Emma squinted her eyes, blinking her lashes quickly as she struggled to bring her eyesight into focus. The early morning sun shown brightly between the white curtains in her bedroom, causing her to arouse suddenly from her sleep. As she reached for her phone on the night stand, she felt the sharp searing pain from the wound in her shoulder shoot right down to her fingertips, causing her to jerk suddenly.

"Fuck!" She screamed out loud to herself. Her arm quickly recoiled, knocking a half empty glass of gin across the shiny dark wooden table.
Emma rolled her eyes, using her other hand to caress her wounded shoulder. "What is my life right now?!" She thought, shaking her head.

Then, Emma turned toward the window at the side of the room, dropping her bare feet to the floor as she sat at the edge of the bed facing the curtains. "Wait, how did I even get here.. was I not just at the hospital?" A few silent seconds lapsed as Her brain still cloudy, trying very hard to recall the day before.

"Babe.. are you ok?"

Emma's back stiffened at the touch of a gentle hand on her skin.
"Uh, yea.. I'm fine." She replied, turning to see Mulan's face yawning into a stretch in the bed beside her.
More confused then ever, Emma asked "what the fuck is going on..?"

Mulan sat up "what do you mean Em? You called me last night when you were at the hospital, don't you remember?"

"No.."

"Emma.. really?" Mulan asked "Man, those pain killers must be really good or something.."

"What are you talking about, Mulan? I was at the hospital with.. with Regina."

"Exactly," Mulan continued, annoyance dripped from her lips, "But you fell asleep in your hospital bed and when you woke up, Regina was gone. She just fucking left you there. You called me asking me if I wouldn't mind taking you home when you got released because Regina wouldn't answer her phone. So I did. And I brought you to your place, as you requested."

"Oh." Emma replied softly, her memories slowly coming back. "That's right. I must've forgot."

"It's ok," Mulan replied, tucking a few strands of stray hair behind the blonde's ear, "Honestly, you've been through a lot. Are you ok? Why don't you come back to bed, it's barely 6:30 in the morning."

"Yea.." Emma replied wincing as she attempted to fall back into the bed.

"Here." Mulan handed Emma a small orange pill bottle. "For your pain. Doctor Whale gave these to you before we left."

"Thanks," Emma replied, taking the medication from her. Slowly, Emma retrieved one of the pills from the bottle, placing it at the back of her throat. Emma took the glass she knocked over on the night stand, sucking back the last drops of the gin that failed to escape the glass to wash the pill down.

"I know something else that will help take the pain away.." Mulan said softly through her smile. Gently, she pulled Emma back into the bed making sure she was comfortable. Softly she pressed her fingertips against the soft fabric between Emma's thighs. Emma's blue eyes gently closed as she felt herself moisten at the captain's touch. Emma let her breath out.

Mulan gently nibbled at Emma's neck as she continued to massage her clit through the fabric. It was only a few minutes later that she felt Emma soak through the silk of her underwear. Emma's breathing became fast and wet as Mulan's heart began to race. Moments later, Mulan pressed her fingers between Emma's wet skin and the fabric, pushing her strong slender fingers into the detective. Emma screamed with pleasure as Mulan pressed into her, deep and fast. Emma's eyes squeezed shut as she felt herself orgasm against Mulan's hand, an image of Regina flashed behind her eye lids.

Mulan felt Emma's muscles pulsate around her fingers, causing her to orgasm at the same time. Slowly, Mulan pulled out of Emma's wet embrace. "My god, Emma.. you always feel so fucking good."

Fuck. Emma thought to herself, what the hell am I doing?? Fucking Mulan but thinking of Regina?? Have I lost my mind?!

Before Emma could truly panic, she began to feel her body relax. All her muscles seemed to feel like they were melting into the bed. Between the pain meds, the gin, and the release of her orgasm, it was the winning combination to take her back to sleep.
It wasn't long after, that Mulan could hear the soft gentle snores coming from Emma.

**********

Regina's phone lit up for the third time that day.

Ruby. Regina thought to herself. What a mistake.

It doesn't matter now, what's done is done.

She continued to try to convince herself otherwise, but her wild one night stand with her secretary.. err, EX-Secretary, only left Regina wanting more, only not from Ruby, but from Emma. Craving her, in fact.

Regina huffed, blowing hot air through her nose and mouth. She straightened her back and tried to compose herself as she rapped firmly on the hard oak door before her.

Quickly, Regina glanced at her watch:

8:45am surely Emma is awake.

When no one answered the door after a few minutes, she raised her knuckles to knock again; only to find the door opening just before making contact with it.
Catching herself from tripping forward, Regina looked up to meet the gaze of Mulan who stared back at her grinning.

Regina slowly lowered her hand, smoothing out her beautifully ironed black pantsuit.
The dark black merino wool that composed the fabric of her suit fit perfectly snug against her curves, accentuating her bosom, hips and thighs with perfection.. A light, flowing silk scarf gave her look it's only splash of white against it, complete with a thin black leather Gucci belt baring a thin gold buckle.

She cleared her throat to speak "Ah, Mulan."

"Captain Hui," Mulan corrected her.

"Yes, yes" Regina smirked through blood red lips, "How silly of me to forget. Although, I'm not used to calling anyone a captain of anything when they're standing before me in a bathrobe."

"Well," Mulan smiled slyly, eying Regina up, "You should try it sometime."

Just before Regina thought about lunging at the woman's throat, Emma appeared behind her.
"Regina? Is that you?"

"Emma," Regina addressed her, looking past Mulan who stood between them in the doorway, "how are you??"

"How am I?!" Emma mocked, shooting daggers at the brunette.

"Emma, please let me explain.."

"REGINA." Emma cut her off sternly, "I took a fucking bullet for you. A bullet fired from the gun of your mother. And you just left me at the hospital! What the actual fuck?!"

Mulan stepped back, closing the robe tighter around her body as she watched the argument unfold.

Regina tried her best to fight back the tears that were welling in her eyes. "It's.. I think it's rather complicated Emma.."

"Complicated?!" Emma repeated. "What's so fucking complicated that you would just leave me at the hospital with no way home?!"

"There's a lot going on right now Emma.. it's bigger than me and you.." Regina replied.
"I know I've made mistakes... Christ, I still make mistakes. But love has never been easy for me.. you know that.."

Emma mocked her laugh, "love?? Give me a break Regina. You don't love me. You never did. It's plain to see. You needed me to help you find your son. That's it. And you know what the best part is?? It could have been just as simple as that. But no. No, you had to take just a little bit more and rope me into this emotional rollercoaster of a ride that you never seemed to get off of since we were kids."

"Emma, no that's really not it.." Regina cried, her tears now spilling over her hot flushed cheeks. "I love you.. I always have! I know I havnt been fair to you, but please believe me I do love -"

"Save it, Regina." Emma cut her off. The Stiffness in her voice was jarring. Emma stepped out of the doorway and onto the front step where Regina stood, bring their facing inches apart. "You don't even know what love is."

There was a brief moment of awkward silence between them before Emma continued.
"I will find Henry. I will find our son. But that's where our relationship ends."

Regina began to reply but the door was quickly slammed in her face. "God.. what have I done??" She said to herself between tears.

Slowly she turned to walk back to her car when she was startled by the soft buzzing of the phone in her pocket.

Mother.

"What do you want, mother." She asked into the phone through gritted teeth. "And where the fuck is my son!!"

"Regina dear," Cora replied, the sneer of her voice evident through the phone.
"I just wanted to call to extend my dearest condolences for Robin's death. You must know I wasn't truly aiming for him."

"Why, why are you doing this mother? What have I done to make you hate me so much??!"

"Regina dear, I don't hate you! I love you. Personally I don't understand why you can't see that. Everything I've done, everything I've sacrificed.. it's always been for my dear daughter."

"You're sick, you know that?" Regina spat. "All I've ever wanted was your fucking approval, and your love. But I was never really good enough, was I mother?"

Regina could almost hear Cora roll her eyes. "Regina please, don't be so naive. You had my approval when you married that perfect specimen of a man, Robin! but you threw that life away for that trash of a detective. You have no one to blame but yourself!"

Regina choked back her tears. She would not allow her mother to hear her crying.

"And to tell you the truth my dear," Cora continued, "If you ever want to see Henry again, you'll do what's best. "

"You'll never get away with this mother." Regina explained, "you'll pay. And you'll pay dearly for trying to come between my family's happiness."

"Regina, the only person standing in the way of your happiness is you, dear." Cora explained. "I know you know what to do. Find a husband. Find a father for your son. For God's sake dear, it's not that hard!"

"Forcing yourself to love someone?" Regina asked "You don't think that's hard??!"

"Oh my," Cora replied, "Tsk, tsk Regina, have I taught you nothing? Perhaps I truly have failed as a mother after all.."

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

"Honey, every single day I forced myself to love that sad, pathetic man you called your father!"

"You take that back!"

"Hahaha" Cora softly chuckled, "and why should I? Every day with that man was torture! So boring, so pitiful! He stood in the shadow of greatness and never even knew it!"

"How could you say such things about him?!" Regina pleaded, "He was a great man! A wonderful father! He taught me to fight for what I believed, what I truly cared about! You only taught me hate myself!"

"You really are such a foolish foolish child Regina, you know that? Your father was a weak  little boy! While he was worried about everyone's feelings I was the one that gave his firm its name!"

"Daddy cared about his clients, how can you say that??" Regina exclaimed, "he never turned a client away!"

"That's exactly my point!" Cora continued, "He offered his services to people who couldn't even PAY! That is not how you run a successful business my child!"

"I hate you.." Regina said, forcing the words out through her clenched her jaw.

"No you don't Regina." Cora corrected her "you'll see. You just havnt recognized greatness when it's staring you right in the face. But once you do, it will all come together. Let me make something very very clear to you"

Regina swallowed hard; her eyes quickly diverted to Emma's house, her attention briefly torn to the front window as the curtain seemed to gently sway from inside the house.

There was a moment of silence before Cora continued, Regina's attention quickly returned to the conversation at hand.

"I have always made sure I do whatever it takes to come up on top, because at the end of the day the only person who will be there for you is yourself, and that is the only person you can truly count on. I thought that removing your father's influence would have made you stronger, but I see now that it will take more than that..."

"What did you just say..? Removing his influence..?"

"Oh Regina dear... honestly." Cora complained, "Your ignorance is truly astounding! Your father was ruining everything. So, I did what needed to be done in order for our family to flourish. I removed him from the picture."

Regina squeezed her phone with such force, the screen cracked in several places.

"You. Will. PAY!" She commanded into the phone. Her voice stern and strong. "Even if I have to kill you myself!"

Atta girl, Regina!" Her mother commended, "That's the fire you need! Now, take that ambition and find your son a father.The clock is ticking my dear girl..."

And with that, the phone line went dead.

Regina squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth; her jaw clenched so hard it sent searing pain up to her temples. She did her best to swallow her scream as hot tears rolled down her cheeks. Quickly, Regina opened her eyes, her vision blurry and wet. With the back of her hand, she angrily wiped the salty water from her face; dark heavy streaks trailed her face from the mascara that cling to her lashes.

Hastily, she pulled open her car door, throwing her phone hard against the passenger side of the car, sending it bouncing off the seat, door and dash board. She stepped inside, shoved the key into the ignition, slamming the car into reverse.

Emma had just grabbed her red leather jacket from the hook by the front door, throwing it on to quickly run out after Regina. After witnessing the visuals of the phone conversation, she knew something wasn't right.
As she ran outside hoping to stop Regina before she left, she realized she was too late.

The front door to house stood wide open, Mulan standing in the doorway still in the bath robe "Emma! What are you doing? Come back inside!"

Ignoring Mulan's beckoning, Emma just stood there in the driveway staring at the taillights of Regina's black Mercedes as it sped off. Nothing but a thick cloud of dust left behind from the tires of the car surrounded Emma now, and she never felt more alone.