Chapter Twenty: Dear

In a dark room, shades drawn, Regina sits on top of scratchy sheets on a bed that's not hers. She looks down at the phone in her hand, the blue light reflecting sadly on her face.

They're all messages from Kat

I'm sorry.

Please come back to me.

The baby and I need you.

Emma and Henry needed me too, Regina thinks and doesn't bother to respond. She puts her phone down and ignores the buzz of yet another incoming message. She doesn't have the energy to deal with this now.

Then she turns to lie down on the bed, staring blankly at the wall.

Meanwhile in the mansion, Kat looks down at her phone, tears in her eyes, barely able to see what she's typing. She's nearly shaking with stress and worry. It's bad to leave a pregnant omega behind without anyone to care for them. She hopes Regina can look past the issues and come back. She needs her back. It's been so long already. The hours feeling like weeks. She feels a sharp pain in her side that makes her gasp in pain and she tries to hold back the tears of hurt and loneliness inside her.

Cora isn't answering either and Kat wonders if it wasn't worth it calling Cora. The woman swore to fix things but she only made them worse. An old memory plays back as Kat massages her side, trying to make the pain go away.

"Regina is yours now."

Kathryn stares oddly at her parents who are sitting in the dining room with Cora there. When had the woman gotten here? Wasn't she on vacation, always leaving Regina home alone?

"Excuse me?" she blinks and tries to not come off as rude. She pauses in the middle of taking her school bag upstairs to do her work.

"Kat, we know you like Regina and that she was hurting you," Kat's mom continues.

"Which is why I had a talk with her," Cora smoothly fills in. "She understands the predicament and she will do her best to be loyal to you and you only. She's thrown that hussy to the side."

"Oh." Kat truly doesn't know what to say to this. For one, she's happy. Regina and her can be together. But on the other side, something about this feels slimy. Wrong. And she can't quite figure out why.

"Aren't you going to say thank you, dear?" her father prompts. "Cora came all this way to make you happy. To assure your future."

Kat bows her head like a good girl. "Thank you. I appreciate it." Her voice is flat only because of shock over this whole affair still.

"And Kat, dear, if Regina ever gives you any trouble. Any trouble at all once you're married, do let me know," Cora adds on, smiling a smile that makes Kat vaguely uncomfortable.

"Of course," Kat answers and leaves.

It's not until a few days later that she realizes why this felt all off. It's because Emma has run away except Kat knows, Emma didn't just go away on her own. She feels bile rise in her throat each time she sees Regina looking so distressed by this. The brunette carries on like nothing is wrong but underneath her mask lies hurt, hurt that Kat knows she isn't imagining. Hurt that she can detect only because she knows she somehow caused it.

She hopes Emma is alright, but she makes no motion to help. And she doesn't tell Regina. Because she couldn't stand to have Regina be hurt by her own actions. Besides, it was just a silly crush. And Regina is meant to be with Kat. They'll fall in love, and things will be different.

And yet, Kat had hurt Regina anyways. And now everything was ruined. She should have never called Cora over to help.

Emma stifles a huge yawn as she walks into the sheriff's station that morning. She plops down into her seat, stretching her arms above her head in hopes it will wake her up a bit. "Hey, Graham," she lazily greets him but gets no smile in return, nor a good morning greeting. He has just gotten off the phone with someone and is fiddling with a pen worriedly. He has a furrow between his brows that seems to be permanently etched there. "Regina's missing," Graham tells Emma, not meeting her eyes. Emma can feel her heart stop. Instantly she is wide awake.

"What?" she gasps out, nearly choking on her gasp. "How- how can the mayor be missing?" What had happened to Regina? Who could have done her harm? This was Storybrooke for Christ's sake! The most that happened was escorting a drunk Leroy to prison or catching some lost dogs.

"She didn't come into work today, which is highly unusual. She always comes into work, even if she's sick. And when the secretary tried to reach her, she couldn't. Which is also highly unusual." Graham reports, tapping a finger to his chin. He is acting way too calm about this. She hates that. They should be scrambling to find Regina this very moment.

"Shit," Emma is up from her seat. "We need to send a search out for now her, and now!"

"I agree, Emma, but we're the only two in this office. We won't hit a lot of ground," he explained to her calmly and it paused her from putting on her work belt.

"Fuck!" she curses out and hits the desk with her fist. She can't have Regina being gone. She can't. What happened to her? Is she okay? No, Regina needs to fine, for Henry's sake!

"Calm down. I'll get the volunteer group together. We have them for this reason," he told her. He gave her a pitying look, as if understanding why she was so distressed. This was personal for Emma.

"And how long will that take?" she asked him, impatience burning through her veins. She didn't have time to wait. She needed to find Regina, and now. Who knew what could have happened to her!

"An hour, maybe," he said as he sat down and picked up the phone to dial.

"I can't wait that long," Emma barked out. And then she rushed out.

"Where are you going?" he asked her.

"I'm going to look on my own. I was once a bounty hunter. I know how to find people," she told him over her shoulder and slammed the door shut after her. She crosses the street hurriedly to get to her car when she noticed something from the corner of her eye. She almost decided to dismiss it, but decided what if it could lead to Regina? She should take another glance. But as she offers another look, she realizes this is something unpleasant. She almost thinks she's hallucinating but she's not.

Emma stops in her gait, freezing by her Bug. It's like seeing a vision from the past. Mainly because it is one. Except in the flesh. There's no questioning it. That's Cora Fucking Mills walking down the street towards Emma, nose high in the air. She's gotten older but there's no mistaking the beady eyes and the face that has haunted countless nightmares of Emma's. But not anymore.

Emma doesn't even think this, she reacts it. Her body moves on autopilot.

Filled with an anger and a confidence she didn't have ten years ago, she strode up to Cora who at first did not seem to even realize who Emma was. But when she did, a slow grin spread on her face that did nothing to stem the anger growing inside Emma's chest like a hot flame.

"Ah, good. I was hoping to run into you. I wanted us to have a talk." Cora's slimy voice irritates Emma's ear drums and she barely refrains from spitting at her.

"You have some audacity," Emma grunted out, stopping to stand in front of Cora, hands on hips. She made herself look as intimidating as possible. Cora stops too, eyes raking over Emma, sizing her up. Clearly Emma did not fall to her standards for a small sneer grows on her lips. "Showing up to my town," Emma completed.

Cora blinked, not expecting this brazen behavior. "I have the audacity? It's you who has the audacity to come back to this town and try to ruin Regina's life! How dare you be a homewrecker. Trying to tear poor Kathryn and Regina apart. Have you no shame, you slut."

Emma began to feel herself shake. This woman- this fucking bitch of a woman-! How could she say such things. Emma took a step forward, green eyes darkening with the anger and hatred she felt for this human. She never thought she could hate someone as much as this woman. "I did not come back to town to do that. Regina herself invited me back, because she wanted joint custody of our son. The son you wouldn't let us raise together because you robbed me not only of a home, and a family, but also of a future." She raised her finger to accentuate this point as Cora stood there calmly, hands holding her purse clasped in front of her, wearing her jacket of fur. Like some killer, proud of the lives it used and ruined for it's own selfish needs.

"And I am not wrecking Regina's life. You did that all by yourself all those years ago. You controlled her, you manipulative bitch, like you controlled me," Emma continued ranting, knowing her voice was getting louder as she worked herself up. She just had so much bottled up inside her that it was all coming out. She toned it down, because she didn't want Cora to know how badly affected Emma was after all these years still. "You forced your own daughter to marry someone she doesn't love. And I don't know why you're back here, but if you think you can chase me away, you are wrong." Emma tapped on the badge on her chest. Cora looked at it derisively. "I work for the police. Step one toe out of line, so much as breathe wrong, and I will have you arrested and thrown into jail." With that, Emma swiveled and stomped back to her car.

She felt good. Good to have said all that. There was more, much more she'd like to say. To do. Pummeling Cora's face to bloody bits would bring her countless joys. But she had to go on. Any more interacting with that vile woman and there was no telling if Emma could hold herself back.

Just as she was pulling the car door open, Cora spoke up.

"Still an uncouth brute as always. It was a good decision to chase you away. You would have only dragged Regina down."

Emma gritted her teeth and could not help from retorting. "Better a brute than a woman like you who can't love anyone but herself." Without waiting for a response, Emma got in and started up the car, driving off with a squeal of tires.

She's still fuming when the ten minute drive to her apartment is over, but she can't dwell on this now. She makes herself some tea to settle her nerves and then sets about trying to locate Regina.

Regina's sudden disappearance makes a lot more sense now. If Cora's in town, Regina is probably hiding from her. Emma would do the same, except, she's tired of running from Cora and from what happened ten years ago. She's going to make things right. One step at a time.

She gulps half the hot tea down in one go, ignoring the burn in her throat, before turning to her work.

Emma goes to her apartment, and plugs in her phone to the computer. She has an app queued up that will tell her where Regina's phone is located. She's been texting her on the way here. Stuff about Henry. Because if it's anything that will get Regina to text back it's something about Henry being unwell. And Emma's proven right.

What's wrong with Henry? The text asks and Emma lets out a breath of relief. This means Regina is okay. Somewhere not in town, but okay. Is it possible that this time, instead of Emma being chased away by Cora, that Regina was chased away by Cora? Was Regina going to pull an Emma and run? No, Emma wouldn't allow her. They wouldn't repeat their mistake once more.

Emma runs the app, tapping her fingers impatiently as she waits for the scanning to work. It pings to completion five minutes later and she bolts up from her seat, nearly upsetting her half full cup.

Emma pockets her phone and doesn't answer the messages, having pinpointed the location of Regina. She's in a motel outside of Storybrooke. Indeed, it does look like she's on the run. Either that, or trying to avoid her problems by hiding.

Last time Cora had intervened, they hadn't been united. Emma wasn't going to let that happen. They were both adults now and they could work together against Cora. Emma gets back into her car, puts the coordinates of Regina's location into her phone, and drives off, feeling emboldened by her lingering anger and determined thus to bring down Cora. To expel her from their lives once and for all.

Emma parks her car in the sad looking parking lot and with some mild flirting with the receptionist, finds out which room Regina is staying in. When she gets to it, she knocks on the door and frankly, doesn't expect Regina to open it up so quickly.

"I must say, your delivery service is superbly quick-" she cuts herself off, mouth making an 'oo' shape as she sees whose on the other side of the door.

"Emma...?" she breathes out. "What are you doing here?"

"When the mother of my son, and the mayor of my town, go missing, do you think I would let that happen without finding out why?" Emma says before shouldering her way into the room. She stands by the bed, Regina following her in. Despite whatever emotional turmoil Regina is going through, she still looks amazing and put together.

"Emma you shouldn't be here," Regina starts with, crossing her arms over her chest. "You should stay away from me."

"Why are you running?" Emma demands. Regina clamps her lips tight; she will not answer this. "You know that running away from issues never solves them." Still, no answer. Emma sighs in exasperation. "Your mother is back in town, causing issues, and you just, what," Emma dropped her hands to her sides in disappointment. "You run away?"

"Don't you get it Emma," Regina said, suddenly tearful. Her mask crumbled. Her eyes went glassy and her lower lip wobbled. "I'm not running from her. I'm running from you."

Said so softly, in barely a voice at all, and yet it cuts a path through her heart. "What?" Emma barks out, the ground dropping out beneath her feet. "Running from me?"

"I ruined your life. I don't...I don't want to ruin it anymore." Silent tears are streaming down her face. "I thought it was all mother's fault. And I was ready to take her down. But then she explained to me, that it was all my fault. If I had never started dating you-"

Sudden anger fills Emma like a rising wave. "And you believed her? She's nothing more than a lying snake. She wants to hurt you. She wants to keep us apart. Don't you see this? She's manipulating you! You can't just run away and let this all happen. What about Henry? Will you let her sink her claws into him?"

Regina wiped away at the tears on her cheeks. In all her misery, she had forgotten that Cora could go after Henry. "No, I don't want that," she admitted in a wavering voice.

"Then fucking do something about it," Emma demanded angrily. "Running away from me won't change anything."

"But if I stay she'll make me hurt you," Regina confessed. "She said that she would give me a chance to deal with you, and if I didn't then she would."

"She'll try to get rid of me regardless or not," Emma said honestly. Seriously, what a sick twisted woman. How had Regina been able to grow up in that household? If Emma had parents like that she was glad she was an orphan. "So it's why we need to stand up against her," Emma said in a softer voice, taking a step closer to Regina. Then another. She wanted to wipe the tears away from Regina's face. She wanted to take her pain away from her. "I'll do whatever you ask of me. Because I love you," she confessed. "I never stopped loving you all those years ago."

"I love you too," Regina reaffirmed.

This would be the perfect moment for a kiss. Slightly messy, rough with emotion and with the taste of salt lingering on their lips. Emma could envision it, imagine the press of Regina's lips on her own. But they couldn't kiss. Because of Kat.

Still, that wordless mutual desire hung in the air between them as their chests heaved with passion and want. Regina licked her lips. "Emma, I-"

The phone rang, making Regina flinch. She looked at it, as if it was betraying her. A single text message lit up.

The baby's coming.

Kat was giving birth.

Now? Wasn't it too early?

Or was this just a trap from mother?

Emma was next to her, having silently arrived. She read the message over Regina's shoulder. "We should go. We're stronger together," she said, patting Regina on the shoulder and then leaving the hotel room.

Regina watched Emma head out, clutching the phone tightly in her hand. Wrestling with something inside herself, she finally came to a decision. Her face hardened and she followed Emma out the door.

The drive back to town was silent, tense. Emma kept her eyes on the road even if she wanted to talk to Regina. But what would they talk about? Everything seemed forbidden least it stir up their tempers or hurt either of them. Like the fact that Regina was about to have a child with Kat. That stung. It really did. It was still a stark cruel reminder of how unattainable Regina would be from her. Regina's got the phone clutched in her hands. She's been texting Kat like crazy, trying to call her, but there's been no response.

Emma wonders if Regina was this same way when Emma disappeared. This tenacious need to get an answer that would never come. Regina relents for now, body stiff and fingers clutching around the phone for any sign of a reply. She won't text her mother, though her finger hovered over the contact. She will not stoop that low to get an answer from her.

"Kathryn was involved," Regina eventually says, eyes hard on the road leading her back to Storybrooke, back to her mother's clutches.

Emma shoots her a confused look. "What do you mean."

"She was...she wasn't directly responsible for Cora finding out. But, she came out to her parents about how I was dating you and her parents told Cora who then went after you."

Emma lets out a groan. "Fuck."

"All this time, and Kat never told me anything. She must have known what her parents did. And she knew who you were to me, which is why she hated us getting along so well. It's why mother is back. She summoned her here," Regina continues explaining in a voice sounding numb.

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" Regina looks at Emma in disbelief.

Emma shrugs. "Because you deserve an apology for all that's happened to you."

"But it's not your fault it happened," Regina murmurs. "It was...everyone. Cora even got to Ruby. It's how Cora knew who were having my child."

A louder swear this time from Emma. "That bitch has her claws in everyone! And I can't believe Ruby didn't tell me anything either. We had a heart to heart about all of it, and she didn't say a word."

"Maybe she forgot. Or maybe she was afraid you wouldn't forgive her," Regina suggested. "I can't forgive my mother for what she's done to me. And I want a divorce."

Emma almost veers off the road when she hears this. Luckily, there's not much traffic around. "What?"

"I shouldn't have agreed to my mother's arranged marriage. And I don't want to keep living a lie. So, I'm going to do it. Maybe not now, but soon."

Regina smiles, finally feeling a bit lighter. Hopeful, that perhaps things won't be so bad. That all quickly changes when she arrives at the hospital.

"Are you Kathryn Mills' wife?" a nurse in scrubs nearly screams at her. There's a rush of people, loud noise everywhere.

"Yes," Regina answers, harried.

"Come quickly. We don't have much time." Regina is grabbed by the upper arm. She shoots a confused look at Emma who merely shrugs but decides she will wait for Regina to come back. Regina goes up the room, and she knows something is wrong, very wrong when she smells the heavy scent of copper in the air. There's a baby's shrill voice shrieking in the air and Regina finds herself wanting to echo the sentiment when she sees the sight before her. There are several nurses and a doctor in blood splattered scrubs rushing around Kat who lays on the bed. Regina quickly hurries to her side.

"What is going on?" she roars, her heart thumping in her chest wildly.

No one answers her. She turns to Kat, who is looking up at her with glazed over eyes. She holds up a weak hand. Regina grabs onto it like a life line.

"Regina..." she breathes. "You came."

"Yes. I did. Kat, what's going on-"

"Promise me you'll love our child like you couldn't love me," Kat gasped out, eyes drooping wearily. It sounded strangely final. What ever was happening, it was too late.

Regina's face scrunched up in pain even more as she clung desperately to Kat's hand. She could feel the pulse fluttering weakly there. "Always, Kat. Always."

Kat gave a small half smile and then closed her eyes for good as the loud noise of a flatline ripped through the air.

A/N: This story ended up becoming way angstier than I had planned it too. Part three will come out once I'm done finishing up my SQ supernova fic. See y'all then.