Chapter XXVI

Insomnia

It was late, night would soon surrender to morning. Still, she was unable to sleep. Esmeralda was old friends with the demon Insomnia. Anyone who had seen the things she had, done the things she'd done, didn't deserve the deep sleep of the innocent. Regina worried about her. She had pacified her worrisome ward with the promised that she would rest. It took that and two cups of tea to get her Nightingale to go to bed.

When Regina had climbed the stairs, Esmeralda couldn't help but smile. She had looked exactly like the five year old girl who hated bedtime she had been once upon a time. As she had told Henry so long ago, Regina was not a lost cause. There were glimpses of goodness in her.

She could see so much of her father in her. Esmeralda wished Regina saw that too. She focused too much on her similarities to Cora. Esmeralda scowled at the idea. Regina was not anything like Cora, not in her heart. Regina was on her own journey. Though there were similarities, everyone's paths were their own. Regina was, for the first time in many years, making positive progress. She was rediscovering herself, remembering how to smile. Regina had a beautiful smile, it was Henry's smile reborn. She had missed that smile and anyone who tried to make it disappear again would deal with her. She didn't care if it was Cora, The Dark One or the Spirits themselves, no one would hurt her Nightingale again.

Esmeralda wandered the manor, making sure everything was secure. Doors and windows had not changed as much as other things. She had to admit that the elect-trick lights were far better than candles. Everything smelled better. Eugenia had advised her that this realm was her preferred one.

"At my age I like warm houses and flush toilets."

Esmeralda agreed. The cleanliness and technology of this realm was ages ahead of most other places she had visited. Henry would have loved it. If she closed her eyes she would swear to The Spirits she could hear his soft chuckles. The lights and the houses, the food and especially the moving pictures would amaze him. Tellie-vision, Little Henry had called it. His explanation had been incomprehensible to her. Henry would love it, though. He would love Little Henry too. They shared the same vivid imagination and the same powerful hope burned in them.

A clatter knocked her out of her reminiscing. Doors hadn't changed much and neither had locks. She recognized the sounds of someone tampering with a lock.

Esmeralda turned on her bare heel and set out for the kitchen and the patio doors there. It was the weakest point in the manor. Someone was there and they were trying to pick the lock, Esmeralda pulled a knife out of the block. It was long, sharp and well-weighted. It wasn't a dagger, but it would do. She took a breath, steadied herself, flicked the lock and wrenched the glass door open. The sudden movement made the would-be-intruder fall. They fell backwards onto the small stone patio.

"Ow!"

Esmeralda conjured a ball of light and almost laughed aloud at what she saw. Emma Swan, dressed in a short leather tunic or a very small dress. She was barefoot, with very high heeled shoes abandoned on the grass beside her.

"He-ey" Emma squinted up at her through a tangled mop of blonde curls, "I-uh-forgot about you."

Her words slurred and held an odd accent that was not usually present.

Emma pushed herself to her feet. It was an awkward movement that almost didn't succeed. She braced herself on the patio table. Her face was bright red. Whether that was from drink, embarrassment, or from exertion, Esmeralda wasn't sure.

"Uh" Emma had a lopsided grin on her face, "I came to see R'gina." She got on her tip-toes to peek over Esmeralda's shoulder, "is she here? I mean of course she is, right?"

Esmeralda fought to control her face. It was amusing and a little cute. "You're drunk." She reminded the woman. Emma held her hands up even as she wavered on her feet. She held her palms an inch apart "A lil bit."

As much as Emma's drunken attempt to break in annoyed her, she would be a hypocrite to scold her.

"I'm early for breakfast, but I gotta talk to her. She told me I could eat breakfast. Well at Granny's, but right now she's here and I-"

Her slurred speech and swaying was too much. Esmeralda bit back a chuckle and stepped aside to let her in.

Emma's smile was so wide it would hurt if she could feel her face. "I haven't been caught sneaking in since I was, like, a kid." She left her shoes where she'd dropped them and wandered into the kitchen. "Busted by her Mom. Laaame."

Esmeralda smiled behind her raised hand. Drunken Emma Swan was an adolescent masquerading as an adult. She followed the woman up the stairs she had so recently tumbled down. Emma leaned on the banister and muttered to herself as she went.

It wasn't exactly the picture of romance. Relationships, though, were not built on romance, life was not a bedtime tale. Relationships were full of arguments and compromises. They were drunk nights and long boring stretches of thankless domesticity.

She would give her left arm if it would give her one more night like this. One more time of walking Henry to bed after he got too carried away with his cider.

She lead Emma to Regina's room and sighed. Regina had fallen asleep reading, still propped in bed. She was a light sleeper when she wasn't fighting nightmares. As soon as she sensed a presence, her eyes fluttered open. She immediately came to full awareness and focused on them.

"Nan?" She took off the eyeglasses she'd fallen asleep in (so like her father) and her jaw dropped open. "Emma?"

She looked to her bedside clock then back at them, "What's wrong? Is Hen-"

"Regina!" Emma bounced into the room and cut Regina off mid-word.

Regina's wide with shock eyes told Esmeralda that she had made the right decision.

"This belongs to you."

It was late and the Weathersby home was dark and quiet, save for one room. Leah didn't sleep much, and hadn't for years. She had once thought that was an after-effect of the curse, but Aurora and Snow had no such issues that she knew of. They didn't know how lucky they were. She didn't let her insomnia hold her back, though. She worked through it. She had spent several nights alone in her office. Her office was upstairs and worlds away from Stephen's study. It was her own realm, feminine without going over the line to frilly or fussy. It was comfortable, more so than her utilitarian office at the school. Marco had hand-carved her office furniture out of cherry wood and the walls were a soft lilac. Thick candles filled the room with flickering light and the faint scent of vanilla. That touch of the old world was a sharp contrast to the sleek technology that sat on the desk. This was her sanctuary, to work and relax, without interuption. Stephen didn't dare disturb her here. Not that they were often in any room of their house at the same time.

She was reviewing lesson plans, a tedious chore. She had to complete a review for every single teacher by the end of the month if she wanted to stay on schedule. It was one of the less pleasant parts of her job. She scrolled through each multi-page document on her iPad. Going from paper to digital had been a blessing. She didn't have to shuffled through hundreds of papers anymore. Since Storybrooke existed as it's own city state, she had the final word on their curriculum. Leah insisted that their students stayed on par with their peers. She would prefer they did better than the rest of the nation. So she kept the school in line with the current standards, even if No Child Left Behind was a pain in her rear.

She furrowed her brows at a glaring error in the lesson plan and started to type up her critique. She didn't sugarcoat her words or soften the blow, she never had as a queen and she would not now as a principal. The age old debate, love or fear, was simple to her. The teachers and staff of the school didn't have to love her, but they would fear her wrath.

There was also the matter of the dance, or as Snow White had re-branded it, The Ball.

If there was one thing Leah hated, it was Balls. Snow had been a sheltered, spoiled child and the real purpose of Balls had escaped her. It was not about dancing and watered down punch. Balls were pure politics with satin bows and glitter plastered on. They were glamorous pantomimes for the rich to show off their money and the powerful to make deals. A neo-education of popular culture had finally given her a word to apply to her feelings about Balls. Hustle. Balls were her hustle. She knew how to manipulate the entire room to dance to her tune. She didn't particularly like it, but one didn't get to pick their talents.

She would hate attending, but it would at least be amusing to watch. Snow was going to make a mess of things on all fronts. She didn't particularly hate Snow White. She was obnoxious and annoying chirpy, but otherwise agreeable. She was her father's child, obsessed with her own righteousness and the adoration of those around her. She was of the air-headed bunch that wanted love.

It was a pity that Eva had died while Snow had been so young. She may have been able to guide her daughter a little better. She had been able to turn love to her advantage time and time again. Eva hadn't taken any precautions, though, even though she had made powerful enemies. Well, enemy.

Cora may have been born a commoner but she had raised herself up through magic and machinations. She had no doubt that Cora had been behind Eva's sudden death. She'd had Regina right there waiting in the wings to marry her mourning husband. It had all been too neat and tidy.

Cora. Considering what she had done to Aurora, she would love to see her burnt at the stake. Leah was no fool, though. Cora was too powerful and far too unpredictable to for a single person, or even a mob, to attack. Besides, Cora was currently too useful to dispatch. She would keep all the so-called heroes, and her daughter, busy.

Leah frowned and tugged at her necklace as she considered her next moves. The small gold and amethyst charm was familiar in her fingers. It was one of the few things that had followed her over from the Old World and for that she was grateful. It was her prized possession. It was the one small piece of happiness (other than her daughter) that she allowed herself. One small happy memory that she refused to give up. One day she would tell Aurora about it. She sighed and tugged the charm around her neck then pressed it to her lips. One day, she promised herself. One day she would.

Not tonight, though. Aurora was spending the night with Mulan and Belle. A girl's night, she'd called it. Leah had spent so much time separated from her daughter for more time than they'd been together. It shouldn't bother her, but it did. Her house felt empty in a way that it never had before. She hated it. She hated that she was afraid that it would be this way forever. Twenty-eight years of insufferable silence had finally come to an end and she didn't want to go back. She needed Aurora to fill the silence, her laughter and her words, her spirit. She needed her daughter.

Leah might have sat for hours lost in her own thoughts, but for the chiming of her phone. It was late, too late for social or even professional calls. The number was not saved in her contacts, but she answered it anyway.

She listened to the caller and her heart dropped into her stomach. "You're sure? You're sure that it's my daughter?" It was hard to hear him over the cacophony of noisy voices and music, but his words hit her like a shotgun blast. Her Aurora in a bar? Drinking and dancing? She couldn't even imagine it.

she could not imagine her baby girl doing such things.

"She's with Belle French and Mulan?"

Her free hand curled into a fist and slammed onto her desk. Aurora had lied to her. She was out at the Rabbit Hole with Ruby Lucas and Emma Swan. She couldn't believe that her daughter-no. She would not think about it.

She almost choked. "Pictures?" She could feel her blood pressure jump up, it made her dizzy and she forced herself to take a few breaths. "I want those pictures. All of them, including the SIM card." She nodded to herself,and realized that if they didn't want money, she would kill or die for those pictures. "Yes." She grit her teeth, "I'll have some cash on hand. Bring it over to my house." She ended to the call and gripped her phone so tight her knuckles turned white. The phone beeped again and picture text messages started to arrive. The first one was fuzzy, but she could see her daughter sandwiched between Swan and Lucas. The next was of her daughter and-she threw the phone across the room. It cracked against one of the bookshelves and she let it stay there. There were pictures, blackmail-worthy ones. Luckily the man who had taken them was a small time chump who had small demands. She would give him a few hundred dollars and he would go away. It could be worse.

She stood and smoothed her hair and skirt before walking across the room to retrieve her phone. The screen had shattered but she could still see the latest picture on it. It was not of her own daughter, but of Swan and Lucas dirty dancing.

Yes, it could be worse, much worse. Leah saw the situation as it was, a double-edged sword. Still, a sword was a sword and she could turn it on others.

The phone was still functional, though she would have to order a new one immediately, and she could get a call out. She was not surprised when it was immediately picked up.

"Sidney? Yes, I have something for the front page."

She was a light sleeper. Henry had made sure of that in his first five years of life. Prior to that Snow White and her father had often invaded her bed chamber. They'd had vastly different reasons, of course. So she was no stranger to rude awakenings. She definitely had not expected this, though. Emma was drunk and giddy with it. She bounced onto her bed, grinning from ear to ear, "Hey!"

Out of all the things that might have woken her this was, well, not as terrible as it could be. Esmeralda had abandoned her to deal with Emma by herself. She was almost positive that Nan had been chuckling as she went.

"Miss Swan." The woman was, or had been, dressed to impress in a little leather black dress. It was a far cry from her usual choice of clothing and Regina wished she had seen her before the bar.

"Yes, Ma-damn Mayor." Emma snorted and laughed at her own slurred play on words.

Regina wanted to be mad or offended or at least show extreme disapproval. Emma was so damn cute, though. She was a chipper, barefoot drunk. "What are you doing here, Miss Swan?"

Emma threw her hands up dramatically, "I had to come tell you what happened!"

Regina raised a brow, "Did things get a little out of hands with Miss Lucas?"

Emma immediately went scarlet red. "No! Yes! Sort of! I mean. It wasn't bad-bad. I bad. We did some-"She mumbled something that sounded like shots. "But I would have liked it to be you! You weren't there though, and Rory had no idea how and I had to show her!"

Emma's rambling almost made sense. It reminded her of Henry when he had first learned to talk, lots of sound and little substance. She had to make a concentrated effort not to laugh. She worked on keeping her regal face impassive. "And who is Rory?"

Emma tossed her hair over her shoulder in a move that when sober should have been sexy. Now it was silly and a little uncoordinated. Regina refused to call her cute again, even in her mind. Emma mock-bowed, "Princess Aurora. Rubes and I showed her how we party in this century."

Oh Hell. Regina wanted to bury her head under the pillow and pretend that she hadn't heard that. Stephen and Leah would be furious. Leah had coddled the girl before Mal had cursed her, she imagined it was ten times worse now. Not to mention that Mulan had all but declared herself Aurora's personal champion. She was one of the most accomplished warriors in any realm and she would have her sights set on Ruby and Emma. It would not be pretty.

"Are you mad?'' Emma looked at her with a pout that put their son to shame. Her lip even quivered. She should be mad. Her son's mother, not to mention her town's Sheriff had acted like a fool. "Please don't be mad. You weren't there for me to dance with so I came to see you. I couldn't wait till breakfast. It was too long to wait to see your beautiful face."

Damn it. Perhaps when Emma was sober she would be able to deliver a scathing lecture. She couldn't do it now, it would be like kicking a puppy when they were down. Emma tilted her head and continued to pout.

"I didn't wanna go to the Loft. Stupid Snow and David." Emma huffed, "Can I stay with you?"

No. It was absolutely out of the question. No, Not a chance, negative, no.

"Of course."

It was official, the Evil Queen was going soft. The town was inching towards civil war, her mother was up to only the Spirits knew what, and she had let herself go soft. Soft for Emma Swan. Pathetic.

"Go" She couldn't help but smile, "take a shower. You smell like a backwoods distillery."

"But" Emma tossed her hair again in an attempt to be sexy, "I don't have anything to wear." She winked,well blinked, "I'll have to sleep na-ked." She sing-songed the last word.

Regina rolled her eyes,"I'm sure I can find something for you.'' She turned her covers down and got up. She went to her closet, there had to be something Emma could borrow.

"Ma-damn Mayor" Emma watched her as she walked. No, not watched, it was borderline ogling.

Regina shook her head,"Behave Miss Swan." Though since Sober Emma couldn't behave, there was little hope for her drunken self. In the time it took her to retrieve a set of pajamas and return Emma had sprawled across the bed and passed out. She had small snuffling snores and an odd look of peace on her make-up smeared face.

"At least you're on the left side."

She tucked Emma in as best she could. The woman was dead, floppy weight. She smiled down at her and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Good night, Miss Swan."