The sound of rain pelted against the roof, and slid down the windows. It wasn't what was keeping her awake, no, if anything the rain was soothing her mind. The demons inside of her, fighting to get out. Another sleepless night, and with dawn coming quickly, she decided she wouldn't continue to try to close her eyes. Such a monster in her own mind that a semi-decent rest was still too far from her grasp. She couldn't understand how Henry, a son she had abandoned a decade before, could think she was some sort of savior.
Flames erupted inside of her once more, that power, that need that she just couldn't control. The ache, and the inevitable pain. Yet, she knew, without a single moments doubt, that pain was meaningless. It was for the weak-willed, the weak-minded, and the weak-bodied. She pushed the hated emotion away, not wanting to feel. To have a few minutes of peace. The ghost flames never getting to grace the world with it's demonic presence.
She'd lied, flat out, to her son. He had asked of his father. She couldn't tell him the truth, no, the boy needn't know of what special brand of devil his biological father had been. The fact she was his biological mother was bad enough. She hated herself for that, but she'd wanted to spare the boy. She didn't need him to know why she had finally decided to think the curse was real.
There was no way Regina, even as cold and collected as she was, was a Evil Queen bent on revenge. Emma knew that Regina cared deeply for the child she had adopted. Emma, as intimidated by the brunette as she was, didn't think there was an evil bone in Regina's righteous body. No, not even an ounce of evil. A bit of hatred here and there, but everyone, even Mary M had that. Emma thought she had accurately figured out who the evil queen was. How else would Emma have these mysterious powers she had developed over the years?
Emma knew that if anyone was the Evil Queen it had to be her. She was the one that produced white ghost like flames upon herself and others when her anger got to far. A power she couldn't control, but, she could force it further inside of herself. It was the only way to keep it from coming out of her. The white ghost like flames was a secret she'd always tried to keep well hidden. And the whole lying thing. She was a human lie detector. That simply wasn't normal. Then again cursing an entire town was probably not normal either.
She was Sheriff now. She smirked as she threw on her blue leather jacket. She could only imagine who would take over to throw her ass in jail, or worse, when she and Henry managed to break this curse. And then he would be crushed, to learn the woman he thought was the Savior was the Evil Queen. However, allowing him to believe he was crazy over her own selfish past mistakes just wasn't right. So, she decided, even though she could not remember her old life, she had to fall on her sword. To try her best to make her past doings right.
"Cricket" Archie just smiled, assuming that she called him that because it made Henry feel better. Not knowing that it was because Emma had figured it out, that she truly believed. "What can I do for you"
"Regina wanted you to stop in at her office while Henry is at his session this afternoon." Emma scowled. She couldn't dare look at the mislabeled Evil Queen without guilt, and another foreign emotion swirling deep inside of her guts.
She waved her hand at the Cricket-man, dismissing him. He, not wanting to get in trouble with Emma, sighed and headed quickly out of the office. The next few hours ticked on as they always would, except, way to fast for her liking. Balls of paper were littered across her floor. Her failed attempts at making one of the many disposal bins she'd placed around the station. The only real things she had to deal with beyond paper basketball was getting cats out of trees, and dogs out of lawns. Then again, she preferred boredom then to deal with crazy animal people.
"Rumple" Grumbled Emma as he stepped in front of her as she was locking up the station. His eyes twinkled. He knew that she knew, and she knew that he knew that she knew. She just hadn't admitted it till that statement. Mostly because she wanted him to feel threatened considering there positions.
"Oh. So figured it out dearie?" He said wickedly. "You do know all magic comes with a price" He did his trademark number. "The question lies, who do you THINK you are?" Rumple, being well, Rumple, knew full well who Emma assumed she was.
"The Evil Queen. And I got my memory back." She lied. Rumple just nodded. Not allowing her to know that she was wrong. She could feel that power swirling in her belly, but she quelled it. "Move. Or I'll use my power on you" Another lie, but Rumple stepped to the left anyway.
"You do know that true love's kiss will set everyone free." Emma looked back at him. Annoyance dancing in her eyes. He raised his hands in mock surrender. "I am just reminding you. Emma" She hated the way he said her name.
"Love is weakness." She muttered. Everyone she had ever loved had left her, and after reading what she'd done to Snow and what Snow did to her in the past, well, she was glad she couldn't remember the pain. Anyone would turn evil after that.
"Yes. Yes. The Evil Queen did say that allot." With that the man who possessed the Dark One waltzed past an annoyed, confused, Emma. He turned to face her once more. "As did her mother. A wretched woman was she" he finally walked away.
Emma groaned as she glanced at her watch. She was meant to be at Regina's in five minutes, she deduced she had better speed considering she was twenty minutes away by car. And speed she did. After-all, she was the Sheriff, for now at least. She zipped her blue leather jacket halfway up as she entered the Mayors office. Seven minutes late, and by the annoyed glint in said Mayor's eyes she knew she was not to be forgiven.
"Is it simply impossible for you to be on time, or do you simply show up late to aggravate me Miss Swan" Regina said in her normal tone. Emma sighed as she slumped into a chair opposite of Regina. Only the Mayor's large desk in between them.
"I had a run in with Rumple, er, Mr. Gold" Emma caught herself, but not before Regina raised an eyebrow. Before the brunette's eyes narrowed at the blonde. Emma didn't know why but Regina always just fucked her up, turning her mind to mush on sight.
"Please do not tell me you have fallen for Henry's illusions." Regina had to stop herself from growling the statement. Emma sighed, and tucked her hands into the pockets of her jacket. Regina eyed the horrible leather atrocity. She hated both jackets Emma owned.
"I know you don't believe them. You don't have to. Alright. Henry still thinks I don't believe. Just in case I am wrong. But. I have to make up for I did in the past. I shouldn't have brought this curse to be. I took you from your mother, your father. I mean, I don't know how you ended up not a baby. But. I am sorry." Regina raised an eyebrow once more at the blonde's muttering.
"At least you are not telling Henry such nonsense. If he were to know you stupidly believe I am the Evil Queen, and that you are the Savior and precious child of Snow and Charming, well, he would never outgrow his obsession" Regina snapped.
Silence ensued, save for the 'Tick tock' of Regina's horrible and aggravating clock on the wall. Regina glaring at Emma, Emma trying not to look Regina in the eye. As every time she did, an explosion of unneeded, unwanted emotions tried to battle the surface inside of her. Emma needed to talk to someone. But she couldn't talk to Mary M. She loved Mary M, even if she would become Snow once again. And then, she knew Mary would hate her once more. Until then she planned to keep her best friend as she was.
Talking to Mr. Gold slash the Dark One slash Rumpelstiltskin was simply out of the question. Henry would never stop believing should Emma be proven wrong about the curse, Ruby was young and amazing and beautiful and already believed she was Red. She couldn't tell her the truth of who she was. Red would most certainly tell Belle and Mary M. She didn't want to talk about it with Regina. But. Regina just made her feel. She wasn't sure what, but it was nice. It was scary. And it made her want to run. And she knew she would run, if given the chance, once the curse was properly broken. Death. Imprisonment. Or running. Those were the three possibilities that Emma was sure awaited her once the curse broke.
"You are not the Evil Queen." Emma blurted out. She wanted to add that anyone calling the brunette Evil pained her inside. But she wouldn't. She couldn't voice such a thing. "I know, without a doubt, who the Evil Queen is. I think you are Snow's child. I really do, don't quote me, you could be a fairy or some random woman. But I think I am right" Emma added quickly.
Regina leaned back in her chair. A vile reaction was occurring in her stomach at just the thought that she could possibly be the whelp of such an annoying aggravating just down right exasperating woman! Royalty she was, if by marriage and reputation and nothing more. But Snow's child. She would rather die then let someone assume such a thing. And a Fairy? Regina held back the urge to both vomit and laugh. She was a 'fairy' in the sense that she was attracted to woman, and, unfortunately, to a certain blonde, but she was not the dust carrying kind. But, what most intrigued her was who Emma thought was the Evil Queen. So she leaned forward once more, her elbows resting on the desk. Intrigue in her eyes.
"You are very, very wrong. I could not be Snow's child. Or a fairy. However, please, pray tell, who do you think is this Evil Queen" She hoped she would say Mary Margaret or that infuriating Nun woman who was the blue fairy. She hated both, and so Emma's attention on them would make her jealous, but relieved at the same time. Not to mention, amusing.
"I am" Regina barely heard it, and so she gave Emma an odd look. Surely, Regina had not heard what she had. Right? Wrong. "I am the Evil Queen. And I know it will break Henry. But I owe it to him, to you, to Mary, well Snow. To everyone. I have to break the curse. I know that you love Henry. And I know that even when they probably kill me when I break my curse, I know you will still care for him. Still love him. Because he is your son. In every way that truly counts. Look. Mary is expecting me for dinner" Not waiting for a dismissal from the dumbstruck brunette she rushed out of the office and to her car.
The first part of Emma's theory that struck Regina was her death. Regina, as much as she hated to admit it, even internally, would not let the blonde bitch die. She, even in the confines of her mind, told herself it was for Henry's sake. It made her happy to know that the other woman admitted that Regina loved her son beyond all else. And that she knew that Regina would always take care of Henry. However, she didn't like that Emma thought she was the Evil Queen. In fact. She hated it. And, she didn't know why.
She drove away as fast as her little bug would allow. She forced a smile on her face as she entered her apartment. Her apartment with Mary M. And, as always, she wished nothing would change between them. But she knew, once the curse broke. Well. Everything would change. But, it was for the best. Living the lie that she had forced upon them wasn't good for them. She wouldn't be selfish, it just wasn't right.
A/N: This is my first crack at a swanqueen. If you have the time let me know what you think, I am not sure whether to toss the story out. Or whether I should continue. Thank you for reading.