The only one that will do
a one shot Au. where Emma left before the curse hits but surprisingly grew up in town before she left around 16 when Henry brings her back Regina can't help but remember the little she saw her before she left and now she can't help but fall in love.
Really hope you like it.
Any infant wouldn't do. This particular one was the child of Snow White and Her damned Prince. They sent her to safety to the other world ahead of the curse. She was the only one to break the curse and now far long gone probably dead when she arrived. All these years I never looked to well I realized since now she stood staring me in the face. I recognized her, missed her even. I remember her when she looked almost sixteen, living in an orphanage, she was a new face to me back then. I watched her close but she seemed normal enough just like everyone else I cursed. Honestly she couldn't or shouldn't have aged if she was an infant all this time. Around the time she was sixteen I never saw her again. I was curious why and now I knew. She escaped having not been touched by the curse. She escaped, had a kid which I coincidently adopted as my own, and now she was back because he went and found her. If I was the same me I would have had her running scared for the hills, dead, or planted bowing at my feet.
I'm not the same though my son changed me and for him I did what I could left her be. I don't see the same little child a bit of a rebel I suppose now but she must have been that all those years ago to have left town. I didn't know her, I didn't even know her name, but now I do. Emma swan. One day I go into the orphanage and ask around about Emma. A small infant when she was found she grew there no home, no friends not one, then one day she ranted about nothing ever changing how it felt like all she ever did was grow live here doing nothing. When she left she fled and no one knew where she could have gone, no one knew how to help so no one followed when she just left. I feel my heart clench a little.
Inside I beg myself to ask just something anything just to learn more about her. I don't see why it's so important to me. No no I don't know why she is become so important to me. Having now caved I ask her like it's the weirdest thing to ask.
"So you uh grew up here?" She waiting in my study on my couch I'm not sure how this happened but my throat is dry even as I sip on a cold drink much like the one I have given her. The way she says yes makes me swallow thickly. It's like honey or warm milk. "What happened when you left? Not many decide to leave." She laughs and it numbs my pain, all the pain in all my years. Why had I never heard her laugh before? I probably would have found peace sooner though maybe a little different. I confess to myself she beautiful. "What's so funny?"
"Oh nothing just that as far as I know nobody ever left town I was the first. I grew up here but nobody ever change they all wanted to stay here I don't know why. I wanted different and new, as for what happened when I left I had a dose of reality and I never found my way back."
"Until Henry found you." I state because I know how effective he is.
"Yes, until he brought me home with him. I am sorry if you hate me for this.. I actually just wanted to see him safe. He may have made his way to me just fine but the world is dangerous out there and I didn't want him to experience it or have learn how so by letting him be." My head drops I understand my first impression was not nice, I didn't know she was from here I didn't know she was that girl, and I didn't know she could hold my heart so easily. She doesn't know it I figure but she does hold it so gently much like our son. I say my son to her in fact I'm a little harsh at times with her but I just can't have her knowing how I feel and use it against me.
"So you're staying again?" I ask maybe a little to hopeful for my taste. "For Henry ?" Her eyes sparkle a little. Those emerald deep green eyes shimmer at thoughts of him and I melt.
"Yes for Henry but not just I him I think." My eyes widen not expecting that.
"What do you mean?" My heart skips a beat even though I know it can't be about me.
"Someone..." She pauses her eyes spark with fire this time before I can see her push it back down. She's stares at me and then down to her glass changing her sentence but I know or at least I hope I saw that right. "A few things I suppose. I never thought about it as a kid but I think if I look into hospital reports I can find someone who visited for prenatal care and find my parents." Resisting the urge to roll my eyes at the thought that that would be possible I nod and suggest she and I could work together since I have access to anything and she being sherif can do the questioning. It seems simple enough but I know it's not since there is nothing to be found. By the time she leaves we've greatly bonded she's closer to me no than she was when she first arrived tonight emotionally and physically. Her shoulders bump mine as I walk her to the door. Henry long ago tucked in after our little dinner.
"I do hope we can do this again." I haven't said miss swan nor Emma I'm just not sure I can handle the feeling it would give me.
"Me too." She soft giving me a half hug and stepping away to leave. Till she turns back around with a questioning face. "You know it's weird but before I left my memory has been so wonked up. I remember you seems like for my whole life but I mainly only remember you being mayor, maybe the substitute, or an assistant. It funny sometimes it's get so blurry from back then and now make Henry's story about this curse sound actually believable." Oh is all I think. I give her my best smile but even starting as a fake smile the longer I look at her the more it turns real.
"I wonder if that was true would you really want to stand here with me?" She just smiles and takes my hand.
"I would because I think everyone has something they just need to get away from. I know I did. That's why I was a good runner after here, I learned to run. When I found someone I trusted I started thinking I could stay still but i was betrayed. I lost the one thing I loved most, Henry.." She steps up to me and holds my hands firm. "I kept running but I think I can stay still this time. I am just glad to see that he knows he had a mom who loved him no matter what. Beside he didn't get it bad here with you. You're not evil maybe a queen maybe you fled once and did some bad when you did but you're not evil." I can't take it I choke up a little and squeeze her hand with thanks and love. Oh dear I do believe I love again. She must see that as she catches a tear. Because now she leans in and kisses my lips softly.
I gasp but press in firmer and let my lips flutter together with hers. I whisper a thank you between kisses and pull back long enough to see the raw unasked question. I nod yes I close my eyes expecting her to leave but I feel her cup my face and pull me in. It catches me by surprise. I love it anyways so I pull her closer and lean against my door frame for a moment just kissing her. I felt the curse break but I can't bother to care with her choosing to be in my arms. Pulling away for a moment I ask through breaths.
"Why would you stay knowing the truth?"
"Because I asked you and you said the truth because I know how good Henry is at changing people he cares about and he cares for you. I care for you so please just let me be here with you the rest can come later." I nod and drag inside and lock the doors from intruders in the night. Making it to my room only to devour her and she I in hot wet kisses until we lay down for bed ready to face tomorrow together.
When they ask what she did to break the curse she takes my hand and pulls me into a kiss and everyone stand in aw. She stands in front of me to defend me and tells everyone, I'm sure even Henry can hear, that I'm not the same everyone need someone to change their life and that person for both of us is Henry. Our son. She sends everyone away just to kneel down to Henry and explain she doesn't want to hear him call me evil because he made me good again no matter what I did. I sigh because I like believing that as well.
The town doesn't know it but Emma save me everyday just as much as Henry does. Every lunch we share in public she bring the best in me out. She's done so so often I begin to fix things I'd done in my dark days. In turn she protect me and I her and together we protect Henry. Not long after this new turn in our lives red invites me out with her, Katherine, and to my surprise when Emma and I show up snow. She gives me a mothering glare and plays nice the rest of the can be more forgiving than I ever was but for Emma we make it work.
The more time we all spend drinking together the happier we all get the less barriers stay up the more we admit the feud has gone on long enough. I have had Emma at my side for so short of time but already longer than I really had anyone expect our son. She seems to be the only one I truly can love but for me she's the only one that will do.