Shit!
Regina was standing there totally impassive, quiet, waiting for a response. She looked completely immaculate, with only the slightest amount of dirt on her knees as evidence of her gardening. Emma and Elsa both had frozen in panic, both wondering what to do.
Quick Emma, think!
"I wanted to ask you out!" Emma blurted out in a hurry. What why did I say that. God I need to think before I open my mouth.
If Regina was feeling any shock, it was not showing. Other then I blink of distant eyes she seemed just as before. Nothing different nothing escaping her mind. No insight into her thoughts. Meanwhile Elsa jaw looked like it was about to drop off.
'I mean with Henry. Me, you and Henry should have a proper catch up." Phew! Quick save.
"I don't think that will be appropriate, I must return to my dut-chores. Have you retrieved the item that Henry wanted?" Regina replied after a beat, methodically and slowly as if she was worried to arise anger.
"What?" Emma asked before she could stop her self.
"Is that not the reason you came round? I must have been mistaken. I'm always getting things wrong."
Shocked by the self-depreciation that she had never witnessed before in Regina, all Emma could do was flounder.
Elsa, politely, jumped in quickly, "I believe that Emma meant to say 'pardon', as I think she simply did not hear what you asked?" She elbowed Emma subtly as to reprimand her for her foolishness. Emma was quicker to take on, Me and my stupid mouth. Remember to think before you speak.
"Emma, Regina asked if you had retrieved the item, Henry asked for."
"Oh yeah,,, um..got it." Emma said sheepishly.
"Well since you have got what you came for," If only "you will want to be leaving. Yes?" Careful with her wording as no to be dismissive or rude.
Emma couldn't think of a reason to stay and not wanting to push Regina and cause her to retreat further. "I guess, I should yeah." She looked at Elsa pleading her to think of a reason to stay. Come on Els. I don't want to leave her. Who know what could happen.
Elsa thinking along the same lines asked Regina, "Would it be acceptable to perhaps stay wit you for a while? I don't really have anywhere to go and its is ever so cramped back at back at Emma's and I know no one else."
"If you truly wish it. I will house you, though I doubt it would be as nice as anywhere else." Regina said with finality.
"No you have a lovely home, almost as good as my own."
"Yes… second" she said as almost a whisper, slightly louder "Just choose any spare bedroom you wish.' She said before spinning her heels and silently leaving the two blondes worried and questioning.
What had happened? Since when had Regina had this much self-hate within her? She also was so confident in herself, making a room aware of how great she was. Always so composed and well… regal. Know she still seemed composed but she lacked her fire, their was no passion in what she was saying. All her fight was gone. She may have been conscious and now responding but she didn't seem alive or even really there. It was like her essence had died and all that was left was her mere chemical being. The flame has turned to embers barely burning and the slightest blow could either bring back the fire or destroy it completely forever.
Emma turned to Elsa, " I best be going for the night," She sighed before clutching Elsa's hands, "Look after her, watch her, make sure she's alright. I gonna come back tomorrow. I will fix this."
"Don't worry Emma I 'm going to. I may not know Regina but I saw her in the vault to and trust me I want to make what ever that was better. I think you might ant to inform your family."
"Yes, I will see you tomorrow."
With that Emma quickly left the mansion, not sparing a look behind her for fright of what she might see. She quickly got into her car and just rested her head on the steering wheel. Thinking about the day that just passed. Something was deeply wrong and for the first time in what seemed like forever it wasn't something magical or fairytale. It was real. It was deep and it was emotional, it was life and it was scaring Emma more then anything had in the past 4 years. She just hoped she could still deal with this.
AS she drove back to the apartment she started to think. Look wise Regina seemed fine, apart from one thing, the thing that always gave her away, the thing Emma learned to love first. Oh how Emma loved her eyes. Those rich swirls of Chocolate, they brown seemed to swirl in around her eyes before eventually meeting the black core. Even when they where at each others throats she would look into those eyes and she felt as though she had found a home, they always held this glow in them. Emotion shown through the brink in her eyes, fear, sadness, anxiety, Emma found sign's of these in her eyes. Though better was the joy, kindness and undying love that graced them when Emma was lucky enough to witness and a hint of a laugh or smile that had yet to become and often never actually was allowed to be born, as Regina kept it hidden. But Emma knew, she saw it there with those glorious eyes. Now those eyes held no emotion, they seemed to have stilled, they seemed not to focus, there where no swirls, there was noting. Regina's eyes where the most human thing about her they where poetry in themselves and now those sweet lines seemed to have been erased.
"Still your eyes giving you away Regina,"
Finally another chapter up, tell me what you think, also if Elsa seems off. I wanted to make her seem very regal.
As well, Is anyone reading this a big fan of Robin or Hook? Because if so Robin may not been shown favorably. Though I won't bash, just depict his character how I think he has behaved so far in canon. Hook also wont be bashed but I want to put a spin on his character. Neither will play that much of a key role most likely, I just wanted to warn you, if you like them, though as this is a SQ story I think most would be indifferent.