The Storm
Chapter 1
Emma Swan had a really long day. After her routine of releasing Leroy from his cell in the morning (the guy could practically move in to the cell since he's there almost every night), she had to go through hell lot of paperwork (one wouldn't say so much's happening in this boring town), then had a call about some vandalism on the other end of Storybrooke. She took her bug for a ride after a long time but that was obviously a mistake 'cause the car broke down just halfway. She had to leave it on the side of the road and walk to her final destination. As she expected, there was no one to be seen, just one broken traffic sign. Emma sighed and took some pics of the 'crime scene' with her cell phone, knowing she won't catch the guys. Not that she really cared. These things happened in Storybrooke maybe once in three months. But still better than doing paperwork. She called towing service to take her car away on her way back but they told her it would be late in the evening or tomorrow. When she finally got home, her legs sore from a long walk, she collapsed onto couch. She'd kill for a cup of hot cocoa but she was too tired to go to Granny's or make it herself. She was falling asleep when the shrilling sound of cell phone startled her.
"Noo..." she groaned, shoving her hand to the pocket of her jeans trying to pull the cell phone from the tight space. Eventually she made it but the phone slipped from her grasp hitting the floor hardly. "Damn!" Emma cursed under her breath when she picked up the phone and frustrated hit the button.
"Emma?" Henry's quiet voice hit her ears.
Oh no, not tonight! Emma thought to herself. She loved the kid, really. He was smart and cute. It was nice to have him around. But this whole 'Operation Cobra' thing was sometimes getting down on her. Of course she liked to play along, getting to know her son better. But still, it was just a game for her. She didn't believe in cursed fairytale characters, stuck in this world. How could she? It was crazy. Sometimes, she tried to use it as to get some information about Regina but no luck on that. That woman really stomped on her nerves every single time they met. They argued probably about everything people can argue about. But mostly it was about their Henry. Regina didn't want to admit he's Emma's son too, she raised him for ten years and Emma had no interest in him, as the Mayer liked to note. Well, that was kind of true but now she's here and Henry himself brought her here so it was obvious he wanted to know her. There's no way of not loving the kid. Even through the fairytale thing. It surprised her he didn't hate her for what she's done to him. She gave him for adoption and then didn't ask about him anymore. Never. It's true she wanted better life for him, so she just hoped he ended up in a good family. But when she met Regina she was pretty confused. It looked like her wish came true. That Henry is taken care of, and very well. But with the personality Regina Mills was, it was hard to understand if she's giving him real love or he's just a toy she needs to occupy herself with for a while. But sometimes, when Regina thought her mask is put on perfectly, Emma could recognize warm, loving looks of a mother who would die for her child. The look that told her Regina is maybe not as evil as everyone thinks she is. That maybe she needs love too.
She pushed these thoughts back and tried to concentrate on the phone.
"Yeah, kid? What's up?"
"My mom, I think she's up to something," he whispered again.
"How do you know that, kid?" Emma almost yawned.
"It's sixth night she's 'hiding' in a den," he said conspirationally. Emma sensed a bit of worry in his voice. He took the curse too seriously. But what you wouldn't do for your kid.
She sighed. "Where are you?"
"The stairs. Surveillance, isn't it?"
"Ok, kid, go back to your room, I'll be right there." She looked at her wrist watch. 8pm. Great.
"Great. I'll unlock the door for you," Henry said seriously.
"Ok, ok, just be careful." She effectively hung up on him and stood up lazily. She took the car keys from the table and then realized she couldn't go by car. So threw them back and slowly started for the door. When she opened it she ran to the Mary Margaret standing there searching for something in her bag.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Em. You going to Granny's?"
"Well, no actually. I'm gonna see Henry." Emma looked down and blushed, suddenly felt shy for not telling Mary Margaret the whole truth. She was going to see Regina or at least find out what Regina is doing, even if she thought it's nothing serious. People just sometimes need to be alone, this time she believed Regina is just trying to rest, to think for a while, alone. As every normal person. That thought somehow tugged at her heart. When she imagined Regina after long day at her Town Hall office, alone in her den in the evening, clearing her head… Probably with that apple cider of hers. Alone. That echoed through Emma's head. The Mayor was pretty complicated woman but this was rather simple.
Mary Margaret knew her roommate a little bit now and she knew it wasn't the whole truth. "Is everything alright? I'm sorry but you look like you went through a stream of acid rain today."
Emma's head snapped up. "Yeah," she said too fast.
"It's about Regina, isn't it?" Mary Margaret reached with her hand to stroke Emma arm sympathetically. "Another fight maybe?" she said curiously, worried for her friend.
"No." Not yet.She decided to spill it. "Henry called for Operation Cobra. He thinks our precious Mayor is up to something so I'm gonna check it out." Her voice much softer then she usually put on when talking about Madame Mayor. She just hoped Mary Margaret didn't notice. Well, she probably didn't or didn't want to dig deeper into that.
"I hope nothing serious. Good luck." Mary Margaret gave her a small smile and stepped past her to the apartment.
"Thanks," Emma breathed when she started down the stairs.
Once outside, cold, chilly air greeted her. But she couldn't breathe anyway. She blamed it to still freezing weather. But somewhere in the back of her head she knew it's not the only reason. There was something she couldn't just figure out. She had some strange, unidentified feeling inside her. Lost in thought, she walked the way to the Mayor's mansion automatically. When she came to the sight of the house, the sky opened and rain started to fall like heavy river from hell. It might be just 200meters to the front door of the mansion but nevertheless, Emma was soaked to bone when she got there. Great.
She noticed some dim light inside. She just stood there for a while and listened, then slowly opened the door and peeked in. She jumped when Henry's face appeared right in front of her.
"God, kid! You scared the hell out of me!" She tried to keep her voice down, gasping for air.
"I had to stay and watch if anything happens." Henry rolled his eyes.
"No change?" Emma asked.
"Nope. So, what we gonna do?" he asked, ready to start the mission.
"We don't do anything. You're going to bed." She didn't like how that sounded. It was really harsh. But she wanted to deal with this alone.
"But...Operation Cobra is on. We should do something, because the Evil Queen is planning on something and we can't let her to hurt anyone." He started in panic.
"Henry, I know. I'll take it from here. I'm gonna stop her. I wouldn't be called The Savior then, would I?" She tried to reassure him with a smile.
Henry looked at her suspiciously. "So you have a plan? Can I help?" He was too eager sometimes.
"Yes I do, kid. I'm gonna talk to her. Remember my superpower? If she lies to me, I'm gonna find out. And if I won't find out what she's up to, then we'll think about something else, ok?" She offered him a serious look.
Henry processed the thought trying to find some holes in it. But apparently they really
couldn't do more now. So he just nodded.
"Ok, now go to bed," Emma said kindly and kissed him on the forehead.
He ran up the stairs and disappeared in his room.
Emma tried to approach the den quietly, which was pretty hard with her completely wet clothes. She stepped to the door but she couldn't hear anything, not even the slightest movement. So she knocked on the door softly, silence answered her. So she opened the door slightly, then a bit wider to slide to the den.
The only light in the room came from the fireplace, which sent waves of warmth through the air. Emma spotted Regina on the sofa, half sitting half lying, wearing the very same dress as that evening when she brought Henry back home to her. As she expected there was glass of cider on the coffee table. Mayor herself breathing steady, her features calm and peaceful. She looked so fragile. Henry was wrong. This person couldn't hurt anyone. This Regina probably wasn't happy with her evil twin controlling the body in the day, but knowing it's necessary she let her, trying to protect her from all the other evil in the world.
In a sudden rush of feelings Emma stepped to the Mayor. As in hypnosis reached for Regina and put a strand of short dark hair behind her ear. The sleeping woman stirred a little. Emma moved her hands to Regina's legs and put it up on the sofa. She looked around for some blanket but couldn't find any. When she looked back at the couch she met the hazy look of Storybrooke's Mayor.
She jumped as far from sofa as it was possible, looking everywhere but not at Mayor. Regina's eyes went wide, when realization came to her as well, trying to stand up and switch on the Mayor mode. She adjusted the dress on her thighs and cleared her throat.
"Miss Swan? Should I call the police for breaking and entering, or would you leave now?" She straightened her back and held her head high.
Emma didn't know what she expected but this wasn't it. She was sure this wasn't the Mayor's first thought. Well, maybe she was wrong.
"Um, well, firstly, I am the police and secondly, Henry called me." Emma hoped this rush of honesty won't backfire at her. For millisecond, Regina looked shocked, but composed herself immediately.
"And why would my son call you, Sheriff?" Regina made sure to emphasize my son. Usually that made Emma's blood boil. But this time nothing like that happened. She knew Henry's not just Regina's or hers. At a moment, she had more important issue to concentrate on. Regina herself. Why? She was confused by her own decision. As if her brain stopped functioning and let the heart to go on. Whoa! A heart? What does my heart has to do with Regina Mills? Emma felt like she was getting crazy. Maybe this is how schizophrenic people feel.
"Well?" Regina demanded.
Emma's head snapped up, she didn't realize she didn't reply.
"Um, erm...He's worried about you, so he called me to check it out." Emma tried, half- honestly.
"I'm perfectly fine, Sheriff, thank you. Now go." Regina glared at Emma, trying to get her out of her house as soon as it gets. How dare she was to come to her house like that?
Emma didn't move. She returned the glare. She wanted to go, but something glued her to the floor, urging her to continue the dialogue.
"No," she said flatly, shoved her hands to the pockets of her jeans. She didn't want to make the Mayor angrier but this was probably the only way to make something out of this situation.
Regina blinked a few times. "Excuse me? Sheriff, I insist you to leave this house. And if you don't..." Regina said slowly stepping closer to Sheriff, digging her index finger to her chest. "I'll kick you out of here myself." She was furious. How could this woman do that to her? Invade her home just like that, with some lame excuse of Henry worrying about her. Seeing her vulnerable. She admitted this wasn't her best, but she was home, alone with her evening glass of cider. Dreaming of her happy ending. If there is some for her.
"Should I be worried of my ass being kicked?" Emma said before she could stop herself. Challenging look in her eyes.
Regina walked back, frustrated. Usually she would answer with more venomous words. She couldn't believe she let herself to be losing this battle so easily. She was tired of this whole arguing thing. She was really out of her usual self now, as if the walls she so thoroughly built weren't raising with the presence of the Sheriff tonight. She was caught off guard and stayed like that. She turned around, so Sheriff couldn't see her face, her eyes filled with fear about what's happening. She couldn't stop the shiver that came through her as the cold shower.
Emma may have not seen the look in Mayor's eyes but she noticed Regina was unsure of herself, and trembling a little. Embracing herself with her arms. This wasn't a good time for an argument.
"Regina...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. But it's true. Henry's called me to check out on you." Emma stepped a little closer to Regina but the Mayor didn't turn around nor made any sound. Emma's heart was beating loudly, trying to jump out of her chest. With her own trembling hand, she reached for Regina's shoulder and slowly turned her around, surprised to see soft streams of tears falling down the Mayor's cheeks. Instinctively she put her hand on Regina's cheek, wiping the tears away with her thumb.
Neither of them said a word, just stared in each others' eyes, searching for something. The storm outside seemed to get at its full strength. Hard rain pounding on the roofs, bare streets, banging on the windows. Thunderbolts clashing all over the sky. The smell of rain hit Regina's nostrils but mixed with something else, unidentified. She closed her eyes leaning in to Emma's touch, savoring the fragrance.
The lingering flames in fireplace crackled quietly, increasing the heat in the room. Emma couldn't miss the fact how soft the skin she stroked was. Even with the tears uncontrollably falling from Regina's eyes. They stayed like that for a while, lost in the moment.
When Regina looked at Emma again, there was no sign of anger. Just kind of emotion she never thought she'd feel again. But that couldn't be true. Emma Swan of all people? Don't fool yourself! You experienced this before. Love never ends good for you.
Emma sensed the stiffness in the Mayor, so she put her hand back from Regina's face, shoving her back to her jeans.
"You're right Madame Mayor. I should go. I can see you're alright." Emma couldn't believe how could she sound so harsh. She didn't mean it like that.
Regina nodded slightly. Emma turned on her heels, firmly walking to the door, when she stopped and sneezed like hell.
"Fuck!" flew from Emma's mouth. She had to grab the back of the sofa to keep the balance. Suddenly, she was being turned and something tugged at her jacket. With shock she realized it's Regina's hand trying to get her out of it. Whoa! What the hell?
"Miss Swan, don't fight it. You need to get out of the clothes and dry yourself." Regina said in a motherly tone, which left no space for excuses. Emma stopped twisting for a moment and Regina took advantage of the situation pulling the jacket swiftly off of her shoulders. Emma just stood there still confused by the sudden care from the other woman. She turned Emma around and pushed her in the direction of the door.
"Hurry up, Sheriff. We don't want you to catch cold, do we?" Regina lead her up the stairs to what Emma assumed was Mayor's bedroom. That increased the panic rising in her chest. The Mayor opened the door to the room and Emma hesitatingly stepped in. There was no light in the room on, just some from the master bathroom where Regina dragged her. She squatted down, opened the white drawer and pulled out some towels. Handing them to Sheriff, she said, "Shower, dry. I'll get you some clothes."
With that Regina turned around and stepped out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Emma stood there, stunned. Unable to say how she got here, to Mayor's bathroom, and what exactly was she doing here. She composed herself a little, shrugging of all the clothes and stepping to the shower. Hot stream of water hit her face and she felt like energy is coming back to her, filling her up. Few minutes she just stood there, relaxing. When she heard the door's opening and Regina walked in. She carefully put the clothes on the drawer and headed back to the bedroom. Emma sighed and closed her eyes again. When she finished showering, she put on her new clothes. She never imagined Regina had clothes like that, she never seen Mayor in shorts and casual T-shirt. But she supposed she doesn't know the Mayor as she thought she does. She'd always seen her just in those expensive dress and power suits. Even at her home.
Nervous as hell what's gonna happen next she opened the door to the bedroom where Regina was sitting at her dressing table, wiping of her make-up. Emma stood in the door taking sight of the woman. Even in ordinary action like that she looked like the queen. Henry hit the target this time but from the other side. This wasn't the Evil Queen. Regina caught the glimpse of Emma's reflection in the mirror.
"It's about time, Miss Swan. Follow me." She led Emma to spare bedroom ready for any unexpected guest. Which in this case, was Emma.
"Good night," was all Regina said then left her in the room alone. Emma breathed out, never noticing she was holding her breath. She looked at her watch. Only 9:10. But she felt as it was midnight already. Exhausted she climbed to the comfortable bed and turned off the light. However, the strange feeling didn't leave her chest nor her head. Despite the exhaustion she felt only to light slumber. She woke up at some shuffling noise coming from the hallway. It sounded like someone's trying to go down the hallway and then the stairs without making any noise. Someone broke to Mayor's house? She could imagine what would interest people here but who would have had courage to do such a thing? Nevertheless, she got up from the bed, put on a jeans Regina left for her on the chair and her boots. She peeked out the door. No sign of anyone so she walked down the stairs, eyes shooting from side to side. Again she heard a little noise from somewhere and immediately she slid back to the wall. Watchfully, her head rounded a corner to look at the kitchen. Big rock should have fallen from Emma's heart, but it didn't. Something just wasn't right there. Regina was drinking the glass of water. Black unbuttoned coat covering her figure to her knees, where she could see tight black pants tucked to the black boots. The only light piece was white blouse, perfectly fitted for Mayor's curves. Where's she going? Bury some body in the woods? Suddenly Regina turned around and Emma had to be really fast to hide back behind the wall.
She heard footsteps coming to her and decided in less than a second. She swings around the corner, right at the moment Regina gets to the door and puts her hand on the doorframe to stop the Mayor in her tracks.
"I was wondering, when you'd show up," said Regina calmly, with sweet fake smile plastered on her face.
"Where are you going so late, or early in the morning?" Emma didn't let her to confuse her by knowing she was there, watching her, again.
"Where I'm going is none of your concern, Miss Swan." She tried to push past Emma, but no luck.
"No, Madame Mayor, you're not going anywhere till you tell me where are you going now, leaving Henry alone here." With their faces only inches away Emma could feel Regina's breath on her cheek. She felt sweat's flooding her body, heated to maximum.
Stop it, Swan!
Regina's confident expression fell from her face slightly, but anger in her voice stayed in place. "I don't have to explain myself to you, Sheriff."
"Yes you do!" Emma grabbed Regina by arm firmly. Maybe more than she intended, 'cause Regina yanked in pain a little.
"Let go of me!" Mayor struggled to get free but Emma was unyielding. "I would be back till Henry wakes up. Or you thought I'd leave him to get ready for school by self?" Regina snorted.
"You haven't answered my question, Madame Mayor." Emma looked directly to her eyes.
Regina gritted her teeth. "Every morning, I'm going for a walk or to stables to ride a horse. Happy now?"
Emma didn't know what to say. She didn't even know why she insisted on getting her answer. Regina wasn't lying about getting back home to Henry. God, she's beautiful. Is that hurt in her eyes? What have you done again, Swan?!
Regina finally managed to get her arm out of Emma's grasp.
"Now if you excuse me..." She started for the door again but Emma stood in her place as if nailed to the floor, apologetic look on her face.
"Regina. I'm sorry."
Mayor didn't want to just go. But she couldn't stay with Sheriff around. That mix of chaotic thoughts and feelings she had from the very first time they met weren't leaving her at all and definitely not in a moment like this. But she couldn't let anyone see her vulnerable again.
"You should be, Miss Swan. Hope when I come back you'll be back at your place."
Oh this woman is unbelievable! But...
As if some strange power controlled her, she was dragged to Regina and found herself touching the full soft lips with her own, circling her hands around the Mayor's figure putting her flash against her ...I love her anyway. She finished her thought when she finally pressed her lips to Regina's feeling the movement of the other woman's lips as well. Regina put her hands on Emma's arms not trusting her knees to hold her. Waves of sensation and...magic?...hit them. They pulled apart, shock apparent on their faces but still holding onto each other. Around them, outside, big purple clouds with green thunderbolts were running to all sides, occluding everything that stood in their way.
