Her cheeks were burning in anger and embarrassment. She wanted to run to her bed, hide underneath the covers and stay there forever. She couldn't move. She couldn't move a muscle. She remained still looking at Henry looking back at her in shock.
Emma yelped in surprise and looked at Regina terrified and then back at Henry. She had no convincing explanation about this. Maybe it was about time she finally admitted the truth.
"Regina! Gosh... I didn't expect you to come back so early."
She managed to say through a fake smile on her face. Regina shook her head.
"Well I'm sorry I came back to my room. Won't happen again."
"For fuck's sake what's going on?!?!"
Henry screamed at the two women looking at each other shocked and slammed his hand on his desk.
Emma turned around now looking back at him and cleared her throat as she was desperately trying to come up with a good excuse..
There was no point. Regina took a few steps back avoiding any eye contact with him, trying to convince herself that she was asleep and that it was all a bad dream.
"Mum what's going on?"
"Look kid... ugh... there are a couple of things that I didn't get to talk to you about since I've been extremely busy here with the case. I forgot to mention a tiny detail."
"You think that not mentioning that you're working with Regina is a tiny detail? I'm not 5 years old anymore mum! I'm smarter than that!"
He crossed his hands under his chest and raised an eyebrow looking at Emma pissed. He had all the rights to be pissed at Emma to be honest!
She had lied at him. Or she hadn't lied... but she had hid the truth.
Listening at Henry's words made Regina's heart shrunk. Did he really call her Regina? What about mum? She was already a stranger for him... he was not her little boy anymore... he obviously wanted nothing to do with her.
"I'm so sorry kiddo! I was planning to tell you but I had no idea how to do that. I was afraid."
"AFRAID OF WHAT? What would I possibly do? Murder you? Yell at you? Curse you? NO!"
Henry screamed at the top of his lungs and huffed. He sighted and drunk a sip of his juice looking away.
"Henry... I know you're overreacting right now since I truly understand that there are so many things that you need to process, but I've been working with Regina for the past couple of weeks... and trust me honey but she's changed! She's a changed woman."
Emma said and her lips trembled in sadness. She knew Regina was still standing behind her. She couldn't dare turn her head around and look at Regina's face. She was 100% sure that she was devastated.
Henry cracked his knuckles uncomfortably and then played with his fingers.
"Do you have any idea how many times I heard people say that about her? Were they correct? No!"
He lowered his voice.
There goes the tears. Her vision turned blurry as soon as a wave of hot tears flooded her eyes and escaped them right away, flooding down her cheeks like small crystal clear rivers. She bit her lips in order to hold back her sobs and covered her face with her hands.
All these years she needed a reassurance that Henry still hated or loved her. Here is her sign... he just admitted it.
"I should better go."
The brunette managed to say through greeted teeth and exited the living room heading towards the bathroom. Emma held her forehead and looked back at the computer..
"That was harsh."
She spelled almost whispering.
"Truth can be really ugly and painful sometimes."
Henry replied with a cold and firm look on his face.
"Anyway... I think I should better go as well mum."
"Henry Wait—!"
She was about to say when Henry hang up the video call.
She shrugged her shoulders and closed her eyes. She was so tired of this... she was so tired of constant family problems and fights. Under different circumstances Regina would have never let Henry raise his voice at both his mums or use cursing words... of course in this specific situation she had no right to scold him considering what happened.
She rubbed her sweaty palms on her blue jeans and stood up. She had to fix this. The least she could do was to make Regina feel a little better. She knocked her hand on the bathroom door and spoke with her soothing voice that was filled up with regrets and guilts.
"Regina?"
"Go away."
Voice filled up with tears and sobs.
"Please open the door... we can talk about this."
"Get lost miss swan."
The brunette snapped.
Emma wouldn't stop though no matter Regina's pleads. The blonde woman sat down on the floor leaning her back on the wooden door of the bathroom. She hugged her knees and shoved her head in the middle of them mumbling...
"Look... I know you didn't see that coming... but I truly believe that he just needs time."
"You heard him Swan! He didn't even call me mum this time."
She sobbed and sniffed.
"He's hurt Regina. And he's too young to know how to deal with pain. I know exactly how you feel... open the door and we can talk about this."
Emma begged the brunette and knocked on the door again.
"No you have no idea actually."
"What do you mean?"
Emma raised an eyebrow and frowned. The very next second Regina unlocked the door and sat upright inside the bathtub. Emma walked inside the bathroom kinda victoriously since she never expected that regina would actually let her see her like that...
"What do you mean Regina?"
She asked again and sat down inside the bathtub across Regina. Her fingers slowly moved towards Regina's and held her hands tight.
"You have never been the bad guy. Even when you gave him up for adoption and technically abandoned him he still came all the way till Boston to find you and bring you back home. He hated me! I was the one that made him miserable... even though I thought that I was doing the right thing back then. Your relationship with him through the years improved in contrast to my relationship with Henry. He learned how to love you and at the same time he learned how to despise me."
As soon as she finished her phrase she hid her head between her palms and sobbed again in great pain. Emma was speechless. There was nothing she could tell Regina in order to make her feel better... she rubbed Regina's palm using her thumb and then moved her hands towards Regina's face. She raised her head high again staring at the blonde woman and smiled softly at Emma's soothing touch.
The former sheriff smiled back and leaned towards the brunette completely lost inside Regina's beautiful dark orbs and placed a soft peck on her lips. The kiss didn't last much... but it was enough to make the brunette shiver underneath Emma's touch.
She raised her eyes looking at emma mesmerized by the beauty of the blonde's face.
"Hush! In the end it always gets better."
Emma mumbled as she gave Regina no time today argue and pulled her closer for a hug. Regina placed her head on Emma's shoulder and closed her eyes.
Emma's fingers slipped on Regina's back slowly massaging the soft skin that smelled like coconut and vanilla.
"I'm gonna talk to him."
She said and placed a kiss on Regina's head. The brunette nodded her head and stayed there completely still. She didn't even dare to breathe any louder since she didn't want to ruin that peaceful moment.
Emma leaned her head on top of the brunette's and closed her eyes, slowly drifting away to sleep.
A couple of hours passed when Regina opened her eyes again and looked around her.
It must be night time... there was no light inside the room and no light entering the room at all from the windows. The sky was painted black and even the moon was hiding today.
She flickered her eyes open and realized she was laying on her bed. Emma had somehow carried her all the way here inside the bedroom. She turned around on the bed to find a suitable position for her sore body when she realized that she was laying there all alone.
She huffed staring at the ceiling in misery. What a shame she thought... your own family rejecting you... her fingers touched her cheeks palpating the sensitive skin. Her cheeks were still soaked because of the tears as so was her pillow.
Her head was heavy. She breathed in and then exhaled the air while she run her fingers through her hair. At that point the suite's door opened up and Emma Swan walked inside with her hands full.
She was holding a serving tray filled up with food and desserts. She noticed Regina's was awake and smiled at her charmingly.
"Thought you would be hungry."
She sat down on the bed and turned on the reading lamp. Holly shit... she looked prettier than ever. How the hell was that possible? And what the hell was wrong with her anyway? She was a married woman!
Regina's skin was radiating underneath the warm lighting while the look on her face looked finally human and vulnerable. There was no sign of the evil queen in Regina anymore. She was acting human.. she was showing she was in pain. She wouldn't even try to hide it to be exact.
"To be honest I'm ravenous."
Regina replied embarrassed and laughed.
"Alright madam mayor. I got a Caesar's salad for you and a burger for me. Excuse me Karen but I didn't wanna get in the middle of your strict diet."
She joked and handed Regina the bowl of salad.
"Taking care of my body doesn't mean I'm following a strict diet Miss swan."
She said firmly but by the look on her face was clearly happy.
"How can you even survive without burgers?"
She asked and took a humongous bite from the cheeseburger spreading ketchup and melted cheese all over her mouth.
"So lady like."
"Hey! Don't make fun of me! I'm the one who brought you dinner at bed. The least I deserve is some respect here."
She mimicked Snow's chirpy voice and laughed.
"Okay okay.. I'll pretend like I never saw that. It's all over your mouth though."
She pointed her finger towards emmas chin and then grabbed a napkin to clean it off.
"Thanks."
Emma smiled warmly and silence covered the room. They kept eating not taking their eyes off each other completely lost in their own thoughts and wild dreams.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm good."
She replied firmly slowly feeling uncomfortable.
"So... what are we doing here Regina?"
"Excuse me?"
"We kissed."
Emma reminded her and blushed.
"You kissed me."
"Oh come on! Don't play it hard to get. I'm serious."
Regina cleared her throat and placed the empty bowl aside on the top of the nightstand.
"I guess nothing. You're married Emma. And I'm... and my romantic life is quite messed up."
She bowed down her head.
"I thought you didn't have a romantic interest..."
"I don't! It's just robin is in jail and I'm still trying to get over a couple of things."
"I know... I'm sorry."
She rubbed Regina's shoulder and pressed her lips together.
"Why are you asking anyway? You got the perfect life miss swan! You got your husband, your son, your job... you're happy."
"It's hard to explain... but don't tell me you didn't feel what I felt that night Regina! Plus let me remind you all the times we look at each other for minutes straight and then just smile. Don't me there's nothing there."
"Woah woah! What are you doing?"
Regina snapped and raised her eyebrow.
"Just admit it already."
"Emma you're married! Stop trying so desperately to convince yourself that you're not happy and start appreciating for all the greats and goods you have in your life! I have no place in your life miss swan!"
