She knew he could be here. It was a possibility, but one of those bad possibilities that you push to the back of your mind and don’t think about. It had crossed her mind many times, even slowly creeped into her dreams.
Emma noticed her looks of worry, that hidden layer of dismay. Regina had grown to hide her emotions well, but Emma could always see the layer of hurt underneath.
Sometimes she would have to look at people twice, just to make sure they were not him. Panicked she would look up and make eye contact.
She would flash them a look, a special ‘Evil Queen’ grin.
“Father!”
Suddenly, as if her feet became part of the sidewalk itself, Regina froze in place.
“Darling Snow!”
That voice. That voice that haunted decades of nightmares. That voice that led to countless sleepless nights. He was back. Here to terrorize her world once more.
She watched as father and daughter embraced. It seemed surreal. This couldn’t be happening. This can’t happen.
“I guess killing him once wasn’t enough,” she thought, while flashing him, his very own ‘Evil Queen’ stare.