I hope you all like this chapter. It was an interesting one to write. There is a whole lot of dialogue in this one, so I apologize for the people who aren't keen on that. Let me know what you think!
"Miss Rodgers, I understand that," the mayor said as coolly as she possibly could, "but I'm not the one in charge of such matters anymore…Yes…Snow or Charming."
She clicked the phone with an exasperated sigh laying her face on her hands. This entire mayor business was so much more complicated than it needed to be even though it shouldn't have been. Now she had to listen to the townspeople bicker about things that weren't her concern anymore. Some of them easily understood when she told them it wasn't her choice in the matters while others chose to pick a fight. Thankfully that was the last call for the night. She put all of the papers in their rightful places and picked up her jacket on the way out.
As she drove her way through town she glanced down at the clock. Hopefully the Sheriff was still in her office; she was true on her word about coming back to check on the cleaning status. Oh, how she loved making the poor blonde's life more difficult than it should have been. Was there a legit reason for it though? Of course; she hated her, right? Either way the place really did need to be cleaned. It made her wonder how Mary Margaret could put up with living with such a pigsty.
To her relief the door to the sheriff's office opened. As she walked down the hall she snickered at a few memories of her and Emma bickering.
"Madame Mayor, a word in the hall."
That woman really knew how to be authoritative and as irritating as it was to Regina it was a bit attractive, though she'd never let the woman know such a thing. She took in a breath, waiting to scowl at the other woman when she saw the place still in a mess, but to her surprise it was spotless.
"Oh…" she gasped under her breath. She looked around and examined carefully. Surely there had to be something she missed; however there was nothing. The floors had been swept, the dust gone, and the clutter of papers were assumingly put away in the desk. She checked the filing cabinet and was greeted with a perfectly organized set of folders. That's when it hit her. The place was sparkling, but the Sheriff was nowhere to be found.
The woman didn't just pick up leave did she? Forget to lock up?
Now Regina had something to bicker at. Oh, how this would be fun. She turned on her heels to leave, but exclaimed when she almost ran smack-dab into the blonde.
"Miss Swan!"
"Regina!" they both shouted at the same time.
Both women's faces redden slightly in embarrassment, Regina stepping to the side to allow the sheriff to pass her.
"I thought you might have left," Regina said coolly.
"I was taking out the trash," Emma replied.
"I see."
"Does this fit your standards, Madame Mayor?"
The brunette's eyes pulled together in slight confusion, "I beg your pardon?"
Emma sighed and motioned out her hands to the room they stood in and said with a hint of irritation, "The office. Is it clean enough for you?"
"Yes, I suppose so."
"Good. That means I can leave." Emma grabbed her red jacket from her chair and turned to find that Regina had taken a few steps closer.
"Leave?"
"Yes, leave. Ya' know, go home and kick back?"
"Right. Curl up on your bed and shove your mouth full of chips," the mayor mocked.
"You bet. Ooo and maybe some icecream."
Regina rolled her eyes as she sighed, once again wondering what the Sheriff did to burn off those excessive calories.
"I tossed out the rest of the donuts, God forbid and to appease you more, I added a few bottles of water to the mini fridge."
"Mini fridge?" she raised an eyebrow curiously. Emma pointed to the small fridge in the corner.
"Yea, I got tired of running down to the diner. Don't worry, it fits my budget."
"You used your budget to buy a mini fridge, Miss Swan?"
"Uh…yea? Is that a problem?"
"Well if—"
"—Why do you still do that?"
The brunette put a hand on her hip and looked at the blonde quizzically.
"Do what, dear?"
"Why can't you just call me Emma? Clearly, we're past acquaintances."
"I really wouldn't consider us," she took a step into the blonde's space, "acquaintances."
The space between them was growing thinner. Regina looked into the blonde's green eyes, both of them trying to read each other. There is was again. The undeniable heat sparked between them once and Regina closed the gap, pressing her lips to the other woman's. There was no hesitation what-so-ever as the blonde's arms wrapped around her waist and pulled their hips together.
Their kiss intensified, tongues battling for dominance, as the brunette pressed against Emma until the back of her knees hit the desk. In a swift motion, the blonde was sitting on the desk. She propped herself up on her hands as Regina slid between her legs, one leg pulled up as the other dangled off the side. Emma heart sped as the brunette's hand made its way up her thigh, a moan muffled into their lips. How things sped up so fast was beyond knowing, but they were here and there was no turning back.
All Emma wanted was for Regina to fuck her senseless right there on the desk, hard and fast, but buried somewhere within that hot mess was something not quite right. The hand caressing her thigh found its way to her warm center and pressed hard. Emma's head tilted back with a whimper that grew into a moan with each second, the pressure growing. Regina was just starting to unbuttoned the blonde's jeans when Emma spoke up, placing her hand on the brunette's.
"What are we then?"
Emma gazed into the lustful, brown eyes searching for something more, but it wasn't there. Those iron walls were back again, encasing every bit of the queen's heart. There was that one look she was perfect at picking out; out of all of her one night stands it was easy to spot. She saw the predatory flicker in her eyes, confirming what she feared.
"Fuck buddies…"
"What, dear?" questioned the annoyed brunette, her hand still hooked at the blonde's jeans.
"Is that all we are? Am I just some fucking toy to you?"
She gripped the hand at her jeans and harshly ripped them away, an astounded look now painted across the mayor's face, but quickly it vanished as she narrowed her eyes.
"Oh do shut up, Miss Swan," Regina growled.
Emma shot up from the desk, now nose to nose with the mayor.
"Don't you dare try and—"
"—And yes dear, if you wish to use such vulgarity then I suppose that's all that we are."
Emma had known it for some time. She suspected that last night wasn't true; it was only a tease of what could have been. However, when she heard it from the woman's lips, it hit her in such a way a surge took her over.
"Well what if I don't want that?"
"Your actions say otherwise, dear."
Emma threw her hands out and took a step away from the brunette before she could hit her; honestly, that's what she really wanted to do. She had enough of the humiliating one night stands. They grew old and tiring. She wanted something new and thought she had possibly found it, but she had been dead wrong. What had she been thinking?
"Your time for getting everything you want is over, Regina!"
The brown eyes sparked with anger as she was called out. If this was before the curse had been broken, things would be different.
"Are you finished, Miss Swan?" she said while smoothing out her dress.
"My God, woman! You are unbelievable. Was last night just some…fluke?"
It had taken her a moment to say the last word, not wanting to even believe it.
"What happened between us last night and any time before was just a consequence of chemicals in the brain and nothing more."
Emma crossed her arms and glared at her.
"You expect me to buy that load of crap?"
Regina took a few strides until she was face to face with the blonde again. She leaned in so close that her hot breath danced across the younger woman's skin, enticing feelings that she didn't want at the moment. Her next words into her ear were a whisper, sending chills down her spine.
"What I expect from you, Miss Swan, is for you drop this all and forget it ever happened."
"What? You can't be serious?" she laughed in disbelief after what she said his her. "Regina?" The mayor began walking out of the room and down to hall. "Regina!" Emma called out in frustration.
She could have chased after her, but what use would that be?
Regina had always slept alone in her bed at night, save for the days with Graham, and it never bothered her. Tonight though, her massive bed felt all too big and all too cold. She was an overboard sailor lost in the sea of silky sheets more alone than she had ever been in a while. She pulled at her pillow, unable to settle her mind. What had happened today had not been planned; especially Emma's outrage.
"What are we then?"
Really, what were they? Regina didn't quite know herself. She supposed Emma had been right with her label, but was it really true?
"I don't think you're actually evil, Regina."
But wasn't she? She was the Evil Queen who had cursed the land. Who stole hearts and crushed them within the palm of her hand. Without Daniel her heart had turned into a block of ice. She never thought she'd be able to feel such feelings again, but then Henry came along. He was able to warm that stone just a little bit, but now he was growing up. He didn't want anything to do with her anymore, so it seemed. She was losing love once again. She wiped a single tear from her tired eye and sighed into the darkness.
"Love is weakness."
That is what she was taught. It served her purpose for a while, but great power comes with sacrifices. There was a stirring deep down inside of her trying to warm her lost soul, but she was so afraid to even acknowledge it. If she did it would be ripped away from her again. How was she supposed to care for something that she was meant to hate anyways? That was just absurd. She didn't want to think about it, but she couldn't stop it.
She had to end this before she fell into even more madness. The last drop of sanity was on the verge of evaporating.
There never was anything and there never will be because Love is Weakness.