Thank you guys for reading this! I love reviews and comments, even short ones. I know it's been a while since I updated but this story is becoming harder for me to write. Fair warning now: this story is going to be dark, and angsty and painful. It might trigger things for people and I will try my hardest tag them or put up a warning when I can. For those of you who don't know, all my stories have a happy ending so this one will as well but it will definitely be a bumpy ride. Therefore, the time between chapters will probably be closer to a week because I want these chapters to be well thought out and I want them to feel right for before I publish them. So thanks in advance for understanding and being patient! And now, enjoy the next chapter!
Unable to avoid her any longer, Emma started taking her lunch breaks in Regina's office. They used to do this often before Emma dragged her and the rest of her family to the underworld. Those lunches were filled with smiles and laughter. These lunches are tense and awkward and sometimes even emotional. Regina made Emma's lunch everyday, making sure it was full of healthy items but never too big for Emma to eat. She knew the process of getting Emma's eating habits back on track was going to be long and challenging.
Emma also started seeing Dr. Hopper in the hopes that he could help her figure out the root of her stress and anxiety. Dr. Hopper helped a lot but there was really only one person that Emma felt truly safe speaking to. And that person was split in half. Although Regina's less evil half was incredibly understanding and helpful, Emma couldn't help but feel like Regina pitied her. And she hated that feeling. Regina's evil half on the other hand was a fantastic listener and showed no pity and little compassion. She told Emma the truth, no matter how harsh it may be. Regina did too but the Evil Queen was much less gentle about it. And Emma felt like she needed that right now. Tough love, Dr. Hopper would say.
Emma's relationship with Hook was strenuous to say the least. He complained everyday that she was spending far too much time with Regina and Henry and neglecting her. Yet she came home to him every night and gave him everything she thought she needed to. She was becoming a professional at taking her mind to a different place when she needed to. Hook would roll over at night when they went to bed, smelling of rum, and take what he wanted. Emma would use that time to dream about the life she always wanted, the dark eyes and chocolate brown hair of a woman flickering through her mind like scenes from a movie. When Hook was done, he would roll back over and fall asleep. Those were the nights Emma would silently cry herself to sleep and the days following were those where food was hardest to swallow. She tried to stay out late, hoping to come home after Hook fell asleep and some nights it worked, but other nights it didn't.
Emma didn't mention anything bad about her relationship to anyone, but the Queen seemed to know more than she let on. She slipped comments into their conversations that hinted towards secrets Emma was keeping. The weirdest part was that Emma never panicked or tried to keep things from the Queen. She felt comfortable around her and even if they fought, she still felt safe. Safe was never something Emma had the luxury of feeling, until now. She felt safe with both Regina's and with Henry. Her parents felt suffocating, her mom spoke too much about the upcoming wedding and her father just smiled and hugged her. It was too much sometimes and she just wanted it all to go away.
Dr. Hopper was the only one who knew that Emma was meeting with the Queen regularly. It wasn't like they planned to meet up, but they would both find each other near the docks or the woods or even in Regina's yard when no one was around. They migrated towards each other unconsciously as if connected by a magnet. Whenever Emma needed to talk, the Queen showed up and vice versa. And while they both noticed it, neither said a word. Quick touches of fingers on skin, lingering looks, and the shrinking space between them when they sat together became normal. Emma even found herself dropping her head to the Queen's shoulder a few times. Once, Emma laid on the grass with her head in the Queen's lap, eyes closed, as she ran her fingers through long blonde locks, soothing her stressful thoughts.
"Do you want to tell me what you're thinking about?" the Queen had asked her. Emma kept her eyes closed, relishing in the feeling of the Queen's fingers in her hair.
"Yeah, maybe," Emma had confessed. She opened her eyes too look up into the dark orbs studying her from above. "I want to call you Gina. Can I call you Gina?" The Queen chuckled, shaking her head with a smirk on her lips.
"Really?" she started. "That's what you're thinking about?" Emma smiled brightly, nodding her head.
"Well yeah, because you're not the Evil Queen to me and its hard to call both you and the other Regina, Regina. Do you get what I'm saying? I know you're the same person but you are also your own person and I want to call you Gina." Emma waited, silently watching the emotions playing out on the Queen's face while she contemplated this change.
"Ok," was all the Queen said. Satisfied with that answer, Emma closed her eyes again, settling back into that feeling. "Gina," she whispered. With her eyes closed she missed it, but the bright smile on the Queen's face was brighter than it had been since the split.
Little experiences like that were becoming more frequent but it was obvious to both Regina's that Emma still didn't understand what the Queen meant that night in the woods. They were both growing frustrated watching Emma leave to go back to the pirate every day, knowing that she was unhappy in that relationship. Regina decided to put on a smile or completely ignore the subject any time the wedding came up or Snow mentioned her duties of being the Maid of Honor. Emma had asked her just a week after she agreed to let Regina help her with her eating habits. Regina couldn't say no, she loved Emma and there was no way she would let her down. Gina (the queen) on the other hand, expressed her disgust and disinterest in the pirate, deliberately degrading him every chance she got. It should have upset her more, but Emma didn't really care that Gina didn't like him. She almost enjoyed seeing the jealousy build up as Gina ranted about Hook because it made her feel like she cared. Gina cared about Emma, and Emma loved that feeling.
The Queen was done waiting around for Emma to open her eyes and see what is right in front of her eyes. She devised a plan to ruin Emma's relationship with the pirate. Now she just had to figure out how to set her plan into motion. Maybe it was time to make a trip to see her handsome son.