A/N: Thanks for the reviews, the follows and favorites everyone! I really appreciate the ongoing support for my stories :))) xoxo raven
The Bet
- Part IV
Mary Margaret had left a while ago, but Regina was still standing on her porch, the pixie-haired woman's words running through her head mantra-like.
"You know…you could always find her…and you could bring her back."
That was ridiculous, absurd even.
Regina Mills was not a woman, who begged. Or who ran after somebody for that matter.
Why would she chase after Emma Swan?
After Emma Swan of all people?
Sure, she was thrown by the recent revelations, but it was a rather theoretical thing altogether.
Because while it might be true that Emma had fallen in love with her, although only God knew how that would be possible, there was a fair chance that Regina did not have feelings for the blonde.
Not at all.
Sure, she felt strange since Henry had pointed out to her that Emma loved her, but why?
Did she really care or was it just the surprise, the absurdity of the situation that the woman, who should hate her the most, had become emotionally attached to her?
Her thoughts were one big jumble and Regina did not like it one bit.
She had enjoyed the day with Emma Swan more than she had ever thought possible, yes. And she had even come to the realization that she trusted the blonde more than she would ever care to admit, but was it possible that she was in love with Emma Swan?
The truth was she did not know. She was nowhere near sure what she was feeling. Suggestions were quite powerful and maybe it was just the prospect of somebody loving her for once, which made her consider all this?
Maybe, deep down, she longed so much for a happy ending, that she did not care with whom she would get it at this point?
Maybe it was not about Emma Swan at all, just about finding love for a change?
So, there was no point in bringing the blonde back, now was there?
It would be nothing, but cruel to bring Emma back, to get her hopes up, because Regina was not sure what she wanted.
And if she would come to the conclusion that the former Sheriff clearly was not for her, how would Emma react?
It would do nothing, but hurt her.
No, it was better this way.
Emma could start a new life now.
Somewhere else.
With somebody else.
If Regina would have been able to be honest with herself she would have known that she did not like that idea one bit, but she was nowhere near ready to face that nor what it meant.
Two days later
Regina was sitting in her office, rubbing her temples.
She was tired and exhausted and that nasty headache made it even worse.
Tons of paperwork were waiting for her, but Regina could not focus on anything.
She had not slept since Emma had left town and it started to drive her crazy.
Her thoughts became more and more confusing, she clearly needed to sort them out at some point.
But how?
Emma was gone and she would not, under no circumstances, call her and ask her to come back.
Her pride would always be in the way anyway.
Right that moment Ruby Lucas stormed into her office without knocking and Regina was about to snap at her, but then she saw the furious expression on the leggy brunette's face, "Madame Mayor, we have a problem!"
"What is it?"
"We need a Sheriff..." Ruby stated the obvious.
"I know", Regina dropped her head, because she could not have this discussion now. She was so not in the mood for that.
"No, you don't understand. We need a Sheriff…right now! There's been a car crash down the street…we really need someone…"
Regina opened the drawer of her desk and grabbed the badge.
The badge, which had been on Emma Swan's belt till she had been forced to leave town. The badge she had needed to hide from her sight, because she could not bear to look at it.
She handed it over to a very surprised Ruby, because what other options did she have? The town needed a Sheriff and Emma would not come back, "Congratulations, Miss Lucas. You've been promoted. And since you have a lot of experience being the deputy already…I guess you will be able to handle this?"
"Uhm…yeah…I guess so", Ruby grabbed the badge hesitantly, obviously more than just uncomfortable. Probably because it felt wrong to her to replace her friend.
It felt wrong to Regina too – to replace the blonde for real.
But she had no choice.
A week had past when Regina could not take it any longer.
A week with the new Sheriff had her on the very edge.
She could not stand Ruby Lucas' wide smile, her too enthusiastic behavior, her choice of clothes.
Nothing.
Not even the fact that the leggy brunette had managed to finish all her reports on time had been satisfying.
Regina missed the sight of curly, blonde locks, the shy smile, the caring tone in Emma's voice.
She even missed that red leather jacket.
And she came to realize that she would do pretty much anything to get to yell at the former Sheriff, because she was late on reports once again.
Hell, she would even take the time to help Emma do them.
She had been dreaming about Emma Swan whenever she had closed her eyes and Regina slowly began to realize what it meant.
Obviously she was on her best way to fall in love with the blonde, maybe she had been in love with her all along.
Truth be told, she missed Emma Swan more than she ever thought possible.
And although she had sworn to herself that she would never ran after somebody, she had tried to call Emma this morning.
Just to learn that the number was no longer available.
First she had been disappointed, but then Regina had decided that she was up for the challenge. She would find Emma Swan.
Bounty Hunter or not, she would find her.
She needed to find her.
And more than that – she wanted to find her.
Life of course was never that easy and by the time she left the office that afternoon Regina had to admit that finding Emma would be a lot harder than she had expected.
No hint, no trace, nothing had come up all day.
As if the blonde would be a ghost.
Should that really be the end?
Regina almost believed it, because life had never worked out for her, at least not the way she had wanted.
Why would it change now?
The worst was that she could not blame it on anyone, but herself this time.
She had thrown her chance on love out of the window, she had made the one person capable of loving her leave town.
Regina sat in her study this evening, a glass of apple cider in hand, wondering how things would have turned out if she would have asked Emma to stay that day.
Because she had considered it for a moment and she knew it.
How things would have turned out if she would have been more open-minded, if she had given Emma Swan a real chance.
Would they be together now?
Would they be happy?
Regina frowned at the thought before she started to laugh bitterly.
The bare idea of somebody finding their happiness with her was utterly ridiculous, wasn't it?
Emma was better off without her, definitely.
And yet she wanted her back.
She wanted Emma Swan back.
Back in town, back in her life.
Because she could not deny the fact that she indeed missed the blonde, that she craved for her presence more and more with every day that went by.
Did she love her?
Love was a really big word, especially considering the fact that she just recently had come to the realization that she cared for Emma Swan, that she cared for her a lot – at lot more than she was ready to admit.
She might not love her, but Regina was sure that she could – that she indeed could love Emma Swan.
But since the blonde had decided to disappear completely, what were her options?
"Mom, are you okay?" Henry stood in the doorway and mustered her intensely and Regina was surprised by his sudden appearance, because he had not really spoken to her in days.
"Yes…yes, I'm fine. Do you need anything?" she managed to say, her voice almost steady.
Almost.
"You miss her too, don't you? You miss Emma." He stated silently, not sure how his mother would react.
She considered to lie for a second, to deny it, but what would it change? Henry clearly could read her like nobody else, so she nodded, "I do…you are right. I really miss Miss Swan."
"Then bring her back!" Henry stepped closer, his mind already made up.
"I don't know where she is, Sweetheart. I really tried to find her…I did. But I have no idea where she could possibly be", Regina admitted honestly.
And right that moment she realized that by disappearing Emma had also abandoned Henry. Kind of.
What if there was an emergency? She would have no idea how to reach her.
It was exactly that thought that turned Regina's rising devastation into anger and she swore to herself that she would kick Emma Swan's ass for being so irresponsible – once she found her of course.
And that she would.
The next few days had not brought any success and Regina was close to losing her mind. How hard could it be to find someone?
But truth be told – the search for Emma Swan had become ridiculously difficult.
If somebody knew how to hide well it clearly was a bounty hunter and Regina reminded herself to never underestimate the blonde again.
That realization was not helping her at all though, so Regina decided that she had no other choice.
She had to ask Mary Margaret and/or Ruby Lucas for help. If somebody knew where Emma could be it had to be them.
It was the last option, the one she had never wanted to use.
And yet she was on her way to the diner, all pride forgotten, eager to find a certain blonde, who had shaken her whole world by her disappearance.
Regina was almost there when she caught sight of Mary Margaret, who stood only a few feet away from the diner, chatting with Granny and so she stalked over to the two surprised women, knowing full-well that she would be the town gossip the next day.
But as soon as she reached them Granny excused herself, because she had work to do and headed off in the direction of the Bed & Breakfast.
"Regina! I was on the way to visit Ruby. Care to join me?" Mary Margaret offered with a sympathetic smile.
"I could use a coffee, but I'd appreciate it if I could ask you something first, Miss Blanchard", Regina stated dryly.
"Of course. What do you want to know?"
"Is there any chance that you know where…where Miss…Miss Swan is?" Regina finally managed to say and felt exposed and vulnerable all of a sudden. Needless to say that she did not like it one bit.
"No, I'm sorry. I haven't heard from Emma since…wait! Does that mean that you…" Mary Margaret glared at the mayor when Regina's words finally sunk in.
"It has nothing to do with me, Miss Blanchard. But my son wants to know if his mom is alright. And since he couldn't reach her via phone he is slightly worried…which I assume you can understand…especially under the circumstances", Regina stated awkwardly, fully aware that Mary Margaret did not believe her at all.
"Let's go, ask Ruby! If someone knows where Emma is…then it's her!" the pixie-haired woman announced and pulled Regina with her.
As soon as they entered the diner Regina felt her hopes rising and her excitement growing - the leggy waitress and former deputy, now sheriff, simply had to know something.
And then she would find Emma.
She would find her, would bring her back and would never let her go again.
But then Ruby, who had been talking on the phone, let said phone fall to the floor, her face pale, her hands shivering and Regina knew right then that life had thrown her a curveball.
Again.
"Ruby, what's wrong?" Mary Margaret asked, sorrow swinging in her voice.
For a while the waitress said nothing, did not even breathe, but when Regina took a seat, simply because she felt her legs giving up on her, Ruby cleared her throat, still shocked, "That was…that was…I'm still…still her emergency…contact."
"Who's? What happened?" Mary Margaret tried again, but Regina already knew the answer and Ruby confirmed her suspicions only a second later, "Emma's. That was…it was the hospital in…in…somewhere…near Boston…Emma…she's been shot."