A/N: After last night's episode of OUAT, this idea came to me. Hope you enjoy :)
Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT, its characters, or its storylines.
In the Underworld, some confessions need to be made. No more pretending. Regina and Emma needed to tell each other the truth. "It was always you. It has always been you." SQ Oneshot. Set sometime in the middle of season 5B.
~It Was Always You~
It was always you, Regina. It has always been you, but I've just been too damn scared to say it.
Emma glanced at her mother, who was sitting at the kitchen table in the Underworld version of her loft. It was just the two of them. This was the perfect time. She had to tell her.
She put her hand on the silver chain that held Hook's ring.
This isn't right.
She took off the necklace and held it in her hands. She let out a breath and looked back at Snow.
"Mom?"
She turned to look at Emma.
"I need to tell you something."
"What is it, honey?"
Emma walked around the island and joined her at the table. She placed the necklace down and pushed it aside slightly. "I need to tell you the truth."
Snow waited patiently for her to continue.
Regina was walking in the woods.
Why am I doing this? Moping about? I am in the Underworld right now, and this is what I'm truly upset about?
She envied the way they stared longingly at each other. When they embraced. When they kissed.
What about all of the times our eyes met? How about the first time we looked at each other when Henry brought you home to me? Why haven't we embraced, Emma? We've only ever done that when it was Henry, you, and I. What is it about that pirate that makes your heart flutter every time you see him?
Why isn't it me, Emma? It should be me.
Regina leaned against a tree and sighed. She shouldn't be thinking this way. She had Robin. They were destined to be together.
But where the hell was he? He seemed to make a habit of disappearing while they were here.
I have never felt the same way about Robin as I have you, Emma. It has always been you.
She closed her eyes and listened to her heart for once, speaking the words she had kept hidden for too long.
"I love you, Emma."
She waited for a response, wanting nothing more than to hear the blonde's voice.
And a few minutes later, she got her wish.
"Regina?"
Regina's eyes flashed open, and she backed away from the tree. "Emma. What are…? What are you doing here?"
"I was just taking a walk. I, um, needed to clear my mind. You?"
"Same."
The two stared at each other uncomfortably for a few moments before Emma opened her mouth.
"I think… We, um, need to talk."
Regina's heart began to pound. She'd heard it. Why else would she want to talk to her? "I… I suppose we do."
"I heard what you said, Regina."
She looked away from her gaze. "And you don't love me back."
"It's about Regina."
"What about her?"
"I… I, um…" Emma glanced down at her shaking hands. Her mother noticed this and took hold of her hands.
"Emma, it's okay. Tell me what's on your mind."
"I love her, Mom. It's always been her."
She allowed herself to look up at Snow. She expected shock, confusion, maybe even a hint of anger in her expression. Regina was the Evil Queen after all, and despite how far she had come since the original curse, Emma wouldn't have been surprised if her mother was somewhat unaccepting. But all she saw was understanding in her eyes. Like she had expected it, but never opened her mouth to say it. And she was smiling.
"I know."
"You do?"
"Emma, tell me. Why did you sacrifice yourself to the darkness for Regina?"
"Because she worked too hard to have her happiness destroyed."
"That's one reason. But deep down, why did you do it?"
Emma smiled slightly. "Because I love her."
"And why did you give Regina the dagger back in Camelot?"
"Because I love her."
"And on the night of the dance, why did you save Robin for her?"
"Because I love her. And I would do anything to make sure her happy ending wasn't taken from her. Even if that happy ending wasn't me."
Snow gave her hands a gentle squeeze.
"What if she doesn't feel the same way about me?"
"Well, your father took a chance with me. I wasn't exactly very welcoming when we first met. I hit him with a rock and then ran away."
Emma laughed. "And if she does feel the same way about me, you would be okay with it?"
"Of course, honey."
"Even after everything she did to you? To dad?"
"Yes, Emma. She may have cast a curse that destroyed all of our happy endings and separated us from you, but she has come such a long way since then. She is not the person she once was. And you? You were the first person to see her not for the Evil Queen, but for just Regina. You believed in her potential to change for the better when everyone else doubted her. You fought for her. And if all of that isn't true love, then I don't know what is."
"Thank you, Mom. It means a lot to me. That you would be accepting of us."
Snow pulled her into a hug. "She makes you happy, Emma. And I want nothing more than my daughter to be happy." They stayed like that for a few minutes before she spoke again. "Now, I think there's something you need to do."
"I need to tell Regina how I feel."
"Exactly."
Emma backed away from her and nodded. She stood up from her chair and began to walk to the door when another question came to her mind. "Mom?"
"Yes?"
"Do you think she loves me?"
"Do you want me to go through the list of reasons why I think she loves you too? Or would you rather hear that from her yourself?"
Emma smiled.
"Now go do what us Charmings do best. Go find her."
So she did. She left the house and headed to the one place she just knew that she would find her that day. Something was pulling her there, like the bond they shared brought her to exact location Regina was at. That bond… It was so much. It represented the changes they had gone through in their relationship. First enemies, then friends, then…
Would there be another then?
She found her. The words of her parents echoed in her mind.
I will find you, Regina. I will always find you.
She was in the woods. She saw her leaning against a tree, her eyes closed. And she knew there would be another then when she heard those four words escaped her lips.
I love you, Emma.
"And what if I told you that wasn't true?"
Regina looked up at Emma, allowing herself to get lost in her green eyes. How…? Could it even be possible that she loved her? She'd said "what if". It was all hypothetical. Right? She was just trying to make her feel better before the devastating blow. When she told her she didn't love her back. At least not like how she loved Hook. Why would she even have risked her life for him if she felt anything for her?
She remembered watching Emma cry over his body the night he died, not wanting to let go of him when the paramedics carried him off on the stretcher.
She loved him. It was a simple as that.
"Emma. You don't really mean that."
"Yes, I do."
There was no hesitation in her voice. No disbelieving glint in her eyes. She was actually being genuine.
Emma was approaching her. It made her heart skip a beat.
Regina still didn't want to hold on to the hope that she was telling the truth.
"You have Hook."
"And you told me I was too good for him."
You're too good for me, Emma.
She shrugged it off. "Well, it's true."
"You told me that because you love me."
"Maybe I did."
"And when you tried to stop me from sacrificing myself to the darkness. Why did you do that?"
"Because I love you."
Emma was standing in front of her now. She was so damn close. "And when you came with me to the Underworld to save Hook. Why did you do that?"
"Because I love you, Emma Swan, and I want you to be happy even if it's not with me." She shook her head. "Why are you asking me all of these questions?"
Don't put me through more of this, Emma. Please. Don't set me up for false hope.
Just tell me the truth.
Her response. It so genuine again.
"Because my mother just did the same thing to me. And I said the exact same thing. I did everything for you because I love you, and I wanted you to be happy even if your happiness meant being with someone else."
Emma took hold of her hands. They fit so perfectly around her own.
"Remember in Camelot when you used the dagger on me to have me confess why I was still holding on to the darkness?"
"Yes."
"That last wall. You never got the chance to knock it down."
She does love me.
Her last wall… It was telling me that she loved me.
"I was afraid to start a future with Hook because I knew deep down it wasn't what I wanted. And I couldn't tell you I loved you. Not when I knew… Or thought… That you loved Robin." Emma paused, gazing into her eyes for a few moments. "How long?"
Regina smiled. "Since the first night I met you. It's always been you, Emma."
"Me too."
Regina let go of her hands and threw her arms around her neck. "I love you, Emma."
Emma put her arms around her waist and pulled her body close to hers. "I love you, too, Regina."
They kissed.
And a second time.
And a third time.
This moment, this closeness, this bond they shared that had forever been developing since the first time they'd met… All of it was truly magical.
She remembered the words she had told Snow years ago.
Love, true love, is magic.
When they backed away, they stared longingly into each other eyes, smiling a mile a minute. No words needed to be spoken to show how happy they were to have finally admitted their love for each other.
"You don't know how long I have been waiting to do that."
"If I am not mistaken, Regina, you almost kissed me when Henry was stuck in the mine."
"I was very concerned about Henry's safety."
"So you approach me ever so closely and search my eyes like you were pleading with me to jump in your arms and kiss you?"
"Shut up."
"You really did treat me like crap back then. It was much worse than my mom smacking my dad in the chin with a rock."
"I didn't know how to love well, Emma. I had to come to terms with my feelings for you. Because… Well, how could enemies be lovers?"
"I asked myself the same question."
Regina thought back to the earlier part of their conversation. "So you told Snow?"
The blonde nodded.
"And?"
"She knew it all along. And she's happy for us."
"Us?"
"She knew you loved me too."
Snow had really become a best friend to her. Regina frowned. The woman never deserved any of the things she did to her. Snow had revealed the secret of her relationship with Daniel to her mother because she wanted her to be happy. How she had justified that it was fair to take away an entire realm's happiness for the sake of making Snow pay was terrible.
She needed to talk to her. Tell her how truly sorry she was for having constantly made her life a living hell.
And Charming, too.
"I'm really sorry about what I did to your parents, Emma. And to you. If I had the power to take it all back, give you those missing years back, I would."
"I know you would. Just like when you gave me and Henry good memories after giving up the thing you loved most to save us from Pan's curse. Even though it pained you to let us go and know that we would not remember who you were, you still did it anyway. And now I know that Henry wasn't the only thing you loved most that you had to give up that day."
"I had to give up two things."
"And why did you do that?"
Regina smiled. "Because I love both you and Henry very much."
"And I do, too."
They took a step back from each other and held hands as they began to walk through the woods. Regina came to a sudden realization.
Liar.
She couldn't help herself. She fell back into character of the mayor the blonde thought she had known so well.
"You didn't come here to clear your mind, Miss Swan."
Emma laughed. "No. I, um, came here to find you. I just had a feeling that you'd be here."
"Kind of like magic?"
"Yeah. But maybe it's in my blood, too. You know I will always find you, Regina."
"How very charming of you."
They glanced at each other, a grin on both of their faces. After a few moments of silence, she let herself repeat the very words that used to bring her such anger.
"I will always find you, too, Emma."
The blonde responded by giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
The Underworld.
Of all the places they would admit their love for one another.
What a story to tell.
How were they going to tell…?
Wait.
A story…
Regina stopped. "Henry…"
Emma looked at her in understanding. "Henry. He'll know."
"That book… It was always troublesome, wasn't it?"
They made their way to the loft.
The Evil Queen and the Savior had finally found their happy endings.
It had always been each other.
Henry smiled.
"I knew it."
He ran down the stairs and took a seat at the kitchen table. A few minutes later, the door opened to reveal the two people he wanted to see. His mothers.
"So… I was wondering when you two would finally admit your love for each other." He turned around to face them, holding up the pages containing their story.
Regina frowned. "And he's already finished it."
"So much for the surprise, kid."
Henry stood up from the chair and pulled both of his mothers into a hug. "I love you, Moms."
And at the same time, they both replied.
"We love you, too, Henry."
This is what he had always hoped for. Both of his mothers together.
"Think you have time to read the story?"
"I don't see why not. Hades can wait. This is more important anyway. What do you think, Emma?"
"I agree. Besides, we're giving Hades a little something he despises."
"What's that?"
"Hope."
Regina beamed.
The three of them sat around the table, Regina and Emma holding hands as they read through the pages Henry had put together. Once they finished, his mothers commented on the same parts they had the first time he had completed a story in the Underworld.
"Your writing, Henry… It's great. It really captures the emotions of how we were feeling… And you weren't even there. How did you do that?"
He shrugged. "It kind of just came to me."
"And this illustration…" Regina held up a picture of her and Emma kissing the first time. "It's wonderful, dear."
"Thanks, Moms."
"However, Henry. This is the only intimate moment you get to write about your mother and I."
"Mom!"
"Regina!"
"What? I think it's a perfectly valid request."
Emma took her hand away from Regina's grasp and lightly slapped her shoulder. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Regina. Jeez."
"And you just made it worse now. Way to go, Emma."
Henry shook his head and hurried to change the subject.
"So… Is it true? You two fell in love at first sight?"
Regina and Emma nodded, then looked at each other.
"One simple conversation."
"All thanks to you Henry. If you hadn't brought Emma home that night, I would have never met the love of my life."
Emma smiled. "Hi."
Regina said the question with such ease. "How would you like a glass of the best apple cider you've ever tasted?"
Henry was really glad he had decided to find his birth mother three years ago.
Outside the loft, a flower began to bloom. It was Snow who noticed this later, and she bent down to inspect it briefly before turning back to her husband.
"She must have told her."
Charming looked at the flower and smiled. "And Regina must have felt the same way."
If only this is what had happened last night. *Sighs*
Review? :D