i'm in the mood to write something a little more on the dark side, so i decided to update this one tonight. I hope you're still reading. Let me know if I should continue! xxx
Emma glanced at the clock on the wall, tapping her pen on her desk absentmindedly at how slowly the day seemed to be going. Things had been eerily quiet around town since they let Regina and James out of their cells. Not that she expected Regina to act immediately, she was much too smart for that. But James was another story, and she fully expected her uncle to be raising hell by this point.
She and David had been casually making rounds by Regina's home and the graveyard to make sure nothing looked awry, but she also knew the mayor would never be obvious if she were up to something. Her friend's mental state worried her, especially that she hadn't even made an attempt to see their son since they'd been back. That is how she knew just how deeply Regina's spirit had been crushed by losing another love in her life. She knew she wasn't in her right mind because Henry was everything to her and she'd even rejected him.
"Have you seen anything of Regina or James since we let them out?" Emma's lips drew into a worried frown as she kicked her feet up on her desk at the station, glancing over at David on his computer.
"No and as long as they're not killing each other or anyone else I don't care," David rolled his eyes, letting out a deep breath as he looked up at his daughter, "You're still worried about Regina getting revenge?"
"Hell yeah I am. How are you not worried? She went after you and mom for how many years before she gave up?" She watched her father incredulously, shocked that he was not alarmed by the situation at hand.
"Regina will brood for as long as she needs to and nothing that we do is going to make any difference," He gave a frank shrug, "Do you know how many times your mom and I tried to give her a chance to redeem herself when she was the Evil Queen? She's more stubborn than anybody and she's not going to come around until she's damn well ready to."
"But she's mad as hell at us right now and with good reason. I'm the reason she lost Robin, she came to help me get my love back and she lost hers, again," Emma frowned at her father's lack of empathy at the moment. Sure, Regina had given them all headaches since she'd gotten back but she had every right to. She was grieving.
"It's not your fault Robin died," David was the one who frowned now, giving a quick shake of his head to dismiss her statement, "Look right now my priority is keeping this town safe. Which means making sure my brother stays out of trouble and that Regina doesn't turn into the Evil Queen again. And with how pissed off she is right now, the best thing to do is give her space. No good ever came out of pushing that woman."
"How do you even know what your idiot brother did with the black diamond?" Regina scoffed, following James down the back alley near the building of Snow and David's loft apartment. Her frustration was building at the fact that they were probably going to end up being caught and sent back to those damned jail cells. But then again, what did she have to lose at this point?
"Will you shut up? We're not trying to make ourselves known in case you hadn't caught on," James frowned at her as he glanced both ways down the alley before starting up the old metal steps on the side of the building. Regina hesitated for a moment at the poor condition of the structure before her before rolling her eyes and following him.
"Sorry if I want to know if I'm risking my life for a legitimate reason," The queen hissed, holding onto the railing of the rusted steps and trying not to look down as they made their way up, "I've survived way too much to lose my life due to some goddamn rusted staircase. Besides, why would he hide the diamond in his apartment? It's the first place anyone with sense would look."
"You do know my brother, right?" James ignored her griping, trying out each step in front of him with a little bit of his weight before going further, "What's the matter? The Evil Queen scared of heights?" He smirked when he glanced behind him, seeing her gripping onto the railing as they ascended the fire escape of the old building.
Her eyes quickly shifted from the ground under her feet to him at the knowledge she'd been caught, "No, just imagining how satisfying it would be to see you go head first off of this thing." She hated when someone spotted a weakness of hers. She'd always prided herself on not having any in her Evil Queen days. However, she'd never quite kicked the whole fear of heights during her reign.
"Don't talk about killing me, you know that turns me on," He replied with a grin as they reached the small balcony, peering into the window to make sure no one was home.
"Any Charmings?" Regina asked as she came up behind him, getting her answer when he pulled out his pocket knife and started jimmying the window, "Where did you learn to do that?" She watched as he managed to flip the latch on the window with the end of the blade before folding it and putting it back into his pocket, shoving the window up.
"Queens first," He nodded, holding out his hand in amusement when she hesitated before allowing him to help her crawl through the window, taking advantage of the chance to be as handsy as he could. Once she was in he followed, shutting the window behind him as to not leave any trace they were there and ignoring the testy arch to her brow he'd earned from his grip of her ass.
"Now," James began mockingly, tapping a finger on his squared chin as he looked around the cozy apartment, "If I were an idiot, where would I hide something I did not want someone to find?" He raised an eyebrow playfully with a glance to Regina. She had to admit they did have a similar sense of humor and let a small smile show at his jest of David.
"You start with checking under the bed and in the sock drawer, I'll check the kitchen cabinets," Regina gave him a nod, feeling James hand smack her bottom playfully as she walked past him, "I've killed people for less," She grit out even though it sent a little sliver of pleasure through her, hearing him laugh as he went into the bedroom. Bastard.
Regina started to snoop through the kitchen, pulling out drawers and opening cabinets in search of the black diamonds. Finding it was the first step in obtaining enough magic to get the stupid cuff of her wrist. After they got the diamond she knew she would have to do some research in the old magic books in her vault before their job was complete. Using magic from an outside source was something she wasn't entirely comfortable with, especially in the presence of someone she couldn't trust like James.
Though she still didn't trust him, he had proved himself useful so far. If the mind blowing sex on her living room floor weren't enough, he'd formulated this plan to break into the Charmings' apartment to find the diamond. She knew it wasn't a selfless act for him, he was going to get just as much power as she was from this stupid rock, but he still took the initiative and she respected that. He certainly wasn't new at this type of underhanded business and she found his blatant immorality turned her on more than she cared to admit.
Regina's anxiety and irritation began to surface after a few moments, not finding the gem in any of the obvious places she expected a buffoon like David to hide something important. She gave a glance around the living area before walking towards the bedroom, seeing James still going through drawers. He was put together exceptionally well today; tailored jeans, a black vee neck shirt and his leather jacket, all fitting him to perfection. He didn't shave as much as his brother did either, giving him an older and more distinguished look.
"Any luck?" She sighed, coming up behind him as he rifled through the belongings in the old wicker stand carelessly.
Suddenly he slammed the top drawer of it shut before spinning around, causing Regina to startle before she realized he was holding up the black diamond, "Can you believe that stupid fuck? He put it in the nightstand," James let out a laugh and one escaped Regina too before she could contain it. She usually didn't allow herself to react so freely, but everything he did was so unexpected and raw it was hard not to.
James watched her laugh with a heated glint of excitement in his eyes, shoving the diamond in his jacket pocket before gripping Regina's arms and jerking her against him. Her mouth opened to protest but before any sound came out he'd captured her lips in his own and his hands gripped her ass, swiftly lifting her up off of the floor and walking until her back hit against the brick wall with a thud.
"What do you think you're-" Regina began to berate him before his mouth found her neck, her eyes fluttering closed at the way he kissed the spot he had discovered she liked. He had a way with his lips and tongue, proving himself to be rather experienced. It had been so long since she had just had sex with no emotions involved. The act was raw and animalistic between them; a freeing experience to not have to think about anything but chasing the pleasure.
"You can't say you're not a little turned on at the thought we could get caught at any moment," He groaned against her neck as he kissed and nuzzled his stubble over her sensitive skin, spreading her legs and wrapping them around his waist, "My brother or his wife could walk in on me fucking you against their bedroom wall. Can you imagine what innocent little Snow would think of the way I pound you?" He smirked against Regina's skin and she felt a jolt of electricity shoot through her at his words, making her clit begin to throb with arousal.
"I bet this room has never seen anything but missionary," Regina gave an evil smirk as she reached between them to start undoing his belt and jeans, feeling James' hands rut her dress up her thighs anxiously. She curled her hips up to him a little and spread her legs more, knowing he'd be pleasantly surprised once he'd fully unwrapped his present.
He managed to get the fitted dress up over her hips before lifting his head to smirk at her when he found she wasn't wearing any panties, "Always thinking ahead, aren't you?" He muttered a curse word under his breath when he delved two fingers into her soaking lips, stroking at her swollen clit firmly, causing Regina to mewl and arch her back from the wall.
"Shut up and fuck me," Regina ordered as she dug her nails into his sides, pulling him in between her legs tightly once she'd pushed down his jeans and boxers. She felt him dangerously hard and rubbing against her, his cock begging for entry.
James smiled smugly as he pulled his digits from her wetness and gripped himself, giving a pump down his shaft to coat himself with her, "Fuck," He groaned as he took her in one hard thrust, gripping the undersides of her thighs to hold her up against the wall as he began to move. She fit him like a glove and the way she tilted her hips and beckoned him deeper threatened to make him explode.
Regina gripped his hair tightly, nudging him down to kiss at her neck as she grasped his back with her other hand, moving with him after taking a few moments to adjust to his size. She'd missed spontaneous sex; skipping all of the foreplay for a quick romp, feeling that little bit of pain mixed with pleasure before the hot rush of an adrenaline laced orgasm. She pushed her hips up to meet his when his thrusts deepened, feeling him stretching her delightfully. She moaned and whimpered, hiking her legs around his back higher, taking more of him.
"You're so tight," James brushed his lips over her neck as his grip on the back of her thighs became bruisingly tight, starting to slam himself inside of her. Regina was cursing and crying out loud now, bringing both of her hands down to grip his ass and pull him deeper.
"Harder," She begged, digging her nails into the flesh of his ass, spurning him on until he was thrusting wildly and both of them were panting. There was no trace of romance or regard for decency, just the primal and desperate movements of their bodies caught up in the heat of the moment. No sweet words or declarations of love whispered, just the friction of their skin and the sound of their labored breath.
A sudden noise from the other side of the brick wall he had her up against alerted them both, causing them to jolt to a stop and stare at each other with widened eyes. The sound of a key opening the front door made Regina's heart pound in her ears, adrenaline coursing through her. Luckily they were just around the corner in the bedroom area of the loft and out of sight, but there was no exit from here that they could get out unseen.
"I knew I left them in here," They heard David's voice and footsteps around the kitchen island. Regina tried to control her panting, but her body was aching, feeling James still impressively hard inside of her. Fear of being caught coursed through her as well as the need for friction, biting down on her lip to regain her control.
James smirked at Regina after seeing the panic on her features, their faces only inches apart. He knew David wasn't there to stay and he intended to make the most out of the adrenaline high he knew they both felt at breaking in and almost being caught. James was throbbing inside of Regina's heat and he knew she was aching too from how wet she was. He dipped his head into her neck again feeling her tense at his intention to keep going, but knew she wouldn't risk whispering to tell him to stop and being heard.
"It's a good thing we don't arrest people very often around here. You always leave the cell keys at home," Emma's voice rang out, sounding like she was standing near the front door. James started moving slowly, causing Regina's breath to hitch in his ear as he nibbled and sucked at her earlobe and neck.
"I don't do it that often, Emma." Regina ran her hands up James' back under his shirt digging her nails into his skin, pressing her mouth into the bend of his neck to keep from crying out when he picked up the pace. He was gradually working his way back to how he was pounding her before, being careful not to slap their skin too hard and give themselves away. Her mouth curled into an "o" shape against his skin, feeling herself rapidly reaching her peak and praying that the father daughter duo would be gone within the next minute. If she could last that long.
"Yeah, yeah." Their voices came from a further distance before the sound of the front door closing allowed Regina and James to let out pent up moans.
"That was so close," Regina gasped, rolling her hips with his, tightening her legs around him as she whimpered, "I'm so close," She added, flashing a naughty smirk with James' when he lifted his head from her neck. He mirrored it instantly at the sight of her red lips curled into a smile, showcasing that scar he found so sexy and the pearly white smile he rarely saw.
"Scream for me, Queen," James demanded before starting to slam himself into her with abandon, watching her start to unravel. Her nails dug into his ass, her walls tensing and clenching around him as he drove her rapidly to her peak. Her head fell back against the wall and her eyes closed as her mouth opened and a loud, throaty cry came out of her as her orgasm hit her. He cursed out loud at how hard she came around him before he filled her with his own orgasm, the movement of their hips becoming jerky in the last throws.
The sanctuary of her vault made Regina feel as peaceful as she could these days as she sat on the rug with her back against an old chest, reading through ancient magic books she had collected over the years. It was fairly dark save for a few candles lit in the corners of the room and one sitting on the chest she rested against to allow her to see. It had been a few days since she and James had managed to get the diamond back and she'd been studying ever since in preparation to remove the cuff.
She could practically feel the gravitational pull of the dark magic in Rumple's stone, beckoning her to join the dark side once more. When she'd first returned from the Underworld she'd been ready to fully revert and turn her back on everyone else, but since then she'd had time to calm down from the trauma of Robin's death. Being on her own had made her realize how much she missed her family and that she still wanted to protect them, despite keeping her distance. It's why she was taking extra precaution when using the black diamond; she couldn't risk the Evil Queen coming back in full force and hurting the ones she loved.
James hadn't been around since he surprisingly let her store the stone in one of her old heart boxes. She'd convinced him it would be safer in her vault due to the intricate protection spell she'd secured over the tomb, allowing entry to no one that she didn't trust. She didn't want the diamond to be in his possession until she had her own magic back. James was fully committed to the dark side and she'd never rest knowing he wielded that powerful of magic while the cuff still rendered her defenseless. She didn't think he'd go back on their agreement and come after her, but she still didn't want him walking around with that kind of ability in the same town her son was in.
Regina sighed at the loneliness creeping up in her at the thought of her boy, shutting the magic book as her focus had already dissipated by that point. She stood from her position on the floor, stretching out the stiffness and brushing the dust off of herself before pacing around the room restlessly. Her feet mindlessly stopped in front of her wall of hearts, her eyes resting on the box that held her own. She bit at her lip as she contemplated the organ that brought her much pain, berating herself for not being strong enough to endure life with it beating inside of her.
"So you still don't have your heart in you? That explains a lot," She heard a familiar voice say, causing her to spin around suddenly. Henry stood before her at the bottom of the steps with an expression that gave nothing away as to how he was currently feeling, though she didn't expect he was going to say anything good.
"No, I don't," She admitted, trying not to show the guilt in her expression at how she'd rejected and abandoned him. It was better if she kept up her front and forced him to be with the Charmings. Being close to him would only hurt him in the long run.
Henry's stare never wavered, feeling his eyes on her even after she hung her head slightly to stare at the floor, "What's your plan? You just gonna keep your heart locked away the rest of your life for fear that you actually might have some good still left in you?" She hated how well her son knew her at times.
"There's nothing good left in me, Henry," She raised her head up to stare back at him, shoving her hands into the pockets of her blazer, "Why are you here?" She asked bluntly, trying to sound indifferent. It was hard not to cave and wrap her arms around the boy, but she knew he'd only recoil and her fragile heart would dissolve in the very box it was kept in.
"I could ask you the same question," He shrugged frankly, ignoring her stinging words as he glanced over at the piles of magic books on the floor, "I hope you're not up to anything you'll regret."
"Why do you think I'm up to anything?" She asked defiantly, tilting her head back slightly in indignation. The tension and emotion were thick in the air, almost suffocatingly so, and she knew both of them felt it.
Her son gave a signature eye roll he'd undoubtedly learned from his biological mother, "You only study this hard when you're about to do something big. Who's your target this time? Grandma and Grandpa? Mom? Or me?"
"Henry I would never-" Regina began quickly as her brow furrowed before realizing she was about to admit that she still cared, seeing his satisfied expression.
"You would never hurt me, I know," He smiled smugly, "Because you love me and I love you." The red glow from the box containing her heart caught the corner of Regina's eye and she hoped he didn't see it. Her heart was radiating at his words and would be a dead give away to him to how much she missed him. She had to remember she was doing this for his sake. Time and again life proved to break her and she couldn't risk putting him in the pathway of the danger and heartache that seemed to haunt she and everyone she loved.
She tried to swallow the knot in her throat as she watched her son glance around the vault once more, "Just don't do anything stupid," He warned with a sentiment that suggested her still trusted her despite everything, before turning to start back up the stairs to the exit, "And mom? I'm never going to give up on you, so when you're done grieving and stop being stubborn, put your heart back in and let me know, okay? I'm here for you," He stopped on the steps, glancing back over his shoulder and waiting for affirmation.
Henry understood her in a way that no one ever had. He knew that she often did the wrong things for the right reasons. He saw past her wall and had thick enough skin to chip away at it. Regina blinked back the tears, willing herself to be strong but feeling her resolve crumble as he stood, refusing to leave until she agreed to come back to him eventually. She knew everyone would be safer if she left them alone. She knew she should say something hurtful and try to make him not care. Still, she found herself giving him a slow nod.