A/n: Chapter begins in "The Cricket Game" ep (Episode ten that is). I'm setting the start of this chapter at about May 4th.

I want to thank Savysnape7 and Glitter4Ever for reviewing so consistently. I really appreciate it.

To Iroquois, while I love Evanescence, I haven't been impressed by any of their studio albums since Fallen but then again that one was just a masterpiece. However, that being said I still very much enjoy their music like most of their songs and even a lot of covers they have done and I agree with you. Their latest album, many of their songs make me think of this fic. I was going to include the song "My Heart is Broken" in an earlier chapter.

To Loving the Story, I'm glad you've enjoyed the story and that I try to integrate events in the show into it. This season I haven't been watching as obsessively as last season, but I will try to continue doing that. However, I fear things might start becoming AU due to the whole Belle/Hook/Rumpel/Bael storyline. But thanks so much for reading and reviewing!

Attina didn't know why she was still there, sitting in her car around the corner from the diner but she was at a loss with what to do with herself. She'd hoped today would be a good day. She'd hoped she'd get to see her girlfriend, but it appeared Ruby had other plans, plans that Attina wasn't invited to as Mary-Margaret and Emma Swan's welcome home party was a private affair and since Attina knew neither woman, it wasn't exactly her place to crash.

Her heart pounded violently in her chest. She could feel her skin getting hot, despite the early May chill, but Attina refused to let the anger get the better of her. But it was difficult to do. Especially when considering it was her birthday and that her girlfriend would rather spend it celebrating another pair of women over spending time with her.

Attina wondered if Ruby even remembered it was her birthday and wondered which would be worse. Ruby simply not really knowing it was her birthday, or Ruby simply spacing on the date. Or worst yet, Ruby knowing and consciously choosing to not be with Attina.

A knock on her window had Attina jumping. Turning to her left, she looked out the passenger window and felt her heart stop with dread. Standing on the other side, was none other than Regina. Despite being scared witless, Attina kept her composure and slowly lowered the window of her car.

"What are you doing here?" Regina asked, after clearing her throat, but her voice still sounded thick and somewhat hoarse. Not having a response to this question, and too embarrassed to admit the truth, Attina merely chose to deflect.

"Hello Regina, it's been a while," she said, attempting to smile, but it was hard to do when considering how her brief affair with the ex-mayor had ended. It was made all the more difficult and strange when considering that Regina was a powerful sorceress, and the Evil Queen from the Snow White fairytale. A frown marred Attina's features suddenly, wasn't that Mary-Margaret woman supposed to be Snow White? "What are you doing here?"

Attina focused on the woman before her and felt another frown form on her face as she took in Regina. Somehow, the woman standing before her was not the image Attina held firmly in her head of the once powerful Mayor. She seemed different to the mermaid princess, changed somehow. It was like, the vulnerability Attina barely got a glance of before during their relationship, was now exposed to the world. Her eyes seemed somehow much sadder and almost... broken.

"Do you want to... get in?" Attina asked, before she could stop herself. She wasn't sure why she had asked the woman she'd slept with to come into her car, but... she felt that Regina perhaps needed someone to talk to. Preparing for Regina possibly getting into the car, she unlocked the car door, though a part of her doubted the older woman would accept her impulsive offer.

Regina seemed to hesitate before opening the car door and stepping inside. As she did this, Attina turned her attention to putting up the window, while feeling suddenly awkward as she recalled the fact that she had indeed slept with this woman and that, considering the fact that she was in a relationship, this was a bad idea.

Now all Attina could do was think about her relationship with Regina and compare it to what she had with Ruby. Sex with Regina had been exciting, it had been wild, but in the end, it had been just that, sex. Regina being the rather domineering type was always the aggressor and she carried that trait of her personality into bed, and Attina being more docile, fell into the submissive role easily. Though she and Ruby hardly even touched since they'd started up again, Attina could remember what it was like when they were together and more often than not, they made love. It was always sweet, and loving and fulfilling.

However, she pushed these thoughts aside as she turned her attention to Regina who seemed as lost as Attina was on how to proceed. "How are you?" they both asked at the exact same time after what felt like the longest silence in history. They both laughed uncomfortably for a moment.

"I don't mean to pry, but is everything all right? You seem upset," Attina stated after another lengthy lapse into silence, asking as gently as she could muster, knowing that Regina could be rather prickly. She knew she made a misstep when Regina turned to her and the vulnerability that was there before disappeared and Regina's cold mask fell into place.

"I could say the same thing about you, dear," Regina stated coldly, though it lacked the usual bite that Attina had learned Regina was capable of delivering quite sharply. "You never did answer my question, what are you doing here?"

Attina turned away from Regina's searching gaze and looked in front of her at the boringly quiet Main Street. For a moment, she contemplated evading the question, but then thought better of it. Perhaps a little honesty on her part, would soften Regina up a bit. "It's my birthday. I thought I'd spend it with someone special but- I suppose I'm simply not that special."

Regina said nothing to this, staring at the sad princess before her for a few seconds and getting lost in her thoughts. Considering everything going on her life lately with her son's estrangement and her son's mother being stuck in another world, the young woman before her had slipped her mind. As did the fact that the younger woman's sister was. Briefly, she wondered about the younger Davenport girl and wondered how her condition was progressing.

Regina opened her mouth to ask, but felt that perhaps it wasn't her place. So instead, so that her ex-lover would not notice, she asked something else. "Why not spend it with your sisters?"

Attina, not wanting to get into the matter of her sisters, merely leaned her head back against the seat and sighed. "Because I wanted this year to be different. Wanted to break the monotony," Attina sighed more heavily and shook her head. "But turning twenty-three is nothing special to celebrate," Attina stated, not wanting to feel sorry for herself and turning her attention once more back to Regina.

"Nonsense dear, birthdays should always be celebrated," Regina offered, and attempted to smile. However, she failed miserably. Her mind was still on the conversation she'd just had with Emma Swan and the bitterness she was attempting to keep at bay. She was trying to change and make herself worthy of her son, falling back into old habits wasn't really a good idea and bitterness was simply a route back to her old, "evil" self.

"You never answered my question Regina, what are you doing here?"

"I was on my way home... from Mary-Margaret and Emma's welcome-home party," Regina responded hesitantly, not sure how to phrase it, whether to go with just their first names or last, or to go with their Storybrooke names at all, although she supposed Emma Swan only had her Storybrooke name. Shaking her head, she thought dryly on how all this was enough to give someone a headache. She wondered how she did it for twenty-eight years.

"You were invited?" Attina asked, almost disbelievingly. Regina almost felt affronted but considering how badly things had gone, she didn't have the energy to allow it to take over. It really was too much to expect anything different, wasn't it? After all, I'm the Evil Queen, Regina pondered.

Melting into the seat, Regina leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling as traitorous tears sprung to her eyes. She just felt so tired, she was trying so hard and... nothing seemed to be going her way. Then again, nothing ever had.

"I was invited... it seems my son asked Emma to invite me," Regina stated when she was sure the tears would at least not color her tone. She wasn't why she was sharing considering how things were turning out with Dr. Hopper, spilling al her private conversations into others' ears. But... the girl seated next to her was different somehow... just like her younger sister. Regina sat upright, her eyes widening slightly as she turned to look at the girl next to her. "I'm sorry, dear, but... I don't even know your real name."

"It's Attina," the girl smiled, a faint flush touching her cheeks as she realized that the woman she'd slept with didn't really know her real name. "Your name is really Regina, isn't it?" Attina asked, to which Regina merely nodded, offering another weak and fake smile. "So Henry is living with his birth-mother?"

"Yes," Regina replied and turned away, making it clear it was not a subject she was ready to touch. "Why does wanting to celebrate your birthday bring you to main street?" Regina asked, trying to sound conversational as she turned back to Attina, but she had to clear her throat midway through asking her question and had to avert her eyes when she realized there were tears in them again. That was really starting to get annoying.

"Do you need a ride home?" Not waiting for an answer, Attina started up the car and started driving towards Regina's house. Considering it wasn't far from her own, Attian knew very well the route and it wasn't really all that far from the diner.

"I can't help thinking that you are avoiding the question," Regina stated in a soft, dry voice.

"Some things are best left unsaid," Attina replied airily, Between ex-lovers, Attina finished in her head.

Regina nodded to this and said nothing for a while, merely turning to look out the window as a sleepy Storybrooke seemed to flash by. It didn't take very long for Attina to arrive in front of the Mayor's Mansion. Regina looked at it forlornly, thinking about its emptiness and how much she was growing to detest the size of her luxurious home.

"Do you want to come in?" Regina asked, turning back to Attina for a moment. Attina started shaking her head but at the heart-broken look in Regina's eyes, Attina found herself accepting, even though she knew that Regina was likely a very unstable person and that her staying could cause a lot of problems between herself and Ruby, not to mention was potentially dangerous. However, she didn't have the heart to leave someone in need, so instead she cut the engine to her car and climbed out and followed Regina into her home.

Somehow the steps of their high-heels combined, clacking against the pavement, seemed to thunder and echo in the silence of the sleeping town. Attina prayed that her instinct that told her that Regina was trying to change and that she wasn't a threat to Attina, was not wrong while Regina cut on the lights and lead her towards her sitting room.

"Would you like something to drink?" Regina asked as she entered the warm space that was her sitting room and removed her coat. She attempted to ignore the fact that the couch that Attina was now sitting on was the very same couch that Regina had watched Attina's half-naked sister on a few weeks prior while younger woman slept unawares.

Attina shook her head in response, but Regina merely smiled at her, that smile that had tempted Attina into a date and so much more.

"Come dear, it's your birthday. You deserve a drink, especially if your plans were spoiled," Regina offered, and Attina found herself acquiescing. Regina smiled once more before turning away and pouring them both a glass from her crystal decanter, watching the pale amber liquid intensely in an attempt to remain in the now. On the couch, Attina reluctantly removed her coat and tried making herself more comfortable; least as comfortable as someone could be in a tight pencil skirt and button-up shirt while being in the presence of an "evil" witch.

As Attina set her coat aside, she turned her attention back to the other woman in the room and lost herself to her thoughts. As much as Attina loved Ruby and as much as Regina's darkness of character scared her, she couldn't deny that there was something alluring about Regina. The woman was absolutely beautiful on the outside, and as much as Attina could try to deny it, the heart-brokenness that Regina at times showed, made Attina want to love her and help her heal.

Attina snapped out of her thoughts, looking up as Regina handed her a glass with a smile. Attina reached up and took it, her fingers briefly ghosting over Regina and causing a flush to rise over her skin, blossoming on her chest and cheeks simultaneously. "Thank you," Attina said quietly.

"To your twenty-third birthday," Regina smiled, though once more it didn't reach her forlorn, but beautiful dark eyes as she raised her glass to toast the seated girl.

Attina briefly raised her own glass before slowly lowering her lips to the glass. She hesitated for a moment, thinking this was possibly the worst idea she'd ever had. But she shook it off immediately.After everything that's happened, I need a strong drink.

XX

"How come Attina didn't come?" Granny asked as she and Ruby locked up the Diner after waving off the Charmings and proceeding to clean up the aftermath of the party. Ruby didn't say anything for a moment as she moved from table to table, picking up trash and wiping down tables while keeping her back to granny.

"I wanted tonight to be about Snow and Emma, and not about the wolf-girl being lesbian. Besides, Attina's got a lot going on, I thought she could use the rest. She probably would have found tonight overwhelming," Ruby responded as nonchalantly as she could muster while continuing her cleaning. She wasn't necessarily lying to her grandmother, but Ruby still thought her grandmother would see straight through her if she turned to look at her.

"You could have let her decide for herself what she can handle," Granny stated in a tone that told Ruby that she disapproved after huffing in disbelief. Ruby rolled her eyes, tying up the trash-bag and moving around her grandmother.

"Granny, we're waiting for everything to settle. In case you haven't noticed, things have been... hectic around here lately," Ruby stated as she moved towards the back.

"Emma's been through a lot lately, and she still managed to invite Regina for the sake of her son," Gran stated as she continued to take down the decorations. Ruby grit her teeth.

"I'm not sure how that is remotely the same. It's completely off topic and irrelevant," Ruby nearly growled. She hated being reminded of that woman. When Regina had stepped into the diner, Ruby thought felt such blinding rage that she'd wanted to rip the woman to pieces. Even now, thinking about Regina, made her think about how the woman had slept with her mate and made images run through her mind and with each passing second she wanted nothing more than to tear out Regina's throat.

"Well... I certainly hope you're being honest with Attina, even if you're not being honest with me. Because if not, I fear you're both heading down a road rife with misunderstandings and heart-ache," Gran stated as Ruby went out to throw out the trash and feeling her granddaughter with slight dread.

XX

Having never really indulged in alcohol before in her life before, Attina was quite drunk. And for the life of her, she couldn't really care. She didn't recall ever in her life feeling this light. Considering she was the eldest and always had to look out for her younger sisters and be a good influence over them, her life had always been about behaving well and meeting her father's high expectations. After all, she would be Queen and even when she was younger, the responsibility of it had weighed heavily on her small shoulders.

"I really shouldn't be complaining about my problems with Ruby," Attina stated, after having told Regina all the issues she was having with her werewolf lover; a fact she would have kept to herself, were she sober. Having never been drunk before, Attina was aware of the tongue-loosening affects that alcohol seemed to have on her.

"But it's easier to think about Ruby and focus on our problems then to think of Andrina. That's Lucy in case you don't remember, you know the one that dumped you for me because I was scared you'd attack me with a knife and kill me," Attina muttered, spilling some of her drink on chest as earlier she'd opened the top three buttons of her shirt as she felt her skin becoming overheated; the liquid fell between the valley of her breasts.

Attina muttered a curse as she tried to use her own shirt to mop it up, but her motor skills were somewhat impaired.

Regina would have scowled at this, but she found her feelings were all dulled and numb by the alcohol. However, being more adapted to alcohol and its affects, Regina was still sober enough to be amused by Attina's drunk antics while retaining most of her own motor skills and control over her speech.

Reaching over, she gently pried the glass from Attina's grip and put it on the table before her. Scooting closer to the younger woman, she grabbed a cloth napkin and dabbed at the younger woman's cleavage, her eyes lingering for a moment on the tantalizing bit of skin as a hum of desire thrummed through her, a result of the alcohol and perhaps because of Attina's nature.

Mermaids were renown for their sensuality. Attina was a testament to that, as was her younger sister, Andrina. Both girls seemed to wear their beauty with confidence and with seeming indifference about their good looks, which made it all the more appealing. However of the two, Andrina was the one with cruel and nearly unmerciful type of strength, and a slight arrogant nature that made her somewhat more appealing to Regina. Attina on the other hand, she was the eternally responsible, mature princess, and Regina found that a bit dull, but her opinion of her was somewhat nullified by the fact that Attina had such a caring nature.

And yet... it had been the darker haired girl, the one with a rougher exterior and harder feelings that had tenderly kissed Regina's cheek and told her, The Evil Queen, that she still had light in her. As Regina slowly retreated from the elder girl, she couldn't help feeling some sadness at the loss of Andrina.

"I think you've had enough," Regina stated softly, her eyes gazing over Attina's form. With her rosy cheeks and her skirt hiked up to mid-thigh and her blouse unbuttoned, she painted quite the appealing picture. Lowering her gaze and retreating slightly, Regina started to reconsider her decision to bring Attina home. A slight frown blossomed on her face as Regina got to her feet, weighing her options and really seeing no other choice in the matter, she allowed a sigh to pass her lips. "Come on, let's get you settled. You can't drive home in this condition and I fear my condition isn't much better."

Extending her hand, she helped the younger woman to her feet, having to catch her around the waist as she stumbled. Attina giggled at this as she flung an arm over Regina's shoulders and allowed the dark-haired sorceress to guide her up the stairs. As they walked, Attina couldn't help feeling the warmth of the woman next to her or help a sudden heat blossom between her legs as she recalled how soft the woman felt.

Before she really knew it, Attina felt herself being deposited on a bed, causing another giggle to bubble up her throat as she nearly dragged Regina on the bed with her. "Whoops," she giggled as Regina attempted to remain upright despite the fact that Attina's arms were looped around her shoulders.

"Good night dear," Regina stated as she tried to gingerly disengage herself from the younger woman now sprawled on the top of the bedspread of the bed in her guest room. She was so busy trying to get the younger woman better situated in the bed, while trying to remove the slender arms wrapped around her as she bent over the younger woman, that she was completely unprepared for the moment she looked up and felt Attina pressing a kiss on her.

The shock she felt quickly seemed to fate as her aching, broken heart seemed to latch onto the available comfort, making her shut her eyes and melt to the kiss; she could make believe, if only for a moment, as she moved her lips softly against Attina's sweet lips that this might be what being in love felt like. She could make herself that perhaps, Attina loved head and felt something for her.

But as Attina sought to enter her mouth with her tongue, Regina knew that she could fool herself. And no matter how much she needed the comfort, she knew to allow herself to sleep with Attina would be a mistake, and that she'd be backsliding into old ways where she allowed carnal pleasures to attempt to fill the void, without a care as to the consequences.

Pulling away regretfully, Regina forcefully removed Attina's hands and backed away. "Good night, Attina," she stated breathlessly, albeit more forcefully.

Attina's eyes were still shut from the kiss. She then mumbled something unintelligible and without ever opening her eyes, turned so that her back was to Regina and presumably fell asleep.

Blinking away tears that sprouted once more from nowhere, Regina was quick to turn the lights off and retreat and wondering why she'd bothered doing the right thing. Wondering why she was trying so hard, when at the end of the day, she was still all alone.

Quietly shutting the door behind herself, Regina shook her head of her thoughts. It had been a long day, and no matter how hard, she was doing all this for Henry. For my son, she reminded herself, nodding her head bravely as she marched to her own room. To sleep alone, once more.

TBC...

A/n: As always, input is always appreciated so please review. I hope the chapter was enjoyable.