Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has favorited, put this story on alert and special thanks to those who have reviewed. It's always great to see what you liked and didn't like about the chapter. Helps me write a better story. I'm all for input on your end and I've heard you on the subject of Emma's personality. I promise I have.
I understand that Emma is a bitch. I wrote her like this on purpose. ;-D Because honestly? I think this is how she would react if this is what happened to her on her birthday. She isn't the same woman that we just watched in the season finale. She has no connections to anyone in Storybrooke no connection to Henry or Mary Margaret or any friends to lean on or turn to. She is the same hyper vigilant, runner that she was in the beginning of the show who has a witty sarcastic tude. Which, honestly? I love to see pop up. She will change. Just like she did in the show. It'll just take time.
Until then however I think you'll enjoy her tude as much as I do. ;-) Because with her tude and Regina's? Those two are going to be at each other's throats ALL the time, something I really don't mind watching or reading. Hope you don't either.
Anyway, thanks again for all the feedback on the story and the interest in it. Enjoy this chapter—as much as you can. Warning: it is (a tad bit) sad/devastating.
Chapter Three
'Nightmares of the Past'
Regina pulled her black Mercedes into the driveway. The roads had been slick but the farther north she had driven the farther she had gotten from the rain. It seemed the storm that had passed through Boston had also taken a spill here. There were puddles still formed in the streets and the sidewalks were a light black rather than their usual dull gray.
Sighing as she cut the engine off, Regina looked at the time. It was nearing six o'clock. Henry should just be finishing up with his session with Archie. No doubt Graham was inside somewhere, probably the kitchen, with Kathryn. The three had formed a rather unexpected friendship through these hard times with Henry.
Graham had always been of interest to Regina but as Henry had progressively gotten worse before he'd begun to get better her focus had turned to him. Henry had become the only man in her life that she had much time for. The dalliance that she and the Sherriff had been holding for as long as she could remember had ended. It was only after it had ended that their friendship had grown to consist of more than their business meetings and evenings spent at his room at the Inn.
Regina did not have many friends in the past. Her past was littered with the bodies of the people she'd once considered friends and many of them had died at her own hand. Her longest living friend, the last time they had seen each other, they had almost killed each other. So to find a true friend who was willing to put up with her mood swings and her cancelled plans and even come over with a bottle of wine after a long day was startling.
Kathryn had been more of a surprise than her friendship with Graham. Kathryn was a certified teacher and Registered Nurse. Regina had hired her as soon as she had read her resume. Kathryn home schooled Henry and was their resident home care nurse for Henry. She'd hired Kathryn when she realized it would be to his benefit to stay away from the germs found at a public school or any school with a large populace of children. At least here at home she could control as much as possible.
It was comforting as well to have him home and away from the kids that would pick on him.
Thinking on her friendship with Graham and Kathryn she felt almost justified in her assumption that no matter what the three of them put their minds to they could accomplish. They were certainly a force to be reckoned with. Regina with her power over the very town itself, Graham with his influence, and Kathryn with her intellect and charm, they were a trio made of the best and worst kind. It was exactly what Regina needed to survive the last two years. The strength that she could pull from Graham and Kathryn had kept her sane, conscious, and strong through the worst of Henry's illness.
She hoped that tonight they would be able to help pull her heart out from the gutter where she'd left it laying useless and dead back in Boston.
Taking a deep breath Regina steeled herself, checked how she looked in the mirror one last time, and stepped out of the car before making her way into her own house. She rubbed hand sanitizer into her hands and kicked off her shoes, opened the closet door with her elbow and pushed her shoes inside and hung up her jacket before she moved any further into the house. As she was just walking up from the stairs into the main foyer of the house her cellphone rang. Opening it at the sight of Mr. Gold's name flashing she turned back around and walked back down the stairs to give herself some privacy. Kathryn and Graham would be upon her soon having heard the door open and close without Archie having said goodbye. They'd be worried.
Regina expected Graham to come around the corner in five seconds with his weapon drawn and facing the ground. She knew him well. Well enough to only wave after five seconds had passed to greet him. The sigh echoed as he left her alone to her call and called out to Kathryn, "Just Regina…Ryn"
They would bombard her with questions the second she closed her phone. She knew they would, so she knew to make this conversation quick.
"What do you mean you can't find her?" Regina hissed.
"It means that I have been unable to locate the approximate location of Ms. Swan." Mr. Gold explained, as he moved around his own shop moving the phone from one counter top to the next as he moved and looked around in his belongings.
"I don't think you understand what this means—"
"No, deary, I know perfectly well what it means if I cannot find Ms. Swan. So don't get your knickers in a twist, I shall find her before the end of your work day tomorrow."
"You sound so sure of yourself,"
"And you sound so unsure of yourself. You know what our deal is," Yes, Regina knew well what their deal was. She'd made it in her greatest time of need and wondered, not for the first time, if she hadn't made a mistake. "Do tell Henry I said hello, please." The line went dead and Regina growled as she turned on her heels and walked through the house.
She wouldn't be calm until she knew for certain that Mr. Gold was not simply playing with her. It wouldn't be the first time. This time however it was too important not to enlist the imp of a man's help. He was the only one that she could turn to help her find Henry's mother. He had, after all, found Henry ten years ago.
Regina looked up and saw Dr. Hopper surprised to see him for a moment.
Archie paled as she met his eyes. She couldn't even muster a proper hello. With her hands fisted at her sides she walked right passed Archie, "Good night Doctor, do see yourself out." Any other pleasantries were forgone as she made her way towards the living room doors.
Normally she would inquire how the session had gone and how Henry was really doing as the boy hardly ever told her the truth these days. He didn't want to upset her or make her feel any worse than she already did for being unable to help him. So he often kept quiet about his ills and pains. It was why she'd hired Archie. Henry needed someone he could talk to that was safe. He also needed someone he could talk to about the anger he felt towards the world and oftentimes her for what was happening to him. Archie and Henry would officially be seeing the other in therapy for two years come next month and the improvement was phenomenal. Phenomenal enough that Regina paid Archie an outrageous salary.
Standing before the closed living room doors for a moment to calm herself down, Regina shook out her hands and forced her fingers to uncurl from their fists. Satisfied that she didn't look as if she was going to murder someone, she opened the sliding doors into the living room and stepped inside.
Henry was lying on the couch, an IV pole behind him attached to his arm as he held tightly onto the stuffed bear that she had gotten him when he was two years old. He didn't sleep well without Mr. Brownie. He hadn't since Regina had gotten him the bear. Mr. Brownie was the formally deep brown bear's name. Now he was more of a soft sandy color. Mr. Brownie was like a third member of the family that couldn't ever be forgotten. It was Mr. Brownie that Henry held onto as he went through chemotherapy with one arm as he held onto her hand with the other. It was Mr. Brownie that Henry woke up to after each test, biopsy, transfusion, and the transplant, with her sitting beside the bed as well of course. The stuffed animal offered Henry comfort that sometimes Regina could not.
Feeling the familiar burn of tears she fought them off like she had learned to do years ago, and stepped around the armchair facing the couch. Henry was fast asleep, the TV flickering as ads popped up and the screen displayed the name of the composer of the soft classical music playing through the speakers. Classical music, she'd played it to help Henry fall asleep as an infant and even though he loathed admitting it to his few friends while he was younger. In his bedroom Henry had a burned CD of his favorite composers' music. The CD played on repeat all through the night as he slept. Regina had her own copy of the CD in her bedroom and played it as well. The third copy stayed in the small CD player that the hospital allowed into Henry's room while he was staying overnight. They couldn't bring in iPods or iPhones so Regina resorted to CD's and a player to let Henry have at least that small comfort.
"Hello honey," Regina whispered softly, sitting on the coffee table directly across from the couch she leaned over and kissed Henry's forehead as she brushed his hair back away from his face. He stirred a bit but didn't wake up. He looked so peaceful in his sleep, so calm and safe and handsome. He looked like any normal kid sleeping on his couch after a long day at school. Except he hadn't gone to public school for two years and it was probably his visit to the doctors this afternoon that had tired him out. Not to mention the fact that there was an IV attached to his arm giving him fluids he needed to stay healthy.
Kissing his forehead again Regina breathed in his scent before leaning back. She stared at his face for a few minutes. She'd never left him for such a long time before. She'd been gone for two days. The longest Henry had been away from her where she couldn't physically see him was a sleepover he'd had. Before that it had only been hours that had separated them, not days and hundreds of miles.
"He's been good these last two days, curious as to where you went, but good. He was able to keep down his breakfast and dinner today. Lunch made him feel a bit sick."
Regina nodded at the news, swallowing as she kept her eyes on Henry's slowly rising and falling chest. "He…" she cleared her throat, "…he usually has more trouble during the afternoon because of the…"
"…medication." The two women said together. Regina turned away from Henry and looked to the woman standing in the doorway.
It took only a moment before her bottom lip began to quiver and her hand shot up to cover her mouth and nose as she sucked in a shallow breath. Her heart raced against her chest as everything just seemed to fall into place. She had promised herself two days ago that she would not return home without Ms. Emma Swan and here she sat in her living room with her dying son and her best friend and Ms. Swan was nowhere to be found.
Her son's last hope was nowhere to be found and it was all her fault! She'd pushed too hard. Insisted too fiercely, she'd driven Ms. Swan away and now it was not her that would suffer but Henry. "It's my fault…Ryn it's all my fault. I failed, I failed him."
Even as she sobbed, no tears fell from her eyes as she rested her head on Kathryn's shoulder. Kathryn led her out of the living room so she would not wake Henry. Graham closed the door behind the two women, his eyes on Henry until the door blocked his view.
On the couch the 'sleeping boy' opened his eyes at the click of the door and stared sadly down at Mr. Brownie. He squeezed the bear tighter against his chest and wished, not for the first time, that his mother would no longer feel such pain because of him.
-.-.-
Kathryn stood outside of Regina's bedroom door watching as Graham deposited the sleeping woman into her own bed. Henry was lying on the other side of the bed and Graham was careful not to wake either of the sleeping Mills. Turning off the light Graham stepped out into the hallway with her. She closed the door, leaving it open a crack just in case. "Sweet dreams…" She whispered into the quiet room.
She slept in the guest room—that might as well be her own room now that she'd stayed over so often in the last two years. Graham had work to go do so she'd stay the night. Usually one or the other would stay here at least twice a week, usually on nights before or after Henry had a doctor's appointment or one test or another. Graham had to work tonight, like he did most nights. He'd taken as much time away from the job as he could so he could be here for dinner and to see how things had gone with Regina's trip.
Neither of them had needed to hear how badly it had gone when Graham had come back into the kitchen to tell Kathryn that Regina had come home alone. Kathryn hoped as she walked Graham to the door and kissed him goodbye, that the valium Regina had taken would keep her dreams sweet. She'd need the rest. Tomorrow they all had a lot to talk about and a lot of things to figure out.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.- Months Prior -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Dr. Ronald McCarthy had come into their little township and had brought with him an allusive feeling of hope. Hope for the future. The same hope that had been lacking for the last five months since the word terminal had first been spoken by Dr. Whale.
Regina did not like the slumped shoulders. She did not like how Dr. McCarthy could hardly meet her eyes as he made his way slowly down the hallway towards her, towards all those waiting for his diagnosis. His findings.
They had all been hopeful. There had been optimism in the Storybrooke residents in the last two days thanks to the hope Dr. McCarthy offered.
Terminal
It had been like being hit with a blunt force object to the head. It had knocked Regina clear off her feet and right into Graham's waiting arms. There was nothing more they could do. They were sorry. The tests showed that it couldn't be stopped. Unless they could find a match there was very little they could do.
Dr. Whale broke the news to the all-powerful Mayor that there was nothing she could do when it mattered most. Regina Mills was a formidable woman. She could be your worst enemy if you wronged her. So she knew that Dr. Whale did not speak lightly when he told her that Henry was coming out of remission and that wasn't the worst part of his bad news. The chemotherapy wasn't working. The disease was spreading. It would cause multiple organ failure within the next four months. He was sorry but the disease was fatal. Fatal, meaning death was eminent and there was nothing she could do. There was no cure. There was nothing left that hadn't already been done.
Terminal
The illness, the silly little illness that had begun as nothing more than a fever and a bad case of the stomach flu was terminal.
Regina wasn't known for taking anything while lying down. So she'd made calls. Hundreds of calls, logged in even more hours of research looking for the best. Only the best would do because only the best would consider looking at a 'terminal' case. Five days after the word terminal had been spoken Regina had welcomed a second opinion. They too spoke the hitherto forbidden word.
So she sought after a third opinion. Then a fourth. Dr. McCarthy was her fifth opinion and Regina did not know if she could handle hearing the forbidden word spoken from his lips.
This is it. Now or never, Regina thought as Dr. McCarthy came closer.
Regina took a deep breath, standing from her seat on unsteady legs. Beside her Kathryn stood as well. Her friend placed a hand gently on her back, a welcome show of support. In the corner of the waiting room sat Mary Margaret. The church-mouse-esque woman had her hands clasped tightly in her lap. They were nearly as white knuckled as Regina's. The teacher's eyes were locked on Regina and the approaching doctor. Everyone's were. Everyone was waiting. Watching, wondering, hoping…
Where was Graham? Regina thought a bit panicked as she realized he was nowhere to be seen. He had gone to get them all some coffee, but that had been ten minutes ago. What was taking him so long? Where was he when she needed him most? That was it. If he decided coffee was more important than being here with her while she learned the fate of her son she would find a new Sheriff. Maybe Sidney would do. The man certainly had helped, had put in more hours than anyone else (except Regina) in finding another option, another doctor, another treatment plan, just another anything. Anything but looking at hospices, and funeral homes, and coffins and, just, well anything else.
Everyone's breath held tightly in their chest as they waited, even as they all knew, just by looking at Dr. McCarthy, that his words would not be the ones they wanted to hear.
"I'm sorry…" Something akin to a broken sob escaped Regina's lips as she nearly fell back into the chair she'd just risen from.
Graham had just stepped back into the waiting room with a thick paper holder with four steaming cups of coffee just like the ladies liked them. The sight he saw made his fingers lose their grasp on the holder, the coffee spraying everywhere even as he jumped over the mess and ran into the waiting room, catching Regina in her near swan dive into the hard tile floor.
"Woah…" He held Regina tight, helping keep up on her feet even if her legs begged her to sit and remain off of them.
She couldn't. Regina swallowed the bile that rose. She felt dizzy, as if the world had just upturned on its axis.
No…no, this could not be.
"Surely there is something that can be done?" Regina begged, her eyes glazed with tears that would not fall.
Dr. McCarthy shook his head sadly in answer.
"This can't be all there is!" Regina nearly screamed. She never raised her voice, never. Not in all the years that anyone had known her had she raised her voice this loudly before. "You, you, you're the best oncologist in the country! You cannot tell me that there is nothing else that can be done!"
"Mayor Mills I am truly sorry…but there is nothing I can do." His emphasis was lost to Regina. What did he expect her to do if he could do nothing? Hadn't she already found him? Found another option?
"You're sorry! You're SORRY!" Regina lurched forward ready to punch the man. However Graham's deft grip on her kept her exactly where she was. "You arrogant self-righteous bastard! You were supposed to be the best. Surely the best can figure something else that can be done."
"Mayor Mills I understand that this is difficult…"
"No, no, do not tell me that you understand. You don't understand. No one here can understand! No one!" Well, maybe Mary Margaret could, if she could remember actually having a daughter to lose, "You, you can't just tell me there is nothing that can be done." Regina swallowed the lump in her throat as she looked into Dr. McCarthy's eyes. "There has to be something else. Something more! You did all the tests that these idiots have done! You're the highly recommended specialist. You should have found something others missed!"
"I'm sorry Mayor Mills, but sometimes there is nothing else to find. Nothing else that can be done. Sometimes things like this can't be fixed. I'm sorry, I truly am. Henry seems like a wonderful boy. But it might be time that you start considering what is best for Henry. More invasive tests are only going to prolong his pain."
"No, no…" Regina shook her head violently from side to side before glaring at the elderly gentlemen in his white lab coat. His visitor badge mocked Regina now that he had come and done nothing, given her nothing more than the doctors here had given her. Insincere condolences and the same diagnosis that condemned Regina every time it was given. Over and over and over again.
"Regina…" Turning her head sharply Regina met Mary Margaret's eyes. The young woman had, at some point, stood from her seat in the corner and had moved to stand within the small circle that had gathered. Mary Margaret was not as skilled as Regina however, and Regina took great pleasure in that small fact, because Mary Margaret's cheeks were wet with tears at the news. Regina's tears hadn't fallen. She refused to let them fall. She had to be strong. Even in the face of such travesty.
"No…" Regina whispered. Her chin quivered as she held the caring eyes of Storybrooke's beloved Princess—even here—Saint Mary Margaret Blanchard. She was still the same caring and kind woman who had given so much and asked for nothing in return. Regina snapped her eyes back to Dr. McCarthy, unable to stare into Mary's eyes any longer. They would break her.
Mary Margaret Blanchard would break her and Regina would be damned if that happened.
She would raise hell and high water upon this earth before she let some doctor tell her that she was helpless, again. That there was nothing she could do. Again! There had to be something. She was Regina Mills! The Evil Fucking Queen for goodness sake! No one told Regina that she couldn't do something! No one told her she could not have what she wanted. And by god she wanted a cure, she wanted there to be something the doctors could do.
So, she would get it. Even if it was the last thing she did. Henry was not going to die. There would be no need to look into 'alternative measures' and think of Henry's pain. He would not be in pain anymore, not when she found a cure. Even if that meant she had to invent one herself. Or make a deal to ensure one.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Regina took a seat as Dr. Whale finished up a phone call with someone or other. Regina didn't care. Regina had one purpose in life and at the moment the only reason she hadn't made Dr. Whale hang up the phone was because she didn't know if it pertained to Henry's case. It had been three weeks since Dr. McCarthy had left—been driven out—of Storybrooke. Two weeks since Regina had made a deal she would never regret for as long as she lived—she was sure of it.
Regina had refused to pay Dr. McCarthy for his work. He had promised to sue, but had quickly changed his mind when Graham and half the town seemed willing to string him up at the merest inclination of Regina's head. This town was hardly news worthy but it was notoriously known to support their fellow neighbor. Given that they deserved the help of course, and for once, it seemed that Regina did—if only because by helping her the town helped Henry. It was a win-win.
Last week there had been a Donor's Fest, as they'd called it. Half of the town had shown up to support Henry as he was the only member of the large community with cancer. Of half the town a fifth of those that arrived had their blood tested to see if they were a match for the beloved Prince of Storybrooke.
Regina had paid mostly out of pocket with the help of the hospital. They had it in the open parking lot outside the west end of town hall. It was large enough to hold the fair. They had candy, baked goods, games and information booths spread out throughout the area. They had over sixty volunteers to help hold the festivities. For each family it had cost $30 to get in. The money would be used to pay off the expenses and then donate the excess to St. Jude's Children's Hospital.
Regina was affluent, and could easily keep up a lavish lifestyle even with all the money she was spending on Henry's treatments, so half of the refund she had gained back from the fest she donated to Make a Wish Foundation. A charity, like many others, that Regina only became aware of because of Henry's diagnosis. Her life really had been very small in comparison to what it had become since they found the first cancerous tumor in Henry's liver.
"We've found a match." Dr. Whale's voice broke through her recount of last week's fest.
"A match?" Regina asked, ecstatic as she stood in Dr. Whale's office.
Henry was back in his room at the hospital with Granny and Ruby. The two Wolfs' had arrived as a surprise and brought with them gifts. The Gifts were in the form of Henry's favorite soup now that he was going through chemotherapy again, chicken broth and rice soup and an oatmeal raisin cookie, both fresh from Granny's Coffee Shop were his favorites. They were usually all he could keep down.
With extensive chemotherapy and two surgeries, Henry had been in remission for nearly a year before another tumor presented itself. It was this past Memorial Day that they decided it was time to look into donors now that the tumor had been removed and the doctors talked about upping his chances should he be put onto a donor list.
Unfortunately because of his remission he wasn't even close to the top of the list because his risk factors of living even after the transplant were low. He was a high risk transplant candidate so if they had a chance at a transplant it had to be offered to him specifically from a match they—Dr. Whale and Regina—found.
Out of the thousand people who had attended the gathering—truly touching Regina deeply—a hundred and fifty people donated blood. Out of those hundred and fifty, there had been two dozen with similar blood type matches. Of those two dozen six were possible candidates for a transplant with further testing. Of those six one had been found as the best option after their medical histories had been evaluated, their livers anatomical size. Then there had been the social and psychological screening done of the six and apparently, one was Regina's lucky number.
One single match. With that one match one single flame of hope had literally grown into an electric torch for Regina in the last five seconds. One was all they needed. Just one, that was what Dr. Whale had said, and now they had that one.
"Who is it?" Regina asked impatiently.
Dr. Whale looked down at the sheet in front of him, the number and name of the individual on top bolded. The stark black thick print stood out against the rest of the smaller thin print that Regina would probably be unable to understand in-depth.
"Well…its good news in the case of they'll actually go through with it." Dr. Whale seg-wayed, knowing that Regina's reaction was going to be conflicted. She would never ask this woman for help, Regina would rather die than owe anything to her, and yet now Regina would owe the life of her only son.
Regina's lips thinned, "Who—is—it—?" She pronounced thickly as she looked at Connor.
"Ms. Blanchard."
Regina's eyes widened as she leaned back against the chair heavily. Her heart rose into her throat as she stared unblinkingly at Connor. Sure that she had stepped into the twilight zone. Surely he hadn't just said that the only match found in all of those who'd been tested was the one woman with whom Regina could not turn to. Would not turn to and yet, had no choice.
The irony of it all! To do everything in her power to ruin the preachy little goody two shoes. And now? To have everything on the line with only one ray of hope shinning from Regina's nemesis. Biting into her bottom lip she sucked in a deep breath and tried to remain calm. She truly did.
"Mary Margaret BLANCHARD!" Regina raised her voice, her face red as she gripped the arms of the chair till her knuckles went white.
Connor flinched as he pushed his chair back, even farther away from his desk, glad that at least that piece of furniture was between them.
He waited, silently, as Regina calmed down. After fifteen minutes, she finally looked up and met his eyes. "Have you informed her yet?"
"No. I thought it prudent to talk with you first. Just in case."
"Just in case she decides, what? Not to do it? Blackmails me? Holds this over my head for the rest of my life?" Regina laughed bitterly, "That woman has been adamant about how unfit I am as a mother, now she can hold it against me that in my son's time of need I can't even offer him what he needs most, but she can." Stewing in her loathing for Ms. Blanchard, Regina rang her hands together as they sat in her lap.
What choice did she have any more on the matter? Henry needed this transplant and if Mary Margaret was willing to be bed ridden for at least three weeks, a week or two in the hospital at minimum, Regina would accept her generosity with a grain of salt. She would kiss the woman's feet if she agreed to this transplant. She realized she was that desperate. Which she had realized when Mr. Gold had taken the opportunity to make a deal with her, the slimy bastard that he is.
Sitting up straight, composed once again, Regina looked to Dr. Whale. "Shall we do this then, doctor?"
Connor fumbled as he reached for his phone, "Yes, of course. Just wait one moment, and…" He dialed Mary Margaret's number. The woman was not home, as she would not be this time of day, she was a teacher after all. Thankfully summer break was just around the corner, that would give the teacher plenty of time to recover, if all went well, and she had plenty of people willing to help her should she go through with this transplant which was why she was the best match. She would have the time to recover and not worry about losing her job and had a half dozen people willing to help her during the recovery—himself included.
The phone rang and rang and like he expected she did not pick up. He left a brief message asking her to call him and when he hung up he was surprised to see Regina standing up and picking up her bag. It wasn't until she was at the door that he realized she expected him to follow her. "Aren't you coming, Doctor?"
"Uh, uhhmm…" He fumbled with his things, grabbed the folder with Mary Margaret's results and then his keys, before stumbling out the door with Regina after locking up his office.
The drive to Storybrooke Elementary School was a short one. Regina wondered why Connor looked so pale as he stepped out of the car. It wasn't as if she had broken too many traffic laws. She had only been twenty five miles above the speed limit at all times, not wanting to hurt anyone unneededly. It wouldn't do to be too irresponsible. She was the Mayor after all.
Walking down once familiar halls, Regina found Mary Margaret's classroom easily enough. The children were just collecting their things and Mary Margaret was calling out through the classroom, wishing them all a wonderful day and she'd see them tomorrow. Hmm, Regina looked at her watch, it seemed class was finished and school was finally over.
Wonderful, now Regina wouldn't have to worry about the children stealing away half of Mary Margaret's attention.
"Mayor Mills…" Mary gasped as she saw Regina and Dr. Whale. "Connor…"
Regina raised a brow, wondering when Connor and Mary Margaret had become close enough to be on a first name basis. No worries however, she simply stepped into the room, careful of the children running out of the room around and about her.
"…to what do I owe this visit?" Mary Margaret asked as she fiddled with some papers on her desk, her smile never faltering as she looked between the Mayor and Doctor. Regina noticed that her hands were shaking and apparently clammy since she wiped them off on her skirt several times. She knows…Regina thought with a grim smile.
"I believe that it should be self-evident why I am here with Dr. Whale, Ms. Blanchard."
The teacher had the graciousness to blush and then promptly fall into her seat. "I'm a match…" She stared blankly out into the room, her eyes remaining open. She stood up suddenly and stared at Dr. Whale, not even taking a moment to blink at the news. "When can we do the surgery?"
"Uh, well, the sooner the better and…" Connor stumbled surprised at her eagerness. Or maybe he should be more surprised of his own surprise. This was Mary Margaret after all.
Regina stared, unable to help herself. "That's all? Nothing more? You know you're a match and now it's…what? You'll just willingly jump under the blade? Not even taking a moment to comment, insult, or…" Regina waved her hand in the air uselessly, "blackmail me?" Regina's eyes hardened. "Why?"
"Of course not!" Mary Margaret's voice was breathless, unbelieving as she stared at Regina. "What do you take me for Madame Mayor? Heartless?" The woman looked truly stricken at the image Regina had of her. "I would never use this against you. We have our issues with each other." Mary Margaret shook her head, "How or when they began I can't even remember, but this is not about us. This is about your son. About Henry. About a little boy that needs help and if I can help him then I will do everything I can. He doesn't deserve this…" Mary Margaret looked at Regina, her eyes softening, just as her tone did. "…and honestly Madame Mayor? Neither do you."
For the second time in the same month, Mary Margaret Blanchard nearly ruined her. Almost ruins her, makes her crumble and break and fall to pieces. Almost.
Regina's jaw works restlessly as she makes sure not to let it tremble, the burning at the back of her eyes nearly unbearable. "Well, then…there are several things you and Dr. Whale will need to speak about. Once you have concluded your talk, if you are still willing, then…I shall I…" Regina looked away, turned on her heel and simply left the room. Running was not a sign of cowardice. She just, she had somewhere else to be. Anywhere else really, because for the first time in what felt like forever, she knew that everything was going to be okay.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Regina turned onto her side, moaning in her sleep as she relived some of the worst moments of her life, and some of the best. Beside her she felt a small hand grab onto her hand and hold hers tightly. Relaxing into the mattress she turned back towards the source of the comfort.
"Everything will be okay…" The small voice whispered into the darkness around them. "I promise. She'll come. Everything will be okay…" Henry whispered, running his thumb back and forth across his mother's hand, watching as her face relaxed and her shoulders sagged, the tension in her body slowly leaving her alone long enough so she could sleep soundly.
End Chapter Three
And so a little bit of Regina and Henry's past is uncovered in the Mayor's memories. What'd you think?
Be on the look out for similarities in this fic and the show in the next chapter. ;-)