I couldn't resist. This episode was so full of feels and when I got the idea, I had to write it immediately. So now it's almost 6 am and I haven't gone to sleep yet because staying up 'til 2 am to watch live-stream and then rewatching the whole episode once again can apparently be very dangerous for your mental health and very good for your writing and hardcore SwanQueen shipping. I'm just gonna say... OH MY GOD. The feels and SQ in this episode totally killed me.
Now, I could go get some sleep. Enjoy! :*
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
''Regina? I know you're in there, I can see the light's on.''
No answer came from behind the locked door. Regina locked herself inside. Locked away. And had no intention of talking to Emma. And it left Emma furiously disappointed and sad.
The blonde sighed deeply, leaning her hand onto the door. She had no idea what to do. How to approach Regina, how to prove her she was sorry. And she was. She was eating herself alive because, once again, she caused her pain. She ruined her happiness. She ruined everything.
That's what I always do, isn't it? I ruin everything, Emma thought, guilt overwhelmingly spreading through her chest. More than anything, she wanted to prove how sorry she was, but Regina wasn't letting her do so. And she probably never will.
On the other side of the door, the brunette was sitting down on the floor, her back leaned onto the only barrier between her and Emma, her knees pressed to her chest. Tears were falling down her cheeks and she barely managed to suppress sobs. Her chance of happiness was ruined, most probably the only one she had left. Robin clearly stated that his feelings towards her were real, but he couldn't let his wife. Of course she understood that. Family always came first. The real question in her head was: why always me? Why do I always have to be the one left behind? The one that suffers?
With Robin, she finally felt like she wasn't alone. She felt accepted, loved – things she hadn't felt in a long, long time, perhaps since Daniel. But then again, this was so much different. With Daniel it felt so much more… real. He loved her so intense that it brought him death, and she loved him back with all her heart. But Robin… No, she didn't felt that way with him. She cared, but it wasn't True Love. Still, it could've become so much more, they could've been so happy…
''You know this is all… complicated,'' Emma tried again, not willing to give up just yet. ''But you can have happiness. I know it doesn't seem like it, but you just have to… fight.''
Regina wrapped her arms around herself and dug her head into her knees, not letting Emma hear her cry. She didn't want anyone to think she was weak. But she was. When it came to happiness and love, the former Evil Queen was so weak. Her heart ached, screamed for love and acceptance, but it seemed like that just wasn't a part of her fate.
The Sheriff wanted to scream in frustration. She knew for sure Regina was broken, she knew she was crying inside her office right now, and all she wanted to do was get in, apologize and hold the brunette in her arms. Regina was angry, of course, but she wanted to help, she needed to fix her own mistake. And she silently swore to herself she will do it. Because seeing Regina suffer cause her pain, too. She couldn't help it anymore – she came to care for the woman, care truly and deeply, and nothing could change that. She only wanted her happy, wanted to see that bright smile on her face again. More than anything.
Well, screw this all.
''Okay, if you won't, I will,'' she said, her voice louder and more confident than before. ''Henry brought me to Storybrooke to bring back the happy endings. My job is not done until I do that for everyone. Including you.''
Regina couldn't keep the sobs anymore and they rolled out of her in a loud crash of tears. Emma's words touched her so deeply and surprised her so much. She never imagined hearing that from anyone, and surely not from Emma Swan. But she just did. Emma wanted her to be happy. She wanted her to have her happy ending. She offered to fight for her happy ending. That was so… strange. And special. And beautiful.
She heard Emma walking away slowly and she didn't think twice before jumping on her feet and unlocking the door, waiting just a small second before opening it a little.
Emma was ready to give up and leave, but she turned to the sound of door opening. Regina's brown eyes full of tears stared right at her. Her face was so sad it was making Emma cry. She just wanted this woman to be happy. Was it really too much to ask?
''You would do that for me?'' she whispered almost inaudibly, but Emma still heard her. She offered a small smile.
''Of course.'' She took a step forward, closing up the space between them. ''I'd do anything to bring you your happy ending.''
Their eyes locked and, suddenly, everything around them was long forgotten, non-existing. They only saw each other, taking in all the confidence and acceptance and care they found in each other's look. All the love that was suddenly there, not known to them before, but now so obvious and yet so natural. Another tear ran down Regina's cheek and Emma raised her hand, bringing it to the brunette's face and wiped the tear away with her thumb.
''Don't cry,'' she whispered, her voice shaky. ''Please, don't cry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Just don't cry.''
''Why? Why are you asking me that?''
''Because it hurts so much to see you like this. To see you unhappy and broken and sad. I'll do whatever it takes just to see you smile again.''
Something clicked inside Regina's head, but, even more importantly, it clicked inside her heart. And she simply knew. She knew why her search for happiness took so long – because she searched in all the wrong places. True happiness, True Love was lying in front of her the whole time and she refused to see it, refused to admit that she couldn't give her heart to someone because it already belonged to someone else. Someone who understood her better than anyone else, someone who was there no matter what, who cared and loved and offered – and she was so stupid not to recognize it.
''Emma,'' the name slipped out of her mouth so easily and so softly. She reached out to brush her fingers over the blonde's cheek while she let out another set of tears. A smile spread on her face. ''Emma… I was so blind.''
Green eyes closed as Emma enjoyed the feeling of Regina's soft fingers on her skin. It was the first time Regina had ever touched her, but it already felt so familiar. So right.
''I failed to see what was right in front of me,'' Regina explained further. ''I was looking for my happy ending, but I haven't seen it was here the whole time. Or maybe I've noticed it, but didn't want to admit. But I know now.''
Emma opened her eyes as Regina's both hands cupped her cheeks, searching her face, drowning in her eyes, sending waterfalls of tears down her own face. She understood very wall what she was talking about. She had seen it. She had felt it. But failed to recognize it, failed to admit it was really true, it was really happening. They were both blind, but now they've managed to open each other's eyes. And nothing else mattered anymore, not even Robin or Marian or Hook – it as just the two of them, caught in a moment of truth and honesty. Just… feeling.
''My Happily Ever After is right here in front of my eyes. Emma,'' Regina sighed in the middle of the sentence, encouraging herself to keep going, ''I love you.''
A single tear slipped down Emma's pale cheek as she smiled to the confession, her green eyes radiating with happiness. ''I love you too, Regina.''
Regina nodded, still crying, only those were tears of happiness now. ''I know. I feel it.''
''I love you,'' Emma repeated silently. ''I love you.''
Over and over again, she repeated her love confession to the woman she felt so much for. She promised to bring her her happy ending, but she didn't realize quite yet that she just did it. And so did Regina. In their personal seeks for true happiness, they've seen it in each other's eyes so many times, but just failed to recognize it. And now it was here. It was finally here and it felt like a dream but they didn't care anymore. In that moment, they didn't care about anything but each other.
Regina chuckled lightly and leaned in, pressing a kiss on Emma's lips, lips she had wanted to kiss for so long. Emma arms wrapped around her waist and she pulled her closer, feeling every inch of her body she could possibly feel in that moment and in that position. They gave into the kiss, making up for all the lost moments, all the lost opportunities. It was all tossed away now, drowned in a simple kiss, kiss that united Regina to Emma, the Evil Queen to her Savior, a lover to another lover and – most important of all – True Love to her True Love.
''Just promise me one thing, Emma,'' Regina pleaded when the kiss broke, pressing their foreheads together. ''Don't let me go. Never.''
''I won't.'' Emma smiled, eyes locking and hearts beating in rhythm. ''I promise.''
Hope you liked it. I had to take out all the feelings somewhere since I can't really scream around the house at 3 am. I lft the original dialogue (or Emma's monologue, whatever) in the start because it's good an it fits in. I wish it really had happened this way. I guess I'll have to dream about it now ;)