A/N:HEY HEY!
Yeah, so I used Tinkerbell as a nickname because, obviously if Tink is Lady Bell, that's her surname and Tinker sounds weird as a first name. So we'll leave her birth name as Tink Bell. =P
Also, did I ever mention that I think Regina's character development is one of the best character developments I have ever seen on a TV show. And I am officially dead after that episode. I cannot wait for next week!
Enjoy! xx
Chapter Twenty-One: Whisperings
Regina grew tired of incessantly knocking on Tink's door and was about to leave when she heard the soft sound of laughter around the corner. Walking over, Regina watched Prince Baelfire place a happy kiss upon Tink's lips before she turned around to find a gobsmacked Regina leaning against the wall.
"Regina," Baelfire's eyes widened when he saw her, "I –"
"You look like a fish when you open and close your mouth like that, Baelfire," Regina said, hiding her surprise with sarcasm, "I need to speak to Tink. Alone."
Tink's eyes widened in surprise, then fear, then neutrality.
"I'll be five minutes."
"I'll be in my room," Regina answered, turning on her heel and making her way back to her room as she rolled her eyes. She had to admit, she hadn't seen that coming. She froze as she entered her door.
What if they already knew?
"Okay, Regina," Tink was entering behind her, fixing her collar as she went. "We never talk. What do you want?"
"First off," Regina began, as she took a seat at her table, "This thing with you and Baelfire…"
"You won't say anything, will you Regina?"
Perfect opportunity.
She frowned as though confused, "What do you mean? There's nothing wrong here, I'm happy for the two of you."
"But he…Emma…" Tink frowned, motioning between herself and Regina. "We're on the same page about whose Engagement Tour this is, right?"
"Yes, but with Killian and Emma, I assume it's only a matter of ti-"
"You know about them?" Tink's face dropped in shock and Regina continued politely, however much she hated being interrupted.
"Of course," Regina waved away, hiding her smirk, "And we won't be the only ones soon enough."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Emma's already started showing, I doubt she'll be able to hide it for lo –"
"What?"
Tink's eyes widened drastically in and almost pained fear. "Emma's pregnant?" Tink breathed. And Regina feigned surprise at Tink not knowing. "But that…that's going to ruin the alliance..."
"Yes…I suppose…" Regina trailed off with a shrug, "But you'll figure things out I'm sure. You're all friends."
"Yeah, I guess," Tink was still in shock. "Thank you, Regina. I never thought you'd be on our side through all this."
"I try, Lady Bell," Regina gave a hesitant smile, a thought striking her while she was at it. A slight blush crept onto her face. Well, since she was feigning friendship with Tink, she may as well go all out.
"What's wrong, Regina?" Tink's brow furrowed.
"Well…"Spit it out, Regina. You've never had a friend, may as well pretend you have one now. "What do you think of Sir Robin?"
Tink's confusion swept into an impish grin.
"You came to me for advice on boys?" Tink almost laughed. "Gods, Regina, I never thought I'd see the day."
"Do you want me to talk to you, or not," Regina said heftily, a little annoyed but still curious.
"He's a good man," Tink sobered up. "He's liked you for as long as I've known him. Surely he deserves a chance."
"A chance?"
"You know of such things, milady," Tink answered, "You gave Daniel one."
That, apparently, was a very wrong thing to say.
Regina's face grew horrified.
"But I…how do you…" she spluttered.
Tink rushed, "We have a lot of shared history, milady. I think you forget that we grew up together at Fels Manor."
"Don't say anything about that," Regina hissed, memories of her and Tink running through gardens and hidden corridors flashing through her mind. Snow White's face appeared in her mind. A child. Then a teenager. A teenager speaking to Regina's mother. Cora's piercing eyes when she found her in the stables with Daniel.
His lifeless body.
"I know you loved him, Regina," Tink whispered, touching her gently on her hand. "But maybe it's time you found that same love with someone else."
"You think I can just love someone else?" Regina's eyes blazed. "Our love was true!"
"You could have more than one true love, Regina," Tink answered with a small smile. "If you let yourself."
There was silence in the room for a moment before Regina sighed, her eyes fixated upon her shoes. Was that true? What if it wasn't even love with Robin?
"You'll never know if you don't try," Tink smiled softly and Regina looked up at her with soft eyes that Tink hadn't seen since they were children.
"Thank you Tinkerbell," Regina said with a small smile, using the name she'd called her as a child. "But not a word of this to anyone."
Tink pushed open Killian's door without knocking, too many thoughts stirring in her head to be worried about common courtesies. But when she noticed his cold and wrinkled sheets, her eyes narrowed and she spun on her heel, walking over to the room next door, and knocking obnoxiously loudly as she hissed, "Open this door. Now."
There was the hushed sound of whispering before footsteps approached the door. A hurriedly clothed Princess Emma opened the door slightly and peeked out.
"Hey, Tink," she half-smiled. "Is everything okay?"
"Where is he?"
"Who?"
Tink pushed the door open with the strength of a knight and Emma's face grew horrified.
"Killian Jones, if you don't come out this second I will never speak to you again."
There was silence for a few moments until Tink saw Killian climbing out from beneath Emma's bed.
"The bed?" Tink quirked an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Well, I didn't know it was you," Killian answered, sitting on the edge of the mattress. At least he was wearing pants, Tink thought thankfully.
"And why didn't I know about you?" Tink enquired, a little sadness seeping into her tone as she took a step back to lean on the table behind her. "And you," she looked pointedly at Emma who was approaching the bed in embarrassment. "I thought this ended a long time ago."
"We thought it had too," Emma answered, her voice hesitantly calm.
"And then I find out from Regina that you," she looked at Emma, "are pregnant?" She still questioned it, disinclined to believe it until she heard it come directly from Emma's mouth.
"Regina knows?" Emma asked at the same time as Killian inquired, "You know?"
"Yes to both," Tink sighed in resignation, sinking into the seat beside the table as she looked a little closer at the loose robe that Emma was wearing. It was true. She was showing. Wow. Emma was pregnant.
"You can't say anything, Tink," Emma pleaded.
"What about, Bae?" Tink asked, looking between the two of them, "Doesn't he deserve to know that the Engagement is a sham? If you two are sleeping together...if there's a child – "
"We were going to tell him, and you, today," Emma continued hurriedly. "Please, Tink."
"Backing out of the marriage agreement ends in war," Tink whispered, voicing aloud what they all knew to be true.
"Yes," Emma nodded.
"We don't want to start a war."
Tink's choice of words alerted Emma straight away to something else going on here.
We?
The Princess noticed Tink's still tousled hair that looked as though it had been hurriedly pinned back; kiss-swollen lips and fading pink marks along her collarbones and Emma let out a gasp. Those longing looks when they were playing cards and eating dinner finally made sense.
"You weren't exactly in your own bedroom last night, were you Tink?"
And judging by her blush, Emma's deductions were correct.
"This is way too complex to even try and comprehend," Emma sighed, running her hands through her hair as her hand unconsciously went to sit on her stomach.
"Well, I guess we'll have to tell Bae," Killian finally murmured.
"And talk to Regina," Tink added. "But I have a feeling we can do this."
Emma's hand found Killian's amongst the sheets, looking at the two of them, she muttered with a nod, "Together."
Regina was sitting in the library, watching the seconds tick by on the pocket watch she was swinging hypnotically in front of her eyes. She barely saw the shadow of her knight walking towards her, but when he was right in front of her, she stood up abruptly, her watch stuffed back into her pocket.
"I must admit, milady," Robin said softly, "I wasn't sure you'd come."
He reached his hand out to entwine with hers, but she pulled back momentarily.
"Ground rules, Locksley," Regina began, taking a step away from him. "Not in public places."
The man nodded.
"Two, no interrupting me when I'm working. I'm a busy woman."
"And three," Regina finished, "No touching."
Robin's face fell and Regina smirked, pulling his fallen face up to hers where she placed a chaste and almost girly kiss at the corner of his mouth, pulling away to add.
"Unless I touch you first."