This story assumes that Regina and Emma have a 'complicated,' {secret} relationship.
Warning: Briefly references 2x16, "The Queen is Dead." Perhaps a slight spoiler if you haven't watched previews.
Regina wrings her hands and paces from the kitchen to the dining room. The house is unnaturally quiet, but her thoughts are loud and competing for her attentions.
She needs to finish setting the table, but there are blueberry pastries in the oven, and a roast that still looks undercooked and unappetizing, in spite of her best and most concentrated efforts.
As she worries about the food, she pauses in front of a small mirror and examines her appearance. This is something she does regularly, although it has taken her a long time to realize exactly why she does it.
She used to think that it was last place she would see her hope for happiness – the final flickering spark preserved like a seed in the amber of her eyes.
Now she sees hope in Emma and Henry, although she still feels unworthy of their love. She smiles weakly at her own image, and tries to convince herself that she deserves to be happy.
A knock at the door alerts her to Emma's presence, but her feet remain rooted to the floor. She hears the click of the lock, and experiences a feeling that is close to fear and closer yet to exhilaration. Her breath hitches in her throat as Emma sidles up behind her and begins nuzzling her neck.
"What's wrong?" Emma asks her, in a voice that is soft and consoling. "Are you worried about the party?"
"Of course not," Regina snaps, but she lets her head drop and can only manage a weak reply. "I'm more worried about how you will behave tonight—"
She turns around and sets a critical eye on Emma's wooly, oversized sweater.
To spare herself from a conversation about her vulnerabilities, Regina takes a purposeful step forward and fixes a disparaging smile on Emma.
"What are you wearing?" she scoffs. "I know that your mother is trying to make up for lost time, but you need to stop allowing that woman to dress you—"
"You told me I couldn't borrow any more of your clothes!" Emma argues, but then she smirks at Regina, clearly amused by her criticism.
"That was only after I found a questionable stain on my favorite shirt," Regina insists. She blinks in a way that comes across as condescending. "It's obvious that you can't be trusted with my designer labels. It's a blessing you were never forced to wear a ball gown—"
Emma rolls her eyes and then moves into the dining room, where she takes in the sight of the table. She pokes at the canapés and decorative hors d'oeuvres before settling on the fare that Regina prepared for her son and her immature guests. Emma nibbles on chips, pigs-in-blankets, and tiny finger sandwiches while Regina observes from the doorway.
Regina snorts when Emma dumps mustard on her hideous sweater.
"Fortunately," she purrs, "I assumed you'd make a mess of yourself this evening. I took the liberty of laying out a dress. I don't care if you destroy this one. I planned to rip it off you later—"
"I am not wearing a dress!" Emma complains, but as she registers what Regina has said, she starts to reconsider.
"Trust me," Regina drawls, "It will be much more flattering than the shapeless disaster you're currently wearing."
Emma stomps up the stairs with a brooding frown on her face. She looks like a six year old who has been told to clean up her room before going out to play.
When Emma reappears, Regina lifts her eyes and stares in appreciation. It is at that moment that the guests arrive, and the doorbell startles them both.
Henry rushes into the house, but Charming and Snow pause at the threshold for the sake of formality.
"Sorry we're late," Charming blushes. He adjusts his tie and avoids looking directly at Snow. "Spent the morning playing football—"
"—And dreading this party, no doubt." Rumpelstiltskin chews over his words, enunciating each syllable. "Thank you – so - much for inviting me." He acknowledges Regina with a cheerless smile, and then shows Belle into the house.
Belle nudges Rumpelstiltskin in the side, but cannot muster any greeting of her own. She timidly makes her way into the dining room and sits down in an inconspicuous corner.
Henry hovers near the door, and when Rumpelstiltskin is out of earshot, he glances up at Regina. "Is my Dad here?" he asks, with an excitement that pains her.
"No, Henry," she replies in earnest, "He hasn't arrived yet. Why don't you go and entertain our guests?"
Emma stiffens and grips the rail on the staircase. Her knuckles are white by the time she drags her eyes away from Henry and notices the look on her mother's face.
Snow carries on like someone who has just learned that her baby can walk. "Oh, Emma!" she squeals." Are you wearing a dress? Come here and let me look at you."
"Dress," Emma shrugs. "Restrictive torture device. Whatever you want to call it." She runs her hands down the tailored black dress and peers down at her footwear.
Regina notes that Emma has borrowed a pair of her heels. She takes a deep breath, but before she can comment, Hook strolls into the foyer.
"Am I late?" Hook grins. "Have I missed any of the festivities?" He stops to leer at Emma, and clucks in approval. "Quite the revealing dress you're wearing! Who are you trying to impress?"
"Don't get so excited," Regina hisses back at him. "She isn't trying to impress you. She could wear a burlap sack and still be on the receiving end of your unwanted attentions."
Hook points his finger at Regina as if he is planning to refute her argument. Instead, he merely nods in agreement and laughs.
Ruby and Granny come through the door with plates wrapped in tinfoil, and the dwarves warily follow them inside. Jiminy Cricket, Geppetto, and the Blue Fairy take up the rear.
Neal scuffs his boots against the welcome mat and buries his fists in his pockets. He looks uncertain and world weary. Regina mistrusts him because of how he treats Emma, although his regard for Henry is ostensibly noble.
He scratches the back of his head and stumbles into the house. "Hey," he mutters to Emma. His eyes stray from her face and rove towards the dining room. "Where's the kid?"
Henry runs into the room and grins up at his father. His cheeks are rosy and bright with happiness. "Right here," he announces.
Neal claps his son on the shoulder and follows Henry into the dining room. He evades his father and chooses a seat nearest to the exit.
Emma gapes at Neal and clenches her jaw when Henry decides to sit with him. Charming and Snow fail to pick up on their daughter's emotional distress; they take their seats at the table and try to enliven the mood of the party.
Regina glares at the oblivious idiots and places a gentle hand on Emma's back. "Why don't you help me in the kitchen?" she suggests.
Emma trails after her and watches while Regina removes the pastries from the oven.
"I know that you're upset," Regina frowns. She stands in front of Emma - close enough to feel her steady intake of breath. "Are you going to tell me what you're thinking about?"
"I'm not upset," Emma sulks. Suddenly she is restless and fidgeting, which betrays the falsity of her claim. "It's just hard sharing custody of Henry, especially with him—"
Regina tenses, because part of her wants to snap at Emma and accuse the savior of hypocrisy. She restrains herself, and her eyes soften, wide with unspeakable pain.
"Now I know why you were so threatened by me," Emma admits. Her sincerity is reflected in her face, and in her twisted bottom lip. "I'm sorry I took Henry away from you. It was the wrong thing to do."
Regina gravitates to Emma and rests her hand over the woman's rapidly beating heart. "I forgive you." She exhales the words slowly and meaningfully.
Emma cups her chin and then leans in to kiss her. Regina can feel the flutter of her lover's long lashes, and though their eyes are slipping open and shut, she glimpses the shy devotion in Emma's fleeting glances. Emma looks young and defenseless in those moments, and Regina sheds a tear because she knows this is how Emma looks when she is in love.
As Regina withdraws from Emma, Hook strolls into the kitchen. He makes little effort to hide his shit-eating grin. "Oh, don't let me interrupt you!" he crows. "Keep at it!"
Snow traipses in after him and grabs the counter to keep herself upright. "I thought I'd offer to help out in here," she explains. "What's - going on?"
"I've just figured out why your daughter has been so keen to reject me!" Hook splutters.
"Because you thought your vulgar behavior wasn't reason enough," Regina snidely remarks.
Snow seems determined to stay calm, but agitation quickly overtakes and eradicates her faint but polite smile. She latches on to Emma and pulls her aside. "What was that?" she asks.
Emma scrunches up her nose and frowns. "I don't know," she sighs. "It's confusing? We've kind of been seeing each other…"
Henry pops his head into the room and peers at Regina. "Are we going to eat?" he blinks. "Everyone is waiting."
Regina shoves a tray of food into Hook's good hand, and points him in the direction of the dining room. She gathers up a pan of her lasagna and hurries off to serve her guests.
Snow storms after Regina, with Emma racing to catch up.
"Can I speak to you?" Snow asks. She raises her voice and uses a tone that grates on Regina's nerves. "Outside, maybe?"
Regina stares down her nose at the impudent woman, but then she graciously agrees to step outside. "Let me get my coat."
From inside, the guests can only sit and gawk at the animated conversation that is taking place on the front lawn. Snow barrels after Regina, her hair blowing in the wind.
Rumpelstiltskin lifts his wine glass. "A toast to this momentous family occasion," he snickers. "I didn't need a crystal ball to predict that this would be a catastrophe."
Neal gives his father a reproachful look, but everyone else is staring out the window.
Regina says nothing as Snow flings accusations at her.
Emma tries to intervene, but her mother scurries back into the house and snaps at Charming.
"Get your coat," Snow demands. "We're leaving."
Charming leans over his plate, like an animal guarding his meal. He holds onto his fork as if he wouldn't put it past Snow to wrench the utensil out of his fingers. "What happened?" he sighs.
"Please," Emma begs. Her pleading gets her father's attention, and she addresses her request to him. "Can't we have one day of peace?"
Belle looks around the table and attempts to diffuse the situation with a gladsome smile. "Why don't you all sit down and have something to eat?" she suggests.
Regina wonders what goes on in Belle's head; perhaps her sunny personality is the result of being doped for a solid twenty-eight years, or maybe it represents an innate flaw in her ability to think rationally.
Jiminy Cricket clears his voice and chimes in with some irrelevant tips for conflict resolution. "The key is in finding some common ground," he insists.
"First I'd like to know what the problem is," Charming frowns. "Snow?"
Hook whistles a pirate song as he builds a ship out of his mashed potatoes. He glances away from his masterpiece and locks eyes with Charming. "Turns out that your daughter prefers to dive for pearls. She's a lesbian," he explains. "Your wife is rather unhappy about it."
After he launches his peas at the crocodile he's constructed out of Regina's homemade lasagna, Hook waves his turkey leg at Snow. "You have only yourself to blame," he huffs. "Just look at that haircut!"
"But… this was a side effect of the curse," Snow blinks.
Regina quickly glances sideways, scratching at a nonexistent itch above her lip.
Snow glares at Hook and then whispers something to Charming, who promptly chokes on his dinner.
Ruby overhears the secret and spits out a mouthful of wine. "Regina and Emma?" she gasps.
"Is it true?" Charming asks Emma. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"Yes," Emma whispers. She looks apologetic, anxious and eager to mend her oversight. "We were going to tell you – all of you."
"Though frankly it's none of your business," Regina informs Charming. Her menacing stance appears to be making everyone uneasy, but she refuses to relent.
"Emma," Charming sighs. "I don't care who you're interested in dating – but this is Regina we're talking about—"
"Yes," Regina agrees. "You are talking about her. Right in front of her face, I might add."
Regina narrows her eyes at Charming, but Emma launches into a speech in defense of her character, and she doubts that anyone has heard her.
"She's changed!" Emma insists. "She chose to be on our side when she could have killed us all!"
"Emma," Snow cries. "We know that! We just don't approve of this –"
Regina wears a soured expression, and a thrill of panic courses through her. She senses movement around her, but she is struck numb with the fear of losing Emma.
Blindsided by tears, she can only take a tottering step away from Snow White. When her vision clears, she is shocked to see Henry standing in front of her.
"They love each other," Henry argues. "Can't you see that?" He tips his head to the side, because he believes that this is a compelling point, irrefutable by anyone who treasures the sanctity of true love. His grandparents are the very storybook characters who invented this cliché, and he expects them to understand.
What he does not realize is that Snow and Charming are always going to be an obstacle; they are the reason she and Emma cannot be together, but on some greater scale, they are also the iconic reason that any two women must fight to be together.
A princess belongs with a prince. Evil Queens never get their happy endings.
This is not the lesson that Regina wants to teach her son.
"Henry!" She hears her voice break when she says his name. She wants to save him from this futile dispute, but he smiles up at her with a self-assurance that makes her feel proud.
"I've known about it for a while," Henry shrugs. "I figured it out, because you're always helping each other 'rest'..."
Regina is briefly confused, but Emma blushes and sheepishly glances her way.
Snow stares at the wall, but to Regina's surprise, her icy look begins to change. Her eyes skip between Emma and Regina, and she lets out a quiet, strangled cry.
Regina lowers her head until she is able to rein in her emotions. "I – am – sorry," she rasps, finding a genuine note of compassion in her apology. "I am sorry that I tried to destroy your happiness. Please don't take mine away."
"Your daughter," she continues, "is my true love. I've known that for some time now—"
Regina remembers having the epiphany when she and Cora were discovered with Rumpelstiltskin's dagger.
Her mother presented the blade to her as a gift. "This is your chance to take what belongs to you!" she told Regina. "Command the Dark One to kill them all."
Emma stood in the crowd of frightened onlookers. Her blue eyes were cool with distrust.
"No," Regina wavered. "Mother, I can't!"
"Then I must be strong for the both of us," Cora mused. She thrust her fist into her daughter's chest and ripped out her heart.
Cora squeezed the glowing organ until Regina fell to her knees.
Her heart pulsed in her mother's warm grasp, and when Regina began to writhe in pain, Cora crushed the crystalline protections surrounding the heart.
With a gleeful laugh, Cora wrenched the Dark One's dagger out of Regina's tight grip. "Don't worry," she assured her. "I'll give you back your heart, just as soon as I'm finished with it..."
Emma lunged at Cora and tackled the old woman to the ground. Cora toppled into the dirt, but not before she relinquished the items she held.
Given the choice between the dagger and the vulnerable heart, Emma threw out her hands and caught Regina's heart...
"I love you," Emma smiles through tears of joy. It is not the first time that either of them has made this declaration of love, but they avoid speaking these words to each other in the light of day. They prefer to whisper in the darkness, because it feels safer.
Emma boldly moves in for a kiss, and Regina is loath to deny her.
"I didn't know we were here for dinner and a show," Granny mutters to Ruby, but her eyes have a merry twinkle in them.
Hook shifts in seat, entranced by what is unfolding before him. "Oh, yes," he groans.
Charming glares at the pirate and cuffs the lout on the shoulder.
"What?" Hook blusters. "I enjoy watching! …. – these tender little moments," he hastily adds. He rises from his place at the table and saunters over to Regina.
As he drapes an arm around her, Regina sneers at his intact hand. "How would you like to have a second hook?" she asks through gritted teeth.
"About as much as I'd like to have Mr. Smee for a bunkmate," Hook admits. "Speaking of Smee, has anybody seen him around?"
Rumpelstiltskin licks his lower lip and arranges his fingers into a steeple.
Neal takes notice of his father's smug smile. "I recognize that look," he frowns. "What did you do?"
"Let's just say that Cinderella will have a new friend to replace the dearly departed Gus," Rumpelstiltskin snickers.
"Rumpel!" Belle gasps, although she is the only one present with distorted perceptions about the success of the imp's rehabilitation process. No one else seems surprised.
As the dinner party dissolves into chaos, Snow draws Emma aside. "Is this really what you want?" she asks.
Emma nods and wipes her nose on the sleeve of her expensive dress. Snow embraces her daughter and then strides over to Regina.
"You were my step-mother," Snow reminds her. "You are Henry's adoptive parent. We are already bound together by those circumstances—"
"But if I ever become your mother-in-law," Snow continues, "I am going to give you hell. And what's more? You're going to put up with it—"
Regina supposes it could be worse; perhaps every 'happily ever after' comes with certain compromises, and this is one that she is willing to make.