Don't look back
Henry ran down the stairs, his plaid shirt lifting behind him like a coat. He jumped the last three stairs and rushed in the kitchen, ready to take his mother's scolding for his ruffled, still wet hair. He had a shower, but he didn't want to waste time drying his hair. It was warm outside, anyway. He turned the corner with his mouth open, ready to explain, but the kitchen was empty. He was about to try with the living room when he heard some voices coming from the outside. The boy walked out of home.
" But I can understand. " Emma was saying, staring at his mom, hugged by Rapunzel. His grandparents were kneeled on the ground, Charming hugging Snow White, and Ruby was just standing next to them with a weird expression on her face.
" What's happening?" the boy asked, a terrible feeling about what had happened, and what was about to happen.
" Hey, kid..." Emma called him. The boy turned to look at her. " It's all right don't worry. We just had an argument, but now it's okay. " she said, glaring at Mary Margaret.
Henry let his gaze wander over all of them. Regina reassuringly smiled at him.
" It was just the kind of talk that me and your grandmother usually have, sweetie. Nothing new." she smirked, stifling a laughter. Henry frowned, because she was lying and she wasn't at the same time, and he couldn't understand how it could be possible.
" Are you working today, Miss Blanchard?" Regina asked, interrupting his thoughts.
Mary Margaret weakly nodded.
" Well then, would you mind take Henry with you? The bus has already passed, and you're both almost late. It would be idiotic to go all of us at the school, as you're Henry's grandmother and his teacher. This qualifies you as a proper person to carry him to school, right? Oh, and... seen your actual... state of mind, I'd feel more secure if Mr Nolan could kindly accompany you both? "
Henry watched his grandparents stand up.
" Of course." David gloomily said, his eyes fixed on the ground.
Regina gave a satisfied smile. " Good." she coldly said " I'm sure to leave him in good hands." she added in a threatening tone. Henry glanced at Emma, who pressed her lips in a smile.
" Go take your backpack, kid." she whispered nodding towards the inside of the house, winking thn at him. Henry quickly smiled at her and, giving a last glance to his adoptive mother, ran inside the house.
Mary Margaret, David, Henry and Ruby disappeared behind the tall edge that enclosed Regina's garden.
Emma gazed at Regina. " Will this ever end?" she tiredly asked, sighing.
The former Mayor glared at her and went inside the house. At Rapunzel polite beckoning Emma followed the brunette. Shaya closed the door behind them, silently walking upstairs then.
" Regina..." the Savior followed the fleeing woman in the kitchen. When she entered it, she was already washing the cups. " Can you at least answer me?"
The brunette bored holes into her with her gaze. " You shouldn't ask it to me, Emma. "
The blonde sighed again, rolling her eyes. " Oh, really? Is it so? She started it, blame her?" she asked in exasperation, putting her hands on her hips.
Regina just shook her head, going on washing her cup as if she wanted to grind it.
" Regina!" Emma called her out opening her arms, her patience just a far memory. The brunette suddenly dropped the cup and turned to look at her, startling the Savior.
" Yes! Yes, exactly, she started it, blame her! Blame her for her lack of faith in you, Emma! Have you understood how idiotic was her reason to be here, this morning? She thought that we were having sex, and she ran here to save you from the evil lesbian queen and her girlfriend! She can't even accept the fact that Shaya actually loves me! She can't understand how someone can love me!" Regina's voice broke, and here dark eyes got wet. Emma felt something pinch her heart. The former Queen glanced down and started washing the cups again.
" Regina..." Emma softly said, crestfallen.
The brunette went on talking without looking at her. " She never knew me, but she should know you, she should trust you. What she did was an insult to you, Emma. "
The Savior frowned. " For this you got that angry?"
Regina glanced at her. " If you're asking if I tried to kill her for this, no. I did it because I can't stand her lies. She keeps depicting me as the evil one. She should take a look at her mirror. Look what she was able to do to you, today..." she added in a lower tone, sadly gazing at her. Regina shut off the water and leaned against the basin, locking gaze with her. Her stare was so full of regret that Emma had to look away.
" I took much from you. " she just said.
The pain that Emma was feeling couldn't be all her own.
" What's done is done." she said in response, barely able to glance at the former Queen. Graham's face was the only thing she could think about in that moment.
" I'm sorry." Regina whispered. Emma locked gaze with her. The brunette was about to weep, but she was holding back her tears.
The Savior forced herself to sneer at the former Queen. " Since when you care about me?"
Regina gave a smirk. " You were the first one to believe me, to... defend me, even though you knew who I was. So, to answer to your question, since that day, Emma. Since the day I realized that you saw me just as Regina, and not as the Evil Queen."
Emma stared at the brunette. " "Evil" is quite a childish way to call someone. " she muttered " Guess it isn't so in Fairy Tale Land."
Regina slightly smirked. " You keep calling it Fairy Tale Land... It's the Enchanted Forest, Emma. It's not a fairy tale place, it's a realm with several kingdoms. Just like... Europe, a few centuries ago. Calling someone "evil" sounds childish to you? Imagine how childish may sound to me to hear you call my motherland, the one from where I ran away, Fairy Tale Land. It was nothing like a fairy tale, I think you got this. Maybe it was it for Cinderella, or for Snow White, until I interrupted her marriage, at least. You went there. Was it so good?"
Emma swallowed. Ogres, a devastated land, weird food. No, she hadn't exactly enjoyed her short stay in the Enchanted Forest. " No, but it can't have always been that way. I mean, I didn't exactly studied Henry's book, but the realm looked beautiful in the images..."
Regina arched an eyebrow. " Oh, you looked only the images, uh?" she mockingly asked. Emma glared at her, making her snort.
" I guess that the lack of rulers, due to the curse, might have caused a bit of... chaos in the Enchanted Forest..." the brunette finally admitted with a sigh.
" Yeah, a bit..." Emma commented, pursuing her lips.
Regina narrowed her eyes, a slight sneer curving her lips. " What's the matter? The people always blames the ruler for their problems, now they saw what not having a ruler means. They wanted my head on a plate? Good, now they'll have to collect their owns, cut off by the same bandits I protected them from. A pretty Princess and her boyfriend can't evidently do much for them. I showed them time ago, but they didn't want to listen. They protected a bandit, well, dear, that a bandit may take their life. "
Emma stared at the burning rage in Regina's eyes. Here we go, she thought, I awakened the beast. Hell.
" Better if we don't touch this argument, Regina. I'm conflicted.
And I wasn't there, I can't judge just by yours or Mary Margaret's opinion. I really don't like my position. "
Regina slightly tilted her head to one side and waved a hand in the air, turning to wash the last cup in the basin. " How diplomatic of you, Miss Swan."
Emma smirked. " Just trying to avoid a fireball."
Regina archly glared at her. " Oh, is it so? You're just stringing me along with your newfound talking abilities only to avoid my inevitable rage towards anyone who tries to defend Snow White?"
The Savior glanced down repressing a laughter. " I should probably deny everything now." she said glancing at the brunette, who contracted her lips to hold back a smile.
" Only if you like to breathe." Regina replied while drying the cups.
Emma suddenly joined her. " Wait." she said grabbing a cup and raising a hand, palm up, inviting the former Mayor to give her the dishcloth.
Regina uselessly tried to hide the surprise. " There's no need..." she began to say, but Emma stopped her snatching the dishcloth from her hand.
" There is, instead! You and Shaya did everything yesterday and today, let me dry four cups at least! Plus, think about this: if Mary Margaret is spying us and sees us washing cups together, she'll have a heart attack. She'd probably see it as the proof that, I don't know, we've secretly got married. You might like the thing." Emma sneered, aware that it was probably the truth.
Regina frowned, pursuing her lips. " And what about the rings?"
" The rings? Well, we don't wear them so to not let her know about us."
" Mh..." Regina seemed to think about it " It could work..."
Emma gave her a glance. " Mine wasn't an advice, Regina."
The brunette smirked at her, handing her a wet cup. " That's a pity! It was a brilliant plan to kill her! You'd have been useful thirty years ago..."
Emma snorted. " Well, in this case, forgive me for not even existing at the time."
" I can't. I have a reputation to defend."
" Oh, right."
" Now I should probably lock you up into my dungeon and leave you there to starve to death."
" Sounds appropriate." Emma nodded " But, if you do it, Mary... sorry, Snow White can never see us acting like newlyweds and my "brilliant plan" won't ever work."
Regina looked at her with an amused and slightly admired face. " You're right. "
" You could always tie her up to your bed and show Snow White how gorgeous your name sounds when cried out in pleasure."
Emma's cheeks reddened at Rapunzel's words. The images that they had summoned weren't amusing nor wanted. The Savior glared at her, repressing a shiver. " You wish!"
" Shaya!" Regina scolded the sneering warrior " Ah, your mercenary-like manners had to be shown sooner or later, isn't it?"
The blonde raised and eyebrow, a half smile furrowing her left cheek. " Really? Do you really want to talk about verbal roughness?"
Emma saw the former Queen blush and struggle not to look away. The Savior frowned, but she couldn't help but smirk. So Regina wasn't that regal when alone with her partner, uh?
" It was an effective plan, however." Regina muttered, glaring at the warrior while handing Emma the last cup.
The Savior grinned at the brunette when she glanced at her. " Why don't we talk about your verbal roughness instead, Your Majesty?" Emma mocked her. Regina slightly blushed again, but kept looking at her.
" I'm afraid that you'll never have the pleasure, dear." she said with a cold smile, gazing then at Rapunzel. " I thought that you liked my name always."
The warrior nodded once, smiling. " I do."
" And what do you know about it being screamed then?"
Shaya's cheek slightly reddened. " Nothing." she said, pursuing then her lips " Yet." she added, sneering.
Emma rolled her eyes, sighing. The situation was becoming embarrassing. It was it since the beginning, actually. She set the dried cup down and sighed again.
" Well, my corruptive, evil, pervert hosts, it's time for me to run away from you and go to save this town from any form of evilness." she announced, making them smile. " So if you'd let me use the bathroom first, I'll be out of here in five minutes."
Regina waved a hand towards the hall. " Run away before I change my mind!" she dramatically said.
Shaya stifled a laughter. " Watch out, Pure of Heart! The abyss of luxury in Regina's bedroom may swallow you! The way to the bathroom is full of perils and temptations..."
Emma forced herself not to laugh. " I'll be careful! " she said passing behind Regina and then before Rapunzel to exit the kitchen. She was out when a though hit her mind. She walked back and sticked out her head, gazing at them. " Please, hold on till I'm out of here. I don't wanna walk into you two doing the do-do on the sofa when I'm going out."
Both of them stifled a laughter. Rapunzel then tried to get serious. " I promise." she said.
Emma significantly stared at Regina, who rolled her eyes. " Promise."
The Savior gratefully smiled at the brunette. " Thanks!" she said before rushing upstairs.
" What's happening to her?" David asked in a suffered murmur, his glassy eyes fixed on the door of the school, where Snow had just disappeared.
Ruby sighed. " She's fighting."
Charming confusedly stared at her. " It looks more like she's surrendering..."
" No, Dave. " the werewolf sadly smirked " She's right in the middle of a battle against herself. That's why she flies off the handle at the slightest provocation. Even if there's no provocation at all."
The man tilted his head, frowning. " With Regina there's always a provocation." he grumbled, leaning his eyes on the door again.
Ruby gave a slight snort. " True."
They stayed in silence for a while. David needed time, and Ruby wasn't in a haste. A light, a little too fresh wind was making her hair fly to her right, freshening her face, bringing the smell of Storybrooke to her nostrils. She liked the wind. It made her somehow feel free, serene. Red closed her eyes, enjoying the cloudy day, the sprinkling of sun rays that irregularly caressed her cheeks, warming them before that the wind would wipe the heat away.
" Do you think that she'll win it over?" David suddenly asked. His voice was barely audible. " The darkness."
Ruby opened her eyes and stared at him until he turned to look at her. He was shattered, but there was hope in his eyes. As always. " Show her the path, and she will. You're the one who can save her, David. I'll talk to her, too, but now it's too soon. She needs her True Love, not her best friend. If you stop believing in her, she's lost."
The Prince gave a start. " I'll never stop believing in her!"
" Good." Ruby said with a satisfied smile. " The first time I transformed into a wolf here in Storybrooke, do you remember it? Well, when I was alone with Belle, she told me a thing. She said that you saw the good in me, and that it told her that there was good in me. She said: " So if we can all see it, why can't you?". And I saw it, Dave. I was still too afraid, but I truly believed her. So, make Snow feel loved. Make her feel the love that she feels for you, make her forget the fear. Let her realize that her heart is still ninety percent fucking bright! I think that she didn't yet. She sees only that damn spot, so she gets scared, I can smell it, and then she freaks out! She's terrorized by the idea to become like Regina, but she's not Regina!"
" Snow will never be that ruthless, and she knows it! But she was afraid for Emma today, it wasn't about..."
" But afraid for what, David? Emma and Regina are bounded, by Henry and by magic. You weren't there, but when Regina was dying, Emma's power frightened me. If Regina won't teach her how to control it... There was nothing left of Finnegan. Nothing, David. I believe that Regina is just trying to protect Emma from herself. "
" Or herself from Emma."
Ruby shrugged. " Even, probably. And Henry, and Rapunzel. But by doing this, she's protecting all of us. Emma is a timebomb, Dave. I love her, but she's dangerous. I felt it. And Pan knew it, or he wouldn't have left Neverland. "
David narrowed his eyes. " What do you mean? He wanted Emma to go to the Enchanted Forest..."
" Yep. But only for that? I don't think so. I mean, in all of this years he couldn't find another way to go there? I don't know, a tamed mermaid? Nah. I believe that he wanted Emma for a precise reason, beyond the portal thing. Have to talk with Rapunzel 'bout that." she added in a murmur, thinking loud more than talking with the Prince.
David sighed loudly. " Mh, maybe. Who cares, anyway? Pan is dead."
" He is, yeah, but what about the others?"
The man frowned. " Who?"
Ruby sighed. She was ingenuous, but not that ingenuous. " If Peter Pan got to know about Emma from freaking Neverland, don't you think that someone else, maybe more dangerous, maybe closer will know it? And maybe they'll be some sick bastards seeking for power or whatever and want Emma just like him?"
Charmings face fell. " Oh."
" Yep. We need to find out what Pan wanted so much to start a battle against an entire town, and die for it. "
" He was crazy, Rubes..."
" Yes, but not stupid. "
The Prince sighed again, then nodded once. " Okay, you won. We'll find it out. " Ruby triumphantly smiled. " Yay!"
" And what about me?" he asked.
Red locked gaze with him. " You? Well, Dave, you have to do exactly the same as Snow." Charming's questioning look pushed her to go on. " You must accept who you are."
" I'm not."
" You most surely are!"
" I'm not! "
" You are!"
" For fuck's sake, Hook, I'm not blushing!"
The pirate laughed hard. " "For fuck's sake?" Thought that the Queen had more influence on you."
Swan evidently tried not to laugh. " Well, she doesn't! And I'm not blushing!"
" Ah, your stubbornness is tiring, Swan! I saw it!"
" Well you must suffer from hallucinations, Hook! I wasn't blushing. Maybe you should stop drinking. "
The pirate lifted an eyebrow and sneered. " Maybe I would if you'd occupy my mouth with something else..."
The woman slapped his right arm. " Hook!"
He laughed again. " Relax, Swan! It's not like I'd really let you kiss me this easily..."
Emma glared at him. " Of course."
" Oh, don't pretend to be mad at me! You know you're just pissed off because you can't fuck the Queen... "
" Killian! I don't absolutely..."
" ... but if you ever get to do it, give me a shout. I'd be glad to participate."
The Savior rolled her eyes puffing her cheeks. " Men..." she murmured sighing.
Killian enjoyed the sight of the woman's annoyed face.
" So..." she began slightly narrowing her eyes " Why did Pan want you dead? What did you do to him?"
The pirate agitated in the bed and looked away. He didn't really want to talk about that. " Nothing. "
Swan gave him a skeptic glance. " Nothing? Really? Didn't you, like, I don't know, kidnapped a girl called Wendy or something?"
Killian suddenly turned to look at her. " How do you know about Wendy?! "
He watched her stifle a laugh, confused. " It's the tale, Killian. I know only the tale." she said, beautifully smiling, but a second after she became serious, making him frown. " What happened really?" she asked stooping towards him, leaning the weight on her arms, bent over her long thighs.
The pirate sighed. It was a story he'd rather not tell. A painful, old story. But her smart, curious stare, interested in what he had to say, for once...
" I actually kidnapped Wendy, yes." he finally said, trying to detach from his own words, form his past. " But only to save her. "
Emma furrowed her brows. " Save her? From Pan?"
Hook nodded once. " Aye." he then looked up at her " Do you believe me?"
Emma shrugged. " Ain't that hard. Pan basically confessed that he raped a fairy..."
The pirate felt a shiver of anger and disgust run through his spine. Regret filled his eyes. " I tried to free her, but I could carry just one of them, and she told me to save Wendy..."
" Wait, you saw the fairy?"
Killian locked gaze with the Savior, then nodded. " Aye."
Emma seemed to have understood something because her eyes suddenly widened and her jaw fell dropped. " Tell me that her name wasn't Tinkerbell." she said. Hook cocked an eyebrow and shrugged.
" Never knew her name, if it can help."
Emma gave a slight sigh of relief and leaned back against the chair. " Maybe a bit. So, what happened then to Wendy?"
Killian forced himself to sneer. He didn't want to go on with the story. " You look like a child waiting for the goodnight story!" he tried to play for time, but Swan was too smart to rise the bait.
" Then tell me that fucking story before I fall asleep!"
Hook snorted before going on. " As the lady wishes. " he sighed " As I said, I took Wendy away from him, and we tried to run away with the Jolly Roger, but we obviously couldn't, not without magic. Pan intercepted us, and he and the Lost Boys flew on the the ship and attacked us. I tried. But I failed. Wendy fell off board during the battle, and I've never seen her again. Maybe the mermaids took her somewhere safe, maybe she drowned. I don't know. Peter swore revenge over me and flew away. I had wounded him. "
Emma gave a smirk. " He was never good in fighting, so."
Killian forcedly stretched his lips in a smile. " Indeed." he murmured, glancing outside the window.
" Hey." Emma exclaimed after some minutes of silence. The pirate swallowed and turned to look at her. " Did I say something wrong?" she asked frowning.
He couldn't help but smiling at her. " Nah! I was just overthinking. When I finally get out of here, I want to play again that game that Victor taught me."
" Pool?"
" Aye!"
The blonde offered him a light laugh. " I bet I'd thrash you!"
He rose an eyebrow. " Is this a call out, Swan?"
The Savior grinned. " Of course it is."
He was about to reply to her when her face changed drastically. She paled, swallowing. The girl looked terribly worried.
" Swan? What is it?" he demanded anxiously, leaning forward. Emma moved a hand, motioning him to shut up and wait. Her eyes were fixed on nothing.
After several minutes, a torture for him, she gazed at him with wide open eyes.
" Gotta go. Don't move, see you later." she said leaping up and then storming out of his room.
Killian sighed, raising his hands and then dropping them down. " Women!" he grunted.
Shaya's tongue was tangled with hers when the most hateful sound she had ever heard filled her brain. Regina's eyes snapped open. Shaya's stayed shut.
" Mmmmnooo, ignore the bastard..." she muttered against her lips, that arched into the tiniest of the smiles.
" I'd like to, but everybody knows we're inside..."
" The devil may take them!"
Regina gave her a snort, rubbing her face against hers, shamelessly self-remembering a cat. She gave the blonde a quick kiss over her cheek while "the bastard" knocked again.
" We could ask him..." Regina purred. Shaya slightly shuddered, then moved forwards and gently bit her neck, pleasingly startling her.
" We definitely should." she whispered sighing when Ruby's voice came from outside, calling for her.
" Shaya, please! I know you're inside! Need to ask you a thing!"
The warrior gently pushed with her hands against her waist, moving the brunette, whose body was holding her still against the kitchen. Shaya pressed her lips against Regina's once again before heading for the door.
Regina leaned against the wall and watched her slam it open. " What is it, Cub?" she asked, visibly irritated. The half of Ruby's face that Regina could see from that angulation was scared enough to make her smirk in amusement.
" Oh...uhm... Sorry. I know you were busy. "
" Indeed."