This will be a mini fic; I've kind of been on writer's block for a while, and well...when the mind is stuck, it usually comes up with weird things (I actually already had the outline for My Voice's next chapter, I just don't really know how to...go for it, lol). This story won't be too long; I'm already (perhaps) half way done with writing it.

A/N: I don't own ONCE or any of the recognizable characters seen in this work of fiction; any recognizable material probably isn't mine. Please, enjoy, (:

Also, story has been renamed.

Chapter One: Checkmate

"Your silence was the most heartbreaking conversation

We ever came to have…"

The blonde was finishing up with her packing when she suddenly heard the door to her condo open, then close before her girlfriend's form appeared at the bedroom door; the brunette woman had already rid herself of the blazer she'd been wearing, and she now stood before her in just a tiny, strapless black dress and opaque stockings since apparently she had also left her high heels by the foyer.

"Emma, I thought that perhaps tonight—" but those words ceased their journey from her mouth when she spotted her lover's open suitcase atop the bed, and the woman herself fidgeting by the dresser, "Did I somehow forget you were going to your parents this weekend?" Regina wondered out loud as she racked her brain to see if her girlfriend had told her and she had forgotten.

Emma usually spent some weekends away at her parents; mostly to catch up with the family, and other times to just enjoy their company while Regina was away on work matters.

But as the blonde turned to the her with a forced smile, Regina knew that this wasn't entirely the case.

"Maybe," Emma answered nervously as she shut the drawer too quickly for the older woman's liking before moving away towards their shared closet, "I haven't decided yet," an attempt at a lie, which she had always been bad with.

Regina took that moment to cast a glance into the drawer, and the others that also belonged to the blonde, before her eyes finally narrowed and she was pulling back her hair exasperatedly.

The drawers were all empty, except for a photograph of them both that remained at the bottom of the very top one.

She heard Emma rummaging for something as she turned, and tried to keep her cool.

"Do you need your entire wardrobe for this specific weekend, or is there something you're not telling me?" she asked the blonde, her face devoid of any emotions as she came to stand in front of her; Emma's arms full of some of her belongings as she stared agape at her girlfriend of seven years.

Huffing out a breath, one that came out more like a groan than anything else, the younger woman bypassed the brunette and went to drop her things on the bed as she began her process of folding and sorting things into another bag.

"If I didn't know any better, Emma, I'd think you were leaving me," Regina murmured in a cold tone, and the blonde winced as the woman glared at her, arms crossed and head cocked to the side while her dark eyebrow arched.

Eyes shutting as she let out a sigh, Emma dropped to the bed before she patted the mattress and beckoned Regina to sit beside her.

"Regina, we've been together for the longest time—"

"Seven and a half years," the brunette interrupted grumpily.

"Don't you think I know that?" Emma raised her voice at that, she hated when her girlfriend tried to patronize her, "I want more," she demanded as her voice cracked, "I need more, Regina," she finished with a shake of her head as she made to get up; placing her last items into a smaller bag she had pulled from the closet as well.

Before she could zip it up though, a strong hand wrapped itself around her bicep and pulled her around; a warm mouth claiming her soft lips in a passionate kiss that should have fixed everything, but that wasn't enough for Emma anymore.

Gently pushing at the brunette woman, Em detached her lips from Regina's and stared her right in the eyes.

"This time, that's not going to solve everything," she whispered, a sad smile grazing her lips as she cupped the brunette's cheeks; trying to prepare them both for the next words she would voice, "I love you, but I am tired of this life, Regina."

"What do you need, Emma? You want to go out more? Tell me what you want!" It was Regina's time to demand as she clung to the blonde's hips with both hands, and the younger woman would have sworn that Regina was truly trying to find a solution.

"That's the problem," Emma supplied with a sardonic chuckle as she began shaking her head, "You've never needed to ask, you always knew what I wanted..." she trailed off as she stepped away from the brunette, "Things have changed, Regina."

"Perhaps what we need is a little vacation; maybe finally head back down to Charleston—"

But once again, Emma was shaking her head at her words as she tried to get the suitcase down from the bed and drag it over to the bedroom's entryway.

The brunette felt defeated and hurt.

"When did you know?" Regina suddenly asked as she eyed the room, not wanting to look Emma in the eyes anymore; she was afraid of what she would find there because it seemed that this wasn't her sweet Emma anymore.

"Know what?" the blonde inquired as she hugged herself, and bit her bottom lip; arms loosely encasing her ribcage.

Regina pursed her lips at that answer as she walked over to the top drawer once more, and pulled it open before letting her fingers trace their happy faces within the photograph.

"That you were actually leaving me?"

"I hadn't planned it," Em murmured to herself before she sat down on the bed again; tucking a golden curl behind her ear, "It just happened," she finished feeling checkmated.

And as Regina leaned against the dresser, and faced her girlfriend, she looked away quickly when she noticed the tears streaming down the beautiful woman's face.

"Last time you said you loved me was a year ago," Emma began only to have Regina cut her off.

"You fucking know I love you; do you want me to say it more often, everyday, every five minutes? Because if that's what you really want, then I will do so, Emma!" She yelled at her, her patience already cut short as she fought to understand her lover.

All she wanted was to get this conversation over with, have a quick shower, then maybe head out for a quiet dinner with Emma like she had planned out before she'd gotten home; the idea of spending time with her lover already on her mind when she'd been leaving work.

Em was wiping at her tears, as she tried to keep her composure.

"I miss spending time with you," she whispered to the brunette, and Regina didn't know whether to laugh or nor because that had been exactly what she had wanted to do tonight, but she had kept it as a surprise.

So, she couldn't hold back the angry words that spilled from her lips next.

"Well, money doesn't grow on trees," the older woman spat at her, and Emma wanted to throw something at her.

"You know what? I don't even know why I'm trying," the blonde finally said as she got up, and walked into their bathroom.

It was Regina's turn to stay rooted to the ground, mouth hanging open as she saw the girl disappear from view. Snapping out of it, she stalked over to the open door, only to see Emma putting away her toiletries.

Perhaps she shouldn't have lashed out in that way.

"Emma let's talk about this," she pleaded as her hand shot out in an attempt to direct the blonde's attention back to her; her fingers slipping around her girlfriend's wrist.

Complying with the brunette, she ceased her movements and turned to face her.

"Do you really want to throw away seven amazing years of our life, just because we're going through a phase?"

"A phase doesn't last three years, Regina," Emma tried to explain.

"We've always been able to talk about things," she sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"And that's just it, lately we haven't! You don't listen anymore," the blonde said, "You drown yourself in work even though you are your own boss, we haven't had alone time in weeks, you don't even touch me anymore..."

"Emma, we had sex two days ago—"

"You had sex two days ago," Emma cut her off, "You fell asleep right after you climaxed," the blonde sighed tiredly as she scratched at her neck; her cheeks growing red in embarrassment as she admitted she'd gone to bed frustrated and unsatisfied to the woman who had always been able to please her.

"Then let's go to bed," Regina told her as she went to pull her back towards the room, but Emma stood her ground.

"The point is, that I don't feel appreciated anymore. It doesn't even feel like you still love me," she held up her hand when the brunette opened her mouth to speak, "I just thought that it would be best if I went to live with ma' and David for a little while."

Regina growled, evident frustration taking over once more as she stalked from the bathroom.

"And then what? Never come back?" the brunette was holding down her tears now.

And Emma thought now was as best a time to tell her girlfriend, or at least hint to her how she really felt. Ignoring her question, Em tied her hair up in a bun and threw on a dark VS hoodie over her black camisole to tie along with her yoga pants before tucking the toiletries into her last bag.

"My brother is getting married, Regina," she breathed out, and the way she said it broke the brunette's heart because... already, she knew where this conversation was going, "Married to a woman he's only been dating for two years, two!" she emphasized the number and the older woman pulled her hair back once again as her eyes shut, "And you know? It gets better. Ruby popped the question to Belle last month, and they're getting married in a week," she hated herself for wanting something she could never have, apparently; sighing, she pushed on, "Everyone around us is starting these new stages in their lives, taking bigger steps, and we've just been stuck in the same place for the past three years!"

"So, that's what you want?" Regina deadpanned with an incredulous look on her face, "Because if that's what it is Em, if that's what you need, then it has taken you quite a while to finally tell me."

"I didn't want to have to tell you!" Emma screamed at her, and Regina just chuckled because she wasn't understanding her companion anymore. And perhaps, she had stopped understanding her a long while ago, and she just…had yet to notice.

"You want to get married?" she continued as if she hadn't heard the blonde, insistingly, "Then let's get married! If that will make you happy again, then let's do it..." she trailed off as she searched for something deep within the drawer of her nightstand, and Emma's blood froze and heated double fold when she saw the little black box the woman had retrieved from the bottom.

"Would you prefer I get down on one knee?"

And the blonde's tears started running down her face again as she shook her head; making Regina groan fiercely in exhaustion.

But Emma didn't care anymore; not now that she knew her girlfriend had been hesitating to ask for her hand in marriage for God knew how long...

There was a knock at the door just as Emma was about to reach for Regina but when she heard the sound, she shrunk back from the woman and swung her bag over her shoulder as she walked toward the foyer.

Regina just stood by the bed, still as a statue as she realized there would be nothing to make Emma stay.

She heard the faint murmurs as the blonde spoke with the taxi driver, and instructed him to take her bags down to the cab, and wait for her because she still had some finishing up to do.

Hearing her thanking him, Regina leant into the hallway, and saw Emma rest her head against the doorframe.

"I believe a month will be enough time for us to sort things through, for you to think on whether or not I am still what you want in life," Emma told her, and a stray tear slid down Regina's cheek at the woman's words because she thought they were ridiculous; the blonde knew how much she wanted her, how much she really meant to her.

"But that also means, that'll you'll be a free woman while I'm gone," Emma added with another sad smile;trying to be strong, "You can sleep with whoever you want, and do whatever you wish..."

"That won't happen," Regina grit out as she eyed Em with disbelief, "Emma, I—"

"I should go," the blonde interrupted, and she knew she wasn't being very fair with the brunette, but she needed to wake up from this dream, from this…routine that was killing their relationship; and, she thought that this was the way, that perhaps when she came back the woman would be waiting for her with arms wide open.

So, before Regina could say anything else, Emma shut the door and was suddenly gone; leaving her alone in the condo.

The brunette let her head drop into her hands as she took a seat on the couch before she lost all sense and flipped over the small coffee table in anger, and annoyance towards herself as well as Emma.

This couldn't be happening to her; she could't be losing her. She couldn't. The blonde couldn't be serious, they'd been through too much for this to be their final stance.

It was a week until Regina finally decided to go get her.

She hadn't slept much since Emma had left, and when she wasn't at home wallowing, she was at the office burying herself in work and crowding her schedules with meetings.

The night they had fought, Regina ran after her seconds after she'd snapped out of her frenzy, but her girlfriend had already been gone for so long, and the only reply she had received when she tried to contact her had been to not…

But, that hadn't been enough to keep Regina away for long.

So having already packed the necessary bags the night prior, the stern woman didn't even hesitate as she left her assistant in charge of the company before actually running out the office doors, and driving off to the airport to catch a flight down to LA.

Ruby's wedding was tomorrow, and the invitation had still arrived at the condo even though Emma wasn't with her. She felt like the blonde hadn't told many people about their separation before taking her leave back to her hometown in Sunset Beach. So, perhaps that might have been the reason why the invitation had still reached the condo.

She was the furthest thing from excited of once again seeing her lover's mother since the last time they had met things hadn't gone very well, or as well as Regina had wanted—damn, and that had been six years ago.

But then again, what mother in her rightful mind would be okay with her nineteen year old, college freshmen daughter announcing she's moving in with her older girlfriend, and going to be living thousands of miles away from her family?

...none, really.

Mary Margaret never took a liking to her ever since she'd ripped Emma away from them. Regina knew that the woman always tried to get the young blonde to stay back home every weekend she went over there, and that perhaps she had even set it upon herself to fill Em's head with such absurd notions that she didn't love her.

That woman was a real piece of work, but Regina knew why and she had made peace with it. Emma was the only girl of four kids (and the only one who was adopted), so naturally, her parents treated her like a princess—which, the brunette had thought she had been doing as well.

Ceasing her inner narrative monologue for a second as she parked the car within the airport garage, Regina quickly placed the sticker on her windshield and grabbed a small traveling tank before shutting the door; placing the pet tank on the car ceiling, she quickly retrieved her bag from the trunk.

Swinging it over her shoulder, she reached for the traveling tank and secured it in her hands.

"I cannot believe Mommy forgot about you little creatures," she murmured down to them as she began walking over to the airport's entrance.

Both young tortoises just looked up at her as she strode over to a counter once she'd gotten inside and located the package delivery center.

The young man behind the counter gave her a weird look as he saw her stomping towards him, and almost awed when he saw the pets.

Regina rolled her eyes before setting the tank on the desk, and looking down to her watch for a second before glancing to the employee.

"I don't really care about the rates, but my flight leaves in three hours, and I'd like them to be delivered by the time I reach my destination, which is LA," she finished with a pointed look towards the guy as he made as if to reach inside the tank before she slapped his hand away, and gave him an expectant stare.

The young man look ashamed as he pulled out a few forms, and extended them to her, "I'd have to weight them before letting you know ma'am," he began with a tiny stutter, "Will it be an overnight flight?"

"Technically, not," she answered impatiently as he weighed the tank, still fascinated by the creatures, "I will be landing in LA by eleven this evening."

He glanced towards a flyer on the wall behind him before humming, and placing the tank back on the desk between them.

"They can leave in an hour, which will be our last shipment crate for the night," he answered and Regina waited for the inevitable but as he looked at her with frightened eyes while she signed the bottom lines of the form, "But, they'll be arriving two hours ahead of you, miss."

"That won't be a problem," she dismissed quickly as she finished writing her signature with a flourish, and slid the forms back over to him.

Astro and Louie had food on their tiny bowls to last them for a month (she'd made sure before leaving the condo as well as packed an extra bag in her carry-on), if that was the young man's concern, so she wasn't really worried about it; though, what did have her nervous was that if they lost those tortoises, or something happened to them on the way there, Emma would definitely end up murdering her for it.

"Just as long as you people don't loose them in the mix, and actually stick to your insurance policies," she growled out.

"Yes, ma'am," he gulped.

"Excellent."

Once that fiasco was over with, and she had made sure their babies would be all right, the brunette made her way through security and finally to her gate.

When she was seated, and just perusing through her phone, she debated on whether or not she should have texted Emma, but she decided against it when she feared the blonde might've also refuse to see her if she knew she was coming for her.

What did you think? Reviews always help, :3 Thanks for reading!