1.
Title: I'll Always Love You
Chapter One: Feeling
Rating: K
Summary: "The moment her lips touched Regina's she felt…whole." SwanQueen.
Disclaimer: I don't own Regina Mills, Emma Swan, Henry Mills, or anything from Once Upon a Time; they are property of Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz and ABC.
A/N: This started out as a short mini fic but it's grown into something bigger. There are so many people I'd love to thank for encouraging me and insisting that I continue this mini fic, thank you. All mistakes are mine. Enjoy!
"And I guess I realized at that moment that I really did love her. Because there was nothing to gain, and that didn't matter."
- Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
As Regina fell to the ground she could see Rumpelstiltskin holding up his end of the deal. Peter Pan was dead. But all magic comes with a price and it looked like she would be paying the toll. Henry immediately knelt next to her and grabbed her hand. His cries for her slowly faded away as she struggled to keep her eyes open. She smiled sadly up at her little prince there was so much she was going to miss…his first kiss, his graduation, his wedding….a tear slowly slide down her face as she reached up and stroked his cheek, "I'll always love you."
Henry let out a choked sob as Regina began to close her eyes, "M-mom?"
He shook her shoulder and was relieved when her eyes cracked back open. He quickly wiped at his face with the sleeve of his jacket. A smile almost made its way to his lips as he remembered all the times Regina told him not to do that. He gently squeezed his mother's hand as he tried not to cry, "I love you too! And when you get better I promise we can go on that picnic you've always wanted and I'll clean my room and-"
Regina's smile widened when she heard the word escape Henry's mouth it had been so long since he called her mom. She squeezed his hand back and smiled. She knew there wasn't a way to counteract the magic, well, at least not anymore. As Henry continued to ramble she desperately fought to keep her eyes open but she soon lost the battle. Darkness began to take over her vision but just as the last bit of light began to fade from her eyes a blur of blond swam in her vision. With the last of her strength she whispered out, "Emma…"
Emma immediately checked for a pulse and she let out a sigh of relief when she felt a weak but steady rhythm. She looked sadly down at the fallen woman and felt an ache in her heart. There had to be something they could do. Some way to counteract the magic-
With one last look toward Henry and Regina she turned to Rumpelstiltskin, "Is there a way I can save her?"
Rumpelstiltskin quietly looked up from the body of his lost father and even with the grief that now weighed his heart he still caught the way the Savior said those words. Most of his time spent as the Dark One had been to ruin lives, one in particular, he stole a glance at Regina before sadly looking up at Emma. He wanted to help but he shook his head, "She chose to pay the price, dearie, and only True Love's kiss can save her."
Emma's eyes sparked with fire as she came up with an idea. She turned toward Henry and spoke softly, "Henry, I need you to stand by your…grandparents…"
Henry immediately leaned up and looked at her curiously, "Why?"
She watched as his grip tightened around Regina. A small smile graced Emma's lip as she looked him in the eyes, "I'm going to try and save your mom."
Henry's lips twitched as he reluctantly let go of Regina and moved toward Snow and David, who looked just as curious as he did. Emma shot them a quick smile before she turned back toward Regina. She slowly extended her arms out and hovered them above the fallen woman. If she was the product of True Love then surely her magic was just as powerful, right?
She didn't know much about magic but she knew it was fueled by emotions. As she felt the magic build up within her Emma put everything she felt about the infuriatingly caring brunette.
But nothing happened.
No burst of magic or spark of life.
Henry's tears came faster as he looked down at his barely breathing mother, "Why won't it work?"
He quickly ran back to her side and curled on her chest, "Mom! Please come back!"
Tears began to flow down Emma's cheeks as she watched Henry. Why didn't her magic work? As she wiped her eyes she came to a realization: maybe she was using it wrong! With tenderness she had only reserved for a few Emma bent down and placed a kiss on Regina's lips. She may not have much experience with magic but she knew what it felt like and this was different. The moment her lips touched Regina's she felt…whole.
Regina drew in a deep breath as her eyes snapped open. She looked around until her eyes met Emma's, "How…?"
When Henry saw her opened her eyes he dove at her and brought her into a tight hug. Emma smiled as she tucked a stray hair behind Regina's ear, "We'll talk about it later."
Regina hesitantly looked away from Emma and focused her gaze on Henry, who was still clutching her as if she would suddenly disappear. A smile slowly formed on her lips as she wrapped her arms around him and softly whispered, "It's okay. I'm okay."
Henry moved just enough to look into her eyes, "But you could have died."
"I'm not going anywhere," Regina said as she gently placed a kiss on his forehead. After much coaxing Henry finally settled on holding Regina's hand and they slowly helped the tired brunette up. Emma watched as she struggled to stay upright and without hesitation she placed Regina's free arm over her shoulders to take some of her weight, "It's okay, I've got you."
Regina looked at her again and smiled. Emma couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips.
The scene played through Emma's mind again. She couldn't seem to think of anything else since the incident which happened only a few days ago. It seemed as if her thoughts were constantly on Regina and they weren't changing any time soon. Ever since they had helped Regina to her house nobody had seen much of her. Or Henry. He refused to leave Regina's side and he took it upon himself to help her recover.
Emma slowly let out a sigh as she thought about Regina again. She still hadn't told her what had happened the moment she kissed her. What if she didn't feel it? Or if it was all in her mind? Her boots made a loud thud as they landed on the floor of her apartment. She quickly came to a decision and grabbed her leather jacket. With determination she jumped in her Bug and made her way to Mifflin Street.
When she came to a stop outside the mansion she almost kept driving but the memory of Regina on the cold pavement made her stop. She slowly got out and looked up at the daunting mansion. Her heart pounded in her chest and she was pretty sure she was sweating even though it was nearly forty. As she walked up the walkway she heard laughter coming from the direction of the backyard. Curiosity got the best of her and she quickly made her way to the fenced in back yard and snuck a peek.
There she saw Henry, dressed in full winter gear, running around with a blanket as if it were a cape. A small smile stretched across her lips at the sight. Then Regina stepped out of house carrying a small basket. She was breathtaking. Literally. Emma tried to remember how to breathe as she watched Regina laugh along with Henry. Her heart melted at the sight and as they settled down for what looked like a picnic she slowly turned away not wanting to ruin the moment.
As Regina and Henry were sitting comfortably on the blanket Henry looked excitedly over at his mother, "Are you going to call her?"
Regina smiled as she looked spared a glace at the gate before she looked at Henry, "Yes."
As she dug for her cellphone she couldn't help but smile. It had been a few days since the incident and Regina couldn't get the Savior out of her mind. She had felt the surge of magic that happened between them…but did Emma? Regina had made the decision that she wouldn't risk what fragile friendship she had with the blond for what little happiness it may bring herself. She had been burned too many times in the past and she didn't want to make things difficult for Henry. After finally finding her cellphone she quickly dialed Emma's number and waited as it rung.
As Emma was making her way back to her car her cellphone blared out Regina's ringtone:
All I want to get is a little bit closer
All I want to know is, can you com-
Emma frantically reached for her cell and snapped it open, "Y-yes?"
When no one answered she held it away from her face and frowned.
"Would you like to join us?" a familiar voice came from behind her. She jumped in surprise and faced Regina. That was when she saw that Regina's eyes sparkled with mischief and she blushed. A grin slowly formed on her lips as she grabbed Regina's hand, "Yeah, I'd like that."