Time Will Tell

Chapter Seventeen

Regina watches through a hazy tunnel vision as Emma bursts out the door, and her heart is pleading with her to follow the love of her life, but she knows Emma and what she needs at the moment is space to clear her head and process the new information. So, Regina takes a deep breath and turns her attention to Hook, scrutinizing as his face drowns in fear while David yells at him, but Charming's words are not coming in clear to her. And frankly, she doesn't give a damn what he's saying, so she speaks over him.

"You knew?" She breathlessly gasps at first, trying to find her voice again. "My mother put you up to this?" She interrogates, her anger festering inside and firming up her tone. "You're such an idiot to trust anything my mother had to offer," she seethes, her upper lip twisting in disgust as she glares at him like the spineless pirate he is.

"Don't turn this all around on me, Your Majesty! You're just as much to blame!" Killian's voice explodes through the room, vibrating off the walls and encouraging Regina's feet to stomp closer.

She maliciously invades his personal space, she maybe at a disadvantage in height, but she is not the least bit intimated. She snarls, like a dog ready to attack anything that attempts to steal its bone away as she holds his gaze.

"I was trying to protect her," she states with conviction. "I refused to control her life like everyone in the Enchanted Forest did to me. I was letting her set her own path, choose her own destiny." She steps closer, her nose ghosting beneath his. "You were just some scumbag sent to play with her emotions, to lead her on and use her for your own pathetic revenge!" She bellows, livid as she glares at this pathetic excuse for a man.

The room is eerily silent, not one person muttering a single word as they all stand perfectly still, listening to Emma's lovers argue over who was right or wrong in the past.

"I love her!" Hook shouts and maybe it's his breath against her face or maybe it's because the thought of someone else loving Emma's makes her physically sick, but her skin crawls in disgust.

"She's too good for you, mate," she sardonically fires back.

"At least I wasn't a coward. I fought for her every day and proved to her that I wasn't just another villain. I proved my love for her."

"Proved your love?" Regina humorlessly chuckles. "Or obsessively stalked and forced yourself upon her after she explicitly told you to back off?" She yells right back in his face, provoking David to step between them before she scratches his eyes right out.

"Alright, let's just calm down here for a minute," he commands, his hand maybe slipping and shoving Killian back with a little extra force than necessary.

"We have all made mistakes here and we are all going to have to make it up to Emma, but it's up to her now. Whatever she decides, we all need to respect her decision," Snow calmly advises, even though she's trembling in fear of losing her daughter once again.

"I can't believe I ever suggested that she dates you," Henry grumbles under his breath in disbelief, his eyes burning with hate toward his stepfather.

"Henry, why don't you go get some ice for your hand before your knuckles swell," Regina recommends, smugly smirking at the purple hue slowly blossoming against Hook's jawline.

"I'm fine, mom."

"Henry-" she's unexpectedly cut off by Hook's phone rigging in his pocket.

All eyes are on him, observing him closely as he reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out his phone. He doesn't bother checking the name, assuming it's his wife upset and needing his support and comfort. Except Granny's familiar tone is screeching through the line for everyone to identify.