cont.

Regina kneeled as she pushed her reddish and white heart through her chest then Berta woke up, "Your Majesty, Black Queen …"

Regina shushes as Berta hugged her tightly then Berta had her head on her shoulder, "She won't bother us again."

Berta backed away, "What did she want?"

Regina shrugged because she needs to talk to Emma first, "It's not important. You'll be fine because I will figure this out."

Berta eyes crossed, "It is important, Your Majesty because you have that look on your face."

Regina softly laughed, "What look?

Berta explained, "a worry look that you feel you're stuck."

Regina nodded lightly slapped her, "However, you do not need to worry anytime soon, but the good news is I have my magic back."

Berta eyes wide watching her conjuring fireball, then Regina frowned, "However, she put limitations on my magic so I won't teleport or communicate anyone outside of this realm."

Regina got up and helped her up noticed that Berta is terrified at the moment refusing to let her go because she's afraid that Black Queen will come back, so she hugged her again, "Berta, it's ok. You're safe with me."

Regina kissed her cheek, "Nothing will happen to you, not while I'm around," she changed subject to distract her, "I came down here because I was hungry."

Berta nodded obviously, "You forgot to eat like always. You never eat unless I remind you." She walked to the kitchen, "I'll fix up you a chicken bacon salad."

Regina thanked her while she filled up coffee to drink so she can return to work after eating then studied Berta wondering it is possible that she's her True Love if it wasn't for King Arthur. She started to be curious about her husband who passed away, "Can I ask you something about your husband from Wonderland? I won't ask if you don't want talk about it."

Berta was surprised that she brought up but nodded refocusing her task, "No, it's ok to talk about him. What is you want to know, Your Majesty?"

Regina leaned closer, "Why did you marry him, I mean, why did you fall in love with him?"

Berta deeply thought her answered, "We were best friends so we were compatible since we get along easily. We had good 9 years of marriage and we hardly argue. He asked me to marry him when we become of age of 16 and I didn't see the reason to tell him no."

Regina asked again while listening to her story, "Were you in love with him?"

Berta shrugged, "I loved him and he was good man. He tried to protect my daughter from Red Queen. I'm not sure what you're asking."

Regina pushes the salad away forcing Berta to face her while looking intensely into her eyes then pulled her closer studying her. Berta doesn't know what is going on so she asked while breathing hard, "What is it?"

Regina studied her face and her brown shiny hair smiling, "Between your husband, the guy in Enchanted Forest and me, who would you want to be with the most?"

Berta wasn't sure the point of all this, "Why do you want to know?"

Regina shrugged because she needed to know from what Black Queen told her, "Just tell me."

Berta sighs how close Regina pulled her closer while her hands on the counter while Regina's arms are around her waist, "If I had to choose between all three of you?"

Regina nodded quietly.

Berta thought carefully, "I honestly don't know because so far you're the only one who wanted and cherished me like no other. I'm known for clumsy and being different. You appreciated me for who I am. My husband is a good man, but he just see me as his best friend that I was easy to be chosen to be his wife. I get along with anything he wants. That guy in Enchanted Forest sees me as a trophy wife and that is pretty much it. I don't know about you yet."

Regina carefully listened, "Why you don't know about me?"

Berta sighs sadly as she explained, "I want to be someone you deserve, a hero who is brave like Emma. You and Emma are compatible in every way and perfect for each other. But I depend on you and I'm not magical. I'm not special and nobody. I'm Berta who steals, explores all over the realms for things while playing around with guys just to get information to find my daughter and a long lost princess. I'm not trained to be princess or even a Queen. I don't know how to be one. I'm enthralled by you because you can do it all. I wish I could be like you sometimes."

Regina carcass her face while listening and smiling how Berta thinks that she deserved more then added how Emma are perfect for her. How right she is, Emma in every way is perfect for her and everything she needs. Regina began explaining, "I see, but you're wrong. You are special in your own way even without any powers. Powers doesn't make one's special. You have a hero heart because you refuse to give up your quest to find your daughter. You risked your life for her. You defended a moral cause even people disagree how you act on it. A hero can mean many things. Every child wonders if the parents gave up searching for them and even feel unwanted by the parents, but you are neither. That shows how big your heart is and how devoted you are."

Berta's heart felt warm and comforted by Regina's sweet words then hugged her with biggest smile on her face. Regina grown fond of Berta's affections and noticed she's more luvs with her than anybody. Regina kissed her forehead while hugging her back. Berta stayed close leaning on Regina's body while still cutting up the chicken and bacon bits into the salad.

Regina ate her salad quickly then thanked her while going back upstairs, but Berta stopped her, "Why are you so worried about all of that?"

Regina didn't want to answer yet because she's not ready, "It doesn't matter right now. I need to get back to the call I put on hold."

Berta curiously asked, "What did she tell you?"

Regina sneered without meaning to, "I rather not answer that right now."

Berta backed away respectfully going back to clean the mess of the salad. Regina pounded her thoughts of her daughters and Emma who will be pulled in this place trapped and if she founds out then there is no telling what she'll do to them. She remembered she had her powers back so she flicked her hands to silent the room then threw the fireball and blasting wrathfully. No one will take her daughters away. No one will take Emma away and change their future just because her future generation will change it. And top of that Berta's life is on her hands within two months! She really needs to talk to Emma because she cannot make any decision until she is sure that Emma and her two daughters are out of harm's way. She kept blasting until she calmed herself down. She magically cleaned the room then unmuted the room. She resumed working for hours and making a lot of calls to distract herself until she abruptly looked up as heard knock from Berta yelling, "What is it?!"

Berta opened knew that Regina wasn't angry at her, "Are you ok? Do you know what time it is?"

Regina didn't realize it was pass eight, so she stopped working, but she doesn't want to stop because she'll think of Emma, Berta and her two daughters then Berta again.

Berta walked inside forcing her to stop working, "Regina, come on. I cooked steak and potatoes."

Regina felt her heart breaking then slowly nodded closing her laptop and clearing up the papers all over the desk, but Berta stopped her again, "I'll clean this up. Don't worry about it. Just go and eat."

Regina told her ok then went downstairs to eat while Berta cleaned the office. Regina cleaned the kitchen and thanked her for the dinner. They watched Nightmare on Elm Street series horror movies. Regina hates it because she thinks it's stupid and ludicrous, but ever since Berta came to Storybrooke, horror has become her favorite genre.

She turned and asked, "Why you love horror movies so much?"

Berta shrugged, "I don't have powers, so watching this gives me the reason to be a hero. I can fight and all in those movies, but in real world it's full of magic and it's doesn't level the playing field. You and Emma are the hero and me," pointing at television, "I'm the girl in that movie. That's my life."

Regina understood her point because all of her life she's been escaping the grips of magical world and risking her life for one sole reason is her daughter exactly like that girl in the movie who is running from him. Regina all of the sudden remembered about her bullock from few days ago; which hasn't completely healed as she slapped her shoulder, "How's your butt?"

Berta thought as she spoke, "It's a lot better, but still stings sometimes."

Regina nodded getting up to get the ointment from the bathroom after the movie was over. Berta turned off the television and changed into her pajamas same as always then got on the bed and was surprised how the movie is really long since it's close to midnight.

Regina returned as she changed into pajamas then sat on the bed while Berta starting to fall asleep, "Take off your underwear."

Berta noticed the ointment, "It's cold. I like to be under the covers."

Regina smiles, "I turn up the AC, so it'll be warm soon. Come on, Berta."

Berta took off her underwear while laying on her front as Regina slowly massaged both of her bullocks completely covered while Berta couldn't help but moan. Berta hates it when she's so sensitive to Regina's touch even simple as this. Regina noticed her black leather bracelet are still attached, so she magically take it off and had it left in her office.

Berta became upset and disappointed, "Hey! I want that back!"

Regina shakes her head hovering her body as white glowed on her body from head to toe, "You don't need it anymore."

Berta saw the white glow as she closes her eyes, "What did you do?"

Regina smiles, "Protection spell from any magical user and at the same time no one would be able to take your heart out again except me."

Berta frowned, "Oh … but I still want that back."

Regina was puzzled, "Why?"

Berta shrugged, "You'll think it's stupid."

Regina magically cleaned her hands as she kissed her cheek while massaging her back, "Nothing you say will be stupid."

Berta sighed, "It's the only thing you gave me, so I want to hold on to it."

"Oh … you wanted something of mine."

Berta nodded moping.

Regina conjured a simple small cut diamond silver ring, "I'll give you something better. I noticed you don't have a ring on you and people won't stop asking questions, so here … you can keep it."

Berta was surprised grinning from ear to ear as she took the ring from Regina's hand then slid it on her left, "What makes you decide, I mean, how do you get this?"

Regina replied, "I have thought of buying you one for few months because of people and Ebony. I wanted our story to be believable, so I decided to buy one recently few weeks ago. I have been holding onto it because I wasn't sure when it's good time to give it to you. They won't be asking anymore questions."

Berta got up kissed her soundly on the lips then Regina held her as she kissed back laughing between kisses.

Regina reminded again not meaning to bring her down, "You know that this is temporary, right? No matter what happens here, you are going back to Wonderland."

Berta nodded sadly, "I know. You're with Emma."

Regina smiles warmly, "Always" she pointed at the ring, "I adjusted the ring for you few hours ago when I got my magic back; when you're in life and death situation that you can't get out of, you click the diamond and I will know."

Berta eyes wide, "Really?"

Regina showed her as she clicked the diamond then it turned bright red. Berta searches to see if there's any changes on her, but there's not. Regina laughs, "It's not going to do anything to me, silly. I will just know by magic" Regina got up, "Stay down, I'm go get ice."

Berta grumbled, "No more ice!"

Regina rolled her eyes as she went to the kitchen to get bag of ice and presses on hers for ten minutes. After she dropped off the ice in the kitchen, she rubs her bullocks again with ointment while Berta fell asleep. She flicked her hands to clean hands then went over to her side, but couldn't sleep as she laid down while watching Berta sleeping peacefully as she deep in thought about what she is going to do with Berta after she makes sure Emma and her daughters are safe and out of Storybrooke. Two different lines as she remembered the story she read about two siblings of different mothers who went against each other. It was hardest choice she has to make and no idea what to do, but she doesn't want Berta to die. Berta wouldn't survive either way because she's not magical and her human being is not compliable with hers.

Berta opened her eyes shortly, "You're staring, Your Majesty."

Regina smiles, "I was just thinking …"

Berta closed her eyes again while moving closer with her arms over her body, "It can't be good."

Regina pulled her even closer with Berta on her shoulder breathing down on her neck, "How so?"

Berta softly and wet kissed her close to her ear, "You look sadder. Everything will work out somehow."

Regina secretly hopes so while drifting off to sleep.