Charming was running himself ragged trying to make sure she ate and slept and walked at least once a day. She knew the baby needed all of those things but finding the motivation was almost impossible. As much as she had wished for a second child, she wasn't ready. Her family still wasn't complete and she very much needed it to be so. If only the baby could wait until Regina brought Henry and Emma home.

…

"Hey." Henry had woke up around eleven to the sound of his mother and her friend talking in the other room.

"Good morning, sleepy head." Regina smiled sweetly at the boy. It made her chest hurt to see him with his face still pale from sleep and eyes not quite clear yet. She missed their weekends when they weren't off on some rescue mission.

"Have any nightmares, kid?" Emma was only half teasing him.

"No." Henry hadn't been awake long enough to return his mother's poking with anything witty and so didn't waste his time trying. He shuffled bare feet noisily across the carpet as he headed for the cabinets to look for breakfast.

"Why would he have nightmares?" Regina felt the prickling of panic for her son start at the base of her spine. Had she missed something when she cast the spell? Was there a memory she'd not replaced with something better? She was afraid that she'd missed some part of his captivity in Neverland.

"We watched Amityville Horror last night. The last time he tried to watch it, he ended up in my bed from nightmares. I warned him." Emma wore an amused smirk directed at the boy pouring cereal into a bowl.

"I haven't seen such a film but I can't imagine that it would be suitable for young boys."

"Are you lecturing me, Your Majesty?"

"No, I am simply concerned for the welfare of a child. And, I am not 'Your Majesty', Miss Swan."

"No?"

"No."

"Then, for the love of all that is holy, I am not 'Miss Swan.'"

Henry peaked around a shoulder, frowning, "Mom and mom's friend, could you guys not argue over something as stupid as me watching a movie. I think I'm old enough, no offence Regina. And, mom, I'm sure it really is annoying being referred to as 'your majesty'. There, are we all better now or do I need to separate you two?" The kid turned back to her cereal muttering about the two women sounding like an old married couple. Once the milk was poured, he took the bowl and himself to the couch to watch mindless cartoons.

"Sorry." Both Regina and Emma muttered the word, embarrassed at being corrected by a child.