Regina rubbed her temple as she could feel her head throb slightly. She tilted her head from side to side to get rid of any soreness from yesterday's hard work.
She slept less than eight hours and now it's taking its toll on her.
She grabbed the phone from her purse and let out a smile when she saw a small bouquet of purple flowers wrapped with a card on it in her purse.
Love you, Mommy!
Henry
She snorted at his childish handwriting. He must have her parents put up with this. It put her in a better mood as her tiredness disappeared.
She pulled the flowers out and put them in a small glass, placing them on her table when she realized that Emma hated flowers.
She pressed her lips together and changed her mind, placing them under the table instead. She stood up and freshened herself in the bathroom.
Nothing was out of order in the office today. Regina arrived early and was at the desk as she had said. She was in a happy mood. She whistled happily while walking to her office, passing Regina's desk. That was when her good mood disappeared.
She stopped dead in her tracks as she saw the purple flower in a small glass placed on Regina's desk.
It was not any flowers. It was the 'forget me not' one.
Her nose flared at the sight.
Everyone in the company knew that she hated them and here was Regina trying to taunt her in the face with it.
Did Regina think she could pull this prank and she would be okay?
No.
She picked the glass up, hearing footsteps behind her. She turned to see Regina, her face looking pale as her brown eyes shifted lower, and saw what was in her hands.
The nerve of this woman.
Emma lost her temper and threw the fucking glass against the wall, passing Regina's head. Regina startled at the sound.
"Doesn't anyone ever tell you that I fucking hate that flowers?!" Emma roared.
"Yes."
"So you know? Then why bring it here?! You said you forget about the past, why are you still trying to make me remember it?!"
"I wasn't! The maid must have put it on the table while you walked in and saw it."
"It's my fault that I saw, Isn't it? I know what you're thinking. You're trying to make me remember the memory from the past. But let me tell you something. Even though you put the whole garden of them here, I still won't care."
"Then I don't have anything to say to you."
"I don't want to hear it anyway! Since everything you're saying is anything but lies."
Emma stepped closer, wanting to make her feel intimidated by her intense stare.
"You know what flowers mean and why I hate them." Her voice shook at the memory behind it.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know. It was just a flower that my son accidentally put in the purse for me."
She gasped at the lie as her eye shifted downward to Regina's hand.
"If it was just a regular flower in your eyes then why are you still wearing this ring the whole time?!" Emma gripped Regina's hand up to her face and threw her hand away in anger.
She was so damn angry and above all she was hurt that their love in the past meant nothing to Regina, so the brunette kept trying to say that to her but still wearing the ring, which confused her to no end.
"You ran and forgot all about the past, then why trying to remind me of it? Next time the glass might not hit that wall. Remember this moment, Mills." Emma spat in her face.
Regina looked down at the floor, anywhere but at the angry blonde, her hands fidgeting together in front of her abdomen, her face went pale at the downright threat.
Emma was breathing hard from her outburst. She swallowed her saliva as she suddenly felt her face went all hot. She couldn't stand the sight of Regina any longer. She walked back inside her office and slammed the door shut.
She was trying to calm herself down. She was sad, confused and angry. Everything was coming back to her all at once every time she saw those purple flowers, especially, the forget me not ring on Regina's finger.
She pulled Regina's hand along the hill that was surrounded with grasses. They were camping and got to spend some alone time togrther. Emma intended to show her a great time here.
"Where are we going?!"
She turned her head back at her girlfriend and winked.
"Away from prying eyes." She needed Regina to herself after they were other camper in the area as well.
"Emma, slow down! You'll make me fall."
"Never." Emma suddenly stopped and pulled Regina to the giant tree behind them. They were covered by the shadow of the leaves above them.
She pinned Regina with her body against the tree, hands gripping her waist softly as their nose nuzzled together. Regina looked good and bright under the sun. Her warm brown eyes shone with love and she guessed it would be the same in her green ones as Regina kept grinning at her like this.
Regina put her arms up to wrap around her neck as she was being pulled downward by the hand behind her neck into a kiss.
It was a simple kiss yet the moment was something she would never forget as she pressed her body closer, urging Regina's back to press further against the tree, hearing her little noise coming out of the mouth against her.
They pulled apart as Regina opened her eyes, she saw the desire in them.
She loved her when Regina accepted all that she was, she was never disgusted by her. Emma was an ophran as her parent both died in an accident, she was left to raise herself with little money she had left. Regina helped her so much while they were in a university, she helped her with homework, sometime Regina brought food for her when she couldn't find the money for each week as the shop that she worked past time closed.
So far they only do kisses and not further than that as she wanted it to be special for her girlfriend. Regina deserved to be worshiped and not a quickie.
"Emma."
The chant of her name was so beautiful, it made her smile. She put tiny kiss at the corner of Regina's mouth and rested their forehead together.
She felt hands rubbing her shoulder in calmness.
"I have something for you, baby." Emma said.
Her brown eyes sparkled with eagerness.
"Really? I thought you dragged me out here to…" then her cheeks darkened.
Emma laughed.
"Come here." She said as she sat down on the large log beside the giant tree and pulled Regina down to sit on her lap. She kissed her neck as Regina put one arm around her shoulder.
She pulled out a card first and handed it to her. Regina took it with one hand, she wrapped both arms around the brunette's waist and squeezed softly in excitement and in anticipation whether Regina would like her gift or not.
"The flowers were dressed in nothing but light." Regina read out loud.
"And you're my light, Regina."
Regina looked up at her with glistening brown eyes. She leaned in for a soft kiss.
"Aw that's so sweet, darling."
Emma grinned then pulled out a box of rings. Regina gasped in surprise as she opened the box and inside was a ring with diamond shaped as forget me not flowers.
It was their flowers, to remind them that they wouldn't forget one another while their love was everlasting.
"Forget me not?" Regina said with wonder.
"It means true love and I'll never forget you, Regina. You taught me how to love and that I'm worth living for." She placed a kiss on her cheeks, and her forehead and simply breathed her in.
"Thank you for loving me. I'll never remember anything else but you." Regina's voice was barely above a whisper. And her heart swelled with love for this woman on her lap. She pulled her into a hug as Regina rested her chin on her shoulder and wrapped her arms tightly around her neck. She breathed in Regina's light perfume and it gave her life.
"If I see you wear this ring, it means that you still love me, Regina. But if one day, you're not then, I'll know too."
Was she the only one who couldn't forget?
When Regina was not seeing the worth in what she held on to these years, all along.
It was just a flower that my son accidentally put in the purse for me.
Her words wounded her shattered heart. She put her finger to wipe at her cheek when she felt tears running down her face.
"Emma did that?" Snow gasped.
"It's my fault, I brought the flower into this place." Regina said while taking a small break with Snow. They were making their way back to their desk.
"Emma is always like this, please don't mind her. I think if Drizella worked here, Emma would be more happy and not snappy? I wonder when she and her will get married since they had been together for such a long time." Snow sighed.
She didn't know if it was just a coincidence or hearing about the blonde, it suddenly made her see her desk in a blur. She felt her head throb again and again. She took a step and she swayed as she hit the wall on the side, hand took a hold of it to regain her upright. Snow was walking ahead, without knowing that she was almost fainted.
Snow turned around with her eyes widened at the sight of her.
"What's wrong?! You look pale, Regina, Are you okay?" Snow hurried in to help her walk.
"I-My head hurt almost all morning. I think sitting down and rest a bit, I'll be fine." She grimaced instead of smiling.
"No, no, you have to take your health very seriously, Regina. Let's take you to the ward."
Suddenly there were footsteps and Graham showed up.
"Graham! Please take Regina to the ward. I'll be at Regina's desk."
Regina hadn't uttered a word and Snow was gone. She sighed and followed Graham to the ward.
The nurse took her fever as she sat on the bed.
She had a high fever.
"I think you should take the med and rest here a bit. I'll get the company's car ready for you." Graham said beside her.
"No, I can call a cab." She protested.
"Don't torture yourself, please. Let me send you home. I'll go tell Emma."
At the name of Emma, she was alarmed.
"Don't! I can go home by myself." He was surprised at her yell.
She was afraid Emma would be coming on to her for another fight today. And she was not feeling fine, she was not ready to take on the crazy blonde.
"Where's my secretary?!" Emma demanded out loud to Snow when she saw no sight of Regina.
"I let Graham take her to the ward." Snow idly answered her.
"She's sick and no one told me?" Emma frowned.
"Regina didn't tell me either, but I saw her face go pale this morning. When you yell at her haven't you seen that she's sick?" Snow eyed her like it was her fault that Regina was sick.
Her stomach sank when she thought back to her outburst and indeed, she suspected that Regina's face went off a bit. She thought it was because of her yell about those flowers.
"I hire you to do your job, not observing someone's face, Snow. So how is she?" Emma asked.
Snow sighed but helped her out of her misery by saying. "I don't know. I knew that she took the medicine and is now sleeping in the ward."
Emma nodded and walked to the ward in the next moment, not wasting any more seconds. She arrived at the ward and was surprised to see Regina was sleeping on the bed. She walked inside and stepped beside the bed.
Seeing Regina frowned in her sleep. Regina was in her blouse, and the first few buttons on her shirt were unbuttoned, which was so unlike her as she was so proper all the time around her. She looked small on the bed, curled onto her side, head resting against the back of her hand.
The nurse told her that Regina had a fever so she told the nurse to go as she would be the one who drove Regina home. When the nurse left, Regina suddenly was up on her hand on the bed, her eyes sleepily opened.
"No, I can go home alone." Her face was pale while saying it out loud with a wince on her face. Regina put her hand against her temper.
So she was not faking her illness then.
Emma gripped the medicine bag in her hand tightly as the nurse gave it to her on the way out.
"Don't be stubborn when you're likely to need help, Regina. You're not winning." She said.
"I'm not doing either of those! I just wanna go home, not fight with a crazy person like you." Regina snapped at her.
She smirked.
"Good. Let it all out then. I'm so fucking bored of seeing you ignore me when in reality you want to yell at me, to hit me even! Come on, just do it, Regina." She provoked her.
It was the most real thing Regina ever said to her while not pretending to see her as her boss.
Regina looked at her with an unpleasant look on her face mixed with annoyance and she smiled even more. Regina shrugged the blanket off her body hard, and the soft fabric hit her legs. She stared at Regina until the other sighed out loud.
"Fine! Just drive me home then." Regina muttered out loud before standing up abruptly. She swayed on her step as Emma took that opportunity to wrap her arms around Regina's middle.
"Miss Swan!" Regina yelped and tried to fight her embrace off.
She could smell Regina's perfume as she leaned forward, trying to get a glimpse of her brown eyes.
"Let me go, I can walk just fine," Regina said, gave in, and looked up at her.
She tightened her hold as Regina stumbled into her chest, as her arms were being pushed up between them. Although her face was pale her cheeks weren't right now and Emma couldn't help but smirk.
So she still affected Regina.
Their faces were so close, that she wanted to close the gap as their nose almost brushed one another.
"What are you doing?!" Regina's eyes widened as she panicked and pulled away by the tiniest straight she could mutter and Emma let her go.
But her balance went off, she fell backward on the bed instead.
"You're crazy!" Regina scrunched her nose up in disgust and walked out of the room.
Regina slept while on the car ride home. Emma looked beside her and saw Regina's body shake slightly.
"Cold?" She asked.
"No, I'm fine," Regina answered while her eyes were still closed as she leaned her head back to rest comfortably on the headrest.
She sighed, she couldn't stand a person who said one thing and meant other things. She took off her own seatbelt, took off her jacket suit, and was about to place it on Regina's shoulders.
Regina opened her eyes at the same moment and looked at her jacket.
Her hands hung in the air, she was getting annoyed.
"It's just a jacket! I don't sweat in it."
Regina gave in and let her cover it over her.
"Why are you playing hard to get? You're not innocent on the bed, aren't you? You have a kid and a husband for Christ's sake! Oh, and not to mention the next-in-line husband that's waiting for you. You know, you kind of good at this. While you're with his father, you pass the charm onto the son. And when the father died, you get the son too." Emma jabbed as she hated that Regina acted so timid around her.
Silent filled the car.
"You admit it then," Emma smirked that she was right.
"Mm-I'm tired. You can say or think whatever you want, I don't care." Regina murmured.
She pressed her lips together as she hit on speed the whole ride to Regina's house.
When they arrived, Regina took off her seatbelt and put her jacket on the console with a simple thank you then opened the car door.
"That's it? I only got a 'thank you' from you?" Emma asked.
Regina turned to ace her with an annoying sigh through her nose.
"Do you want me to buy you a coffee and a bear claw for you then?" Regina lifted her eyebrow.
"Don't be sarcastic! Oh, I did a good job today and all I got was nothing in return. You're still the same, not seeing the worth in someone's else hard work, I guess. All you value is money." She looked directly at Regina. "If I got you money instead of driving you home, would I get more than just a simple thank you?" Emma whispered.
Regina looked away, sighed in exasperation but still ignored her.
"Maybe I can get your whole body just for this."
Regina snapped back at her, eyes filled with rage.
"Yes. If someone piles up their money in front of me, I would give them my body. But alas, I choose to be with someone and that person is still not you."
The word pierced her heart.
"Wait! Regina!"
She followed Regina down to the gate of her house and ran to cut in front of Regina. She was angry about the earlier comment.
"What the hell does that mean? Do you think you're worthy enough of my money?! If it was before I would find a way to win over your words! But now look at you, a cent I wouldn't want to give it to you." Emma spat.
"Just enough, Emma!" Regina snapped, breathing hard as she pushed her hair away from her face. "In the last few weeks I've never argued back, I was being patient with you because it's my job! But this is too much!"
"Too much?! The things I said and did to you, you saw it as too much? What about that day that you left me?! What did it call then?!" Emma yelled.
"You're still thinking about the past? Why don't you forget and move one already! It's worthless to remember the past that hurt you so don't you dare use that to hurt me. I'll never be hurt because of it again." Regina's voice shook slightly in the end. "And if you still talking about the same past, over and over again. I'll leave you and be out of your life. We'll never see each other again."
Leave again?
Emma didn't want that.
Regina tried to walk past her but she stepped up to block her path, their face were almost touching when Regina looked up. Emma was stunned to see her red-rimmed eyes. She gave up and let Regina put her aside again, and went inside her house. Emma left for her car.
She turned around at the car engine's sound to see Emma's car left. Emma had been hurting her with words, she understood. But today she wasn't okay. It was worse that she was sick and got a headache, still, Emma was being dramatic with her, asking for a fight, non-stop.
She just wanted to be beside the blonde, was that wrong? She just wanted to see her happy.
It looked like Emma didn't want to have her around but her action did the opposite.
All they did nowadays was hurt each other back and forth.
Regina wiped the tears that had fallen on her cheeks and took a deep breath before turning back to the door.
Emma forgot to hand Regina her purse and a bag of medicine. She returned to her house and was surprised to see Gideion handing Regina a flower at the gate.
When Regina caught her eye as she stepped out of her car, her face was not happy to see her again. Regina told Gideon something and then walked inside her house leaving Gideon alone with her.
"Miss Swan! Are you free today?" He asked.
"No. What about you? Don't you have work?"
"Well, I have but I have to come visit this house often since this house has a kid, a woman, and old pals." He grinned.
"Oh, I have to drive Regina home because Drizella told me to take good care of your stepmother. If it wasn't for my lovely girlfriend, I wouldn't do it. Please tell Driz what I do for her the next time you see her." Emma smiled back.
She was not fooled enough. She would win both ways.
"Will do. If something like this happens again, you don't have to do it. You can tell me and I'll come pick Regina up. Just like you who want to be Drizella's hero, I want to be like that for Regina too." He kept his eyes on her.
She nodded and turned around, back in the car. She wanted to puke at his hero speech.
That evening she went to see her girlfriend for dinner at Drizella's house. She got scolded by her girlfriend for losing her temper with Regina at the office instead.
"How did you know all about this again?" She asked with a frown.
"I asked Snow. Since I have to be your assistant, I have to take care of everyone's feelings! So we can all work well together. And you, Emma, you have to watch your behavior more! If you're still showing your bad attitude toward Regina, she might not be okay to take what you throw at her all the time."
"Snow? I have to talk to her then." She smirked, not wanting this matter of Regina to be a big thing.
"No! Don't do that, if you do I'll be angry at you! I just want to remind you that Regina is perfect at her job. Both Snow and Graham told me. Your childish act and bad temper might make you lose her forever, Em."
Not a second later, Drizella went back to the kitchen to prepare their dinner, leaving her waiting in the living room.
She had to think of a new plan.
I've never argued back, I was being patient with you because it's my job! But this is too much!
What about that day that you left me?! What did it call then?
If you're still showing your bad attitude toward Regina, she might not be okay to take what you throw at her all the time.
It's worthless to remember the past that hurt you so don't you dare use that to hurt me. I'll never be hurt because of it again.
Your childish act and bad temper might make you lose her forever.
And if you still talking about the same past, over and over again. I'll leave you and be out of your life.
We'll never see each other again.
Leave.
Leave.
Leave.
Seemed like every word and act from Regina and everyone else regarding her, come to this word only. She hit the back of the sofa with her fists, biting her teeth hard.
No.
She would not let it end this way.
If Regina wasn't hurt then her plan couldn't end.