"Alright, Regina. We need to talk."
To say she was surprised to see the bounty hunter saunter into her office unannounced would have been a grave understatement. To say she was angry about it, however, would have been a complete lie. She could not explain it, but tried to pass it off as simple vulnerability. It has only been a few days since Lynn…since I… She masked her thoughts with a slight frown. A much darker one was whispering, and it was much more terrifying than anything solely within herself. Lynn and Henry. Are they…no, she - Regina tried to refocus, come back to the moment. Emma. She seemed so confident, and so self assured that it was as off putting as it was magnetic. For as elusive to track down as she was, Emma was more than interesting just by the way she carried herself. A sense of longing almost began to rise up in her, though longing for what Regina could not be quite sure. Everything seemed to be becoming a mess of memories, emotions, and the traitorous whispers of her mind. So much had happened in only a week. Had things been like that much, here? She tried not to think about that too much, either. The only other time, in her memory, was when Lynn had been attacked. When she had almost died. And -
"Miss Swan, I wouldn't advise any presumptions of whether or not I'll listen to you," Regina spoke sharply, trying to stop her thoughts from racing. "However, as I have nothing else I need to immediately address, I suppose I have time to entertain you."
Emma rolled her eyes. "I don't think our relationship is good enough for that."
"By no help of you," Regina bit off. "Continuing to instil resentment for me in my son, trespassing on my property with a chainsaw? There is not a judge in the state that would deny me a restraining order against you. I could even press charges."
"But you won't," Emma said, easily matching Regina's venom with some of her own. "You know it would upset Henry, and you don't seem to be particularly eager to do that. Although I don't appreciate that you manipulated him into hearing me call him crazy."
Regina's hands shook, and she nearly expected her pen to break in them.
Don't act as if you don't manipulate people too, Regina. You are not better than me,. Do not even play that game.
"You didn't say anything that you did not believe, and nor did I," Regina coldly replied. "I would tread carefully if you're going to attempt to use anything of that nature against me, Miss Swan."
Emma approached her desk, her boots pounding against the ground.
"I didn't come here to fight with you, Regina," Emma said, pausing when the woman tensed. "And, while I know this is going to surprise you, I brought something I think you'll be glad for."
Regina raised an eyebrow. "And what could that possibly be?"
Emma reached into her purse, first pulling out a thick, manilla envelope, and, second, a gun and several cartridges of ammunition. She set all of them down on Regina's desk, much to the queen's surprise. The two of them fell into silence. What on earth is she playing at? Is she trying to lull me into subservience? Or is she trying to force me to give up Henry? No, she…she can't do that! He is my son, and always will be. Even if she is - Regina briefly closed her eyes, struggling to quiet her thoughts, again. Eventually, she opened them again, and looked up at Emma. The two women stared at each other, neither one of them wanting to be the first to say anything more. A fight of wills, and a desire to be in control. Control. Neither of them were willing to confess to it, but they both craved it, and felt vulnerable without it. Emma eyed Regina closely, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion when the woman hesitantly reached for the gun, ammunition, and file. It's almost as if she hasn't seen a gun before. How could someone like her go this long without one?
"Regina, listen," Emma finally spoke. "I don't think you're the greatest person, far from it, but I can tell you care about your kids. Hell, I knew it the second I realised that Lynnetta is your daughter. I also am not going to let you freeze me out of your life. And I am certainly not going to let you freeze me out of Henry's."
Regina frowned. "So, you have been speaking to him?"
"While you're here working, I'm walking him home from school," Emma admitted. "And, yes, that means he and I talk. Don't worry, I kept your little secret about setting up -"
"Miss Swan -" Regina dangerously began.
"- But he does care about you either way, that's what I've come to hear, anyways," Emma sighed. "I won't pretend he isn't mad at you, because it sounds like he is still frequently mad at you. Still…"
Emma paused, almost transfixed when she saw how Regina picked up the gun. She seemed almost afraid of it, and her fingers brushed over the metal. It was strange, something the bounty hunter had never seen before, nor ever expected to see.
Regina is an enigma. Henry, whether or not you're right about the past of your family, she isn't all bad. She might even be less powerful, and more fragile than you think.
"What is in the file?" Regina said, slipping the gun into her purse alongside the ammunition. "I'm rather surprised you have anything you would be capable to -"
"It's a full report…well, okay, it's more of a compilation," Emma squirmined when Regina began to open the file. "A compilation of every single bit of information on the Watson family, and what they did to Lynnetta. Henry said they want to make the graduation ceremony in the coming summer in the memory of their comatose, attempted murderer of a daughter, which, honestly, I find fucking repulsive. Especially because of what happened, what with them attempting to have me cover up the crime. So, I thought this would be a good way to have permanent leverage over them."
Permanent leverage.
The notion was enticing, so enticing that it hurt. For a few seconds, the facade of coldness, and unwavering resolve the queen had worked so hard to create, and maintain slipped away. It was all nearly too much.
"They…they stabbed me," Lynn had begun shaking so badly that she, briefly, seemed to be convulsing. Her mother leaned over to steady her. "Aria…Cindy…climbed on me. Kicked me. I was on the ground I was sobbing I got stabbed they just kept going stabbed me and I just couldn't do anything I screamed I tried to kick them but they kept going and…"
Then the world had seemingly gone dark for the princess, and the fear of losing her again rose to the surface in her mother's mind. Without even thinking, purely on instinct, Regina had pulled her daughter up onto the couch the little she needed to. Sat down beside her, before gently bringing Lynn closer to her the best she could, holding her securely in her arms.
"Mills fainted. This interview will continue at a later time."
Graham stood up to switch off the video camera, and then the audio recorder. Her heart nearly beating her senseless in her chest, Regina had seemingly not noticed. Everything in the world, for just a moment, disappeared beside herself, and her daughter.
"I'll add these to the file with the DA's office," Graham grimaced when he saw Lynn starting to blink back into consciousness. "I'll go get her some water."
The world was still spinning. Lynn curled into her mother and started to cry again.
"What happened, momma?"
"You fainted, dear," Regina said, lightly scratching Lynn behind her ears just like she had when her daughter was a baby. "It's going to be okay. You don't have to keep talking, today. You're doing so well, Lynn. Honestly. What you're doing is incredibly brave, and I'm proud of you."
Lynn weakly nodded through tears. "I love you, momma…" She whispered.
Regina startled a little when Lynn held tighter onto her but then sighed.
"I know, and I love you too.. Lynn? I promise…I will never let anyone ever hurt you again. Not like that."
"Miss Swan," Regina suddenly stood up, and Emma, startled, took a small step back. "I'm rather shocked you did this, but I deeply appreciate it. But, do tell me: what prompted it?"
Emma hesitated. "It just felt like the right thing to do," She admitted. "Henry seemed really worried about his sister, and I couldn't stand by, letting him suffer like that. I couldn't stand by knowing Lynnetta would continue to suffer if the Watsons were able to keep pulling the strings in their favour."
Silence.
"And," Emma's voice went a bit quiet before she approached Regina, the two women, now, standing less than six inches away from each other. "Henry found videos of the impact statements of you and Lynnetta. I don't cry much, and I'm not fazed by much either. But, when the Watsons first contacted me and I realised what they wanted me to do, I tried to find out the truth of what happened, and, for the first time, I threw up seeing images of a crime scene, and a victim. That was why I provided the anonymous testimony I did. I couldn't let them win in something that egregious."
A few seconds passed in silence again, and Regina, for a moment, thought she would faint.
Is Lynn right? That this is the…woman from those dreams? The woman that I am meant to find…true happiness with? Is that even possible? After everything, after all of these years, do I even deserve it?
"I cried in front of Henry despite myself when I saw the end of the video, the end of your and Lynnetta's victim impact statements," Emma's voice broke, and she shook her head to try and hide it. "The way she looked at Aria and said 'I hope you're happy now, Aria, because I don't think I'll ever be able to be fully happy again' while she lost whatever semblance of composure was left…Regina, listen: I don't agree with you on just about everything to do with Henry, but I am starting to empathise with you. Do not get me wrong, I am feeling empathetic, not sympathetic. But…I do want to help you, and I do want to be able to spend time with Henry with your sanction."
Regina eyed her closely in consideration, crossing her arms.
"I will allow that under two conditions," She said pointedly. "That all of these times with Henry be supervised with Lynn, and…"
Emma swallowed hard, her stomach sinking. "And…?"
"And that you find anything and everything on my mother," Regina said with finality. "Because she…she is in town, and she's an incredibly…dangerous person. Does that agreement sound reasonable to you?"
Emma met Regina's gaze, the two of them once again seemingly caught in a battle of wills.
"Yes," Emma said, her voice far more sombre than she had wanted to let on. "Yes, that seems fair enough."
Replies To Reviews:
barratajennifer: she really does
jasouatfan: he is! even though he doesn't entirely realise it yet, he loves both of his mothers more than he thought he could after finding the storybook
Authour's Note: this was one of the most difficult chapters of me to write in this story, in no small part because i've been crying on and off all day because of the death of Queen Elizabeth II. so, i suppose, in her memory, the strength of a queen like Regina is a tribute. I don't know, i'm half asleep now as i'm posting this. I hope you all like it.