So... I haven't had a review since the first chapter... talk to me! This is where it starts to get pretty dark so TW: mentions of marital rape, substance abuse
After tucking Roland in, Regina still couldn't seem to settle down after the interesting night they had. Robin watched her go for her purse and coat. "Where are you going?" "I just need to get out for a while. Take a walk. Maybe get a drink." "Are you sure that's a good idea?" "I'll be back in an hour. If I'm not back you can come get me, but please just let me be by myself for an hour," she pleaded with him.
He nodded, "Okay. One hour." He kissed her forehead and she smiled and kissed his lips. She couldn't help but smile. "I'm fine. Stop worrying. I just need an hour then I'm all yours," Regina teased. Robin raised his eyebrows playfully while she turned to leave.
She walked to the Rabbit Hole for a drink or two, praying no one would find her there at such a late hour on a Monday. She was on her second drink when a figure slid in the seat next to her at the bar.
"Well, I never pegged you for a whiskey drinker. I always thought wine was more your thing" Regina turned to see Maleficent next to her with her blonde hair in perfect curls, thick eyeliner, and red lips. "Well tonight's been a whiskey kind of night." "That bad huh? What is it now? Your sister? Robin? Trouble in paradise?" she mocked as she swirled her own drink around and took a sip. Despite her belittlement, she seemed genuinely interested in Regina's problems. Maybe they were still friends after all this time.
"More like Snow White dropping an emotional bomb on me, and I don't want to be up all night thinking about it." Regina said as she downed the last of her drink. "I have to get back home."
"Well I'm sorry to hear about that. It must be hard to play friends with your old nemesis. Anyway, let me know if you need something a little more than alcohol to take the edge off." Maleficent gave her a wink, got out of her chair, and put a hand on Regina's shoulder in an almost seductive way. "You know where to find me." Regina felt a familiar mischievous smile creep up on her face, "Indeed I do."
When she got home she was slightly buzzed and not yet tipsy but close. She wasn't thinking about Snow or Zelena or the Dark One. She wasn't thinking anything except about how comfortable she was in Robin's arms. She continued to think of nothing and had the first uninterrupted night's sleep in months.
Another week had passed with no major progress aside from Rumple coming out of his coma. Regina continued to feel a cocktail of anger, anxiety, and depression bubbling beneath her surface so she took Mal up on her offer and acquired these blue pills. She didn't even ask what they were. She didn't want to know as long as they would help her.
There had been a string of robberies in town, and as mayor she had to attend a briefing with Emma, David, and Snow who was rocking Neal back and forth the whole time. Emma noticed how Regina barely said a word and had a glazed over quality about her. Was she even listening?
When the meeting adjourned, Emma asked to speak to Regina. There was no response. "Regina!" she flinched "What?" It was then that Emma noticed a slight redness in the whites of her eyes. "Oh my God are you high?" she asked, astounded.
"What are you talking about…" the lack of full consciousness was in her voice. Regina Mills was the most articulate person in town and now she's slurring and mumbling. "Don't even deny it." Regina made a pouty face, "Fine. I took some pills and I didn't realize how powerful they are so I'll take less next time."
"Next time!" Emma had her arms crossed and stopped her pacing. "Emma they help me. I'll take less but I can't deal with what I feel every day. Just let me handle this until we find a way to get the Dark One out of me. Please I'm begging."
"Ugh. Just take as little as possible and make sure no one else notices. Where did you even get them?" "Uhh…How about I say Dr. Hopper and you don't look into it." Emma rolled her eyes. "Just take care of yourself."
Another week passed with no news. Regina was hiding her drug use well by only taking half a pill a day. Emma's watchful eye did not go unnoticed. Regina could feel her watching her every move. She felt dull and maybe even almost numb, but it was better than feeling the monster inside of her.
The awkwardness between Snow and Regina seemed to subside for the time being. School was starting and Roland started Kindergarten while Henry entered his freshman year of high school. Things were quiet on the home front until Regina got a call from Emma.
"What did she say?" Robin asked when she hung up the phone.
"They found the guy who's been robbing houses, and he kidnapped a little girl. He'll only tell us her location if all of us are there."
"Why on earth would he want all of us there? Do you know him?"
"He used to be one of my guards I think but other than that no."
When they arrived at the station, they weren't ready for what lied before them. A man of about thirty five sat in the interrogation room, handcuffed to the table. Everyone was there: Emma, Snow, David, her, and Robin. All by his request. A smile grew on his face when they all filed into the room.
Emma began, "Gary Liger. Caught robbing a house on 3rd street…" "And in possession of a nine year old girl hidden somewhere in town. Please," he motioned Regina to the chair across from him. "Sit."
"Here's how this is going to work…" "You don't get to make demands here," Emma interrupted. He gave her side eye and continued, "My terms are simple actually and I'm the only one who knows where she is so yes, I do get to make the demands. I will reveal a clue about her location for every secret I reveal about this one here," he said pointing to Regina.
Regina laughed, "Like you know anything about me." Gary leaned back in his chair. "Ah, so quick to forget, Your Majesty. Did you forget our time together? I guess I shouldn't be offended. I was one of… what? Over fifty people you fucked that year. You know what year I'm talking about. The one where you were finally free of your husband." He looked over to Snow, "The year she killed your father."
Although she was freaking out internally, Regina kept her calm composure on the outside as the entire room had their eyes on her. "How about I start from the beginning? Let start with why she killed the King in the first place." He clasped his shackled hands together and looked straight into Regina's eyes.
"Must have been awful losing your virginity to a man three times your age and playing mother to a child only eight years younger than you. A child you couldn't even look at without picturing your mother squeezing your true love's heart to dust right in front of you. You didn't kill the King to get power or to hurt Snow. You did it because you hated him with every fiber of your being. You hated how he ignored you until you had to appear publicly or until he had an itch to scratch. You dreaded the nights when he would crawl into your bed even after begging him not to."
Regina's composer was still calm but not relaxed in the slightest. She tried not to look at the other's reactions. She focused on staring at Gary until she could leave the room. In the corner of her eye she saw Snow's mouth open in shock.
"The girl is handcuffed so you'll need the keys. I'll tell you where they are later, but she's indoors," he said looking at Emma and then back to Regina. "So then there's the period after his death where you took your sexual freedom to… let's say an extreme. You slept with half your guards, including me. You seduced almost everyone you did business with. You had the Huntsman locked up. I seem to recall a special relationship with Maleficent." At this information, Regina could see everyone exchange glances. "Captain Hook, and rumors that you and Rumple hit the sack a time or two." Emma's eyes grew wide. She almost said something, but thought better of it.
"The keys to handcuff are in the glove compartment of a red pick-up truck parked outside." Regina felt like she was on fire. She was burning alive from the inside out. Gary didn't fail to notice. "We can talk about the obvious crimes you committed. The amount of people you killed. Can you even count them? Do you sleep at night knowing you caused the deaths of innocent children? Or what about the death of your own father? Or should I say murder?"
Regina could feel tears forming behind her eyes. "How did it feel to reach into your own father's chest and kill him? All for a curse to punish Snow White. A curse that ultimately failed. Was it worth it?"
She started shaking. She didn't know how much more of this she could take. "The girl is at 616 Wainworth Avenue." David jumped into action and ran out the room to get her. Regina slowly stood up, her eyes never leaving Gary's although they were quickly filling with tears.
As soon as she left the room, her walk turned into a sprint to the bathroom. Snow went after her while Emma and Robin led Gary to his cell. She opened the bathroom door to find Regina hunched over, leaning against the wall taking huge, ragged breaths.
"Regina?" Snow knew not to ask if she was okay. She's clearly not. She just needed Regina to know she was there. "I… I can't… breathe" Regina whispered between gasps.
Snow grabbed a paper towel and ran it under the sink. "Here sit down," she said as she guided Regina to the floor and placed the wet towel on the back of Regina's neck. That's when Emma and Robin came in to check on her.
Although they hadn't had much time to process all the information, they couldn't help but look at Regina differently. They were angry, yes. But Regina was clearly suffering enough for all of them. Her face was completely saturated with sweat and tears.
Emma bent down next to Snow and Regina. "Hey, we're right here okay?" When she met Emma's eyes, her breaths slowed slightly although she was still gasping and hiccuping. Robin knelt down in front of her and held her hand without saying a word. A final tear rolled down her cheek, and now all that was left were deep breaths and dizziness. Snow gently rubbed Regina's back, "Put your head between your knees for a few minutes." Regina obeyed and sat there on the bathroom floor with her head between her knees surrounded by three people who now know her darkest secrets. Three people that may never look at her the same.