Chapter 11
"He's beat." Regina said after Henry went to bed.
"Yeah, but he had a blast." Emma said. "He worked really hard on that party. I'm glad he had fun."
"It was a really nice party." Regina said. "I had fun as well."
"Did you have a nice birthday?" Emma asked occupying Regina's personal space.
"I did." Regina said putting her arms around Emma's neck.
"I'm glad." Emma said closing the small gap between them to give Regina a kiss. They kissed for a few minutes enjoying the feeling of being with each other without having to say a word. There was no one around but them and for a few more seconds they allowed themselves to indulge.
"Stay." Regina whispered against Emma's lips. "Stay with me tonight."
"I can't." Emma said pulling away slightly.
"Why not?" Regina asked closing the space Emma had put in between them.
"I have a meeting early in the morning." Emma said. "If I stay here there is no way I will make it on time."
"Cancel it." Regina said. "Stay with me." She said as she moved her kisses from Emma's mouth to Emma's neck.
"I can't, I really, really can't." Emma said. "I need to be getting back to Boston."
"You're doing it again." Regina said annoyed as she pulled away completely from Emma.
"I'm doing what exactly?" Emma asked confused. Whatever Regina meant by that comment, Emma knew that it was best to thread carefully.
"Putting your job before me." Regina said as she walked towards her room wanting to get away from Emma.
"I'm trying to meet my responsibilities here." Emma said as she followed Regina to the bedroom. "I can't just blow off a work thing because you want to get laid tonight."
"Go away." Regina said annoyed.
"No, listen, we've had a good couple of days, lets not ruin that." Emma said to Regina whom sat in front of her vanity to remove her make up. "I don't want to go and have you mad at me all week."
"I'm not mad." Regina said with a deep sigh. "You can go with a clear conscience."
"Regina, I know you better than that." Emma said. "Come on, I'll-"
"You'll make it up to me during the week." Regina said making Emma gape at her with an open mouth. "Yeah, I've heard all of it before, so you can save yourself the trouble."
"What do you want me to do?" Emma asked feeling frustrated.
"I want you to put me first." Regina said. "But if you don't want to stay, God knows I can't make you."
"I am putting you first!" Emma said. "But the one time I can't do what you want everything else I've done these past couple of weeks goes to hell. You always do this shit. I can never win with you."
"I wanted you to spend a night with me." Regina said. "Excuse me if that is way too much to ask of you."
"I spend the whole weekend here with you!" Emma said. "I know what you wanted and I want to give you that but I can't."
"You didn't spend the weekend with me." Regina said. "You spend it with your son."
"Come on, Regina." Emma said. "You know that's not fair."
"Please, go away." Regina said.
"Don't- don't do that." Emma said. "I thought you wanted to make things different this time around."
"Are you staying tonight?" Regina asked turning around so she could face Emma.
"You know I can't." Emma said.
"Then please see yourself out." Regina said turning back to face the mirror.
"You're being unreasonable and you know it." Emma said getting frustrated when she didn't get any response from Regina. "I'm trying here, I really am. But I am only human Regina and I can't be everywhere at once. I wish I could stay with you tonight but I can't." Regina still not uttered a word. "Ok, fine. I give up. Whenever you're ready to talk like an adult, give me a call." Emma said before she slammed the bedroom door on her way out making Regina jump with the loud thud.
A few days passed and Emma didn't hear word from Regina. She didn't know how to act. On one hand she got why Regina was upset but on the other she wanted a little support and understanding from Regina. It was like they took one step forward and two steps back. Fixing things was a two way street and a job Emma couldn't do alone so she waited until Regina called her to apologize. She was done apologizing for things she could not change.
"Emma, there's someone here to see you." Tiffany said through the phone.
"Do they have an appointment?" Emma asked. "I'm really busy today."
"They say it's of a personal matter." Tiffany said.
"Personal?" Emma asked more to herself than to Tiffany.
"That's what they say." Tiffany said. "Should I let them pass or should I send them on their way?"
"Fuck it, let them pass." Emma said too curious to send this mystery person on their way. Emma got back to reading the papers she was reading before being interrupted by Tiffany's call.
"Hello, Emma. Are you too busy?" Regina asked from the doorway of Emma's office.
"No…what are you doing here?" Emma said, her eyes never leaving Regina's body as she sat in a chair in front of Emma's desk.
"To be quite honest, I have no idea." Regina said as she folded her hands on her lap looking very regal as per usual.
"Alright." Emma said taking a deep breath. "Are you here to discuss legal advice? Because if that's the case you need to make an appointment."
"Don't be absurd, Emma. Why would I need legal advice from you of all people?" Regina said.
"Because I'm a fucking great lawyer." Emma said like the mere question was offensive.
"I'm still better than you." Regina said straightening up in her seat.
"Whatever, Regina." Emma said not having time for this silly argument. "What are you here for?"
"I already told you, I'm not sure." Regina said. "Henry told me that you two talked about you moving closer to Storybrook. I wonder why you never mentioned anything about this to me."
"Because nothing is set in stone." Emma defended.
"And you thought it was a good idea to mention it Henry, a ten year old child?" Regina asked annoyed.
"I said that I would look into moving closer to Storybrook not that I was in fact moving back to Storybrook. He seemed to understand it fine when we talked about it." Emma said. "The firm is expanding and there’s maybe an opportunity for me to manage a branch in Maine. But like I said, nothing is said in stone."
"And you couldn't think of mentioning this to me?" Regina asked.
"No, I did not." Emma said. "Is this what you came here for? You could have just called, you know?"
"Why does it bother you so much that I'm here to see you?" Regina asked. "Are you expecting someone and I'm being a nuisance?"
"Yes, Regina. I'm expecting a hot booty call in my place of business." Emma said irritated.
"I do not care for sass." Regina said. "I was simply asking a question."
"A stupid question." Emma said pinching the bridge of her nose. "I'm so tired of this shit." She whispered to herself.
"Of that 'shit' exactly?" Regina asked.
"I can't keep doing this alone, Regina." Emma said exhausted. "I need you to work with me not against me. I've done everything I can to make things right between us but the moment I can't do one thing you want me to do everything else goes to hell. I'm only human, Regina. You can't possibly expect me to make you happy all of the time. I need some support too, you know? Is not all about you and what you feel. I have feelings too."
"Emma…I-" Regina said still processing Emma's words.
"I'm taking my lunch break now." Emma said standing up from her seat desperate to get away from Regina. "You can let yourself out whenever you're ready." She said before she walked out of her office.
"What the fuck, Tiffany?" Emma almost yelled at her secretary. "A little heads up next time!"
"I'm sorry, she told me not to say anything." Tiffany said looking sheepishly.
"Who signs your paycheck? Regina or me?" Emma said. "Think really hard about that next time you decide to play me like that."
"I'm sorry, she's really imposing and I was really intimidated." Tiffany said.
"You're so weak is disgusting." Emma said with disdain. "I'm going to lunch. I'm very disappointed in you."
"Hey, can you bring me a salad from that place across the street?" Tiffany asked.
"Bad secretaries don't get lunch from their bosses, Judas." Emma said before she walked away.
Emma got back to her office, after having lunch and walking around the block to clear her mind before immersing herself back into work. Much to her surprise when she entered her office Regina was still sitting there.
"What are you still doing here?" Emma said sounding more tired than bothered.
"I am going to say something to you and I need you not to interrupt me." Regina said. "Can you do that for me?"
"I can." Emma said as she walked deeper into her office to sit on the chair next to Regina.
"I was being petty on Sunday night. I shouldn't have gotten mad at you. I understand that on certain situations work comes first. I wanted to spend the night with you and when you said you couldn't I felt abandoned. I know you didn't mean for me to feel that way but I did." Regina said before she took Emma's hand in hers. "I apologize if I've been making you feel unappreciated. I know you're trying really hard; I have to admit that I have been letting you do all the work. I'm sorry. From now on I will make a better effort to be more understanding towards you."
"Thank you." Emma said. "That's all I wanted. I'm not going to be perfect all the time and I don't ask you to be perfect all the time. I just want to be understood and I want to understand you. We need to talk more, Regina. We need to communicate better. You can't just be mad at me and give me the silent treatment because that shit annoys the fuck out of me. We don't get anywhere when you get closed off like that."
"I was hurt on Sunday night, I hate that you have the power to hurt me like that." Regina said. "It felt like when we were married and you canceled our dates because you were needed at the office. I was hurt and I wanted to hurt you back."
"I'm sorry but I can't keep apologizing for stuff that happened before our divorce." Emma said. "I can promise you that I will never ever cancel on you ever again but I'm done apologizing for stuff I can't fix anymore."
"And I don't want you to apologize." Regina said.
"We can't keep holding grudges." Emma said.
"I know. Its exhausting to be mad at you." Regina said.
"Then I really don't know why you get mad at me so often." Emma said. "It's a wonder to me."
"You can be a terribly irritating person at times, darling." Regina said.
"You say irritating, other people say adorable." Emma said. "I guess it's in the eye of the beholder."
"What other people, exactly? Who is calling you adorable?" Regina inquired.
"Oh you know, people." Emma said noncommittally.
"You're awful, did you know that?" Regina asked with a smile.
"You love me anyway." Emma said.
"That I do, dear." Regina said before closing the space between them.
"I love you, too." Emma said as she smiled into the kiss.