We Can Love Again

Everything She Could Ever Ask For

She didn't even care where she was headed- it didn't really matter. As Regina filed through places to go, she realized that almost every single destination in the Enchanted Forest would just make her angrier. She could go out in the middle of nowhere and scream, but she figured that wouldn't help with anything. Frustrated and defeated, Regina opted into going back to the rather dismal temporary living space.

She appeared in the middle of the room, where everyone happened to be talking and laughing, engaged in multiple conversations. Everyone silenced when they saw her, suddenly redirecting their conversations towards her.

"You're back this soon?"

"Did you find out what you said?"

"Did you have fun?"

Regina simply waved her hand to freeze them in their places, falling into her bed and covering her face with her pillow. She screamed into it for a few seconds; before long she couldn't hold the tears back anymore. Defeated, Regina lay hopelessly on the bed, honestly not knowing what to do.

Then she felt a light tap on her shoulder. Startled, she looked up to catch the eyes of Emma Swan, who was completely taken aback by Regina's state. Never before had she seen such a broken woman. Regina always hid her emotions, no matter what the circumstance. Her face was smudged with the remnants of wet tears, her makeup long since faded.

"How'd you-?"

"I can do magic too, remember?" Emma said, taking a seat on the bed. "But that doesn't matter. You want to tell me what happened?"

Regina scowled. "Go away."

"No, you're gonna tell me what happened," Emma persisted, working on her patience as best she could. "Does it have to do with... Him?"

"I said go away!" Regina said, louder this time. She didn't want to talk to Emma- it wasn't like things were ever going to get better.

"What's going on?" Came Tinkerbell's voice, walking over him to observe the scene.

"Something happened with Robin, that's what," Emma muttered to her, watching the queen practically sobbed into her pillow, her body curled up on top of the sheets.

Tinkerbell frowned. "That's not good..."

Emma couldn't agree more. "Look Regina, this past two weeks you've been on the best behavior you've ever had," she said in a demanding voice, "you can't go back to being pissed off all the time- it affects all of us!"

She knew Regina wouldn't respond, so she continued. "You're the strongest person I know, there's no way you lay here and cry like this!"

Though it had only been a few minutes, Emma couldn't bare to see her in this state. She tried being supportive, but enough was enough- this needed to be fixed.

"Tell me what happened," she said, attempting to pull her upwards so she was sitting up beside her.

"He- he came back..." Regina muttered, wiping her eyes, "Rumple. He tricked me into looking bad in front of them and..." She threatened to burst into tears again. "I messed up. But I didn't do anything!"

"Wait, Rumple's back?" Emma asked with surprise, turning to Tinkerbell. "If he really did mess with her we need to talk to Robin."

"You can't talk to him!" Regina yelled to her, "you'd just make things worse!"

"Nothing can as painful as listening to you cry!" Emma yelled right back turning to Tinkerbell. "You remember where his place is?"

The other woman nodded in response.