The Life We Left Behind

If you belong together - you belong together!

When Regina walked into her office the next morning, she paused and her eyebrows pulled into a frown.

„What the hell are you doing here?", she hissed at the woman sitting on HER chair behind HER desk.

Snow's smile instantly died on her lips. Regina looked terrible! She was pale and she wore so much make up she would have given the Evil Queen a run for her money. Her eyes were dark and her lips an intense shade of ruby, almost black. It even reminded her a little of thick, fresh blood and sent a cold shiver down her spine. She had known Regina almost all her life, for better or worse, and she had learned that her make up was usually a direct representation of her soul: the darker and heavier the colors on her face, the darker and heavier the feelings in her heart and the thoughts in her mind. Something must have gone terribly, terribly wrong yesterday...

„Regina, good morning", she had a try at a casual smile, „I wasn't expecting you to be in this early. Or... at all today."

„And why wouldn't I be?"

She took a few menacing steps towards her and there was so much pain and anger in her eyes that it was enough to propel Snow out of the mayor's chair.

„I... I'm so sorry, I just thought... You know, Emma and I have been covering here for you while you were away with Henry in the other realm and in Hyperion Heights, which worked pretty well, and I thought this morning you would rather..."

„... stay home frolicking around in bed with Hook after our date night that YOU people set us up for?"

„Well... kind of, yeah. But... I take it, it didn't go so well?"

„GET OUT of my office before I send you flying myself, and don't you EVER dare sit in that chair again!"

As fast as she could, Snow ran out the door without another word. Right now, she was truly terrified. Of both, Regina, as well es of the fact that Regina was even still able to induce that amount of terror in her or anyone. She hadn't seen her like this in a long, long time. She was truly worried about her.

Later, she pulled out her phone to text her.

I'm really sorry for whatever happened to you yesterday. I'm worried about you. Please, let's talk! After work, at Granny's? Whatever pain you're feeling, you know it will be better if we face it together.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Later that day, the boys met up at the Rabbit Hole for a beer. Or two. The boys, that meant Henry, his grandfather David and his stepfather Hook, the original Killian Jones. They wanted to celebrate their successful scheme and Queen and Mayor Regina Mills finally being off the market again. It must have gone swimmingly with her and Killian on their date yesterday since they haven't heard anything from either of them. A good sign – certainly they must have been extremely busy with one another!

Not long after they had been served their first round, the door swung open and in walked none other than the man of the hour.

Henry turned around, somewhat surprised. „Hey you! What are you doing here? Aren't you off today? How did you manage to escape my mother so soon?"

„I didn't escape her, she kicked me out...", he patted the suitcase he was carrying, so far Henry hadn't even noticed it, „I need to find a new place to stay and wanted to try my luck here."

„What?", said David, „No, that's not possible!"

„No? Has she been more evenly tempered and less impulsive in your heyday in the Enchanted Forest, I gather?"

David didn't have anything to respond to that, he just sighed.

„What happened?", asked Henry, „Tony said it went great with you yesterday, you seemed to have a lot of fun, you were flirting, and you stayed until past midnight?"