A-N: Thank you so much for your follows and favorites! Emma's POV today, hope you'll enjoy!

Chapter one: You save some, you lose some…

Emma:

'So, yeah, you look like crap!'

The beautiful brunette placed, or, closer to the truth, slammed, the hot cocoa, perfect amount of cinnamon on top, in front of her and glanced back again at the clock. Emma's heart sunk seeing her best friend hide disappointed features quickly before looking back at her.

'So, spill, trouble in paradise? Your mom find out yet, that you are doing the nasty with her worst…?'

'Shhhh Rubes! For fuck sake!'

Shrugging the woman slid into the booth, taking the seat opposite of her and glanced around.

'I dunno if you've noticed but it's kinda dead here at the moment. So talking about your girlfriend is pretty safe…'

'She's not my girlfriend, geez, Rubes how many…'

The ringing of the costumer's bell made them pull away from each other and look up as if they were lovers, caught in the act. The waitress immediately jumping up to serve, her face efficiently hiding, to someone who wouldn't know her as much as Emma did, the rapid cycle of emotions crossing her beautiful features, from hope to shock to horror.

'Madame Mayor…'

With a swift move, Emma knocked over her drink, scolding as the hot chocolate found her jeans and made her skin burn. The pain, however, was much less than the one in her heart as she heard Regina's cold voice answer.

'I can see you are quite busy, Miss Lucas. I can wait. I do realize how important it is to keep oneself up to date with current events.'

They echoed and made her freeze, the nearing footsteps as she clenched her jaws and thighs together, not only, she had to admit, because of the effect of the hot liquid on, but also the one between her legs, evoked by the sound of those heels nearing. She was like a dog and those heels were her freaking bell… Regina, all about Regina was her bell and all of her reactions only proved Pavlov right and she hated it and loved it at the same fucking time. Damn… She was screwed up.

'Sheriff… Once again nothing better to do as to act like a stumbling baboon, I see?'

The flick of Regina's wrist coincided with another ring of that bell and her friend shot her a worried look before her eyes darted to the door and froze… It was that look that had made Emma see, pulled and played a freaking melody on the strings of her heart as she knew the look too, just too well. To know you want what you cannot have. To know you yearn for something that will only hurt you, because it will never be yours,and yet not being able to stop wanting it. She had felt it all her life, no matter how 'bravely' she had clad herself in a red leather armour. She had always ached to have a family. To be loved, unconditionally. To be taken care of. And that look Rubes had on her face now, just… Damn it… She hated it!

Looking over her shoulder to find the one she knew she would, her eyes grazed over Regina's features. And for a moment, while her heart jumped realizing what the woman had just done as the liquid found its way from her soaked jeans back into the cup, she thought maybe, just maybe, she saw the look in those chocolate brown eyes as well. But then as she blinked, all she could see was the regal mask. The wall she had walked into so many times already.

'Regina.'

'Rumple.'

Something flickered in the Mayor's eyes. Something more than the usual disdain… But before Emma could even think of what it could be a low growl caught her attention. Now finally glancing back fully, Emma saw her, the Beauty of the story, the bright eyes finding Rubes' and glimmering… And the hand, supposedly gently and caring but more possessive and retaining on the woman's shoulder.

'We would like our breakfast to go, please?'

His voice, so slick, so polite it gave Emma goosebumps and made her want to growl like her friend was, still, softly doing. Especially when his eyes met Regina's in a pointed look when he uttered the last word and the woman actually seemed to wince. But then, in the blink of an eye, everything seemed to happen at once. Belle opened her mouth to, Emma had no doubt, greet Red. (Despite her pathetic small amount of experience in the thing she was born out of, you kinda had to be blind to not see the way Belle looked at the gorgeous waitress) But before she could even utter as much as a peep, Regina's seeming wince turned into another movement. A very uncharacteristic and quite baffling movement.

While the mayor tripped (from a stand-still position? Really? What the actual fuck?) and fell against the waitress, Rumple kinda pulled back Belle, as if he wasn't sure to hide her behind his back or hide behind hers and for a moment, Emma felt like maybe Regina was going to do magic or something, maybe she was trying to do something stupid because of their conversation that morning.

But before she could even think of speaking the name of the woman she felt so much for, the backdoor opened with a bang, revealing Granny, who, in one sweeping look, seemed to take in the situation.

'Breakfast, to go…'

Slamming the paper bags on the counter, as to emphasize that last word, Granny's eyes looked like they had miniature crossbows of their own. But where Rumple seized the bags and seemed prepared to make his usual huffy exit, Belle's eyes seems focused on a point behind Emma's left shoulder. And as the blonde made to glance back, she saw it, the calendar, the big, red circle around the date.

Belle took a step forward at the moment Emma looked and saw, Regina's hands clutching Rubes upper arms. Rubes stance, now she had seen the date much more understandable, as a wolf ready to attack, to growl, to protect. A small layer, it seemed, of Magic, surrounding the 2 of them, which, as she blinked, disappeared.

'Thank you, Miss Lucas.'

Using her right hand to swat off invisible specks of dust, the left stayed in its position on Red's arm, still making Emma's jaw feel like it was either about to drop to the floor or clench in irrational jealousy.

'Of course if someone would not clean the floor with such an insipid amount of wax, one would not need to fear losing one's balance. I think, Sheriff, this hazard of public safety is something for you to look into.'

ith a smooth movement and without even as much as a glance in her direction, Regina let go of Ruby and strode towards Belle, who, worried and, if Emma saw it right through her own green orbs, slightly jealous, approached the waitress before Regina caught her upper arm.

'Come along now, dear. Let's leave them to it.'

Placing money on the counter for an order she never made, Regina seemed to earn a look from Granny Emma had never witnessed in the older woman before. In a way which did not make sense because not only had the mayor just called her granddaughter a public hazard, she was also taking the woman's true love out of the diner, out of the equation once again rapidly. Did Gran also see the lingering love between Ruby and Belle? Did she disapprove? What else would cause her to look at Regina in gratitude? Was it the woman thing, or the 'stealing the girlfriend of the Dark One' thing?

All hope Emma had that Regina had listened, that she had changed, that she no longer tried to fight the happy endings, of Snow and all those close to her, that she was finally starting to open to the possibility of one for herself… For them. All of that hope was shattered as the brunette almost pushed the beauty back into the beast's arms. And she could swear she could see a content glimmer in his eyes as he glanced at Regina the moment she passed him, opening the door for them both to accompany her outside.

'Madame Mayor.'

He spoke the words condescending, as someone would to acknowledge a pet while he stepped outside. Belle following him, as if on autopilot, her eyes still focused on Red, who now had turned her back to the door, avoiding any eyecontact even with her.

Emma couldn't help but reach out for her friend's heaving shoulders, could see the effort with which she was trying to restrain herself. What in fuck's name had just happened? Did Rumple know he had narrowly escaped a werewolf attack? And why, in fuck's name, had Regina helped him?

'Emma!'

Grannies sharp voice made her pull back and turn around, catching sight of Regina who stood, staring, hands in the pockets of her long overcoat, at the disappearing couple with something in her stance that looked an awful lot like the thing the woman had said to never feel. As the brunette turned to walk away herself however, their eyes met and she could see it, fleeting, before Regina pulled back her shoulders and the mask slid over the gorgeous face once more.

Regret.

Once Upon A Time in The Enchanted Forest

'You are going to pay for this, Dearie…'

'But Rumple, dear, don't you know? I already did…'

And had she…

Not for the information. Gold, jewels and some tears she had been willing to part with gladly to have a chance to break free from the man, the beast now opposite of her. No, her payment had come in different tears, bitter ones. In heartbreak and in pain, so strong it took her breath away. In imprisonment. In memories… For a moment they threatened to overwhelm her. The choking, suffocating memories of everything he had manipulated her to become. The roles she'd wanted, so desperately, with someone else. With someone chosen. It had been that, the last piece of information the Genie had given her, of what he had done to her, that had caused her to attack rather than defend.

She looked at the imp who had spoonfed her lie after lie and forcefed her the potion to ensure she would never be a mother. Nothing to distract her from the path he had set out for her. She allowed her hand to cover her ever-empty womb and found the strength to step forward once more.

'And now it is time for you to do exactly that! What's it going to be, Rumple?'

She held out the key once more, tantalizingly out of his reach. Although, of course, his Magic would be able to obtain it. She had drawn the conclusion when she had seen he had send Belle away. This curse, this other realm, there was someone there, a loved one, a lover perhaps? But his cowardice heart, the one not prepared to be alone, had latched onto Belle as a beggar would to a falling gold-piece. If she could just make him forget about his quest. Make him see what he could have… What he would lose…

But as he turned and she saw his eyes she almost involuntarily took a step back. Only years and years of practice and all her restraint held her in her place as those golden eyes spat fire.

'How much are you willing to pay for the identity of the one who can take your precious Belle away from you? How much are you willing to give up for your own happiness?'

'What is it you want, Regina?'

His eyes narrowed as he hissed the words and caught hers. The way he spoke her name edged her on, gave her the confidence to take that last step separating them and be nothing more than an inch apart from him, yet not a part of them touched.

'I want you to stop any interference, what so ever, in my life, to break any connection… I want you, Rumple, to leave me alone…'

He looked into her eyes as she saw it change, seep out. The tightness of his jaw, the tension in his eyes. She saw him see and clasped the key tighter into her hand, feeling the edge of the cold metal push, painfully, against her flesh. Before the sound reached her ears she already knew.

She had gambled.

And she had lost.

And cold washed over her as he, freely, laughed his laugh of victory.

*** TBC ***

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