Here it is, another chapter! Sorry it took me this long. I'm still not sure if I'm going in the right direction with this. Anyway, enjoy!
The day was not yet been born when Regina opened her eyes from the shallow sleep her soul had been drowning on, seeking a way to heal her invisible wounds. It had been two weeks after the attack against Tremotino, the attack Hatter had advised against; the attack that certainly meant a retaliation was coming her way. Neal Tremotino was kept close to her. He was an hostage but treated well. He was comfortable, lived as if we was a guest in her house, an old friend seeking sanctuary.
She stepped into her office and sat at the desk, elbows on it and hands raking through her hair. Her forehead was resting against her ice-cold palms. She felt hot, feverish, ill even.
"Can't sleep?"
Regina looked up and saw Henry's father by the door. She relaxed, laid back against the chair she was sitting on.
"No rest for the wicked."
He chuckled and walked towards her.
"There are a lot of people not sleeping tonight then."
"You'd be surprised"
She watched him sitting down on the couch right in front of her.
"I am", he replied
"What are you doing up?"
"Same as you, can't sleep"
"For me that's just a normal occurrence.
"I was wondering, how did you find me?"
"I have eyes everywhere, Neal. You know I do; and when there is a place where I don't, I find a way to have them there. It's simple logistics… No mystery there, I'm afraid."
"What made you come after me, then? Was it just to break my father or get your little power display some credibility?"
"None of the above", she replied. Neil was surprised.
"What was it then?"
"Henry missed you. He wanted to see you. I guess I'm…too late."
"You shouldn't have tried to find me-"
"Did I bother you and your busy schedule?", she asked, venom and disdain dripping from her mouth. Her comment seemed to have no effect on him.
"No, nothing like that. He's better off without me. I have nothing good to give him. That's why I left him with my father and then he left him with you."
"And you think I had?"
"What?"
"A self-made widow like me, criminal by day, mommy by night? What am I, some sort of comic book character? Only I'm the villain."
"My reasoning was that you were not like me. It was easier to…to go back to innocence…"
In a flash of anger, Regina took an object from her desk, which she didn't even see what it was, and threw it at Neal Tremotino's head.
"Whoa!"
"Innocence? The one you got your father to take from me? Or the one Leopold had ripped from me? What sliver of innocence, what semblance of love was left in my heart to give when Henry was first placed into my care? What could I still rip my heart to give that tiny baby?! I was chasing after my own stepdaughter in order to kill her, Neal!"
"But you didn't. You let her escape. She's in exile but she's alive."
"Mary Margaret Blanchard is an unfinished story…"
"One I have a feeling you have abandoned."
"Far from it, I just have bigger fish to fry at present. But tell me, where does innocence fit in that?"
"Innocence it's not quite the word, but there was love in your heart. Even in your darkest moments, you had it, Regina. I knew it from the moment you stitched my wounds that night in your parents' farm that you had it in you. You took care of everything and everyone lucky enough to cross your path. Otherwise, Henry would have been raised by my father, God knows what would become of him. Probably would end up like me."
"I'd say worse… Hello, my name Regina."
"It's different of fucked up I guess. You had rules, a motherly strictness that I was missing and never had. I wanted that for him. Because that is what he deserved: a good mother, a proper one. I knew he would have that with you."
"Truth be told, he keeps me on my toes. He still can get away with certain things by melting my heart into it, but I guess he turned out quite the charmer.", Regina said smiling.
"Got it from his father, alright..."
"You have your share of sheer dumb luck, I do declare!"
Neil laughed at that.
"I wish!"
"You never told me about his mother", she eyed him curiously.
"Just a girl I knew. We hung out for a time. Her name was Emma", he said, going to pour himself a drink. He knew where the conversation was heading, alcohol would ease his words.
"What was she like?"
"Blond, fair, tall, athletic. Rough around the edges, not ready for children."
"What happened to her?"
"She went to jail, because of me. I did a little thievery back in my day to buy drugs, she was caught, and I escaped. As you know, I never knew she was pregnant until the day folks wrote my father announcing she had given birth to the baby and that someone from the family should come and fetch it. I think she's free now, she did the time I should have done. I don't know where she is."
"You talk about your father like he is the sinner and you a martyr to his hands…" Regina gave him a fake smile, as if mocking him.
"I don't see where you're getting at."
"Throwing others under the train is really up to his alley, if I might say –"
"I did no such thing!"
"You didn't do the right thing either."
"I guess if I did, you would never have Henry in your life…"
"Touchée! Guess something good came from your mistakes." At this Neil took a sip out of his glass, smiling and remembering the son he gave up. He wondered if Regina was right; if he should be more involved. But that thought was gone as quickly as it had come to him. No, Henry was alright. Henry did not need him. He had Regina. He had everything. "You do realize however, that Henry will become a young man, there are things that I can't explain to him, things that he won't be comfortable sharing with me…"
"He'll have just the person to share them with. He'll have someone to take him fishing and camping, and watch the Yankees, teach him how to be a gentleman – "
"He already is a gentleman! God forbit I would allow my son to be a rascal!", Regina interrupted, all her feathers ruffled.
"... But it won't be me, Regina. And I have a feeling you know why.", Neil smiled.
"Robin is a good man.", she said.
"I'm sure he is. He has a good taste in women, at least."
Regina laughed at this.
"You idiot."
"Well, he tamed the lioness, that's enough for me to give him some credit"
"Nobody said he was perfect. He has his moments of weakness."
"I'm sure he doesn't see it that way…"
"In good time he'll change his mind. He should If he knew what was good for him."
"He won't. From what you have told me, Robin seems to be a man of his convictions, a man of his word."
"He is, Neal" she paused, "That's what I am most afraid of. He will stick to his word till the bitter end, that might be his doom. I might be his doom and the thought of it is...unbearable!"
"Will you look at that, Regina Mills smitten out of her mind!"
"I did not want him to be part of all this madness" she continued. "He was what I used to call collateral damage. But he was…is, at the same time, what I have of most pure in my life, along with Henry. I ruined him!"
"I wouldn't be so harsh…"
"Whatever semblance of simple, quiet life he had, it's over now. His life will be filled with hated and fear, war and crime until the end. It's all I can offer; it's all I know."
"Maybe, not. Maybe he will ground you, keep you on your toes as Henry does. Maybe he'll be the neutral element you're in need of. Maybe, he'll provide the change in your life that you secretly long for, the return, as I said, to innocence."
At this Regina snort.
"My knight in shining armor…", she grumbled dramatically, getting up from her chair. Then she took a deep breath, exhaled and limped to the door. "Since we are up, we might as well be useful and cook breakfast."
"I'll help you out!" Neil said offering her his arm to help her come down the stairs.
"Eating or cooking?" she asked playfully.
"I'll say both options sound good."
"I swear you're the most spoiled hostage I have had…"
They came down the stairs slowly and entered the spacious kitchen. Without making much noise, Regina prepared the most luscious breakfast, a banquet for all who lived in the house. Enchanted by the smell coming from downstairs, Malva came down, already dressed and ready to go out afterwards.
"Good morning, Regina, Tremotino. That smells heavenly!"
"We couldn't sleep…might as well make myself useful", Regina stated, proceeding to sip from a cup of black coffee, not taking her eyes from the newspaper Neil had fetched for her. "There are pancakes, bacon, eggs, toast…Whatever you feel like, help yourself. Oh and there's coffee on the kettle."
"You're the best boss ever" Malva purred proceeding to kiss the crown of Regina's head. "Bless ya heart, little one."
"Anything scheduled for today, Malva?"
"Well, I'm planning to head to the factory, I've been called there. Jefferson is busy taking care of another crisis and asked me to go there and see I could get things in order."
"A crisis? Why was I not informed?"
"Slipped his mind, maybe?"
"How so, slipped his mind? I'm crippled but I'm still the head of this family, I am to be notified if something happens!" Regina exclaimed indignant.
"We all know that, but you have been recovering from being almost shot to death. He thought he could handle it for you since it's nothing major. He'd inform you afterwards when everything was settled."
"I don't want to be informed that there was a problem after it has been handled! I want to know about it as it happens."
"Jefferson thought better not involve you in this after the little circus you pulled two weeks ago with Tremotino…"
"Jefferson! Who the fuck Jefferson thinks he is!?"
"Now, calm down, Regina."
"I'm not made of fuckin' glass! I can still cane you all to death if I want to! I had enough! I will not be made to sit nothing else out! I'm alive, God damn it! It's time you all noticed that!" Regina yelled, punching the table, making dishes rattle.
Malva took a deep breath and exhaled trying to stay calm. She was expecting this reaction from Regina.
"Regina, you haven't been well… Jefferson and I, we agreed -"
"Fucking opportunists, all of you!"
"That is not fair, Regina! No one is trying to take away your authority in these matters. They are small things that can be solved by other people in the family without bothering you, taking your bill of health in consideration."
"I'm fine!"
"No, you're not."
"I'm fine enough to take care of my affairs!"
"Test the theory, shall we? How many painkillers have you taken yesterday? How many will you take today after we have this conversation and you start coughing your lungs out?"
"I see what this is. How much time until you burry the knife on my back and take over, Malva? Is that what you want?"
"Don't do that, Regina; you know I could never want that. But you also know you are usually more balanced than this. You haven't been the same lately. You come up with crazy ideas of invading Tremotino's house and threatening to kill his son in front of him and more! I know you like control and losing control for you is scary, but don't let it make you turn against your people. They are all you have now."
"How dare you! I have dedicated my whole life, killed, sacrificed my revenge, gave away my son, the man I love and his son to the unknown for the sake of the family! I never turned by back on it, not once."
"Oh for God's sake, Regina; don't act like you're the only one making sacrificed around here for the sake of the family! The family, the family is you. Thy will be done, your majesty!
"How dare you imply that I have turned by back on this family's best interest to satisfy my own ambitions, Malva!?"
"Because Regina, that's what you have been doing lately? You don't listen to Jefferson anymore, when I try to help you, you're all defensive. We just want to keep things afloat until you're better, that's it! That's our goal!"
"I don't need you or Jefferson to keep things afloat! That is my job. I have nothing, the least you could do was let me play my role in this story! –"
"Good morning! Miss Mills, is everything alright in here? I heard yellin'…?" Aibileen asked entering the kitchen and noticing the banquet on the table.
"Good morning, Aibileen." Neil whispered, feeling little and insignificant in the middle of the two colossi of crime arguing. Regina did not pay any mind to Aibileen's presence. She was now standing, eyeing Malva down, a sneer across her face, a touch of disdain on her red lips, her eyes crazed, teary of rage. She was also growing paler. Malva noticed this and decided to drop the argument, she knew what was coming.
"Remember your place, Malva Augurio! You may be my friend, but you are my capo, my subordinate! You do not take orders from my consiglieri! You do as I tell you or else you can find another family who can put up with your shit! Is that clear enough for you?!" With these last words, Regina started coughing, fetching a handkerchief to cover her mouth from her dressing gown's pocket.
"Oh fuck, look what you've done!" Malva exclaimed, making the other woman take a seat. "Neil, fetch her a sip of water, please." Neil took off and searched for glass which he filled with water and gave to Malva. "Come on, Regina, drink."
The Matriarch took the glass from Malva's hand and drunk a few trembling sips from the glass while wheezing painfully.
"You should take your pills, go to bed and have a good hard rest. Aibileen, help her up the stairs. Call a doctor if it gets worse."
"Yes, Miss Malva. Come now, Miss Mills, let's get you to bed" the maid pleaded tenderly.
"I'll see you later. I'll be in time for dinner. I can only hope you'll be more opened to hear what I have to say by then."
Malva approached Regina, took her face between her hands and kissed her forehead with as much tenderness as she could muster in that moment.
And that was the last time Regina Mills saw Malva Augurio alive.