Title: My Only Friend

Summary: (AU) Through out Regina's life she has only ever had a single friend to comfort her. (oneshot)

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who nor Once Upon A Time because my mind simply isn't brilliant enough to claim ownership of these two wonderful shows :)

Rating: K+

Genre:Friendship, Hurt/Comfort

My Only Friend

The first time they met Regina was in the middle of practising her riding for the day. She was just about to ride over the hill in front of her, determination in her eyes as she urged her prized steed on. And then, quite suddenly, there was a flash of light somewhere to the left.

Her horse reared in fright and veered to the right as Regina clung on for dear life.

She managed to soothe the poor beast with her voice, calming him down long enough to glance back at whatever had made the noise.

To her amazement, there was another horse, a magnificent white mare, and perched on top was another rider, a woman with wild untamed curls.

"Sorry" the woman puffed, gesturing to a black watch-like object on her hand, "Vortex Manipulator." She paused before muttering to herself "he was right, cheap, nasty way to time travel."

Regina stared at her, eyebrow raised. For someone who owned such a fine horse she was definitely no Lady. Regina looked her up and down and came to the conclusion that she must have stolen the horse.

"Well" Regina huffed importantly, "don't let it happen again"

"Sorry what?" The other woman replied, glaring pointly at her.

"I said" Regina began once again through gritted teeth. "Don'..again!"

The woman's eyes narrowed "one more time" she hissed.

Regina did as she asked, and as a result found herself laying flat on her back approximately twenty seconds later, the woman's heel digging into her fine clothing.

And that was the start of Regina's friendship with River Song.

River, she found out was like no woman she had ever met.

She shared Regina's thirst for adventure and had a habit of getting into trouble, something Regina herself was accustomed to.

Her visits were rare and few and far between and Regina came to eagerly anticipate each one.

Every time Regina felt her life crashing down around her, River was there to hold her hand.

When Daniel died, when she married the king and was forced to fake a cheery smile everyday, River was there, at those moments, to escape the castle with for a few hours, or just to sit up in her quarters and talk for hours on end. And in those moments Regina felt herself actually laughing, enjoying herself.

"Hello Sweetie" a familiar voice muttered cheerily.

"River?" Regina whispered in a startled tone, wiping the tears from her eyes as she looked up. She coughed and straightened up. This was a banquet at the royal palace she reminded herself firmly, and she was the Queen.

But River could see through all her efforts quite clearly, River always could.

"Talk to me." The blonde said, leaning forwards to clasp Regina's hand.

Regina shrugged, "your dress is lovely" she whispered and River frowned.

"Come on now, I know you" she said, helping herself to the wine.

Regina smiled at that. "Why do you always appear when I need you most?" She asked in a hushed tone.

The blonde smiled slyly and replied, "I guess I'm kind of like your fairy godmother or something"

They both chuckled and Regina gave her hand a tight squeeze, "I'm thankful, to still have you. After everything I've lost" she cried.

"You'll never lose me sweetie!" River grinned.

She should have known those words were false, after all, everyone else in her life had either lied to her or left her. Why would River Song be any different?

4 years had past since that conversation and Regina could stand her life no longer. She was a prisoner in her own castle.

And she had no choice but to end the life of her jailer.

But with the death of her husband, she found no peace, the killings didn't stop, her heart didn't rest.

And that was how River found her, bitter and lonely and filled only with hatred.

There she had been, crushing the heart of some miserable excuse for a human being, and River had stumbled in, torch in hand.

"Regina" the blonde cried in disbelief, taking a couple of steps backwards, a look of shock etched on her face.

"You said," Regina began bitterly after she had reduced the heart to dust and let it fall into the floor, "that I'd never lose you".

"What's happened to you?" River asked sadly, trying to reach for her.

Regina shook her off easily.

"Look at what's happened to me!" She shrieked suddenly, "What I've, become, what I am!"

"I couldn't have prevented this" River whispered.

"You could have tried!" Regina shouted back, "I didn't just lose you, I lost myself!"

There was silence after that, the words rang in the air, and Regina realised that River agreed.

"Get out!" She said finally, her voice hardened, cold. "I never want to see you again!"

But she did, time and time again, River Song kept coming back as if trying to make up for all the time she'd missed.

They met again on her visit to an old "friend."

Regina was striding, quick as she could down the endless row of cells, and there, seated comfortably on the wooden bench, head down while she wrote in a blue journal, was River Song.

"Well, Well, Well" Regina hissed, head held high as she watched the other woman slowly look up.

"Finally where you belong I guess"

River shrugged, "you should be in here too, we're both guilty of killing a good man" she said back mysteriously.

"The King wasn't good" Regina hissed back angrily, "besides" she said as she tossed her hair haughtily, "you're only in here for petty theft, or so I've heard."

River sneered, "I hardly call holding up a Royal Procession in order to steal 57 pounds of gold petty, dear"

Regina frowned, "why would you steal more gold then you could carry?"

"To get the chance to talk to you" the blonde replied, her voice pleading. "Regina, I know why you're here today, and I'm sorry for what you've been through, but I won't let you do this. You'll have to kill me first!"

So she knew about her plan to finally have a happy ending and yet, she would deny her that? Regina thought to herself. She could crush her so easily, watch her die.

"Why would I kill you?" She asked after a moment or two, more to herself then to River.

"You're my only friend."

And with a flick of her hands, River was bound to the bench, shackled there, more for her own good then she would ever know.

The wind whistled threw the apple tree, rustling the pink blossoms out of the branches and onto the ground.

It was many years later, Regina had enacted her curse and had her revenge after all and she had all but forgotten the blonde woman.

She had just stepped outside to put the bins out for collection and was about to head back inside when she felt the strangest need to turn around.

"Regina?" A voice asked and Regina froze, paralysed.

She knew that voice,

"Oh my..." She began, turning around.

There on her front lawn, where there had been no-one seconds before, was River Song, dressed from head to toe in white and looking every bit the angel Regina once believed she was.

"How did you get here?" Regina asked after a moment or two.

River smiled, "well, it's a bit of long story but, I died"

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