A/N: I changed this chapter up so many times until I was absolutely satisfied with it. Even so, this chapter expanded in so many ways that I had to split it onto chapter 20, so, expect the next chapter shortly. This one had me crying due to a little flashback I decided to add, but I hope you like it either way. Happy reading, all!

Chapter 19: Unleashed

"Cheers," Lily lifts her martini, clinking the glass delicately along Emma's beer glass. "To our new partner. Whom my mother couldn't have elected better." She grins, taking a sip.

"I don't know about that." Said Emma. She brings her beer glass up to her lips to drink, savoring it inside of her mouth as her eyes look around the club/bar Lily chose for them to mingle for the evening.

"Don't sell yourself short!" Lily grins, unaware of the effect that word had on Emma. "You do that a lot, don't you?" She asked.

Emma couldn't help but chuckle, "I guess I do. Believe it or not you're not the first person to tell me that."

"Well, you shouldn't. Because my mother knows a good business partner when she sees one." Lily takes another sip. She looks around for a while, her eyes landing on a couple dancing so close to one another along the dance floor.

"And you don't think you could have been that business partner for her?" Emma asks.

Lily snorts, "God, no. Don't get me wrong, I love working or my mother. I love her to death, but…" she shakes her head.

"But what?"

"I'm not partner material." Lily shrugs. "Well, for business that is." She grins, her eyes twinkling as she stares at Emma.

Emma understands immediately what Lily is trying to say. She allows herself to smile. "So, how come a girl like you hasn't found the right person? I mean, you're smart, you're beautiful, and very successful. You have ambition and a very strong head on your shoulders."

Lily pauses bringing her martini up to her lips, her brow arched as she looks right at Emma. "Is that a way of telling me that you're possibly interested?" She throws her head back and laughs at Emma's horrific expression. "Relax, Em!" Her hand reaches for Emma's arm along the table. "Although, I do wonder… how come a girl like you- successful, charming, very gallant-" she continues as a blush settles along Emma's cheeks. "Hasn't had her heart stolen by someone yet?"

Emma's lips thin into a thin line. A line Lily has quickly become familiar with. Even as Emma tries to hide it by taking a drink of her beer.

"Ah, I see…" Lily observes Emma carefully. "So, there is someone-?"

"No." Emma's answer is quick, like a razor blade cutting along a wrist.

"That's a quick answer." Said Lily. "Seems like a sour subject."

Emma takes another drink, looking around the club/bar filled with people. Her eyes fall along the dance floor before looking back at Lily.

"Alright," Lily pulls Emma's attention back to her. "One more question, and then we'll leave, because this is clearly not your ambient."

"What gave it away?" Emma chuckled, setting her beer down along the table.

Lily grinned. "So, tell me… when was the last time you had sex?"

Emma's taken aback by that question. Her cheeks turned beet red. She tries to hide the shade by taking her last sip of beer for the night.

"That long, huh?" Lily chuckled, reaching for Emma's arm again. "Oh, come on! It's a normal question to ask anyone." She takes a moment to observe Emma, focusing on that empty, sad look that suddenly fills her eyes. Clearly the subject of sex was a sour one for her, too. "You're such a mystery, Emma Swan. But I have to admit, I'm intrigued."

"You're too curious," Emma nods.

Lily laughs. "I'm tenacious. There's a difference. I can be quite tenacious when I want something." She brings the rim of her martini glass close to her lips, her gray eyes, which matched her mother's watching her above it.

"I don't doubt that," Emma murmured, chuckling to herself. She dared to lock eyes with Lily. "What do you want, Lily?" She dared to ask.

Lily chuckles, "You're asking me questions?"

"Fair is fair." Emma shrugs.

Lily looks over to the dance floor as Kylie Minouge blasts from the speakers. Casually, she stands from their table, setting her drink down but not before drowning the last bit of alcohol.

Emma's brows bunch together as she watches Lily work her way around their circular table, reaching for her hand with such freedom and familiarity. As if they had been friends for ages. "What are you doing?" She asks.

"Going for what I want," Lily grinned, forcing Emma up to her feet.

Emma stops short as soon as she realizes where they are heading, "No way."

Lily rolls her eyes, "It's just a dance, Emma. You do dance, don't you?"

"No." Emma shakes her head, keeping her eyes free from all emotion.

Lily's brow lifts, "I hope you're not as lousy in business as you are in lying." She gives Emma's hand a light squeeze before smiling. "Come on. Just one dance. You can grant me that, can't you?"

Emma's shoulders sag defeatingly as she looks toward the dance floor. Her eyes look down as she feels her hand being shifted, wrist tilted upward.

"Nice tattoo." Said Lily, noticing the infinity symbol along her skin. Her eyes lock with Emma's green ones again as she looks up.

"It's not a tattoo." Emma frowns.

"No? Well, call me crazy, but that looks like a tattoo to me-"

"It's a mistake." She takes back her hand as her frown deepens.

"A mistake?" That's all the answer Lily needs to know. If the cold look in Emma's eyes hadn't already provided it for her. "Well, I've had a lot of those to last a lifetime. Trust me. And I've learned one thing about every one of them that they all have in common throughout the years."

"What's that?"

"Mistakes might be a permanent scar, but someone better always comes along. If you let them." Lily dares to reach for Emma's wrist again. Her eyes never leave Emma's even when her thumb runs along her wrist, over her tattoo.

That wasn't Emma's way of thinking as she willingly followed Lily, allowing to be guided through the wave of the crowd. She smiled as Lily danced around her, willing and somehow pulling her into her movements that night. But in that moment, in the corners of a barely visible smile, Regina entered her mind.

"What happened?" Regina came running into her father's bedroom, where Cora, Zelena, Robin, along with their doctor of many years stood around his bed. She rushed to be at her father's side.

"We don't know," Said Zelena. "He was doing fine this morning, and then he just took a drastic turn."

"Daddy," Regina breathed, reaching for her father's hand which was turning cold. "Dad."

Henry gasped, his breath trembling with each one he took. His eyes were closed, which look to be permanent, and his dry lips moved as if he attempted to say something that he couldn't say.

"What's wrong with him? What happened?" She turned to her father's doctor, her eyes glossed over enough that tears made their way off of her cheeks.

"I can't say for sure," said the doctor, shaking his head as he hung his stethoscope around the back of his neck like a beach towel. "Frankly, I'm surprised at this change of his. He was in such good spirits yesterday. I can't explain it."

Cora's glossy eyes glared directly at Robin's from across the room. A look that Zelena quickly took notice of as they all stood by.

Regina shook her head as she sobbed. Her eyes took in her father's pale and weakened state. "Well, do something! Please! Get him to the hospital- anything- just help him!" She pleaded through her trembling breath.

"I'll call an ambulance," said the doctor, standing upright.

"That won't be necessary," Robin stepped in. "Besides, I think you've done far more harm than good here. Regina," he reaches for Regina's arm and helps her stand to her feet. "Listen to me, I can have the best doctor in Europe come to see him. I can fly him in, in a matter of hours."

"You can do that?" Regina asks. There was no doubt to what Robin could do. Money made the world go around, after all. He loved proving that.

The corner of Robin's lip twisted upward, "For you, I'd turn back time if you ask me."

Zelena frowned as she watched his hands cup along her sister's face.

"Robin," Regina shakes her head. "Thank you, but we can't accept it."

"Regina-" Cora's eyes widened in horror. "This is your father's life we are talking about! Do you really want to see him die?"

"It's not about that, mother!" Regina seethed through her teeth.

"Don't even think about saying no," Robin shook his head. "I will not accept it. Besides, I'm with your mother-" his eyes flick over to Cora in one quick motion. "We have to think about what's best for your father. And right now he really needs help or he'll die." His thumb wiped away at a fallen tear.

Regina looked to her ailing father, unable to move or speak for himself. It was a horrific picture she never wanted to remember.

Their trip to the hospital was eternal. But Robin made sure Henry was seen by the best doctor, and treated. And Robin always made sure to stay close to Regina the entire time the doctor spoke to her.

"Doctor, how's my father? Please, give me good news." Regina pleaded, feeling Robin's hand wrap along her arms from behind her.

The doctor's eyes looked at Robin before looking down at Regina. "He's going to be fine. His heart was weakening due to a bacteria that entered his system, but he will recover within the next couple of days."

Regina's brows furrowed, "A bacteria?"

"Where on earth would he catch that? And why didn't we all catch it?" Zelena asked, finding this just as weird as her sister.

The doctor shares another look with Robin that flickers quickly toward Regina's eyes who are pleading for the same answer as Zelena. "Diseases are well known to be contracted by working environments such as construction- in which this case, I was informed that's what Mr. Mills does- even miners can contract this disease that eats away at the lungs." Regina's eyes grow wider than they were before as the doctor continues. "But don't worry. He will be fine." He smiles. "I promise. Lungs can heal and with the medication I have started giving him and the treatments he will undergo, he should make a recovery."

"I'd like to stay with him, doctor." Zelena teared up. "Can I do that?"

"Of course," the doctor nods. "I'll be keeping a close eye on him. I don't want anyone to worry." He delivered another smile before walking away.

"Well, thank goodness, he'll recover," Cora sighed.

"I'm going to see him." Zelena said, walking in the direction of his room.

"I'm going, too." Said Regina.

"Uh, Regina," Robin's fingers tighten a little along her arms. "Why don't you come with me for some coffee? Give yourself time to freshen up before you see your father." He smiles. But if there's one thing Regina can always tell is that Robin's smiles aren't genuine.

"You're right," Regina nods, her eyes looking at her mother. "Mother, would you like some coffee?"

"No, thank you. I'll go with your father and Zelena." Said Cora.

Regina followed Robin to the cafeteria and she gratefully accepted the coffee that he handed to her, taking a tiny sip. She looked down as Robin offered her the handkerchief from his breast pocket, accepting it. "Thank you." She dabbed at her eyes.

Robin took a quiet sip of his coffee, his blue eyes watching her over the rim of the paper cup. "Are you feeling better?" He asks.

Regina sighed, her shoulders sagging. "No. To be honest with you, I haven't felt like myself in such a long time. But I'm relieved that at least my father will be alright."

"Your father…" Robin hums, "he's certainly tougher than he looks, isn't he?"

Regina's eyes lock onto Robin's and she sees something in them that sends chills down her spine.

"You know, life has a way of putting you in the right place at the right time." Said Robin. "And I believe that if one isn't careful, why, it can become cruel to you. Very cruel. It can hurt those around you, even."

Regina blinks, feeling tears sting at her eyes again. "What are you saying, Robin?"

"I'm saying, Regina," Robin reaches for Regina's hand across the table, keeping it there. "That you and I have been playing this cat and mouse game for far too long. And I've been very patient with you, waiting for you to come around. To see that the only person who can help you is me. The only person who's right for you." His eyes take the dark turn his voice does. "Now, I don't know if you're just too naive like your father, but frankly, after I've done for you and your family, I'm growing quite impatient with you giving me the cold shoulder every time I offer you my affections."

"Robin-"

"Or maybe you're still hung up on that poor loser who now seems to have his eyes set on your best friend last I remembered. Kathryn, right?" Robin lifts his chin. "His golden canary flees and he soon traps another."

"Graham," Regina murmured, her eyes looking into Robin's with locked horror. "Are you saying that you-?"

"I tried appearing innocent in all of this, with your mother's help of course. But she really does care about your father, that her emotion toward him just makes it so much harder for her to help me." Robin scoffs, shaking his head. "I'm all for love, but frankly, Regina, love makes a man weak. If you give into it, it can destroy you when you least expect it."

Now it all made sense to Regina. Graham's supposed mugging. Her mother's threats, that were supposedly for Emma, but somehow were targeted on Graham instead. Did that mean that unknowingly, somehow, her mother protected Emma from being the target of Robin's wrath that night? A wrath that was now constantly following her father in every direction he took. But why would she do that? And did that mean that Robin had no idea about Emma's existence in her life? She wasn't about to ask him that. But she knew who to ask.

"I should have known," Regina shook her head. Tears ran down her cheeks. "I should have known that you- after you pretended to try and help my father! Was all that a game to you?" Her voice was an octave higher that people turned to look their way.

"Keep your voice down," Robin's icy blue eyes glared harder. "And it wasn't a game, Regina. I really did want to help you and your family. Especially your father."

Regina scoffs, "By putting him in the hospital? What kind of a monster does that, Robin?"

"The kind that's had enough of being turned down." His jaw tightens.

"And Graham? Why him? Why did he-?"

"That imbecile had his hopes up too high when he decided to glance your way. I simply made it clear that I don't share well with others. I always get what I want." Said Robin.

That answered her question. And a very important one. If not the most of all. Robin had no idea of Emma's existence.

"Now, you heard what the doctor said. Your father is going to be fine. Your entire family will be fine."

"Why should I believe you?" Regina's voice croaked. The last time she cried this much was when she had to say goodbye to Emma forever.

"Because I wouldn't lie to you. Not you. I am unleashing myself before you, and whether you like me or not, it doesn't make one bit of difference because things will change for the better from here on out." Robin pauses. His free hand reaches out to cup Regina's hand entirely. "All you have to do for me is say yes, Regina and all of your torment will disappear. Your father and even your mother will be safe. Your sister can go on living her own life, doing whatever it is she does without any harm coming to her."

"And if I don't?" Regina's eyes glare into Robin's, seeing the color in them change dramatically.

"If you don't?" Robin sits back, taking a small sip of his coffee before he says, "Then I'm afraid, dear Henry, you might as well start saying goodbye to your father."

Regina withdrew her hand but was surprised once Robin held it there, his grip tightening around her wrist so hard that it hurt.

"No, Regina," Robin hissed under his breath, his body hunching over the table. "No more running. Not when I am generously giving you a solution here."

"A solution?" Regina scoffs, her own jaw tightening.

Robin clicks his tongue, "You know, my mother always said that love is a mystery. While my father always taught me to never give into its emotions, my mother always said that it can make you do crazy things. Make a man go mad with desire for no one else, but one person. I never agreed to that until the day I met you."

"Just tell me what you want, Robin," Regina seethed.

The corner of Robin's lip lifts. Regina rubs at her aching wrist as Robin releases her arm, sitting back along his chair while he reaches into the inside pocket of his suit jacket. His hand withdraws, moving forward as a small square shaped black box is placed before Regina. "Go ahead," he nods. "Open it."

Regina quickly wipes at her eyes, noticing as people's heads turn their way with growing concern before she reaches for the box, pulling the lid upward to find a large diamond staring up at her, attached to a platinum band. Tears slide off of her ducts as she looks back up at Robin. "What the hell is this, Robin?"

"That, my dear, Regina, is what will save your father's life." Robin takes a sip of his coffee. He reaches for the box from Regina's hands and takes the ring out of the box, immediately placing it along Regina's left hand. "All you have to do is say yes, and your father will be able to walk out of here with nothing but a few respiratory problems."

Regina's chin wobbled, her eyes burning as she looked down at the ring that had now been latched onto her finger. This wasn't a matrimony ring as far as Regina saw it. This was her father's lifeline, one that Robin could quickly take away if given the wrong answer.

She was trapped.

Regina needed to be alone after she left the hospital that night. She ended along a familiar park, somewhere familiar where she and Emma would always come to enjoy a picnic or two, or maybe a walk. It was a good thing she knew this park by memory, or the tears in her eyes would lead her to have a bad fall as she walked along its path. Then again, she was already falling. She was falling and Emma was not here to catch her. She would possibly never be here to catch her again. Now more than ever Regina wished that she would be able to talk to Emma. Tell her how she truly felt. Tell her that she was sorry for giving her up when she should have fought harder. Tell her about Robin, and his true intentions of splitting them up. Unknown the existence of Emma. Regina discovered that he remained clueless toward her ever giving meaning to Regina's life by confronting her mother once they were left alone outside of her father's hospital room.

'What would you have me do, Regina?' Her mother had said. 'Have him do worse? He would have killed her if it weren't for my quick thinking. You should be thanking me.'

With Emma swimming through her mind, Regina reached for her purse, in search of her phone and opened up her contacts like she had done many times before in the past year. In search of that familiar name.

Her thumb hovered over the name, followed by the call button. But it didn't dial. Instead, tears were quick to make their presence along her cheeks. Tossing her phone back inside her purse, Regina continued walking along the park until she neared a wooden bridge above a water bank. Her eyes searched for something familiar until she crouched down in front of it. It was still there.

"Aren't you going to share?" Emma asked, a smile stretched out along her lips as she walked beside Regina down the cement pathway of the park.

A bag of cheese flavored Cheetos crackled along Regina's hands as she held onto it, popping another chip into her mouth as she grinned teasingly at Emma. "Do you want one?" She holds out the bag, walking backwards so that they are face to face.

Emma's eyes looked at her pointedly, the emerald color in them sparkling with the sun. "If I say yes, are you going to share?"

Regina's grin grew. "Maybe. You'll have to reach for it to find out." She shakes the bag, daring her to step forward.

As soon as Emma took a single step forward, she noticed Regina take a step back. Another forward, another back, until their feet danced in a rhythm that quickly sprinted into a game of tag along the path that led them onto the wooden bridge. Shrieks filled the air as Emma's long arms tightly wrapped along Regina's waist, trapping her in a hold that promised her she would never let go. The bag crunched inside her right fist as she gripped onto one of Emma's forearms. The sounds of laughter replacing the ones of shrieks.

"Nowhere to run now," Emma breathed through her grin of pearly whites.

Regina's laughter slowly died as her eyes locked onto Emma's. "Whoever said I want to run?" She whispered, snaking her arm upward, reaching for a fistfull of blonde hair until Emma's head dipped down onto hers and their lips met in a dance of their own. It wasn't until their kiss ended that she said, "Emma. Don't ever let me go. You have to promise me."

To that request, Emma's arms tightened along Regina's waist in a sealed promise. "Never," she murmured. Her lips pressed along the brunette's forehead. "I'll never let you go." She looked over the body of water as she continued, "You and I, Gina, we're going to love each other for all eternity."

Regina smiled, "You're going to love me forever?"

"Forever," Emma nods, resting her chin along Regina's shoulder for just a second before feeling the woman's body shift along her arms until they are face to face again.

"And what happens if you get tired of me?" Regina's brow lifts.

Emma shakes her head, "That'll never happen." She said assuringly.

Regina laughed, "Well, what happens if I get tired of you?"

"Then I will die loving you and only you." A grin splits across Emma's lips.

"How is that possible, Emma?" Regina chuckled.

"It's very possible. Look at King Philip and the woman he loved."

Regina frowned at the memory of that tragic love story, but quickly replaced it with a reassuring smile. "Well, our story won't ever end in tragedy."

"No?"

"No," Regina shakes her head, her arms tightening around Emma's body. "Because I will love you, Emma Swan, even the day my heart stops beating."

Emma's brow lifts in a playful mock, "How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"You doubt me?" Regina feigns a doubtful look before she looks over at the split wood along the bridge, and turns back to Emma as she holds out her hand. "Pocket knife, please, Ms. Swan."

"What?" Emma's brows bunch together and a tiny smile tugs right along the corner of her lip.

"Give me your pocket knife." Regina's hand lingers before them, splitting up their embrace.

Emma reaches into the pocket of her jeans, pulling out her pocket knife which she places right inside Regina's warm palm.

"Thank you." Regina wraps her fingers securely along the knife as she walks over to the bridge. Once her eyes feast on the perfect spot, she carefully withdraws the blade, crouching in front of the plank.

Emma silently watches her with endearing fascination. The way she eases the tip of the blade along the wood until tiny fragments of wood fall below Regina's feet. The scraping goes on for a while, until Emma can detect a letter A, one that Regina carves over again and again until it is just as visible as the rest of the message that was now permanently scribbled along the bridge. Next she pulled a black bold pen out of her pocket, biting down on the top to pull the pen free and colored in the carved letters. Emma's smile grew.

"Perfect." Regina grinned as she turned to Emma. "Now you'll have no choice but to believe me."

"Regina loves Emma." Emma reads the inscription out loud, tracing her index finger along the carved out letters, colored in, in black ink.

"And now it's permanently engraved for the world to see." Regina's smile reaches her eyes.

As does Emma's smile, "Like our tattoos." She said, her thumb now tracing along the tattoo along Regina's wrist.

Regina nods, "Like our tattoos."

"And I still love you, Emma," Regina cried, her finger tracing along the engraved but faded letters. Her wrist where her tattoo was already turning a shade of purple markings along her skin that it caused Regina to massage it. "I will always love you. You have to come back. Please. You have to somehow know that I need you, now more than ever." She sobs. "I need you to catch me."

"Regina?" A voice called from behind her, startling Regina up to her feet and forcing her to quickly wipe at her eyes.

"Ruby," Regina breathed, sniffing and wiping away at a leftover tear with the back of her hand. Quickly hiding her wrist. "What are you doing here? It's pretty late out."

"I would say so," Ruby said. "I should ask you the same thing. Aren't you… a ways from home?"

Regina sighed, feeling an ache in her chest. "Things at home haven't been great, work has been slow and… with everything going on, I couldn't sleep so, I-" she shrugged her shoulders.

"Thought you'd take a trip down memory lane?" Ruby noted, her eyes staring down at the engraving along the plank, overcrowded but standing out among the others despite how faded it had become. "That's a road I didn't think you'd still want to visit."

"That's a road without exit, Ruby." Regina chuckled.

Ruby hated that sadness that coated Regina's eyes every single time they interacted. "So why not fly up to New York and tell her that it was all a mistake? I mean, you obviously still love her. And I can see that you do, no matter how much you wipe your tears."

Regina shakes her head, "I couldn't do that."

"Why not? The worst that can happen is that Emma slams the door in your face and tells you she never wants to see you again." Said Ruby. "But what if she doesn't? What if she takes you into her arms and asks you to stay? She's hurting too, Regina."

"I know she's hurting, Ruby." Said Regina, attempting to distract her away from the real reason behind her words. "Which is exactly why I don't want to disrupt her life now. A year has passed already-"

"Who gives a shit how much time has passed?" Ruby snaps. "Love doesn't know time, Regina! Emma won't care about that and neither should you!"

"No. You're wrong." Regina's voice croaked. She wanted to tell her, confine in her what was her reason for giving up on Emma. But she couldn't. Because she knew Ruby would be the first to tell her.

Ruby's eyes glossed over as her head shook. "Boy, I'll tell you something, Regina, you disappoint me."

"What?"

"Yeah. You know, I defend you around Graham, David, and even my own grandmother sometimes, because they all think that you were just some spoiled rich girl who was only looking to turn Emma's heart into dust, but I said, 'No. Regina isn't like that. She really loves Emma, and no matter what happens, she will find a way to be with the woman she loves.' But now I'm starting to see that maybe I was wrong about you." Her mouth fell open as she looked down and all she could focus on was the huge diamond glistening in the night.

"Ruby, wait-" Regina's eyes grew wide as she quickly attempted to explain.

"I guess it really was a game after all." Ruby spat, shaking her head.

"Ruby!" But it was too late. As soon as she spotted that ring on her left hand, Ruby had taken off running, leaving Regina to sob all over again, until her body collapsed in a crouching position along the bridge.