Green

-About a year ago-

Regina pressed her eyes closed as the liquid flowed, like fire licking at her throat and caused a familiar and greatly missed warmth throughout her body. Tightened muscles eased and her posture relaxed for the first time all day.

This was a unique day. It was a rare occasion that Regina took a few hours to herself to have a drink. It was rare that she felt like she needed one. But after a long day of traveling with Luca having conked out early from his own exhaustion, Regina decided to go to the hotel's bar downstairs and reattempt to forget the memories plaguing her mind today.

That goal was made about a hundred times harder when Regina was caught in the gaze of another at the bar.

She didn't notice for several moments. She was just minding her own business, sipping at her drink steadily. Even though he was just upstairs and could easily follow the directions in Regina's note to the bar if he needed her, she still wasn't comfortable leaving Luca alone for too long.

So it was in her distraction that she didn't notice anyone until the stool next to her shift and a man sat beside her. Regina didn't even bother to acknowledge him until he spoke up first.

"Can I get you another drink?"

Regina glanced towards him and her eyes automatically took him in. Handsome. Casually dressed, but his clothes were neat and clean, well fitted. Pretty face with a crooked smile.

Charming.

The comparison instantly caused an internal eye roll, yet Regina managed a polite, if tight, smile.

"No, thank you." She turned back to face forward but evidentially the message wasn't clear enough.

"Come on. I'm sure you could use something a little more…fun." He smiled again as he glanced down at the whisky between Regina's hands.

"I assure you, I am just fine." Her smile on the other hand, had slipped and once again, she faced forward.

"Playing hard to get, I see. Well just so you know, I'm not afraid of some competition."

Regina instantly looked to him again and seeing a cocky wink aimed at her had her mourning her lost magic momentarily. When she opened her mouth to speak, another voice beat her.

"Oh how brave you are. To be unafraid to pursue a woman clearly uninterested in you."

Regina blinked. Once. Twice. Then looked up and down the newcomer. The blonde woman in brown leather and tight jeans had her momentarily stunned.

Feeling sudden paranoia, Regina looked around the room for the Mary Margaret doppelganger to suddenly show as well.

This woman wasn't identical to Emma; her face was a little narrower, eyes a far duller green. Just like the man didn't perfectly resemble the prince. But the similarities were uncanny and Regina took longer than appropriate staring at the woman, not realizing the impression she was giving.

"Excuse me, do you mind?" The cocky prince look-alike turned towards the woman who had joined them. Well, more like interrupted them. Apparently, he was under the impression this woman was the only thing that would hinder his progress with Regina.

"Not at all." The blonde stepped forward and sat on Regina's other side. "Hello, my name's Nicole." She extended a hand towards Regina and she realized this woman was giving her an easy out. Not that she couldn't ignore the man on her own, but this way she wouldn't be left sitting alone and open to further flirtations.

Part of Regina wanted to just walk away completely. She wanted to check on Luca anyway, and so she had a good excuse. But her eyes moved down the form of the woman in front of her and there was just something drawing her in.

"I'm Regina." She took the leather clad woman's hand and gave a soft smile. The other woman gave a bright one in return, turning to a smirk for just an millisecond as the man rolled his eyes and departed to find an easier target.

There was something in the expression though. Another starling comparison. The confidence, the slightly mischievous look in her eyes. Regina hated it but she couldn't look away.

"So, what brings you here?" Nicole leaned just slightly forward and kept a soft smile for Regina.

"I'm traveling…with my son. We like to stop periodically and explore a bit." Regina cleared her throat and tried to just see the woman in front of her, though her mind was picturing something else. "Do you…have children?" She asked, trying to find a difference to focus on.

"No, definitely not."

Good.

"So, where are you from?" Nicole continued, as well as her stare into Regina's eyes. Regina noticed she shifted closer.

"Um, we're from…Maine." Regina forced herself to look away. She didn't understand why this woman was getting to her so quickly. She only resembled Emma and it wasn't like she was the first athletic blonde she encountered in the last year. But then again, it was something in her eyes.

"Maine, huh? I pictured you more…Boston. Or New York." She grinned and again, seemed to gravitate even closer.

Regina momentarily was caught up by her words. They had been traveling all day and Regina was still dressed in jeans and a plain button down. Nothing in her outfit to suggest she was specifically from an type of area. She wondered what it was about her that gave Nicole that impression.

"So, can I get you another drink?"

Definitely confident.

Regina was about to voice her declination when that confidence proved itself again. Regina felt, before she saw, Nicole's hand gently rest on her thigh.

She blinked again. Once. Twice. She cleared her throat and just paused.

Somewhere in her slightly cloudy mind, she realized how out of character it was that she would just allow this. It wasn't the first time she had been friendly with someone for a night during their travels. But it was the first she tolerated someone's obvious and rushed advances without her clear consent.

But then every time she thought to object, she caught the woman's slightly crooked grin and alluring, familiar eyes and the words died in her throat. She felt almost caught there. Held in this woman's steady and confident gaze, seeing the familiarity there and just being unable to move herself away.

Nicole took her acceptance of the touch as encouragement. Her free hand slowly lifted and her fingers gently reached out to tuck the brunette hair behind an ear.

She let herself get caught up. She let this blonde woman in leather and tight pants lean in closer. She let her hand slip higher and didn't pull back when her fingers grazed over her cheek.

It wasn't until her lips just barely brushed Regina's that the woman seemed to snap out of it. Like a bucket of cold water, she was suddenly awoken of her haze.

This wasn't right. Her lips weren't right. The kiss wasn't right. None of it was right.

Regina pulled back and shook her head, offering a nearly inaudible apology as she did so. The other woman was confused and it showed in her expression. She kept silent as Regina downed the rest of her drink in a quick swig and stood.

She made the excuse of needing to see her son. Luca was still upstairs alone and was the perfect reason for her to leave and so that is exactly what she did.

She heard the objections of the other woman but it didn't stop her from practically running from the bar. She rushed towards an empty hallway and only stopped once she knew she was completely out of sight.

Leaning her forehead against the wall, Regina closed her eyes and breathed slowly. Memories of the right blonde flashing in her mind. The right smell. The right lips. The right taste.

She shook her head of the memories, letting them fall away into the back corners of her mind and made her way back to her room. Back to the boy who filled her mind and her heart with new memories everyday. With new love and new hope.

When she sat on the edge of his bed, she saw his brow furrowed. His hands at his sides were clenched into tight fists and before she made a move, a soft whimper escaped her son's lips.

Everything else left her mind at that point. Every thought of blonde knights, evil sorceresses and little princes just receded as she laid down and pulled the frightened boy into her arms.

She pressed her lips to Luca's forehead, and as she whispered words of love into his ear to chase away the nightmares attacking his mind, he simultaneously pushed away the thoughts tormenting hers until the only thing left was mother and son.

-Present day-

Regina's eyes stared intently on the ceiling. She blinked slowly, but remained focused on the same area. There was a spot there. A slight, subtle discoloration. She had no idea why it was there and it was irritating her this morning.

She had never noticed it before. Probably because she kept quite busy and didn't generally lay awake in the mornings and just stare up at the ceiling. But today was Saturday and Luca's game was a little later in the morning than usual and so she had a few extra minutes this morning to relax.

But then she couldn't relax. Her mind wanted to take this morning, the first break she'd had since the night of the party, to finally think on the events of that evening.

She had stayed busy since then. School and practices for Luca, daycare and activities for Lilly, plus the center, where Henry had joined her a few afternoons after school where the conversations stayed solely on safe topics, and Regina's plate had been full every minute. So she hadn't stopped to think or dwell on anything not directly pertaining to her kids or her work.

But now she laid in bed and her mind kept flashing images of Emma Swan, standing alone in the middle of an unfamiliar crowed, so hopeful and desperate, pleading in her eyes and tone. It kept looping her words, forcing the sound and her exact tone to replay over and over again.

Regina narrowed her eyes and shoved the sounds and images from her mind and focused hard on the small spot on her ceiling. She felt as if she just focused hard enough, everything else would disappear.

But of course it didn't.

She didn't regret anything. Not about the other night, that is. As hard as it was to push away the very woman she dreamt about, it was the right decision. No matter how perfect things could be, the last time their relationship was tested, it couldn't stand. With two hearts and three children on the line, the risk was too great to take on one single gesture from her lost love.

Unable to get the woman off her mind and growing further irritated at the discoloration on her ceiling, Regina finally just threw her covers off and started her morning routine. The repetitive motions helped.

She was dressed and ready and had breakfast started before she decided to wake the very sleepy children of the house. She decided to start with Luca, what with him still being the most difficult one to wake she had ever encountered.

Regina didn't mind that though. As loving as he was at any point in the day, he was especially cuddly when sleepy and waking him was something Regina actually enjoyed. Just as long as they weren't running late, of course.

She stepped into Luca's room and paused in the doorway. Already the thoughts plaguing her mind that morning had faded to the back and her focus was only on the boy in front of her. The boy who always seemed to make it better.

She came to sit on his bed and pull the blanket back enough to see his face. She smiled at the calm expression, his lips ever so subtly pulled up at the corners.

His expression in the morning always told Regina what kind of night he had. The nightmares were so very few and far between, but unfortunately, they still hadn't quite left him completely. Every once in a blue moon, if he didn't wake in the night and seek her out, she come in the morning to find lines crossing his forehead and a frown pulling at his lips.

This morning though, like most others, she knew she could safely assume he had a peaceful night and lightly brushed her fingers over his smiling cheek. After dropping a kiss to his forehead, she lightly squeezed his shoulder and spoke softly.

"Luca, sweetheart, it's time to get up. Time for breakfast." She squeezed his arm again and watched as his eyes fluttered slightly, meeting her own gaze for just a second before closing again. "I saw you…" She said in a sing song tone, trailing her fingers over his cheek again. "I know you're awake."

Luca made an over dramatic groaning sound before trying to turn over in bed. Regina shook her head though, and took a hold of both his hands before tugging on them.

"Come on now." She leaned back and pulled his arms so his body came up off the bed, but of course Luca let his head loll backwards and made himself completely dead weight.

Regina laughed and leaned all the way back until he was upright. As soon as she sat back up, he dropped his weight into her and his arms plopped down to the sides as he laid his head on her shoulder, his eyes staying closed the whole way.

Regina sighed but she was smiling as she brought her arms around him and rested her cheek against his head. The boy was good and he knew it. So when Regina tried to pull back, he brought his arms around her neck and went full on cuddly mode.

There was a muffled grumble into her shoulder with words that sounded something like 'just a few more minutes', followed immediately by a tugging and before Regina could stop herself, she was falling down onto the bed next to him, her victorious son snuggling right in.

Regina sighed again, deeply, but there was honestly nothing not absolutely perfect about the moment. She prayed to whoever watched over them, that Luca never grew out of this. She had taken Henry's affections for granted in their years before everything went to hell, but she would never make that mistake again.

She kissed Luca on the forehead and gave him several solid minutes before sitting up again, pulling him with her.

"Come on, sweetheart. I started breakfast and I'd really hate to burn the house down before school."

She saw a grin appear on his face and tickled under his chin until his eyes opened and he couldn't stop the giggle from escaping.

She pulled him all the way out of bed and to his feet, having enough experience not to trust him in this state to get himself moving. She pushed him all the way to the bathroom before finally letting him be.

Lilly was easier. Mostly because Regina could just pick her straight up out of bed and dress her herself. The little girl allowed Regina to get her ready and wrapped her arms around her foster mother's neck as she was carried down to the breakfast table.

Once Luca joined, Regina just focused on them and enjoyed the time with her family, not thinking of anything or anyone else.

It was working for her. Regina was smiling and cheering. She had Lilly in her arms and the little girl was clapping her hands together for them both, despite not completely knowing exactly what she was happy for.

Luca was sprinting down the field with the ball. He always looked so completely confident and focused and now was no different as he glanced up to take in the field. When an opposing defensive player ran towards him to head him off, he used the foot leading the ball, to circle in front of the it before planting on the ground and using the other foot to sweep the ball to the outside.

The fake out worked as the other boy followed his initial direction and Luca took off down the side of the field. He was left farther from the goal now though, and so when more players came at him, instead of trying for the shot, he looked up just in time to see Damian running down the middle of the field and kicked the ball with the side of his foot to send it sailing to his teammate.

Seconds later, the cheering of the crowd intensified as Damian slammed the ball straight into the goal and the game came to an end. Luca ran to him and in a move that amused Regina to no end, jumped in the air and the two bumped chests together, laughing the whole way.

Regina rolled her eyes, but smiled and bounced Lilly in her arms as her son ran to her next and gave her an excited high five. She curled her fingers in his and pulled him forward into a one-armed hug.

"You did so good, sweetheart." She praised before kissing his head and laughed when Lilly mimicked the move.

They all got into the car and like any other win, started heading over towards Susan's house. Regina was grinning from ear to ear as Lilly went on and on about the game with Luca, far more vocal than she generally ever was. When they stopped at a traffic light in town, between some restaurants and apartment buildings, she turned in her seat.

"So you had fun?" She asked the little girl. It wasn't Lilly's first game, but things were different now and with the girl babbling on so excitedly, Regina just wanted it to continue.

"Yes! I want to play too!" She said with a huge smile and Regina laughed.

"You want to play soccer?" She asked, getting an immediate and enthusiastic nod in response.

"You should see if there's a team." Luca spoke up next to the little girl. "It might help with…you know." He nodded his head towards Lilly and Regina understood. She wondered if the activity would get her out of her shell like this in front of others. It was worth a shot at least.

"Perhaps we should look into something."

She was smiling bigger now, as she thought about it. Nothing from the morning or the last week weighed her down as she thought of the happy little girl running about with friends.

As she was turning back towards the front, she was distracted in the thoughts and possibilities with Lilly. So when her eyes took in the view across the street, it took her brain an extra few seconds to process the sight.

Regina's smile dropped just slightly as a line appeared in her forehead. Her head gave a small shake as she looked at the pair carrying bags of groceries into the apartment building across the street.

"Mum, the light." Luca's voice reached her ears and Regina's head shook again, before his words registered. A horn sounded behind her and Regina's eyes flitted towards the rearview mirror at the impatient driver, before glancing at the now very green light.

She released the break and hit the gas, her eyes automatically slipping towards blonde hair, waving in the wind. Though now, eyes as green and bright as the traffic light summoning her forward, were aimed right at her.

She was caught in Emma's gaze and saw the surprise directed towards her. She understood that of course, but was confused when Emma's eyes widened and the bags in her hands dropped suddenly to the ground.

She was trying to understand that when screeching tires startled her and her eyes barely got a chance to take in the sight of a car right in front of her before all sound was drowned out and everything went black.

I think as a fan fiction writer, it's like my personal motto, when in doubt, add drama. So yeah, don't worry too much. Just needed to get my shit together on this story and this'll help ;)

Thank you guys for sticking with me through the writer's block. You're all awesome. Would love to know what you think here :D