15/11/17

The evening had come a lot sooner than anyone had hoped. Well, bar Cora of course, who stood admiring herself in the foyer mirror. Smiling that same practiced and robotic slither of an expression she used to charm anyone she felt worthy of manipulating. Regina stood at the top of the stairs watching her mother pose and strut, a sigh winding her insides, but never being given any means of escape. She forced her uneasiness into plasticising a smile onto her cheeks, taking one step at a time beneath her heels and trying her hardest to make as little noise as possible. But of course, her mother had heard her instantly.

"Doesn't sound an awful lot like you're on that diet we discussed," her mother hadn't even bothered to turn and lay the insult, still heavily focused on how tame her hair would sit on top of her head. Regina gulped back the sigh, knowing that engaging would only mean more upset for her. So she ignored it. And she'd become so accustomed to doing it that it was quickly becoming second nature.

She descended the stairs and headed for the kitchen, notably taking a lighter step now that she was conscious of the echo around the room. The door of the kitchen opened, and fearsome funk reached through the cracks of the opening wood. Regina winced when she saw how busy her usually empty kitchen had become.

The staff all huddled around in white shirts and black bottoms, a mixture of young faced boys and girls who'd all seemingly had a good telling off from her mother. It only took a glance at the sickening look on one of the youngest girls faces, and to feel the tension baking the room to know that Cora had been intentionally and demandingly cruel. She wanted to apologise to the crew, having the misfortune of working under Cora Mills was something she wouldn't even wish on her worst enemies.

But the actress only layered a brighter smile over her withering expression. Tapping gently against the tiles of her kitchen so to take a spare glass and fill it with water. The liquid felt like heaven against her throat that was becoming unbearably dry, internally battling the rising heat that was escaping through every inch of her body.

Henry came bustling in next, causing a few of the crowds' occupants to jump to attention. Relaxing instantly upon seeing the small, messy haired boy run straight to his mother.

"You look exceptionally smart my little prince," Regina softened at his embrace, crouching down to reach his height to re-do the tie he had attempted to knot himself. He beamed a smile at her compliment, stranding straight and holding his head high. But the bustling of people around him caused his shoulders to carefully envelope his movements, making him look so small in Regina's hands once more. She smiled at the thought, selfishly hoping that he would just stay so small for the rest of his life.

Her hands moved from the material around her sons' neck to rest on his arms, squeezing gently as the two shared a small smile. Mentally embracing one another's obvious want to be anywhere other than here.

"It'll be a shorter night than you'd think," Regina whispered placing a peck on his cheek and standing in the same movement, "And you'll be tucked up in bed before you've even realised we had a party at all," the boy pouted at that, but the actress was already jabbing at his ribs. Henry squealed out his laughter in response before running back out the way he came.

Regina gathered her bearings, finally letting the sigh she'd been holding in cloud out into the nothingness around her. Quickly replacing the air with her plastic smile and taking the steps to follow her son.

Henry was being dusted down by Cora. Regina's teeth grinding behind their red painted prison at the sight. Giving Henry a look that told him to stand as still as possible as the older woman continued to pretend he was anything less than presentable.

"Regina, dear. I thought you were going to wear the red dress tonight…or at least something marginally modest," her mother offered though a sickeningly sweet smile. Eyes raking over the figure Regina had on show for the evening.

"I preferred this one," she bit out, trying to sound just as conversational as her mother. But she caught Henry scrunching his nose in distaste at the comment, pinning him down with another stare before he could comment. That was his second warning of the evening. She felt horrible when she sensed herself falling into these moments with him, she shouldn't have to constantly threaten him into submission whenever Cora was present. But she knew just how better off he'd be for the rest of his life if he listened to his grandmother in these early years instead of having to make up for it in the much later ones of his life. "Besides, this is new," she beamed, looking down at the material and remembering the hands that once helped her slip into it. And then she remembered the wrists those hands were attached too. And soon that familiar sickness was swelling in her stomach, distracting enough that she had all together forgotten the other two life forms in the room.

Cora let out a disapproving hmm, her smile never wavering. But the twitching of her fingers and the fact that she'd stopped fussing over Henry told Regina just how aggravated she was.

She was saved by the bell. Quite literally. The doorbell rang loudly through the foyer, all three of the Mills' eyeing one another. Cora silently reminding her daughter and grandson to behave with a single look, and Regina in return silently comforted the boy that stood small beneath his grandmother. Only moving forwards to place two reassuring hands on his shoulders once her mother had left to answer the door, squeezing slightly and waiting for the first round of guests to flood her house with boring conversation.

The night, as of yet, had been as Regina prophesised, nothing more than a huge waste of time. She was standing idly in the corners of each room she would every so often float between, drink always in hand and a careful eye on Henry who was noticeably falling asleep on the couch in the middle of a conversation that Regina had been sure was nowhere near age appropriate. She was ready to storm over with fire in her eyes, angrily pinning the men she knew to be the culprits in line for attack.

But the sudden trill of the doorbell had disrupted her movements. And she caught Cora from across the floor gesturing for the actress to answer the ring. She sighed internally, plastering her best smile on her face before swinging the wood open for what must have been the hundredth time that evening.

Only her smile had softened into something more genuine upon the reveal of the harsh winter winds outside, then it melted into something she couldn't quite understand.

"Hi," the blonde she'd secretly been holding out for all night was now stood on her doorstep. A gift that was wrapped in a lilac tissue paper, shaped the outline of some form of alcohol. And the dress she wore was hugging every curve the brunette had been platonically intimate with in the recent weeks leading up to this event. Gulping down any unwanted thoughts and forcing her eyes to rake back up to meet the expecting gaze from the actress, she let out a breathy kind of sigh. Moving just an inch in towards the house so that the blonde knew she was invited to come further inside.

"Can I take your coat?" Regina saw the small boy who'd been taking the coats off of guests all evening stand just an inch straighter, knowing that he was about to rush to their aid, she let her hand palm out in his direction, letting him know that she could do this one herself. He backed off instantly, sagging back into his designated corner. Hopping around as he watched the evening continue to play out.

Regina's fingers grazed the shoulders that were covered in a sequinned material, slipping the pea coat she'd recognised from that weekend off of the toned arms that she'd regrettably not been able to stop thinking about for a while since sharing a room with the actress. Emma was looking across every inch of the padded-out party, her mouth gaped open at the lack of festivities and more formalities this party seemed to be. Regina took the opportunity to gawp down at the legs that instantly looked six inches longer in the tall heels Emma wore on her feet and even though the dress she wore had been skirting just above her ankles, it was teasingly obvious. Smiling at the memory of the blonde commemorating Regina for having stayed in her heels for an evening, and now thinking about the amount of effort Emma had made for tonight. But for whom was an entirely different thought that Regina quickly swiped away with the brush of her hand as she pinned back a lone hair that was falling just slightly out of place.

"I did try to tell you this wasn't all that," Regina laughed out, folding the coat between her arms and pacing it to the boy was eager to have something to finally do.

"I haven't even said anything!"

"No but you're grimacing expression isn't at all subtle Miss Swan," Regina watched as Emma noticeably tried to rid herself off the frown. Instead relaxing into a warmer smile that only seemed to form once she'd met the brown eyes that shrunk with a smile that was just as homely.

"Sorry," Emma mumbled. "Just nervous."

"Seems to be something of a reoccurrence with me Emma," Regina mused, knitting her fingers together to stop them from itching at her arms. Emma watched the movement, realising an eternity too late what she'd been doing, shifting uncomfortably away. Regina bit down on her lip, her smile falling a little and her hands growing all the tighter.

"Emma, dear! I'm immensely happy that you decided to join us," Cora had swooped into the conversation like a predator jumps its prey. A hand jailing Regina to the spot, tightening ever so slightly around her wrist. Emma noticed the small interaction, and the incredible tension that was brought alongside the actress's mother. Noting it in her mind and storing it away for another time, but for now she smiled back to the woman. Nodding her head and almost curtseying a little for some ungodly reason. Regina sniggered at the bowing blonde before her and Emma let out a half-hearted sigh.

"I wouldn't have wanted to miss this," the younger woman emphasised, gesturing to the decorated halls surrounding her. A clear sarcasm pricking at her words that only made Regina laugh a little more, and the grip her mother had on her tighten just as much.

"Hmm," Cora eyed the sparkly garment Emma had chosen to wear, "If you'll excuse us Regina's presence is needed elsewhere," her mother was clearly hating every encounter she had with the newfound friend Regina had made. And as much as the brunette relished in the idea of her mother being unhappy, it also made her unbearably nervous.

"Oh, uh yeah…I'll be around I guess," Emma started, kicking her feet on the hardwood beneath her. Now this was something that made Regina sneer a little. Just because the blonde was making herself homely somewhere in her unconscious, hadn't at all meant she could scuff up the flooring Regina had spent an ungodly amount of money on. The brunette instantly scolded herself for the thought of Emma making home inside of her. She shivered under the unfamiliarity, but also warmed at how natural this all felt. And how quickly the blonde had wormed her way into her life, just like that, as if it was really nothing at all. "Find me when you're done Regina," Emma winked, Regina blinked herself out of her daydreams, returning the smile she was receiving. Cora grunted and pulled the two of them away from the conversation.

"There's someone I think you'd like to see again," Cora was smiling the same smile she used when she was hiding something. Her initial thought had been Robin. And that already brought an unnerving annoyance to course through her. Because seeing the man since their date, after speaking for no more than a collective hour since that evening, was the one thing she thought might make this night completley unbearable.

But nothing, nothing, could have prepared her for the death like dread that instantly pooled in her stomach upon seeing the woman Cora had actually been talking about. And in that moment, she'd really wished it was Robin.

"Mal?"

"Regina."

The taller woman wore the same shade of red on her lips as Regina did, an easy smile weaved through the paint and her hands slumped just as comfortably in the pockets of her suit pants. She still looked as authoritative as ever. Owning her corner of the room with a confident set of eyes scanning the crowds surrounding her. Regina gulped back the sickness, wincing at the mention of her name. It'd been years since she'd heard it spoken like that, and now certainly was neither the time nor place that she'd ever expected to hear it.

A frozen chill had spiked like an icicle through her chest and her body went immobile and her mind was racing thoughts of everything but absolutely nothing at the same time and it was making her dizzy with confusion. What the fuck had her mother been thinking. Bringing the one woman she knew Regina had been so connected to, to an event like this, at a time like this. Cora was in the midst of plotting something dark and that was made clear in the way she marvelled at Regina very subtly freaking out.

"Henry needs to be put to bed," she scoped through the room, sourcing out her son and ignoring the beckoning of her name from the distance behind her. Instead of replying, she slugged the half-asleep boy over her shoulder, starting to pace her way upstairs. Struggling a small amount as the boy had grown immensely over the summer. She felt a warming pressure on the small of her back, her eyes squeezing shut as she feared the absolute worst. But turning her head she saw the green eyes she'd suddenly felt she could get lost in peering back softly.

"You want some help?" Emma offered, a laugh tinging her words. Regina hesitated before she nodded a small nod. Helping to transfer the boy from her arms to Emma's. The younger actress kicked off her heels completley, something Regina had found oddly endearing and somewhat humours, before following Regina back up the stairs. The two padded the staircase in silence, Emma with Henry bundled in her arms and Regina reaching ahead to open the door to Henry's bedroom. Letting Emma take first claim of the darkness that enveloped the walls, leaving the door slightly ajar so the two could see what they were doing without having to turn the light on and disturb Henry's sleep, not that that could have been easily attempted.

Regina took the shiny new shoes Cora had bought him off of his feet. Putting them neatly away in his wardrobe. Seeing Emma back up to the further edge of the room from the corner of her eye.

"Could you just…" Regina started, gesturing to the small boy as she struggled to slip the jacket from beneath him. Emma knew instantly what she'd meant to ask, jumping from where she was leaning against the wall and going to lift Henry's arms from his bed.

The older actress took the stiff material in her hands, wrapping her arms around her son to loosen the material and eventually have it slip from him completley. Emma was kneeling on the opposite side of the bed, one knee denting into the mattress and her torso leaning over just enough to support her hold on the boy. She was close enough that Regina could feel the brush of sequins against her hand, and up her arm and just on the edge of her shoulder as she shifted her position to better get at the jacket. Purposely taking longer than needs be to remove the item, but definitely not because she wanted to stay this close to Emma for just a few seconds longer before going back to make public appearances.

Regina made a conscious decision not to look in the direction of the blonde, springing back up from the bed to lay the jacket down neatly on the chair beside her. "Thank you," she murmured, finally turning to see Emma gently tucking the boy into bed. She felt a smile burn her lips, but she was too nervous to let it show.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Emma whispered, catching Regina staring and standing almost instantly. "You probably wanna do that," she smiled awkwardly, twiddling one of her golden curls in-between her fingers. Regina swallowed the thoughts away, pushing up from the desk she'd leant on, shaking her head as she paced her way over to Henry once more.

"It's okay," she resigned. Smiling a small smile as she brushed a soft kiss against Henry's cheek. A hand running through his hair. "Goodnight my prince," she whispered, just loud of enough for Emma to hear. And the blonde couldn't help but smile.

"We should head back down before anyone starts to gossip," Emma half whispered, half laughed out nervously. Dancing around on her feet as she impatiently waited for Regina to lead the way back out of the room.

The brunette sighed a heavy sigh into her chest, nodding her head once more. She couldn't think of anything worse than having to head back downstairs and quite literally face her problems. But Emma was right this time, the longer they stayed up here, the longer her mother had to spread untruths throughout the party's occupants. So after a while of listening to Emma sigh and clear her throat and awkwardly shuffle around on the carpet, Regina finally gestured to the door. Watching as Emma quickly tiptoed from the darkness and back out into the glow of the party.

She followed tentatively, pulling the door closed with her. Emma stood against the banister, unsure on what to do next. Her hands glued into the painted wood and her toes pointing dents into the carpet beneath her.

"I never got to say how beautiful you look tonight," Emma hushed out, eyes instantly diverting from Regina to the carpet. A blush creasing her cheeks as she suddenly grew hotter the longer she felt the brunette stare into her soul. "The dress…the dress is really beautiful, and well you of course…look really good…" she stuttered, still looking anywhere other than Regina. "It was a good pick, right?" Emma sighed, finally looking up to meet the glare from brown eyes.

"Yes, it was."

"So…does that mean you're gonna start trusting my judgments then?" Emma asked swinging forwards just an inch, still hooked onto the bannister but smiling more so than she had been before.

"No Miss Swan, your taste is still somewhat questionable," Regina laughed through her nose. Crossing her arms over her chest. Emma bit her lip, and Regina's eyes were drawn to the movement as quickly as the redness flooded her cheeks. She tried so, so hard to stop it from spreading, but the warmness beneath the flush was rushing from her cheeks to her chest, that happened to be on full show. Regina cursed silently under her breath, turning her head away for a mere second before speaking again. "Although this little number isn't completley hideous."

Emma smiled even wider at that, looking down at the chosen apparel, that technically hadn't actually been picked out by her, but she took the compliment all the same.

"Is that some backwards way of saying I look good Regina?"

"Don't push it Miss Swan."

Emma sniggered behind her as the two made pathways back to the party.

Regina had been dragged away from Emma once more, the moment the two had stepped down from their small moment of freedom they'd been escorted into two separate locations. She'd mingled with guests and acted interested in the tired-out conversations playing all around her. Anything to prevent any more inevitable meetings with Mal. She hadn't really seen her mother much now that the seed had been planted, her plan (whatever that ended up being) had already been webbed into action and her presence was no longer needed in the growth of the problem.

The brunette elegantly fluttered through the party, counting down the minutes until the guests would start to make their leave and mentally patting herself on the back for having steered clear from mal-

"I never pegged you as someone to run from confrontation."

Regina winced at the smoothness of the voice that echoed behind her, a warm hand patting her shoulder to just further divert her attention. Taking back the premature celebrations of her wit and instead letting her mood downpour into something much sourer.

"Well that's what happens when you don't see someone for a few years Mal," the brunette turned finally, plastering a wild smile on her face and pretending to be unbothered by the presence of the older woman's name in her mouth. "You end up not really knowing each other anymore,"

"I suppose."

Regina just stared for a while, so completley lost in everything that for a single second she'd forgotten the years of past trauma and the years of heartbreak and the hours of crying she'd only recently found herself coming over. Seeing the older woman again was like taking a breath of fresh air after months of having nothing but the damp and the re-used. But that same air was what would eventually suffocate her, because she'd gotten so used to the adequate and the disappointing and the dark that now her lungs where on fire with the freshness of it all.

"Why are you here?" she caved, asking bluntly and hoping that this conversation would end soon and there wouldn't be any more to follow. Mal took a breath, pursing her lips and pressing her hands further into her suit pants.

"Do you want to take a walk outside?" she asked flippantly, as if that was something so normal for them to have done. And it had been, it had been so natural for them at one point. But for now, all that familiarity was gone, and the comfortableness was replaced with queasiness and before she could even think up a response Regina was already shaking her head no.

"I'm perfectly fine in here."

"Okay," Mal sighed out the breath she'd taken in. She didn't sound surprised, which, at its best could be taken as a good sign. "I'm in town doing some business with Cora."

Regina scoffed, rolling her eyes and taking another swig of her wine. "Of course," she mumbled. Mal let out a hummed laugh.

"I always did miss that," she tutted, looking a little reminiscent…but not remorseful. And even though she knew these old wounds had healed over, Regina couldn't help but be a little hurt at how easy the blonde was taking all this in.

"What?" she bit out, biting on her cheeks to try and keep from bringing un-wanted attention their way. Mal only laughed again, biting down on her lip and straightening out as a few of the guests passed through their conversation. Regina did the same but kept the distain on her face. "I have to go,"

"Oh yes, because you were always so eager to attend your mothers Christmas functions."

Regina haltered at the interruption of her exit. Fisting her hands and clamping down on the glass that she'd taken another sip from. Trying to keep appearances up but failing miserably as she turned to face the blonde once more with an angry frown painted aggressively through her smile.

"Don't do that. Don't you dare do that," she'd pulled the two of them into the study, the one room downstairs that was kept quiet and cool. Mal being thrown back in shock but re-adjusting her mood just as quickly as the movement.

"Regina-"

"No. I'm talking," she spat through a whispered temper. Slamming her glass onto the table beside her. "You do not just get to waltz right back into my life as if nothing has changed. You know full well, everything did. Everything has." She felt tears, hot and burning through their prison. But she daren't let them pass. Blinking harder to try and rid herself from them. "You-" but she doesn't say the words she wants to say. She doesn't scream and yell, she doesn't tell the older woman that she ruined her. That she's damaged goods, that she's too scared to love again. That her mother ruined her one true chance at happiness once again. But this time, even when she had someone she thought would fight her corner, who would fight for her, they backed off as if the past year had meant absolutely nothing. As if Regina was nothing. She was more than angry, she was furious, she was shaking, she was feeling everything she could think up and still her expression steeled, and her movements iced over.

The blonde opened her mouth to reply, but Regina pointed out a finger to shush her. Shaking her head and trying to take a moment to cool herself from the sudden outburst of anger.

"I hope business goes well with my mother," she whispered, less angry now and all together just a much hopeless kind of upset. Her hand falling defeatistly down to her side and the other reaching back out for her wine, turning once more, smiling a fake smile as she slipped from the office and back out to the party. She didn't look back to the blonde who'd slowly crept out after her. Having felt too triggered to even try and form anything more to say to her or to her mother.

"Hey-"

"What," Regina pivoted on her toes, her reply sharp and cutting through whatever it was the person calling out to her had to say. She sighed upon seeing Emma stumbling back a small amount at the sudden ruthlessness of her words. "What," she said softer now, not being able to gather the energy to say anything more, nor apologise for the anger. Emma evaluated the situation before speaking through a playful smile.

"So…she's the real reason you hate blondes then?" Emma teased, rocking forwards just a tinge. Regina noticed her shoes had taken place back on her feet, and the height difference only made her sigh again.

"What are you talking about Emma," Regina breathed out with a sigh, a hand coming up to palm her forehead.

"That one…" she pointed in the near distance to the older woman who still seemed completley unphased by the evening's events. "She must have royally fucked up for you to be this pissed," she continued. Being a little careful in her approach. But continuing as she noticed Regina hadn't stormed off…yet. "And for this grudging hate against blondes."

"No Miss Swan my hate for blondes was all your own doing," Regina sighed again. Eyes rolling far into her head. She strangely enough hadn't felt herself getting angry at the teasing remarks made by the younger blonde, instead feeling a little lighter and a little less bunged up with hate.

"I would say that's completley debatable Regina," Emma laughed it off. Feigning the urge to revert into her mind and instead wanting to keep the playfulness up, because if not, she knew she would only be triggered from memories of when the two had actually hated each other. "So what's the deal with miss six inches over there?"

"Miss…what?"

"Six inches," Emma replied as if it should have been the most obvious thing in the world, shrugging her shoulders as she did so.

"What does..." Regina jutted out. Her hand instantly coming up as she shook her head. "You know what. I don't care anymore."

"Her shoes Regina," Emma furrowed her brows, cocking a head to said heels Mal had been wearing without even flinching. But then the brunette looked down to the shoes Emma had chosen to wear, noticing now how the height hadn't been too dissimilar, but being too tired to even bring it up again.

"It doesn't matter," Regina dismissed the topic, taking at her wine again and silently praying that Emma would drop it.

"Well just give me the signal and I'll be more than happy to throw a few punches," the blonde mocked, cocking her head to the side once more and thrusting her chest out to make herself look bolder than she'd looked before.

"You can barely walk in those heels, let alone start world war three in them Miss Swan," Regina scoffed, looking back down at the legs that seemed to just go all the way up. Emma blushed after having caught the lingering stares but didn't bring it up.

"You're heavily underestimating me Regina."

"I hardly see any proof of that,"

"I'm sure we could find something to settle our differences."

"I'm sure we could-"

"Regina," the brunette stunned herself from the conversation she'd fallen into with Emma, swooning over the smile the blonde bled into her words as she turned and felt a frown replace it easily. She steeled her expression automatically.

"Robin," she chimed, faking an excitability around his name. Going into an awkward hug and hearing Emma snigger behind her. His after shave was overwhelmingly intoxicating, so she held her breath, which actually just made the smile look even more strained than before. Robin's expression wavered a little, but he was too busy ogling the outfit Regina wore to be phased beyond that.

"Emma," Both pairs of eyes gleamed over in the direction of the voice as it boldly proclaimed some identity.

"Yes, of course!" the man added in reply, looking between the blonde and brunette as he held a hand out in introduction. "I've seen some of your work, or rather, I've enjoyed some of your work," he added meekly, smiling a toothy grin. "Forgive my lack of knowledge on the correct terminology," he finished, taking a weakening hold on the death grip Emma had squeezed into the shake.

"Uh huh."

A pause.

"I hadn't realised you and Regina were so close!"

"It's recent."

"Well better late than never."

"Well actually in some cases, never would have been the best option. Much like the relationship between you and-"

"Emma," Regina interjected herself back into the conversation, as some ringing truths were starting to be spilt and the taller looking blonde was getting dangerously close to saying something she shouldn't. Robin didn't have enough time to decode the cryptic message Emma had been trying to voice, and the brunette had been more than thankful for dim wit of her date that wasn't really her date but was also completley her date if her mother had anything to say about it.

Emma held her hands out and smiled a friendly smile, pursing her lips together as she continued to listen to Regina's conversation with Robin play out.

"How's your new job coming along?" she asked politely, trying to stand just an inch in the way of Emma's view so to prevent the two from actually fighting. Robin nodded, taking a small sip of what Regina assumed to be whiskey.

"Yeah, it's good. Perfect almost!" Regina hummed in approval. "Have you got anything new lined up in the means of work yourself?"

"I'm still wrapped up in the middle of a show, so, no not at the minute."

"Idiot," Regina heard Emma, ever so softly, filter her opinions into the conversation. Pinching at the arm behind her as a small warning to shut the hell up. The blonde hissed in her ear.

"Oh yes of course," Robin didn't appear to have heard the comment. "You know, I've heard so much about Cora's parties, and the rumours really are true. This has turned into quite the event," he offered, looking around at the guests. The brunette looked on with another fake smile, watching him as he admired the décor, having been seemingly completley truthful in his compliment.

"This has turned into quite the event," Emma mocked the man's accent behind Regina, quietly sniggering to herself. Robin wasn't even noticing her presence anymore, but Regina was growing endearingly impatient. Part of her wanting to laugh and join the antics, and the other half filled with annoyance at the childish behaviour jumping out of the blonde.

"I was also thinking…" he started, taking a small step forwards. Regina felt Emma shuffle around behind her, feeling sandwiched between the two. "How much I'd really like to see you again, just the two of us."

Emma sighed heavily, and now, because the distance was closing between them, Robin had heard it.

"That's it," Regina turned on her heels, taking Emma by the hand before turning back round to Robin. "We won't be a minute, Miss Swan's not feeling all that well," she offered through tight lips. Taking Emma with her towards the study and away from the crowds of people.

"What is your problem."

"What did I do now?"

"Emma, I didn't put my child to bed just so I could take care of another one," she sighed into her hand.

"It's not my fault he's an idiot Regina."

"Do you always have to be intentionally dense?"

"Do you always have to start unnecessary arguments?"

"There wouldn't be an argument if you could just behave yourself."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realise you'd suddenly taken legal guardianship over my actions."

"For one evening. One evening I just want you to act like a normal, functioning adult, but apparently even that's too much to ask," she sighed out. "There's so much you don't understand Emma, and this is one of them," She collapsed into the cushion beneath her, hands immediately going to hide her face. Emma sighed, scuffing her shoes against the rug beneath her. There was a while of silence filled with only the light murmurings of the party outside.

"He just has weird vibes," Emma offered after a minute of huffing and puffing. Regina looked up and saw Emma with that kicked puppy expression on her face.

"There's nothing wrong with him Miss Swan and you know it," she sniped out, scrunching her face as she angrily bit through her words. "You can't exactly preach all this nonsense about suitable men when you're engaged to Killian."

Emma swallowed loudly at the comment. Sighing out a sigh that sounded like it hurt before going to sit on the couch beside Regina. Far enough away that there was still an awkward distance between them.

"I just don't think you should be settling."

"What on earth does that mean?"

Emma sighed again, picking at the sparkles on her dress. Regina noted the movement of her fingers, gulping back as she dragged her eyes back up to see Emma's fluttering shut.

"Well you're just…you're you," she murmured. Cryptic as ever, Regina wanted to shout at her. To just yell at her to speak her goddamn mind and not create her own fucking Caesar shift. But she hadn't been given chance. "All I'm saying is, don't settle…because you're worth a whole lot more than that," she finally let her eyes pry open, going to meet the glassy stare that Regina's darkening eyes had been giving.

"Why did you?" Regina managed to speak just above a whisper.

"Why did I what?"

"Settle."

Emma sighed again, not for one second looking from Regina who was still waiting for an answer.

"It's complicated."

"Complicated like the bruises?" Emma furrowed her brows together at that, sitting up an inch straighter and shuffling back just a little more.

"I already told you what they came from Regina."

"And I don't believe you," Regina stiffened as the conversation became less and less comfortable for the both of them. "Emma, I know…I- I…understand," was all she breathed out through hushed whispers. Emma didn't look happy with the comments, but she hadn't shut the conversation down just yet. "I know it's hard. And you feel like you don't…you don't have a voice. But you'll always have someone to listen," Regina whimpered. The actress's eyes meeting once more in a silent stare. For a single second Regina thought Emma was going to open up, but instead the blonde was leaping forwards, wrapping her arms around Regina's shoulders and tightening the hold.

Regina wasn't sure what to do, they hadn't really ever done this before. They didn't do this. They shouldn't do this. But none of that mattered now, because her arms were snaking around the waist of her captor, pulling her in just as much as Emma had done and nuzzling her head into the blonde locks.

She felt Emma's breath on her neck, and her fingertips denting her skin and her body meshing into her own. And her mind went blank. Her eyes closed and her grip got tighter.

The two fit like the missing pieces of a puzzle. Finally being able to slot together and make the picture Regina had been too ignorant to see before. She rarely liked to engage in any sort of physical contact, only that of her son. And now, well, now Emma.

She couldn't let go, she didn't want to let go. She wanted to hold on for the rest of eternity. And only then did she realise that maybe being friends with Emma was going to be somewhat difficult.

Emma sniffled into her shoulder, nuzzling in deeper. Far enough that Regina could feel the brush of lips on her bare shoulder, and the warm breath that caressed her skin.

Having Emma clinging onto her like this felt like water in the Sahara Desert, like she'd been dying, drying out. Holding out for nothing, being tricked and disappointed by the mirages that would every so often appear and disappear just as quickly. And Emma, Emma was finally the real thing. The water she'd needed to heal her wounds, and smooth against her skin and gulp down in every way she possibly could-

She was going to kiss her. She was really going to do it and she had no idea why the thought was bubbling like poison in her mind. But she didn't even care about the consequences anymore. She didn't want to think about anything other than this moment. She didn't care about anything other than this moment. Because in this moment she finally felt free, she felt happy, she felt hydrated. She felt all these wonderful emotions and it scared the living hell out of her. Because, god damnit Regina, it was just a stupid hug. A stupid hug that finally lifted the filter she had over her emotions.

Emma lifted her head so slowly, too slow, impossibly slow. And that was when Regina knew it was going to happen. That this was what they both needed. She was just inches away from her. So close, close enough that if she dared, she could take her in one right then. But she just stared for a while. Sketching out every last detail of the blonde in her mind, taking in every last inch and embedding this moment into her mind for forever. She let out a shaky breath, Emma's eyes raked down to Regina's lips, swallowing the lump she hadn't even felt form.

They both leant forward in perfect unison, their lips barely even ghosting each others. But it was enough to send a shockwave of electricity down Regina's spine-

"Regina."

The brunette sprung from the hug, turning in the same movement and feeling the immediate loss of the blonde's arms around her shoulders. She had had enough of people calling out her damned name.

Mal stood in the door frame, looking a little lost in the moment. A little more remorseful than she had been before, but it wasn't enough to spike any interest in Regina. Seeing the blonde waiting for her reply she relaxed, standing over Emma who'd shrivelled into a smaller version of herself.

"What."

"Your mothers been looking for you everywhere," she started, eyes flickering down to Emma. "And I thought I'd give you a heads up," she finished, slipping her hands into her pockets and coking an eyebrow towards the other blonde. Regina followed her eyes, Emma wasn't looking back at her. She was looking at the rug she'd been playing with under her heels.

"Thank you," was all she could offer in return. Mal bowed her head, waiting for a moment longer before disappearing from the room, closing the door behind her.

Regina let out a painful sigh.

"I'm sorry, that was-"

"Yeah, I'm gonna go," Emma stood, she sounded annoyed and Regina couldn't help but retract a few steps. Her heart clenched in her chest.

"You don't have-"

"I do," she looked to the brunette sullenly. Clearly holding back tears, and something else.

"Emma if you could let me speak," Regina snapped. Holding out her palm as a warning. "That was inappropriate of me and I'm sorry."

"Thanks," Emma shrugged her shoulders, looking into a different corner of the room. Regina blinked her eyes in surprise. Furrowing her brows and crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'm sorry," she blinked, "Thanks?" she commanded the question. Distastefully pitting the words against the woman in front of her. Emma shrugged again. Regina felt fury take hold of her. Her fists balling at her sides and her teeth grinding down loud enough to hear. "You are so completley impossible Emma," she was breathless. Agitated and breathless and she didn't care that she was basically shouting at the woman who still stood only inches away.

"Not a lot we can do about that huh?" she said flippantly, she sounded annoyed. But not even just annoyed, she sounded hopeless, like she'd just lost everything she'd been holding out for.

"Do you not have anything you want to say in return," Regina egged on, impatiently waiting for some sort of apology in return.

"Thanks for inviting me."

"Get out."

Emma slumped at the comment. She looked like a kicked puppy, that was also somehow the puppy going around and doing the kicking. Regina's arms were folded across her chest and her fingernails were cutting in through the layers of skin. She watched as Emma shuffled around the floor in front of her, hoping that maybe Emma would argue. Hoping that maybe Emma would just get over herself and say something, anything. But instead the blonde straightened. She opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself almost immediately. Turning on the spot and heading for the door.

The wood slammed on its hinges, making Regina jump. She felt a headache coming on. A throbbing and hardening pain drumming directly behind her eyes. She picked up the wine she'd put down at the start of this whole situation and tried to take some of it down. But catching how pathetic she looked in the mirror, she threw the glass directly into the reflection. Watching the shards shatter into millions of tiny pieces. Exploding and falling to the ground. Glistening sadly in the little bit of moonlight that shone through the un-curtained window.

Her eyes going to meet the source, only to find Emma stumbling angrily down the drive towards the car she'd hired for the evening. And then there was a flash. A goddamned flash. And it made Emma stumble just slightly into the bushes that Regina had had so perfectly trimmed. She growled at the clumsiness of the actress, but her worries quickly fell with the photographer that was scurrying back to his car happily. Looking down at the picture Regina had assumed was either of Emma stomping angrily down the drive or falling stupidly into a bush. Either way she knew this wouldn't be the last the two would be talking about this night.