CHAPTER 6

The curse was changing. Regina could feel it throughout her body. Even though Ms. Swan had been gone for well over a month things were different.

Henry was his usual callous self. He barked at everyone. He blamed Regina for Emma leaving. He even accused her of doing something evil to her. Although Regina seemed to get accused by Henry for everything lately, things really were going too far. She was even tempted to call one of those residential treatment centers if Henry's behavior didn't correct itself.

Regina had no idea how her son had become this – creature. He had once been her everything. He was the sweetest young man. He was always a loner but she loved that about him. It was more time that the two of them got to spend with one another.

Now he was literally the polar opposite of who he had been before. As sweet as his disposition had been previously he was now equally surly. Even her time reigning as the Evil Queen didn't compare to his behavior as of late.

And it was taking a toll on everyone. Zelena and Graham were having to do overtime helping keep him rounded up. And her poor little Luka was beginning to show signs of neglect every time Regina had to change their plans to suit whatever mood Henry was in. She'd already realized that her sweet little girl was using her friends as excuses to not even spend time at home anymore.

Although she honestly couldn't say whether it was all his fault or not. Her own temper had become just as bad. She snapped at everyone. Even more than what was normal for her.

But in her heart she knew it wasn't all about Henry. She was missing someone. A blonde someone who'd in less than 24 hours had managed to become the one constant thought running throughout her mind on an endless loop.

Her eyes would see blonde hair and for a moment, she'd forget to breathe. Then she'd catch sight of their face and began to feel as if she'd just been kicked in the gut. It was crazy. Sheer madness she told herself every time that it happened. And yet – she missed her. She missed a woman that she'd only just met. A woman who was destined to destroy her curse.

Regina wasn't sure how much more she could take. She and her family were cracking. She had no idea how much more of this she could take.

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It took an entire month. It took an entire month of Emma jumping in her car to head back to Storybrooke and instead ending up at a bar. The next day she'd awaken in some strange place with some stranger draped over her naked body.

Her head would be spinning and she'd need an hour just to get herself sobered up enough to crawl from underneath said stranger. She'd crawl on all fours to whatever bathroom she came across and emptied her stomach into the basin. Then she'd jump into the shower and try to clean herself up as best she could in the circumstances. She'd walk out into a strange room. The air strong with the stench of alcohol and sex. Sex she never remembered. And it did nothing to quench the ache between her legs when she thought of a certain pair of full red lips or large chestnut eyes.

After said month of waking up to more self-loathing than she thought humanly possible she finally knew she had to confront the source or she'd never be functional again.

She'd had breakups before. Neal had been the worse. After she'd stupidly driven to Tallahassee and found no trace of him she'd finally had to accept reality. He'd left her in prison because he didn't want her. Just like all of the foster parents in all of the homes she'd been in before.

But something about this was different. First, she and Regina had never even dated. Secondly, Regina was the mother of her son. A boy who even a month later, she still wasn't sure how she felt about him. Even as her mind and body screamed out for his Mother. Third, she'd known from the moment she'd touched Regina that she'd never be the same again.

And Emma had never felt that feeling in her life. Not even with Neal. She had to confront her.

So she ran around the strange place she'd found herself in that morning. Trying to quietly gather her clothing and dress herself. She slipped out without even a note.

Then she went over to her apartment and packed a couple of bags. She headed back out to the even stranger place of Storybrooke.

The first time she'd driven here it had been at night. And Henry had chatted her ear off the entire way. Then when she'd made her way through town after dropping him home the day before, she'd noticed that it looked like a town stuck in the 80's. The next day going after being rejected by Regina she'd been too heartbroken to take in any scenery.

From the window dressings, to the people, the choice of clothing and cars the entire place just seemed to scream retro. She hadn't thought much about it at the time. But now as she made her way back down the street it just all felt weird. No wonder Henry was having a hard time facing reality if all he saw was a land that time had forgotten around him.

She shrugged as she pulled up to the front of the town hall. The Mayor's office was located on one of the upper levels. She was making her way there when the door opened and none other than the one person she was hoping to avoid until after this conversation was over came barreling out.

"Emma," Henry rushed to her and threw his arms around her waist. "You came back for me. I knew you would. Good always triumphs."

Emma squirmed uneasily in his embrace. A man in a Sheriff's uniform had come outside and was staring at them with his arms akimbo. Emma patted Henry awkwardly on his back, "Hi kid."

Graham watched the exchange and noticed the unease across Emma's face. He came over and gently pulled Henry back. "Were you looking for the Mayor?"

Emma's relief was palpable. "Yes, please. I was – um - ," now that she was here she realized she had no clear plan. What in the hell had she been thinking?

Henry ran forward after wriggling free of his Uncle's hand from his shoulder. "We don't need her. We only need to break the curse and then we can be free. Everyone can have their happy ending's back. Just wait here," Henry turned and made to run inside. "I have to grab my book."

Emma turned to the Sheriff, "The Mayor, do you know her?"

Graham held up his hand. "Married to her sister for the past 10 years."

"Oh," Emma smiled and nodded at him. "I'm Emma," she stretched out her arm and held out her hand.

Graham reached out and shook it in a firm but steady grip. "I'm Graham. And the Mayor is over at a meeting. You can go up to her office though and wait for her there."

Henry came bursting back out. He had his backpack thrown over his shoulder and his fairy tale book in his hand. He grinned at Emma, "I'm ready Mom."

Emma frowned down at him. She grabbed her back pockets as she shifted her weight from leg to leg. "Kid, look," she let out a big sigh. "Things don't work that way. I'm not your Mom. I came to talk to your Mom. And see if we could work some things out."

"But you are my mom," Henry's voice came out loud but still broken. His eyes became red rimmed as he stood ramrod straight. His fingers tightened around his book and he held it tightly to his chest.

She was no Mom. She had no idea how to do any of this. She couldn't even talk to a kid the right way. "That might be true biologically. But your Mom is the person who raised you. And that wasn't me," she had no idea how else to break things to him except to be honest. She thought it was kinder than getting his hopes up only to crush them later. She knew that would have been cruel beyond belief.

Emma stepped back. She looked over to Graham pleadingly. Before she had a chance to say anything, all of a sudden she knew. Graham's eyes had lifted from hers to something behind her. But even without that she knew. Because she felt her. She could actually feel Regina and knew that she was right there.

"Ms. Swan?" Regina was shocked to see the woman back in town. "May I help you?" She had thought that she had seen the last of her a month ago.

That didn't stop her from thinking about her. For some reason the incessant woman was all that she could think about. A breeze would blow in from the citrus trees on the outskirts of town and she would be reminded of the scent of Emma's hair as she leaned closer to her. She would see blonde curled hair in the distance and would be brought up short from the roller coaster ride her emotions seemed deadset on forcing her up and down on.

The woman had vexed her. That was the only explanation. Because the one other alternative just couldn't be true. She could not have true love with a woman. Daniel had been her true love. He was the one and only for her. Luka's father was special only because he had given her her baby girl. Even if he didn't know it.

But this, this just couldn't be. She wasn't even attracted to women. She especially couldn't have true love with the woman who had been destined to break her curse.

And yet the last month had been excruciating for her. She told herself it was Henry. He had been even worse than what had become usual for him. It's why he was seeing Archie 3 days a week.

She liked Archie but he was a bug. His intentions were great but he had no real qualifications or experience.

But it was more than that. It was an ache in her chest the second her mind became unoccupied. It was the longing that flooded throughout her system when she tried to lay down and sleep.

So she kept herself focused on the kids at home and work when they weren't around. She had dark hollows under her eyes from her lack of sleep. She had even lost weight since she'd lost all appetite for food.

It was like her body had finally gotten air after being deprived of it for an extended period of time. She wanted to greedily inhale this feeling. But she needed to keep her wits about her. Because this wasn't about her. This was about the end of everything that she'd come to love in her life. She had protect herself and her children.

The woman was a threat. The woman was a threat and it was best that she was gone. That's what Regina told herself repeatedly. It had become her new mantra.

Except a mantra imbued the spirit and provoked the mind to believe. Regina knew she was lying to herself.

In less than 24 hours, that woman had managed to do things to her mind and body that no one had. Not since Daniel.

It couldn't be true. That woman couldn't be her true love. Fate just couldn't be that cruel to her.

Yet Regina more than anyone knew that fate had a wicked sense of humor. She had also seen the truth. She'd known it from the moment that Emma had grabbed her hand.

Regina had felt a spark of electricity flow through her veins that lit her up from the inside out. She was practically quivering merely from her holding her hand. And no matter how hard she tried had Emma not looked away then she would've kissed her. And that would've been the end.

Not just the end of them. The end of her curse. And the end of all that she had worked and sacrificed for. She couldn't let that happen.

So it was a good thing that Emma Swan was gone. Regina didn't need her around anyway.

But now she was back. Regina frowned over at the way her face lit up at the sight of her. And she stood frozen knowing that it meant there was no turning back for either of them.