Chapter 17

Regina cracked her eyes open very slowly. Her head was beating to the tune of a thousand marching bands. She couldn't remember very much of last night. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the events that her liquor soaked mind had retained.

She remembered Rory helping her climb the stairs. She remembered falling into bed. She then remembered the other woman removing her clothing. She also recalled the very passionate kiss she gave oh so willingly. She sat up very slowly, carefully covering her bare chest with the sheet. She was thankful that the curtains in the tiny apartment were closed because the sun was her new mortal enemy.

She finally settled her eyes on the tattooed body wearing only an apron standing at the small, two burner stove. The smell of eggs and bacon making her stomach twist in the most unpleasant way. She opened her mouth to say something, but only a dry croak came out.

Rory glanced at her and quickly turned the heat off on the stove, moving the pans to the side counter, before gathering a glass of murky water and a couple pills from the other counter. She sat beside Regina with a smile and handed her the glass and the pills.

Eyeing the murky water distastefully, Regina sipped at it before deciding it was not dirty water, but some sort of flavored concoction. She took the offered pills and drank the glass. Her stomach settled almost immediately, the headache however was likely going to stick around for a bit. She smiled at Rory, "thank you."

Rory smiled back at her and moved some stray hair out of her face, "you're quite welcome. Now, chill for a few minutes, give the tonic time to work and then I will bring you breakfast."

Regina watched her move back to the kitchen area, working to finish the food. She finally licked her lips and decided to find out what had happened last night. She was incredibly nervous that they had had sex and she couldn't even remember it. "Uhm… last night, after we came to bed…?"

Rory grinned widely but didn't look at her, still fixing the food. "Oh, last night! You were a wild animal! I didn't know you had studied Kamasutra! My back may never be the same again. I'm really pleased we could both agree it was the best sex we've ever had!"

Reginas eyes were wide with shock and a fierce red over took her face, "Really?!"

Rory started laughing as she brought two plates over to set on the bed for them to eat, "no. You burped in my mouth and passed out."

Regina grimaced and slapped the womans arm but took her plate anyway. "That's not funny."

"I thought it was. Nevermind all that, you had a long work week, I could see the stress melt off you last night. I am perfectly happy to have made you relax enough to burp in my mouth."

Regina rolled her eyes and focused on the eggs which seemed to be the best tasting food she had ever eaten. "We are not mentioning that again. Not ever."

Rory laughed while shoveling her own food down. She still ate like a starving wolf, it seemed. "You never need to worry Regina, I don't know why you always ask me this on Saturday morning. I would never take advantage of you like that." She stood to take her plate to wash before Regina had finished half of hers. "You have been throwing yourself at me in a drunken daze for seven years, and not once have I accepted your rather forceful offers. Although I can admit to being rather intoxicated myself and the occasional strip tease you offer up cannot be unseen."

Regina stared at the woman. What the hell kind of relationship did they have?! It wasn't taking advantage if they usually slept with each other was it? "Why not?" She snapped her mouth shut with a click. This hangover was horrid, making her speak without thought.

Rory smiled at her in a way that could only be called loving, "because that's not what I am here for. I am here to love you and make you as happy as I can for the rest of my life. If you never want me in that manner, I will still stay beside you, always." Rory looked back to washing the dishes and shrugged, her smile becoming more devilish, "now, don't get me wrong, if you ever get naked and shove your tongue down my throat like that when you are sober I am going to rock your world up one side and down the other until you scream my name and the whole fucking town knows I'm banging the mayor like a screen door in a hurricane."

Regina dropped her fork on her plate and stared at her with wide eyes, "how long could you possibly wait? Kisses and cuddles can't be enough for you?"

Rory just shrugged, handing Regina a clean towel and nodding towards the bathroom, "I've waited my whole life for you, I can wait the rest of it."

Regina took the offered towel and made her way to the bathroom, sheet held tightly against herself. She thought hard in the small shower stall as she washed though. They weren't physical… Kisses and cuddles, but no sex? Even without every memory of this world she knew that wasn't normal. In the enchanted forest their relationship was extremely odd. She could remember literally pulling the woman on top of her and kissing her thoroughly, but Rory had not given in to it? The woman obviously wanted her, that crude description of what she wanted to do with her was more than enough evidence of such.

She felt more for the woman than she did before this conversation now. She could also remember having this similar talk with her many times before. Including the first time Regina had woken hung over naked in the womans bed. She had been mortified of her actions and even more embarrassed at what she assumed they had done. At the time, Rory was dating Ruby. It took the better part of an hour for Rory to convince her they did not in fact have sex.

Regina apologized adamantly to her then best friend Ruby for what had happened. Ruby had seemed incredibly irate that Rory had sent her to her own home instead of letting her stay as she usually did. Apparently, Rory decided to take Regina up to her apartment above the bar that at the time was owned by someone else. She insisted Regina shouldn't be left alone that night because of how drunk she was. Ruby had been hurt, rather badly, that Rory had decided to take care of Regina instead of her.

Regina smiled as she switched off the shower. The curse had created a past rather similar to the real one, just moving things around to fit into this world. Rory had always protected Regina first. She felt a small, very small, pang of guilt at the way Ruby must have felt all these years. But then she recalled the woman consistently abandoning them and brushed the guilt off.

She dressed in a casual, but nice, pant suit that was hung on the back of the door. Apparently this had been planned rather well since her clothes were here. She brushed her hair the best she could and walked back into the main apartment. Rory was laying on the bed, wearing sweat pants and a ratty t-shirt, watching t.v.. Regina sighed and laid beside her, resting her head on the womans arm for a pillow. They laid like that for a while before Rory stretched and switched the t.v. off.

"Alright, my little hot mess, you ready?"

Regina glared at her for a moment before answering, "ready for what?"

Rory scoffed and bounced out of the bed, "you can't still be hungover. Ready for what? For the second round. Saturday night is still karaoke night and that means preparations must be made."

Regina frowned but shrugged and stood, "remind me when it starts?"

Laughing while tying her shoes on, Rory seemed to be amused at Regina's lack of memory, "wow… ok. It starts at six so everyone can sing badly for a couple hours before we stop it and actually have a good night." She looked at her wall clock before handing Regina her shoes, "that means we have two hours to get it set up and ready."

"It's already 4?!" Regina put her shoes on hurriedly.

"Well yes, that'll happen when you sleep until one in the afternoon, mayor lazypants."

Scowling at the woman, she followed her out the door and down the steps. Sleeping until one?! She was going to be much more careful with Rory's drinks from now on. Ridiculous. Irresponsible and child like behavior at it's worst.

…..

Despite her internal thoughts, Regina had finished two drinks already and it was only 7 pm. In her defense, the karaoke was nearly intolerable when totally sober. Some people seemed alright, but others were just there for everyone elses entertainment. The bar was packed again, it seemed nearly all of Storybrooke wanted in tonight. Mary Margaret was actually well received with her rendition of Britney Spears 'Gimme more'. Regina was giggling at the woman singing in a whiny voice and asking for more.

Rory bumped her elbow and asked when she was going to sing for them. Regina shook her head furiously, no chance. "Absolutely not. Not in a million years, it isn't going to happen."

Rory pouted at her with big sad eyes, "please? I love hearing you sing."

Regina then remembered Rory catching her singing in the shower several times thru the years. "Shower singing doesn't count. I am not doing karaoke."

Rory tossed a bar towel at her playfully, "fine. Party pooper. I will sing then."

Before Regina could throw the towel back, Rory was over the counter and headed for the small stage being vacated by Leroy who had just finished 'Mr. Boombastic' by Shaggy.

As the music started, Regina was hit by a thousand memories of Rory singing anywhere and everywhere she damn well pleased. She had a wonderful voice and could sing every range it seemed. She could hit the highest notes and the deep bass too. Everyone cheered loudly when she took the microphone up and the music started.

I lost my baby to a foreign war

She was cut down in the gunfire of the western world

She was livin in sin I was livin in a lie

She was caught up in the glimmer of a rich mans eye

I couldn't see her from the other side

They said son there's no glory in your pride

Regina cheered with everyone else as Rory tore thru the punk song like she owned it.

I will wait at the Brandenburg gate

At the Brandenburg gate, I'll wait

I will wait at the Brandenburg gate

At the Brandenburg gate, I'll wait

When the song ended, many people clapped and cheered and it marked the end of the karaoke because no one wanted to go after Rory's performance. The stage was quickly cleared out by Rory and Lacy and the auto play list was started. It kicked off with some fast paced punk rock that everyone started singing along to.

Regina pulled on Rory's hand when she got close and kissed her, a reward for a song well done. The woman then bounced over the bar again and her and Lacy started catching up on drinks. Regina just sat and sipped her own drink, remembering to slow down on this one. She got busy watching the people dancing and didn't notice someone sitting on the stool next to her. When she did turn around, she inhaled sharply and leaned away from Ruby.

Ruby was in pretty deep, already on her sixth round of the night. She glanced at Regina sideways and rolled her eyes, "I don't bite Regina." She giggled into her glass and added, "not in public anyway. But you probably know all about what I do in private. I'm sure you've been measured against me plenty of times."

Regina felt herself grow irrationally angry. The woman was obviously drunk and couldn't control herself. But the audacity of her to taunt Regina like that was uncalled for at best. "I think maybe you should sit elsewhere, Miss Lucas."

Laughing loudly and clinking her glass on the bar, Ruby leaned in close to Regina's face, "where would you like me to sit, Regina?! You already stole my favorite spot…" She then stared down the bar at Rory who was bent at the waist retrieving a case of liquor from under the bar.

Regina wasn't quite sure what happened. Once minute she was staring daggers at Ruby who was leering at Rory, the next thing she knew, Ruby was flat on her back on the floor. Regina stared down at her until Ruby started getting up and threw a fist towards her face. Before impact though, a body tackled into Ruby and after a bit of a wrestling match, Rory came out on top and roughly escorted Ruby out the back door of the bar.

Regina stared after them, the crowd quickly went back to their own business as the door slammed behind Rory and Ruby. Regina was stunned at herself for reacting so violently, and her hand hurt like hell. She had actually punched Ruby. If the woman ever got her enchanted forest memories back, Regina was likely going to be puppy chow.

Regina steadied herself and went to check on them. She opened the door just slightly and peeked out. Rory was holding Ruby's wrists and using it as leverage to keep Ruby off herself. Ruby however was fighting her the best she could in her drunken mess.

"God damn it Rory! What could you possibly see in that frigid bitch?!"

Rory pushed her backwards but held onto her wrist so she wouldn't fall to the ground. "Well for one, she isn't currently screaming and fighting like a lunatic in the alleyway."

Ruby jerked her wrists out of Rory's grip and went about drunkenly fixing her hair. "Of course she isn't, the stick up her ass wouldn't allow such a human reaction would it?"

Regina mentally scoffed at that comment. A werewolf saying she wasn't human. Fantastic.

"Ruby, you're drunk, like stupid drunk. You need to go home and sleep it off. Tomorrow we can all pretend this didn't happen okay?" Rory looked concerned.

Ruby seemed to collect herself a bit and slowly put her arms around the other womans neck, getting close to her face, Rory just stood stock still, watching her. "Can I at least have a kiss goodnight?"

Rory made to pull away but Ruby was surprisingly quick and forced her mouth onto hers. Regina had enough. Another burst of jealous rage filled her from head to toe and she shot out of the doorway towards them with a growl in her throat.

Rory pulled out of the embrace violently just before Regina reached them. She shoved Ruby aside and grabbed Regina's arm to pull her back from following after the stumbling woman. Regina was shaking with anger as they waited for Ruby to clear the alleyway, laughing to herself, before looking at each other.

"You should have let me hit her again." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Rory.

Holding her hands up in surrender, Rory shook her head, "I'm pretty sure you did a good enough job the first time sweetheart."

Regina finally relaxed and held her right hand gently, "it seriously is broken in a million pieces."

Rory laughed and took her hand in her own, very slowly and gently examining it and bending Regina's fingers carefully. Regina winced, but it wasn't too bad. "I don't think it's broken. But, we should definitely get you some ice for it before it swells up too much. You're lucky she was wasted. I barely got there before she got a return shot. She hits like a fucking freight train. You'd be in bad shape if she had made it."

Regina sighed and closed her eyes, "I can't believe this. I shouldn't be reacting like that. I'm sorry."

Rory wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tightly, "she told me what she said to you. You were defending my honor! My little lady hero, so valiant. Suicidal, but valiant."

Regina laughed against her and pulled away to head back inside. "Yes, I'm your knight in shining Prada."

They laughed and decided to forget it all. Regina sat at the bar and let Rory put an ice pack on her hand. They just enjoyed each other for the rest of the night, Rory never straying too far from her. Regina couldn't help mulling over what had happened though. She had felt so much rage and jealousy, it was ridiculous. She never felt that much when Lorelei and Red were together. Maybe a little jealous… no. Ridiculous.

They decided they were sober enough to go to their proper home and were curled up together by 3 am.

….

The song referenced here was 'Brandenburg Gate' by Anti-Flag. I don't own it.