The Way We Were

Chapter 1

Hello readers! I am so excited to share this story with you. Just a warning: this story contains mature themes such as domestic violence, alcoholism, and mentions of suicide. If this is something that makes you uncomfortable, please don't read or read with caution.

Regina sighed as she heard the front door open and close downstairs followed by loud footsteps and a stream of curse words. The woman rolled over to look at the digital clock beside her. 2 a.m. Right on time, she thought.

The footsteps stomped loudly up the stairs before the bedroom door was flung open.

"Hey 'Gina, guess what? I finally drank the pirate under the table. Won 20 bucks out of it."

Regina ignored the clearly intoxicated blonde. She didn't want to fight. She just wanted one solid night of peace. Nearly every day now she found herself wondering why she had become involved with something as messy as this.

This wasn't the Emma she knew, the Emma she just so happened to marry. The woman she had fallen in love with was brave and kind, the type of person to always put everyone else's needs before her own.

Admittedly, Regina always nagged Emma about how much strain she was putting on herself as she continued being the Savior that everyone expected her to be. Now the pressure had caught up to the woman, and this is how she coped.

"I know you're not asleep," the blonde said as she crawled onto the bed. The stench of whiskey among other liquors clouding the woman caused Regina's stomach to churn.

It reminded her of her past. The dark memories that she had tried over and over to get rid of. Unfortunately, no amount of therapy or medication was strong enough to get the job done. So she laid in silence as flashbacks flew through her mind like an old timey movie reel set on repeat.

She immediately stiffened as she felt Emma's lips press against her neck. She arched her body away from the woman and pulled the covers up to her chin. If Emma thought she could seduce her and all their troubles would disappear she had another thing coming.

"Regina..." the blonde pouted as she pulled away.

Regina rolled her eyes despite the woman not being able to see her. Force of habit after dealing with the clueless airheads inhabiting this town for the past 33 years.

"Go to sleep, Emma," the dark-haired woman murmured as she let her eyes drift shut.

She hoped tonight Emma would be in a more submissive state and do as she asked. However, it was nearly impossible to tell how she was going to act every time she got herself plastered. Sometimes she was irritable, other times an emotional wreck, and she was almost always horny.

"You never touch me anymore. You hardly even look at me!" Emma slurred.

And there it was; the grand combination of every one of her drunk side effects. The hardest to keep controlled. More often than not on these nights, Emma would wind up on the couch as Regina laid alone in their bed and silently allowed tears to fall until she passed out from exhaustion.

This time, Regina was the one to make the first move. Grabbing a pillow and a small blanket, the woman headed downstairs to the den. It wouldn't hurt to stay down here for one night. Emma could stay upstairs alone and think about the silent anger Regina was projecting.

But Emma wasn't done with her yet. "What the fuck is your problem?" The woman snapped as she entered the den.

Regina shot up from the couch, the vein in her forehead standing prominently as her temper flared. "My problem? You're one to talk. You can hardly stand on your two feet. I bet your tolerance is through the roof by now. Tell me; how many drinks did it take this time?"