I don't own these characters; Disney/ABC does.
12: Develop Trust
Regina found her favorite thing in the morning being replaced. She used to very much enjoy making breakfast for Duckling and watching Duckling eat. Duckling always looked so happy just eating the meal. It did not so much make Regina feel like a great cook, but there was something to seeing Duckling take pleasure in a meal. This was still a favorite thing, but not the favorite thing.
Regina's new favorite thing was seeing Duckling work on her car. It was the sight that greeted her as she left for work. Duckling always ate breakfast and then rushed out to continue fixing her car. It was a bittersweet image, but one that Regina drank in every single morning and evening if she got in at a decent hour.
Gawking at Duckling was a shameful practice, but Regina could not help herself. Duckling was her pet, but she was also human. A well-build human, who always ended up in her tight, white tank-top when working on her car, and Regina was very bisexual, who tilted more to the female form than the male. So, she could not help herself.
The staring came at a price. Regina was all too aware that when Duckling fixed her horrible little car, she would more than likely leave. As much as she liked to pretend Duckling could not take care of herself, underneath it all, she knew that was very untrue. Duckling survived twenty-plus years without Regina. She would be fine on her own, even after being spoiled for a few months.
"Regina, you okay?" Duckling asked, snapping Regina out of her revelry.
Regina blinked. "Yes. Got lost in my thoughts for a moment." Her thoughts and the deep cut of Duckling's bicep.
Duckling's eyebrows curved up a little. "You okay? You looked a little sad."
"I'm always a little sad to go to work and leave you behind." Regina kissed the side of Duckling's head without a thought, remembering much too late that they were outside. It's fine. The hedges should hide us from anyone not looking directly up the driveway from the street. Beyond that, it was not like Robin talked to any of the neighbors to find out about something they might witness between Regina and her mystery guest.
Duckling preened. "I know the feeling. I hate watching you go. One day, we should spend the whole day together. We can just chill out and eat junk food."
Regina nodded. "I'd like that." They did not get to do that any day with the cafe needing so much attention. Would Duckling be around long enough for Regina to have the time? With the way she's working on her car, probably not. Duckling probably would not even be around to get that first apple turnover from the cafe like she was talking about. That thought went down like a stone in Regina's stomach.
Duckling smiled and Regina went about her day before she made more of a fool of herself. I have to face the fact that she's going to leave eventually. I'll be fine. I'll finally have my bakery. I'll finally be able to live my life. But, that was a lie. She had not lived life in a very long time and Duckling would take whatever healing she had done over the past couple months with her when she left. Regina would never be okay.
-8-8-8-8-
Emma watched Regina go, feeling a deep longing. Regina kissing her head in public seemed like such a huge thing, but it was still just affection for a pet. She wanted so much more. But, I don't have the right. I'm getting more than I deserve as it is. I need to be able to stand with Regina rather than have her take care of me. More than anything else, I just need to get my shit together.
With that in mind, Emma needed to talk to her friends. They were way more together than she was. They could help her figure things out.
So, once Emma was done with the car for the moment, she got dressed in proper clothes, ate her lunch, and took the long walk to Granny's diner to go bother Ruby with her latest thoughts. Ruby could talk and work since her grandmother owned the place. Short of banging someone on the counter during business hours, Ruby had awesome job security. Which was good, considering according to Ruby, she had banged several someones on the counter after business hours.
"Girl, you are sweating like crazy," Ruby said as Emma plopped down on a stool at the counter and leaned her elbows on it. Good thing, she had seen Ruby thoroughly clean the counter a bunch of times since she was fully aware of the action the damn thing saw. How does a countertop get more action than I do?
Emma scoffed. "You're exaggerating. I had to walk here." She wiped her brow. Okay, maybe Ruby was not totally exaggerating. I need to start carrying a damn towel with me.
"From your posh, Mist Haven neighborhood." Ruby winked.
Emma curled her lip. "Don't call it that." Of course, that was the official neighborhood name and it was pretty posh, but that name was so lame.
"Anyway. Car still broken?"
"Obviously, but that's not why I'm here." She mostly turned up when she had to go hunt for car parts, but she was really done with that.
Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Oh. What's up?"
"So…" Emma took a deep breath, unsure how to phrase this. How do you ask someone how to be an adult?
Ruby snickered. "Pet problems?"
Emma scrunched up her mouth. "Kinda."
Ruby nodded. "Well, I'm always interested in hearing about your kinks." She chuckled at her own joke. "Let me go take care of this table and you think about how to you want to put whatever you want to say."
Emma nodded and Ruby was gone. That was good. Emma needed a little time to sort through her thoughts. How do I phrase this? I want to figure out how to be worthy of Regina? No, it's more than that. I want to be more than a pet, but I also want her to see that I used her kindness properly. I want…
Ruby stepped back over. "So?"
"I want to be an adult. A proper adult," Emma said. She had never been a proper anything. Not a child, teenager, student, inmate. Nothing. And never had any desire to be, but now she wanted to be some kind of functional member of society.
Ruby frowned. "You sure? Because this sucks." She motioned around the diner with one finger. "Making your own appointments and paying bills are the worst."
Emma laughed. "I'm sure that's true, but you don't have bills. Granny pays for everything and she still makes appointments for you."
Ruby smiled. "So true. My grandmother is simply the best. But, okay, you want to enter adulthood, the worst hood. Why?"
Emma shrugged. "I finally have the time and opportunity to get my shit together. I don't want to blow it."
Ruby gave a deep nod. "You make an excellent point. So, what do you want to do?"
"I'm not sure. I don't know anything about being a real adult. That's why I came to see you. I thought you'd help get me on the right track. You're the least boring adult I know."
Ruby chuckled. "I'm barely an adult as we just covered. But, I would say, step one, high school diploma. You should do it."
Emma nodded. She had the chance to do it in prison, but was still too young and indignant to realize how much a high school diploma could help her in life. Even now, she was only vaguely aware of how much it might help her as she had looked up job openings and saw that things that required a high school diploma tended to pay more money. More money was always a good thing. So, getting a high school diploma was a good first step.
"How would I find out about getting that?" Emma asked.
Ruby tapped her chin. "The library usually has a ton of information about everything in town, so you can probably learn about this junk there. The librarian is nice. Cute, too."
Emma snickered. "Should you be checking out cute librarians?"
"As long as I don't touch, I'm fine. I'm cuffed, not dead."
Emma laughed. "I'll head on over then. Gotta get my act together."
"So, you can be the smartest pup in the dog park?" Ruby had the nerve to boop her nose.
Emma scoffed and waved Ruby's hand away. "I am a cat. A feral cat."
Ruby outright cackled. "Do you really believe that? You are such a puppy. Look at you right now, wanting to be better for attention."
"Shut up." Maybe she was a puppy for Regina. But, maybe Regina needed a puppy and maybe Emma needed to be a puppy. Not now. Focus on the real life thing, getting a GED. She could worry about pet problems when she got back home.
-8-8-8-8-
Regina tried to focus on the work in front of her, but it was hard. Two things took up her thoughts most of the time now, Duckling and the cafe. Meetings whizzed by her, which was good since most of the time she had to bite her tongue to keep from cursing out the idiots attending. Paperwork made little sense to her eyes, as it did not include ingredients or menus or pet care tips, so there was no point for her brain to comprehend it. She had only felt hope like this once and would never forget how it died in front of her. But, she had hope in her heart again and it did not diminish when Rumple burst into her office, without an appointment.
He slammed the door using his cane. The noise echoed through the office, but did not move her. His eyes were wild from across the way and he approached her with purpose.
"You know I have an assistant for a reason," Regina said with a glare. She closed the folders on her desk, even though she had no idea what they were about. It was just better safe than sorry with Rumple around.
Rumple sat himself down. "We have to talk."
"About?" She could not wait for a time when she never had to talk to him again.
"Your second term."
Regina waved that off. "Nominations aren't for a few weeks." Not to mention, she was not running. But, she would break that news to him the second the cafe was ready to open, which would probably be around the time he found out her name was not on the nominations ballot, anyway.
"Yes, which means you should have been working for the nomination weeks ago."
Regina frowned. "If you haven't noticed, I've been busy running the town." She motioned around her with one hand.
"You can walk and chew gum at the same time, child. You're not stupid, or so I assume."
Honestly, sometimes I wonder. "This job is not some stroll in the park." Which was part of the reason some other unfortunate soul could have it.
"Nor will it be a walk in the park should you lose it."
Life would be worse if she kept this job. She would always be under his control. That was no life. It was just as bad as being under Mother's control. She wanted so much more. Well, really, so much less than this. She just wanted a simple life.
"I have things to do. You can see yourself out." Regina pointed to the door.
He leaned forward on his cane. "Don't try to play with me, Regina."
"The only one playing games here is you."
Rumple scowled and stood. "Play with fire and you will get burned, dearie."
Regina smirked. "I was born from fire, dear. Try again."
A dark chuckle escaped Rumple and he left. Regina took a deep breath. She never imagined this would be easy, but she had to wonder what twisted scheme Rumple had in store for her. Not that it mattered. The cafe would be ready to open in a month or so. She was almost done, even though she had to finish her term out. Still, it could wait because it would be there. Her cafe would be there for her.
Regina did not dwell on it, as a text from Robin distracted her. Canceling our lunch plans. Work emergency. That was fine by her. She would not be the best company after this encounter with Rumple anyway.
Regina could get something from the diner up the street. Granny's was popular in town for a reason. All right. Are we still on for dinner? She had made the lunch date with him out of guilt. They had not spent much time together since she started this cafe venture with Maleficent.
Dinner should still be fine. I'll let you know.
That seemed noncommittal, but she did not mind. If he canceled, she would just spend the night cuddling Duckling, which she would prefer. Wait, what? You would prefer cuddling your pet than your lover? She was not sure what that meant.
No, I just like how calming it is to touch her, nothing more. Touching Duckling was supposed to be different from touching her lover. That was fine. Caressing Duckling was supposed to be like petting a puppy, cat, or even a bunny. It was just soothing.
"It's fine." She was not sure why she said it aloud, but that made it feel true. It was fine to prefer cuddling Duckling because it was a different sort of touch and sparked different feelings. That was fine. Do you really believe any of that? She opened the folders again and tried to fill her brain with these documents, so it would stop asking relevant questions.
-8-8-8-8-
Belle, the librarian, was surprisingly young, but also surprisingly awesome. Emma expected the stereotypical little old lady with glasses, but Belle had to be a little older than she was. Everybody my age has their shit together. And she was way too adorable because she just knew so much and was beyond eager to answer any and all questions Emma had.
"When you take over the world with your vast knowledge, remember I was in awe of you," Emma said to Belle as she leaned against the counter as Belle walked her through the process of getting a GED. She also hugged a stack of books close to her chest. Belle assured her those books would help her prepare for her GED.
Belle laughed as she turned her computer screen back to face her. "I don't have the time or desire to take over the world. But, I look forward to seeing you at the GED prep classes."
Emma grinned. "Thank you so much for telling me about those." She would need all the help she could get. She had not paid much attention in high school and failed a bunch of classes.
"No problem. I hope those books help as well."
"I'm sure they will." Emma hugged the books closer, as if wanting to absorb their knowledge through contact. "And sorry I didn't have a library card." Emma's face burned. It was so embarrassing that someone her age did not have a library card.
Belle smiled. "Don't worry about it. My favorite part of the job is issuing library cards. I love introducing everyone to the many wonders of the library."
Emma nodded. "I hope someday I find a job I like as much as you like yours."
"I'm sure you will."
If only I had that type of faith. Emma put her books in a tote bag Belle gave her and took her leave with her head held high. She could not help feeling accomplished. Today was a good day.
Emma made her way back home, cutting through the park. For once, she could appreciate the greenery around her. The sounds of kids playing and dogs barking was like a happy soundtrack. It was warm and it felt like an embrace rather than omen. And then, all or, that faded away and the day turned to ashes right before her.
Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Robin on one of the benches. But, why would he be in the park in the middle of the afternoon? He had work. But, as she turned to get a real look, she saw it was Robin.
Robin sat very close to some woman who was not Regina. Okay, not a crime. Robin had a kid, who had to have a mother, so maybe that was her and they were there with Roland. Taking a quick look around, Emma did not see Roland, though, not even in the playground area. As she looked back at Robin, he held the woman's hand, smiling at her. He reached out and stroked her hair. Was this idiot really cheating on Regina? Had he not seen Regina? Not that this woman was hard on the eyes, but Regina was Regina!
Emma rushed away before she was spotted. What the hell was she supposed to do with this information? Damn it! Her heart hammered in her ears and her chest was tight, like barbed wire wrapped around her ribs.
Okay, calm down. Maybe Robin was not cheating. Sure, he looked cozy with not-Regina, but that could mean a thousand things. Maybe they were old friends or new friends. Maybe they ran into each other after years apart. That would explain the affection in his eyes and softness in his face. It did not have to mean cheating, even though he never looked at Regina that way.
Emma was not even sure how she got home. Maybe she ran. Maybe she teleported. Whatever the case, she made it home safe and sound with a lot on her mind. She wanted to read her GED books, but could not be bothered to flip them open. She put them on the coffee table and stared at the bag, but did not see it. No, her mind was stuck on Robin.
How could he cheat on Regina? Regina was the nicest person she had ever met. Regina took care of her, loved her… whoa! What makes you think Regina loves you? If she does, it's the same type of love a person would have for a hamster. Her heart sank into an abyss at the thought.
Why did it matter? It was not like she loved Regina. No, but you like her a lot. She admired Regina. Regina inspired her, and, yes if she was at a different point in her life, she would have definitely asked Regina out. Damn it. That made this even worse. If she told Regina about Robin, was it to protect Regina or get Robin out of the way? In her heart, she might never know and it would bother her. What type of person was she? And then, there was the option to not say anything, which just seemed just as horrible. How could she not say anything to this person who had taken care of her for months?
"Hey, Duckling," Regina said with a smile. She leaned down and gave Emma the customary kiss on the top of her head.
Emma blinked. "Hey, when did you get in?" She glanced around. What time was it? How long had she sat there staring into space?
"Just now. I came by earlier for lunch, but you weren't here."
Emma shook her head and her stomach churned, bubbling up acid into her throat. "I walked to the library." She took a breath, hoping it would keep her from vomiting.
"That's quite a trip."
"Yeah, I got some books on preparing for the GED and signed up for some prep classes." Emma nodded toward her GED books.
"Oh, you're going to get your GED? That's great." Regina beamed at her.
"Yeah. This is the most stable I've ever been in my life, so I should take advantage of it." Emma smiled back and leaned against the couch back.
"Good plan."
Emma hoped it was. "What were you doing back here for lunch, though? You don't usually do that." Did it have something to do with seeing Robin in the park?
"Yes, well, Robin canceled our lunch date, which is fine. He had a work thing or something." Regina shrugged, as if it did not matter, but she glanced away, like she could not meet Emma's eyes.
Emma groaned and there went her stomach again. She could hear it gurgling. "You have a dinner date too, right?" Maybe Robin lied to Regina to set up a surprise.
"As far as I know. So, I'll make dinner and then go get ready."
Emma nodded. "Sounds good." Although, she was surprised she heard any of it over the sound of her heart pounding in her ears and her stomach twisting about.
"You want anything special?"
"Nope. I love everything you make and everything Maleficent makes. I'm going to die eating in your cafe and I will die very happy."
Regina smirked. "Sorry, no pets allowed."
Emma laughed. "We both know that's a lie. Pets eat free, too."
"And we both know that's a lie."
Emma chuckled again and Regina was gone. Her stomach and heart continued to act up. Emma gnawed on her lip and then opened one of her GED books, hoping she could focus this time around. She looked at the words and saw nonsense lines. Okay, guess she would not be distracted by reading just yet. She rubbed the bridge off her nose. Come on, it could be so many things. Doesn't have to be cheating, even if she didn't know he was in the park. Just calm down.
-8-8-8-8-
Dinner was done and then Regina went to get ready for her dinner date. It had been a while since she dressed up for Robin, so she put on one of her favorite blue dresses. Her makeup was perfect. Just the right touch of perfume. She made a conscious effort for Robin since things had been rocky lately. She wanted things to work. This can work. She took a deep breath as she looked at herself in her full length mirror. Yes, this can work. No matter how many times she said it, though, there was always a part of her that did not believe it.
She glanced at her phone to see the time. Robin would be there any minute, so she grabbed a purse and trotted downstairs to greet him.
"Oh, wow," Duckling said from her spot on the sofa. Her fork hung from her lips while she held her dinner plate in one hand.
Regina frowned. "I'll thank you to keep your comments to yourself." Still, it felt nice to be complimented.
"Then, you have to keep your hotness to yourself."
Regina chuckled, shaking her head. "How are you single?"
"I spend my time being a pet." Duckling smirked.
"And you're a very good girl." Regina kissed the side of her head, careful of her lipstick.
Duckling preened, as she tended to do whenever Regina told her she was a good girl. Duckling probably did not get much praise in her life. This worked out well for her, then, as she ate it up.
"Do you know where you're doing?" Duckling asked.
"He made reservations at my favorite restaurant."
Duckling took the fork out of her mouth to whistle. "Oh, nice. So, he planned this date?"
"Yes. He claimed he wanted to show some initiative beyond coming over to my house." His wanting to try made her want to try.
Duckling glanced down, nodding. It looked like something was on her mind. Regina was not sure what it could be, but she did not have the time to contemplate it. Robin was rarely late.
"You should pre-game. You make some good food." Duckling waved her now empty plate at Regina.
"I'm not going to fill up on my own cooking. I deserve a nice night out," Regina replied.
Duckling nodded and smiled. "You got me there." She put her plate down. "When's he supposed to come get you?"
Regina glanced at a clock on the wall. "Ten minutes ago." She had to fight down a frown as her nerves burned a little. She checked her phone to see if she missed any texts or calls. Nothing.
Duckling winced. "That's not bad. He might be having trouble with the kid. The kid loves you, so maybe he's trying to come."
Regina took a deep breath and calmly exhaled. "He doesn't have Roland today."
Duckling scowled, eyes focused on the floor. "Okay. It's just ten minutes, though. Maybe he stopped to get flowers or something. Or some other cool romantic gesture. He wants to go out with you."
Regina arched an eyebrow to those words. "You seem very pro-Robin suddenly." No one in her life was pro-Robin. Hell, there were many times she was not even pro-Robin.
Duckling let out a hysterical laugh. "No, I just want you to be happy and I know you were looking forward to this."
Those were not lies… at least Regina did not think they were. She shook that away and watched the clock. Ten minutes became fifteen, which became thirty. No calls or texts. No explanations. Duckling went and got seconds on dinner, probably to keep from saying anything else. Then, her phone buzzed. A text message. I'm sorry. I've gotten held up. I won't be able to make it. Regina scowled as her stomach balled up into a knot and her nerves burned more.
"What happened?" Duckling asked, looking up from her plate, a red pepper stuck to her lip.
Regina breathed through her nose. "He's not coming."
"I'm sorry."
"I have to…" Regina waved her cellphone and then rushed upstairs, not wanting to explode in front of Duckling. She needed to talk to Robin. What the hell? This was his idea! She was barely on the second floor when she called him.
"Regina, I'm sorry. Did you get my text?"
"Yes, I got your text. I'm not even worth a phone call?" Only when he was trying to figure out where she was did that warrant a phone call apparently.
He grunted. "How often do you call me to tell me when you need to cancel?"
"I tend to tell you beforehand." She paced the hallway. "I don't let you get ready, wait for our agreed upon time to come and go, and then text you a half-hour late that I won't be there without explanation." She did not have a lot of time for Robin, but she tried not to waste his time when she made dates with him.
"I just can't make it."
"Why?"
He sputtered. "This project at work. People screwed it up and now I have to fix it."
She ground her teeth. "Nonsense," she hissed before she could help herself.
"Excuse me?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, was that not clear? Let me try again, bullshit."
He had the nerve to gasp. "Oh, so it's fine for your work to come before me, but now when I have to put mine first it's a problem?"
"It wouldn't be if I actually believed that's what this is about."
"Then what is this about, Regina?" he challenged her.
She had a few ideas, but no proof just yet. There was really only one reason for him to treat her like this. "Nothing. I'll talk to you later." She hung up before she really told him what was on her mind. She resisted the urge to tear out of her clothing as she marched into her bedroom. At least she could enjoy a movie with Duckling.
She washed her makeup off and put on a blue camisole and black yoga pants. She descended the stairs and was surprised to find the sofa empty. Her heart sank. Where was Duckling now? She turned and was surprised to see Duckling in the dining room, putting down two plates. Duckling smiled at her.
"You're eating more?" Regina asked.
"Well, yeah. Actually, it's still my same plate from when you went upstairs. I figured we could have dinner at my favorite restaurant." Duckling's smile became a grin.
Something melted inside Regina. "Idiot."
Duckling only laughed and motioned for Regina to sit down. Regina did so and Duckling rushed back into the kitchen, grabbing two glasses of wine. She put those down and then sat across from Regina. This is so sweet! It had been a while since she experienced something she would consider cute.
"You want to watch Desperado after this?" Duckling asked.
Regina laughed. "I should feel bad that you know that's one of my favorite movies." Not many people knew her favorite anything.
"It's a cool movie. Gotta love Selma Hayek and Antonio Banderas."
Regina raised a glass to that. "Yes, you do."
"I like that you like it, too. I used to think you'd be into old black and white movies. Then, I find out, nope, westerns. I like that about you."
Regina smiled. "I indulge a lot more with you around." She watched a lot more movies with Duckling around. It was time she used to spend reading and listening to music or trying new recipes. She could still try new recipes, as Duckling was willing to taste-test anything, and she would not consider the movies time wasted. She had never relaxed the way she did with Duckling and movies.
Duckling's brow furrowed. "You didn't watch westerns with Robin?"
"I do, but not often. Watching movies with him is a different experience than watching with you." Robin asked a lot of questions during movies or commented on things Regina did not care about. It was not an awful experience, just different.
Duckling nodded and then focused on her food for a moment. "I get what you mean." She did not offer anything else, but she looked sorrowful.
Regina studied Duckling for a long moment, watching her move food around her plate, but not eating it. Duckling was not one to play around with food, especially pepper steak. "What happened to you today, dear?"
"Hmm?" Duckling's eyes drifted up for a moment.
"You're acting strange and you're talking about Robin way more than usual. What happened today?" Regina asked.
Duckling sighed so hard Regina could see her shoulders move. Something was weighing on Duckling so heavily. Regina disliked that. Duckling should not have any burdens around her. Duckling was a pet, so Duckling should be able to be carefree.
Duckling looked away for a long moment and then looked back at Regina. "I saw him today."
Regina blinked, not expecting that. "Saw Robin?" No, Duckling did not like interacting with him, but he never made her this upset. "He came to the house?" Why?
"No, I saw him in the park. I cut through there to walk back home from the library and he was in the park."
Regina ground her teeth and could practically feel her blood pressure go up. "What time was this?" Did he actually set a lunch date only to stand me up for someone in the park?
Emma shrugged. "Like one or two? I can't be sure. But…" She blew out a deep breath and her eyes went down again, but only for a moment. "He wasn't alone."
He canceled lunch to go sit in the park with a woman. That made sense. "His wife, probably." Her heart sank. He would never be over his wife. But, why was she with him? She has Mulan. Unless, of course, Marian did not have Mulan anymore. Moving in was a big step and she knew from living with Maleficent, sometimes it proved to be a fatal one for relationships.
"I thought so. I thought they might be there with Roland, but I didn't see the kid and Robin… well, he was touching her hair."
Regina nodded, even as her insides turned to tiny cinders, ready to blow away in a small breeze. "Wha-what did she look like?" Did it really matter? Even if it was not his wife, he was still sporting around a park with some woman who was not her. Some woman who caused him to cancel their lunch date, and probably was the reason he canceled dinner.
"Um… long dark hair. Oval kinda face. Slightly long face…"
"Marian." Regina took a deep breath and nodded, even as her throat burned. "Maleficent predicted this."
"Maybe it was nothing."
"It was something if he was touching her hair. The few times I've seen them interact, she didn't want him near her and would never let him touch her like that." What changed?
Duckling opened her mouth for a moment and then closed it, but finally spoke. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be." It was not Duckling's fault she was unloveable.
"Do you need anything?"
"Just this and that screening of Desperado." There was nothing else to be done.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be and don't say it again." That was an order.
Duckling gave a quick nod. They had a quiet dinner with her asking about Duckling's GED books. Duckling had not gotten very far with them, but she had a lot of good things to say about the librarian who helped her find them. The dinner was better than any meal she had ever had with Robin, but it did not matter. Duckling would eventually leave as well. Regina was destined to be alone.
-8-8-8-8-
Next time: Regina confronts Robin while Emma has to deal with Hook yet again.