a/n: Hey, sorry for the late update. Just wanted to say a quick thank you to the people who reviewed anonymously. Since I can't PM you, this is me thanking you directly!
Also, if you haven't read Cora, The First yet, you should read it before you read this chapter.
20: Emma
Snow and Charming had asked Regina five times in the last two days if maybe the protection spell hadn't been recast properly. Each time, Regina rolled her eyes and said no. She and Gold had checked in the days following Cora's departure. It was perfectly intact. Which was exactly why everyone was so suspicious. One could only find Storybrooke if one knew how to find it. And the only people who knew how to find it were people who had magic (with the rare exceptions being Henry and Jennifer). Mr. Mendell claimed to be a victim of circumstance, but she wasn't buying it.
And Gold was no help in the matter. He was currently a little preoccupied with Lacey and Captain Hook who'd come out of the shadows to take another stab at his Crocodile.
No one had seen him since Gold tried to leave town the first time. Regina suspected he'd been hold up in his ship, celebrating his supposed victory or what have you. She was positive Rumple had known where he was too, but with the quick succession between the first Cora and Jennifer he hadn't had much of an opportunity to finally rid the world of the one handed wonder.
She didn't particularly care about the feud between Gold and Hook. It was far too old and uninteresting for her. The problem right now was containing Greg Mendell.
This mess hadn't necessarily started when Gold decided to leave Storybrooke again, but it had certainly been complicated by it. He was desperate to find his son, she'd heard. Apparently he figured he could leave faster than Hook would realize he was still alive. That idea fell apart when the pirate showed up at the town line that night. Except this time it was Belle who got pushed over the line. Then Hook ended up getting hit by Greg Mendell's speeding car, and Gold walked away without a scratch. Now all three were all in the hospital, and Gold was more determined than ever to find his son. He was a different person with Lacey, too. More of an asshole because he was bending over backwards to make her happy. It disgusted her, really, what people will do for love.
The whole town was going to hell, and all she found herself focusing on was Jennifer. Having her here was one of the most interesting things that had happened to Storybrooke in a long while. And, to be perfectly honest, the town was colder without her. She missed how Jennifer could make her smile and how she made her feel like a person and not a legend. Regina enjoyed her company, yet she still hadn't contacted her. It had been at least a week since she'd left now. The problem was that it had just been so hectic that she hadn't had time...
No. That was a lie. That was a lie.
The thing was that Henry was still staying at Emma's. He hadn't slept over yet, and no one quite trusted her with him. They drilled their prejudices into this town so thoroughly that it simply became fact. She didn't even trust herself with him anymore because of the Charmings. Honestly, she was scared. She thought that she was going to do something rash like always. That she was going to jeopardize her already fragile relationship with Henry~with Jennifer.
She picked up the crumpled piece of paper and stared at the number Emma had given her. The interaction had been sort of awkward, actually. Emma had knocked on her door the evening after Jennifer left. She had on a fake smile and an awkward bounce in her step. Regina had watched curiously as Emma handed her a folded piece of paper. "Jenny wanted me to give this to you. It's her phone number."
Regina's heart, as much as she hated it (and she'd certainly never admit it), skipped a beat. Quickly, she grabbed the paper and glanced at it. Then she snapped at Emma, mostly out of embarrassment at her own reaction.
She remembered thanking Emma in an effort to he cordial. She vaguely remembered the sheriff eyeing her suspiciously, almost critically, before she shut the door in the other woman's face.
She didn't care. She was too preoccupied with the ten digits on an otherwise blank, half crumpled piece of notebook paper. What was she supposed to say? Were there expectations? She didn't know how to navigate the formalities of this world. She'd never really had to. She was the mayor of a fictional town with people who never dared to cross her. She could have done whatever the hell she wanted, and they wouldn't have said a word edgewise. But it was different now. Jennifer wasn't from Regina's world.
But it's not like she couldn't handle it, right? She was a queen for christ's sake. She sighed, bitter frustration burning in her throat as she pressed two fingers deep into her temple and rubbed the area in slow, vertical movements. God, who was she kidding? She almost laughed, throwing down her hand. She couldn't even handle the responsibility of her own son!
"You're a good person, and I don't want you to forget that. Especially being surrounded by all these Charmings."
Jennifer's words tumbled around in her head. She had read Henry's story book, but that didn't reveal much about what life was truly like in the Enchanted Forest. She knew almost nothing about Regina, yet she believed in her so faithfully. Regina didn't understand it, but she did appreciate it. And so, before she could convince herself otherwise, she opened her phone and started a new message.
Sheriff Swan gave me your phone number as promised.
She felt stupid and juvenile for sending it and sighed heavily up at the ceiling, letting her eyes fall closed as a hot wave of embarrassment washed over her.
Her phone buzzed. Shit.
Regina! Glad you texted. How are you?
She had to read it three times before she really processed what it said.
Fine, I suppose. A lot has happened since you left.
Like what?
Regina did not want to text Jennifer the entire situation between Gold and Belle and Hook and Greg. It was just too much. So, with a deep breath, she called her. It rang for a few seconds then she heard the click of a connection.
"Some crazy stuff must be going down for it to take a phone call to explain it to me," Jennifer chuckled on the other end.
"It's been rather...hectic," Regina decided on, folding a leg over the other on her couch. "Do you know who Captain Hook is?"
. . .
When Regina was finished explaining what was happening, Jennifer was quiet. Wiping Belle's memory was a cruel fate, and Jennifer was almost glad that Hook's ribs were broken from Mendell's car. But she was confused, too.
"So, now what?"
Regina sighed audibly on the other end of the line.
"I don't know," she ground out. "Gold is set on leaving Storybrooke, but he doesn't seem too concerned about Mendell. The Charmings are panicking, but they have no idea what to do about it." Regina shook her head. "How are you and Emma doing?"
"Not talking. I told her to apologize when she means it, and she hasn't called so..."
"I'm sorry."
"Yeah, me too," Jennifer sighed.
"Do you mind me asking what exactly happened between you two?" Regina had been wondering for awhile, and she decided that maybe now was the right time to ask.
"No, I don't mind. You remember me telling you that I lost my parents?"
"Yes."
"Well, I was ten when it happened, and I was...in the car with them when it crashed," she admitted softly then cleared her throat and continued on quickly. "I didn't expect many of my relatives to step up and take me in. My dad's side, they were all assholes. And I didn't see much of my mom's side. Most of them still lived in France. Except for my Aunt Kate and Uncle Lance. They could have taken me, raised me," she heaved a sigh. "But they chose not to, and I never saw them again after my parents' funeral."
"Jennifer, I'm so sorry." Regina's brow was furrowed tightly. She couldn't imagineā¦
"Thanks." There was a small pause on the other end. "Anyway, Emma and I were placed in foster care together. She was a friend when I really needed it, and she quickly became family. She was my only family as far as I was concerned. Then when we were sixteen, one night, she just left. She'd mentioned leaving, escaping more like it. I hadn't thought that she was serious until one morning I woke up and she was just...gone. No goodbye. Nothing." Jennifer tried to be dispassionate, but Regina could feel the pervasive sadness in her tone just under the surface. "I hated her for leaving, but I hated her even more for doing it despite knowing about Kate and Lance. I suppose I still do."
Regina was silent for a long moment on the other end, thinking about what to say. She didn't know if there was anything she could say that would smooth over the pain that Jennifer must be feeling. "Miss Swan is and always has been a selfish woman no matter how much she tries to disguise it as altruism."
"Is that supposed to be encouraging?" Jennifer droned, amusement lacing her voice. But underneath, Regina could feel the pain there. She was so good at hiding behind a smile.
"It's supposed to be a little dose of reality," Regina pushed, her voice level. "Jenniferā¦" Then she bit the inside of her cheek and blinked, suddenly hesitant to say what she'd intended. "People will hurt you whether it be by accident or...purposeful. At some point, if you want to survive, you just can't let them anymore," she told her delicately.
"Is that what you did? You just pushed everyone away?" Her voice was more curious than accusatory, gentle rather than malicious. And Regina had to consciously tell herself that in order to keep from lashing out at Jennifer, a knee jerk reaction.
"Yes." She swallowed, her jaw twitching. Jennifer was quiet.
"I can't~"
"I don't expect you to," Regina rushed. She felt ridiculous, her face heated. "I expect you to protect yourself."
"To let Emma go, you mean." Jennifer clarified too quickly, and Regina shook her head.
"You make it sound~"
"Easy?"
"I was going to say unfeeling," Regina sighed, shifting on her couch uncomfortably.
"I'm sorry," Jennifer admitted. "It's just hard to think about cutting ties with her. She's the only real family I have left."
Regina, of all people, understood that feeling. "But you must know that you're only hurting yourself."
"For now."
Regina sighed, uncrossing her legs and leaning forward. She rested her forehead in the palm of her hand and closed her eyes, trying to contain her frustration. Jennifer hid it well, but she was hurting. And everyday that she continued to believe in Emma's integrity was another day of self-inflicted pain.
"Look, I know you don't understand, but I have faith in her."
"I know," Regina breathed, sitting up straighter again.
