Part Eight

The camp raised bright early the next day. It was still dark when we left because Hook says it's best if we do this at this hour. I don't complain. Not when we are finally going to start looking for my son. Henry! Gods, how I worry about my boy. He's been here for too long already.

I wave my hands in the air and in a blink of an eye, my tent is gone. I look over at where Emma stands and she looks tired to me. I don't think she slept very well, her eyes are a bit red and there is some purple underneath. Her hair is a mess and she is all wrapped up in a coat. It is a very cold morning. Maybe it was a little too cruel to let them all sleep on the ground. At least for Emma. Liking or not, we are in this together and I need her to be on her best in our mission to get Henry back. Perhaps I'll provide her with some air mattress for tonight if she behaves. I smirk to myself at the thought of that. As if Emma Swan can behave.

When everybody is ready, Hook leads us into the woods. We start to walk and the first thing I notice is that this place is nothing like the enchanted forest. The woods here are so thick that I find myself getting slapped in the face by a leaf every five minutes. I hate this place already. Hook tells us that we need to go up to the ridge in order to see Pan's hideout properly. He says he knows where we are going but I seriously doubt that. I don't trust the pirate! He had betrayed me many times before.

The sun picks up and the once cold woods became really warm. We take a break for lunch if you can consider fruits a lunch, and some rest. The two idiots are gladly chatting with one another while Hook flirts with Emma. The sight of that makes me sick. I guess I'm looking at four idiots then. I stand alone and wait for the rest of them to get proper rest before we go back out there. This is so pointless! I should be out there looking for Henry, poofing myself from one side to the other in this damn island. I don't need them, I have my magic back. Fully restore! Why am I staying with them? I'm a powerful witch, I can do this alone. I have always done everything alone.

"Hey," Emma's voice pulls me out of my thoughts.

"Hey," I say back with a hint of sarcasm in my voice.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" Emma asks.

"Don't you rather be with lover boy?" I ask sarcastically. Why do I care?

"Hook?" Emma says and makes a face "I just need him to help us find Henry"

"Are you sure about that?" I say "I see the way you two look at each other"

"What are you talking about?" Emma says as she sits right next to me "He is just a guide"

"He likes you" I pointed out.

"He's just a flirter," Emma laughs "I doubt he has any real interest in me"

"But you want him to?"

"I…"

"It's time to leave," Hook's voice says before Emma can answer my question "We should move before the Lost Boys finds us"

Emma smiles politely at me and rises from the ground. She gives me her hand to help me up but I refuse to take it. I don't need her help. I don't need her. I get up from the ground, without her help, and our journey begins again. Hook leads us on a walk, and I stand right behind him. I want to have a clear view of where we are going. We walk for hours again and even though I know I can't tell one tree apart from another I'm positively sure we have passed by some of them already. I swear, guyliner is totally lost and he is making us walking in circles. We are not going anywhere!

The sun goes down on the horizon and suddenly it's all dark. And guess what? We are still walking! My feet hurt like a son of a bitch, but I don't say anything. I should be using my magic! Why am I not using my magic?

"The ridge is just a few paces up ahead," Hook finally says.

"You really think we are gonna be able to see Pan's hideout?" Emma asks.

"From there we should be able to see everything, including where he is keeping your son"

"You know I could've just poof us up here in an instant," I say feeling a little annoyed.

"Where? You have any idea what's up here or anywhere? There are dangerous all about. Only I can guide us past them"

I roll my eyes when I hear him saying that. What a pretentious little asshole.

"He is right, Hook has been here before," Emma says "If he says hiking up is the best way then we listen"

Now I really roll my eyes. Of course, Emma is taking the pirate side. Why wouldn't she? Her lover boy! They have been flirting with each other this whole trip. I wonder if she even cares about Henry at all. And what does she sees in him anyways? He smells and he is a pirate. I don't think I have ever seen him change his clothes, or even wash them. Maybe it's the leather, Emma has quite a fascination for leather as well. That can only be it because I can't imagine anyone going for that when they could have ME!

What the fuck? Did I really just thought that? No! No, no, no, no, no. This can't be happening! No way! I can not have…I do not have feelings for her. What is wrong with me? Why am I thinking of Emma like this? I take bigger and deeper breaths as we walk. I try my best to control myself, otherwise, I'll have a panic attack or something like that and I will not lose myself this way. Not here. Not in front of them. I shook my head and keep walking. One step after another. That's all I need to focus on right now, one step after another, one step, and her hair is so pretty. I wonder how it feels like to run my fingers all the way down her hair. Damn it! One step after another. One step after another one step after, she's moving on top of me, her lips leaving a wet trail down my neck, scraping her teeth on my flesh making me…stop this!

We stop as Hook and Charming start to fight over something and I'm grateful for that. It takes my mind away from her, away from Emma. He talks about poison on the tree branches and I can't help my amusement when Charming fights him. At least we have something in common. Suddenly, he's not such an idiot anymore. We walk ahead and when I look back I notice that Emma and Hook stayed behind. Seriously what is wrong with her? Or me! I can't really decide which I want to focus on right now. I wish I could just...magic his tongue off and keep him away from Emma. Gods, I really need to get over this ridiculous crush over the Charming pest. This is ridiculous! I don't even like her.

We finally arrive at the ridge and I feel like I should do good on my thought of taking his tongue out. Or giving him another hook for a hand. There is nothing out there. I am going to kill him.

I stare at the void of trees and more trees that Hook showed us as if that was supposed to be some sort of hope. Hope for what? That I'll finally have the pleasure to rip his heart out? How the hell is that supposed to help us to find Henry? Unless Peter Pan is a monkey, I don't see why he is so cheerful about arriving here!

It's getting darker now, just as dark as it was when we left in the morning. We have been walking all day none stop except for food and water and a five minutes rest. Hook suggests that we set camp again and I feel outrageous. We should be out there looking for my son but then I take a step and as much as it pains me, I mentally agree with him. My feet hurt, badly and I'm exhausted. We all are.

I walk after him, to the place where he says we should make camp. I look back but Emma is nowhere to be seen. At least I know she is not with him, the pretentious bastard is right in front of me, unfortunately.

"So, Your Majesty" Hook says "Are you going to grace us with a tent tonight?

"If you are talking about mine, yes"

"Could you give me one too, Love," Hook says "I would like to dazzle Emma in it if you know what I mean"

I'm going to burn him.

I will rip his heart out.

How dare he talk about her that way?

"Very charming," I said angrily "But I believe Miss Swan has more important things in her mind to worry about right now"

"I know," Hook says "And I just want the opportunity to take her mind off things"

"And what makes you think she wants to take her mind off things with you?

"Are you jealous, Love,?" Hook laughs.

"Excuse me?"

"Are you jealous that I'm interested in Emma?" Hook says "You are a very interesting woman, Your Majesty, but I'm afraid you are not my type anymore"

Oh my God, ew. Does he think I'm interested in him?

I should have killed him when I had a chance.

As if!

"Hook, there isn't enough tragedy in the world that would ever make me consider any sort of interests in you"

"You wound me, Your Majesty," Hook says pretending to have his heart hurt.

"What did you do to him, Regina?" I hear Snow's voice behind me.

"Excuse me?" I say angrily turning around. The idiot has her little bow pointed at me "I haven't done anything to him"

"Hook are you okay?" Snow asks "I've heard you say she wounded you"

"I'm fine, Love," Hook smiles "We were just chatting"

"Mary Margaret, what are you doing?" Emma says behind her "Why are you pointing that at Regina?"

"I thought she was hurting Hook," Snow says as she put the bow down "Sorry about that"

"Why would you think I was hurting him?" I ask.

"As I said, I heard him say you wounded him"

"And your first reaction was to point that on me?" I say feeling the rage inside me now "What if he had attacked me?"

"I didn't think about that" Snow says simply.

"Of course not," I say and wave my hands in the air to build my tent "You can make your own fire tonight"

I enter my tent and I feel like burning the place to the ground. Why do I even bother with these people? I should just do what I've always wanted ever since that bitch killed Daniel. I should rip her heart out. Why don't I? She is there, she is right there. I can just freeze them all and reach inside her chest and pull the heart out and then…then I'll finally have my revenge as I crumble it into pieces. That should make me happy. Then why it doesn't? I sigh as I sit down on the bed. Henry! He wouldn't like that and to be honest, neither would I. This is just not who I am anymore. I want to be better. For him, first. I want him to be proud of his mother. But I want to be better for myself too. I'm tired of being the Evil Queen, for once I just want to be Regina.

I bent down slightly and take off my boots. Shit! My poor feet. I wave my hands in the air and a bucket full of warm water appears. I love having my magic again. I strip to my underwear and put my feet inside the warm water. Gods, that feels so good. I throw my head back moving it to one side and then the other. My whole body is stiff. I close my eyes and try to enjoy the feel of the warm water soaking my feet when I hear her. I can't exactly understand what she is saying, but she sounds angry. Did something happen outside? Should I go out there? See if she is in any danger? Damn it! I'm doing it again. Gods, why? Just why? This can't be happening, I can't possibly…It's not gonna happen, Regina! So just stop this! She is never going to be yours.

"Regina?" Emma says and I nearly jump to the sound of her voice "Can I come in?

"Miss Swan, I'm tired," I say in a heavy voice "And I'm not in the mood for a talk"

"Please?" Emma says "It will only take a minute"

"If you must" I sigh.

"Is it safe for me to come in or will you splash me to the other side of the forest when I touch the tent?"

The protection spell.

Right!

I wave my hands in the air to remove the spell and then I realize I'm just in my underwear and with a quick move of my hands, my clothing is back on me and the warm water is gone.

"You may come in"

Emma steps inside the tent and I can't help the little gasp the leaves my lips when I see her. She told me once that I was beautiful, but Gods, so is she.

"Wow," Emma says as she looks at everything inside my tent "You have got to teach me how to do that"

"Is there something that you want, dear?" I ask more harshly than I intended.

"Yeah, right," Emma says "What Mary Margaret did, pointing the bow at you…It wasn't nice. We are in this together"

"You came here to apologize?"

"In a way," Emma says.

"Let me guess, you need me to make the fire?"

"We do, but I am not even crazy enough to ask that of you" Emma laughs.

"Then what you want, Emma?"

"Can I crash here tonight?" Emma asks with pleading eyes "I'm exhausted and I need to sleep and that's impossible outside"

"Not comfortable enough, dear?" I ask sarcastically.

"It's not just that" Emma sighs "Hook snores. It's horrible"

"I thought you liked snores"

"I like yours," Emma says and I see how her cheeks turn pink "You have a cute way of snoring, like a child sleeping or something. Hook sounds like a pig"

"I snore like a child?"

"It's a compliment," Emma says "Please? I really need my energy for tomorrow"

"What about your parents?" I ask "What will they say about that?"

"I don't give a fuck about what they are going to say, Regina"

"I am not sharing a bed with you"

"Seriously? That thing is huge!"

"I need my space"

"You are going to make me sleep on the floor?"

"You were going to sleep on the floor outside anyway"

"Jesus, Regina!"

"You are welcome to leave, dear"

"Fine, whatever," Emma says "I just need to rest"

Emma gives her back to me and bends down slightly to remove her boots. In that position, I have a clear view of her ass and I can't help but stare. Those skinny jeans she always used are almost sinful. I trap my lower lip under my teeth as I imagine her moving on top of me, my hands running down her back and reaching her ass. I sink my nails deep in her flesh and she rewards me with a moan that it's both from pleasure and pain as she claims my lips with hers and…

"Regina?" I hear her voice calling me "Regina?"

"What?" I say blinking my eyes fast.

"Were you staring at my ass?"

"What?" I ask feeling my cheeks burn.

"Were you staring at my ass?" Emma says slowly.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous," I say feeling outrageous and yet, knowing that was exactly what I was doing "Why would I do that?"

"I don't know, Regina," Emma says with half a smile, "You tell me"

"I wasn't staring at anything" I lie "I was just…lost in thoughts"

"Of my ass?" Emma laughs.

"Miss Swan," I say angrily "In case you have forgotten, there is a reason why we are here"

"I don't ever forget that," Emma says and I can see I touch a nerve. She is angry.

"Good," I say feeling guilty now "Perhaps we should just go to sleep"

"Yeah," Emma says "We should do that"

I look at Emma and I feel my heart breaking a little at the look on her face. I hurt her. Damn it! I shouldn't have said that. I don't doubt she wants to find Henry as much as I do, we are both his mother. It's curious how the thought of that doesn't bother me as much as it once did. It's true, we are both his mother. And we both love him. I see Emma moving closer to the fireplace I have in the tent and suddenly an idea pops into my head. I know how I can make it up to her. I wave my hands in the air and make an air mattress and a pillow appear in front of the fireplace.

"Is that for me?" Emma asks.

"Well, I'm nothing but a good host"

"Thanks, Regina,"

Emma smiles at me and her eyes catch the reflection of the flames from the fireplace, dancing in her iris and I swear she is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. She literally took my breath away. I shook my head and smile politely at her as I remove my boots and then my jacket. Emma lays on the mattress and so do I in my Queen size bed, with my back to her. Perhaps I should have let her sleep in my bed. I supposed feeling her body closer to mine wouldn't be the worse thing ever. I turn around and watch Emma for a while. She is fast asleep now, I guess she really was tired from all the walk and the lack of sleep from the night before. She makes a little sound and my heart jumps inside my chest. Gods, I can not have her catching me staring at her again, one time was shameful enough already. Emma wraps her arms around herself and folds her knees. Is she cold? It is a cold night, perhaps the fireplace isn't enough. I wave my hand and a blanket covers Emma's form. Her body relaxes and I see a faint smile forming on her lips. I close my eyes with that image in my head and let myself succumb to the night.