Okay, I've been noticing this for a while but it's finally annoying me enough to comment: a lot of reviews are getting attacked by some ffnet monster o.O I quite often read reviews and there will be random words missing her and there, making it difficult to understand what the poster is trying to say. Seems to affect mar's reviews particularly badly, making certain reviews partially incomprehensible. I have no idea why this is but really wish someone on the site would fix it. You e-mail address (I'm assuming it was there in your original review) got eaten, Dracomom. Very confused by this o.O

Chapter 45

Always happy to grant reader requests when I can, EliCS/elichiang. I can promise you there will be plenty more Regina/Emma to come, starting with a little taste in this chapter and more to come very soon. I love it just as much as you guys do! As for Evil Charming, can't say I've ever really thought about it, but it's definitely an interesting dynamic to explore. Can't say if or when you'll see it, but I think it's a request I can grant (not in any sort of romantic sense, mind you, cause…ew…but I think you'll enjoy it nonetheless).

"Regina…"

"You knew what Gryphon meant to me. How important he was to me."

"But I had no idea-"

"Don't you dare tell me you didn't know about Daniel. Don't you dare tell me you didn't know Gryphon was my last connection to him. None of that matters. You knew I was miserable and you knew that Gryphon was the only true friend, the only comfort, I had left in the world. But did that matter? Of course not. My happiness never meant anything to you. I bent over backwards to care for you, to show you love and compassion. I pushed aside my pain for you, spared you the truth to spare you the agony of guilt, and how do you repay that? By being a selfish brat. And your father-"

"Don't talk about my father." Snow's voice was quiet but threatening.

Regina, who had so far been sitting on a bench not far from the apartment, now stood to bring herself face to face with Snow. "You think he was some sort of hero? A kind soul; a good man? He was a king like any other. His word was final, his power was absolute. He could have told me of your desire for your own horse, and I would have helped you choose, sharing Gryphon with you until you found the perfect companion. But gods forbid the king's daughter should have to share anything."

"It's not my fault. Any of it."

And to Snow's absolute shock, Regina said, "I know."

They stood staring at each other for a long time, Regina's gaze cold and shielded, Snow's wide and incredulous. Snow opened her mouth several times to speak but she had no idea what to say. Regina seemed to be suffering from the same dilemma, but she didn't bother even trying. At last it was Snow who found her words first. "Who is this Jamie guy?"

Regina stared at her for a moment, brow furrowed, before asking, "That's what you want to know?"

"At the moment," Snow said with a shrug.

"He's no one. Just someone I met in the early days of Storybrooke, before strangers were prevented from entering."

"He's who Rumple was talking about, isn't he?" Regina raised an eyebrow questioningly. "He made a comment when you told us about the barrier you made him put up. He said you weren't trying to keep anyone in. What he didn't say is that you were trying to keep something out. Jamie."

"I knew he would come back. He was so young and I…"

"You were his first love," Snow said, tilting her head to the side with a slight smile.

Regina felt slightly disoriented by this drastic change in Snow's demeanour. "Yes."

"And because he couldn't come back he never got any closure." Snow and Regina both turned, startled, to see Emma approaching them.

"How long have you been listening to us?" Regina asked in an accusatory tone.

Emma rolled her eyes. "What'd you expect, lady? That's my mom you were ready to throttle an hour ago." Snow forced a slight chuckle, but Regina didn't bother. Neither woman was in any mood for humour and both felt emotionally drained.

"It's not as if I can give him any closure now," Regina said, staring off in the direction of the B&B.

"He's not the only one who needs closure," Emma said quietly.

Regina scoffed. "I knew the man for six months. He's been gone for 28 years."

"He was obviously here long enough to leave an impression. And you sure as hell left an impression on him. Guy's got it bad."

Snow watched as Regina's eyes filled with sorrow. "He didn't deserve that," she said, her voice thick with emotion.

"It's not your fault," Snow said reassuringly.

Emma was completely lost. "What do you mean? What did you do to him?"

"I knew he was falling in love with me. I should have sent him away, but…I just…I couldn't."

"Of course not. You were in love with guy!" Emma said. She wasn't confused by Regina's feelings – she'd seen it before; people who feel they're unlovable pushing away potential lovers to 'protect' them – but she was completely baffled by Snow's apparent acceptance of Regina's view. Was this the same woman who believed so strongly in true love? Whose love had helped create a potion powerful enough to undo a curse that destroyed an entire realm and transported its citizens to a new world? But Snow was looking at Emma as though she should be pitied, and Regina looked vaguely disgusted.

"My love is dead," Regina said, shrugging off the comforting hand that Snow offered. "I don't want or need your pity," she spat at Snow, who took a slight step back before regaining her composure and straightening herself up.

"You have to move on eventually, Regina. The curse is broken; you're not trapped anymore. Life is going to move forward for you, for all of you, now. You need to learn to move with it."

Snow and Regina exchanged a glance, then looked back at Emma, both narrowing their eyes as though trying to decide if Emma was telling the truth. But what was there to question, Emma wondered. Before she could continue the conversation there was a muffled yell and Snow and Emma turned, trying to identify the sound. Regina, however, merely reached into her pocket and pulled out a small compact mirror.

"Hello again, Sidney," she said, hoping there was no trace of emotional turmoil left on her face – or in her voice.

"Your Majesty," Sidney drawled, infusing all of the contempt he possibly could into those two words.

"I see you came through," Emma said, looking at a spot behind Snow. Regina spun to see Rumplestiltskin standing a few feet away.

"Indeed. Of course, our dear friend is not offering his services freely."

"He wants freedom, I take it," Snow said.

"Who wouldn't?" he asked with a grin. "But of course, I don't have the power to offer him such a thing. Not alone, anyway. No, that needs to come from someone else. Regina dear?" He tilted his head, smiling at Regina.

"I know about your deal with-"

Rumple's movement was so quick Emma barely even saw it. He had his hand around Regina's throat before anyone could blink, hoisting her up in the air. She kicked her legs violently, but Rumple didn't even flinch when a blow connected with his body. She clawed at his hands, but even as her nails tore into his flesh he didn't relinquish his grip. "You. Lied. To. Me." he growled, an inhuman fury burning in his eyes.

"Rumple, no! You made a deal!"

"No deal is worth letting her live!" he roared.

Regina grabbed Rumple's arm, taking just enough pressure off her throat long enough to choke out the word "Belle" and finally, with a little more strength, "coward."

And suddenly, to Emma and Snow's complete shock, Rumple released Regina. She felt to the ground in a heap, gasping and choking, rubbing her neck which was now red and raw. "You broke your deal with Henry!" Emma shouted, putting herself between Rumple and Regina.

"Emma," Regina said, voice raspy, "let it go."

"No! It's hard enough trusting him already, now we can't even trust him to stick to a deal?"

"I'm still alive," Regina pointed out, slowly getting to her feet. The statement tapered off into a short coughing fit.

"Can we get on with this?" a voice said, and everyone looked down at the mirror Regina had dropped. Emma picked it up.

"Yes, do be quiet dear. Please." Regina glared at Rumple and mouthed something Emma couldn't quite catch, as though someone had pressed mute. Rumple giggled, all of his anger now gone – or at least well hidden – then gave an exaggerated frown. "My dear, that wasn't very nice."

"Right, so glad you're enjoying yourself," Sidney said sarcastically. "The Blue Fairy is protected by magic, which means I can't use magic to find her. I can travel to her location by physically traveling from mirror to mirror, but it's going to take time for me to find her. Once I do, things should go a lot quicker."

"Once we know where she is, is there any way to identify what kind of magic she's using to protect herself? To disable it?" Emma asked.

Regina opened her mouth to speak, but quickly closed it when she remembered she couldn't. Rumple stepped forward, forming a circle with Emma and Snow that excluded Regina, clearly taking great pleasure in her frustration – though probably not as much as he got from strangling her. "Yes, and possibly. But it's very likely that I won't be able to break her spell."

Emma visibly deflated. "Then what do we do?"

Regina huffed, her arms over her chest. "Something you'd like to say, Dearie?" Rumple asked in a sing-song voice, but he didn't turn to see Regina's glare. Emma suspected he didn't need to turn to feel the heat of her rage. Her suspicions were quickly confirmed. "Don't look at me like that, Dearie. You deserve far worse for your crimes and if it weren't for that brilliant little brat you raised and my debt with Belle, you'd get it."

Regina growled in frustration, burning to spit out a nasty comeback. "You know you can't keep that up forever, right?" Emma said, looking at Rumple with a raised eyebrow.

"Perhaps. But you know, I've been around for quite some time, and I've learned something in that time." He grinned. "One must enjoy the silence when one can." He winked.