Breaking Pan's Curse
by ReginaIsMyMajesty
Disclaimer: OUAT and these characters do not belong to me.
A/N: This was the first OUAT story I wrote. A few months ago, I had just started getting into OUAT after trying the first episode way back when it first came out and failing to "get it" (sacrilege, I know! I blame Rumple...). As such, I had been filling all my free time watching the show and cast clips, reading fanfic, and falling in love with Regina Mills/Lana Parrilla and Swan Queen. This one is based on the end of 3x11 'Going Home'. The emotional scene of them saying goodbye at the town line had this story practically writing itself. (That being said, if this plot has already been done, I apologize. Since I've only been in the fandom for such a short time, I'm not really sure what's already been written.)
Unbeta'd. All mistakes are mine.
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"I have to say goodbye to the thing I love most…"
The goodbye at the town line was heart wrenching. Regina's promise to give her and Henry good memories of always being together and a chance to continue that life didn't feel like enough. Emma didn't know how it possibly could be without the inclusion of Regina Mills, the woman with a broken past, a fiery temper, and a beautiful smile. Henry's other mother. The woman Emma suspected she had begun to love somewhere along the way. Without her, something would always be missing from their lives, of that Emma was sure.
The blonde looked on as Regina gave their son one last hug, her breaking heart compelling the words from her mouth, determination rising within her to do the impossible even though she didn't know how. "Regina," she whispered, causing the other woman to look up to see green eyes glinting fiercely. "We will find you." Her father's words of promise fell easily from her lips without her even realizing it or the implication it carried with it.
Henry's eyes lit up. "That's it! True Love's Kiss! It could stop the curse!"
Regina's mouth opened to speak but she couldn't find any words. She hated to be the one to extinguish the hope in her son's eyes. "Henry…"
"No, there has to be a way." His eyes darted back and forth between his mothers.
Emma turned to her parents, her mind not allowing her to comprehend what her son was implying. "Mom, Dad, can you do something?" she asked.
"Emma," Regina interrupted. "This curse is…different. Not just any True Love's kiss will break it."
"What do you mean? Like, there are stipulations?! I thought True Love was enough! It's the most powerful magic of all…" She shook her head, unwilling to believe that they were out of options.
Regina closed her eyes in despair. "It is but it isn't, but Pan's curse is piggybacking off of my curse, it's doubly powerful. And Snow and Charming can't break it just like they couldn't break my curse. They're both part of it…"
"Moms!" Henry interrupted. "I didn't mean Grandma and Grandpa. I meant you."
"What?" Regina's eyes grew wide. Emma stayed silent, but darted wide eyes to Henry. Her heart was thumping in her chest harder than it ever had.
"You know what I'm talking about! Don't act like you don't! You have to try!" he pushed.
Regina stared at Emma for a moment. "What about Hook? Or Baelfire?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder at the men.
Hook looked up and pinned the former queen with his stare. He shook his head. "It's not me, love. As much as I wish it was. And I think you both know that."
Neal stepped forward.
"It's not you either, mate. I'm sorry, but we don't have the time to waste."
Neal slumped and stepped back, knowing the pirate spoke the truth.
Killian turned to Emma. "Go on, you know what you need to do."
Emma looked hopefully at Regina, but the brunette still hesitated.
"Mom," Henry moved towards her. "You know this is right." He pulled her forward the last step before going back to stand beside his father.
The women locked gazes once more and a thousand things passed between them without a single word being spoken.
Emma slowly leaned toward Regina and reached out her hands, gently cupping the older woman's face. "Regina…" she breathed and slowly closed the remaining gap between them, giving Regina time to pull away if she wanted.
Their lips touched and, immediately, both felt their magic and their hearts pulse strongly within them. Totally absorbed in their kiss, they didn't see that in addition to the shockwave that usually came from a True Love's Kiss, pure white light had also enveloped them and a beam of it shot straight up into the rumbling green clouds that were almost on top of them. The moment the light touched the curse, it appeared as if it was a living organism, writhing and bucking against the Light of True Love that was driving it back. The light crackled through the clouds like lightning, dissipating the curse as quickly as it had come.
Emma and Regina were loathe to break their connection, placing several more light kisses on each other's lips before parting and opening their eyes, both blinking slowly, attention still riveted on each other.
Regina stared into Emma's eyes in wonder. "I can't believe it's you," she breathed reverently. "All this time I knew what I was feeling, but I was so afraid that it could never be that I didn't give myself a chance to hope."
Emma smiled and brought their lips together in another kiss, whispering just as they touched, "I love you, Regina."
A moment later, Charming couldn't take it anymore and cleared his throat. He was happy that they had thwarted the curse and that his daughter had found True Love, even if it happened to be with the formerly evil Queen (in his opinion, Regina had proved herself changed through her actions in the mine and in Neverland), but Emma was still his little girl and there was only so much a father wanted to witness.
The women broke apart sheepishly and looked around. Snow and Charming were shuffling awkwardly, not looking at the couple directly, but they both had small smiles on their faces. Hook and Neal were standing behind them, side by side, looking more than a little uncomfortable. The rest of the townspeople who had assembled were in varying states of shock and disbelief.
"I knew it!" They turned as one to find Henry grinning broadly. A second later, he was wrapped in their arms, both of them clinging tightly to him.
"Thanks, kid," Emma murmured.
"Can we be a real family now?" he asked in a small voice.
"Oh, sweetheart, of course we can," Regina replied, looking from her son up to his other mother, making sure her answer was okay with the blonde who nodded with tears in her eyes. "There's nothing I would like more."
They broke apart and turned to face everyone else.
"I think this calls for a celebration!" Snow announced.
Everyone started murmuring their agreement and moving back toward town.
Emma looked at Regina and then gestured to Hook and Neal with her eyes. Regina nodded her understanding, wrapping her arm around Henry's shoulders and walking ahead.
The blonde approached Neal first. "Neal..."
"You don't need to say anything, Emma. You can't help how you feel. But I hope that you and Regina will still let me see Henry." His eyes were downcast and Emma felt terrible, knowing that Neal still had feelings for her.
"Of course you can still see Henry! You're his dad. Nothing will change that."
He nodded his thanks and stepped back, leaving Emma standing with Hook.
"Hook, I..."
"It's alright, love. We never promised anything. And anyway, I should have known. I guess I had just hoped…" he trailed off, seemingly pensive. Suddenly he shook himself. "Well, no matter now. Who am I to deny True Love? Especially when it's just saved us all." He looked from Emma to Regina's retreating form and smiled a bit ruefully before turning to Neal, throwing his arm around his shoulders and turning him away from the scene. "Come on, mate. Let's go have a drink. I, for one, desperately need it. Swan, go catch up with your family. We'll meet you in town."
Neal's shoulders were slumped under the weight of Hook's arm, but he trudged along beside the man without a word.
Emma did as Hook said and jogged past them. When she caught up with Regina and Henry, the brunette reached out and slipped her arm around Emma's waist, pulling her close. Emma wrapped her own arm around Regina's shoulders and they paused their steps for a brief moment to bring their lips together in a soft kiss as Henry beamed up at them.
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Later that night, the women were curled together on Regina's couch.
The brunette sniffled. "When I think about how I could have lost you both…"
Emma pressed a kiss to her temple. "Don't. You didn't. It didn't happen. Even if we hadn't found a way to stop the curse, I told you, we would find you."
Regina let out a watery laugh. "Ugh! You're such a *Charming*…" She tried to sound disgusted, but it came out laced with affection.
"You love me," Emma teased with a grin.
The Queen turned her head to look at her Savior, allowing all the love that she felt to show in her eyes. "Yes, I do."
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