I just want to say that each and every one of you guys are amazing! All of your kind words, messages and reviews have made me feel like I'm actually influencing the lives of others. You all have let me know that my endeavor is in no way a waste of time, and I'd like to offer my most sincere thanks! Before I dissolve into a mushy mess, I give you the next chapter! I hope you enjoy it!

Regina Mills stood staring at her front door, as she had been doing so for the last ten minutes. The mansion was empty, and the silence oozing out of the rooms behind her made her twitchy while she fought frequent urges to glance over her shoulders. However, she restrained from doing so, partly out of pride, but chiefly because it still caused her a considerable amount of pain to do so.

It had been three days since The Attack. Three days, sixty consecutive hours of acute misery. To say that she looked as bad as she felt would be an understatement to rival all understatements. Quite frankly, she looked more like a downtrodden, defeated monster than she did a human being; a fact she was all too aware of.

Finally, she thought dismally that morning when she looked at herself in the mirror. The face matches the twisted horror buried within. Fitting. She had resolved upon waking that day to leave the sheltered harbor that her mansion offered to complete one, small task. She grimaced at herself, setting limits like some kind of weakling. The only comfort she could follow was the knowledge that she'd never get any stronger if she didn't start somewhere.

It took her roughly an hour and a half to apply her makeup that morning, which wasted most of the time she normally would have spent getting Henry ready for school, but the truth was that Regina dawdled somewhat with applying her human face. It wasn't that she didn't want to be with Henry, quite the contrary. Yet, he had been so clingy to her these past few days, and Regina was just so unused to the wealth of attention he was giving her. She wasn't ready for it, and the cause for all of his concern only made her shy away further.

Granted, his attentions and clinginess were completely different from the days of his boyhood when he wasn't concerned with curses or heroes, and the only mother he wanted was the brunette who loved him so. His behavior now was more subdued, like he was walking on eggshells around her. They still didn't talk much, though he spent a lot of time giving her long, morose looks. He offered to do more things around the house for her, as if she was some frail thing that would break under too much exertion. And he was more open to her physical displays of affection than before. He wouldn't shy away when she stroked his hair, nor would he avoid hugs. In fact, he often initiated embraces with her, gently of course.

It was a side of her son she had never before seen...and wished she didn't have to. He was a boy who was being forced to grow up too fast too soon. Henry was attempting to shoulder the burden of the grief Regina bore, and she could not stop him from trying. He was nothing if not persistent, and he had decided it was his job to help her limp back to safety again. Denying him that would only be an insult to his efforts, especially after all the months she had spent fighting for him to begin with. Yet, Regina could not celebrate the price she had to pay to get him back.

Henry was surprised to see her dressed and painted up when she descended the stairs. He was in the middle of cramming his books and folders into his backpack, and his eyebrows shot to his hairline when he looked at her. She was wearing pressed black slacks, a dark burgundy turtleneck - pulled up high - and her hair styled in its usual manner. She actually looked more like herself, aside from the fact that her cheek was still pretty swollen, her lip scabbed, and the cut on her temple was still discernable.

Her features tightened under his scrutiny, stiffening considerably. Her look almost dared him to question her appearance, but Henry wasn't blind to her discomfort. He dropped the look of surprise, and a small smile softened his features.

"You look pretty today, Mom." He continued cramming his books into his bag.

Regina didn't know what he would say, but that certainly wasn't it, and she momentarily forgot to be uncomfortable. "T-thank you," she said softly.

"Don't worry about me. I already ate breakfast, and I'm just gonna buy one of the school lunches. I've got all my stuff here for school," he motioned to the bag he was slinging over his shoulder, flashing her a brief, toothy grin.

"Good. And you'll be sure to-"

"I've got this, Mom. Swear. Are you...going to be okay today?" There it was. The question he asked every time he left the house. The question he asked every time he left the room. Was she going to be okay? The answer was always no, not that she told him so every time. But Henry was sharp, and he knew; however, it seemed that they had some kind of unspoken agreement. Should Regina say she's okay, he took that as permission to leave, that she needed time to herself. But when she answered no, he took his cue to stay with her for as long as she needed him.

Regina smiled sadly, not quite meeting his eyes. "You better hurry, dear. I don't want you to be late." She spoke softly, sadly, but there was warmth and care there. It was enough for Henry to know that she was going to tackle today - or at least the morning - on her own.

"Mkays. I'll see you later." He moved in for a soft hug, and she wrapped his arms around his shoulders, which stood a little higher these days, she noted. He carefully pulled away, throwing a baleful smile over his shoulder on his way out.

She rushed to the door, locking it only moments after it had clicked shut. After that, she moved through every room of the house, checking all the locks, windows and doors. Once she made sure the building wasn't vulnerable to outside invaders - blonde ones that wore red leather in particular - she found herself looking under Henry's bed, her own bed and in the showers of all the bathrooms. They were all devoid of enemies.

When she was on her way down to her study, Regina's left foot gave a nasty twinge; a reminder of injuries that were not yet healed. Although, if she didn't know better, those wounds felt like they were getting worse again, instead of better. The aches she felt in the arches of her feet were more persistent, and certainly less ignorable. The brunette made a quick U-turn, heading back up to her master bathroom. She pried open the medicine cabinet, snatching the bottle of painkillers Dr Whale had prescribed when she got discharged from the hospital.

The bottle was completely empty when she snatched it off the little shelf. Why would I put an empty bottle back in the cabinet? she fumed to herself. Of course, every major aspect of her life was thrown on its face, so why not the little things too? Her grip tightened tenfold on the little bottle when she realized what its emptiness meant: Regina had to go and get it refilled. In public. Exposed. She briefly thought that David would probably pick up the medication for her, but she squashed that thought rather quickly. The idea of relying on David Nolan for a menial task she should be able to do herself made the mayor shudder at her own weakness. No. No one was going to do this for her.

So Regina Mills stood staring at her front door. It was mocking her repeatedly. Just silently telling her what she couldn't do. That she couldn't feel safe in her home, that she couldn't feel safe outside her home. It reminded her that she was weak. That stupid door reminded her of what she had lost: her power. Emma fucking Swan had robbed Regina of her power, her confidence, even her identity.

A door. Regina Mills was being thwarted by a door. Thwarted in her almighty quest for medicine. Pathetic. She ground her teeth, eyes narrowing, self-disgust bubbling in her chest. What was there to be scared of? She was gone. Fled. Disappeared. Wherever she was, that woman was far away from her. As for the prying eyes of Storybrooke? Well, they were all still too terrified of her to be caught staring for too long.

She didn't offer herself another chance to hesitate, and her hand shot out to the lock, flipping it with practiced ease. Her breath caught in her throat, which her left hand lingered over. Her fingers then dropped to the doorknob, and the cool brass seemed to urge her forward. Regina's thin wrist twisted, pulling open the barrier between her and Storybrooke.

The cool, late-morning air crashed over her face, and she let out a shuddering breath, caught between utter terror and a small ounce of pride. The brunette took a tentative step forward, and another shaky breath was expelled from her lips. The ground did not open up and swallow her whole. There were no gawping spectators. There was no leather-clad sheriff charging at her.

Regina stood frozen on her porch, left hand splayed over her heart, eyes shut tight, chest heaving. She was outside. What was she doing outside? Why would she ever need to be out of her mansion? Why would she ever leave her safety? A small gust of wind blew around her, carrying with it a deep, earthy scent, mingled with the salt from the ocean. Together, they reminded her of a smell that lingered around Sheriff Sw-

Regina pivoted on her toes, bolting back inside. She slammed the lock in place, falling to her knees, her hand dragging down the painted wood. She felt tears sliding along her cheeks, and jagged, tortured sobs wracked her shoulders. The force of her crying enraged the tender bruise settled in her abdomen, and it wasn't long before small moans of pain mingled with her choked weeping.

She sat in her Mercedes, parked on the curb near the pharmacy. It had taken Regina several long hours to recover from the initial shock of her first attempt to leave the mansion. The brunette had exhausted her tears, crumpled up against the door gasping for air, eyes stinging and red. Her makeup mask all but ruined, revealing bruises as severely purple as the night they blossomed. The pull of her mouth had stretched the scab on her lip, and it had split slightly around the edges. A sharp throb was pounding away behind her eyes, and every tiny hurt in her body seemed to be on overdrive, all of them vying for her muddled attention.

Eventually, Regina found herself in front of her decanter of cider, staring at it. She was half in the present, half trapped in her office three days ago. And she just gazed at the golden liquid sitting innocently in the crystal container. Her puffy, brown eyes were glazed and unfocused, her body unnaturally tense. She couldn't be sure what had snapped her out of the flashback, but Regina did know that it certainly wasn't her own weak will that was responsible.

She thought she felt Daniel's large, warm hand sliding over the back of her own. She thought she heard the soft timbre of his voice calling her back, his fingers squeezing reassuringly, but when she looked down, all she saw was her hand resting on the decanter. The deepest wave of guilt washed over her, a furious blush blazing across her cheeks. She slid her fingertips from the cool glass, berating herself for her obvious weakness.

The mocking sneer of her mother's face was drawn to the forefront of her mind, and Regina ground her teeth, growling unconsciously. She would not let herself be defeated by a gust of wind. She might be reduced to something less than the mighty queen she knew herself to be, but Regina was not that weak. She refused to be. She swiped away a few errant tears, stepping firmly away from the minibar.

She gripped the steering wheel tightly, taking deliberately-measured breaths to psych herself up to actually exit the Benz. Fear held her back again. She was out in public, and despite her aloof facade of not caring, the paranoid side of her could not help but imagine furtive, curious glances into her car. She could not help but think that they were trying to catch a glimpse of their elusive, damaged mayor. It only made her want to flee even more.

However, she was there. She was a short distance from the allergic dwarf's pharmacy. She had already called in her prescription. And she knew the tone of her voice during the call, and some thinly-veiled threats left the man with no doubt about whether or not it was okay to stare. It's just a brief transaction, she told herself. Collect your goods and pay with as few words as possible. You've covered yourself up as much as you can. Stop being a coward.

Regina clenched her jaw, and checked all around her to make sure no one was around to witness her exiting the vehicle. She pried her aching fingers off of the steering wheel, and pushed open the door, trying to hold her head high in reminiscence of who she was. The brunette made sure the collar of her burgundy turtleneck was pulled up as far as it could go, and a fetching scarf was wrapped elegantly around her neck, the tails of which were neatly tucked under the breast of her black trench coat.

She yanked open the door, striding purposefully up to the front counter. When she cast a quick glance over the shop, she breathed a small sigh of relief. It was mercifully devoid of customers. Tom Clark greeted her in his usual, mucusy manner, though she noticed a thin sheen of sweat on his brow. The poor dwarf was still terrified of her, a fact that gave the mayor a modicum of confidence. Even like this, she maintained her ability to instill fear in her subjects.

"Madame Mayor, I have your prescription right...sneeze...here." She took the small paper bag he offered, mentally reminding herself to slather her skin in disinfectant as soon as she got back into her car. "The total is $44.87."

Regina swiped her credit card, signing for her purchase, curtly declining a receipt. She was impressed and grateful - not that she'd admit it - that the pharmacist had actually managed to avoid making their interaction awkward in any way. He treated it as any other transaction, with the exception of generally voiding eye contact with her in any way possible. Another small thing she was appreciative for.

Regina exited the building and promptly collided into a tall, thin, fuming mess of brown hair streaked with red. In an instant, she was being smashed into the wall behind her desk, strong arms pinning her there. She felt sweaty fingers closing around her throat; saw crazed malachite eyes boring into her own. Her ears were ringing with the throaty screams of a woman who radiated nothing but pure hatred. The skin on her face tingled with the sizzle of hot saliva peppering her features.

She stumbled backwards, tripping over her feet and landing hard on the sidewalk. "STOP! STOP! STOP!" she screamed over and over, skidding backwards on her hands and feet. Tears slid down her face, while her eyes danced wildly around her, completely unseeing. "JUST FUCKING STOP! YOU'RE HURTING ME!" Regina clawed wildly at her throat, and swiped her hand through empty air in front of her.

Ruby stood frozen, staring open-mouthed at the woman on the ground that was supposed to be Regina Mills. She couldn't decide if she should walk away, try and talk to the mayor, or wait and watch. The former and the latter seemed to be cruel in the eyes of the waitress. Instead, she ducked down slightly, carefully holding her hand out in front of her as though approaching a wild animal. She took a tentative step forward.

Regina's eyes suddenly focused on the proffered hand, and they shot wide, roiling with terror and fury. Her own hand shot out, gripping the younger woman's digits as tight as she possibly could - which was unexpectedly tight, considering the slight woman. Ruby cried out in pain as her fingers were crushed in the iron grip of the mad mayor. She was yanked down, almost falling on top of Regina, their faces inches apart.

"You will never hurt me as you did before! You will never exert that power you thought you wielded against me. And I swear, Sheriff," she spat into the waitress's face. "If you come near me again. If you dare entertain the thought of finishing what you started... I will kill you personally." Her brown eyes blazed into a frightened face that was unable to look away. "Have I made myself clear?" she growled venomously, still keeping her fingers clamped tightly around Ruby's.

"R-Regina...?" she whispered breathlessly. She saw a falter, then a switch in the fiery gaze trying to melt her into oblivion.

Regina's eyes suddenly drew into focus. She found herself not face-to-face with the blonde, but with the wolf. She sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth, hardly even registering the position she was in. "Miss Lucas?" She felt nothing but shame, guilt and embarrassment at her display, but played it off as best as she could as confusion.

"Hey," Ruby breathed, still mere inches apart from the other woman. Regina's hand suddenly snapped open, releasing hers. She let out a grateful gasp, flexing her aching fingers gingerly. "Jesus, Regi- I-I mean, Mayor Mills." she said, standing upright again. "Have you been working out or something?" But Regina just stared at her in horror. "I know it seems kinda dumb to ask, but are you okay?"

"I..." Regina's voice trailed off, and the waitress was almost completely certain she didn't have a clue what she wanted to say, but simply felt the need to say something.

"Hey," she said gently. "Maybe we should get you off the ground. Does that sound like a good place to start?" She smiled gently at the mayor, wanting to extend her hand, but she remembered what happened to her unfortunate digits when she tried that a few minutes prior.

Regina's brows drew together minutely. "You're trying to help me?"

"Would you rather I didn't?"

"...No," she responded pensively.

"Here," Ruby said, scooping up the bag the older woman dropped. "Wouldn't want you to lose these."

"Thank you," Regina said, still looking at the waitress as if she had never seen her before. Her eyes raked over Ruby's lanky form, and her frown deepened. "Miss Lucas, you are positively filthy." She gestured to muddy leggings, even muddier boots, and dirt-encrusted fingernails.

"Er...I fell. I was...hiking in the woods. You know? Fresh air and exercise are healthy for the mind and body?" Regina didn't have Emma's built-in lie detector, but that didn't mean she couldn't spot one being rubbed right in her face.

She knew the wolf had avoided the woods since her tryst with being deputy several months prior. Her rather unfortunate experience of finding a human heart buried at the Toll Bridge rather set her off her appetite for strolls in the forest. Not to mention the fact the Ruby was conscious of her appearance; she wasn't the type to muck around and get her hands dirty. But now was not the time or place to theorize what the wolf was hiding.

"Indeed," Regina responded flatly.

"Can I help you up?" she offered again.

"No!" The retort was sharp, leaving no room for doubt about her need to do things for herself. She carefully hauled her body to her feet, patting off as much dirt as she could from the back of her trench coat. She took her pills from Ruby, giving her a curt nod of thanks. When she started walking back to the Benz, she noticed the younger woman tentatively walking along with her, looking uncomfortable, as though expecting to be reprimanded at any second. Despite the unorthodox nature of having someone actually walk with her, Regina didn't tell Ruby off; though, she couldn't figure out why.

She stopped at the curb beside her car, turned, and looked at the woman standing next to her. She swallowed nervously before saying, "Miss Lucas...I apologize for my actions. They were-"

"Completely understandable. Besides, it was my fault I wasn't looking where I was going." she offered a tense, but warm smile.

"Why...are you being nice to me? I've never been-"

"I'm just nice like that. Try not to read into it too much. Trust me, I'm not working any angle here, Mayor Mills. Take a chill pill."

"Excuse me?" Regina said, narrowing her eyes.

"Uh...I'm just gonna run and clean up. Take care!"

"Miss Lucas?" Ruby turned around to face her addresser. "Perhaps... I mean, if you wouldn't mind... If you aren't too busy, we could-"

"Oh my God, are you asking me on a date?" the waitress asked, completely astonished.

"Absolutely not!" Regina looked shocked and affronted at such a notion, and Ruby blushed so deeply, she matched her namesake. "What could have possibly given you that impression?"

"I honestly have no clue," she replied earnestly, laughing in her nervousness.

"Perhaps you would do better to hold your tongue next time."

"Right, yeah!" Ruby sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. "So, what were you going to say before I...you know..."

"It no longer matters. I have changed my mind."

"W-what? You have to at least tell me what it was! C'mon, pleaseeeee!" the wolf whined, and it reminded Regina of the way Henry would beg for something he wanted.

"I was going to ask if you would like to perhaps get better acquainted."

"Oh my God! Are you serious? That would be-"

"A terrible idea. Hence my retraction of the offer."

"I was going to say it would be pretty cool..." she trailed off, a tinge of hope coloring her words.

"Considering that we have exactly nothing in common, I think it would be rather foolish," Regina said crisply.

"Yeah? Considering that you don't actually know me, I doubt you can accurately rely on those assumptions of yours," the young brunette pointed out. Regina fixed her with a pointed glare, and Ruby held her hands up in playful defeat. "Whatever you say, Mayor. You're the boss! But hey," she implored sincerely. "If you ever feel like changing your mind again, you know where to find me."

"I- Thank you for the offer, Miss Lucas."

Ruby smiled softly. "No problem. And, uh, I hope this isn't too forward, but you shouldn't have to do this alone either."

Regina stared at the young woman for a long moment, her lips parting and brow knitting together in a look of confused realization. When she noticed she was staring, she blinked her eyes, plastering on a tight smile. "If you're afraid something is too forward, dear, it often is." She climbed into the Mercedes without a second glance, driving off with a smirk tugging at her lips.

As per usual, you can find me on Tumblr at writers-dilemma. tumblr. com and another HUGE thanks to my beta, Jasmine, without whom I could not have made this story what it is. You can find her at obligatory-regal-name. tumblr. com