Silent Hearts

A/N: Hello lovely people! I know it's been a while and I am very sorry, my other fic, Hiding In The Dark, kind of ran away with me along with all my college work. However I have neither forgotten about or abandoned this story as I still have so much more to come!

Chapter 9- The Evil Queen And Her White Knight

Emma stared down at the menu before her, brow furrowed as the foreign words seemed to fall of the page as she clutched it with sweaty palms. The atmosphere around her was unlike anything she had ever experienced. It was calm and quite with soft violin music wafting around the small tables. Couples sat dotted around her, all huddled closely together, exchanging polite conversation or gazing at one another. Everyone was dressed so formally, their clothes clearly expensive, like Regina's. Despite the other woman's assurance, the blonde still felt like a fish out of water.

The waiter swooped past, placing an ice bucket upon their table as he went. Regina thanked him sweetly before grasping the cold wine, offering some to Emma who nodded dumbly, completely missing the strange name belonging to the deep red wine.

Emerald eyes filtered around nervously, avoiding the expectant look on Regina's face. Had she said something? Emma turned her attention back to the beautiful brunette, noticing the raised eyebrow.

"Hmm?"

"I said, how do you like it here?" Regina asked again, brows knitting together at the blonde's unusual behaviour. Emma knew her awkwardness must be sticking out like a sore thumb.

"It's very… you." She replied, smiling shyly. Regina chuckled softly.

"Yes well, when I'm not looking to unwind I find these places rather pleasant." Emma nodded, thinking back to the time she had retrieved Regina from the Rabbit Hole.

"I rarely have the time to go out to dinner; my life doesn't really work that way." The blonde said vaguely, casting her eyes back down to the menu.

"Oh? So what does a normal day look like for you then?" Regina asked, placing her wine glass down and resting her chin on tanned knuckles.

"It's not all the exciting really," Emma thought over her daily routine, quickly realising just how uninteresting it is. "I tend to try and work out in the morning before work; it helps me feel prepared for the day. But when I'm not at work, it's either more working out or standard evenings in with Elsa or the dog."

"With the occasional night out with the office?"

"Yeah, they're good fun." Emma grinned. Despite her often closed off nature, her department had successfully pulled her out several times over the course of the last few weeks.

"How did you and Elsa meet?" Her smile faltered at the question, unsure of how to answer. After a moment's hesitation Emma shrugged vaguely, hoping to close the subject.

"I met her when I was a teenager, we've been friends since." She explained shortly.

"In school?" Regina probed, clearly not wanting to drop the subject.

"Yeah must have been."

"You seem unsure?" An eyebrow arched in question and Emma struggled to find an answer. Though she felt strongly for Regina, her past was a whirlwind of chaos and wasn't something she confided in someone about often.

"It's a little hazy I guess, I was young." Regina regarded her closely for a moment, visibly dissatisfied with the answer. To Emma relief however the brunette dropped the subject with a shrug.

"Fair enough." The blonde smiled sheepishly, looking to change the subject.

"So paparazzi, do you get that all the time?" Emma asked lightly, sipping at her wine.

"Yes, now more than ever since all this drama with Robin has hit the media." She replied, an irritable edge to her voice.

"So you get like no privacy?"

"Within the walls of the office and my home, but everywhere else I'm open to the world." Emma frowned at the answer. How could Regina live with her life on display to the world, having everyone know everything?

Conversation slipped back into light back and forth chatter as they ate their food. Though she hadn't known what it was, Emma was delighted to find her soup was very delicious. Regina had ordered an exotic looking salad; the only thing Emma recognised within it was chicken. They discussed work, Regina bringing up the dates for some big meetings they were to attend. It was all very light and simple and Emma found herself easily letting her guard down around the other woman. Whenever conversation died it would be replaced by heated looks and lingering gazes which heated Emma's entire body.

"Err about a year and a half now." Emma explained after being asked how long she had lived in New York.

"Where did you live before?" Regina asked, sipping at her coffee.

"I jumped around quite a bit, but I last lived in Boston before moving here."

"Were you born in Boston?" Emma shook her head.

"No, Maine." Regina's face lit up.

"So was I." Emma grinned.

"Really? I assumed you'd always lived here." The blonde confessed but Regina shook her head.

"No, we came to New York when I was teenager, but I spent the majority of my childhood in Maine."

"Wow, small world." Emma chuckled as the waiter placed the bill on the table. She immediately reached for the bill but Regina smacked her hand away.

"Tonight is on me." She scolded, giving Emma a look when she opened her mouth to argue. Regina gave the bill back to the waiter and swiftly stood, Emma following her lead. The blonde supressed a smug smile when Regina took hold of her arm and let her escort her out.

The smile on Emma's face promptly vanished when the pair of them were met by a crowd of paparazzi outside the restaurant. Camera flashes went off all around them and Emma's body instinctively seized up, ready to defend herself should anyone get to close.

Unfazed, Regina wrapped her arm around Emma, smiling lazily at the cameras, squeezing Emma against her. The blonde hung at her boss's side, a lost look on her face as men shouted at them to look one way and another. Eventually, Emma managed a half-hearted smile before pulling away from Regina and pushing through the crowd of men towards the smart car awaiting their return. Regina was hot on her trail, calling to the overwhelmed girl. Slipping back into the car, Emma did not look out of the window until the car was smoothly rolling away from the restaurant.

She could feel Regina's burning eyes upon her and Emma slowly turned to look at the powerful woman.

"Thanks for the nice evening." She said quietly, averting her eyes from the intense chocolate orbs boring into her.

"It was my pleasure." Regina purred, an olive hand slinking across the back of the car seat to gently caress over Emma's neck.

"My apartment isn't far from here, can you drop me off?" Delicate fingers froze in place as Regina frowned at the request.

"I was going to invite you back home with me…" She mumbled, perfect brows knitted together.

"That sounds lovely but I need to get back to my," Emma hesitated for a moment, looking for a reason, "dog."

"Yes, of course." With a quick command the driver took off down the street towards Emma's apartment. Despite the looks she was receiving from a now displeased Regina, the blonde still reached across and took hold of her hand, relieved when Regina reciprocated.

They walked in silence down the hall towards her apartment, hands still firmly clasped together. When they reached her door, Emma hesitated about going in, turning back to look at Regina.

"We should do this again." Regina smiled brightly and nodded. Emma felt like an inexperienced teenager again, giddy and nervous about ending the date.

"I would love that."

"I'll see you in the morning then." Emma slipped the keys into the lock awkwardly, never wanting to turn away from the other woman. They hovered around one another for a moment, Regina's gaze glued to Emma twitching lips. The blonde had never felt so useless in her life, wanting nothing more than to kiss the gorgeous woman before her. Regina, clearly realising Emma wasn't going to move, sprung forward, tugging their bodies together so that they would meet.

The kiss wasn't as intense as the few they had shared before, but yet Emma felt as if she would never be kissed as good as this again. Reluctantly, Regina pulled away, dropping her hands from Emma's neck.

"Goodnight darling." She husked before slipping away, swaying her hips as she did, knowing Emma's eyes would be glued to her behind as she went. The blonde stood frozen for a moment, her attention focused entirely on Regina walking away before snapping her attention away and practically falling into the apartment.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Emma stood rigid at her window, eyes cloudy and unfocused as she stared out at the slowly rising sun, it's rays bursting over the tops of the buildings surrounding her. She hadn't slept all night, unable to calm her mind from the night before. A shoe box sat on one of the chairs next to her, a hand print disturbing the layer of dust upon it. The seal around the box sat untouched, calling to Emma to open it again.

The blonde continued to stare out of the window, ignoring the ache in her legs. The clock to her left read just before seven, indicating she should get ready for work.

Regina.

Regina had been topic of Emma thoughts nearly the whole night, ranging from the warmth created by her smile, to the fear of being close to her. All night she had been dodging questions on her past, never ready to give the true answers. Her childhood had only come up once and by luck it had been the same moment their food had arrived, distracting the curious brunette. Emma didn't know how to explain her childhood, its horror fuelled tale chilling Emma to the core.

She shook her head, accepting that any future with Regina was unlikely anyway. Their lives were the polar opposites of each other, something Emma knew would soon enough create a barrier they may not be able to get over. But yet even as she thought it, the idea of ceasing a relationship with Regina seemed the worst thing in the world.

Emma groaned out loud, wondering why everything must be so complicated. She finally turned away from the window, her joints feeling like cement as they moved again. She looked down at the black shoe box, unsure of why she felt the need to get it out. Pale hands delicately picked up the box and carefully returned it to the top of her wardrobe, knowing it would soon be forgotten about again. She couldn't bring herself to look inside, she never could. Many nights she had retrieved the dust box, fully prepared to open again. But yet she never did.

Around quarter to eight Emma emerged from her room, her body encased in black jeans and a smart blue shirt. Isaac sat upon the sofa, his head resting on the back as to watch Emma. She waltzed over to him, fingers threading through his silky fur. Instantly he moved into her lap, nuzzling into her.

"What do I do little one?" She asked softly, bowing her head so that her nose brushed the top of his head. He burrowed further into her chest. She sighed in content; the comfort created by having him close was enough to ease her once more. "Funny how this probably helps me more than any human could." She chuckled, planting a soft kiss on his head before standing back up.

Shoving her hand down the back of the sofa cushion, Emma retrieved her purse and keys, dumbfounded as to how they got there.

"I should get a bowl." She mumbled, glaring at the keys before swiftly leaving the apartment.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As if on purpose the repercussions of not sleeping hit Emma the moment she walked through doors of HQ. Stifling a yawn, the young woman made her way up to her department, her only agenda being coffee. She vaguely drifted out of the elevator and down the hall towards the staffroom. Killian appeared suddenly at her side, excitedly talking about the headline on his magazine. Emma nodded along as they entered the staffroom, her eyes instantly finding the coffee.

It was only after taking a large gulp of the hot liquid did Emma finally register that Killian was still talking.

"So like, are you two together?" He asked, making emerald eyes snap over to him.

"What?" She asked confusedly.

"You and Regina." Emma frowned, where was he getting that from? She honestly didn't know.

"No, why would you think that?" She asked curiously.

"Did you even listen anything I just said?" Emma shook her head apologetically and received an irritable sigh. "You two are all over the headlines." He held up the magazine once more, and only then didn't Emma recognise her own awkward face on the cover. Emma snatched the magazine from Killian, reading over the headline. Emerald eyes bulged comically.

Evil Queen replaces husband with her White Knight!

"Oh, my god." She muttered before thrusting the magazine into Killian's chest and racing from the room.

Emma crashed into the elevator, her heart hammering as she jabbed at the buttons. The doors had barely opened out onto Regina's floor before Emma hurled herself out, racing through the department towards the brunette's office. She didn't acknowledge Ruby's questions as she reached the glass door, knocking nervously.

"Come in, Emma." Emma quickly pushed open the door, ignoring the unsettling feeling that came whenever Regina knew it was her. The blonde burst into the room, her mouth was open to speak but was quickly snapped shut when her eyes fell on another.

"Mrs Mills." Emma greeted awkwardly, bowing dumbly.

"Miss Swan." Cora snipped, not even looking at the blonde as she continued to glare at her daughter.

"Mother was just leaving, weren't you?" Regina said coldly from behind her desk, her back straight and make up perfect, screaming power and authority.

"Oh no, we are nowhere near done." Cora snapped, slamming her fist down on the desk, on top of the same magazine that Killian had. Emma looked fearfully between the two women, remembering how Regina had feared her mother finding out.

"What do you want me to say?" Regina asked calmly.

"How could you dine with this common woman, a woman, during such a fragile stage of your marriage?! Not only that, the woman who humiliated poor Robin." Cora screeched, red splotches appearing on her face.

"Firstly and this is the last time I shall tell you this. Robin and I are over, it isn't marriage anymore, I signed the papers. It. Is. Over." Regina spoke firmly, not raising her voice once. "And in regards to Miss Swan, I dined with her because, unlike you, I am capable growing fond of my employees and wished to spend time with her outside work."

"This is ridiculous." Cora spat.

"Hardly, I feel far safer around Emma now that I know her rather than letting a complete stranger defend my life." Regina looked over at Emma, though no trance of a smile was on her stoic face, the blonde saw the sparkle of affection in her eye.

"Something you wouldn't have to do if Miss Swan existed in the world." Cora suddenly turned to glare at Emma who frowned.

"What?"

"Tell me Emma how you have managed make yourself invisible to every single one of my researchers?" The older woman advanced on Emma who held her ground.

"My private life is none of your concern." She replied coldly.

"And yet that fact that I can find nothing on you makes me more curious rather than if I had. Seems to me that our Miss Swan here is hiding something big from us." An evil look gleamed in Cora's eyes. "And believe me, I will find out what it is!"

"I dare you." Emma growled, watching as Cora stuck her nose in the air and marched from the room. Silence fell as Regina composed herself.

"I'm sorry Emma." Regina said quietly, her eyes widening when the younger woman marched towards her.

"What the hell were you thinking?! You said your mother couldn't find out about us and yet you let paparazzi crawl all over us!" Emma yelled, not bothering to lower her voice.

"Emma-"

"What are we goi-"

"Emma!" The blonde snapped her mouth shut and regarded the other woman. "Just listen."

"Fine."

"The media knows nothing, my mother knows nothing, don't you see?" Regina rounded the desk, bringing her hands up to cup Emma face.

"No."

"We did nothing last night which hinted to our actual relationship; to them it's all rumours and loose ends." Regina further explained.

"Like hiding in plain sight." Emma mumbled.

"Exactly darling." The blonde let out a frustrated sigh, a headache beginning to form from the stress. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

"Yeah of course." She lied, smiling reassuringly at the concerned brunette.

"Look of anything the media will just think I'm using you to poke fun at Robin. We're safe." Emma nodded, accepting Regina judgement.

"I trust you."

A/N: Again, sorry for taking so long with this! Will Regina's plan work? Or has she just thrown the stone that causes an avalanche? Why is Emma holding back? And what was in the shoe box? Please review and tell me all your thoughts and feeling and follow for more! Till next time Kids.