A/N: This is my contribution to this year's Swan Queen Secret Santa over on Tumblr as a gift for cascaine, whose prompt was: established SwanQueen - break-up and reconciliation. I had so much fun writing this for you! I hope you like it! Thanks to TMitch for betaing!
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine or for profit.
Two Girls, A Witch, and A Pirate
"Another flask?" Ruby asked, taking pity on the sulking pirate at the bar. He'd been there since three p.m. long before the Charming's seemingly annual let's-celebrate-the-fact-that-Storybrooke-is-still-in-one-piece-after-all-we've-been-through party. If it weren't for Granny forcing him to chug a glass of water every hour before he refilled his flask, he would surely have been in a Rum induced coma by now.
"Ay, lass." Hook sighed. He twirled the empty tumbler glass between his two fingers and thumb.
The ring he'd given Emma as a promise to rid her of the darkness glinted in the light of the alcohol bottles crowding the shelves, mocking him. Ever since that day by the well when Regina had used the Dark One's dagger on the former Savior in order to make her admit her deepest fears so she could finally be free of the monster fighting for control of her subconscious, the wayward pirate hadn't known what to do with himself. He was drifting again, lost at sea and tempted to let his inner demons consume him once and for all.
If only David and I had gotten there earlier. He cursed himself for not being able to see through the Queen's true motives once she realized Emma had literally put her life in her hands.
Everyone claimed Regina had changed, that she was a 'hero' now. She'd made amends for her past mistakes, and it was time to forgive and forget. Or so they all said.
That idea was only solidified when they realized that Regina was ultimately the catalyst that allowed Emma to rid herself of the darkness once and for all. They practically erected a monument in her honor when they got back to Storybrooke—and of course, the Charmings were at the helm of it all. How could they not be? They had their daughter back, the town was safe, and everything was back to normal. All thanks to the former Evil Queen.
Hook knew the real truth. People didn't really change. He was living proof of that. No matter what the others saw when they looked at her, he couldn't shake the feeling that she had something planned; something sinister lurking behind her kind facade that the others were simply too blinded by happiness to see.
Then again, maybe that was the rum talking.
A part of him wanted to believe that if he and David had only intercepted that day at the well a few seconds sooner, then everything would be different. That Emma would still love him, and Her Majesty wouldn't have had the chance to poison her mind.
But it had been four months since they'd returned from Camelot, and The Savior and Queen were still going strong. Emma was happier with Regina than she'd ever been with him, even a blind, deaf, fool could see that. With each day that passed, Hook's hope began to wane. Sooner or later he knew, he would have to accept the truth. The Savior was in love with the Evil Queen, and there wasn't a single thing he could do to stop it.
When Ruby came back with his umpteenth tumbler of swirling amber liquid, he took a long, large gulp, relishing the searing burn that stung the back of his throat. He chose later.
"There you are." A familiar voice drew Hook out of his drunken stupor.
"Swan?" He slurred. His vision swam, but he knew that red leather jacket and those gleaming green eyes anywhere.
Emma smiled impishly and leaned against the bar. "What are you doing? Why aren't you partying with the rest of the idio— I mean, heroes? After all, you're one of us now right?"
Killian sighed and twirled his glass, refusing to meet her gaze. "I'm no hero, Swan. And even if I am, it seems you prefer Evil Queens."
"Oh come on, Killian." She let out a shrill laugh and plopped down on the empty stool. "Don't tell me you're still sour about my little secret?"
Hook scoffed and shifted on his stool to glare at Emma through hazy eyes. "I'd hardly call the fact that you're in love with our land's most ruthless dictator a 'little secret," he hissed.
Emma's lips curled upward as she snuck a glance at the far side of the room. She flashed Hook a winning smile, an extra spark of greed and lust dancing in her eyes. Black hair and a perfectly tailored charcoal pantsuit clouded the edges of her vision and she fought back a triumphant cackle. "Yeah?" she hummed. "Well, want to know another?"
Before the pirate could respond, Emma fisted the collar of his shirt and pulled him toward her. When their lips met, her movements were brash and sloppy. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tugged furiously at his hair. She chomped down on his lip, drawing just the smallest about of blood as he opened for her, and in his inebriation, didn't even protest as her tongue plunged into his mouth. Her hands untangled themselves from 'round his shoulders, instead roaming beneath his shirt and up his back. She stood up and shoved her hips against his, brushing them together so relentlessly that within seconds, he was rendered powerless to her will.
"Sorry I'm la- Emma?" Regina's eyes bulged. There in the middle of the crowded diner, was her girlfriend.
The blonde smiled and laughed as she conversed with that smarmy pirate. This was not an uncommon occurrence these days, but one that nonetheless made Regina seethe with jealousy every time she saw it. Emma had assured her countless times that their conversations weren't more than occasional friendly banter save for the very first meeting after Camelot, in which she had officially ended their relationship once and for all. She implored Regina to believe her when she said that Hook was just a friend, and nothing more. It was hard, and it had taken almost four months for her to abide by this request, but finally Regina was beginning to believe her. After all, the queen had held a dagger to Emma's throat, figuratively and somewhat literally, the first time Emma confessed her love for her, so it couldn't have been a lie.
Right?
Time seemed to slow around her as she stood, mouth hanging open, feet rooted to the floor in utter shock and horror. In the time it took her to blink, Emma had hauled the pirate up by his puffy collar and crushed her lips against his in a passionate, feverish kiss.
The pan of freshly baked lasagna Regina had been carrying clattered to the floor with an ear-splitting crash as it shattered into a thousand pieces. Tomato sauce spewed across the freshly mopped tile, baring a striking resemblance to the blood Regina felt was pouring from her heart. As one, the entire town seemed to turn and face her, watching her with an odd mixture of pity, shock, and fear.
The former queen's eyes darted helplessly around the room. Her breath came in short, sputtered gasps. The floor swayed beneath her as hot tears blurred her vision. Bile seared at the back of her throat, but she swallowed hard and steeled her features. No matter what, she wasn't about to let this town full of imbeciles see her come undone. It was embarrassing beyond comprehension for her to even acknowledge such a thing was happening in the first place.
"...Mom?" Henry asked, the first of the crowd to break free from their stunned silence. "Can I… Are you alright?" His voice was already soft and timid, laced with anguish and sympathy, but to Regina, it sounded a light year away. The diner became a haze of colors and Henry's words didn't register in English. Emotions burned in her chest, so many feelings at once, she didn't even know the name for them all. With one last, longing glance at her son, she bit down hard on the flush of her ruby painted lip and swiveled on her heel, pushing past the crowd. She shoved the door open and jogged out into the night, just as the first sob ripped free from her chest and the tears began to fall.
"Aye, love," Killian panted, still lost in the rough movements of his Swan. A vague notion told him that maybe there was something wrong with this picture. This sudden need for affection was too forceful and full of want than those of someone who had been through such fierce emotional trauma as Emma had, but he couldn't bring the thought fully into focus in his rum-clouded state. "I've never known you to be this crass before. Not that I'm complaining."
Emma laughed, the sound harsh and raspy from deep within her chest. She unlatched her lips from his, moving instead to nibble on his earlobe.
Hook stiffened as another, breathy cackle tickled the shell of his ear, before a voice much deeper with a haughty brogue that Emma had never once possessed purred, "She's not."
"I'm not."
Eight twenty six p.m.
"Fuck!" Emma's curse ricocheted through the dented frame of her precious yellow bug as she skidded to a stop in front of yet another red light. For such a small town, Storybrooke had an ungodly number of stoplights on its mostly barren streets, and tonight, every single one of them appeared to have a vendetta against her. The original plan had been to swing by the mayoral mansion around eight to pick up Regina, but she'd called the loft at 7:30, saying she was just putting the second batch of her famous lasagna in the oven, and to meet up that the diner.
At the time, relief flooded every cell of the blonde's body upon hearing that, because she was nowhere near ready. The landing that served as her and Henry's bedroom when he'd come to visit the loft was barely visible beneath piles and piles of discarded clothes as Emma tried in vain to find something she owned that would be up to her girlfriend's standards. Regina often said it didn't matter what Emma wore, there wasn't a new dress code just because the twosome had finally ventured out of the friend zone. For all she cared, or so the queen said, Emma could show up in a tank top and sweats every time she came to take her out, and that would have been absolutely fine. A large part of Emma greatly appreciated the gesture, because really, she didn't own much more than tank tops, sweats, jeans, and of course her red leather jacket.
But tonight... Tonight she wanted to look special. Her parents claimed the spontaneous get together at Granny's was to celebrate the fact that their daughter was no longer the Dark One and everyone made it back from Camelot alive, but for Emma… For Emma, the party was about Regina. If it weren't for her, that bastard dagger and its age-old powers of seduction might very well still command Emma. Though the voices of the past sorcerers still fed on her plethora of self-doubt and strained to pull her back into that spiraling black abyss of confusion of hatred and resentment and greed, Emma knew she was strong enough now to withstand any temptation. Something she never would have discovered if not for the former Evil Queen.
Unfortunately, by the time Emma finally settled on a tight, hourglass-shaped black dress that hugged her hips and stopped just below her knees, threw her hair up in a messy but (she hoped) elegant bun and swiped some ruby lipstick across her lips as she dashed out the door, it was already eight-fifteen. She climbed in the car and gunned her engine, not wanting to leave Regina alone too long with her parents and the rest of the so-called hero clan. As much as they appreciated her for helping to save Emma, the savior knew that there were still a few people who would never be able to be fully convinced that Regina had changed. Namely David and Hook; Snow had been getting along surprisingly well with her stepmother lately, and Emma was beginning to think they might finally be starting on the long road to mending their broken relationship. The idea made Emma glow with warmth.
She skidded to a stop in front of the diner, her tires screeching wildly along the asphalt. Emma cringed. Damn, it's a good thing I'm Sheriff, she thought. Otherwise, she would've gotten ten speeding tickets by now.
The flashing numbers on her dashboard clock continued to roll forward, almost mocking her as she cut off the engine and grabbed her coat before climbing out into the crisp night and slamming the door behind her. The bug rattled, rocking back and forth with the force of her push. She snatched the bottle of champagne she'd only remembered at the last second out of the truck and started for the stairs up to the restaurant.
Just as she reached the foot, the door flung open, and Regina jogged past her. Her cropped ebony locks covered her face, but she kept her gaze on her kitten heels, and wrapped her shaking arms around herself as she trotted off down the street.
"Regina?"
The queen didn't turn around, but Emma could swear she heard her choke bag a sob or two as she moved her right arm to swipe a trembling hand across her damp face. Emma's stomach dropped as she watched her girlfriend trot away. Her sixth sense was tingling like crazy, urging her to jog off after her.
What the hell could've happened in the last 20 minutes?
She slipped the bottle of bubbly under her arm and marched up the steps, determined to find out.
Hook's head jerked upward, and suddenly he was seeing double. "Emma?" Standing near the front door of the diner was a very irate Emma Swan. Her hair was tied back in a messy bun, she wore an alluring sleeveless black dress that hugged her curves in all the right places- the pirate was sure he'd never seen this one before. Flames blazed from her hazel eyes as she stared dangerously down at his drunken form, still pinned to the counter by, well… Emma?
Maybe I really have been drinking too much, he chuckled to himself. He'd never been one to get plastered easily, but he supposed five straight hours on nothing but Rum and three glasses of water would do a number on just about anyone. Even a swashbuckling rogue like him. There couldn't possibly be two Emmas. As much as the magic of the past Dark One's had twisted her soul while they were in Camelot, its effects were long gone. Any trace of lingering darkness vanished along with Excalibur. Even if the voices still pestered her, Hook knew for certain they had never driven her to divide into two separate people. Still, he couldn't see any other explanation for what was laid out in front of him.
What the hell? "Swan...?" he breathed again, unsure what else to say. He shook his head, but that only made the oncoming bout of dizziness worse.
"Last time I checked," Emma in black growled. "What the hell is going on here, Hook?"
Hook's gaze drifted back and forth between the two identical women, at an utter loss for what was happening. "That's a good question, love," he slurred. He shoved off the counter and promptly knocked the imposter in the red jacket on her ass atop the cold tile floor. Emma just grinned, her lips curling upward in a sickeningly coy smile that made every hair on Hook's body stand on end.
"No wonder she left you, pirate. Can't even tell the difference between a snake and a swan!" Emma in red's golden tresses melt away to reveal fiery red, wild curls and crazed sea green eyes that looked nothing like those of his beloved Savior.
"Bloody fucking hell," he hissed, sobering up immediately.
Zelena's twisted smile sent a shiver down his spine and the whole room let out a collective gasp. "Who did you expect, pirate? Glinda the Good?" She snickered at her own little pun before wiping the back of her hand across her deceivingly innocent pink-painted lips. "By the way, you kiss like a flying monkey."
"I bloody well do not!"
"Oh, but you do," She laughed airily and waved her hand, looking Emma right in the eye. "No matter though. At least you were actually helpful for once. Pity my sister is so easy to rile. We were having," her lips curled and her tongue snaked out between her perfectly whitened teeth in a triumphant smirk, "such fun," she finished, growling on the end of the last word and pulling Hook a little closer.
"Having a slug force it's way down my throat is not my idea of fun, wench."
"Oh, worry not dear, you'll come back eventually. They all do." She gave a saucy wink
"Don't bet on it." Hook spat.
Zelena laughed and whirled on Emma. "I suppose you'll want to go chase after her now, hmm, Swan? Frankly, I'm surprised you've stayed here this long. Unless…" she feigned a gasp. "Has seeing the pirate with someone else turned you… green?"
"I…" Emma blinked and shook her head, still trying to process everything she'd seen. When the pieces finally fell into place, her eyes widened in horror. The knot of dread that had settled in her stomach upon arriving at the diner melted away, only to be replaced by a searing seed of rage. "Not on your life you jealous bitch!" She lunged at Zelena, but Ruby and her mother held her back.
"What's going on in here?" Snow asked, staring at the gathered crowd and scrunching her brows. She and Charming had just come in from the back patio. David stood behind her, sword drawn, eyes locked on the escaped witch.
"Zelena?" he asked. "How did you get out of that cuff?"
The witch simply chuckled and clucked her tongue. "You heroes have a horrible habit of underestimating me. Wicked always wins, Daddy. Always."
"That was you!" Emma seethed, finding her voice. "You disguised yourself… came here as me, and then tried to… seduce Hook, all to upset Regina?"
"About time you caught up, princess," the witch scoffed. "I didn't realize you were such a simpleton. Then again, you are a Charming, so it must run in the family."
"Why you-" Emma almost pounced on her again, but David stepped in first. "We'll handle her, Emma. You just go find Regina. Tell her what really happened."
Emma sighed, but looked gratefully up at her father. "Thanks, David." She marched back to the door and threw it open, but didn't start back down the steps before throwing one last death glare over her shoulder. "I'm not done with you, Zelena, make no mistake about that."
"Wouldn't dream of it." The witch smirked. Emma threw on her coat and raced out the door, letting it swing behind her in the night air.
Zelena turned back to Hook with a devilish smirk. "Well, she's gone after the queen, do you like the green?"
"Not bloody likely, girl."
"You're going right back to the asylum, Zelena." Charming surged forward, but before he could catch her wrist, she disappeared in a cloud of emerald smoke.
"You'll have to catch me first, dear."
"Shit!" David stumbled to the spot where Regina's sister had stood, but all that was left in her wake was the echo of a haughty cackle.
"Bloody hell," Hook murmured. "I let that wench stick her poison tongue in my mouth!"
Emma waited in the cold for ten minutes before she finally accepted that Regina wasn't going to answer the door. Stooping down, she retrieved the spare key from its spot beneath the welcome mat and let herself into the house. Regina may not want to see her, but she wasn't going to give up that easily.
"Gina?" She shrugged off her coat and placed it in the hall closet. The hollow clip-clop of her heels was the only sound that echoed through the cavernous marble foyer of the mayoral mansion. Emma shivered in the silence. She had never realized until that very moment how lonely this massive estate could be.
She tried to shake off the creepy feeling of depression that seeped into her veins as she trekked through the winding halls, looking for any sign to indicate where her girlfriend might have gone. "Regina?" She peeked into the bedroom, the kitchen, the living room… She looked everywhere she could think of, but couldn't see any sign of life.
Just when she was about to give up and head home, a light blinked at her from beneath the door of Regina's study. Emma mentally face-palmed herself. Why, of all places, had she forgotten to check the study? It was Regina's sanctuary outside of her vault.
The blonde took a deep breath and pushed back her shoulders before striding over to the door. She reached out and twisted the brass knob. It rattled and shook, but wouldn't budge.
Fuck. Of course she would lock the door after what she'd seen. Emma couldn't blame her. "Regina?" she tried. "I know you're in there, I can see the light on."
No response.
Unbeknown to Emma, Regina sat with her back pressed against the door, curled into herself. She pulled her knees tight to her chest, and rested her forehead against them, with her arms wrapped around her legs. With each breath, she fought to keep the anger and sorrow welling up inside her at bay, and hearing the blonde's voice only made it harder to keep her composure.
She was a fool. She should've known better than to trust the so-called Savior. Everyone else she'd ever loved had turned on her, so why shouldn't Emma? Sure, she had kissed the pirate, but it was Regina who'd opened up her heart in the first place. She had no one to blame but herself for this latest state of heartbreak.
"I know what you think you saw, 'Gina, and I know you're upset."
Gee, the queen thought. What gave it away? The locked door, or the fact that I absolutely refuse to speak to you.
"But please… Just… let me explain." Emma winced. That was such a classic line, but, really, what else could she say?
"Explain?" Regina spat, unable to resist the temptation. Her voice was thick with betrayal, but thankfully her words remained steady. "Explain what? How you cheated on me? How you went behind my back? How you tried to… seduce Hook in the middle of a crowded restaurant thinking I wouldn't find out?" She stood up and threw open the door, her gaze stone cold as she glowered at Emma through red-rimmed, watery eyes. "What's to explain about that?"
Emma stepped back, marginally intimidated by the mayor's hard expression. She flashed to her first few weeks in Storybrooke and almost laughed out loud. Oh, how times had changed.
Regina nearly slammed the door in the blonde's face at the conclusion of her little speech, but Emma was faster, sticking the toe of her shoe between the door and it's frame. "Look, I know what you're thinking, but I promise you, none of that was me."
Regina scoffed. "Who was it then, the tooth fairy? I saw you Emma, the change of clothes won't fool me."
"Change of… Regina… Do you think I'd give up what we have? After all that we've been through? I fought so hard for you. You held the dagger to my throat and commanded I tell you my secret. What more proof could you want that I love you?" She sucked in her breath and Regina's eyes widened. They were both a bit taken aback by the spontaneity of Emma's admission, but by the spark of hope that lit Regina's sable eyes a moment later, the blonde knew she had said the right thing.
"You… You love me?" Regina choked out, unable to keep a few stray tears from coursing down her cheeks.
Emma's frightened expression melted away at her girlfriend's hopeful face. She smiled sheepishly and brought the pad of her thumb up to brush at Regina's damp cheeks. "Of course I do," she whispered, leaning forward to peck the brunette's lips, relieved when she didn't pull away. "And you have to believe me when I say I would never, ever cheat on you." She clasped Regina's frigid hands and poured every ounce of honesty she had into her words. "I know a lot of people have broken your heart, but I will not be added to that list. No matter how hard you try to push me away, 'Gina, I'm not going anywhere."
"I… I believe you," the queen whispered, stunned by they way her heart filled with hope after the savior's speech. "But… if it wasn't you kissing Hook then, who…?"
"Zelena," Emma droned, her eyes flashing.
"Zelena? But that's… That's impossible. How did she get out of her cell?"
"I don't know, 'Gina, but it was her. That crazy bitch is still set on taking away your happy-ending, any way she can."
Regina hummed and shook her head. "And I thought I was crazy. I should've sent that witch back to Oz when I had the chance."
Emma laughed. "Don't worry, David can handle her until we get back,"
"You left your father alone with that, that... " Regina clamped her mouth shut and took a deep breath. "Emma, dear, do you really think that was such a wise idea? He could end up a frog prince by the time we catch up to her."
Her girlfriend only grinned and gently brushed their lips together once more. "I'm sure they'll be fine. And besides," she smiled mischievously. "I wanted some alone time with you anyway, so I could do this." She deepened the kiss and wrapped her arms around Regina, pulling her close. The mayor hummed happily and melted into the embrace. They stumbled back into the study, and Emma shut the door behind them with a soft click.
The End