Chapter 13

Emma frowned as she woke up. It had been two days since she last heard anything from Regina. Still, her first thought was to check her phone. Much like the earlier mornings, she was disappointed when she saw Regina hadn't texted her. Emma had a bad feeling about this.

She decided to go on her morning jog and hoped to run into Regina. Even though she hadn't had any luck the past couple days. Without her daily release of endorphins and visit with the brunette she felt like a caged animal. Something isn't right. Emma hated this so much.

Granny smiled sympathetically when Emma came downstairs. She and Ruby were preparing breakfast. It was one of Granny's few days off, and that was always celebrated with a big breakfast. A feast that almost resembled a breakfast buffet you could visit in a fancy hotel.

"Good morning, Emma. Breakfast is ready! Join us." Granny offered with a gentle tone as Emma stopped in the hallway but shook her head in reply.

"Swan are you crazy?" Ruby asked with a laugh but noticed something was troubling Emma.

"I just have to go for my run." Emma shrugged and headed for the door. "Just save me something."Ruby gave her grandmother a concerned look and took off after her sister.

"Swan hold up!" Ruby shouted and Emma who had just reached the driveway, groaned but turned around and met her sister's eyes.

"What?" Emma snapped.

"Swan, I know something's wrong. I'm not stupid you know!" Ruby shot back and Emma just sighed.

"Sorry. I'm just...I'm anxious about Regina.. She hasn't replied to any of my texts and I haven't seen her on my morning runs either." Emma shrugged. "I just get this feeling that something's wrong…"

"Swan" Ruby said carefully and took a step closer to her. "Regina always gets kinda weird after her mother has been home. She always has. So don't worry. Just give her some time, okay?" Emma gritted her teeth but let out a another big sign.

"Are you sure?" Emma frowned.

"Just trust your big sister on this one, okay?" Ruby chuckled and laid her arm around Emma.

"So let's enjoy some family time and stuff ourselves with granny's breakfast now, shall we?"

"Yeah" Emma nodded and they both walked inside. Family time Emma thought to herself.

Wow!

Granny gave Ruby a nod when she and Emma sat down at the table. She hadn't told her girls about Cora's and her little argument, but she didn't see it necessary at all. Emma was upset already and the last thing the old woman wanted was to worry Emma even more.

She was already to upset by all this and it made Granny's heart break. She knew Emma had never had the chance to be a kid or a teenager and just enjoy her life. Now she was finally starting to, and was even falling in love. It had been ripped away from her. Granny shook her head and took a sip of her tea. Damn you Cora!

Emma licked her lips and didn't know what to eat first. The table was overflowing with all kinds of freshly baked bread, cheese, ham, fried and scrambled eggs, coffee, tea and juice.

Ruby dug in first giving her little sister a wink. Emma nodded and followed suit. Granny knew this was a dream come true for Emma. The thought that a simple breakfast (well it was simple to granny) made Emma so sincerely happy, both made the old woman happy and sad for the girl.

After breakfast Ruby convinced Emma to go over to Belle's with her. Emma didn't have that much of a choice since Ruby practically forced her, but she guessed it was better than sitting home, worrying about Regina.

"Hey babe." Belle grinned and gave her girlfriend a kiss. She was quite surprised over the fact that Emma was with her. She chose not to ask why. She understood she probably had her reasons for bringing her. "Hi Emma! It's good to see you. How are you doing?" Belle asked carefully when they sat down on the couch.

"Fine I guess." Emma shrugged along with her answer

Daniel had been with Regina for over two days now. She had argued with him and tried to make him leave plenty of times but he refused.

He said he was not going anywhere and neither was she. Regina hated to be controlled and locked away like this! She was used to her mother's controlling, but that was one thing. She was never home so it wasn't often that Regina had to obey her. Daniel was different though. Was he supposed to live with her now or what the hell was going on?

Regina took a bite of her sandwich even though she wasn't hungry. She just wanted Emma. She hadn't replied to any of her texts, but she didn't know what she should answer so she chose to ignore them, even if she knew that was probably making things even worse.

So what was she gonna say to Emma? That her mother had practically given her away to a man? Regina's head was spinning and she felt sick to her stomach.

"Miss Mills, are you not hungry?" Rosita asked anxiously and Regina shook her head.

"No, but I'm sure Daniel is." Regina smiled sadly "Where is he?" she asked

"Out with horses." Rosita replied and Regina nodded.

"Thank you Rosita. I'll join him." she said then left her sandwich on the table as she headed for the door.

Regina couldn't grip what was happening. Daniel was in the stables like always and doing his job as a stableboy. That was what he was, right? Just a stable boy?

Regina groaned. All this thinking was giving her a big headache. Daniel jogged up to Regina and gave her a gentle kiss on her cheek, making her snap back to reality.

"Don't. Touch. Me" Regina growled, making Daniel take a step backwards. He looked almost afraid or surprised, but there was a dangerous twinkle in his eyes that made Regina's heart beat faster.

"I can touch you as much as I want Regina!" Daniel snapped and Regina gritted her teeth when Daniel grabbed her arm and twisted it, making her gasp.

"Daniel, please..." Regina begged and he let go of her arm with a grin.

"What are you even doing down here? I told you to stay in the house" Daniel snarled.

"I'm taking my horse for a ride!" Regina shot back, trying to make him back down.

"The hell you are! You're not going anywhere!"

"You can't decide that!" Regina screamed, with a voice that was filled with so many emotions.

"Oh yes I can. You're mine now Regina, whether you like it or not. I was told by your mother to keep a close eye on you to make sure you wouldn't run away to that girl again."

Regina froze as her heart rapidly sank. This can't be happening.

Emma fell asleep on the couch at Belle's. Belle and Ruby let her be and were instead sitting in the kitchen.

"Have you heard anything from Regina?" Ruby asked carefully, hoping she had.

"No, not a word. Hasn't Emma?"

"No….and she's freaking out over it. I'm kinda doing that too now." Ruby shrugged.

"Regina always gets a bit distant after her mother has been home, right?" Ruby sighed but nodded. She knew she was probably worried because of Emma, but she also couldn't shake this bad feeling off either.

"Yeah probably, but what if it isn't alright? I mean, the other day Granny came home from work and was really grumpy. She snapped at me because I was sitting by the TV with my feet on the table, like I always do! When I asked what was going on she didn't answer. I don't understand why people push me away when I just want to help!" Belle heard the sadness and frustration in her girlfriend's voice and wrapped her arms around Ruby holding her tight.

"You have the biggest heart of all the people I know Rubes, and that's one of the things I love about you...but in an odd way also hate. It hurts a lot to want to fix something that you just can't." Belle said and Ruby started to sob. Belle kissed her forehead and cupped her face in her hands then met Ruby's eyes.

"I can't understand how you can sound so smart all the time" Ruby chuckled and dried her eyes. Belle shrugged then leaned forward and kissed her. The kiss was filled with emotion and passion, and when they parted Ruby met Belle's eyes once more. They looked at each other for a while before Ruby grinned.

"I know that look" Belle laughed. "What are you thinking?"

"I want to move in. Like for real now." Ruby said. "If you still want to have me"

"Of course I do! You idiot! Oh I'm so happy!" Belle squealed and jumped around the kitchen like a happy kid in a candy store. Ruby rolled her eyes and wondered what her grandmother would say. She hadn't really talked to her about this, but she was certain she would be happy for her. Granny always just wanted her daughters to be happy.

Regina sat on the porch with her phone in hand. She had been sitting there for awhile, trying to send Emma a text, without knowing what to write.

Regina groaned and looked down at the pasture where Rocinante galloped around. He was restless. She knew that because he was used to getting exercise every day. Now he hadn't been ridden in almost 3 days and Regina knew it was driving both him and her crazy.

The horse didn't let anybody else ride him, besides her Daddy and probably Emma of course.

Daniel had been thrown off him numerous times and finally stopped trying to get the stallion's approval. He was a special horse. Maybe that was why Regina loved him so much.

"Hungry Miss Mills?" a voice behind her asked .

"No, thank you Rosita." Regina replied without even turning around.

"Still? You know you must eat." the maid pointed out. She was more her mother then her actual mother was, so off course she was worried about Regina's sudden loss of appetite.

"Don't worry Rosita. I'm just feeling a little down. I promise I'll take a sandwich later"

"Si si Miss Mills" Rosita replied and closed the glass door to the house and Regina looked down at her phone again, and began to type.