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Chapter 10 The Evil Queen and her White Knight

The first thing Emma became aware of was the warm body cuddled into her side. Regina was asleep with her head on her shoulder. The shorter woman was holding her with their legs tangled together. Emma squeezed her affectionately, soaking in the warmth radiating from her. This was her favorite way of waking up, all curled up and cuddling with the beautiful brunette. She looked over to the nightstand at the clock and realized with a sinking feeling in her gut their alarm was about to go off. She reached over to shut it off and then started peppering kisses all over Regina's sleeping face in an attempt to wake her for work.

With her eyes still closed, Regina stretched, detangling their legs and then curling back into her side. She groaned an inaudible response that had Emma chuckling.

"No idea what you just said babe," she replied with a chaste kiss on the lips.

She didn't answer, she just buried her face deeper into her shoulder.

"Come on, love it's time to get up."

Regina didn't answer. Instead she slid her arms around her and hugged her, holding her in place.

"Well, that's quite the opposite of what we have to do."

"Can we just sleep the whole day?" Regina mumbled against her chest. Emma kissed her through her hair.

"As much as I want to. We have to go to work and get Henry up for school."

Regina didn't answer and Emma had the feeling she had fallen back to sleep. She frowned at that. Regina was always up and getting ready. She was more of a morning person. She never had trouble getting up for work. Maybe she was just exhausted from yesterday. They had been out talking on the porch late last night even after Henry had gone to bed.

She decided to give her five more minutes. She felt her breaths even out and she realized she had indeed fallen back to sleep. She rubbed her back in an attempt to start waking her. Once the five minutes were up, she gently started moving out from under the koala hold Regina had on her. Regina groaned grumpily as she slid over to her side so that Emma could sit up.

"I know love, but we're going to be late."

Regina sat up in a huff and grumpily got up and went into the adjoining bathroom without a word. Emma was left stunned as the bathroom door was shut. She heard the click of the lock and frowned at that. That meant she did not want Emma going inside as she showered which was completely fine. She could have just told her.

This really wasn't normal behavior, Emma knew that. She didn't want to accept that though and chalked it up to just being tired from last night. She decided to make the coffee strong today.

Having showered last night, she quickly got dressed and then went to go get Henry up. He was difficult to get up, but that was definitely normal for him. As she left him to get dressed she headed down to get the coffee started as well as some breakfast for her and Henry. Regina usually didn't eat in the mornings. She usually just had coffee with the occasional apple.

Once the coffee was brewed and she had some omelets sizzling in the pan, she heard the sound of Regina's heels coming down the stairs. She didn't come into the kitchen. She could hear her moving around in the study, probably gathering her work stuff. She hoped the shower woke her up a bit. Paired with the stronger than usual coffee, Emma hoped her grumpy mood would get better.

It wasn't until she was turning off the pilot and plating the omelets, did Regina finally walk in looking as professional as always.

"Coffee is ready. I made it strong," Emma informed her as she set the plates on the table.

"Thank you," Regina mumbled without making eye contact. Her mood was off and Emma grew increasingly concerned at that. She watched her pour coffee into her work thermos. Her movements seemed sluggish as if she simply didn't have the energy. She then grabbed a mug and poured some in with milk and sugar just the way Emma liked it and brought it over to the table. She set it down by Emma's plate and kissed her cheek.

"Have a great day darling."

"Thanks babe. See you at lunch."

She nodded, still not making eye contact. She grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl placed on the center of the isandtop, grabbed her belongings and left the kitchen. Emma could hear her saying goodbye to Henry at the staircase as he was coming down. Once she heard the front door close, Henry came into the kitchen.

"Yum, omelets!" He excitedly sat at the table. Emma got up and poured him some orange juice. She placed it by his plate and sat down. She wondered if he suspected anything different about his adoptive mother's behavior this morning. She hoped he didn't. She didn't want him to worry.

"I was worried you wouldn't come down in time. I was about to eat them both."

"Ma!" he groaned. "Mom wouldn't have let you."

"You came down so late, she almost left without saying goodbye."

"You're just saying that because you want my food," he laughed in between bites.

Regina rushed into class, coffee in hand and feeling less than ready for her lecture. She wasn't in the mindset to teach. She wasn't even in the mindset to be here. She just wanted to be home. For the first time in her life she just wanted to be in bed and not do anything. She felt so sluggish and out of touch. She knew Emma suspected something was off which was why she couldn't look her in the eye this morning or even say more than a few words to her in the kitchen.

She started setting up, desperately trying to mentally prepare herself as students started trickling in. She was fighting to keep a clear head. She was fighting the mental exhaustion that seemed to be present since yesterday after her panic attack in the shower. Once the projector was on and the students were seated and ready, Regina went right into lecture. The further she got into it, the easier it became to distract and wake up her mind.

As her second morning class was ending and it was getting closer to her lunch break, she started wrapping it up. As usual, Emma had slipped in towards the end and took her usual seat by the door with a takeout bag from their favorite sandwich and salad bar. She was watching her with that same fascinated look she had on her face every time she watched her lecture. It was nice to have someone acknowledge her expertise. Leopold always made her feel invalidated when it came to her lectures and knowledge in the field. He never let her move up in her career and yet criticized her for being a community college professor.

Once she had dismissed the class, Emma made her way through the students.

"Awesome lecture," she praised just as always with a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you dear," she said with a small smile. Now that class was done the mental exhaustion she was feeling was now hitting her at full force. She took a seat at her desk.

"Are you feeling ok?" Emma asked as she placed their bag on her desk. She took her usual seat across. By now all the students had left and they were alone.

"I'm just…" she sighed. "I don't know."

"Are you still feeling sad from yesterday?" Emma guessed.

Regina nodded, averting her gaze and reaching over to open the take out bag. Emma knew it. She knew by how off she had been this morning that she was continuing to spiral into depression. Her heart broke. She didn't know how else to help her more than she already was. She wished she could do more.

"I'm having trouble focusing today," she admitted, pushing her salad around with her fork. Emma paused in opening her sandwich. She wasn't making eye contact again.

"Look at me Gina," she encouraged her, trying to get her to meet her eyes. Regina didn't respond. She fixated on her salad, moving it around but not taking a bite. "Regina?"

The moment she saw that tear streaming down her cheek, Emma was up in a flash. That was why she wouldn't look at her. She was fighting back tears. She gathered her in her arms and kissed her cheek, trying to comfort her. "I'm here," she whispered.

"What is wrong with me," she cried, the tears now flowing down her cheeks. She was shaking.

Emma knelt down on her knees, reaching up and lifting her chin so she could look at her. "Nothing is wrong with you. You went through a trauma."

"I feel like I'm falling. For years I steeled myself… my mind and emotions to survive and now that I'm free, I feel like I'm falling apart."

"You're going to get through this," Emma's own voice shook. She held in her own tears. Regina needed her and she needed to keep it together. She'd probably go have a cry fest in the bug on her way back to the station. "And even if you fall, I won't ever let you go. You know that."

"I know," she whispered, her hands shaking and Emma took them into her hands to try and calm her anxiety.

"Let's try and eat," Emma encouraged her, getting up and placing a sweet kiss on her cheek. Even her food intake has been getting less and less. Her appetite has been dwindling. She ate enough but not enough to keep Emma from worrying.

They enjoyed their lunch. Regina ate half of her salad before pushing it away and getting started on grading the stack of homework that had been pending on the corner of her desk. Her eyes were red and dull. Her hands still slightly shook. Emma was worried about leaving her alone. Maybe she should sit in on her next class. She quickly vetoed that idea as Regina probably wouldn't like that. She quickly sent a text to Ruby, knowing the young waitress was in her next class.

Hi Ruby, can you keep an eye on Regina today? We're having lunch in the classroom and she's not doing so good and I don't feel comfortable leaving her.

Ruby texted back right away. Emma glanced at Regina to see she was still focused on her work. She's been really quiet since she broke down in tears.

Of course Emma! :)

Thank you so much!

"I'd hate to leave you here," Emma slid her phone back into her pocket.

"I'll be fine," she said softly, taking a breath as if she were steeling herself.

"Call me if anything. I'll even come and pick you up if you don't feel like driving."

"I promise I will," Regina assured her.

Emma stood, coming around the desk to hug her. She pulled her up into her arms, guiding her to her feet and held her tightly. She buried her face into her neck, breathing her in and placing a sweet kiss there. She didn't want to leave her. She wanted to take her home and make her feel better.

"I love you," she whispered into her ear and pulled away to place another kiss on her lips. Regina smiled at the affection, her body leaning into it. Physical comfort always seemed to help just a bit.

"I love you too, darling. Thank you for being here," she said, suddenly looking shy.

Emma placed her hand on her cheek and placed a final kiss on her lips.

Ruby entered class just before anyone else did. She had seen Emma walking to her bug just as she was pulling into the parking lot. Emma didn't say much about what was going on with her professor, just that she wasn't feeling too good and not in the physically ill kind of way. She agreed to keep her eyes open and to call if anything. The first thing she noticed when walking in was that Regina was at her desk grading and looked kind of startled for a moment when she heard someone walking into the room. She relaxed when she saw it was Ruby.

"Good afternoon Ms. Lucas. How are you today?"

"Ready for that quiz," she stated as she dropped down at her usual desk in the front row. This was the start of her second semester in Regina's class. She really enjoyed the subject and Regina was one of the best teachers even if she was a hard grader.

"Great, although I fear many of your classmates might not be."

"I did get plenty of panicked texts last night," she laughed, not missing the dark circles under her professor's eyes. She looked tired. What she didn't know was that Regina had freshened up and removed any traces of her tears before Ruby came in.

Regina once again became immersed in her work, greeting each student as they started to trickle in. Once class started she had everyone clear their desks and started passing out the quiz.

They were well within 10 minutes when a young man rushed in. Albert Spencer's nephew James rushed in late as always. It was no secret he was getting by with a D in the class and not happy about it. Especially his uncle who was his guardian before he came of age. Regina frowned, her eyes flashing furiously. She had warned him plenty of times about showing up on time on quiz and exam days.

"Come back in ten minutes." Normally she would have asked him to step outside and talk to him in the hall but the thought of being alone with him was terrifying.

"What?" He asked, shocked. "But the quiz?"

"You're late as I have warned you before. Leave and come back in ten minutes when the quiz is done."

"Fucking bitch," he muttered under his breath although the whole class heard and became silent from the shock. They all looked at her. She was furious and her fear was forgotten as she followed him outside.

The door shut. At this point she could give two shits if the students cheated. Her anger at this kid was through the roof. He's been giving her problems since the start of the semester. He acted like he was still a teen in high school. Not to mention his uncle had been friends with Leopold. That was beside the point. She didn't let her hatred of the man affect the way she treated James as a student, but the young adult really tested her patience. Not even Henry acted like this and he's the kid.

"I gave you way too many chances and warnings. You either come extremely late or don't even show up to class. You know the rules for showing up on time during a test and as for your disrespectful language, you will not come back into my classroom until we have a meeting with the dean of education. Do I make myself clear?" She didn't yell. Her voice was dangerously low, her dark eyes blazed furiously. He actually took a step back.

"It's no wonder they call you the Evil Queen. Wait until my uncle hears about this," he growled out and then was stomping away like an insolent child.

The moment he was gone, Regina took a deep breath to calm herself. The anger she had felt turned to anxiety. Her hands shook and she felt like she was on the edge of an oncoming panic attack. She couldn't have that right now. She leaned against the wall, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths. She tried to ground herself just like Archie had taught her. She forced her mind to think of calming thoughts. She pictured Henry smiling, laughing in different moments of time in her memory. She thought of Emma. Her green eyes and golden hair and the way she made her feel so loved and safe.

Slowly, her hands stopped shaking and the weight on her chest was lifted. She opened her eyes, took one last deep breath and stepped back inside the classroom.

The students finished their quiz and she continued class like nothing happened. The atmosphere was tense and as soon as class was over she was able to breathe a sigh of relief. James Spencer had really rattled her and she tried not to let it get to her.

Ruby hanged back as everyone started leaving. She went up to her professor where she was seated at her desk.

"Don't let him get to you. He's a dick. He bullied me all through grade school."

"Language, Miss Lucas," Regina raised her eyebrow at her student. "Although I'd have to agree with you."

"He shouldn't have called you that, especially in front of everyone. He's just used to getting his way."

"Like his uncle it seems." Regina's heart sunk as she was reminded she might have to deal with him later. Her hands started shaking and she hid them in her lap so that Ruby wouldn't see. She hated the man. He was just as disrespectful and cruel as Leopold. It was no wonder where James had learned his bad behavior.

"Are you ok?" Ruby asked quietly, not at all missing her trembling hands underneath the desk or the way her eyes had nervously flickered to the door and back.

"Yes I am," she nodded, steeling herself and trying to hide her anxiety beneath the surface. She started gathering her things. "I better get going. I need to go talk to the dean."

"Right," Ruby nodded.

By the time Regina got home she was exhausted. The meeting with the dean went longer than she expected. In the end they had decided to arrange a mandatory meeting with James if he wanted to continue in her class. She made it through the threshold, her shoulders tensed from the day. She could hear Henry and Emma laughing in the living room.

"Regina, is that you?" Emma called as she closed the door and hung up her coat and scarf.

"Yes darling," she answered as she came into the living room with her briefcase still in hand. She still had lesson plans and maybe some grading after if she had time.

"Hi mom! Can we order pizza?" Henry asked, looking up at her from his spot on the floor, controller in hand. He and Emma were playing mario kart again. Emma, who was on the floor as well, stood and sat by Regina who tiredly plopped down on the couch.

"Long day?" Emma asked as Regina snuggled into her side.

"Very," she mumbled into her chest and sat up a bit to kiss her. Henry groaned in playful disgust and then remembered his earlier question.

"So can we? Ma said it was up to you."

"Henry, it's a week day."

"I know but can we, please? I finished my homework and reading and I'll go to bed on time, I promise."

Regina looked at Emma who shrugged. "I'm ok with it if you are."

"Alright but order one pizza and pasta for me on the side."

"Yes!" Henry cheered.

As Emma called Bella Notte Italian Restaurant, Regina got up and moved to the study. She lit the fire and sat on the floor in front of it, with her work spread out and a glass of cider. She tried to get her mind off what happened today with James and the possibility of hearing from his uncle. Spencer raised James like a son and held him on a pedestal. There was no doubt in her mind that he would take James' side over hers.

She started preparing her lesson plans, getting lost in her work and not realizing how much time had gone by until Emma was knocking on the door.

"It's open!" She called out.

Emma came in with two plates of pizza and pasta.

"Foods here," she said, coming over and sitting beside her. "Mind if I join you?"

"Of course not darling," she smiled, moving over a bit so Emma can sit beside her. She gratefully took the pasta and took a couple bites before setting it down.

"Where's Henry?"

"Enjoying his last hour in front of the tv before it's off to bed," Emma smirked. "That kid knows how to play us."

"I wasn't planning on cooking tonight anyway," Regina said with a sip of her cider.

"Same here," Emma laughed and then looked at all the paperwork and textbooks opened in front of them.

"This looks like a long night." She sounded disappointed. Regina didn't blame her. Sometimes she'll spend long hours into the night to finish the final touches or changes to her lectures. She put a lot of work into her lessons. She wasn't those professors that gave an easy A or taught simply word by word from a PowerPoint. Emma often told her even though she worked in a community college, she taught like an Ivy League professor.

"Indeed, it does."

"You're quiet this evening," Emma observed.

Regina sighed, taking another sip of her cider and then looking at Emma.

"I'm just…" She trailed off, suddenly realizing she had forgotten to text Emma that she'll be home late because of her meeting. She suddenly looked guilty.

"I'm sorry I came home so late and didn't tell you," she said, looking away. If Emma was angry, she didn't want to see it.

"That's ok, I figured you had a lot of stuff to do. It is the beginning of a new semester after all, right?"

Regina looked at her suddenly, confusion flickering across her face.

"You're not mad? Or going to ask me why I was so late?" she asked in genuine shock, memories of Leopold punishing her if she was so much as a few minutes late coming home flashed in her mind.

"Of course not! I mean I did worry when you didn't text but then I ran into Ruby at Grannies while Henry and I were getting hot chocolate. She said you had a meeting and I figured you were too busy."

"You're really not angry at me?" she asked, obviously still shocked.

Emma took her hand and placed a sweet kiss on her knuckles and then hugged it to her chest.

"You're your own person. So what if you're late or was too busy to send a text. I would never be mad at you for that."

Regina looked away as if she were ashamed.

"I just thought…" she mumbled, trailing off and not being able to finish her sentence.

"Whatever that psycho bastard did to you when you were late coming home, he was wrong!" Emma's voice was stern. "I would never make you feel afraid to come home late."

"I know…" she whispered. "Sometimes old feelings resurface, even if I know you'd never hurt me."

She wasn't looking at her. She was looking at her lesson planner. Emma frowned at that. Maybe she was embarrassed about admitting her fears just now. They simply sat in silence as Regina worked. Emma munched on her pizza and helped herself to a glass of cider as well. Regina continued to take a few bites of her pasta here and there. Emma was relieved to see her eat the whole thing this time along with a stolen bite from her pizza.

"What was your meeting about anyway?" Emma asked, curiously.

Regina took a sip of her drink first.

"You know James Spencer?"

"Spencer? Does he have anything to do Albert Spencer?"

"James is his nephew and was his legal guardian. He's in my class. He's been hard to deal with since the semester started."

"No way! Really?" Emma looked at her with wide surprised green eyes. "Is he anything like his uncle?"

"He's just as entitled."

"So I take it you had a meeting about him?" she guessed.

"Well, he's been either coming in late or not showing up. He talks back and is rude and disrespectful not to mention disruptive to my lectures. He sleeps in class and doesn't participate. Today he came in late in the middle of a quiz. I had already given him plenty of warnings and chances. He knows the rules about coming in late on exam days. I told him to leave for the remainder of the quiz. He got angry and called me a fucking bitch in front of the class."

"That little twerp!" Emma snapped, her green eyes flashing angrily. "I'll kill him!"

"Relax, dear," Regina whispered with a kiss on her cheek. Emma instantly calmed down at the loving gesture. "Let me continue."

"Sorry," she grumbled, clearly still upset. The fact that this entitled piece of shit was so disrespectful to Regina made her blood boil. The apple didn't fall from the tree considering who raised him. She hated that Regina had to deal with this, especially since she wasn't emotionally doing so great during their lunch break. She was strong though, she reminded herself.

"So we stepped outside where I informed him he is not allowed back until we sit down with the dean. He got even more angrier, called me an evil queen and stomped away like a petulant child. After class ended, I had to talk to the dean and fill out a report which was why I took so long."

"And why does this make you nervous?" Emma asked, not missing the anxiety in those dark expressive eyes.

"It's not James that makes me nervous," she admitted shakily. "It's the possibility of having to face Spencer again. As you know from the trial, he and Leopold were friends. He often undermined my expertise just like Leopold did whenever I worked in the office with them. On the rare occasion, Leopold would strike me in the face in front of him and he'd watch, his eyes gleaming as if I deserved it. He knows of the abuse and supported it."

Emma was left sitting there shocked at what she just heard. The son of a bitch didn't deserve to be walking free. He was a corrupt lawyer who had no business being in practice and deserved a spot in a cell right beside his best friend.

"He's not going to hurt you. You're stronger than him. I'll put a restraining order on him, just say the word."

"I'm hoping it doesn't come to that," she sighed and then looked at her watch. "It's time for Henry to go to bed."

"I can tuck him in while you finish," Emma offered, downing the rest of her cider and then getting up and picking up their dishes.

"Thank you dear," she said, looking up at her and receiving a kiss.

"What will it be today kid?" Emma asked, flipping through the pages. She was cuddled up beside Henry in his twin bed and blue striped covers.

"Snow White," he murmured. Emma looked at him curiously. He was all smiles and giggles all afternoon and evening. Now he was a little sullen.

"What's wrong kid?" she asked.

"I know mom is not feeling well today," he stated. "She was weird this morning." He was a smart kid and Emma would never stop being amazed at how intuitive he was especially with Regina.

"It was a bad day today for her," she told him honestly.

"I can tell," he grumbled. "She always tries to hide when she's feeling sad, but I can always tell even when we lived with him."

"She'll be ok," Emma whispered, not wanting him to worry.

"Emma, I didn't believe she loved me back then, but now I know she does. And I love you too."

Emma's heart swelled at those words. She felt all warm and giddy inside and couldn't help but give her son a big bright smile. "I love you too kid. We both do."

After reading two stories, Henry was fast asleep. Emma got up and kissed his cheek, affectionately swiping his hair from his face in that motherly way she so often saw Regina do. She's never had a mother and she missed the first ten years of Henry's life. At first she felt more of a big sister to him then as a mother, but as time passed she found herself tapping into that mother's intuition she didn't think she possessed. She was also picking up certain motherly mannerisms from Regina without realizing it. Once she was content that he was fast asleep, she quietly turned off the lamp and walked out of the room, leaving the door open just a crack.

She made it back down to the study to see Regina still hard at work. She had two fresh glasses of cider beside her and Emma sat down, kissing her cheek and taking a grateful sip of her glass.

"Did he go to sleep ok?" she asked.

"Out like a light after two fairytales."

Regina chuckled affectionately. "I hope he never grows out of his love for fairytales, magic, and adventure. You know, he told me even if he doesn't think I'm the Evil Queen anymore, I'd still be her but a redeemed version because she's strong and powerful and loves fiercely. He said I reminded him of her."

"Wow, he said that?" Emma asked, impressed.

"He's a very smart and creative boy. I've seen it in him since he was very young."

"And who does he say I am."

"The Queen's Knight," she said with gleaming eyes.

"Hmm, the reformed Evil Queen and her White Knight… I think we have a future best selling author sleeping upstairs."

Regina hummed in agreement and continued to work silently. Emma just sat beside her and sipped at her cider, watching her as she worked on her lesson plans. She looked so beautiful even if she looked tired. Even if her cheeks were flushed from the heat of the hearth and possibly from the cider. Even with her make up practically smudged off by now. She had to fight the urge to lower her down to the floor and make sweet love to her.

She was so lost in her head she hadn't realized the time passing and Regina closing up her textbooks and planning portfolios. It wasn't until Regina was sliding into her lap was she ripped from her daydreams. Emma leaned into the sudden kiss, her arms wrapped around the brunette that was straddling her. When Regina pulled away, she leaned her forehead against her own.

"I'm sorry for being so off today," she whispered, their lips so close they could feel each other's breaths.

"What did I say about apologizing?" Emma asked. Regina leaned back and shrugged, her eyes suddenly looking down.

"Not to," she murmured.

Emma gently lifted her chin so she would look at her.

"I understand you're going to have bad days sometimes. I know you're not just going to be magically ok just because Leopold is in jail now. We're going to get through this."

"I wish this could be easier."

"I know, love," Emma whispered, pressing a kiss to her cheek. She wished it could be easier as well, but Leopold had hurt her so bad it wasn't just something she can quickly move on from. Although, it didn't mean she couldn't. Emma knew someday she'd be able to breathe again.