8 pages just for you! I usually write this much for my House fics but its like two chapters in one for this story lol Enjoy and let me know what you think. I'll update soon :)
Chapter 11 Let Me Be Here For You
Tears assaulted her face as she walked down the street and away from Snow's apartment building. Angrily wiping them away, Regina put on her mask that kept her void of any emotion. She couldn't deal with the swirl of emotions and doubts that she had felt when Snow hugged her. So instead of dealing with them she did what she always did. She pushed them away and let her desire for revenge take over. Unfortunately now that she was on the road to redemption, revenge was out of the question. So she did the only thing she could do, she went home.
"Emma! Regina stormed out hours ago and she hasn't come back. What if Cora goes after her?" Snow said worriedly as soon as she and David walked through the door of the loft.
"What do you mean she stormed off?" Emma asked. Damn, they were supposed to track down Cora today so that they can move on with the plan. Sighing, she guessed it would have to wait till they found Regina.
"I don't know… we just…" Snow struggled, not knowing how to describe what just happened. Emma pulled out her cell and hit Regina's name on her contacts with a little more force than she meant to.
"Great, she turned off her phone," Emma grumbled. She hanged up and narrowed her eyes at Snow. "What exactly did happen?"
After explaining what had happened, Emma decided to go look for her before Cora did first. She spent the whole morning looking for Regina until she was forced to abandon the task all together to deal with the daily issues at the station. When she was finally able to leave the station for the day it was the late evening. After searching a few places, she finally decided to give the mansion a try. She knew it wasn't likely that Regina would be there. She was smart and always a step ahead in the game but maybe just maybe the former Queen just didn't care anymore. So Emma found her herself knocking on the front door of the mansion. There was no answer and just like before, the door was unlocked.
"Regina?" Emma called out as she searched the house before finally going upstairs. It was dark and the only light she could see was seeping from under the office door. "Regina, are you in there," she said softly as she opened the door. What she saw was a complete shock. Regina was sitting at her desk with a few empty bottles of wine in front of her along with a full one. She held a half filled glass in her hand and didn't seem to notice Emma walking towards her. She noticed Regina's dark blood shot eyes were glazed over and she knew she had been crying.
"What are you doing here Ms. Swan?" she asked so softly Emma could barely hear her. Her words were slurred and Emma knew it was from the alcohol.
"Are you drunk?" she asked. Regina only chuckled at those words, almost sounding crazy as she finished off her glass.
"What do you care if I am?" she asked, her words full of the confidence she held as Mayor but was lace with some other kind of emotion that Emma couldn't recognize.
"We need you to help us stop Cora… Henry needs you," she said while Regina poured herself another glass.
"Everyone needs me," she mumbled before taking a drink. "All they do is take take take… Never caring about how I feel. Well I hate to break it to you but I gave more than I could give and it still wasn't enough."
"Is this about what happened with Mary Margaret?" Emma asked straight out, not at all liking this version of Regina.
"It's so much more than that," she slurred, drinking the last of the wine in her glass. Emma sat on the chair in front of her desk and watched as Regina once again filled up her glass.
"Really, like what?" she asked. Regina looked at her in disbelief. Why the hell would this woman even care? Yet, Emma didn't back down. She quickly downed her drink and attempted to poor another one but Emma grabbed the bottle from her shaking hands. "That's it I'm cutting you off."
Emma could see the anger flashing in her eyes and before she knew it Regina stood so fast that the chair fell to the floor with a bang making her get up from her own chair. Regina then grabbed her glass and Emma jumped as she violently threw it against the wall. She watched as it shattered and fell to the floor.
"Why are you doing this? You don't care about me or what I have to say!" she yelled. At those angry words Emma turned away from the broken glass and met Regina's gaze. Through all the anger she saw regret. From what Snow had told her and the way Regina was acting she was starting to figure it out.
"Something happened back in the apartment. When Mary Margaret hugged you, you felt something you haven't felt in a long time… something you buried along ago with the need for revenge and now that you're trying to change, revenge is out of the question so you turned to alcohol to keep those feelings away. Am I right?" Regina looked at her, her face frozen as she tried to figure out how Emma managed to read her like a book. She hated that she was right and because she was too stubborn to admit it she smiled, her walls going up once again. The mask she often wore was now visible to Emma.
"No, you're not," Regina sneered in an evil kind of calm that sent shivers down her spine. Emma didn't break the eye contact though and by doing that, she knew Regina was lying.
"You can keep those walls up and hide behind that mask all you want. I can still tell when you're lying to me." Regina went from emotionless to angry in less than a second and if it wasn't for the alcohol then she would've been more intimidating.
"Get out!" she cried as she quickly approached Emma. The tears she's been holding in were now suddenly flowing freely down her cheeks. "Get away from me and don't come back." Emma gasped in surprise when Regina weakly shoved her. She really is drunk, Emma realized because she knew the former Mayor could have done so much better.
"Regina! Stop!" Emma yelled as the other woman weakly started hitting her.
"You have no right… You don't know what I had to go through… I was forced to give up everything! It's her fault!"
"Stop this!" Emma snapped, grabbing Regina's fist. Her cries of anger suddenly turned into sobbing and Emma was almost knocked over when Regina suddenly hugged her. Nice… so this is drunk Regina, Emma thought sarcastically as she awkwardly put her arms around her. Regina suddenly decided to put all her weight on Emma and she struggled to keep both of them up. Her sobs turned into soft crying and Emma's anger started to fade. She didn't know if it was the pathetic way she turned to alcohol or if it was the crying that sounded so broken that made her just feel bad for the woman in her arms.
"Come on, let's get you home," she said softly.
Emma was a little worried how Regina would react when she would see Snow but that problem disappeared the moment she pulled into the driveway. Regina had passed out and Emma was praying she wouldn't be sick all over the car. It was late into the night and she was hoping Henry would be in bed. She didn't want him seeing his adoptive mother like this and she definitely didn't feel up to the million questions she knew he would be asking. She stepped out of the car, slamming her door shut before walking to Regina's door. She opened it and started to shake her awake.
"Regina? Come on, we're home." She didn't budge so Emma unbuckled her seatbelt and attempted to get her out herself. For such a thin woman she was like deadweight. Giving up, she pulled out her cell and called David.
"Emma? Are you ok?" he asked, his voice full of concern. She could hear Snow asking if it was her on the other end.
"Yeah but Regina is passed out in the car and I can't move her. Can you come down and help me?"
"She's passed out?" he asked in alarm. "What happened? Did Cora find her?"
"No… nothing like that. She just had too much to drink. Tell Mary Margaret to have the bed ready."
"Oh… ok," he said, the relief evident in his voice that it didn't have anything to do with Cora. "I'll be down in a sec."
"Kay, thanks," she said before hanging up. She was leaning against the passenger's door when David rushed over a few minutes later.
"Where is she?" he asked. She moved from her spot, tilting her head towards the door. He opened it and just stared in surprise at the woman who had caused his family so much pain in the past. Now she just looked small and broken… nothing at all like the Evil Queen he come to fear and even hate.
"Where did you find her?" he asked as he carefully took her in his arms and pulled her out of the car. At that moment she started to come out of it.
"Dav… what's going on…" she slurred, her voice barely even above a whisper. She lifted her head weakly, her eyes suddenly full of panic.
"Shh… it's ok Regina. It's just me," he said softly, trying not show how uncomfortable he felt through his words. She started to calm down as they entered the building and descended the stairs. Regina eyes were barely open and Emma could see they were glazed over as if she had no idea what was going on. She opened the door and Emma was relieved to see that Henry was nowhere around. Snow must have made sure he was in bed before they brought Regina in.
"Oh my god what happened? Is she ok?" Snow asked as she barely finished setting up the sofa bed. David laid her down and Regina's head lolled to the side. Her eyes were closed as she started to lose consciousness once again.
"She's just wasted," Emma said bitterly as she rolled Regina onto her side. She guess Regina wasn't completely gone because she softly groaned in discomfort.
"Well good night," she said, heading to the stairs.
"Wait, aren't you going to take care of her?" Snow asked. Emma turned, her eyes falling on Regina before settling on Snow.
"I did. I put her on her side," she shrugged. Snow could see the exhaustion in her daughter's eyes and even though she didn't want to be anywhere near her stepmother right now, she didn't protest.
"Oh, ok I'll keep an eye on her tonight. Go get some sleep." Emma gave her a small grateful smile before rushing upstairs to her sleeping son. David then kissed her cheek and decided to shower before going to bed. It was just her and her stepmother once again only this time one of them was unconscious.
"Ok Regina. It's just you and me," she whispered as she moved to the end of the bed and pulled off her boots. She carefully set them beside the bed before moving closer to Regina. She then started to take off her jacket, lifting her limp body slightly off the bed.
"What… doing," she slurred incoherently with her eyes still closed.
"I'm just taking your jacket off. Go back to sleep," Snow whispered, scared to death that Regina was going to freak out once she realized who she was. Fortunately Regina was just too out of it to care. She didn't say anything as Snow laid her back down on her side. She thought about changing her into her pajamas but then changed her mind knowing that Regina wouldn't like waking up and realizing someone had changed her. Finding out that it was Snow would make her furious so instead she just draped the blanket over her body. After retrieving a pale from the kitchen, she set it down on the floor next to Regina's face in case she gets sick later and placed the glass of water and aspirin that she had also retrieved, on the side table next to her. With everything done, she grabbed a blanket for herself and sat on the recliner. She watched as Regina slept and couldn't help but once again wonder what was going through her head when she had hugged her this morning. Why had she reacted so strongly? Why did she suddenly have the need to drown herself in alcohol? She looked at her features more closely, noticing that most of her make-up had faded. Her face was relaxed, free of the bitter frown she always seemed to wear. She was reminded of the young teenager that had saved her all those years ago… that young girl that she used to be. She's still in there, she found herself thinking the same words that she had told Regina years ago in the dungeons and now that Regina was taking this chance to change she hoped to get that girl back. Maybe not all of her but just some of who she was. Although, it still hurt to think that Regina well never forgive her. Sadly, it was too late for that and Snow didn't think she can ever fully forgive her either. She didn't know how long she was sitting there alone with her thoughts until David came out.
"Hey, are you coming to bed?" he asked, kissing her softly on the cheek.
"I'm going to stay here tonight," Snow said tiredly. "I don't feel comfortable leaving her alone. She could throw up and suffocate and we won't even know it." David looked skeptical at the idea of leaving them alone together which Snow had immediately caught on.
"She's unconscious David. She can't hurt me."
"I can stay up instead," he offered. She shook her head. Even if she were to go to bed she wouldn't be able to sleep. She can tell David was exhausted and there was no need for both of them to stay up.
"No honey, go to bed," she whispered, standing to kiss him goodnight. She can tell he didn't like this but he respected her wishes anyway and after saying goodnight he disappeared behind the curtain that was their bedroom. She then went into the kitchen to make some tea, the whole time lost in her thoughts and memories of a time where things were so simple. She carried her steaming mug to the living room and sat in the recliner. Her eyes settled on Regina once again and she couldn't help but remember the last time her stepmother was in this position. She was sick and her father quarantined her in the bedroom for the fear of him or Snow getting sick. It was just the flu but Regina had developed a really bad case of it. Snow had only been ten but she understood exactly how Regina was feeling and that it wasn't right for her father to be treating his wife like that. No matter how much she tried to talk to him, Snow wasn't allowed in there. He made it clear that he didn't want his precious daughter falling ill as well. So she snuck in late at night. Regina was lying on the bed practically lifeless. Snow had felt the sudden urge to comfort her so she climbed into bed and snuggled against her. She didn't care if she got sick herself. She just didn't want Regina to feel alone. Regina had woken the moment she felt Snow leaning against her. Snow could feel her fever radiating off of her.
"Snow," she murmured weakly. "What are you doing here?"
"I just didn't want you to be alone," she whispered innocently.
"But you'll get sick…" She could barely even finish that sentence.
"I don't care," Snow whispered as she took Regina's clammy hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.
"Your father won't like this… I'll be fine. Go before you get sick."
"Regina let me be here for you." She hugged her stepmother lovingly, her face buried against her chest. Regina didn't protest and Snow can feel her tensed body relaxing into their embrace.
"Thank you Snow," Regina whispered weakly before falling into a fever induced sleep.
Snow was suddenly shaken from her memories when she noticed Regina had somehow rolled onto her back. Sighing, she put her tea on the side table before she stood up and cautiously approached her stepmother. Besides from that night, she had never seen Regina so vulnerable. Every emotion was out on the table and it was kind of unnerving for Snow. She was used to the hatred and the anger but not this. She gently took a whole of Regina and put her back on her side. She didn't even realize she was holding her breath until she was sure that the former Queen wasn't going to wake up. Relief and exhaustion washed over her and the moment she sat back down on the recliner she couldn't stop herself from falling asleep.
An hour later the sound of Regina weakly struggling to sit up woke Snow from her light sleep. Regina's face was pale and she seemed to be looking for something. Her eyes were darting furiously around the room. Realizing what was happening, Snow grabbed the pale and was by her side in less than a second. She held the pale under Regina's chin and held back her hair as she started to vomit.
"Breathe… just breathe…" Snow whispered as Regina struggled to catch her breath once she was done. She put the pale on the floor and helped Regina lay back down.
"Here, drink this," Snow said softly as she grabbed the water. Regina immediately stiffened at Snow's contact when she evaluated her head. Snow was aware of this as she moved the glass to her lips but instead of moving away or lashing out in anger, Regina accepted the water. Snow could tell it had to do with the alcohol in her system because Regina would have never let Snow do this. When she was done, Snow put down the glass and moved Regina back onto her side. Regina groaned in discomfort. Her eyes were closed and Snow wondered if she was even aware of what was happening. Snow picked up the pale and before she can leave Regina's soft incoherent voice stopped her.
"Thank you Snow," she said, practically sounding out of it. Snow turned to see Regina's eyes were still closed and her expression and body language still indicated that she was in fact still wasted. With a sad smile, she knew it was just the alcohol talking.
"Get some rest Regina," she said before taking the pale to the kitchen. She washed it quickly, trying so hard to keep the tears from streaming down her cheeks. Those words really got to her. They made her feel like a ten year old again with that notion of Regina loving her. It hurt that it had all been an illusion. Regina simply pretended to love her. All that time they spent together wasn't real. It was just a sick twisted way for Regina to cope before finally taking her dads life and moving forward with her plan to kill her. With these thoughts in mind, she took the newly washed pale and placed it back on the floor besides Regina before locking herself in the bathroom. For the first time in a long time she cried for her stepmother.
The moment Snow closed the bathroom door, Cora took that opportunity to appear. If Regina wasn't so out of it she would have felt her mother watching her the whole time. Cora leaned over her daughter, her hand gently caressing her face.
"Oh sweetheart, what have you done to yourself," she whispered. Those words and the feel of her mother's hand on her cheek woke Regina up and for the first time that night she seemed to be aware.
"Mother," she whispered, her eyes flashing with fear and disbelief and before she can even do anything else Cora took her in her arms and disappeared, leaving behind an empty bed.
Snow had finally managed to control her tears long enough to step out of the bathroom and as she did that her face turned pale with fear. There was no way Regina could have got up and left without anyone hearing her.
"Emma!" she cried, rushing to the sofa bed as if that would explain Regina's sudden disappearance. Emma came rushing down the stairs with Henry right behind her. David had heard her distressed cry and was by her side in a flash.
"What? What happened?" Emma asked, her voice full of panic.
"Regina, she's gone. I just went into the bathroom for a second and she was gone." Hearing this, David rushed to the door and opened it. He looked down from the railing hoping to see if she was down there.
"I don't see her," he announced as he came in.
"Great, she's probably halfway into town right now," Emma said as she started to grab her jacket. Henry looked panicked and Snow couldn't resist pulling him into her arms to comfort him.
"No Emma, she was too out of it to sit up on her own, let alone stand. There's no way she could've walked out of here without any of us hearing her. Besides, she wouldn't even been able to get far. David would have seen her on the stairs outside."
"Are you saying that she was kidnapped?" Henry asked, pulling away to meet her eyes. Snow's eyes softened before looking at her daughter.
"Cora," she whispered angrily. Snow didn't want to believe what Emma had just said but if it was true then they needed to find her fast. Regina was in a fragile state right now and she didn't want to know what would happen under Cora's influence.
