Once Upon a Time 1. Introduction

Do you ever feel yourself falling?

You're sleeping and you trip in a all-too-real dream and your body jerks, waking you up in an almost panic mode?

Or you haven't eaten in a while or you're slightly sleep deprived and you go about your day in a light headed state?

Or you're in bed with that one person you love so much, that you would do anything for them, and you're letting yourself be brought to an edge of no return, bliss clouding your sense until you take the leap of faith?

That's how Regina feels all the time.

She didn't know why for a long time. She thought it was the rush of trying to win her son back, that the need to have him be all hers was making her feel powerful and she felt like she was floating.

Until she lost the battle.

After losing him to _her, _Regina still had that fullness in her chest. The aching that made her feel complete and empty at the same time. She couldn't name it. She didn't realize what was causing it was exactly what she wanted gone.

Eventually, she heard the word "mom" come from his mouth again, after everything that had happened with them, he still loved her, and she thought that it was making her feet plant firmly back on the ground.

It didn't go away.

And neither did _she._

Regina didn't used to be like that. She used to not care who was out there, as long as they didn't hurt her son. _Henry. _The only person she loved after Daniel. _Her true love. _Her heart hardened to a stone after that, and all the falling stopped. It even took her almost too long to love Henry; let her guard down, even just for a baby. She could barely remember why she was going to leave Henry behind and make him a far off mistake of a memory. It itched at the back of her head for ten years; there was something about him. He wasn't magical, she guessed, considering adoption was _not _a plan for true lovers.

She thought back to Snow White. The once strong willed, loving, caring woman who would do anything for her husband and her baby turned to the sweet school teacher Mary Margaret, no memory of the love she felt. Occasionally Regina's heart tugged at the thought of not remembering the person they love. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if Daniel didn't remember who she was. But her mind would move to an excuse, saying that if he didn't know who she was, he'd still be alive, and she'd go back to hating the woman who ruined her life. The baby that will be the end of her.

_The baby._

No one knew where the child had ended up, and she felt a little more ease each day, knowing that it was one more step to getting her happy ending.

_Or ruining other's happy endings. _

There was no reason for her to be worrying. She had her son and a town full of people who respected her. _Feared her. _It was all she ever wanted, and one person wasn't going to stop that, no matter what the prophecy said.

Or so she thought.

The first time she had met Henry's birth mother, the only thing she felt was anger. The fear of this woman taking the only person she loved away from her. She had no idea who she was, and yet she had the sudden urge to slaughter the blonde right on the spot, make her yet another memory. But something stopped her. Something that she hadn't felt in a long time.

She was falling.

**Short intro to a fic idea I had. The 'Regina falling' thing was inspired by a Pirate Queen one-shot by lovingcaptainswan, but the concept is completely different. **

**Let me know what you think!**

**Should I continue?**

**Review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT. No beta. Please excuse mistakes. **


	2. Accusations

"Miss Swan, this is highly inappropria-" Regina was interrupted by a shove. It was a fairly normal Sunday morning, Henry tucked away in his bed, blueberry pancakes being made in the all-too-clean kitchen as the mayor prepared to get ready for the day. It was the same routine every week, until now, when the town sheriff banged on the mansion's front door and pushed her way in without so much of a hello. The only explanation for the sudden visit was questions about the disappearance of Kathryn Nolan, something she'll have to deny that she knows anything, act surprised. "Miss Swan!" she tried again, the blonde already searching the place. "You have no right to-"

"What the hell!" Emma whipped around to face the brunette, anger flooding her features. "Mary Margaret didn't do _shit _to you!" Regina was taken aback by how personal the statement was; how pained and genuinely hurt and confused she sounded. The sheriff continued. ""If this is because of your problem with me, then take it out on _me_! Jesus Christ... Do you not realize this would hurt Henry, too?!"

Regina held her ground, fighting the sudden urge to wrap her arms around the blonde and just hold her.

_Wait._

Right as she was about to speak, she realized what she was thinking and froze. Had she really... Refusing to let the wave of nausea affect her, she swallowed and crossed her arms. "What are you going on about now?"

The look of bewilderment that flashed on Emma's face almost made Regina dissolve into childish giggles. She didn't know what it was, but even when she _loathed_ the woman standing in front of her, all she wanted to do was be with her.

And that scared the hell out of her.

"Kathryn went missing and Ruby found her heart in Mary Margaret's jewelry box! Her fucking _heart, _Regina1"

Desperately trying to feign shock, she avoided Emma's eyes and gasped, but not because of the fake surprise. It was because her eyes automatically landed on the blonde's lips.

She was falling.

_Falling. _

She was fidgeting now, the urge to flee almost painful, but that would be too suspicious. She needed to pretend she knew nothing. "If you are going to march into _my _home and accuse me of such horrid things, Miss Swan, you are certainly out of your mind. I would never murder someone!" The mayor knew she was over-protesting, but she had to do anything, _everything_ get Emma to leave so she couldn't look at those _soft lips _anymore.

Regina couldn't understand what was happening. Why she felt that way. She _hated _the blonde, and yet, that _feeling_...

Regina was no lesbian. Her relationship with Daniel proved that quite clearly. Even her physical relationship with Graham was enough to show that she was not interested in women. Women like that were considered an abomination where she was from and were constantly being "fixed" in order to rid the kingdom of what they considered bad. She never thought about it being an actual thing, but she had always had a nagging suspicion that she was _too _fond of the attractiveness of women, and only suppressed it and enjoyed the time she didn't know she'd miss so much. She truly did love him, and that's what made this so much more confusing for her.

Small footsteps interrupted them, a groggy Henry making his way down the stairs. "Is everything okay?" He was clearly still half asleep, his little hands rubbing at his eyes. "Why are you yell- Emma?" The boy perked up, his feet picking up speed as he almost bound towards his birth mother. "What are you doing here?" he asked as he ran to hug her. "Are you here to have breakfast with me and mom?"

Just as Emma opened her mouth, Regina stepped in. "No, Henry, she just paid an unexpected and rather unwanted visit. Goodbye, Miss Swan." She placed her hand on the sheriff's shoulder and directed her towards the door. She felt a twinge in her hand, the same feeling she had when she had her magic, and she quickly pulled away. "Please leave us in peace."

Henry's face fell. "But mooom..." he whined, following both of them to the door. But before he could get out another word, the brunette flashed a smile at him. "She has our town to protect, honey. We can't keep her from that." Somehow, that alibi worked, because he smiled again and went, "Oh. Yeah! You're the sheriff! Can I help? Foooor.. Operation Cobra?" He waggled his eyebrows, obviously enjoying the fact that his mother didn't know what he was talking about. "I have some-" he stopped, looking at the mayor out of the corner of his eye. "I'll tell you later," he whispered and practically scurried off to his room.

Regina turned back to Emma. "Goodbye, Miss Swan," and subtly pushed her out the door. "Also, I don't like your... secret relationship with _my _son. I suggest you step away from him before you do anything to hurt him." And with that she closed the door. It was a bit out of character. She knew that normally she would've gone off on some insults about how Emma was interacting with Henry and how she was going to break his heart.

How she was just going to leave him.

How she was going to leave _her._

She clutched the door frame, trying to steady herself and her mind.

_I hate her. I hate her._

"I hate her!"

She slammed her hand against the structure. She knew she hated Emma Swan, and yet, she still had this nagging fear that the blonde would leave and never come back. She told herself that it was because she was the only person able to keep up with the former queen, but there was something else there that she couldn't name, and frankly, she didn't want to.

It was a scary thing for her, the meed for someone. That feeling hadn't been there in a long time, and she couldn't believe that Emma, _Emma Swan, _was the one she needed.

_I need Emma Swan._


End file.

Once Upon a Time, Drama, Romance