I tried my best with grammar etc but it's 1.30am and my concentration is slowly disappearing… :) still hope you like it.
Emma growled angrily. Regina was late and she was the one who promised to provide the firework for celebrating the new year. The others already were pacing in the diner or drinking beer. "Fuck it. She won't come. I'll get the firework from my home.",Leroy said and left the diner. Emma sighed. "It was wrong to invite her and to think that we could rely on her. She is still a selfish coldhearted bitch.",Happy grumbled and Emma looked disapproving at him. Regina may be a selfish bitch but she was not coldhearted.
Regina sat cross-legged on her bed and stared at the birthday cake she had yet to eat. A little candle was on top of it. Her phone laid next to the cake. She was staring at it and sighed saddened. She had expected Emma around 8pm but she never came. Regina looked to the beautiful black dress which laid crumpled on the ground next to her bed. Maybe it was better that way. She probably would have been sitting alone in a booth and had been forced to watch everyone share a kiss while she was left out.
But that wasn't even the most saddening thing. The most saddening thing was that everyone forgot about her birthday. She may had caused them pain but she had redeemed herself without anyone's help. She had succeeded but no one acknowledged it. She remembered the surprise party for Emma which she had planned completely alone. Although, no one had invited her afterwards. Emma had thanked her at least and that was enough for her but she was disappointed.
But what could she have expected of them? Nothing. So if no one would acknowledge her birthday and everyone still hated her, then where was the point in going to a party no one wanted her? There was none. Even Henry hadn't invited her. He didn't even thought about her birthday. He had always rushed to her bed in the mornings and shook her awake to congratulate her. She started crying again. "Get a grip, Regina.",she scolded herself and grabbed a tissue. After she wiped her tears, she threw it away. There was already a huge pile of used tissues she had needed over the evening.
She put the cake next to her on the nightstand and slipped under the covers. But sleep didn't came. She looked on the watch. 11:57pm. She sighed. Even when no one was with her she could still 'celebrate' with a lot alcohol. She stood up and padded downstairs to her kitchen. She found the Champagne she had bought for the party. She opted for a glass but when she heard the first firework she just opened the bottle and brought it to her lips. She didn't noticed how she almost emptied the whole bottle.
She swayed a bit and sighed. She took the second bottle out of the fridge and than emptied her first one before she padded back upstairs. She sat down on the windowsill and watched the firework while she took sips from the second bottle. She felt so empty and lonely. She felt hated. She soon started crying again. Regina cursed herself. Why does the new year had to start like this?
Emma stood in the diner and sighed. She watched how the people started to form pairs for the new year's kiss but Emma wasn't in the mood. Neal and Hook both tried to talk her into a kiss with them but she declined. Ruby came to her aid and when the time was over she kissed Emma in front of everyone. "Thanks, Rubes.",Emma said and Ruby smiled. The rest of the night was pretty uneventful and ended with Emma and Henry going home. She was still pretty angry at Regina and decided to pay her a visit the next morning.
Emma rang Regina's doorbell the next morning and waited for the black haired woman to open the door. When she finally heard Regina's light footsteps ,5 minutes already had passed. Regina opened the door and looked at Emma with a mix of hurt and annoyance in her eyes. "What can I do for you this early in the morning, Sheriff Swan?",she asked and gasped when Emma suddenly grabbed her arm and pushed her into the house. "Let me go!",Regina hissed and tried to rip her arm out of Emma's tight grip.
"No. You'll dress now and than you'll apologize to everyone who waited for you yesterday.",Emma snapped angrily and pulled Regina upstairs. Regina fought against Emma's grip but lost it in the end. Emma finally reached her bedroom door. She tried to open the door when Regina grabbed her hand and pulled it away from the handle. "You won't enter my bedroom." "I already did once, Regina. A second time won't do the difference.",Emma hissed and opened the door.
She gasped when she saw the chaos. Regina finally freed her arm of Emma's grip. Emma entered the room and studied it. Regina stood in the doorframe and looked down ashamed. Emma saw the cake and it finally downed on her. They had forgotten Regina's birthday. "Why didn't you say something?",Emma asked and turned back to her. "Why should I?",Regina answered saddened. "You even forgot to pick me up yesterday…" "I… what?"
"You said that you would pick me up so I wouldn't have this awkward arrival again. And I won't apologize for not coming! Why the hell should I apologize when I did nothing wrong? I waited for you 2 hours! Two freaking hours until it was enough! But you never came and today…. today you are blaming me ?",Regina was furious and Emma looked at her confused.
"Normally you would just burst in a room. Not caring if someone wants you or not, why not yesterday?",Emma snapped. "Because it was my fucking birthday and I had hoped that after everything I have done for the town, people would maybe at least think once about me too! But no! Not even you! After everything I've done so that you would have a fantastic birthday! You didn't even invited me! Is it really too much to ask for people to be happy that I lived another year? Or that they at least pretend to like I always do?",Regina shook her head and turned away from Emma.
Emma looked back to the cake and saw that he was still complete. She grabbed the cake and hurried out of the house. She knew that she had fucked up. She had fucked up pretty much. Emma arrived at the diner ten minutes later and entered it with the cake in her hand. The guests from the last day looking at her confused. "We are idiots.",Emma stated and put down the cake. "Why?",Snow asked confused. "Because we expect from Regina to show up but no one even cares that it was her birthday yesterday….",Emma answered and groaned. "We didn't knew.",Leroy defended himself. "You can't deny it. I remember that you, Snow, David, Regina and I were talking about birthdays and she said that her birthday never was celebrated because it was on New Year's Eve. You even said that she is a lucky woman because on her birthday no one could judge about her when she drank to much."
Leroy sighed and looked down. "But Snow should have known.",Ruby said. "And Henry." Henry looked down ashamed. "I forgot…",he mumbled. "And we never celebrated her birthday in the Enchanted Forest.",Snow said and Emma shook her head slightly. "That's a reason why she didn't came yesterday. And she didn't came because I forgot to pick her up…" "That's pretty mean.",Ruby said and Emma groaned. "I know! And I feel so bad about it… She planned a fantastic birthday for me and we forgot to invite her. She has birthday and we forget her… It's absolutely right that she is pissed…",Emma said and rubbed her face.
"Maybe… we could throw her a party too.",Henry suggested and Ruby nodded. "Yes. We have her cake. We still have some beers and wine and we still have some snacks. The only things we need are presents.",Ruby said and Henry's face lit up. "I stole Mom's diary and ripped out a page where she wrote down what she had desired as child but never had gotten it because her mother didn't allowed. We could buy her these things. I mean she did so many things for us. She sacrificed herself twice. She stopped the curse. She saved me. She redeemed herself. It's only fair to buy her the things she wants since she is a small child.",Henry rambled and Emma smiled slightly.
"Than let's go guys.",Ruby said and took the paper from Henry. A huge part followed Ruby out of the diner. Henry looked at Emma who seemed deep in thoughts. "Ma?",he asked and she looked up. "Sorry, Henry. I just thought about where to get balloons and a present for your mom.",Emma told him and he smiled. "There is one thing which isn't on the list but it's what Mom desires the most.",he answered. They stood up and Henry dragged her to a shop.
Regina groaned when the doorbell rang again in the evening and she opened annoyed the door. Henry stood in front of her with a huge smile. "Hey, Mom. Would you like to have dinner with me at Granny's?",he asked and Regina raised her eyebrow. "Did Emma sent you so I apologize to the people from yesterday?" "No. They are all gone. The diner is empty… I thought that because you weren't there yesterday we could 'celebrate' the new year on our own way.",Henry said and Regina smiled softly at him. She turned around and put on some shoes and got her coat and purse before she followed Henry.
"Did you have fun yesterday, Henry?" "A bit. I was the only child.",he answered and Regina nodded saddened. The walk was rather quiet. Henry feared that he would tell Regina about the surprise party if he would talk too much. Regina smiled when Henry took her hand and held it tightly with her own. She didn't wanted to let him go. At least not for now. They arrived at the diner and Regina looked into it. No one was there but Ruby who cleaned the counter with a rag. She sighed relieved.
Henry opened the door and Regina entered before suddenly everyone jumped out of their hiding spots. "Surprise!",they shouted and Regina paled and froze. Henry nudged her softly and she looked confused down to him. "What?" "We are sorry for how we treated you the whole last weeks. After everything you've done for us we never really thanked you for it. Happy Birthday, Regina.",Emma said and Regina looked back to her. "B-but… my birthday was yesterday…",Regina stuttered. No one had celebrated her birthday EVER. Her father wasn't allowed to and either others didn't knew when she had been born or they didn't cared enough for her to celebrate. Even with Henry she didn't celebrated her birthday. She happily took every picture he would draw for her but she wouldn't force the need of finding a fitting present for her on him.
"You don't have to celebrate on the day you have birthday.",Emma said with a smile and Ruby came out of the kitchen with the cake. The candle was lit and shined brightly. She brought the cake over to them and they all stared at Regina expectant who looked helpless to Emma. "Make a wish.",Emma just said and Regina looked down. She couldn't. She wasn't worthy enough to be granted a wish without price. "Hurry up, woman. My arms are slowly starting to hurt.",Ruby said and Regina looked at the werwolf who looked knowingly at her. As if she would know how she would feel. "It's okay.",Ruby whispered. Regina shyly blew out the candle and looked back down.
"I wish that Tink finally believes in herself again.",she thought and took a deep breath. She looked back up and studied the people around them. They smiled encouraging at her. Emma took Regina's coat and hung it up before she led her to a huge table and sat her down. Regina, who still mistrusted the whole situation, stiffened a bit. She watched the people who sat down too. Ruby placed her present in front of Regina whose eyes widened at the sight.
"For me?",she asked confused and Ruby chuckled. "Sure, silly. Why would I place it in front of you otherwise?",Ruby answered and sat down too. Regina stared at the present before she hesitantly started to unwrap it. She gasped when she saw what it was. "How did you know that? I never told anyone…",she said amazed and took the small dagger in her hand. Her fingers traced over the engraved scripture. She smiled and wiped a tear away which had fallen. They were surprised that they could get such a reaction out of her.
Everyone gave her their presents and she unwrapped each and got even more confused. But she also felt happy that people thought about what they wanted to give her. She didn't cared how they knew what she wanted. She was just happy. Emma was the last one who had to give her her present and she looked a bit anxious. Emma placed a box in front of her. "You just have to lift the lid.",Emma said and they all watched Regina. Regina nervously lifted the lid of the box and gasped when she saw what was in it.
She placed the lid next to the box and reached into the box. She smiled brightly and cradled her present against her chest. It was a little golden retriever. "Who is this?",Regina asked and smiled. "His name is Shadow. He is a year old. His first owner threw him in the trash and he lived there for a few days until David found him. You always wanted a dog…so why not one of the most loyalest dogs on the world?",Emma said and smiled. Regina cradled the dog tighter against her chest and nuzzled her nose against his head and breathed in his scent.
She kissed his head and watched how Ruby cut the cake and gave everyone a small slice. She smiled. No one ever celebrated her birthday. But today. Today was one of the happiest days in her whole life. She looked down to Shadow who seemed to smile at her and licked her chin with his pink tongue. His brown eyes shined with love. She giggled and held him closer while she watched everyone else.