New Year's and Apple Trees
Author: KJ
Fandom: Once Upon A Time
Pairing: Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Genre: Frenemy Fic
Rating: G
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or anything connected to them. They belong to ABC/Disney etc (as written for OUAT). Just borrowing them for a bit.
Summary: Regina rings in the New Year in an unexpected way and with an unexpected companion.
Authors Note: I had no intention of coming out of retirement from fanfic writing, but this idea popped into my head and here it is. Not beta'd so mistakes are all mine (and Word spell-check) and hopefully the characters aren't too far off base. Have no idea where the idea for Emma's costume came from, but a picture popped into my head and it stuck.
Also, I've never been one that thought about trees one way or another, until I went to this park in England. I really can't remember where it was but I came across this tree and it was the weirdest thing. The bark was gone, leaving the trunk smooth and it looked like different colors swirled through the tree. I was totally fascinated and, as silly as it seems, had an extremely soothing effect just by laying a hand on it. It was an odd experience and what I was thinking of when I wrote this.
New Year's Eve. The one night of the year that should have generated some feeling of anticipation in Storybrooke's rigid Mayor and usually did. For the past several years, she held a New Year's Eve fundraising party in her home for the citizens of Storybrooke. Admittedly, it was a bit out of character for the remarkably unsociable Mayor, but for a few hours, the townspeople forgot they were afraid of her and, though very few believed she had it in her, it allowed her to raise money for a cause she truly believed in. Last but not least, it was the one night of the year Henry remembered he was her son, at least up until she finally agreed to let him stay up past midnight. It had been his idea to make this year's party a masquerade and while she suspected he had his reasons for the request, she'd been unable to deny him.
Once the guests had arrived, it hadn't taken long before Regina was almost painfully restless and simply not in the mood to mingle. Despite being less than an hour before midnight, she felt an overpowering need to escape. She glanced once at Henry who was obviously trying to stifle a yawn as he sat on the couch talking to Granny. It hasn't really surprised her that once the guests arrived, the only time he spent beside her was to ask if Emma had arrived.
Knowing that her son, and the other guests for that matter, wouldn't notice her absence, Regina pulled on her coat and slipped out the back, heading directly to the one place in Storybrooke that gave her peace. The one place that allowed her to lower her defenses for a few precious minutes.
She carefully walked down the snow-covered path to the magnificent apple tree and placed her hand against the trunk. She closed her eyes and let the tree work it's special 'magic' as it's peculiar energy served to settle the nerves that nearly overwhelmed her any time she was surrounded by a large group of people who would cheerfully tear her apart if they knew the truth.
Almost instinctively, Regina's thoughts turned to the person who would most likely be the one to lead the predictable angry mob against her. She'd never admit it, even under the worst torture imaginable, but she actually respected Emma Swan. The sheriff was not afraid to stand up to her and had no problem telling Regina just what she thought of her and while it infuriated the Mayor, their battles often made her feel alive in a way she hadn't in so very long. If she didn't fear the woman was going to take Henry from her, Regina thought she might actually like the sheriff.
Regina couldn't deny that Emma Swan was a strong, formidable woman. For one so relatively young, she'd endured years of neglect and unhappiness, (Regina refused to dwell on the fact that she was to blame for that) yet came out of it unbroken. Certainly, the blonde had built some sturdy walls of her own to protect herself, but unlike Regina's internal fortress, her walls weren't entirely impenetrable. Emma still cared about people, whether she liked it or not, Regina thought with a smirk, and as much as it pained the Mayor to admit, she had no doubt Emma truly loved Henry.
Love, Regina snorted derisively. If her mother had ever taught her anything useful it was that love was a weakness, a fact that she'd been forced to learn over and over again, no matter what world she lived in.
She had given her love completely to Daniel, the man who shouldn't have loved her but did and his death destroyed her heart. Her mother, the woman who was supposed to love her but didn't, spent years reminding Regina what a disappointment she was by using her words, her magic and even her fists. When that wasn't enough, she killed Regina's true love to teach her a lesson. Snow White, the little girl Regina had saved and came to love, betrayed her in the worst way imaginable and even if her actions were unintended, finding out the little girl was to blame for her love's death, extinguished what little light remained in her. If destroying her life in one world wasn't enough, Snow aka Mary Margaret, had been the one to give Henry the book that had resulted in the last remaining person who loved her turning away from her in near hatred and now her daughter threatened to finish the job.
Regina blinked away the tears that threatened as she remembered how it used to be with her son, and how it was now. Every time he pushed her away and ran to the Swan woman, it hurt her down to her soul. She felt the darkness taking more and more of her with every rejection and for the first time in her life, there was nothing she could do to prevent it. If she lost Henry, she would gladly welcome it.
Then there was Sherriff Graham. Regina felt a shaky smile cross her lips as she thought of him. It seemed that in whatever life he lived, Graham was destined to be an inherently a good man. True, in her other life she had taken his heart after he betrayed her, but after so long in Storybrooke, she'd almost forgotten he was, for all intents and purposes, her puppet. After they became lovers, she found herself feeling far more for him than she wanted. It wasn't the love she had felt for Daniel, but it could have been, given time. For the first time in so long he had made her feel something other than a dark rage and thirst for revenge. Some nights when they were together, they didn't make love. He simply held her as she tried to climb out from under the pressures that threatened to suffocate her and the emptiness that threatened to consume her.
And for a while, she was almost content. She had Henry and she had Graham and finally believed she might be close to the happiness she'd sacrificed so much for, but then Henry got the book of Fairytales and Emma Swan came to town.
The night she found Graham alone with the Swam woman in the cemetery, was the night she finally surrendered. The rage that was never far from the surface on a normal day, exploded and all she saw was just one more betrayal. So, as she had learned at her mother's hand, if someone betrays you, they have to pay for it. She had warned him. Of everything that he had remembered, why the hell hadn't he remembered that? Even as she lost her well-maintained composure and struck the infuriating woman and even as she killed the gentle Huntsman, what little remained of her soul screamed in agony. Tears fell even as she crushed Graham's heart into dust, knowing there would be no redemption for her, even if she wanted it, for that act alone. At that moment, the darkness inside of her won. It would always win.
Regina shook off the maudlin thoughts. She didn't come outside for that. She had done what she had to do. She always had and she wasn't going to apologize for it. She took care of and protected herself the only way she knew how and to hell with anyone, especially Emma Swan and her would be mother, who decided to judge her for it.
Stroking the trunk of the tree once, she felt her emotions calm once more. Even in it's winter dormancy, this tree still managed to comfort her.
Giving the tree a final grateful pat, she walked to a nearby bench and sat down, not ready to go back to the party. She had to admit it was a nice change of pace to have the house full of people actually enjoying themselves. And she had to admit that Henry's idea, whatever his reasons, was a hit. The guests seemed to be more open and relaxed at tonight's party, unlike the previous years. It made her remember what things had been like before Daniel. Before evil. Even if she had very little dealings with the majority of the guests, and immensely disliked three of them in particular, they made Henry happy and that made her happy, regardless of what her son thought.
She did find it perversely amusing that the guests had inevitably arrived at the costume party dressed as the 'fairytale' characters they secretly were and none of them thought it was even remotely strange. And it didn't take a genius to realize that was actually Henry's plan. Her amusement was short lived as she thought about Mary Margaret Blanchard and David Nolan. When the new couple had showed up at her door dressed like Snow White and Prince Charming, Regina had nearly collapsed from the remembered pain and had she been carrying anything remotely sharp, Mary Margaret would no longer be a problem. Unfortunately, Henry had been irrationally happy to see the couple dressed as they were and she could do nothing but let them in.
That's when she noticed their companion. This was the first year Emma Swan was in town for the event. Regina really hadn't been expecting the woman to show up, but she had and despite herself, Regina had to fight off a sincere laugh as the new Sheriff appeared, dressed like a giant crayon. Henry had been blatantly disappointed, stating she should have been dressed as a knight, but Emma just laughed and ruffled his hair, replying that it was hard to drive a small car wearing a suit of armor. Not that her foam suit and pointed hat would be any better, but Regina didn't bother to point that out.
After that, Regina had stayed away from the woman who'd become a raging thorn in her side, deciding she was not going to entertain the masses by being drawn into yet another verbal sparring match with the infuriating newcomer even if the party was a bit duller because of it.
Checking her watch, she was surprised to realize she'd been sitting alone in her orchard for nearly thirty minutes and it was almost midnight. She briefly considered going inside, but realized she had no desire to pretend to delight in the ringing of yet another new year in Storybrooke while watching happy couples, namely Snow and Charming, kiss and families share the happiness she'd been unable to make for herself.
"Well now, don't tell me our beloved Mayor Mills has been driven out of her own home?"
Regina tensed as she heard the smooth, lightly accented voice and looked up to see the insufferable Mr. Gold watching her with his perpetual smirk that almost begged to be slapped off his face.
"If I desired your company, Mr. Gold," she said smoothly, "I certainly would have asked for it."
Gold simply grinned wider, which had Regina gritting her teeth and longing for her magic. "I'll try not to take that personally," he replied.
"Take it however you want, just go away," Regina snapped, deciding politeness would be wasted on the vile man.
Gold considered the Mayor for a long moment. He wasn't done playing with this woman, not by a long shot, but he'd learned long ago to pick his battles, and it seemed Madame Mayor wasn't going to be much sport this evening.
"Very well…Your Majesty," he grinned when she clenched her teeth at the title, "I was on my way in to your delightful soiree, and a little voice told me you'd be out here. I thought it would only be polite to pay my respects."
Regina ignored his blatantly false attempt at manners and studied the man who was, as always, wearing an expensive dark suit. "Apparently you overlooked the part of the invitation that indicated this was a costume party," she sneered. "Unless you decided to attend the party disguised as a gentleman."
Gold shrugged, not bothered by the surprisingly weak insult. "Judging by your own lack of costume, I'm guessing you are as tired of wearing masks as I am."
Regina was surprised by the rare serious tone in the man's voice, but she knew better than anyone not to drop her guard. "Perhaps," she replied vaguely.
"Things are all coming to a head you know. It won't be long now," Gold said ambiguously, the smirk gone from his face.
"I know," Regina said, looking at her tree, her voice giving nothing away. "I'm ready."
Gold nodded. "Happy New Year, Madame Mayor," he said before heading to the house.
Regina closed her eyes and took a deep breath trying to recover some of the peace she had achieved before Gold turned up. The man was even more irritating than Emma Swan, though she was hard pressed to figure out who was the bigger threat.
God, sometimes she wished the curse would be broken already and her punishment handed out. She expected that the second the disgustingly kind people of Storybrooke regained their memories, her head would be on a platter somewhere. Probably in Snow White's castle, she thought with a snort. Quite frankly, she no longer cared. She was tired of the façade, tired of trying to control what wouldn't be controlled. Tired of trying to force a happy ending that simply wasn't meant for her. She was just tired. She supposed guilt for her past actions should be wearing her down, but she simply didn't feel it. Was she happy she did it? No. Very little made her happy since Daniel had died. However, there was simply no point in feeling guilty about what was already done and she knew very well if she had to do it all again, she'd do the same thing, so why offer false apologies that no one would believe anyway?
If her father's final breath and sad look of pity and forgiveness followed her into sleep every night, if the realization that she was cruelly keeping Jefferson separated from his daughter for no reason except leverage, crossed her mind whenever she saw him, if Graham's honest blue eyes and soothing touch, ruthlessly haunted her during the day, it didn't matter. If the people of Storybrooke, who couldn't remember who they were much less who she was, still stepped aside when they saw her coming, it simply didn't matter. If Emma Swan looked like a kicked puppy after every harsh insult Regina through at her and if every 'evil' thing she did left her feeling even more empty than before, that didn't matter either. She was very, very good at compartmentalizing and emotions were something she'd learned very early on to see as inefficient and dangerous. As long as she still had Henry, even if he would rather be with the woman who had given him up, her position as Mayor and her beautiful tree, Regina was…if not happy, then relatively satisfied and that's more than many people had, she supposed.
Closing her eyes once more, she forced herself to forget everything and listen only to the muffled sounds of the partygoers and the chirping crickets. She just wanted to relax and let her guard down. Just for a few minutes. Suddenly an image of Archie's Hopper's face on one of the chirping crickets crossed her mind and she couldn't help but laugh softly.
"Wow, I can't believe it. Mayor Mills can actually laugh," a familiar and most assuredly unwanted voice broke into Regina's thoughts and her eyes flew open.
"Sheriff Swan," Regina greeted stiffly, wondering why two of the people she least wanted to see, were invariably the two people who always bothered to seek her out.
"You were looking pretty happy there for a minute," Emma said pleasantly as she sat down next to the suddenly disgruntled Mayor. "You must have come up with a new plan to run me out of town."
Regina snorted. "You flatter yourself dear," she replied glibly. "I was actually listening to the crickets and picturing Dr. Hopper sitting out there somewhere rubbing his legs together." Regina blinked, startled by her own honesty and waited for Emma's offended defense of the psychiatrist. To her amazement, a soft chuckle was the reply she received.
"That is an image I'd rather not have had thank you," Emma agreed pleasantly. "So, you realize it's about fifteen minutes until midnight? Any reason you're sitting out here all by your lonesome?"
Regina glanced at Emma, her lips twitching as she fought not to laugh at the blonde's ridiculous crayon costume. "I would assume that the town's sheriff should be able to deduce that I'm 'by my lonesome', as you put it, because I wished to be."
Instead of reacting to Regina's sarcasm, Emma simply grinned. "Touché," she replied, but made no attempt to leave. Irritating Regina Mills had become something of a hobby for Emma and it was a lot healthier and a lot more fun than some of her previous pastimes.
Regina sighed as she realized her companion wasn't going anywhere, though she couldn't say she was entirely unhappy about it. The blonde aggravated her beyond reason, but more often than not, she found herself looking forward to their spirited exchanges. And for some bizarre and inexplicable reason, she presently found herself comforted by the woman's presence.
"I'm surprised you came," Regina stated and then frowned. "Oh wait. Let me guess, Henry talked you into it." She thought she did pretty well at hiding the hurt that always accompanied the realization of how attached her son had become to Emma.
"Actually it was Mary Margaret who convinced me to come," Emma admitted quietly. She had heard the sad resignation in the Mayor's voice, and as always, she felt a guilty pang knowing how much Henry was hurting his mother. "She told me it was an annual fund raiser for the town's animal shelter."
Regina laughed softly. "Don't sound so surprised dear. I happen to have a soft spot for animals."
Emma fought the urge to comment that she didn't know Regina had any soft spots at all, but the contentious Mayor was surprisingly agreeable and she had no desire to ruin that. Yet. "It's a good thing you're doing. Though I will say I wouldn't have guessed costume parties were your thing."
"That idea was all Henry's," Regina replied drily.
Emma was silent for a moment as she studied Regina who was staring at that damned apple tree as if it held the answer to every question in the universe. Her own gaze took in the lingering damage from her angry chain saw attack and felt a twinge of guilt for harming something so beautiful.
"Can I ask you a question?" .she finally asked.
"Would you listen if I said no?" Regina replied drolly.
"Nope," Emma grinned shamelessly. "What's the deal with that tree?"
Regina turned her eyes toward her unwanted companion, tensing as she braced herself for the insults or snide comments. "I beg your pardon?" She would not be mocked, especially by this woman.
Emma held up a hand. "De-twist your knickers Madame Mayor," she said, laughing at the Mayor's resulting scowl. "I didn't mean anything. I'm just curious as to what's so special about this tree that it drew you away from a party you're supposed to be hosting and has you staring at it as if it's your only friend in the world."
"First of all Ms. Swan, the state of my…knickers…really isn't your concern," she said primly, unsurprised by the blonde's responding smirk. "Secondly, I'm not sure I can answer your question." Regina paused as she tried to formulate a response that would satisfy the nosey woman.
"You can try," Emma prodded, not sure where this overwhelming curiosity about the infamous apple tree came from.
Regina sighed. At any other time, she'd tell the sheriff to mind her own business, but for some reason, at this moment, she couldn't bring herself to do it. "The short explanation I suppose is that this tree…I draw strength from it. And no, despite what Henry may tell you, not magical strength," she smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "This tree has always been there for me. When I was alone or things got to be too much, it was strong. No matter what nature or... anything else," she paused, thinking about the damage her mother had often inflicted on it simply to teach young Regina a lesson, "well, this tree has survived a lot and season after season it continues to thrive. It has never let me down and that comforts me. It never judges me and…well, that's what the deal is with the tree," she finished, feeling mildly embarrassed by revealing so much weakness and to Emma Swan of all people.
"I think I understand," Emma replied, surprised to find that she really did. "Though you know," she added in a mock whisper, "rumor has it that people can do the same thing."
Regina chuckled. "They can, but I've found they rarely do." She paused as she just realized what she'd done. "Well Sheriff Swan, it looks like I've given you what amounts to my 'Achilles Heel," she said, angry with herself and wondering what the hell had come over her.
Emma shook her head and met surprisingly expressive brown eyes. "No Regina. I won't go after your tree again," she promised sincerely and then grinned. "Trust me; there are a lot better and more entertaining ways to irritate you."
Regina rolled her eyes, but felt herself smiling. For some reason she found herself believing her nemesis. "I'm sure you've been making a list," she commented with amusement. She decided she was growing uncomfortable with the turn of conversation so she let her eyes roam casually over Emma's outfit.
"That's quite an interesting costume," she said, once more smirking at seeing a grown woman looking as if she'd just fallen out of a mutated Crayola box.
Emma once again felt her heart ache at the loneliness in Regina's voice when she talked about her tree. She was willing to bet what little she owned that the Mayor had no idea she wasn't hiding her emotions as well as she thought she was, but she let it pass for now.
"I'll just assume that was supposed to be a compliment, so thank you," she quipped wanting to see another sincere smile on the perpetually grumpy face. She felt her heart lighten when she achieved her objective. "Imagine my non-surprise when Mary Margaret told me that the people she talked to were coming as their favorite fairy tale character. For some reason I felt the need to be different."
Regina couldn't help but laugh. "Why am I not surprised?"
Emma offered a sheepish smile and shrugged. "I have no idea. I'm normally so agreeable."
"Right and I'm Glenda the Good Witch," Regina replied, smiling at the amused snort coming from the woman next to her. She hated the fact that she was actually enjoying herself, almost as much as when they were fighting.
"So," Emma said after a long pause, hoping she wasn't about to poke a sleeping rattlesnake. "Is everything alright? I mean, don't take this the wrong way, but you're being less bitchy than usual." Well that's not what I planned to say, Emma cursed her mouth and waited for the shoe to drop. To her amazement, Regina just lifted an eyebrow as her lips quirked.
"Well goodness Sheriff, how could I possibly take that the wrong way?" She answered sarcastically, but there was no anger in her voice.
Emma felt her face heat at her incredible lack of tact. "I'm sorry, that didn't come out right."
"It's quite alright," Regina said negligently. "And I'm fine. I just needed some fresh air."
"Uh huh," Emma said doubtfully. "Right before midnight? Wouldn't you rather be with other people when the New Year rolls in?"
"Not really," Regina said truthfully.
"Why?"
"It may have escaped your notice, Sheriff but I'm not much of a people person."
Emma laughed outright at that. Damn, but when she wasn't a raving bitch, Regina Mills was a likeable woman. "What about Henry?" she broached carefully, surprised that the overprotective woman wasn't latched on to her son for the first kiss of the New Year.
Regina stiffened. "Surprisingly enough, he wasn't really interested in being around me," she answered, the frostiness back in her voice.
"Why are you out here, Sheriff?" she asked abruptly. She would have expected the blonde to be entertaining her son, making sure he was able to stay up until midnight or dancing with Mary Margaret and David.
"I'm not much of a people person either," Emma admitted, but she wasn't going to let Regina's comment about Henry pass. "Regina, about Henry…"
"I'm surprised he let you out of his sight."
By now, Emma had spent enough time battling with Regina to know that when her voice was totally void of emotion, that was when her emotions were the most volatile. "He actually fell asleep not long after you left."
Regina's face softened in a smile. "That seems about right. We've had this party the last four years and though he tries his hardest, he's never made it past eleven."
Emma couldn't say she was surprised by the tenderness in Regina's voice as she spoke of Henry. No matter what she thought of the Mayor, she never doubted the woman loved her…their son.
"Archie put him to bed. I hope you don't mind."
Regina was surprised. "Dr. Hopper? Not you?"
Emma shook her head. "Nah. I… I didn't think you'd like it and then I decided to come find you."
For the first time she could remember, Regina was speechless. Emma, the woman who seemed destined to take her son from her, came to find her instead of taking the rare opportunity to put Henry to bed. She wasn't sure what to think about that. "I see," she finally managed.
"Well Mayor, it's almost midnight," Emma said checking her watch. "Looks like you're stuck ringing the New Year in with me," she teased.
"Oh goodie," Regina retorted, but without malice. "You realize they say that whoever you're with at midnight on New Years, is who you'll spend the rest of the year with?"
"Oh dear God no," Emma whispered in mock horror. Just then, they heard voices from the house counting down.
"…6…5…4…3…2…1...Happy New Year!"
As the strains of Auld Lang Sine began to play, Emma bent over and placed a quick kiss on Regina's cheek. "Happy New Year Madame Mayor."
Regina's hand flew up to her cheek, torn between shock at the kiss, instinctive outrage at the woman's presumption, and an unfamiliar flutter in her belly that if she wasn't mistaken, was gratitude. "Happy New Year Sheriff Swan," she finally replied.
Emma got to her feet. "I think I'll get going. I need to be out watching for any drunk driver's or parties getting out of hand and stuff," she said lamely, knowing that there'd be none of that in this odd little town. The truth was, she wanted to leave before whatever had come over Regina fled and the woman started yelling at her again. She wanted one moment to hold on to, just to remind her that Mayor Regina Mills wasn't entirely made of ice.
"You may want to consider a change of outfit," Regina teased, getting to her feet. As the blonde started back to the house, she felt she needed to be honest about one thing at least. "Sheriff," she called.
Emma turned back to the Mayor and braced herself for an ass chewing for daring to kiss her Mayorness.
"Yes?"
"This time…tonight…you realize it doesn't change anything," she said bluntly, though her voice was kind.
Emma smiled, fully understanding that Regina was warning her that come the morning, they would continue on with the insults and the fighting and reluctant cooperation only when needed. And Emma knew that as much as she liked having an insult free conversation with the Mayor, she truly enjoyed the battle of wills they constantly engaged in. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
She grinned, waved and turned back to the house, accompanied by the memory of the warm smile on the brunette's face following her inside.