Regina paced around her house like an agitated cat. The last time she felt so conflicted was when she was trying to decide if casting the Curse was worth killing her father for. Considering where she was standing at the moment, the answer to that query was fairly obvious. She didn't want to think about what it said about who she was anymore. The woman shook herself, refocusing her turbulent mind on the issues currently plaguing her.

On the one hand, she was completely elated. Henry had called her mom, and even better, he didn't care one bit that she liked another woman. Regina had been more than hateful in her day, but she never taught her son to be so. She allowed a moment of pride to wash over her. Henry may have resented the ways she went about it, but Regina was a good mother.

It also felt surprisingly good to admit her feelings. It was true; she did hold romantic affections for the Savior. She smirked, imagining what Snow and Charming would look if they found out that the Evil Queen was romantically involved with their precious daughter. But love? She had vowed never to love again. Not since... Regina swallowed hard.

On the other hand, she was afraid, terrified really. It was one thing to admit to the feelings that she was having, but acting on them was on a completely different level. The look in Henry's shining face made her want to believe that she could follow through with the things she said. However, she was back in her big, empty, echoing mansion, and her nerve was failing. She privately loved holding Emma's hand, and touching her face, but she felt like an ice cube was slithering down her throat when she thought of kissing the woman. Yet, Regina seemed to think about kissing the Savior a lot these days, and the idea that she was losing herself petrified the brunette.

She found herself in the lounge and made a beeline for the bar. She poured a rather deep glass of scotch, taking a huge gulp to chase away the cold her house dripped with. She coughed, forgetting just how bad she was at chugging liquor. Regina Mills was a woman of class, and that meant sipping.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ignore the subtle tremors wracking her nervous body. The brunette took a deep breath and counted to ten. Counting always made her feel better. Numbers made sense. Words were abstract and convoluted, always rife with double standards and loopholes. Numbers were set. They were honest and never lied.

When she and the rest of the residents of the Enchanted forest appeared in Storybrooke, Regina discovered so many different things about the new world she found herself in. As a royal, there was no need to know how to cook, to clean, but she found that she rather loved learning how to prepare the different cuisines from around their new world. Driving a car made her giddy, and the clothing worn in this realm was...different. She knew some mathematics from her early lessons and running her kingdom, but this place had even more to offer. She drank it up, finding the formulas and guaranteed solutions calming.

Regina continued to hold her eyes shut. She sipped slowly, trying to rebuild the dam that contained her emotions. She felt raw and exposed in all of the still air around her. Tick...tick...tick... She focused on the only sound piercing the silence. Tick...tick...tick...

Her eyes opened. She slowly turned her head to the right, looking over her shoulder and at the wall. Tick...tick...tick... The clock moved at its carefully measured pace, looking innocent. Tick...tick...tick...

It was 11:47 in the evening. Normally, Regina would have been collapsed in bed, trying to get a few hours of rest under her belt before seeing Emma. Sleeping was easy for her. It meant that she didn't have to wrestle with all of the emotions warring within her. She could close her eyes and just dream.

The incessant nightmares about the stable boy had almost completely disappeared. When she sunk into her dreams, emerald eyes, crinkled by a soft smile, greeted her. A hand was extended toward her, soft and beckoning. Her own fingers found warm ones, and they pulled her close. The brunette was breathing the sweet, intoxicating air of the woman who was entirely too close to her. She felt strong arms and a tall body keep her safe from...everything. Tick...tick...tick...

Regina noticed that her glass was empty, not having noticed consuming all of the rough drink. She immediately reached for the crystal decanter and poured herself another equally-deep amount. The mayor knew she was going to regret drinking so much the next day, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. Alcohol was the only thing that drowned out the cacophony of incomprehensible thoughts and emotions causing a dull throb in her temple. She walked to one of the chairs, noticing how fuzzy her head felt, and the way her feet wouldn't quite cooperate.

Regina scowled at the clock, as though it was purposefully mocking her. The woman closed her eyes once more, trying to shut out the loneliness of the manor. She kicked off her pumps, noticing how achy her feet were. She let her head fall back, tired of always holding herself up. A light breeze was toying with the curled tips of her hair.

When the mayor opened her eyes. She was standing in the woods. Henry was facing her, and tears were streaming down his blotchy cheeks. He was next to Emma, who was sprawled across the forest floor. Her eyes were open, unfocused, and not blinking.

"Mom?"

"Henry!" she cried, choking on her own tears.

"You did this!"

"I didn't want it to be this way."

"Why, Mom? Why?" He looked so worn and defeated.

"I'm so s-sorry! I couldn't...I was afraid, Henry. I...I am afraid."

"You did this. Now, it's time for you to fix this."

"How? I can't. I don't have the power. I'm t-too weak."

"You know what you need to do," he said softly.

"I c-can't do that. I'm so scared."

"She's waiting for you!"

"No she's not! Look at her, Henry! Look! SHE'S DEAD!" Regina clapped her hands to her mouth. Something shattered nearby.

The brunette's head jerked upward, her eyes snapping open just as a little shriek escaped her throat. Apparently, when she covered her mouth in her dream her hand had actually jerked of its own accord, flinging the loosely-gripped tumbler to the floor. Tick...tick...tick... It was almost 2:45am. She flung herself from the chair, abandoning the broken mess on the ground.

Regina's keys were still clenched in her fist as she half-ran down the hall to Emma's room. The image of the Savior's blank, unseeing eyes still pressed itself in on the backs of her own frantic ones. She had no logical reason to believe that anything had changed, but the dream had thoroughly shaken her.

The mayor crashed through the door, not stopping until she was leaning over the hospital bed, peering at the object of her nightmare. The blonde's face was still blissfully impassive, her eyes shut, looking like she was peacefully asleep. The steady beeping of Emma's heart monitor made Regina nervously laugh at her own foolishness.

She shut her eyes again, counting to ten with the pace of the sheriff's heart. The nightmare was simply a manifestation of her guilt and fear. Back in the Enchanted Forest, a dream like that would have more likely been a foresight or warning, and she still found herself clinging to those instincts.

"What are you doing to me, Emma? What are we? You, you're the Savior. You're all that's good. I'm the Evil Queen. I'm the essence of Darkness; though, Gold could give me a run for my money," she muttered under her breath. "How would we be good for each other? I can only bring hurt to you; it's all I know. I'll just end up tainting you. You shouldn't want me. Not ever."

Regina took Emma's chilly fingers in her own. "It's funny, isn't it?" she said to the unconscious woman. "You're supposed to be good. You're supposed to save everyone...maybe even me. You should be bringing light and warmth to all of the corners of our lives, and yet here you are, cold as death. Ironic. I'm the one that's Evil, but I'm warming you up." She squeezed the blonde's hand a little tighter, hearing the responding jump in heart rate.

"If I could, Emma Swan, I would keep you warm constantly." Her heart clenched, feeling those cold fingers flick against her own. It felt like the blonde was giving permission to the brunette, telling her to come closer.

Regina climbed onto the bed without hesitation. She draped herself over the motionless body beneath her, shuddering at how devoid the blankets were of heat. She cupped Emma's face, pulling the heavy head underneath her chin. The beating of the Savior's heart went haywire, tugging the corners of Regina's lips up into an affectionate smile.

She didn't know how long she stayed like that, holding the other woman against her. She absent-mindedly ran her fingers through long, thick curls. Her breathing matched Emma's, deep and slow. Everything felt right. Almost everything. She longed to feel the other woman's arms wrapped around her middle, pulling her close and secure.

She turned her sleepy eyes down to the Savior's face, placing her hand against a cold cheek. Again, she ran her fingers over those oddly-hot lips, noticing how her own felt kind of chilly. They felt...bare.

She shifted herself above the blonde, leaning down, almost brushing her lips against Emma's. Even in that slight distance between them, Regina could feel that heat pressing along her lips, urging her forward. Her mouth was dry, and a burning desire in her stomach was screaming at her to place her lips flush against the blonde's.

Regina was about lower herself just a little further when a face exploded behind her eyes. Daniel was staring at her, smiling, holding her and leaning in for one of those earth-shattering kisses he gave only to the young princess. She choked, tumbling off of the bed, as fresh tears betrayed her, and Regina Mills ran.