Something About Us

Chapter 1

Honestly
.      .          .         .
"Make me listen to the truth even if it breaks me." -Kelly Clarkson, Honestly
.      .          .         .

The cool air danced along the exposed skin of Regina's hands and neck like it was rehearsing for a Sunday matinee. This matinee would, however, not happen because she quickly wrapped a soft scarf around her neck and began pulling her gloves along her slender fingers.

    Life was not perfect, but it was hers. Sure, her son thought she was evil, and Emma had been constantly prying about, but she knew that she could take it one day at a time. Day by day, she'd make it through.

    Her actions had become more and more misguided. She felt the burning embers of anger every day, but they were only stoked by the deep winds of pain and lost love. Where there was once a soft, beating heart, now resided something Regina didn't recognize. Most days she didn't know why she did what she did.

    Except, that wasn't true. Every action Regina had taken was for Henry. This charade started as a curse, but it was now just reality. It wasn't what everyone wanted, but it was what everyone got. She could never regret it, because it brought the dark haired woman her sweet son. She wanted to be good for him, and she would be. But the closer people came to the truth of who they were and who she was the more she felt reality and her life with Henry slip away.

    If she could just get Henry to give up the idea of The Enchanted Forrest...everything would be fine.

As she continued her march out of Archie's office she felt a small tinge of guilt settle in the back of her mind over how she just treated the painfully kind man. Well, not necessarily the treatment of Archie, more so about how he would soon be treating Henry. Seeing Henry in pain, being told he was wrong when he was the only one who knew what was right, hurt her in a way she could not bear to describe.

    However, it had to be this way. There was no other way around it. She briefly pondered telling him the truth. Henry had such a pure heart that he may understand why she did what she did. Now that Emma was in his life, though, he had someone else to run to. She knew he would run to her, and it stoked the ember's of her anger just enough for her to no longer feel guilty about her decision to have Archie stop entertaining Henry.

    Surely this was the right decision and no one could change her mind.

∞

    "We both know the repercussions of killing Miss Swan." Rumple almost whispered, as if to taunt Regina's predicament.

    "The curse would be broken." They said in tandem, Rumple's voice full of resoluteness and Regina's full of challenge.

    "That's because you designed it that way." She continued, stepping forward. Her feet struck the wooden floor of the antique shop, every step adding a dramatic flare to her words. By the time she reached the desk separating them, she had taken on a softer tone. "Undo it." Rumple laughed almost as if to mock her.

    "You know, even if I wanted to, I couldn't." He teased. "Magic, well, is in short supply around here." He turned towards her to make their predicament all the more apparent before turning back to his trinkets. "And dwindling by the minute."

    That is when it hit the raven haired woman. Rumple was all but an accomplice. She considered him more of a mutual beneficiary. The key word being 'beneficiary'. She didn't understand the words that came out of her next, she only knew them to be true: