V IS FOR VENDETTA

Land Of Make Believe

The moment she stepped foot back in Neverland, Lena felt something shift in the air, affecting every atom of her body until she felt the defences she had solidified over the years dissolve into nothing with disconcerting ease. Being in another realm made it simpler to live without her heart, but now that it was so close, buried here in the memories that still haunted her, it was painful to ignore it's agonised pleas to be returned to it's rightful place. Each time she looks at Regina, she's choked by a pang of pure, blistering longing. Longing to feel like she had during the many nights she'd lay in her arms and watched her lover indulge in a peaceful slumber that always refused to embrace her the same way it did Regina. But unlike her restless nights spent alone, that was the closest she'd ever come to knowing true peace.

Given it was nightfall by the time they made any real progress on the island, Hook suggested they set up camp- much to Regina's dismay. He and Emma are speaking in hushed tones at the fireside while the Charmings seek out more resources, allowing Lena a moment to herself curled up against the base of a towering palm tree. The moment doesn't last long, however, and she sighs heavily and angles her face away when Regina sinks down into the dirt beside her.

"What's wrong with you?" The raven haired woman says almost accusingly. "You've been acting strange ever since we got here."

"I have not!" Lena spits defensively, whirling around to face her with a glare. "I just wish my senses had kicked back in before I even agreed to help you leeches."

She's obviously looking for an argument to expel some of her wrath on, but it only enrages her further when Regina merely sends her a mildly concerned look that makes her want to weep. She curls her lip and scoffs, turning away from those prying ochre eyes once more.

"Even after all this time, you still think you can lie to me." Regina says quietly, a soft but sad smirk on her lips. "After everything we've been through."

Lena sees her opening and immediately goes for the jugular. "After everything you put me through? Yes. I think I have a right to want you at a safe distance."

The former queen gulps before tipping her head back to gaze up at the faraway stars through the sparse canopy above. "Lena, I'm sorry."

Struck by the sincerity of the apology, Lena recoils like she's been slapped in the face and for the first time, Regina sees how truly wounded the other woman was by her betrayal all those years ago. "You're sorry? I gave you everything, and you-"

A dry sob interrupts her and she shakes her head, desperately trying to swallow down the bitterness that had been poisoning her bloodstream for nearly thirty years. Regina barely stops herself from pulling the other woman into her arms, one hand resting longingly on the ground between them just begging to feel their fingers intertwine. She wants to explain herself, for Lena to know that choosing between her and her revenge was a decision that had plagued her every day since.

"I know." Is all she can say after the silence becomes too much, dark eyes glossy and jaw tense. "I know. You deserved better than that... than- than me. But that is not who I am anymore. Henry... he's changed me. And I have no right to ask but I am begging you- help me get him back."

Regina can't read the other woman's eyes when they finally meet her own, but eventually Lena just looks down at where her fingers absentmindedly play with the ring on her left hand and furrows her brows. "I told you I wouldn't let that happen, and I meant it."

In a rare moment of weakness, Regina leans across and presses a firm, lingering kiss to the brunette's cheek. When she pulls away she allows her chin to rest on the other woman's shoulder for a second, desperate to illicit some kind of a response, but it's clear this is a conversation Lena won't entertain any longer. She offers her arm a squeeze before heading over to settle in her makeshift bed by the fire-pit, clutching the matching ring that dangles low enough on her necklace that her shirts always keep it hidden in her palm. Her only solace is that if she hadn't made that terrible decision on that fateful day, she would never have found Henry.