Instincts
Emma may not have ever been in a relationship before. In fact, she'd never really allowed human emotion before. Hey, it was how she coped. But, she wasn't blind. Nor was she stupid.
"Where are you going?" she asked, as Mary Margaret slipped on her jacket. Well, she barely needed to know the answer. Again, she wasn't stupid. She knew that the connection David and Mary Margaret had gone far beyond friendship. On both sides.
"To meet David," Mary Margaret said, trying to play it cool. No luck there. She practically elevated whenever she spoke of him.
"Okay," Emma said, giving her a knowing smile. Mary Margaret returned it, hinting at the nervousness she felt. Yeah, so so not platonic between them. At least in Emma's mind.
"I'll be back before five," Mary Margaret said, fumbling with her keys. Finally, she just gave up and opened the door.
"Feel free to stay out all night," Emma called out, shooting her a smile.
"You, hush," Mary Margaret ordered, heading out the door.
"Will you lock it after I'm gone?" she asked, anxious to get going. Emma just nodded, having become immersed in the newspaper. Mary rolled her eyes and closed the door behind her. Emma barely registered it. She was reading a story about the local sheriff.
"Hm, flimsy locks," came a voice a few feet away. Emma's head whipped up, the newspaper falling to the floor. Regina stepped into the apartment, closing the door behind her. A lurch in Emma's stomach made her realize she was in trouble.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, slowly getting up from the stool. Regina simply smiled. Emma's stomach flip-flopped again. This was not good.
"Well, I came here to talk to Mary Margaret," Regina said, smiling at the twelve-year-old. She saw herself a little bit in the young blonde. Well, herself eighteen years ago.
"She's not here," Emma said, hating the way her voice shook slightly. She did not like the feeling of being weak in front of this woman.
"I guessed as much," Regina said. Emma narrowed her eyes.
"If you knew she was gonna be gone, then why did you come?" she questioned. Regina's gaze hardened slightly.
"I'm pretty sure you know why." Emma half laughed, folding her arms.
"If I did would I be asking?" she asked, pointedly. She would NOT let this woman see she was terrified.
"Emma, you haven't been in this town long," Regina started. "And, there are some things you just don't get." Emma faked a yawn.
"You know, if you're here to tell me how stupid I am, there are better things I can be doing." Regina was beginning to lose her patience. Why did Mary Margaret even want this kid?
"Look, kid. Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time, there was a happily married couple. And, they had a very good life together. Until one day he went to the store. On the way back, some idiot crashed into his truck. He fell into a coma for years. Meanwhile, his wife was terrified beyond measure. Because he was never identified. She thought he was dead." Regina paused for a second, seeing that Emma was indeed listening.
"Then, he awoke from the coma. Mysteriously. But, it was a miracle. However, it wasn't that simple. He disappeared from the hospital. Then, when he was finally found, he was with someone else. Another woman. After everything his wife did for him, and now he's having new feelings." Emma was silent. Regina could see the girl was trying to figure everything out.
"Kathryn is my friend. I care about her. And, I could see the hope in her eyes when I told her we found her husband. I don't want that hope to be in vain." Emma looked away, hating to admit that Regina might be right.
"What do you want?" she mumbled. Regina smiled, knowing that she had successfully captured the girl.
"I'm sorry. But, I need you to stop the romance between Mary Margaret and David. It's for the best."
There was a small voice in Emma's head saying that it probably wasn't for the best. But, Emma was never good at listening to her mind. She didn't speak for a full two minutes. Regina took this as a good sign and smiled slightly. She turned around and headed out the door.
Emma heard the door close again, and this time, she locked it firmly. Her emotions were churning. She would never believe that Mary Margaret and David don't belong together. An idiot could see that. But, she was beginning to wonder if it was indeed worth it. She couldn't decide between the two.
She turned back to the newspaper, trying to brace herself for Mary Margaret's return.
Regina was smart. She knew how to find Emma's weakness. And, she'd been able to fully exploit it. Now, she just had to figure out one more thing. She continued walking down the street, seeing the people around her. All of them were lost. Lost souls wandering around a world that would never accept them.
She pushed open the door to the shop she wanted. The familiar ring of the bell seemed to summon the shopkeeper. Mr. Gold.
"Careful, Regina. Might I suggest you open the door a little quieter next time." His next words shocked her.
"You do like playing with bells." She froze, thoughts racing in her head. This could be Rumplestiltskin coming through here. Or, it was a flippant comment. She wasn't sure. But, she wouldn't be surprised if Rumplestiltskin was truly back. After all, the comment about Belle seemed just a little too real.
"Yes, well so do you," she said, hoping to get some sort of reaction. Mr. Gold recoiled just slightly, before leaning forward.
"Is there something I can help you with? Madame Mayor?" Regina rolled her eyes, at his blatant insult of her title.
"Mary Margaret and David are getting close," she remarked, beginning to wander the shop. Mr. Gold simply followed her with his eyes.
"Indeed they are. It seems happy endings are possible." Regina's blood boiled with that comment. She spun around, looking at him directly in the eyes. Neither backed down.
"I'm not so sure," she said. "I think, that poor David would like to go back to his old life. Could you help with that?" Mr. Gold smiled, sensing the opportunity.
"What can I do for you? Dearie?"
Yup, Mr. Gold is officially awake.
Next time⦠Regina tries breaking up Mary Margaret and David in a different way. Giving him his old memories.
NightLightning21
