notes: This oneshot was based in the idea that, as season two came to a close, Regina was put under a sleeping curse. Most people hoped for a SQ kiss, and, well, here's how I saw one potential final moment of the season.
Shit. Emma wants to say more, or think of more, but as her feet pound down the stairs of Hook's ship all she can think about is the fact that she's about ten seconds from throwing up. God, there's not even food in her worth barfing up. Maybe a few leftover bites of that dinner Regina used her magic last night. Shit. Regina.
Emma runs faster, her feet nearly slipping on the last step of the stairwell. She catches herself on the railing with one hand before using that hand to spin herself around the corner. She's got to get to Regina.
"We put her in her chambers."
"Is she…" awake? Alive? Emma couldn't bring up the words, but neither could Snow. Snow turned to David, and David made this face that was apologetic and relieved at the same time. Emma's stomach churned and then she started running. She didn't even bother telling them what to do with Henry because "I can't do this alone."
Emma slides into the room. As her feet stablize, she finally sees Regina. Emma moves forward. Close enough where the still chest before her makes her own ache. Close enough where the clasped hands send hers reaching out. No. Emma stops herself. She's not holding hands with Regina. Regina's fine.
For once, Regina even looks peaceful. Normally, she shifts in her sleep, fingers twitching and lips parting every so often like she's ready to attack at a moment's notice. No rest for the wicked and all that other cliche bullshit. Except none of that cliche shit will help Regina. Either she's dead, or she's cursed, and it's not like her true love's going to come riding in on horseback.
"We can save her," Emma announced, arms still clasped around Regina's shoulders.
Snow cut in. "Emma—"
"We'll wake her up. We can—"
"Emma!" And it was the shake in Snow's voice that shut Emma up. Snow's voice always wavered when she got emotional. Emma wondered where that emotion was when Regina sacrificed herself, where it was when Regina wanted to go to the Enchanted Forest and Snow wouldn't let her. Maybe the emotion only mattered then, when Snow met Emma's eye and apologized without even having to say the words. All Snow said was "We can't."
Emma shook her head. They were in a world filled with magic. They were in Neverland! All they needed was faith, trust, and pixie dust. A happy thought. Um…. Emma's eyes flew open. "True love's kiss! That's it. It saved you, and-and Henry, and…."
Snow shook her head. Her lip quivered. Her gaze retreated. "Regina's true love died long ago. Cora ripped his heart out. I'm sorry, Emma, but there's nothing we can do."
Correction: nothing Snow can do. Emma will fix this. That's what she was born to do, isn't it? What good is being the savior if she can't save the people who matter to her? Regina matters. And if Regina gets through this — when Regina gets through this — Emma will make sure that everyone knows it. Emma can't lose someone else that she cares about. She just can't.
But how do I save her? Emma could try magic. Only, magic's about emotion. What emotion is she feeling then? Is it love? True love?
"No," she whispers. She doesn't love Regina. She might think Regina's interesting, or attractive, but that doesn't outshadow all of the bad qualities.
Regina manipulates people on a daily basis. She intimidates everyone else. She refuses to listen to Emma, even when Emma's right. Plus, she wears basically the same outfit every day. Those white button up blouses with a power skirt and heels.
Well, Emma likes the heels. The heels put them at the same height. Sometimes, they even make Regina taller. Sometimes, Emma has to look up to meet Regina's eye, and her throat tightens and her lips dry as she imagines other situations where she could look up to Regina. Emma might even enjoy it. The scratch of Regina's nails down Emma's spine, the warm breath against the curls at the back of her neck, the whisper of her own name as it spills into their kiss. Every variation. Emma. Miss Swan. Damnit.
Emma's eyes go to Regina's lips. She wills them to move, but they don't. Maybe if she…. Emma glances over her shoulder. No one's around. She could try the kiss. No harm in that. If it doesn't work, it's not technically a problem, and if it does, she'll take her sexual harassment charges with a smile. Right. She'll do it.
Pucker up, Your Majesty.
Emma takes a step forward and —
"Mom?"
She jumps back. Henry. She goes to turn, but he barrels right past her towards Regina. She spins forward again in time to see him stop at the edge of the bed. His shoulders tense up, and Emma wishes Regina would wake up right then. The way Henry shakes in that moment, if that doesn't show he loves her, then Emma doesn't know what will.
Emma steps in. "Henry?" He sucks in a breath.
"Is she…?" He lets out whatever air's inside him.
Emma tries to think of how to say it. How to explain to her kid that his mom might be dead, but maybe she isn't. Maybe they can use magic, but she doesn't know what magic because Regina's the one of them who would know what to do. Regina's the one who comes up with plans that work. Regina's the parent who can handle this kind of thing. Emma's… Emma's the one for secret spy missions and treats at Granny's. She doesn't do this kind of thing. She doesn't want to do it.
Henry whirls arond to face her then. When their eyes meet, Emma doesn't recognize them. He might've gotten the color from her, but the fire in his eyes definitely come from Regina. The venom in his voice is pretty Regina too. "You promised!" he spits with a step towards Emma. "You promised you would save her! You wouldn't let them kill her."
"I—" tried. She did. Emma just didn't get there in time. "She—" Regina couldn't be stopped, not when Henry's life was on the line. Emma tries to explain, "She did this for you. To save you, Henry."
His jaw tightens up. "She's not supposed to save me. She's the Evil Queen. She doesn't help people. She gets banished, or—or— she doesn't die. She's my mom. My mom can't—" He turns back to the bed. "Wake up," he says. He pauses, then shoves at the bed. It slams into the wall, and he pushes it again. "Wake up!" He pushes at Regina. Throws her arms. He keeps shaking the bed. "WAKE UP!"
Emma rushes over to him. She snatches his arms and pulls him until he can't attack Regina anymore. "Hitting her won't help."
He yells, "Then what will?"
Loving her. God, so many of their problems could be fixed if everyone just gave a damn about Regina. If instead of accusing her, they listened to her side of the story. If instead of killing her mom, they locked Cora up. If instead of leaving her in the dark about the beans and letting her spend all this time away from everyone else, they actually brought her in and trusted her. If they did all that, maybe Regina wouldn't be cursed right now.
Emma sighs. "I don't know. I mean, true love's kiss worked before, but now…."
Henry's brow furrows. "Last year, you woke me up because you loved me."
Emma nods. Of course. It doesn't have to just be love love. It can be family. "And you love Regina." Emma pauses. "You do, right?"
"Yes!"
"Then now's your time to prove it." And maybe that's too much pressure to put on him, but Emma likes that idea a hell of a lot more than her kissing Regina. Less explanation required. Better full picture.
Henry looks down. "I-I don't know. I'm not a hero, Emma."
Neither am I. I'm a hero because you want me to be. You believe in me. You love me, like she loves you. "You are to her."
Henry still wavers. He worries his lip, so Emma brings one hand down to hold his. She can't even remember the last time she held his hand. She wonders if it felt as small in hers then as it does now. Probably not. But maybe he squeezed her hand then. Maybe he smiled. Now, though, he sucks in a deep breath and turns to face Regina.
Emma's breath hitches the closer he gets. This kiss has to work. If this doesn't work, she's pushing Henry out of the way and kissing Regina herself. She's not giving up. Ever. As he makes contact, Emma squeezes her eyes shut. She practically prays. Bring her back to us. Please.
And, as Henry's lips brush Regina's forehead, a surge of light pushes through the room. Emma shields her eyes, but the magic hits her still. Waves of it creep down her spine. She leans away from the power, which puts her right in Regina's eye sight.
Regina's eyes widen at the sight of Emma. Emma's lips quiver around something to say. Those brown eyes zero in on her lips then. Emma fights the urge to lick them, to explain that she's not the one who brought Regina back. She couldn't. True love has to be shared, and Emma doesn't love her. And Regina doesn't love Emma. Right?
Regina's gaze flutters over to Henry. Instantly, her eyes lighten. Her own lips break into a smile. She lifts her arms to hug him, and he's on her in the blink of an eye. She presses her nose to his hair. Breathes him in as part of her first breath. He's safe. They're all safe.
"Emma!"
Emma jumps at the sound of her name. Her parents are back? Obviously, since Snow and David burst into the room a moment later.
Snow pants, "We saw the blast. Are you okay?"
Emma nods. "Yeah." She looks down to Henry and Regina. "We all are."
From his spot, David's face pulls into a frown. Call it daughter's intuition, but Emma figures her closeness with Regina caused that. She really doesn't need him getting all fatherly right now.
Emma extracts her hand from Henry's. Yet, before she can move, Regina's hand juts out for her. The second they touch, the women start, eyes widening and breath thinning as those same waves from before radiate between them.
Regina croaks out, "Thank you." She clears her throat so she can speak a bit louder. "For saving me."
Emma almost says that she always will, but the promise seems a bit too assured after she got so close to breaking it. She will keep saving Regina, though. Regina deserves to have someone on her side. Emma can be. Emma can bring them all together, and when she does, that will be their real happy ending.
Emma smiles. "Welcome back."
Thoughts?