A/N: This is set sometime after the season 3a finale. The words in italics are Emma's thoughts.
"So…" Emma trailed off as her mind failed to come up with anything of value to say to Regina. The two women stood in the doorway, eyes locked, each one waiting for the other to say something and break the silence that had descended after Emma spoke.
Emma knew she should probably be going. It was late, and Regina probably had a whole day planned tomorrow for Henry. Henry. She wondered if she'd ever really get over the awkwardness of usurping Regina's right to her son. It was still an unspoken tension between them, even now when they had shared him for so long. Every time Emma came to pick him up for her share of the week, she could see a brokenness inside Regina's eyes as she waved goodbye. That brokenness would then be quickly replaced by acceptance. It was the acceptance that cut Emma more deeply—losing Henry had become just another agony that Regina learned to deal with. She must tell herself that she doesn't deserve his love, that she deserves to be hurt again and again by the people she loves.
Finally Regina spoke, bringing Emma back to reality, "Well he certainly seemed tired. It's been a long time since he's needed to be carried sleeping to his bed."
She meant it in a friendly way, but Emma could caught the subtle reminder that Regina had been his mother longer than she had. It must be how she deals with this whole situation. Henry chooses me, but she tells herself that she knows him best because she raised him.
"Yeah David and I took him camping then afterwards Ruby was teaching him how to track. He's got quite a knack for those things, more so than I would have imagined when I first met him. He hardly seemed like the outdoorsy type if you know what I mean."
"When he was younger, he would spend hours in the sandbox, building little towns and giant castles. Maybe in a way, he always knew of his heritage."
As she said that last sentence, the brokenness that morphed into acceptance passed across her face. It's as if she thinks that Henry never truly loved her like a mother. She's beginning to tell herself that he was never truly hers.
Emma didn't know what to say, so she simply smiled at the idea of Henry playing in a sand box, creating fictional worlds that he would later learn existed.
Regina smiled back then began to reach for the door, ready to retreat back inside her home and pretend at least for that night that she had her son back and no one could take him from her.
"Well thank you for bringing him back in one piece. Have a good night, Ms. Swan."
Just as she was closing the door, she heard Emma call out.
"Wait Regina, can we talk?"
She opened the door again, slightly exasperated. "Haven't we been talking?"
The curtness of Regina's voice set Emma back a little. This was a mistake. I should just leave. Ugh but I can't. This situation with Henry is unbearable for her, and we need to talk about it.
"Yeah we have been, but I really feel like we need to address the elephant in the room here. I just want to make sure you're ok with how much time Henry's been spending with me and see if we can figure out a way where you don't feel like you're being replaced in all this." Emma stammered nervously.
Regina hesitated slightly before nodding her head in consent, "Very well, come inside let's talk."
She opened the door wider and gestured for Emma to enter. They sat down on the white couch in her parlor. Emma looked uncomfortable on the straight backed furniture whose cushions seemed to be more for show than to actually provide comfort for the occupant. After some adjusting, she leaned back on the arm of the couch and sat nearly cross-legged. Regina, true to her royal upbringing, sat formal and tense on the edge with her knees turned slightly so she and Emma were facing each other.
"I want you to be honest with me," Emma began once they had settled down, "How are you dealing with Henry living with me during the week and only seeing him on the weekends? You said it was fine if that's what Henry wanted, but I'm not sure I believe you."
"All that matters to me is Henry's happiness, and if being with you and the two idiots makes him happy then that is exactly what I want for him." Regina said in a near monotone voice. The voice of one used to taking pain inflicted on her by those she loves the most.
"But that's not all that matters to me. Regina, he is your son! You have a right to him, as much as I do, and if you want to see him more you can. Henry's just a kid. He gets caught up in the excitement of fairytales and sword fights, but that doesn't mean he doesn't love you. Are you sure you're not just accepting this because you're afraid to fight for him again? Are you sure you're not just afraid that he won't choose you?"
Tears sprung to Regina's eyes though her face remained stoic. She looked directly at Emma and held her gaze with a powerful stare, "I know he won't choose me. He never does. He has always picked you, ever since he brought you to this town. I've given up fighting you for him. If he is to ever love me again, it will be by his own choice and not by any manipulation of mine. But why bring this up? Is it not enough that you have taken my son from me that you have to come and see exactly how bad it makes me feel?"
Her voice turned from wrenching desperation to accusatory.
Now it was Emma's eyes that shined with tears, "How could you think that? Regina, believe me, the last thing I want is to cause you pain. I love Henry, but you raised him. Nothing will ever change that. And the reason I bring this all up is because I see the look in your eyes when you watch him go. I know that look. I've seen it in the faces of men and women who have been abandoned, abused, or betrayed by the people they loved. And you, Regina, have been through too much in life to be allowed to think that your own son is hurting you the same way intentionally. Henry's not Cora, Gold, or Leopold. He truly loves you and can see the changes you're trying to make for him."
"What exactly are you trying to get at?"
"My point is we accept the love we think we deserve. And you deserve so much more love than you're allowing yourself. So I'm giving you an open door: Henry can still stay with me during the week if he wants, but that doesn't mean you can't see him. You have a standing invitation from here on out to every breakfast, lunch, dinner, and random outing that he goes on. I'm not taking our son from you. I'm proposing that we actually start raising him together."
All attempts at stoicism had begun to fail, and rebellious little tears began to creep free from Regina's eyes. She tilted her head in a questioning fashion and stammered, "Together?"
Emma gave her a soft smile, reached for Regina's hand and held it tightly, just as Regina had held hers nearly a year ago when she gave her the give of happiness, and repeated, "Together."
Regina looked down at their hands then back up to Emma's eyes. Just trust me please. I'm not going to hurt you like everyone else has. I know you, Regina. Emma squeezed Regina's hand reassuringly. Now why can't I just say that to her?
"I suppose this means we are to be friends then?" Regina asked hesitantly.
"Something like that," Emma replied, "We can be whatever you need us to be. Just don't feel like you can't talk to me about how you feel. If you're hurting, you have the right to tell me and maybe together we can find a way to make it stop."
Regina let out a sharp breath, "It has been a long time since anyone ever said I had the right to happiness."
"I know, but you do. Try to remember that ok?" Emma said, silently hoping that she could find a way to make Regina believe that she was worth more than the life of strict penance she had prescribed for herself.
"I will try," Regina said hesitantly, shocked by the level at which Emma seemed to understand her deepest, most carefully guarded suffering. Not in a thousand years would she had believed before tonight that she would have allowed herself to seem so broken before anyone let alone Emma. Yet here she was, fighting back tears.
"Thank you," Emma said sincerely, "For promising to try and for being honest with me tonight. I know it wasn't easy for you. Rest assured that this conversation or any other future conversations will stay between us. You can trust me."
Regina squeezed her hand and smiled, "I know. I'm glad we talked tonight."
Emma returned her smile as she stood up to go, releasing Regina's hand from her grasp. "I'm glad we talked as well. Now it's late. I should be going. You must have a full day planned for Henry and you tomorrow, so I won't keep you from your sleep."
Regina nodded and stood up to escort Emma to the door. As Emma left, she called out after her, "Good night, Emma. Drive safely."
"I'll try my best. Night, Regina," Emma replied and gave Regina a small goodbye wave.
Regina closed the door and turned to face her empty house. For reasons she either didn't want to face or could not explain, her whole body was shaky from that entire emotion-charged encounter. Her heart fluttered in her chest as Emma's voice saying "Together" echoed in her mind. And for the first time in such a long time, Regina began to believe, even if for just a moment, that her life could be more than a sad story filled with abuse and that she could find the happiness and family she had always wanted.
A/N: So? Thoughts? I've never written for OUAT, so I apologize if anyone seems out of character. I've always been fascinated with the idea of Emma's "superpower." It shows how closely she watches other people, and that's the primary reason I wrote that she was noticing Regina's slight facial fluctuations and emotions. I know that Emma can be kind of a fun-hearted character at times, but she definitely must have seen a lot growing up the way she did, so I wouldn't be surprised if she had friends or at least knew people who went through abuse the way that Regina did. Anyways, thank you all for reading. You're lovely people J