Author's Note: This is a one-shot that takes place after "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree" (in which Emma works with Sydney to expose what a bad person Regina is after she tears down Henry's castle). This is my first fanfic EVER, so please be nice :)
The sound of the apartment door slamming shut made Mary Margaret jump. She'd been in the process of sewing a button back onto one of Emma's shirts, and the sudden movement caused her to prick her finger with the needle. She gently sucked on her finger to stop the bleeding, and threw a disapproving look at her roommate, who stomped into the kitchen and started rooting through the refrigerator. Mary remained on the couch, watching as Emma picked up various foods, only to slam them back into the fridge again moments later. When she nearly smashed a jar of pickles, Mary finally spoke up.
"If you're hungry, I can make you something."
Emma merely grunted in return, mentally kicking herself for sharing Henry's theory about Snow White being her mother. She knew her roommate wasn't doing it on purpose, but ever since that night, it felt as though Mary was treating her less like a roommate, and more like a child. Usually she didn't mind too much, but after the day she'd had, she found the woman's motherly behavior annoying.
Growing concerned, Mary crossed the room and seated herself on a stool by the counter. "Emma," she coaxed gently, "Emma, please look at me." Hesitantly, Emma shut the fridge and turned to face her roommate, instantly regretting it when she saw the stunned look on Mary's face.
"Emma!" she exclaimed, shocked. Her roommate's golden hair was disheveled, and she could tell the younger woman had been crying. "What happened?"
"I'm fine," she shrugged, worried that if she tried to say more, the tears would start again. Mary shook her head, unconvinced, and reached out to take Emma's hand in her own.
Emma jerked her hand away angrily, "I said, I'm fine!" she spat out. She looked away to avoid seeing the hurt look on Mary's face, and her eyes landed on the shirt that Mary had set on the counter. "Is that my shirt? I was going to sew that button back on myself, you know. It's bad enough that you insist on doing my laundry for me, but now you think I'm incapable of basic sewing? I'm not a child!" Even as she said it, she knew her whiney tone made her sound very much like a child indeed.
Mary's expression hardened a little. "Clearly you're upset about something, but it's not fair of you to take it out on me," she said quietly. Emma instantly felt ashamed of her behavior. In truth, she secretly enjoyed having someone who wanted to take care of her for once in her life, even though it scared her to let someone in that close. And, no matter how annoyed she may be by her mothering, the fact of the matter was, Mary was the only person in this town that Emma felt she could talk to.
"I'm sorry Mare. You know I appreciate everything you've done for me." She walked around to the other side of the counter and sat down on the empty stool across from the shorter woman. She watched Mary's face relax, ensuring she was forgiven before continuing. She proceeded to tell Mary about the town hall meeting-how she'd been utterly wrong about what Regina was building in the woods, and how, worst of all, Regina had forbidden her to see Henry anymore.
At the sight of Emma's eyes welling up with tears, the last bit of Mary's anger about her roommate's earlier outburst melted away. She fought the urge to reach out and wipe away the stray tears that had spilled over onto the blonde's cheeks.
"Oh, Emma, I'm so sorry," she sighed. "Regina is acting like a bully. You deserve better, and so does Henry."
Before she could continue, Emma's eyes lit up with a determined gleam. "You're right, she is being a bully, and if there's one thing I learned during my time in the foster system, it's that bullies can only make you their victim if you let them. I'm going to go over there and tell her that I'm through letting her push me around like this. I'm going to demand that she let me see my son, and then first thing tomorrow morning I'm going to begin the paperwork to sue her for custody!"
"N-No, Emma, that's not what I meant!" Mary said, stunned by the turn the conversation had taken. "Emma, be sensible. Whether you like it or not, she's his mother and-"
"She's his mother?" Emma cut her off, her previous anger returning. "Whose side are you on?"
"Come on, you know that I'm on your side, always. I just think-"
"What?" Emma shouted, cutting the brunette off again. "That I'm not mature enough to make a rational decision? That I'm a child who needs to be told what to do?"
Mary's normally pale cheeks flushed red, as she felt her own anger begin to well up within her, "Please stop interrupting and let me finish. This is a bad idea, Emma. It won't work. In fact, it will only make things worse. I know you're upset right now, but you are not going anywhere tonight!"
"Oh yeah? And how exactly are you gonna stop me?" Emma knew she sounded like a snotty teenager, but she didn't care. She made a beeline for the door.
"That's it! You're grounded!" The sharpness of the woman's tone stopped Emma cold.
She spun around, her eyes wide with surprise. "Excuse me?" She laughed incredulously.
Mary stammered for a moment, clearly as stunned and confused by her unexpected announcement as Emma was. For a moment both women stood rooted to the spot, staring at one another. Mary managed to recover first, and crossed the room to position herself between her roommate and the door. Hesitantly, she placed her hands on the taller girl's shoulders and searched her roommate's face.
Emma instinctively looked down to avoid the scrutiny, but soon felt Mary's finger under her chin, gently lifting her face, forcing Emma to meet her concerned eyes.
"Look, Emma, I'm sorry. I know we've only known each other a short time, but, you're my friend, and I care about you. I hate seeing you get hurt, and I think that this will only end badly. Please, just sleep on it, and make your decision tomorrow, when your head is clearer." Her tone was gentler than before, but still held a firmness that, to Emma, seemed out of place coming from the normally meek woman.
Emma threw a longing look at the door, and Mary could tell she was waging an internal war. Finally she gave a defeated sigh. "You're right. I do need to cool off a little, and make a decision when I'm less emotional." She raked her hand through her hair, "Ugh, I don't know how I'm supposed to get any sleep right now. I feel so wired up!"
"How about a movie to help you relax?" Mary suggested tentatively. Ever since Emma has shared Henry's theory, Mary had become hyper aware of her actions around the woman. She could tell her roommate was uncomfortable with any behavior that could be interpreted as motherly, and she tried to be sensitive to that fact. She knew she'd crossed a line earlier, and she wasn't sure if she was forgiven yet.
Emma paused for a moment as she considered the offer. "I don't know," she finally said, with a slight smirk. "Am I allowed to watch tv? I am grounded after all."
Mary smiled at her roommate's teasing tone. She was relieved that the woman was not upset with her, but she still felt slightly embarrassed about her earlier outburst. She didn't believe in the curse, but she had to admit, there was something about Emma that brought out a strong maternal instinct within her.
She shook her head and playfully nudged Emma's shoulder, "I think we can make an exception just this once."
Emma returned Mary's infectious smile, and the two of them headed over to the couch to decide on a movie.