20 in 20: Drabbles
1. Angry (101 words)
Regina couldn't ignore the rush of indignation inside her. Fury at Rumpelstiltskin for his cruel words; words that cut right through her by the very nature of their veracity. Ire at Snow and Charming for once again being reunited. She thought she might throw up from the saccharin-sweet nature of it. Annoyance at Henry and Emma for forgetting her. They could have invited her to join the celebratory dinner. But most of all, she felt rage at herself for feeling so devastated by this apparent betrayal. She shouldn't need their approval to feel good about what she'd done. Yet she did.
2. Sad (104 words)
When the officer found Emma, he watched from the shadows. As the policeman talked to her, he watched the sadness wash over her, from the droop of her shoulders to the droop of the corners of her mouth. It pained August to watch Emma's arrest, to watch her realize she'd been betrayed by Neal. But he knew this was the best path for Emma, the one way she'd reach her ultimate destiny in Storybrooke. Admittedly, he'd been less than diligent in his efforts to help her reach her destiny. He would have to face the consequences, but for now he'd focus on helping Emma.
3. Silly (108 words)
Childish laughter echoed in the hallway. Regina smiled at the sound. "Ready or not, here I come." Making a show of going from room to room, she saved his room for last. "Is Henry here?" she asked in a stage whisper, whipping back the blanket on his bed. "Not there."
She moved to the toy box. "Is he in here?" She lifted the lid then shook her head. "Nope, not there." She stood up and crossed her arms over her chest. "Where is my baby boy?"
The closet door flew open and Henry dashed out, running to her and wrapping his arms around her. "Here I am, Mommy."
4. Celebration (101 words)
The mirror shattered. Regina stared at her hands. The realization of what she'd done washed over her. She sucked in a sharp breath. A smile slowly spread across her face. She spun about, round and round in circles, until she felt dizzy from it. "She's gone," Regina whispered. The intense sense of relief mixed with a sense of exhilaration at her newfound freedom. This changed everything, and plans rapidly formulated in her brain. Ever since Daniels' death, she'd dreamed of being free from the clutches of her mother. She could ride away from here and leave everything behind her, start anew.
5. Love (99 words)
As warped and twisted as it was, Regina's love for her mother stood the test of time unlike any of her other loves. Her mother always had been and would be her greatest weakness, even more so than her father, Daniel, Emma, or even Henry. With every word out of her mouth, Cora tore down her daughter's psyche. And yet, Regina still loved her. For this reason, Regina needed to take a permanent step to remove her mother from her life. Now Regina stood alone, determined to protect the others she loved from the monster she loved the most.
6. Crossover (107 words)
Something about the woman seemed familiar, but Ruby didn't recognize her or recall her name. That niggling sense of familiarity made Ruby want to rush over to her and ask her name. Instead, she focused on walking Pongo, letting the dog lead her closer to the stranger. The woman drew closer, and Ruby smiled. The woman returned her smile then stopped when they drew even.
"Nice skirt and killer boots," Ruby said, pointing to the short red plaid skirt the stranger wore. She extended her hand. "I'm Ruby."
"Kalinda," replied the other woman. "And thanks. The skirt's a new favorite and the boots are a family tradition."
7. Villain (102 words)
If one thing ranked higher than his ongoing feud with Regina, it would be the impending battle with Cora. He'd created both and now both wished to destroy him. Worse than that, individually both had almost enough power to accomplish it, but together, they would be unstoppable. Since being thrust into Storybrooke by the curse he created, he'd been less of a manipulative bastard than he'd been in the Enchanted Forest. That wasn't saying that much, though. If he admitted the truth to himself, he deserved anything they dished out, but that didn't mean he wanted to be on the receiving end.
8. Black & White (102 words)
Black and white; black ink on white paper; this was what Sidney's life was made of. Everything he knew could be summed up in those two colors. The news he created could best be summed up as black. The real news of the world around them would be the white half of that combination. He felt trapped, tied to Regina in a way he couldn't explain. He wanted to be free, but he didn't know how to achieve it. For now, he'd stay in his world of black and white, of black ink on white paper, of fabricated news and real news.
9. Hero (108 words)
Her body shook from the effort of breaking the magic. Regina ignored the exasperated sounds from Mr. Gold, focused instead on the worried sounds coming from Henry. More than anything, she wanted to be the hero for Henry, wanted to be the mother Henry desired. She endured the physical pain, buoying her spirit by imagining the sight of Henry's smile and the sound of Henry's laughter. The pain increased, and she clenched her jaw against it. She might be the last person anyone in town would consider a hero, but if for just one minute she could be a hero in her son's eyes, it would be enough.
10. Team (102 words)
In the Enchanted Forest, they made a most unlikely team, the clumsy fairy and the dwarf who dared to dream. They shared their dreams and built more dreams together. They learned that those dreams were not meant to be, and life went on around them. In Storybrooke, they made an even more unlikely team, the flustered nun and the surly janitor. This time they shared only one dream, to raise money to pay the sisters' rent. They ignored the sense of something deeper and stronger between them. In the end, he created a blackout then watched as she sold every single candle.
Category - 1 Character, 5 Relationships
1. Regina with Henry (98 words)
Her world revolved around her son. She loved him dearly and wanted him to love her in return. She worried constantly over his safety. Watching Henry's obvious adoration and love of Emma left Regina feeling unwanted. Her love for him left her vulnerable in way she didn't want to examine too closely. If she did, she might find out her mother's words were true, that love was the greatest weakness. And yet, love brought Snow and Charming together time and again, in the Enchanted Forest and here in Storybrooke. How could something so strong make you so vulnerable?
2. Regina with Emma (102 words)
On one hand, Regina despised Emma and the way Henry adored the other woman. On the other, she despised herself for being attracted to the younger woman. On a too frequent basis, she found herself seeking out Emma. Her eyes perused the lithe build of the other woman, and she imagined revealing what lay beneath those tank tops and those form-fitting jeans. She let her imagination go wild with fantasies of the pair of them entangled in the sheets on her bed. She even let herself imagine what life would be like with a family made up of Emma, Henry, and herself.
3. Regina with Cora (103 words)
Her mother. The one person she feared most; the one person who knew how to demolish her with a turn of phrase; the one person who could destroy her world if she found her. She had to do anything and everything within her grasp to prevent her mother's arrival in Storybrooke. Even if she had to give up her own life, Regina must never let Cora get near Henry. Her love for her mother was her greatest weakness, but her love for Henry was her greatest strength. She must remember that true love could conquer anything, even her warped love for her mother.
4. Regina with Prince Charming (102 words)
The last person she imagined she'd work together with was David Nolan, aka Prince Charming aka Snow White's husband. But she needed to work with him; he was her one source of contact with Henry. He was also one of the few people in the town still willing to talk to her. Their alliance was full of distrust and shaky at best, especially since Emma and Snow had fallen through the portal. But now they worked together to bring the women back to Storybrooke, even going together to Rumpelstiltskin to find out how to achieve their goal. Together, they would do this.
5. Regina with Ruby (99 words)
Regina admitted a certain grudging respect for Ruby, especially after the young wolf stepped forward to stand up to Regina in the town hall. She didn't even flinch when Regina hurled the fireball at the people standing between her and Henry. Regina even admitted to finding Ruby an attractive woman, someone she'd welcome into her life if the circumstances were different. She couldn't help herself, but when she saw Ruby, her gaze automatically went first to the other woman's full lips. What would the wolf's kiss taste like? Strawberries? Raspberries? Cherries? Or perhaps like her beloved beautiful red apples?
Author's Choice - Regina's firsts
1. The First Time She Galloped Across the Field (96 words)
She never imagined she could feel so free, so alive, so sure of herself. She guided the horse across the field, her hair whipped in the wind. The sky never seemed bluer. The sun never shone brighter. The grass seemed greener. Regina felt like she was no longer a piece of property to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, but she felt one with her horse. This was unlike anything she could have imagined and reality surpassed anything she imagined. It was something she wanted to experience every day for the rest of her life.
2. The First Time She Kissed Daniel (104 words)
They'd shared looks across the stable, gazes locked as they curried the horses. She watched the move of muscles in his body with each brush stroke. She admired his form as he rode, striving to imitate it when she rode. One day she turned around and he was there, right behind her. She watched his face move closer until the very last second, and then she closed her eyes. The first lingering brush of his lips sent her pulse racing. The second brush of his lips, lingering longer, made her clench her fists in the front of his shirt as he deepened the kiss.
3. The First Time She Secretly Met Daniel (104 words)
They kept their love a secret, sharing kisses in the stables away from the prying eyes of her mother. One day, Daniel proposed meeting in secret on the hill, under the tree. She agreed without thinking. She wanted to be with Daniel, wanted to lie in his arms. From the first time they'd kissed, she'd imagined what it would be like to be alone with him. The wind blew around them as they stood atop the hill, but she barely noticed it once his arms circled her waist. When his mouth claimed hers, she thought of nothing but a lifetime with the stable boy.
4. The First Time She Held Henry (107 words)
She looked down at the squirming baby in her arms and her heart melted. The last time another person made her feel so vulnerable in this way was the first time she kissed Daniel. She would take care of this little person, even give her life for him if she had to. No one would come between her and her son, and she would provide him with the best life ever. She could give him the mother's love she never had. In this, she would be a success. In this, she would rise above her mother. She placed a kiss on the baby's forehead. "Henry," she said.
5. The First Time She Felt Completely Alone (105 words)
She stood in the foreway of her house, the lack of sound deafening to her. There was no sound of Henry's laughter or the sound of his footfalls as he ran down the hall. She even missed the echo of Emma Swan's voice. She hugged her arms around her body, closed her eyes. She ignored the tears slipping down her cheeks. She reminded herself that she wanted Henry to be happy, and if Henry was happy with Emma, perhaps she had to accept that. Her heart ached as she imagined the others at Granny's. She hugged her arms tighter and let the tears fall freely.
