20/09/17

It was a tediously dreary event and it happened every year without fail. Even one year after Regina's father had passed just days before the party had been planned to be hosted, her mother pushed through as if nothing had happened and expected Regina should act the same. Because keeping up appearances was of the up-most importance to Cora Mills.

She'd been busy in simple conversation, sipping on the glass of wine that had been so generously provided by the obnoxiously sociable host.

Luckily Regina had managed to avoid her mother for majority of the night, collectively having only spent fifteen minutes of her time with the tiresome woman.

But each slow sip she took had only worsened her need to gulp the whole glass and move onto pounding hard into the bottle – these events had never been about anything more than finding Regina a suitable husband, and it actually wasn't the most medieval thing her mother had ever done, but it was the exact reason she knew she couldn't stay sober.

She was trying hard to stay focused on a conversation with one of the guests, but his dull explanations of the psychology of the mind that had somehow swiftly moved onto how Regina should be handling Henry's apparently obvious social awkwardness, an idea she assumed had been spread by her overly nosy mother, was far from something she had wanted to engage herself in.

So, she spoke kindly through false smiles and fake laughs and tried hard just to make it through this damn evening without the inevitable husband hunting her mother had always managed to take her through.

"Thank you, Dr. Hopper," Cora swooned into the conversation, acting as if it was by complete coincidence that she had caught them perfectly at the end of their conversation, just after Regina had been lectured on the five ways she could help Henry mature out of his awkward tendencies.

The brunette knew full well her mother had been keeping an ear on the conversation – checking all the information she had fed the doctor was being plastered onto Regina in the exact way she'd described.

It was lucky that her mother had interrupted though, as Regina had suddenly felt an aggressive impulse to knock that knowing smile right through the therapist's teeth.

The man nodded before taking his leave, receiving a wink from Cora that all but said 'well done' to which he had smiled quickly back to Regina.

The two women were left in an almost silence, with only the buzz of the crowds to keep them company.

"Henry is perfectly fine," Regina finally sang through a strained smile, taking another much larger sip of her wine.

"I'm sure he is," Cora replied just as sweetly, acting as though she had no idea what the hell Regina had been referring to. And that forced a weak laugh to swim through the wine that was brushing the slowly darkening red on Regina's lips. "But we have other matters to discuss," she continued, waving her hand in the air as if she were swatting the thought away, before gesturing for Regina to join her in pushing through the mob of people.

Her mother turned around to start on their course. And before giving in, Regina felt a heavy eye roll fall into existence.

"Now I know you said I needn't worry, but of course that was never going to happen," Cora laughed, briefly turning to see that Regina had been compliant in listening to her silent orders, dragging her heels to follow the woman like an obedient child. She smirked at the thought before continuing. "And I just knew you would never have agreed to meet him in your own time," she rattled on, Regina was growing all the more suspicious the longer she felt herself trailing behind her mother.

"So, I pulled a few strings, and well. Regina, this is Robin," she beamed a smug smile towards the man she had just introduced, pulling a wide-eyed expression towards her daughter who had frozen in the space meters away from where the two now stood side by side.

She felt her teeth clench hard in her mouth, the top denting the bottom row. She had no words, and apparently, she had no capabilities of speaking so now the three stood in an awkward triangle of uncomfortable silence.

"It's a pleasure," Robin hummed, his accent a triggering shade of British – she smiled glumly and reluctantly shook the hand he offered so robotically.

"It's all mine," Regina replied, attacking the red liquid in her glass with her tongue as the drink spilled impatiently down her throat. She wished she could somehow sneak upstairs and snuggle up close to Henry who had long been gone, but unfortunately that option hadn't been given.

"Well I'll leave you too it," Cora spoke to them, but her gaze had been captured by another corner of the room as she slowly released a wave from her clenched hand – but Regina had caught the direction she had been looking in and noticed no one was waving back. Which meant that, that had obviously been part of her elaborate scheme to leave the two of them alone. The brunette sighed, wanting nothing more than for this night to be over.

"We'll catch up later Regina," Cora winked before going to catch the non-existent person she had pretended to wave at.

Both Robin and Regina were left unsure on what to say next, as the whole situation had become rather uncomfortable as soon as Cora had pulled the man from another conversation so to be met with Regina, only to abruptly leave them seconds later.

"I've been catching up on your show recently, you're really very good," he offered, sliding a little towards Regina so that he wasn't forced to shout the conversation. She hadn't seemed phased by his inching closer.

"Oh, yes that. Thank you." She started, her lips curling into a small smile before her teeth had automatically sucked them in to play at awkwardly. "And what is it you do?" she asked, thinking it only polite to return the favour of engaging in some sort of conversation – although she hadn't really been interested at all.

"I work in law, corporate counsel."

There was a moments silence as Regina wasn't entirely sure what it was she was supposed to reply to that, and she really had no energy to think of something more to ask.

"I know, it's really not as interesting as being the lead on one the most popular television series of the year," he laughed a little, slipping a hand into his pocket and becoming a little more relaxed when Regina joined in his laughter.

"I'm sure it's positively riveting," Regina joked alongside him. "How did you meet my mother?" she asked once the joke had passed, taking another sip at her drink and eyeing him patiently as he thought about his answer.

"Well initially through mutual business friends, but she's actually just offered me a job!" he seemed chuffed with the invitation, a wide smile separating his lips and a gleam of something that seemed like pride in his eyes – but unfortunately, Regina couldn't share the same joy as the man in front, as a wash of sympathy was skimming her mind. He really had no idea who he was getting into bed with.

"Where you jobless before?" she asked flippantly, and he was quick to argue her question – choking a little on the drink he was sipping as a consequence of furiously shaking his head no.

"No, no of course not – she made a deal more attractive than what I had been working with before. It was a no brainer really."

Regina nodded, typical of her mother to act as much a snake with people other than her.

"Well I hope everything goes well." Regina offered, Robin nodded. "But if you'll excuse me," she started trying to turn and leave the conversation as this was growing a little tiring for her and she felt that she knew exactly where this was going to lead if she were to stay two seconds longer. But she was stopped when the man had taken a gentle step forwards to call out a small wait.

"We should meet for lunch sometime," he was trying to seem confident but there was a hidden question written in his words that made him sound almost childlike.

"I'm really sorry, you seem," she started, looking him up and down and smiling before going back to meet his expecting eyes. "You seem lovely, and I'm not sure what it is my mother has told you, but I'm really not interested," she waved a hand out to him, pity taking hold of her words.

He had sad puppy eyes and a tremble was waving on his lips, but he acted as though he hadn't minded her simple rejection – taking a step back and slipping his hand back into his pocket so to seem as casual as possible.

"Yeah, no that's okay, maybe we'll see each other some other time."

Regina felt a little guilty, but then she remembered she had nothing to feel guilty for. It hadn't been her fault she wasn't interested and if anything, it was her mothers' fault for misinforming the man and getting his hopes up – she had a tendency to do that, and Regina really wasn't sure how much more she could take of it.

What made it worse was that majority of the time she had to reject guys that were genuinely sweet and clearly very interested, much like Robin had been. And so she was the monster and the bitch as some had refrained to calling her after she politely declined their relationship requests. Whilst her mother strolled freely around town collecting up more men than Regina could count on her two hands.

"You didn't even give him a chance Regina," Cora warned, her voice low, disappointment was leaking dangerously through her words. Regina jumped when the woman joined her side, she had very clearly been eyeing the whole conversation form afar.

"I already told you, I'm not interested," Regina whispered back, trying not to keep eye contact with the woman who was burning holes into her side. But her plans of not meeting the woman's eyes had been pushed aside when Cora had grabbed violently at her sleeveless arm, dragging her into a separate and empty room.

"And when will you be interested Regina?" she was hysterical, pacing furiously up and down the room. Regina watched her steps, sighing before realising she should probably reply.

"How many times must we re-visit this mother?" she whined, taking the last of what was left in her glass, only for a second prying her eyes from her storming mother, who in that moment had stopped dead in her tracks to stare right at her stubborn daughter.

"As many times as it takes for you to see how hard I am working for you to be happy," Regina hated that, she hated how often her mother had claimed to only be thinking of Regina's happiness when in reality Cora had such a fearful ignorance of the situation and refused to believe whatever Regina would tell her. "You're hurting Henry you know."

That was forcing a sharp anger to run in Regina's blood, and soon she was gripping on the glass hard enough she thought it might shatter right there in her hand.

"Don't you dare."

"He's not normal Regina, he needs a father," Regina slammed the glass onto the side, sitting up from where she had been leaning against the edge of a desk. Taking angry steps towards her unmoving mother so that she was close enough to feel their breathing crashing violently against one another other.

"You have no idea what Henry needs," she breathed through a heated kind of passionate hatred, hands fisted into clumps and pulsing with an anger so thick she was scared she would start physically engaging in this conversation.

"Your ways, what you claim to be isn't healthy for him to see Regina." But her mother's sentence hadn't even been spoken into existence for longer than a second before a hand had been striking her pale cheek so furiously that the sound of skin on skin had echoed as a painful reminder of what Regina had just done.

Cora hunched round, caressing the reddening skin as Regina scampered away. Her hand being held by the other as if she were scared it wouldn't hesitate to be used as a weapon once again. The two were stood in a painful silence before Regina had finally been given the ability to speak again.

"Mother, I'm-"

"Get out."

Regina hesitated for a moment, unable to move as the anger was quickly replaced with a fear so sickly, she thought she would actually throw up. So, when her body had become cold and limp, she took her leave, racing from the room and running to wake Henry from where he had been tucked into bed upstairs.

"Henry wake up, we need to go," Regina had tears stinging in the corners of her eyes. But she hadn't been sure what it was that caused them to spring so suddenly. She thought maybe it was shock, she had never been so violent with her mother – she had never dared. But there was an unforgiving swell of sickness and upset that was taking her mind and stomach captive, and it had been slowly bubbling from the start of their conversation.

Her mother had never, not for one second accepted the fact that Regina hadn't felt any interest in men and refused to believe that the possibility of Regina finding love with another woman would create a sustainable family for Henry to grow up around.

Regina sighed away the tears, gathering her sleepy son up in her arms before rushing to run down the stairs.

The pair hurried home and not for a single moment had Regina tried to slow in pace.

She had never, never in her life been so aggressive with her mother. There had always been that kind of unspoken threat following Cora wherever she would find herself – and that was enough to scare Regina into a childlike and pathetic sort of submission.

But god knows what would happen now, no one could ever predict what unspeakable punishment Cora had brewing for Regina to wake up to, and that thought alone meant she would find herself having another sleepless night.

Henry didn't need to be asked twice to get back into bed, falling into a sleep that for a moment looked completely undisturbed. And how Regina had envied the small boy, for his biggest worry before going to sleep had been what he was going to have for breakfast tomorrow.

The brunette checked her phone almost automatically, nothing had come through from her mother. The waiting was worse than whatever it was she was supposed to be preparing for.

She danced back down the staircase, her hand skimming the railing. And then she felt lost for what to do, there was no point in trying to nestle into bed – she would only be lying awake for hours on end. So, she made her way to her bar, deciding on pouring another glass of red wine. Perhaps her wishes had been granted and now she would finally be allowed to fill her body with a whole bottle.

The liquid felt rough on her throat, that usual silk like feeling had long been forgotten and Regina could only pin the misplacement down to the fact she had been so impatiently waiting for something to happen.

The house was quiet, it felt quieter than usual and it was weird because even her mind had been forced into a silence. Maybe she was going numb, maybe she had been subconsciously preparing herself for the inevitable and her body had gone into defence mode.

It was then that her phone had pinged, when her mind had been floating around other things. Her eyes were the first to move to the lightened screen, catching a glimpse of her mother's name but not the actual message itself.

Her fingers were stiff and reluctant to pick up the phone, but eventually she gave in. A weird concoction of dread mixed with thankfulness was stroking at her mind the further her eyes dared to read.

You'll meet Robin for dinner at the Chateau. A car's being sent for you at 8 next Wednesday.

There had been nothing more, that was all. A sigh was tickling in her throat, but it hadn't been sure on whether it was given passage to escape, as there was a tinge of relief sweeping over her limbs and Regina could only be confused on what it was she felt about everything. It was a clever kind of punishment, Cora knew full well Regina would do nothing more to harm her, she would rather devour her own soul before disobeying those strict orders that had been sent with such detest over text.

This hadn't been as bad as she had been expecting, but it did beg the question – what the hell was Robin now expecting to come of this dinner.

It didn't matter now; the smaller details could be dealt with closer to the time.

But again, her phone had pinged right in her hand, and a rush of blood was pulsing quickly to her temples as fear was starting to elope her mind.

The second notification had only been a reminder of the premier party tomorrow night. She hadn't really got the energy for appearances and photos and people in general, but it was certainly what was expected of her. And to be honest she had missed Zelena, she was more or less the only person, bar Henry, who Regina could hold a genuine conversation with for longer than ten minutes.

But all of a sudden Regina felt a rage force an eye roll when the thought of having to spend an extra amount of time with Killian crossed her mind, but then the rage was cooling and softening into something she couldn't quite pinpoint – but it was definitely a lighter feeling than that of the hatred.

She wondered for a small moment if Emma would be accompanying her fiancé. The two had left things on rather awkward terms last time they spoke. She was still angry, she hadn't the patience for Emma's childish games, but she couldn't help the worry that was subconsciously gnawing at her mind.

There was a small voice in the back of her mind that kept crying out to be heard, asking all the impossible questions about the blonde that Regina had wanted nothing more to do with. Questions like, what the hell was happening with Emma at the minute, the continuation of con cancellations had never been more apparent, and the blonde's public appearances were becoming rarer by the second. It was so unlike her.

Not that Regina had much to compare it with, she didn't know Emma. but in the years she had been fighting and taunting the blonde she could sense a clear difference in her that was sending an uneasiness to swell in her stomach.

Regina sighed out the rest of her unwanted thoughts, replacing the air with the rest of her wine before finally feeling a little tired – forcing herself up from her chair and into bed.

21/09/17

There were a thousand flashing lights that were somehow illuminating the crowds and blinding them in the same minute. But still the brunette remained unphased, a smile teasing her red lips and a hand creasing into her hip as she twirled and turned and strutted down the red carpet.

It was the season three premier party and there was a special kind of excitement brewing in her mind, especially as her son had been so keen to join her tonight – and the thought of him waiting patiently in the venue only meters from where she stood was what was forcing the smile to shine so brightly for the cameras.

She was being escorted gently to move further up the runaway when she saw her.

Emma clinging like a desperately lost puppy to her fiancé. A smile so wide and fake taking control of her lips. The brunette couldn't tear her glare from the two of them, Emma had seemed happy enough – definitely a lot more smiley than she had been for the past few months.

Regina hadn't seen Emma since there last conversation three months ago, so perhaps things had changed since then, maybe she was falling back into her old self – and that thought made an even wider smile weave into Regina's lips. But then she looked over again and saw something painful glistening in Emma's eyes in the flashes of the camera. And suddenly the blonde looked lost again, pale and sickly and weak. But that was all she had managed to notice for she was being led directly into the building. Secretly cursing the venue for not having a lengthier red carpet.

Henry was sat at the table with Zelana. Smiling and laughing in the way that made Regina's heart just melt right into her soul.

"Hi," She breathed softly, tapping gently in her heels to join the two of them and running a hand through Henry's hair, but only a little so not to disrupt the perfectly placed strands.

The three were lost in some absent-minded conversation before Regina had been pulled rather aggressively out of focus, catching a glimpse of the blonde once more as the couple had walked one after the other into the hall.

Her eyes had lost all interest in playing around her son and friend, and instead found themselves interlacing into the plastic smile Emma had been wearing so forcefully. Even from a distance Regina could see the blonde wincing when her fiancé had started pawing at her body to lead them to different parts of the room.

"Everything okay?" Zelena asked thoughtfully, an eyebrow cocking when Regina hadn't replied or even noticed her existence.

"Henry why don't you go take a look at that cake, see if you can sneak us some," she suggested playfully, holding him close to her as she pointed out the desert she'd offered. Waiting and watching him scamper off to be met with someone else from the cast before continuing on her questioning. "Regina."

The brunette hummed an hmm without turning to face her interrogator, not having the will to stop herself from investigating every inch of the blonde she had hated for so long.

"She looks positively miserable next to him, god knows she could do so much better," Zelana offered through a bitter tone, hinting a little at Regina who hadn't quite taken the bait. "Why don't you just go talk to her?" Zelena wasn't mocking now as she usually did, and that willed Regina to face her – confusion painting her expression.

"Why would I do that?" she hadn't sounded as offended as she had wanted to, so now all she sounded was pathetic and whiney and she scolded herself mentally for that.

Zelena hadn't replied, only coking her head to the side as if Regina was supposed to guess exactly what she had been thinking. And because the brunette had no other worldly powers of mind reading, she had to rely on suspicion – and her suspicions only made her all the more nervous.

"I have no desire to talk with her," Regina scoffed, trying to play it cold although her eyes had remained loyal to Emma the entire time she had spoken. She'd even shocked herself at how calm she had been upon seeing the blonde again, and how everything she had prepared herself to feel and all the insults she had listed in her mind were slowly dispersing into nothing.

"Yeah, you look like it," Zelana laughed out. And Regina shot a look that was so fake in its vicious nature that it only made Zelena laugh all the more.

Instead of replying the brunette dared to stand and take steps towards the blonde. Taking small breaths in with each step, and never for one moment daring to look up and make eye contact, because that would only give Emma a heads up to quickly dart out of the way.

"Regina you look gorgeous!" someone from beside the moving brunette had called out, taking a hand to press at her arm and pull her into a quick hug.

"Thank you, Katherine, as do you," she replied, her voice small as her mind was focused solely on something else.

"Are you okay?" Katherine asked, her hand dripping down to take Regina's own tanned ones.

Regina was trying hard not to get annoyed at the sudden disturbance, nodding and smiling whilst side eyeing the blonde to make sure she hadn't disappeared off to hide somewhere, as she was coming used to doing.

"Yes of course. I just really quickly need to do something, I'll be right back," Regina motioned, smiling before taking her hand as her own once more and making an exit to go talk to Emma.

A deepening sickness was threatening to spill over as she got closer to the blonde who, for some reason, still hadn't noticed the brunette approaching slowly.

Regina was only centimetres away, but Emma had turned her back to where the brunette had made her entrance. So now Regina stood awkwardly, unsure on what she had wanted to do or say, or what it was that possessed her to walk over in the first place. So, for what felt like hours the brunette was stood hovering like a stalker behind the blonde and her fiancé who was cracking jokes that weren't even marginally funny.

Regina only did what she thought felt natural. She walked away. Swiftly pivoting on her toes and marching straight back to the table she had come from, only to be met with an eye rolling Zelena.

"What in the bloody hell was that?" she asked, genuinely annoyed at Regina's embarrassingly loud idiocy. The brunette shook her head and held out her hand as an indication for the ginger to stop with her judging.

"Where's Henry, we need to be seated soon."

The three of them settled comfortably at the rounded table, and for a single second Regina had felt a little more at ease with the night. Until a certain blonde had come and placed herself in the seat directly next to Regina, close enough that their arms had been squished to the point that she thought they might very well morph into one being.

Regina felt a spark of something she didn't understand fizzing in her limbs shooting out like fireworks from the contact of Emma's pale skin on her own, and for a moment she felt herself get lost in the feeling – enjoying the sensation of the gentle pulsing of blood rushing through her body. But then she came to her senses, shifting away from the blonde and instantly feeling that electricity fizzle out into nothing.

Emma cleared her throat beside her but hadn't said a word until the show's creators had made their way onto the stage, a silence blanketing across the crowds.

"Did you chicken out of saying hi or something?" Emma edged closer to Regina, still not facing her but getting close enough that the whisper was hushing directly into Regina's ear.

"What are you talking about?" Regina licked at her lips, subtly trying to move a little further away - but Emma had been persistent in inching closer.

"Earlier? Or did you just move closer to get a better view at how good I look tonight?" Emma spoke through a quiet purr, teasing at the words. Regina went cold, her body freezing through and without looking she knew Emma had that same sarcastic smirk plastering her face that she always seemed to do when she was playing.

"I was looking for someone," Regina offered as a pathetic reply and Emma hummed a soft laugh.

"You don't have to be scared of me now, just because I cried a little bit in the bathroom."

Regina turned instantly, almost a little too quickly as she soon enough felt a little dizzy. But she hadn't cared because what Emma had said was completely false and she could not wait to put that rumour to rest.

"I am not scared of you Miss Swan," she scoffed, feeling that memorable flood of hatred swirl into her words. When Regina payed closer attention, she finally saw that smug smile possessively hugging the painted lips. But she also saw something she hadn't ever cared to notice before now. A tiny dimple was carving so softly into the delicate flesh of her cheeks with the growing smile, denting so perfectly into the skin. And god how Regina wanted to kiss it, to feel the crease under lips.

No. she didn't want that, she didn't want anything from the blonde.

She swallowed the lump that was forming. Regina hadn't any doubt the blonde was slowly seeping back into her usual self, but she hadn't been sure what it was she was feeling now after having realised the old Emma was back.

"Far from it," Regina added in a milder whisper. But she hadn't turned quick enough to miss Emma shifting her position so that she could stare back at the brunette.

The two lingered in a stare that neither one could decipher. Quite frankly both had been too ignorant to even try and understand that this stare had been filled with something that was far from the hate they had usually let sit between them. Regina hadn't been brave enough to look anywhere else, she felt stuck but in such a way that was comfortable enough that she hadn't wanted the moment to end any time soon.

Emma's eyes danced deliberately to trace the outline of Regina's lips, before having them follow the voices of the men that were still talking loudly on the stage in front of them.

They hadn't made any further contact for the remaining time they stayed seated, but every so often Regina would feel Emma adjust herself in the seat so that their arms would brush haphazardly against one another for the briefest of moments.

The music had been shouting out through the speakers at such a high volume it was hard to hear anything other than the beat that was spiking through them.

Regina was on her fifth glass of champagne, and her son was whining that he wanted to go dance. The liquid she had consumed moments before was what eventually pushed her to give into the soft requests, taking her son by the hand and tugging him to the stand around the table.

Henry was jumping around spinning at his mothers bid, but still clinging onto her hand in fear she would simply dart away to sit down if he were to let her free.

Little did he know, Regina couldn't have thought of anything worse than leaving a moment as wonderful as this. Nothing had been more special to her than when her son had been giggling with his whole heart and smiling from ear to ear, especially when she had been the cause for it.

Regina glanced away for a second, catching Emma's eyes in her panning but not allowing herself to linger in the stare for longer than she had already.

She felt suddenly weird knowing Emma had been watching them dance for god knows how long, not weird in a bad way but not weird in a good way either. She was confused, and that usual hatred she felt had, for some reason, gone astray. Regina was desperate for it to come back, plastering missing persons signs in her mind.

But the moment was cut short when Henry had shouted out the exact words Regina had never wanted to hear in her life.

"Emma, come join us!"

The brunette's smile was withering away and turning into a thin line, a sigh curving her nose and escaping through exasperated breaths.

She hadn't looked up to see if Emma was listening, but her assumptions were proven correct when a blonde had soon enough danced her way over to the two.

Henry released the grip from one of Regina's hands, struggling a little as his mother had hopelessly tried to cling onto his fingers – she'd been unsuccessful in her venture as a gap was opening for the blonde to join in.

Suddenly she realised this was not a memory she was hoping to hold onto and thought quickly of an excuse she could use to pardon her leave without upsetting her son.

"I need a drink of water Henry, I'll be right back," this time Henry had been the one to cleave to Regina's fingers, and it broke her heart a little to see his disappointment, but she really had other things she would rather be doing than dance with Emma Swan.

"Oh, but I love this song, you have to stay," Emma was whining as badly as Henry had done moments before – but it wasn't her crying that had forced the brunette to stop walking away, it was the tight grip on her upper arm that slowed her movements. Regina hadn't recognised the slow piano notes that were playing through the speakers, but Emma had started swaying rhythmically – Regina's arm still firm in her fingers.

The brunette started to watch as Emma still held Henry close to her, an arm wrapped around his front as the two of them swayed with a smile hugging their cheeks.

Something was pulling at her limbs, something she wished she had the will to cut loose from, but it was too late, and soon enough she was taking hold of Henry's hand once more, swaying to the same beat as the music.

Emma's fingers grazed down Regina's arm, goose bumps appearing under her touch and the brunette hoped to god Emma hadn't noticed. But Emma still had her eyes closed, her lips parting a little to recite the words.

And then the pale fingers met Regina's wrist. They paused, neither one pulling away from the touch but both a little unsure on what was going to happen next.

Between breaths Emma traced her fingers to meet Regina's, lacing the limbs and intertwining them with the brunettes oddly loose hands. The two locked into a hold that was tight enough the grip wouldn't slip but relaxed enough that either one could pull away at any given moment. There was a little bit of uncertainty in the hold, and it teased through both their minds.

Regina felt her throat dry out, her lips being licked at with her tongue, that felt closer to the Sahara Desert than a anything, in a desperate attempt to regain some sort of comfort. She hadn't minded how Emma's fingers had slotted so perfectly into her hold, and how the smile that had once been plastic was fading into something much sincerer on Emma's pale cheeks.

And how Henry had been looking with such glee to the women's hands, a hopefulness tinting his eyes as his grip tightened around Emma's arm that was still wrapped neatly around his chest.

But then Regina felt a nervousness and something close to anger electrify her dancing, and she ripped her fingers from Emma's so that she could hug her own waist.

"Henry I'll be right back," she smiled, glaring up to Emma before darting desperately to find a quieter part of the venue.

A wash of pale light had illuminated her face, and it only made the brewing sickness worse. Her hands were cupping her face and blinding her eyes from the light – not that it made any difference to the sudden illness.

Her back had been pushed aggressively against the wall, the hard exterior being her only means for support, and if someone hadn't pushed through the double doors at that exact moment, she thought that maybe she would just sink right into the ground and never appear again.

"Hey."

Regina blinked open her eyes, sighing upon seeing who stood in front of her but also not being the least bit surprised.

"What have you done with my son?" Regina groaned, thinking about storming away right then to go reclaim Henry – but something stronger than her will had kept her right in that same place against the wall.

"He's fine, Zelena's got him," Emma hadn't spoken after that, and it was becoming almost habit for the two to stand in silence.

"Well?" Regina started. "What do you want?" she asked aggressively, ushering for the blonde to speak her mind as there was clearly something on it.

"I just needed some air."

"In the exact place you just watched me storm out to? Good excuse Emma,"

"Why were you storming out,"

Regina cursed silently under her breath.

"I was hot," she answered stubbornly, her words almost on the verge of a non-existent whisper. Emma nodded, crossing her arms across her waist. Regina couldn't help but follow the lines of her arm muscles that were flexing in the movements but had pried them neatly away before Emma had caught her staring.

"The episode's good by the way," the blonde was sighing out her words as if she weren't really interested in the conversation – but there was a needy glint in her eyes that if Regina had dared to stare for a second longer would have noticed was just begging for a reply.

"Thank you."

"It's okay."

"Was there something else you needed or are you just here to annoy me?"

A pause lingered between them.

"Why do we fight so much Regina?"

The brunette sighed instead of replying with words. She hadn't been sure what answer Emma had been searching for, so she stayed silent.

The blonde opened her mouth to say something more but had been stopped when someone else passed through. Emma edged towards Regina to let them past, taking some air in as she did so.

Regina took the same breath of air, but for some reason it had been sharper, louder – and that hindered Emma's movements a little, but not enough to stop her form walking completley. The blonde moved closer to Regina than needs be, the passer-by had more than enough room to move freely to get back into the hall, but Emma had been persuaded to take that extra step closer.

Regina's fingers were clawing at the wall behind her, her nails scratching into the paint as they desperately searched for something to cling onto as her tanned legs were going a little limp and unstable for a reason she really could not figure out.

Emma's eyes were untidy in the way they had been searching Regina's features. The pressure of her stare was heavy, but Regina hadn't minded a single second. Suddenly feeling a pressure in a place she had never thought she would feel with Emma, but it was unforgivably demanding in the way it pulsed between her thighs.

"Aren't you tired of all the fighting?" Emma hushed out between steps.

"We should go back."

"I don't think we'll be missed for five minutes," Emma's eyes fluttered down to pause on Regina's lips.

Her breath quickened as the blonde dared to take one last step, closing the last of the gap and leaving only a centimetre's space between them. Her eyes darting furiously to gather as much intel as to what the hell was happening, but Emma's face was almost expressionless and completely unreadable.

Regina looked down to Emma's still folded arms, catching a glimpse at the painted fingernails that were scratching at her pale arms. Each finger as desperate to claw at something other than the blonde's own skin, what exactly, Regina had been unsure of.

"Regina, I-"

But Emma's sentence had been left unfinished as the double doors swung open once more, Killian appearing in the archway, stumbling like a true drunkard. Regina sighed, feeling Emma leap away from her side – hearing the breath escape her pale lips as the wall behind the blonde had winded her in the desperate escape. Now she was left both angry and confused, she so wished Emma had finished the end of her words.

"Emma," he spoke through clenched teeth, marching like an idiot through the empty hall way. "Do you know how bloody annoying it is when every time I try to look for you, you run off."

Regina's eyebrows knitted into one another as the man had practically thrown himself onto the blonde. Emma's hands trying their hardest to hold the falling man up.

"I'm sorry, I was just checking on Regina."

"Oh, and that's another thing," He turned clumsily to face the brunette, a frown that was turning into a dangerous kind of smirk dripping from his cheeks. "Regina."

The brunette straightened her spine at the sound of her name, waiting for the man to continue.

"You might find it's in your best interest to stay away from my fiancé," He was pointing at her now, smiling still, but he'd been spitting out a bitter poison in his words. Regina must have torn an even more confused look into her eyes for Killian thought it best to continue. "Don't act all innocent now, I've heard about all your dirty little affairs with women."

He laughed an evil kind of snigger. Emma gasped behind him.

Regina felt a cold trickle without warning through her bones as her body started to numb a little. She opened her mouth to reply but Emma had cut in almost instantly.

"Killian, enough," but the man had tugged away from her pull at him, laughing louder now and stepping even closer to the still unmoving brunette.

"Come on Emma don't be an idiot, we've all seen the way she looks at you," he was being intentionally cruel now, batting his insults out into the court as if he were reciting the alphabet.

There had been so many things Regina had wanted to say but none were slipping from her tongue, nothing was coming out and she hated herself for that. She had been delicate in the way she handled her relationships, and this was exactly the reason why.

Instead she was biting down on her tongue until she was sure she could taste blood, and even then, she didn't stop piercing the muscle.

"And just because my fiancé is, well," he paused to look around to Emma who had shrivelled into a tiny figure of her usual self. He docked her a stare that was so cruel in its nature, so mean in the way he looked down on her. "Doesn't mean you can woo her into your little love nest," he mocked, rocking happily on his feet. Emma had tears hidden in her eyes but hadn't dared let them escape, what she had done was pull away slightly as her breathing was tightening in her chest.

"Watch your mouth Killian," Regina finally spoke up, warning him with a silent threat that he hadn't taken seriously at all – the only reply being a loud roar of laughter.

"What could you possibly do."

Regina licked at her lips, her mind running blank thoughts and suddenly she was out of ammo. She had never been so lost for words but the sadness that was slowly draining Emma's face had been enough to put her tormented mind to rest. She hadn't wanted to worsen the situation, she hadn't wanted to engage in his drunken, childish arguments – especially not when Emma had been watching the scene with eyes that were practically begging for this whole moment to be over.

"That's what I thought," Killian mocked Regina's sudden silence, and god how she had wanted nothing more than to beat the living hell out of that smug smile, but once more her eyes had traced over to see the grief and misery brimming in the tears that had drowned Emma's stormy eyes and she knew continuing on this battle would only cause more heartache.

She swallowed her insults, taking a deep breath in.

"We're leaving," Killian muttered angrily to the blonde, taking her wrist so to lead them from the hallway and out of Regina's sights.

The brunette allowed her eyes to boil over with tears, shaky breaths escaping her wobbly lips as slowly she was trying to regain something more than the anger that was brimming aggressively in her stomach.

What the fuck had that just been? She had never been a fan of Killian, but what she was feeling now was something else entirely. He was cruel and disgusting and crude all at once and he had just ripped into Regina with something more than the playful banter she was expecting to spill from his thin lips.

She beat a fist into the wall, hearing a thud but not feeling the pain she was expecting to string through her skin at the contact.

But then her mind was thinking back to Emma, the Emma she had never seen before. The blonde had never looked so fearful in her life, she had never looked so genuinely dispirited and Regina hadn't even felt angry that Emma hadn't tried to defend her. Because if that was how Killian had spoken to people he worked with, how had he been speaking to Emma.

Regina hit the wall again, harder this time. And then again, and again, and again until she thought her flesh might actually be painted a dark shade of purple.

She ran back into the hall, plastering a fake smile onto her cheeks before collecting Henry from Zelana – saying her goodbyes and piling him into their car.

Henry looked sleepy, but still whined that he could have stayed up for an extra couple of hours after Regina had used the excuse that he looked tired, so that they could easily slip from the party without question.

She reached to take his hand, feeling a sting at her wrist – assuming it to be the delayed pain from where she had just abused it so violently.