Regina was twirling the magic bean between her fingers again. It was so tempting to just run away to another land. It would be the easier option compared to this. She just wasn't sure where she'd even go. There wasn't much for her back in the Enchanted Forest, only reminders of her darker days. She thought about opening a portal to a dream world, a place where she could have everything her heart desired but she knew it wouldn't satisfy her knowing that it wasn't real. There wasn't really anywhere else she wanted to be. Everyone she loved was here in Storybrook and she had told so many people that her happy ending was being with her family. She would be a complete hypocrite if she ran away to protect her heart. She didn't trust her future self to have the same strength of mind and logic as she had at this moment and so she summoned a small fireball in one hand. She was about to drop it in the flame when a voice behind her stopped her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you Regina."

"You!" Regina growled.

"Yes, me! Not quite who you were expecting, hmm? I'll take that then if you don't have the guts to use it." The Black Fairy transported the magic bean from Regina's palm to her own and laughed wickedly.

"Give me that back before I destroy you!" Regina snarled.

"Now, now Regina. Is that any way to treat your patron fairy? I was only giving you what you wanted. What both you and I wanted. The easy option. And put that silly fireball away! We both know you aren't capeable of hurting me."

Regina glared at the Black Fairy with a mix of emotions. Curiosity, loathing and trepidation. "My family have no right to a patron fairy so cut the crap and tell me why you're really here."

"Oh phooey! You don't honestly believe any of the waffle that comes out of Blue's mouth, do you? The reason your family had no patron was due to my banishment. It suited Blue to not find a replacement for me because it served her own needs, as always. I have heard all your wishes Regina but I couldn't grant any of them due to my not being able to reach you. I gave you that bean but you obviously prefer suffering for some reason."

Regina thought about what the fairy had said but remained neutral. She had never liked nor trusted Blue and Black was trying to kill Emma. "As far as I care, all you fairies can go to hell!"

She threw a fire ball but the Black Fairy simply squashed it in thin air. "Regina, darling. We both want the same thing, don't you see? I want to destroy the Savior and you want to destroy your love for her. It would have been so easy for you to use that bean to take yourself off to a dream world but you are nothing if not strong willed. You remind me so much of your Mother. Oh well, I'll just have to carry on with my other plan. Sorry you wasted your only wish. Bye for now."

Regina stood frozen in place, not by magic but because she had absolutely no idea what to do next. She could run off and tell Snow, David and Emma what had happened, but then she'd have to explain the reason the Black Fairy had come to see her. She could talk to Gold, but again, it would be too awkward a conversation and she really didn't want to see him. What would a hero do? What would Emma do?

####

"Where is Emma? We said 2pm and it's 2:15! Ashley is gonna flip" Ruby was pacing outside Cinderella's Beauty Parlour in a panic. Tink and Regina were both watching the leggy brunette with amusement.

"Anyone would think it were her wedding!" Tink scoffed.

Regina smiled weakly. She always worried whenever Emma was late to something, especially since she hadn't spoken to her since the dress shopping trip. She had wanted to send her a message but didn't want to interrupt anything and knew that if something was really wrong, Snow would have said something on one of their increasingly frequent phone calls.

Just as Ruby was about to call David, Emma appeared around the corner with an ice-cream in hand. Ruby glared at her, arms crossed and tapping her foot impatiently. Regina and Tink were also staring at her wide eyed.

"hnff..What?" She asked the onlookers with a mouth ful of ice-cream.

"Are you fucking kidding me? You stopped for ice-cream!" Ruby fumed. Regina couldn't hide the chuckle that caught in her throat.

"What? I was hungry, damn it! What's the problem?" Emma asked in defence.

Ruby squared up to her friend. "The problem is, you are late and we are on a tight schedule and two..." She grabbed the ice-cream out of Emma's hand, "You didn't bring me one!"

"Ruby, give it back! Come on stop being a child!" Emma moaned chasing after her.

"Na, uh! After all the.." She was holding the ice-cream out of Emma's reach and shoving the blonde with her free hand, "..trouble we've gone through to..." She switched hands, "...plan your big day the least you can do is share! Regina! Take it! Take it!"

Regina rolled her eyes and took the ice-cream before it fell on the floor, or worse, before Ruby threw it at her.

Emma screeched, "Give it to me, Gina!" And she tried to dodge past Ruby but the leggy brunette caught her and held her back. The ice-cream was beginning to melt and drip down Regina's fingers.

"You hear that Regina? She wants you to give it to her! Do it!" Ruby wailed.

Emma saw the playful glint in Regina's eye and how she bit her bottom lip just before she was about to do something evil. "Oh no! You wouldn't!"

Regina smeared the ice-cream across Emma's lips and then squashed it into her cheek laughing like a villain. Ruby and Tink were giggling like school girls at the spectacle. Ruby hadn't been certain that Regina would do it. Emma licked her lips to recover the remnants of the dessert and peeled the cone off her cheek, shaking her head at Regina. "What a waste." She moaned to which Regina brought her own fingers up to her mouth and pointedly sucked them clean. She stared Emma down deliberately and said in her deepest voice.
"Mmmm, and so delicious too."