New York-Emma
She woke to the sound of beeping. It was 8:15; time to get up, start the day, live life.
Hmmm scrambled eggs, pancakes and hot coca sounds great; and with that thought she was up, out of bed, cracking eggs, firing up the stove and boiling the kettle.
She turned to see Henry watering the plants, just like usual. She smiled to herself, and took this moment to thank whoever blessed her with such a great life. Why me? Emma Swan, nothing but an orphan, a lost child; why am I blessed with such a life? The ding of the kettle woke her from her thoughts and with that, breakfast was ready.
"Mom, you forget something?" Henry teased.
"Right. Cinnamon." She replied, knowing her son all too well.
She reached over for much loved jar of cinnamon and gave it to her son,
"There you go kiddo"
Clinking their mugs together, there meal had begun. She took a sip off delicious, hot cocoa-
There was a sudden, rather desperate, knock at the door.
"Is someone coming over?" Henry questioned.
"No" replied the blonde, looking confused.
Knocking again, but this time louder.
"Okay, I'm coming." She says, getting up, turning off the music and opening the door.
Stood before the blonde was a brunette. Their eyes met and the other woman sighed with relief, tears filling her eyes.
"Emma." She breathed; a smile naturally taking over her face, brightening up her eyes. Deep brown eyes that Emma couldn't help but got lost in. The woman took a step forward, waking Emma from the story she was reading in the stranger's eyes. Not knowing who she is, Emma quickly stepped away holding her hand out in defence.
"Do I know you?" she questioned.
With that question, the brunette lost all hope in her eyes, as if remembering a past memory. She breathed in, gathered her thoughts and said,
"Look, Emma, I know you don't remember me, but your family-
"My family is right here." She interrupted, even more confused. "Who are you?"
"My name is Regina."
"Mom, who's at the door?" a voice from inside the dormitory calls.
"Henry?" Regina questioned, looking beyond Emma into the room.
"Hey lady!" Emma rose her voice, quickly capturing the other woman's attention again. "You better start explaining yourself before I call the cops. Who are you? What are you doing here? And how do you know my son?" Emma, being the protective mother she is, questioned with increasing rage.
"Please Emma you have to trust me. I know you don't remember, but" she breathed in again, "we knew each other once, in a different world" she smiled, looking hopefully into those all too familiar green eyes, praying that this new Emma would understand.
By this point Henry was stood by the blonde's side, looking at who, in his eyes, was a mere stranger who had eyes filled with lost hope.
Storybrooke (before Pan's curse) Regina
"Get out Miss Swan, I am not in the mood." Her stern voice bouncing off the walls of her vault.
"How did you know it was me?" Emma questioned.
Still facing away from the blonde, she replies, "I always know when you're nearby."
She sighs, "What magical spell have you put on me now?"
The former Evil Queen turns to face The Saviour. "It's no magical spell" she mimics.
"Enchantment?"
"No."
"Witchcraft?"
"I'm a queen, not a witch."
Emma chuckles, imagining Regina as a witch, "Not a curse?" She questions.
"Of course not."
"What then?"
"Miss Swan, why are you so stubborn?"
"Says the Evil Queen" Emma retorts, positioning herself into the all too familiar stance that is Evil Queen.
"Stop that." Regina attempts, but she cannot help but laugh at Emma's ridiculous posture. "You have got it all wrong. It's like this." Regina says as she demonstrates with pure elegance, yet pure 'evilness'.
"Like this?" Emma tries again.
"No, no" without realising, Regina places her hand on Emma's shoulder and pushes it down gently. "There. Your shoulders were too tense. Now relax your hips."
Emma moves her hips to one side, awkwardly, Regina adds in her head.
"No, no. You are really very bad at this Miss Swan."
With slight hesitation, the brunette tentatively adjusts the blonde's hips to the perfect position.
Regina couldn't help but notice how comfortably her hands felt on Emma's hips. She had never felt this at ease with anyone before. She never felt that whirlwind at the pit of your stomach every time that someone looks at you. She never, except for Daniel, felt anything like this, wait. Suddenly aware of how long her hands have been on Emma's hips, she quickly retracts them in hope that the saviour didn't notice. She takes a step back and says admiringly,
"Now that is an Evil Queen stance. Did I really look that good?"
"Oh stop it Regina" Emma says falling out of the position.
"It's not easy you know" The former Evil Queen retorts, "let's see you try that stance again shall we?"
Emma, without thought, naturally emulates the perfect position, and Regina half suspects that Emma was making those mistakes on purpose.
Emma adds a pout of the lips and now they were both laughing at the ridiculousness of what they were doing. Regina was suddenly aware of just how easy this all was. This relationship. This bond, bound together by Henry, their son. Why can't it always be like this? Why can't it always feel this easy?
"Anyway, how do you know when I'm nearby?" Emma questions, awakening Regina from her thoughts.
"Oh, I thought you would have forgotten about that." Regina sighs.
"Nope. I like to know the truth behind things remember."
"Okay, okay fine. It's because I put a tracker on you"
"You're lying." She immediately responds. "Did you really think you would get past the superpower?"
"No. But I just love how darn proud you are of that stupid superpower."
"Hey! Do not insult the superpower. Now, stop avoiding the question and just tell me."
"I know when you are near because- because…"
"Because what?" Emma questions again, desperation waiting to just burst out of her.
"You're my soul mate." She breaths, now looking at her feet; somewhat ashamed.
"But Tink said that the man with the lion tattoo was"
"Yes, I know but" She grabs Emma's wrist, "Look, a lion flower." Emma looks down at the tattoo she's had since, well, she was born with it. "But it's not even that, it's, it's, everything Emma. All the looks, Henry, our relationship that has built up and -"
"I know."
"What?" Her eyes look up in the green eyes she knows all too well.
"Regina, I know. I feel it too."
And it was in that moment that, in a world that was always on, everything seemed to turn off. Everything around them was still. Regina felt peace, like she had never felt before, peace in everything, anything; because, when she was with Emma, everything was better.