Chapter 11

In the end, Regina came before she went out. There was barely an hour left until dinner time and Zelena rightly guessed the other woman had come to ask her to help with the evening meal. She was calmer by then —distressing doubts were still swimming in her head, though. Once more, she debated with herself whether to put up some sort of fight or just go with Regina. She was bored and tempted to give in, but she shouldn't make things so easy for the brunette after she had put the cuff on her. So, for that time she settled on a sort of halfway point.

"I'm not hungry."

Regina sighed, as if saying 'Not this again,' which made Zelena peek at her. The former monarch sat down on the chair, confirming once more that not being a queen for more than three decades had not made her less regal. Zelena felt the familiar sting of jealousy and, for once in her life, she tried to ignore it. She didn't feel like fighting at all.

"We've already gone through this—"

"I'm really not hungry," Zelena cut off looking away again.

She could feel Regina's eyes on her, staring at her intently, but she did not allow herself to fidget under her gaze.

"We're alone tonight."

She looked to her left, out the window, but it was her only reaction. Several seconds more passed in silence.

"Is there anything you want to talk about?"

Zelena had never heard such gentleness in Regina's voice and very, very few times said emotion directed at her. To her horror, it made her eyes burn. She had no other option but to look down and get a grip on herself protected behind a curtain of red curls. Regina waited in silence until she could finally look up and the unshed tears were nothing more than an embarrassing memory.

"Henry... Your son doesn't seem the cunning type, does he?"

Zelena would have wanted to cringe at how awkward the words were as they fell out of her lips, but she forced herself not to back down and keep her detached mask on. The only sign of surprise that Regina showed at the unexpected topic was lifting one eyebrow, almost lazily.

"I suppose he isn't."

"Then why does he...?" she blurted out before she could think better of it. She had been wondering why Henry would be willing to talk to her, but in the end, she was not brave enough to display so much bewilderment at such a common thing, and instead asked, "Why is he being so nice to me?"

"He's like that," said Regina, suddenly smiling unrestrained. "He just wants everyone to be happy."

"But why me?" the redhead insisted.

"Well, you actually are his aunt."

"But I'm not... Not really..." Zelena stammered out.

"Like I'm not his real mother?" Regina's smile disappeared at once. Her eyes went cold and her voice rose, acquiring a dangerous edge —a more familiar sight to both of them. "What do you really want to talk about, Zelena?"

If Regina expected a confrontation like those on the fist days, she was disappointed, though. Zelena mustered up all her poise —born of not wanting to make it more humiliating than what already was— and looked her in the eye. She had little to lose and she might think better if she got some thoughts out of her mind. And yet, her confidence started to waver as soon as she opened her mouth.

"Is it possible... I mean, is it really possible to love them as your own? An adopted child."

Her last clarification was unnecessary, but her voice was trembling despite her best efforts and Regina didn't call her on it. The brunette only sighed for the second time and got up. Zelena had the sudden fear that, after all, it was going to be her stupid question what would drive Regina away. Maybe the younger woman was expecting some question about the cuff, about her future. Of course she would not consider wasting her time discussing family topics with Zelena. However, as the redhead thought of having wasted her chance to get a straight answer to her situation, Regina stepped closer and sat beside her on the bed, going so far as to take her hand. With the other, Zelena clumsily wiped the tears that against her will had started to fall.

"It is so," said Regina, softly. Then, frowning a little, she added, "It should be so. In the same way that biological parents should love their children, so should adoptive parents. And it's never the child's fault if it's not this way," she stated, stressing the last line.

She knew the brunette was attempting to look her in the eye, but she did not lift her head. It was difficult to try to get a grip on herself and then, look back up at Regina anyway not feeling ashamed of such weakness because she had failed miserably to do so.

"But how can I..." Zelena swallowed. For the time being, she had managed to stop crying, but her eyes were still shining and her throat felt uncomfortably tight. "How could I expect to have been loved, to have been enough for my father... my adoptive father, when even Cora gave me up being just a baby?"

"You can't blame other people for one's actions. And while we must own our mistakes, it's not our fault what Cora did." Regina gave her hand a firm squeeze, as to underline her words. "We're not her decisions."

After that, Regina let her words hang in the air for several moments, breaking the silence then by saying that it was already time to start making dinner. She gave a last squeeze to Zelena's hand, for the red-haired woman had not made a single try to pull it away.

Zelena nodded a bit absent-mindedly and both of them made it to the kitchen. The former witch stood there awkwardly, unsure if the heartfelt confessions that had just taken place should mean a change in her everyday attitude as well. Regina barely gave her time to think about it, shoving a plastic container with leftovers into her shocked hands.

"Put it in the microwave for a minute."

Then, she turned around and began to take out some lettuce of the fridge. Hearing no sound from her sister, she turned again, though. The ginger stood on the same spot, looking down at the plastic box.

"What's the matter?"

The question startled Zelena out of her thoughts. Her alarmed gaze towards Regina made the brunette huff a laugh.

"Okay, I'm teaching you the perks of this technological world now, Greenie."

Zelena threw a glare in her direction and her bright blue eyes darkened to show her lack of amusement. She tightened her grip on the container slightly —it had been an obvious good-hearted joke, she would make a fool of herself if she overreacted, but the redhead was not sure whether she should let jabs of that kind pass. She did know she didn't want them to feel so at ease with each other that they could make such jokes and then laugh them off.

"Just because I'm not trying to kill you right now doesn't mean I don't want to."

"If you say so," retorted Regina. It came out as deceivingly playful, because her smirk was rough, even a bit dangerous —like a warning that she could drop pleasantries any time she wanted, too.

Despite the initial confrontation, she did show Zelena how to operate the microwave and then, during dinner, Regina was zapping channels and casually explaining what each button was for. By the end of the night, both of them were lightly bickering and acting like the talk upstairs before dinner had never existed. Yet, it had —it felt like a wall that stopped them from completely going back to their former dynamic.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" Regina asked when the kitchen had been cleaned up and it started to be time for bed.

Zelena had to stop to think for a moment about the new concepts she had learned that day. Movie was the story told in one sitting, while on a TV series the story was divided into a number of episodes. She didn't know how long this movie would be, although given what time it was, it could not be very long. Nevertheless, she chose to decline the offer and step back to the safety of her bedroom. In other words, of course.

"I've got no interest in your modern inventions. I'd better go to bed now."

As she was going upstairs, she heard Regina's voice once more.

"Should I bring some more books and candles to your room, then?"

Zelena decided she should not bother to dignify that with an answer.

Downstairs, Regina was fighting a smile. She had no idea where that willingness to provoke her sister when the other was acting so calm was coming from all of a sudden. For all she knew, and if TV shows were to be believed, it could be genetic —it was just what siblings did.

A/N: Thanks very much to clearly-blue-eyed-witch and karen for their reviews! I know I don't stop repeating myself, but every one of them truly makes my day when I read it. :)

I'm in a bit of a hurry, so I'll keep it brief. Hope you enjoy and anyway, please, review. Any comment is very welcome!