I don't own these characters; ABC/Disney does.
6: Comfort food
Regina retreated to her bedroom before she was even sure that Emma was gone. The sheriff was a creature that Regina did not entirely understand, but for some reason made her feel nostalgic and she was not sure why that was. There was something about their latest encounter that made something from the past echo through her mind, but it never took on any shape for her to pin down.
"No matter," she muttered as she placed Lady down on her bed. She put the pup on the pillow that Lady usually slept on, figuring the smell would make sure she remained asleep while Regina went to take care of herself. After all, she could not nurse Lady back to proper health if she was the walking dead.
She went into her bathroom and was not sure how in the world she managed to get out of her clothes. Peeling was not even close to accurate and she flinched when she finally realized how putrid she smelled. She could scarcely believe that Lady had cuddled into her with the toxic fumes coming off of her. She could only wonder how the hell Emma had not passed out when she stepped through the door as she suspected the whole house must have held a similar odor.
Climbing into the shower stall, she barely registered how she looked. She realized how pale she was only because of how red her skin became under the hot water. Before she washed, she stared at her hand, mesmerized by her fingers. They were bony and she imagined how easily they would snap. She then imagined the rest of her body was in similar condition, so she wondered how easily she could snap.
"She could have ended me with little more than a heavy breath, but instead she delivered Lady back to me. Is that what good people do?" she asked the steam. It gave her no answers.
Regina doubted that she would be able to figure it out on her own, so she focused on cleaning herself up. She washed her hair, several times, and was stunned that bugs did not crawl out of her scalp. The rest of her received the same attention. She was able to square her shoulders by the time she turned the spray off. She grabbed a towel, avoided the mirror, and returned to her bedroom, finding Lady awake and whining at the edge of the bed.
"It's okay, sweetheart. I'm here," Regina cooed, reaching out to scratch underneath Lady's chin.
Lady relaxed long enough for Regina to dress herself, but as soon as she was in clothing, Lady was back to whining. She picked the puppy up and that was good enough for Lady. She held the canine close and that was good enough for her.
"Let's have some dinner, Lady. We both need to regain our strength," she whispered, kissing the top of the dog's head.
Lady yapped in approval. Regina put Lady's food in her bowl for her before making herself a simple salad. Lady did not eat until Regina sat down and did the same. Every few seconds, they paused and looked at each other. Regina gave Lady small smiles and Lady returned the expressions as much as a dog could.
"Now, how about a treat?" Regina asked once they were finished with their meals.
Lady barked again as the witch put her plate in the sink. She noticed the stack already there and recalled Emma giving her food through out the week. She could not recollect if she ate anything, though. There was a flutter in her chest and she massaged the area briefly. She knew that she should be upset that the sheriff left dirty dishes in her sink, but she could not bring herself to care. She thought about the other things that the blonde had done.
"Lady, we'll be having company tomorrow. So, after your treat, we'll have to straighten up. We have no desire to entertain in a messy house," Regina stated.
The dog yapped and waited patiently for her treat. After that, Lady trailed behind Regina as she cleaned the house, picking up books and pictures that she had no idea how they came to be on the floor in the first place. Lady actually picked up a few books that she could and tried to pick up ones that she could not. Regina petted the pup for the gesture. She had to use her magic to dispel the odor embedded in the sofa from her week of using it as a coffin. She picked up the blanket and held it to her body for a moment before taking it to the laundry room.
"Well, that's all done. Now, what should we do?" Regina wondered aloud and her eyes fell on her laptop. "You know, Lady, maybe it's time to read more on caring for a puppy. Perhaps I did something wrong and that's why you ran off." She liked to believe that Lady would have come back to her, as Emma said, but she got caught in the hole. "Where you out there trying to find your way home, but lost? What were you seeking outside? Is there something out there that you need or want?"
Of course, Lady could not answer any of those questions. Regina sat down on the couch with her laptop. Lady paused only to pick up her rubber ducky and then tried to jump up to the sofa. She did not have enough spring in her legs and face-planted right into the couch. Regina smiled softly, shook her head, and picked up the slightly disoriented pup. Lady curled up in Regina's lap, gnawing on her toy and staring at the computer screen.
Regina spent some time reading about spaniel puppies specifically. She learned that the breed was friendly and social, so she believed that she found her "mistake" with Lady. She could not keep the puppy coped up in the house all day and expect Lady to be happy, even if she seemed to be more than pleased with things. Regina sighed to herself and believed that she knew what she would have to do.
"We'll start going for walks tomorrow and maybe you'll be able to meet some … thing," she said, unable to be optimistic about Lady seriously getting to socialize with any person or animal denizen of Storybrooke with her holding the leash. "I should also look into getting you tags." She knew that she would end up just using magic to create one.
With that settled, Regina decided it was bedtime. She felt like she was ready to fall asleep on her feet and she could only wonder why that was. She had been on the couch for a week, after all. She should be able to stay awake all night, not that she wanted to.
"Come, Lady." The puppy let out another light bark.
They returned upstairs and Lady stayed at Regina's feet as she went through her nightly routine, which her teeth and face greatly appreciated, before they crawled into bed. Lady went to her pillow, which still held Emma's scarf. The pup tried to wrap the scarf around herself, using her mouth and bunching the material up in her tiny paws. Regina chuckled a bit, but helped by putting the wool scarf around the canine's little body. Lady yapped and then nipped and licked Regina's fingers. She knew the little show of appreciation should not have meant so much to her, but it had been so long since anything thanked her for something.
"Goodnight, Lady." Regina kissed the top of Lady's head.
Lady let out one final bark before settling down and resting. Regina did the same, finding that sleep came easy because she was so exhausted. In the morning, the pair had breakfast and then Regina set out to find the leash she had gotten Lady weeks ago when she first used magic to go to the pet shop. Lady squirmed and dodged when she tried to attach the thing to her collar; her new tag swayed with each move.
"Lady, this is not a game. Now, be still, so we can go for a proper walk. You may learn your neighborhood," Regina stated in a stern tone.
Lady whined, thoroughly reprimanded apparently. She sat while Regina put the leash on her. They then came to another problem. When Regina opened the front door, Lady cowered away. Regina's brow furrowed briefly.
"Lady, come. We're going for a walk," Regina said, moving to stand just outside the door. Lady whimpered and took another step back. "Oh, Lady, come. You know I would never let anything happen to you. We'll be together." Regina opened her arms. She wanted Lady to come to her because she did not want to chance traumatizing the pup further.
Lady was still for a long moment before taking tentative steps toward loving arms. She paused several times, looking around at the outside world and sniffing for possible danger. Regina smiled and encouraged her until Lady crossed the threshold. Regina cheered, as much as she could anyway, and Lady held her head up high, yapping with pride for being so brave. She was rewarded with a treat, which got a merry yip out of her.
"Now, for that walk," Regina said as she took hold of Lady's leash again.
Regina led and Lady followed and they were out on the street in seconds. They walked a few feet and then the former queen noticed the stares. She was surprised at how many people were out and about before the sun was up, but they were all watching her. She made it to the end of the block before she decided that walking in plain sight might not be the best idea.
"Come, Lady, we can still walk, but I would rather you remain safe and I do not wish to see what these fools might attempt," she said and they quickly detoured onto a path through the nearby woods.
-8-8-8-8-
Regina was surprised to hear the doorbell a couple of hours before Emma's shift ended. She supposed with no acting mayor and Snow White along with her idiot husband essentially running Storybrooke, Emma could do whatever she wanted. Regina found herself a little disappointed that the sheriff was acting the part of the spoiled princess. Emma did not seem the type, especially after hinting to having some trouble with her parents.
Lady jumped at the sound the bell and rushed the door with Regina not far behind, despite her shock. Regina smiled slightly at the pup's reaction. While Lady had been reluctant to leave the house, she at least still associated the bell with something good.
Regina was in for a new twist when she opened the door. "Henry?" While it was early for Emma to be done with work, it was right on time for Henry to be done with school.
He offered a crooked, awkward smile, which troubled her. She was his mother. He should not feel awkward around her. Things should not be this way. She had spent the entire day trying not to think about it because everything between her and Henry was so fractured. She was not sure if they would ever be fine, especially since she was vaguely aware that he had been in the house at least once during that week she had not moved from the couch. He had seen her at her worse. Why should he want to be with me after seeing that wretched sight?
"Hi, Mom," he said in a mumble, eyes on his feet.
"Come in, please," Regina said, not that it was necessary. Lady no longer felt the need to dash out of every open door and this was Henry's home. He was always welcomed … not counting that deeply depressed period because she really wished he had not seen her like that. No child needed to see his mother unable to care for herself.
Henry only nodded as he stepped inside. She closed the door behind him while Lady peered at Henry from behind Regina's feet. Henry looked around and Regina was proud of herself for being off the sofa, properly dressed, and tuned into reality. She was more than aware that she had plenty to work through, but at least she could put up a strong front for Henry again.
"Are you feeling better now?" Henry asked, having trouble focusing on her face. His eyes glanced behind her.
Regina leaned down to him and lifted his chin to look her in the eye. "I am better now." It was the truth, but she had a long road to travel. Oddly enough, she felt better emotionally than she had in years. Something inside of her changed since yesterday and she was not sure what it was. Truthfully, she did not care. She wanted to get better for Henry, for Lady, for herself.
His smile brightened and relaxed a bit. "That's good. I'm really sorry about letting Lady out. I didn't do it on purpose. Please, believe me." His eyes were laden with guilt and sorrow to the point that it broke her heart.
Regina opened her mouth, ready to soothe him, but she thought better of it. He hated when she lied and she would be lying if she told him that she did believe him. She recalled his vitriolic accusations and the hatred in his eyes. She had little doubt that he had released Lady to free the dog and foil her imaginary scheme. But, she could not say such a thing to his pleading eyes.
"Of course," she told him, forcing a smile of her own. He might not believe she was his mother or that she loved him, but she was and she did. She had an obligation to protect him, even from the truth.
"Um … I was wondering if it was okay for me to meet Lady," he said shyly, shifting a bit from foot to foot.
She chuckled a bit, hoping to cover up the discomfort that crept her entire form. He had already let Lady out into the cold, harsh world. The poor pup was rather traumatized and did not seem to even want to get close to Henry, still hiding behind her. Glancing down, she could see that Lady was ready to growl at him. She worried that he might do something else to the puppy, but that mother in her could not completely mistrust Henry.
Henry made Regina have faith again, even if it was a long time ago. It was faith that she could count on someone else because she had to have that faith in him. He was her son, even if he did not seem to think. Maybe that was what changed in her – she had faith again. Not in humanity, but in someone beyond Henry. It was a start and that start made her feel a little less ruined. The shadows that haunted her seemed to recede just a little. It was terrifying, but nowhere near as horrible as how she had felt before.
"She's very skittish right now, so just don't make any sudden movement," she cautioned him in gentle tone, recognizing that Lady was not the only skittish one right now.
He nodded and she picked up Lady. She cuddled Lady to her chest to keep the pup calm, but she leaned close to Henry for him to understand that she was sharing. He leaned in close, too, inspecting Lady with only his eyes. Lady did the same, watching him and sniffing the air around him.
"Hi, Lady. I'm Henry," he introduced himself. He put his hand out, trembling somewhat, allowing Lady the opportunity to smell him.
The puppy leaned in, but paused. Henry's face fell and it broke Regina's heart, but she could not force Lady to interact. The pup turned and buried her head in Regina's chest and then turned back, as if expecting Henry to have disappeared. He continued to hold his hand out and Lady looked at the shaking attachment. Regina gently rubbed the pup's head, letting her know that everything was all right. After a few long, tense seconds, Lady nudged his fingers with her nose. A giggle escaped him as she licked his fingertips and Regina felt herself relax just a little. Lady drew back and the former Queen turned her attention fully to her son.
"Do you think I could come by and walk her sometime so she'll get to know me better?" he requested, eyes on the floor as he kicked around an imaginary pebble with one foot.
Horrible visions flooded Regina with Henry giving Lady away to the first person he dubbed better than she or worse Henry taking Lady to the animal shelter. Anything to make sure that Regina never saw her again. She could not stomach the thought and, worse than that, was the fact that she was having such thoughts about Henry, the boy she just decided to have faith in. Her son, whom she loved and adored as best she could. She guessed that she did not have much faith, after all. I suppose it is too soon, but hopefully things won't always be this way. Of course, hope had never served her well in the past, especially when it came to her son, but this was a side effect of faith.
"Mom, it'll be fine. I promise to take care of her and I'll bring her right back," Henry vowed in a tone that was too serious for talking about walking a dog. Of course, Lady was much more than a dog.
Regina sighed. "You can, but not right away. I only started walking her this morning. She still has to get used to it and we have to figure out the best route for her."
He nodded. "Okay, how about while you do that, I come over and play with Lady after school? That way, she can get used to me and she'll trust me and like me when I get to walk her?"
"I'd like that," Regina answered truthfully. She knew Henry was doing all of this more out pity from seeing her in the pathetic state yesterday than anything else. She would take that because it meant that he cared about her on some level. Of course, it probably could not be classified as love, but at least it was something.
Henry smiled, like he did something right. She decided to let him think that. She wanted him to feel good about himself. Besides, seeing his smile warmed her just a bit.
"I should go. Grams worries about me being out alone," he said with an awkward shrug.
A nervous smile and chuckle escaped her. She hoped it did not sound as borderline hysterical to him as it did to her. "Of course."
He stood there for a moment, as if he was unsure of what to do. Regina was not sure what to do either since she was not sure where she stood with him. She would have loved to hug him and hold him tightly, but she doubted that would be appreciated at the moment, if ever again. He left with a little wave and mumbled farewell.
The house was back as it was and Lady moved around, wanting to get put down now. Regina did so and the canine picked up her favorite toy before falling in step with Regina, who stared at the door for a moment. She was not sure what to make of Henry's visit and she did not want to think too deeply into it or she was certain that she would put herself back in the place that she did not want to be. For the moment, she decided to let it be. She would see where he was going with this.
"Let's see how the food is coming along," Regina suggested. Lady barked and followed the ex-mayor into the kitchen.
-8-8-8-8-
Emma frowned as she placed her hand on the doorknob and found it twisted with no problem. The door was unlocked, so clearly Regina still had some of her "don't give a fuck" attitude, but Emma knew that she was a bit better. Stepping inside the house, she smelled the promised dinner. She noted that the house did not seem nearly as gloomy as it did yesterday. It certainly smelled better and did not seem like it was the entrance to the underworld anymore. Lady charged out to her, yapping and growling with her rubber duck in her mouth.
"You're certainly looking better than you did yesterday." Emma smiled as she leaned down to pet Lady. The attention earned happy barks from the puppy. The sheriff laughed as Lady placed her paw on Emma's hand, trying to bat her hand around from the feel of things.
"She's fed, warm, and safe," Regina commented, stepping out of the kitchen.
"Can't ask for more," the blonde replied with a smile.
"No, I suppose not."
"Believe me, I know. So, I see you got her a tag. I was gonna pick one up for you, but I was really busy today."
"Thank you for the thought and thank you for coming, even if you are an hour late."
Emma almost frowned because there was no bite in Regina's words. Any other version of Regina would have been pissed, but the woman before her did not even seem mildly irritated. She was just stating a fact, like Emma being late was similar to the sky being blue. She guessed the emotions would come as Regina healed, as long as Regina allowed herself to heal.
"Yeah, well, the people freaked out when somebody emerged from her house at six this morning in all of her former glory with a puppy on a leash. You'd have thought the Gates of Hell opened up and it rained fire and brimstone with all the phone calls I got." Emma rolled her eyes as the ridiculousness of her whole day.
"You received phone calls at the station because I went out to walk Lady?" Regina asked incredulously.
Emma scoffed. "I thought the world was coming to an end and everyone insists that I have to come down and investigate. I came out, but didn't see you and the calls just kept coming in. I mean, all day long. One time, I asked if you were walking Cerberus because if not, I wasn't getting off my ass. Wrong thing to say, especially when the person then insisted you were walking Cerberus. How the hell did you get Cerberus to walk with Lady?" she chuckled.
There was an amused twinkle in Regina's eyes. "I don't think she would share me with Cerberus."
Emma laughed. Oh, there's something new and wonderful. "I could see you walking Cerberus. It's good that you're joking around. You're feeling better?" Just from the ex-mayor's appearance, the fact that she was in new clothes and had a little color to her, she knew the answer to that, but she wanted to see how Regina would respond.
Regina wrapped her arms around her stomach and glanced away briefly. "I am feeling…"
Emma nodded. While she knew that Regina "feeling" might not great be for everyone, it was better than her not feeling at all. Regina lacking all emotions could have easily destroyed the whole town because she clearly had little problem with destroying herself in many ways. She was sure things would get to that if Regina did not have Lady with her. She hoped that things were on an upswing.
"Well, you can sit down." Regina motioned to the dining room.
The sheriff arched an eyebrow, but followed orders. This is still weird, but it's not bad. She went to the table with Lady trailing behind. The table was set for two with bread and salad already on the table. Before Emma could inhale the bread, Regina entered with the entrée and placed the plate in front of Emma before sitting down across from the blonde. For a moment, they just sat in awkward, thick silence.
"Thanks for the dinner," Emma said, if only to put something out there. Hopefully Regina was willing to talk, like she was yesterday.
Regina nodded. "This is the least I can do. I'm grateful to have Lady back. Beyond that…" She took a deep breath. "I'm grateful that you cared about my mental health, or lack thereof, even if it was just because of Henry."
Emma shrugged. "He was part of it, a huge part, but I didn't want to see you go down that road. I wouldn't be able to stomach listening to comments from people, which I know would have followed immediately. I mean, don't get me wrong, you have fucked up a lot, but no one should be driven to suicide after being tricked into killing her mother and then having people say shit like you got what you deserved."
There was another nod. "I was so tired suddenly. I had nothing left in me."
Emma arched an eyebrow. "Nothing left?"
Regina glanced away. Emma knew that Regina was dying to talk since she had been doing so already. Regina was clearly drained. She was over the edge, but thankfully it was not the cliff that she had been hanging from before. Now, she could unburden herself to the one person she had let behind at least one of her walls.
"I've never felt this way before. Usually, I have so much fight in me. I've always been determined and almost like an unstoppable force. Whatever burned inside of me went out that day in the woods. When Henry left with you … whatever my driving force had been died. I mean, it was just gone and nothing was going to bring it back, like nothing was going to bring Henry or my mother back. I didn't know what to do. I came here, lied on the sofa, and didn't get up. I mean, at all," Regina explained.
"You mean, like when Lady was missing?"
"Exactly like that."
Emma could see it, but only because she had seen it before. Of course, when she witnessed it, she had been able to make sure Regina at least ate. She could not get the former mayor to do much else, though. In fact, it was a struggle to get Regina to even eat. How the hell did she survive in here by herself then?
"You mean you lied on the couch and didn't do anything at all?" the blonde inquired, just to be sure. She was going to waste away on the couch? That was her suicide plan? It seemed like a very painful and long way to die.
"Your mother came knocking on my door and I couldn't be bothered. I could hear her pleading through the door for me to kill her and I still couldn't get up. Nothing moved me," Regina said, sounding a little astonished herself at the story. This helped Emma understand completely how "drained" the witch was.
"Mary Margaret came here?" Emma asked incredulously. And begged to die and you didn't do anything?! Yeah, Regina, you were messed up.
"She did. Nothing came of it. As I said, I couldn't get off of the sofa. I felt nothing spark inside me at her presence. The fire wasn't there, didn't ignite. I didn't care. I didn't feel anything at all. No, it was more than that. I can't even explain it. I was just dead inside. Completely and utterly dead."
"So, what made you take in Lady?" Emma inquired. She did not understand how a puppy got Regina off of the couch if the idea of killing her mortal enemy could not do that. After all, killing Mary Margaret had supposedly been Regina's driving force for years.
Regina shook her head and shrugged. "She seemed so pathetic. Perhaps that was it. I'm not sure. What bothered you so much about me hurting myself? Everyone else would have celebrated, if anyone ever bothered to enter the house and discover my corpse. You should be at the forefront of that and, yet, you made it seem like such a thing would greatly disturb you."
Emma grimaced. "I couldn't imagine celebrating someone committing suicide. I definitely couldn't watch someone walk down that road. I saw it once when I was younger and I didn't like the person, but watching her spiral down until my foster family found her hanging in the garage was more than any of us needed. I don't want to live it again, especially not with a ten-year-old boy. We'd both have guilt, knowing we helped drive you to it. I don't know how I would handle it, let alone how I would help him handle it."
Regina nodded, but was obviously taking it in because it took her a long moment to say anything. "So, this was not totally selfless."
Emma dug into her food for a few seconds. "Is anything?"
"Not in my experience, but you don't seem to want anything either," the former mayor pointed out.
"Not really, beyond us being able to get along anyway. I don't want to drive you to your death, that's for damn sure, especially not from being tricked. Making it all the more horrible would be that happening after you were trying to be better. I mean, you went along with your mom and everything, but before that you were trying to be better and you saved me and Mary Margaret."
Regina gave a slow nod. "Even with that reasoning, you're still one of the few people in my life who showed some concern for me without wanting something beyond not having my death on your conscious."
Emma's brow furrowed as she frowned. "Ever?"
"Ever."
Emma reeled. "God, I thought my life was fucked up. Not that it gives you an excuse." While she did not want Regina to kill herself or something along those lines, she did not want Regina to think all was forgiven.
"I don't look at it as an excuse."
"Well, it's not a valid reason for everything you've done either. In fact, I'm damn near certain, there is no valid excuse for everything you've done."
The ex-mayor did not respond. Her eyes drifted down and her nostrils flared. Clearly, Regina was feeling, but definitely not to the emotional level that she was known for. What was once a supernova was now a match flame and it seemed to shine inward instead of exploding outward. Emma thought that might be a good thing. Regina should reflect on what she did rather than just have continue reacting with unrelenting fury.
For a while, they ate in silence. Emma was pleased that she had not been kicked out, but she was starting to consider that she might have been cast out from behind that wall. Regina then spoke up and let her know that she might have actually made it past more walls than she thought.
"Have you ever thought about it?" Regina asked quietly.
Green eyes blinked. "What? Suicide?"
"Have you?"
Emma shook her head. "I run when times get rough. I've never stuck around anything for it to get that bad."
"I suppose."
"You have before this?"
Regina nodded. "When your mother was at my door requesting that I kill her, she offered her heart to me while begging for me to open the door. I considered taking my own heart. I put my hand to my chest, but even the thought of reaching in and yanking was too much for me. It's an idea I have toyed with on occasion, reaching in, feeling my own heart, crushing it with more ease than any other I've every held. I can never be sure if it was a serious notion or not. Clearly I never followed through."
"And before that? Have you thought of other means?" She had a feeling that Regina had contemplated it long before and probably did not want to acknowledge it because it would mean that she had lost that fire before.
Regina sighed and glanced away. "How's the food? Is it to your liking?"
"Yeah, it's great. Really good." Emma decided to finish eating, figuring that the conversation was over.
Lady whined at her feet and she dropped a piece of roasted chicken without thinking. As soon as if hit the floor, wide, green eyes stared at Regina. Regina arched an eyebrow and Emma could see some of that spark again. It was almost like indignation, but not quite there yet.
"I have no intentions of raising a fat dog, so do not give her table scraps. I also do not desire to have to deal with an ill dog. She has her own food. If you're willing to feed my dog the wrong things, I can only imagine what you're feeding my son," Regina remarked. Her tone was actually light, joking even.
"Hey, he's doing all right," Emma answered as truthfully as she could. He was not doing all right, but neither was she. They put up a good front, though. I'm going to have to get him to deal with stuff eventually, though. Can't just let the kid be confused for the rest of his life.
"I'm sure," Regina said dryly. "He was here earlier." She tried to sound normal, but her voice trembled a bit. She did not appear distressed, so Emma doubted that he had done something wrong.
"Did he apologize?" Emma guessed.
"He did. He also offered to walk Lady for me."
"That's good. He misses you and probably sees this as a way to reconnect."
Regina scoffed. "Reconnect? He sees me as the Evil Queen and nothing more."
"Not true. It would be easier for him if that were the case, but underneath it all, he knows you're mom. He knows you love him and he loves you, but then there's all this other crap going on. It's really confusing to him and he needs to sort it out in his head and in his heart. He'll come around, especially if you come around."
A small frown settled onto the brunette's face. It lacked the steel, terror, and supremacy that she used to reign over. "What's that supposed to mean?" she actually sounded curious more than anything else.
"Regina, don't act like you don't know. Don't pick up the pieces just to go back to the same thing that helped break you down in the first place. Give Henry a chance. Hell, give yourself a chance."
"A chance at what? He'll never want to be with me again."
"Then why did he offer to walk Lady? He wants to have something with you and you want to have a relationship with him. You have to meet him halfway."
Regina turned her attention back to her meal. Lady moved from near Emma to the former mayor and that simple action got a smile out of Regina. In that moment, Emma wondered if Regina just had to take care of some outside entity, so she could have dealt with her own serious emotional problems. Of course, she had Henry for ten years and had more than likely remained the same … or maybe gotten worse. Emma was not sure which. Whatever it was, having Lady seemed to be helping, but she was not sure if Lady would be enough to get Regina to truly change.
"I don't think I know how," Regina admitted.
"I think you'll figure it out. You both want to get along," Emma said.
Teary brown eyes stared at the sheriff. "Does he?"
"Let him walk Lady and you'll see. He doesn't hate you and he definitely doesn't want you to sit in here and go stir crazy. He's ten. He's confused. As much as he might like that he was right, it's still a lot to take in that he lives with a bunch of fairy tale characters and the woman that raised him for ten years cursed everybody and there's magic and he met his dad and just stuff going on. He's coping as best he can and at his own speed."
Regina nodded. "And are you coping, dear?"
It was Emma's turn to avoid the question. She was not coping. She was avoiding. She did it well. Although, she was sure that it would eventually catch up with her because she could already feel the weight of the world nipping at her heels.
"Better than you," Emma teased, which she realized too late was the wrong thing to do.
"More than likely because you don't know how to take your own heart out. I imagine your car is full of junk food wrappers, though."
"Uh … I pled the fifth, your honor," Emma answered with a laugh. How did she know that?
Regina smiled slightly, but it managed to reach her eyes and there was no malicious intent. Emma wondered if Regina had actually bottomed out and all she could do was improve now. She was a little envious because she knew that she was still slowly spiraling and she was not sure the bottom was in sight for her.
"Well, there's a decent meal here whenever you want one," Regina said in a small voice.
Emma could have been knocked over with a feather. "Um, I'll keep that in mind."
Regina only nodded. They focused on their food after that. Lady wandered back over to Emma, whining for scraps. Emma looked at Regina and smirked. Regina narrowed her eyes and Emma consciously decided to test this new thing between them.
"You better not, Miss Swan," Regina warned.
Emma dropped a piece of chicken on the floor. "Oops."
"Miss Swan," Regina was about to scold her, but then shot a glare at Lady. "You better stop it right now," she ordered.
Lady seemed to get the mood because she hesitated for a moment and then picked up the chicken. Regina jumped to her feet as Lady fled the scene. Emma could not help laughing. Regina glared again.
"You really want to have this dinner to go, don't you?" the former mayor inquired.
Emma only smiled. This shift in their relationship, she could live with. Emma was confident that little human being inside of Regina was blossoming before her eyes. And it was helping her avoid her own issues. A win-win situation as far as she was concerned.
-8-8-8-8-
Next time: Regina and Emma take Lady for a walk.