Chapter Six—55 Days left

She should be asleep. They both should be asleep. But she wasn't turning off that overhead lamp until Regina was asleep in her own bed. She debating going to look for her, but that seemed a little…extreme. She hadn't even given into the temptation to call her yet. But, fucking hell, it was almost two in the morning.

Regina had left for "dinner" six fucking hours ago. What could they even be doing for this long. Emma's mind immediately regretted that thought.

Trying to reread the paragraph in front of her for the fifth time, she put her book down altogether when she heard the audible beep of the hotel door unlocking. Emma swung her legs over the side of the bed and slapped on her best 'annoyed' glare. Which wasn't hard considering it was far past her bedtime and stress gave her wrinkles.

Regina crept into the room, that is, until she noticed the lights were still on, "Shit." She whispered to herself.

"Regina, what the hell?" Emma's voice was tired and even, no sign of anger. Just disappointment. She was just like Aunt Mary-Margaret.

Regina's elation from her night spent with Robin was instantly deflated. She had gotten back far later than expected but its not everyday an NBA star proposes to his girlfriend and turns a five star restaurant into an impromptu engagement party. They laughed, they danced, they drank wonderful champagne. There were even fireworks.

It was absolutely perfect. Robin was— "Hello?" Emma's low voice carrying more edge now.

"Sorry I'm late, I'll be quick." Regina rushed as she grabbed a change of clothes and closed the bathroom door. This gave her time to think without Emma boring her icy gaze into her. She knew that look on her face. Emma wanted to talk. Like for real talk. And Regina was not in the mood. Yes, Emma had warned her to stay away from Robin, dozens of times, but where was the fun in that? If she couldn't be in Paris having a summer fling she was going to have the next best thing.

Patting her face dry with the plush, white towel Regina braced herself. She hoped her plan would work and she could avoid this looming conversation. Opening the bathroom door, Emma had not moved. Regina walked leisurely over to the light switch and flipped it just before jumping under her silk covers. Darkness engulfed the two and Regina steadied her breathing. She waited for Emma to lay down.

"You're not getting out of this that easy." Her voice was just above a whisper.

Sighing in defeat, Regina rolled over to face her cousin, "Fine. What?" She couldn't help the bitterness to creep into her tone.

"Regina, you know what. You're making a huge mistake."

"God, you sound just like Cora." Emma knew it was meant as a dig but she tried to not let it faze her.

To say Regina and her mother didn't see eye to eye was an understatement. They had been like that since Emma could remember. At one point she thought Regina would grow out of her attitude when she aged but their bickering only worsened. Every little thing was a battle. Regina wanted to try snowboarding; Cora said only potheads strapped a board to their feet. Regina wanted to cut her hair short; Cora told her she didn't have the right bone structure. Regina wanted to ride horses; Cora thought women should leave the muck to 'the help'.

Witnessing her fair share of the Mills women fights, Emma always thought they seemed petty. Fighting over superficial things that wouldn't matter in a week. Until Daniel came into the picture.

When Regina was seventeen she had convinced her father into letting her lease a horse for the summer. Her main goal was to convince Cora into getting Regina her own but, baby steps. That's when she met Daniel, a ranch hand at a nearby stable who made extra money in the summer giving riding lessons.

Emma never met Daniel but from the way Regina spoke of him she knew he meant a great deal to her.

He was older, twenty-one, but Regina spoke of him as if he had lived lifetimes. He was well-traveled, read deeply romantic novels and knew how to work with his hands. He was the first person to see Regina as more than just a pile of money. He didn't back down from her, challenging her into forming her own view of the world without the influence of her parents. And that's why she fell in love with him. It was like a damn Nicholas Sparks book.

And then Cora showed up.

Of course Emma was the only one to know about Daniel. Regina wasn't stupid. She naively hoped to continue their romance long after the summer ended. But the fairytale had to end sometime.

As Regina tearfully recalled the horrific occurrence to Emma, her heart broke for her younger cousin. Cora had ambushed them, in a compromising position nonetheless. She proceeded to yell at Daniel, curse at the horses and drag her daughter away by the arm like a toddler. Regina was mortified. But that wasn't even the worse part. The next day she went back to the stable to apologize to Daniel for her mother's crazed behavior but he was gone. The other employees said he had quit that morning. He wasn't answering her texts or phone calls. She knew Cora had to be behind this. He couldn't have just disappeared.

"Honey, you were making a huge mistake. When you are a parent you will understand. You always have to do what's best for your children. You have to trust me Regina, I know best. His love, it feels real now but it was an illusion and now you're left with nothing." Cora had offered Daniel $100,000 to leave town and never contact Regina again. And he had taken it. Without a second thought.

"I saved you my love." Her mother's words still rung in her ears to this day.

Their relationship was never the same after that. If it weren't for Henry, Regina would have been gone long ago. But she loved her father dearly and couldn't abandon him. So instead she rebelled. She wanted to self-destruct. First heartbreak could do that to a girl. There were some ugly times in the following years but Regina always came back.

She would never open herself up to love again though, that much was clear. And for that reason Emma knew this thing with Robin Locksley would end badly.

"What is the end game Regina?" Emma's voice penetrated the thick darkness.

"You know the end game, we're going to get that stuff out of their computer and safe." Her voice was not too convincing.

"And what happens when he falls in love with you?"

Regina's breath caught in her throat. Regaining her composure quickly, she was glad Emma could not see her face through the darkness, "That's not going to happen. Guys like him don't fall in love."

"You cannot sleep with him." Emma wasn't even 100% sure Regina hadn't already slept with Robin but she knew if she asked, Regina would not lie.

The silence from Regina's bed did not go over well with Emma, "Regina…have you?" She left the question open ended fearing the worse.

"No! Not yet!"

"Not yet? Are you planning on it?"

"God, Emma I don't know! Maybe! I am an adult you, I can make these types of decisions for myself!" Regina was now furiously sitting up in her bed thrashing the sheets around her uncomfortably.

This was the exact conversation she did not want to have with Emma. Especially at two o'clock in the morning.

"I know you are an adult Regina. But please listen to me. That boy is smitten with you. I know you know it too. But if you go through with that I don't think he will ever forget you. And that's exactly what we need them to do. When this summer is over Regina Queen and Emma Swan need to fade into the background because they do not exist. They are just two faceless waitresses in a fancy hotel. No one can associate them with us. Especially someone like Robin. I can only hope that if we ever cross paths with either him or Killian again they will be none the wiser."

Regina silently laid back down against her pillows. She knew her cousin had a point. But she hated being told what to do. So what if Robin never forgot her? Would that be so bad?

Her brain told her yes. But the feeling in her stomach she had just thinking about the Englishman drowned out everything else. The feeling was all too familiar. It had been years since she felt it but you never forget something like that. And this time she didn't have to worry about Cora barging in on her.

But her heart was closed off to anything but a meaningless summer fling.

Again, that feeling in her stomach disagreed.

"How are we going to get back into their rooms?" Changing the subject was her only hope.

After a long pause Emma caved, "I did have one idea,"

She said her peace. She could only hope Regina heeded her warning.

AN: I hope you liked it! I thought I should throw in at least one Regina-centric chapter.