A/N Enjoy :)
She pressed her fist against the door once again, having tried several times before. When it finally opened up, she had to shift her gaze downward to meet the small boy. He gave her a small, faint smile before moving aside to allow her in.
"Hey, Kid. Where's your mom?"
He shrugged nonchalantly before pointing towards the closed door of the drawing room. Henry leaned against the wall in a manner that was strictly Emma, for Regina would have never allowed such. Slouching isn't good for you, Henry, Regina would say, straighten up and show some manners. She could tell by the look on his face that he was a bit bothered.
"Whenever the door is shut, I'm not supposed to bother her."
"Oh."
Hard boots thudded against the hardwood floor, walking towards the room; she knew that Regina would scowl at her for not taking them off, but did she really care? At the state her mind was in, from consuming half a bottle of vodka, she couldn't give a shit. Keeping such thoughts to herself, she knocked on the door, but there came no reply.
"I think she's mad," Henry murmured and when the blonde looked down at him, the look on his face was heartbreaking. It was simple: he was worried. Biting her lip, she teetered on the heels of her boots.
"Why do you think that?"
"When she came home she was really flustered and yelled at me for not having my homework done."
Emma frowned.
"Isn't that normal?"
"Not recently."
He didn't offer her anything more, obviously not in much of a mood to talk, but she didn't need extra details. Had Regina been in a better mood recently because of something? Or had she finally grown tired of being the strict mother she was? The latter seemed improbable, but either way her mind wasn't much for putting pieced together at the moment, and she shrugged it off.
Finally turning to the door, Emma went to knock, but the sound of her son's voice stopped her.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"Why?" she asked as she raised her eyebrow.
"Like I said, she doesn't really like people bothering her when she's in there."
"What exactly is she doing in there?"
"I dunno," he shrugged once again, "Whatever grown-ups do when they're alone."
The blonde pursed her lips before placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Henry, why don't you run upstairs and get ready for bed?"
"But-"
"Please? I need to talk to your mom about something and I have a feeling it may not be pretty."
Small green eyes, her eyes, regarded her wearily for a few seconds, until he sighed in defeat. He was a smart boy, but it didn't take that to know that something was going on between his two mothers. Wrapping his tiny arms around her waist, he looked up at her, hope shining in his eyes as if he still believed her to be the savior. Because she was, right? She did save the town, but wasn't that enough? Why did she have to go about saving someone who got under her skin so easily?
She tried to tell herself that she was doing this for her son. Regina was clearly taking out her aggression on Henry even if she didn't mean to. However, she knew that it was just an excuse to cover up the real reason why she was here. She wanted to resolve whatever it was between them for herself. To help answer that burning question within her mind. Whatever it was between them.
"Night, kid," she said before placing a kiss on his head. She watched as he padded up the stairs and waited till she heard the sound of his door shutting.
Her first instinct was to barge right in, but she at least had part of her brain still working. She squared her jaw and knocked onto the smooth wood waiting for a reply, yet was greeted with silence.
"Regina?"
Nothing once more.
She then proceeded to open the door, but found that is was locked. An alarm fired inside of her head, worry sprouting up like a wild fire. Why would she have it locked? What madness had she done now?
"Regina, open up," she said again, this time a bit more enforcing. "Regina? Come on this isn't funny. Your son is worried about you."
Just as she was thinking about breaking down the door with her own weight, a dark voice sounded through the door. Stern. Cold. Very much the old mayor she knew.
"Go away, Miss Swan."
Well, at least she's alive, Emma mused while rolling her eyes.
"Come on, Regina. We need to talk."
She tried for the door again. Still locked.
"I have nothing to say to you."
The chill of her voice carried across the barrier between them and wrapped around the sheriff like a strangling force. Giving in, Emma turned around and walked towards the front door, glancing upward for just a moment in thought of Henry. What stopped her in her tracks, however, was the click of the lock turning.
Perhaps it was just her mind playing tricks on her. The alcohol. Yea, she had consumed far too much to be able to think straight. Nevertheless, she put herself in reverse and tried for the door one last time. To her surprise, the drawing room door opened up, and she slowly peeked inside.
The room was dark except for the orange glow of the fire. Darting around the room, her eyes landed on a mason jar filled with dark amber. Well at least it used to be filled. Now there was maybe a few sips left and something told the sheriff that this wasn't her first jar. Emma had been so caught up in getting to Regina that she had missed the slight slur to the mayor's words.
"Are you coming in or not, dear?" the brunette snapped, her eyes never leaving the flickering flames.
"I…uh. Yea."
She shook her head while scolding herself for being so stupid. She was here to apologize and that was it. Opting to stand instead of perching upon the seat across from the other woman, Emma took a few strides into the room and closed the door.
"Regina," her voice was calmer than it would have been thanks to the vodka, "I'm sorry for what happened earlier at the diner. I shouldn't have ignored you like that, and I shouldn't have lied to you. See, here's the thing—"
She jumped at the sudden intrusion of Regina's voice, not even getting a chance to explain the truth of the incident between her and Ruby.
"And just would you have me do, Sheriff?" she looked straight into Emma's eyes, still cold and detached, "accept your apology and carry on as if nothing ever happened?"
Standing up slowly so she could claim the higher grounds – meanwhile placing a hand on the couch as to steady herself – she raised her eyebrow and watched as Emma gritted her teeth. A smirk graced red lips when the sheriff nearly lunged at her.
"I shouldn't even be the one to apologize!" Emma snapped, "Jesus Christ, woman. What the hell is wrong with you?"
Venom dripping off of her tongue in her next words, Regina managed to back the sheriff into the corner of the room. Her face was only a breath away from pink lips as she took in the coloring bruise upon pale skin of the blonde's neck.
"Let me tell you something, dear," she hissed; the scent of hard apples hit the younger woman and for a second her knees quiver, "if you think that I'm going to let someone else toy with what is mine, then you are undoubtedly delusional. I will not have grimy, slutty fingers touching my—"
"Property? Is that what I am? Get your fucking hands off me."
The fire inside of her had been brewing, but at that insinuated comment, the flames sputtered before erupting outward. She grabbed at the hand, which had been gripping her leather-clad shoulder possessively, and ripped it away, pushing herself off of the wall and into the last bit of personal space the brunette had.
The mayor's nostrils flared when the vodka-laced breath hit her, yet she remained glued in place, unwilling to back down. Whether the queen, mayor, or just plain Regina, she would always stand her ground.
"You, Madame Mayor, do not own me and never will. I belong to absolutely no one and that is how it's going to stay. I don't know what sick, fucking world you live in, but don't you dare try to place a collar around me."
Green eyes bored into hatred filled amber eyes and for a moment there was a flicker of emotion through both of them. Emma released her clenched hands, her palms displaying harsh crescents. She wanted to sock the mayor in the face so badly right now, but she remembered why she was here. Taking a step back, she gave them both a bit of space and suddenly found interest in the floor.
"I never actually slept with her, ya' know?" Emma muttered through gritted teeth. She had been able to push away most of the anger, yet it still resided.
If it weren't for the intensity of the moment, the blonde would have laughed at the face Regina pulled. Her brows furrowed, displaying confusion as something akin to relief fluttered through dark eyes.
"Then what do you call that?" she nodded towards the mark on her neck.
"A hickey," Emma rolled her eyes, "Yes, we got a bit…into it. My head wasn't exactly sitting on my shoulders properly and I kind of lost myself. But I stopped alright?"
"So you lied to me," brown eyes narrowed.
"You assumed first."
Regina took another step back and glanced downward, a sad look washing over her. What was she thinking? That was Emma's question. When the older woman finally resumed her gaze on the blonde's, her eyes had softened. For a moment she actually looked human; someone who had done wrong, but realized it.
And it strangely made Emma's heart hurt to look at.
"I was hoping you would get jealous, but I didn't think it would have affected you as badly as it did."
The mayor remained silent still, taking in what was being said.
It had been done. Emma apologized and explained herself as she wanted to do. What was she to do next? That wasn't exactly something she thought of before on her way over. The best thing would be to offer Regina a small, apologetic smile and leave.
Leave the mayor alone to her thoughts and hope that neither was cursed with a hangover in the morning.
She watched as the brunette turned away from her and perched upon the edge of the couch. Their eyes met one last time and there was a silent offer to join her; perhaps share the last bit of cider that was left on the table.
However, Emma shook her head gently before doing the thing that she should have done. She turned on her heels and walked away.