A/N: I said in my previous Author's Note that chapter 27 would be divided into two parts, but I was mistaken. It's chapter 28 that I chose to divide, as I want to tell it from both Emma's and Regina's perspectives. Regina's intoxicated state will be repeated but I find her to be so adorable that I don't think any of you will mind lol And, for those of you who have read the 3rd person version of this story, you will know that I didn't want to skip Emma's conversation with David regarding her newfound feelings. With that being said, stay tuned for part 2 of chapter 28 tomorrow! Happy reading! :)

Just on a side note: I am leaving this on all my stories from now on; for those of you who desire to translate my work into other languages and use them in another fandom... DO NOT ASK ME. My answer will always be NO. My stories are mine alone and I'd like for them to stay that way. Thank you.

Chapter 28: Part 1/Emma

I open the doors to Leopold's office as I enter, not bothering to turn on the lights, especially when I know my destination. Amazingly enough, even without knowing my dear husband's office very well. I never came in here, only Sidney. But tonight, I needed a strong drink that would burn this jealousy I felt away, and hopefully these feelings that were ablaze for Emma.

Seeing her leave with Audrey tonight and knowing that they would be dancing together. Their bodies only inches apart, just like Emma's and mine had been, it angered me. I admit it. I was angry, I was jealous and I wish Emma had stayed with me instead of gone out dancing until God-only-knows what hour of the night.

I should have gone. I shake my head, no! There was no way in hell I would go dancing with them again, just to see how Emma's arms wrap around Audrey's frame instead of mine. My mind drifts away on my dance with Emma. On that look in her eye that now made perfect sense. And if that wasn't enough indication of her feelings for me- which I must admit- I never expected to mutually exist, Emma's earlier persistence to wanting to talk about what happened between us was. Because Emma was right. Something unexpected and unasked for happened between the two of us that I didn't want to admit to myself.

But this will help me. I hold a bottle of Jack Daniels, green apple flavored as I pull it from Leopold's liquor cabinet that he keeps within his office. If Leopold ever found out I was in here, he would surely murder me and then bring me back to murder me again. But damn it, if I didn't need a drink right now. Besides, to my advantage, I had the house all to myself and Leopold was miles away, unaware of what I was about to do.

I keep my eye level away from the stuffed animals that I imagine will always hold residence in Leopold's office and I scurry out as quickly and as carefully as I can, shutting the doors in place, hoping it will appear as if no one had set foot inside.

I glance down at the bottle that I daringly hold in my hands again and scurry off into the kitchen for a glass to pour this in. I don't normally become intoxicated, but tonight's events and the ones all involving Emma for the past few days called for it. I had to stop feeling like this. This might help, it might not. I'll find out tonight.

Reaching for a glass, I pour myself half a glass. I'm no stranger to hard straight up liquor. I prefer wine or a good apple martini. But the apple Jack Daniel's was always my father's favorite and it made me feel so close to him right now. Which is exactly what I needed. Without thinking about it, I drown the drink down, just as I used to watch my father do after a fight with my mother. I feel the burn in the back of my throat, followed by the sour-sweet green apple flavor. Daddy… My mind and heart go out to him. His memory.

He was a good man. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better father. Emma would have liked him. I smile at an easy coming image playing in the back of my mind of Emma meeting my father, and him approving of her. I take another drink, drowning it down, feeling it burn its way into my throat before I exit the kitchen. With a bottle of Jack Daniels in one hand and an empty glass in the other.

I walk along the empty house, hearing nothing but silence as I enter the living room, followed by the library. I take my seat in my usual spot near the window and look outside, hoping to see Emma pulling into the driveway in her stubborn yellow bug. I chuckle. Her vehicle was as stubborn as she was. I've come to learn that in the very little time we've known each other.

I drown my drink and serve myself another one, setting the bottle along the tea table in the library. I take another drink, but don't drown it down this time. I savor it, trying to prevent my mind from thinking about Emma and how she could be dancing with Audrey right now. It has been hours since they left, and I am here, sitting in the dark of the library with a half empty, half full- I don't really know anymore- bottle as my only company.

"Ma'am?" I remain seated, but I turn to the sight of Sidney entering the library. His eyes move to the bottle in my hand as I refill my glass once more. "Are you alright?" He asks.

"I've never been better, Sidney." I drown my drink and quickly refill the glass. "Actually that's a lie…" I notice that after a drink too many, my voice starts to slur, not really sounding like myself anymore. But I don't care. Not tonight. Not when Leopold didn't have a say in the matter. Not while Emma was out dancing with none other than my daughter.

"Anything I can do to help?" Sidney asks, stepping a little closer toward me, until he welcomes himself to the seat at the other end of the table.

"Care to join me?" I hold up my glass toward Sidney.

"I shouldn't." Sidney gives me a little smile.

I scoff, "Sidney. Leopold isn't here. I won't tell him if you don't." I keep the glass stationed before him and he finally takes it, taking a small sip before handing it back to me. I smile.

Sidney coughs, trying his best to hold it in. He never drinks. But tonight, I could do with his company. The house was beginning to grow increasingly and depressingly quiet. "I don't think I've ever seen you drink this much before, ma'am."

I chuckle, allowing my drunken state to speak for me. "Lately, I seem to be doing a lot of things even I didn't think I'd do." I take a drink. "But you can't deny… The house feels peaceful without him here, doesn't it?"

Sidney smiles, and my vision blurs for a moment. "Yes, it does." As I hold my glass before Sidney again, he reaches for it and helps himself to a smaller sip than before, trying his best not to cough after. "Is something…" His eyes find mine, even if I'm looking down at the ember color of my drink, right through the glass. "What's troubling you, Regina?"

"Everything," I look up to Sidney from behind my thick lashes. "Can I ask you something, Sidney?" I say after remaining silent for a moment.

Sidney nods, "Always." He reaches for my drink as I offer it to him and is kind enough to refill my glass for me.

I pondered on my question for a moment, not wanting to give too much of what was going inside of me away. "Have you ever…" I pause, leaning my head back along the chair. "Have you ever been in love before?"

Listen to me, speaking about love as if I was sure this is what this was. But love led to jealousy, therefore if anyone could tell me how to control it, it would be Sidney.

"I have been, yes." Sidney's eyes search mine, determined to know why such a question. "But I'm afraid that she could never love me."

"Why?" I say in almost a whisper, feeling my heart break for Sidney. I wonder who is the woman that holds Sidney's heart.

And suddenly, Sidney says the one thing to me that I can truly understand. Even in my intoxicated state. "She is forbidden. And she's been through too much already, I…" He pauses. "She's just not for me."

I can see the pain in his eyes, how in control he is of it. A level of control I wish I could have. "I'm sorry." I said, my heart aching for him. "You know, I, too…" I stop, catching myself from my slip up just in time.

"What is it, ma'am?" Sidney's head tilts.

I shake mine, "Nothing." I breathe out a chuckle. "I'm just sitting here, wondering if I'll ever get to have a life of my own." I take a much needed drink.

"I believe you will." Sidney tells me and I almost believe him. Or maybe I was too intoxicated that the vulnerable part of me wanted to believe him so badly.

"Except it's absurd, isn't it?" I ask, gulping down my next sip. "Because she will never…" I stop, my eyes on Sidney, who I can't tell if he knows who I meant or not.

"She?" Sidney's head tilts. "Who, ma'am?" He asks, which I don't answer. I can't answer. I feel I've said too much already with simply revealing that fact due to the alcohol intake I had consumed. Luckily, Sidney doesn't press on, instead he says, "Regina. There isn't anything you can't talk to me about. If you need to."

I shake my head, "I'm fine, Sidney. I promise." I hope I sound as convincing as I think I do. "I'll admit, I am however a little intoxicated at the moment." I chuckle as he does.

"I can see that. No, thank you." He shakes his head as I offer him my drink again.

"Get some rest." I reach for his hand, giving it a light squeeze. "I will do the same."

"Would you like me to fix you something to eat before I call it a night?" He offers.

"No. I'm fine. Really." I give a lopsided smile.

Sidney nods and stands. "Are you sure you'll be fine?"

"I'm sure." I nod. He looks a little blurry as he stands, and as I am looking up at him, everything spins. "Good night, Sidney."

"Good night, ma'am."

As Sidney leaves, I sigh and shut my eyes for a small while after drowning down the rest of my drink. The liquor doesn't even burn anymore as I swallow. Behind my closed eyelids, all I can see is Emma. All I can smell is Emma. All I can feel is the warmth of her lips against mine when we kissed, and my heart aches all over again.

I see bright headlights along the driveway, and as I look out the window from the library, I can see that it's Emma's vehicle. They were back. I reached for the bottle and remained seated in the dark, making sure I had turned off the small lamp that was near the tea table. I'm silent when I hear Audrey's laughter, followed by a whisper from Emma, trying her best to keep her quiet.

"What? Oh, right. Shhh…" I hear Audrey's slurred response and judging by the happy sound in her voice, I can tell her and Emma had a good time. "I'm so happy to be home. I sure did miss you." She said to Emma.

"I know, I missed you, too. Come on, let's get you upstairs. Call it a night." I can hear the echo of Emma's reply. They were going upstairs.

"Oooh, and do what?"

Emma breathes out a laugh, "And get you into bed."

Their footsteps echo throughout the house as they head up the stairs, and I can no longer make out their conversation. I didn't want to think about what would possibly be going on inside that bedroom once they reached it. And yet, that's exactly what my mind thought about.

I take a drink from the bottle this time, trying my best to drown my jealousy and my thoughts. Because I was in fact jealous. Yes, Ms. Swan, you've figured me out! I was jealous of my own daughter because she had what I would never even have the opportunity to have. She had Emma. And Emma could never be mine. Just like Sidney's love for whoever that woman was that he so trustingly spoke of earlier; Emma would always be forbidden to me.

I'm not sure how long it took for me to realize that Emma was coming back down the stairs, but the sound of her footsteps alerted me, and I remained seated as I could hear Emma walk past the stairs. I stand up, and take the bottle with me, because if I knew Emma any better, I would imagine she would be heading into the kitchen.

My balance almost loses itself as I stand, everything spins, but I carefully make my way into the living room and continue toward the kitchen where I find Emma pouring some water into a glass. I flick the lights on in the kitchen and Emma's eyes are wide as they see me. "Regina." She breathes out my name as if her life depended on it, and I have never loved the sound of my own name more until this moment.

"Good evening, Ms. Swan," I allow myself to lean along the door frame until I am walking my way toward Emma.

"Have you been drinking?" Emma asks, no doubt noticing the bottle I am holding.

I glance down at the bottle, feeling my world spin once more. "I had a few sips," I admit, holding the bottle up to eye-level to the best of my abilities. "Maybe more than a few." I frown, because apparently Emma's presence made me so aware of how much I drank. If Leo were to find out… I didn't mean for Emma to see me this way.

"Hey, it's okay." Said Emma, not at all mad at me. If anything, from what I can recall as I looked into her eyes, I saw nothing but that gentle twinkle in her eye. "Regina-"

"How was your night out dancing?" I spit out my words a little harsher than I meant to, overflowing with guilt. I chuckle at my ridiculous sting of jealousy, "God, look at me- you'd think you were dating me, hm?" I catch my bottom lip with my teeth for a moment as I allow my eyes to take in the glorious sight that was Emma. How I wish she were mine. But she wasn't. "But, that could never happen, could it? Not while you're dating my daughter. Not even if you broke up with her."

At that moment, a part of me wished Emma would break up with Audrey, and I hated myself for it. I would never ask her to do such a thing, not when I knew Emma loved her as much as she did. Who was I after all, to come between them? I was nobody.

"Gina-" Emma blinked, unsure of what to say. She was probably surprised by my brazen but drunken behavior and I can't say I blamed her. I wasn't anything like the woman I knew to be. I was a jealous, intoxicated mother who was devastatingly attracted to her daughter's girlfriend. Not to mention pathetic.

"Don't mind me, Emma." I chuckle once more. My legs feel like jelly as I walk further toward her. Once I'm close enough, I look up at her, as Emma has proven to be slightly taller than me, especially when I had relieved my feet of my heels. "It's not me talking, it's-" I raise the bottle to eye-level again, hearing the remaining liquid slosh around inside of it.

"You know, they say drunks always tell the truth." Emma said, and at the moment I couldn't tell if it had been with that humor she always carried around or not. "At least now I know you were jealous earlier."

Yes. You're right. I wanted to tell her, to admit how jealous I was of my own daughter. As ashamed I was of it, I also wanted Emma to somehow see it. In my drunken state, at least. And somehow, I suspected she did as my cheeks fell victim to a pink coating all around them. "Well. Truthfully… I'm more embarrassed you have to see me like this. If there was ever an ounce of you that liked me during those days where it was just you and I, it possibly dissolved by now." I chuckle and shake my head. Still in my intoxicated state, I couldn't believe just how much I really liked Emma. "Listen to me, thinking that you could possibly like me-" I gasp at the sudden and surprising feel of Emma's light-feathered touch along my jawline. It was so unexpected and without warning that I could have sworn I was dreaming or had died from alcohol poisoning.

I might have been intoxicated that night, but through my blurred vision, I could recall Emma standing at close proximity to me. Her thumb softly caressing along my jawline, up to my cheekbone and I had never marveled into a touch more than hers. Her green sea eyes were locked right into mine that I could swear she was staring into my soul.

Emma's touch was so soft, that if this was a dream, I would rather not awake from it. I swear, if I was allowed this or if I could make my own choices. I would choose to lose myself in Emma's sea green gaze that even in my intoxicated state proved to hypnotize me.

It took everything in me not to lean in and kiss Emma.

"Regina, I-" I watch Emma wet her lips. "I do." She breathes and I can't move away as she leans in, feeling her lips brush lightly against mine.

"You- You do?" I mimic Emma's whisper, our eyes unable to unlock from one another as I remain absolutely still.

Emma's hand rests along my cheek until it grips my jaw, all the way around the back of my neck. So gentle, she pulls me in and it surprises me, but as much as it surprises me, I don't dare to move. I don't want to move. Because the next thing I feel is Emma's lips are on mine again but not in a kiss. More of a light stroke, a gentle caress that I couldn't even imagine would feel this heavenly against my own lips, and one I don't dare to protest against.

This was much more than a kiss. More intimate. It was like our lips were moving but they weren't exactly moving.

I could feel Emma's warm breath along my lips, her lips on mine still caressing a trail that left a burning sensation mapped along my mouth. I'm perfectly still, afraid that if I dare to move or even allow myself to think about Audrey in the moment, this would have all been just another dream I would have found myself waking up from. Dream or not, I didn't want this to end.

My eyes closed and it took everything in me to not lean in and kiss her. How I ached for another kiss. But it couldn't happen. For now, just knowing that Emma by some form of miracle felt the same way about me was enough.

What we shared right now, it was enough to lift me up off the ground. It was enough to make me feel like I could trust Emma with anything, like my heart was about to jump right out of my chest and crawl along the floor, beneath my feet. That's how much I liked Emma, and I could only hope that's how much she liked me.

Did I fear that either Audrey or Sidney could walk in at any moment? I sure did. Did I care? Right now in my intoxicated state, as surprisingly comfortable as I felt having the privilege of enjoying Emma's closeness to me- no. I did not. And that was a dangerous thing to not care about. Especially when normally, if anyone else would dare to reach out and touch me, I know I would automatically pull away. But with Emma? It all just made sense. As if her touch was the most normal thing in the world to feel, even in my intoxicated state. Or maybe it was the amount of alcohol intake in my system that made me feel wrapped in my own world of security and comfort. Whatever it was. I didn't want it to end, but I knew it had to.

Emma and I eventually pulled away, but her thumb didn't cease to stroke softly along my jaw. As I dare to open my eyes, confirming to myself that this hadn't been a dream, I can see a faint smile tilting at the corner of her lip. It was the most beautiful sight to have ever set my eyes upon. "Emma-" I breathed out softly, feeling my chest rapidly rise and fall along with Emma's.

"Don't," Emma whispered, shaking her head. "Don't say anything. Because it's already taking everything in me to hold back from kissing you. And, I swear to God, if I hear my name escape your lips one more time, it will become my undoing."

My heart constricts at the sound of Emma's sweet, sweet words. And I swear that if I hadn't been intoxicated already, I would have become it just by the way she voiced her confession to me. Emma liked me! Mutually and respectfully. She was dying to kiss me just as I was dying to kiss her. It was more than I could dream of ever happening for me. Even if we both knew we couldn't. For Audrey's sake.

After tonight, after right now, maybe even during those couple of days where it was just Emma and I; our attraction was clear for one another. Now more than ever. Which brought me to my question, as I suspected Emma was asking herself as well: Why now? Why Emma?

"I think," I pulled away, already feeling the string that came with the loss of Emma's soft touch. "It's a good idea that I get some rest. And you should, too."

"I'll walk you to your bedroom." Said Emma.

"No. No, I don't- I don't think that would be a good idea. And, my daughter… You have to get back to her, I'm sure she-"

"Regina." Green sea eyes are trained right on mine, it's hard to look away. I can already hear the determination in Emma's voice, just like I had when Emma was so persistent to talk about our mutual kiss. "Audrey is passed out by now, and I am simply walking you to your room. The last thing I need is for you to trip down the stairs in your state. I'm sure Audrey will more than appreciate me looking after her mother."

Audrey would appreciate that, and right now, given my level of intoxication, I didn't want to think just how appreciative Audrey would be toward Emma. Not wanting to give into my jealousy again, I simply nod and place the bottle of Jack Daniel's along the counter as we both exit the kitchen together.

"Here," Emma handed me the glass of water she had gone to the kitchen for, and as I drank from it, I could feel her arm protectively along my waist as we headed up one step at a time. Emma and I are close to one another again, and I could just lavish on our closeness. I don't know what it was about surrendering myself to alcohol tonight, but I discovered it only made me feel not at all intimidated by this level of closeness to someone. Or maybe it was because it was Emma.

We stopped along the door to my bedroom, and I turned to see Emma standing before me. "Safe and sound." She smiled, her smile reaching the corner of her lip. I could kiss that corner- I wanted to.

"Just when I think I can stop myself from liking you," my eyes, as blurry as my vision is, pierce directly to what I hope are Emma's green sea eyes. "You do something sweet, like this to prevent it."

If there was one thing I could admit that annoyed me about Emma right now- it would be her ability to make me swoon over her without fault. Just like she did now. Only that wasn't true. I liked her no matter what, and nothing could annoy me about her.

"I'm sorry." Said Emma, only I didn't feel like she was truly sorry.

I allow myself to chuckle then as I lean against my bedroom door to not lose my balance. "You, Emma Swan, are…" What was she? Emma was everything beyond my wildest dreams. Like a- "A forbidden Temptation." I smile a lopsided smile. "Like the forbidden apple from the Garden of Eden."

That was the most perfect description of what Emma was. A forbidden but beautiful temptation.

"Regina-" Emma takes a step forward and I am quick to allow my hand to land on her chest, slightly pushing her back. If I allowed her to step forward any closer than she already was to me, I could tell you that I wouldn't hesitate to kiss her, right outside my bedroom where Audrey- drunk or not- could have stepped out at any moment to witness in person.

"Good night, Ms. Swan." I said, seeing her stand there as I entered my bedroom and shut the door. As soon as I shut the door, I turn around and allow my back to land against it. I feel my body slide down until my butt is pressed along the floor, my knees bent and I hug them, wrapping my arms around them so tightly, it makes me shed a single tear.

Whoever said alcohol was the cure for a broken heart, I'd like to tell them that they are wrong. My heart was breaking all the more by the minute right now, aching inside of my chest to a level where I had eventually clutch a fist around it. My eyes shut tight and as they did, all I could hear were Emma's sweet words of how if I had spoken her name once more, she would have kissed me. And I wish, with all my might, that I had.