Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time, Storybrooke and all the characters belong to ABC and the creators. No copyright infringement intended.
Chapter One: Something Different
Regina didn't need to turn around to know who the shadow standing stiff behind her belonged to. She didn't move nor turn,instead she kept her gaze locked at the road in front of her, crossing her arms on her chest, slightly showing how uncomfortable she had become with the other's presence. Not that she intended to show any hint of emotion, of course, so she quickly put her arms down and steadied herself, standing as regal as her weak body would let her. Since the fatality with her mother, Regina was well aware that she wasn't so much in control of hiding any feelings. She was definitely broken, more so than she ever imagined possible. And that was the main reason she decided to hide in her crypt for all this time. She didn't need the perfect Charming family gloating over her pain.
"Emma Swan." The darkness in her voice could not be missed, neither could the coldness that accompanied the words. The name was said much more to Regina's inner self rather than to acknowledge the blonde's presence. That name meant so much more for her now; that woman was her undoing, she was the reason why Regina was alone. Because of her she had lost everything she had left, she had lost the only two people who could ever love her: first Henry and now her mother. It was all because of one Emma Swan. But Regina was holding onto the grief for the loss of her mother so hard that it was becoming more and more difficult to leave space inside her for any other kind of feeling, so as much as she wanted to hate Emma right now, her anger didn't stand a chance in front of all the hurt deep in her heart.
The thought of Cora made her whole body tremble. You would've been enough. Her mother's last words echoing in her system, she closed her eyes bringing one hand up to her heart as if the slightest touch could minimize the pain she felt inside. It would not. And there it was again: her emotion taking control of her body.
The brunette opened her eyes slowly, focusing on the road ahead of her once more, trying to remember what she was thinking about when she drove to the town's border. Trying to stick to any thought that wasn't related to her pain, to her lost ones. Yes, leaving this horrendous place. That's what she needed to focus on.
Two weeks had passed since that awful day, and it was the first time Emma was seeing the other woman. No one knew about Regina's location, and they were only waiting for the day she would return for revenge, with full force. And, as they waited, they got prepared to attack back. Protection spells, Rumplestilskins' dark magic, Emma's light magic. Wolf, dwarves and fairies. Amulets, swords and bows. They were prepared. At least that's what they kept reassuring each other of every single day.
But, as Emma trailed her eyes over the other's figure, she let her guard down. The blonde could tell: Regina wouldn't hurt her, not right now anyway. As the brunette turned to lock eyes with her, she knew she was right. She saw the emptiness in Regina's brown eyes and, without previous notice, her own heart sank inside her chest, matching the other woman's pain immediately.
They remained in silence for what it felt like hours, but, oddly enough, it wasn't uncomfortable at all.
"I'm sorry for your loss, Regina. I really am." Emma finally said the words she couldn't let out, afraid for Regina's reaction, but when the older woman nodded in return, she sighed in relief.
Emma stepped forward, causing Regina to instantly step back. "Do not dare to get an inch closer to me, Miss Swan, or so help me God I'll end your life right here."
So much for relief. Emma bit her lower lip placing her hands up in surrender. "I'm not! I'm sorry, I just –" she took a deep breath before continuing, "Where were you?"
"Where I was is none of your concern. I don't remember having to tell you anything about my private life. In fact, what I do remember very well is not giving you permission to talk to me."
Emma couldn't help the roll of her eyes and the slight hint of a smile finding its way up her lips. She tried hard to suppress it.
"And what on earth would you be smiling about?" Regina snapped.
"Sorry! I didn't –"
"For the love of God, Miss Swan!" Regina interrupted her again, "Will you please stop with the 'sorry act', it's quite irritating!" the tone of her voice was higher than she intended.
Emma was about to say she was sorry again but instead she bit her lower lip, preventing herself from infuriating the already stressed out woman. She decided to go with the only thing that she knew would calm the brunette down, "Henry worries about you."
By the mention of her son's name, Regina turned her head to the side, the hot sensation of tears forming behind her eyes, the tricky emotion getting the best of her again. She refrained from speaking, afraid her voice would crack in front of the one she was supposed to hate.
Emma took the chance now that Regina wasn't looking at her to step forward, a little closer. "He still worries about you." She said slowly, as if she could read the other woman's mind.
Another step closer. "He loves you, Regina." The sheriff made sure to sound confident, she didn't want the woman to have any doubts regarding her words. "He loves you." She repeated.
The former queen's heart couldn't take it. The tears started running freely down her cheeks, she squeezed her eyes shut to control them, fighting to keep her breathing steady. The blonde stared at her with startled eyes. She never thought she'd see the strong woman falling apart right in front of her eyes. It was scary, much more than the image of Regina trying to kill her family. Emma took another step towards the broken brunette; they were now only inches apart. Despite everything that had happened between them, Emma still felt drawn to Regina. She stretched out her left hand, aware that this was a suicidal move. But she just couldn't help herself; something inside her wanted to help this woman, ease her pain, so she followed her instinct and reached out to touch her. To give her some comfort.
There was not enough time, because as soon as her hand got closer to Regina's arm, the brunette disappeared in purple smoke.
Emma stormed rather than walked into Mary Margaret's loft; she murmured a small "hi" going straight towards her room, avoiding the looks upon her as she passed by. As the sheriff expected, almost everyone she knew was still there trying to conform Snow White – who had barely left her room since the day Cora died – and also trying to come up with a way to defeat Regina for good, not to mention a way to control the rest of Storybrooke's citizens, considering the town was a complete mess. But what Emma didn't need nor want right now was to deal with anything post curse related.
Ruby and Leroy were standing in the kitchen, probably arguing about what to cook for the rest of the group, as they did every day for the past week, while Granny was immersed in a deep conversation with David. Henry was showing Neal his storybook about the curse, all the other dwarves behind them, all their attention turned to the ten year old, their eyes following the Sheriff as she walked pass them.
To be honest, Emma was tired of it all, tired of them all. Her stomach crumpled by the thought. But it was true, she wanted to be left alone even if for just one whole minute. That's why she had decided to go to the town's border that night. No one would be there. Well, no one should be there. Her life had completely changed since she placed foot in Storybrooke, and even though she was really happy to finally have a family and people who cared about her, sometimes it was overwhelmingly much, and the instinct to run away was following her like a dark shadow every day now. The blonde needed to escape from everything for a while, all of this commotion was driving her insane. Correction: more insane, if that was possible. So, as soon as she stepped home, she went to her room, closed the door and threw herself on top of the bed. Silence, at last.
Emma closed her eyes, placing one arm on top of her head, enjoying the silence and the darkness of her bedroom.
"Mom?" The door opened slowly, a small voice coming from behind it, "Can I come in?" Henry asked, already inside the room.
Emma lifted her head to look at her son. She couldn't control the annoyance building up inside her chest with the imposition of the boy's presence and it took about a second for her to feel bad about it. "Sure, kid. Come here!" she managed to smile, tapping the spot beside her in the bed for him to sit, and breathing deeply in order to calm her nerves down. After all, she had to take advantage of the fact that her son seemed in a better mood towards her than he had been the past days. "Is everything ok?" she asked a bit worried.
"I guess…" He plopped down next to her, a hint of sadness in his tone, "It is all so messed up, isn't it? I thought that once the curse was broken everyone would get their happy endings and we would be ok. But –"
"It didn't turn out how you hoped for." Emma completed for him, adjusting herself on the bed so that they were sitting side by side.
Henry nodded, inhaling deeply. His mother could tell he was just as tired as she was, "I wonder when this will end. All the fighting, you know?"
Emma nodded, biting on her lower lip, she didn't know if this was the best time to talk to him about her encounter with Regina earlier, but then again, it never seemed like the right time. "Hey, kid…" she tried, locking eyes with him, "I saw you mom today."
"Wh-what?" his voice cracked, eyes wide open, "Why would you do that?"
"It wasn't planned." The blonde replied reassuringly, making sure her son understood she was not doing anything behind his back or lying to him in any way, "I was driving around town and then spotted someone at the town's border, I decided to check who that was to make sure no one was trying to cross over and she was there."
Emma knew there was a white lie behind her words, but Henry didn't need to be aware of how distressing it was for her to be around them lately and that that was the reason why she decided to drive as far away as she could. Noticing the boy just standing there, frozen in place, and the glimmer of suspicion in his gaze, she continued, "She is really sad, Henry."
Nothing. The almost eleven year old remained still. Emma studied his face, the lack of emotion showing there reminding her immediately of Regina, the way the older woman always infuriated her by not demonstrating anything other than coldness and formality behind her every move. It still amazed her how Henry could be so much like Regina at times.
Emma touched her son's arm kindly, "It's ok to miss her, to worry about her, you know? I will never judge you for loving your mom, Henry."
The boy stood up, walking away from Emma's touch. "No!" he almost yelled, the expression on his face going from numb to angry in an instant, "You don't understand! She is evil, Emma! She kills people, she tried to kill you!" Henry pointed at her direction, his tone a little higher, "She is and always will be the Evil Queen! You need to stay away from her, it's all her fault! Why can't you see that?!"
"Henry, calm down!" Emma left the bed and walked towards him as soon as she noticed the boy's distress, then placed both of her hands on top of his shoulders, holding him in place so that they were in the same eye level. "It's ok. We'll fix things, we will find a way, I promise."
"Please don't see her again, please!" he pleaded, eyes teary. "I don't want her hurting us anymore."
"Hey, listen to me." She made sure their eyes were locked, before continuing,"Regina would never hurt you. Never, ok? You don't have to be afraid of her, of anything. We will find a way." She repeated the last words more to herself than anything, bringing the boy close to her in an embrace. "You need to trust me."
Henry held her close, trying to refrain from crying. "She killed her own mom and dad, why wouldn't she kill me?"
It was said in almost a whisper but Emma heard it really loud in her ears, she inhaled deeply, closing her eyes, feeling like she had just being punched. She understood the fear and the pain in the small boy's words, but that didn't mean it wasn't too much to bear. Emma needed to get out.
A mist of purple smoke filled Henry's bedroom and, when it dissipated, Regina appeared in the middle of the room, her eyes still red from crying. After her encounter with Emma, and especially after the woman's last words about Henry's worry and love for her, there was no other place she'd rather be. Regina was home.
The regal woman paced around, a flush of warmth in her chest, being around her son's most precious objects somehow calmed her soul, a sense of familiarity washed over her and it felt so good to be there again. Walking further into the room, Regina held onto the memories floating inside her mind, remembering every single moment she'd spent with her baby boy in that exact same room and the happiness and love that she had experienced as soon as she held him in her arms. A tiny broken smile formed on her lips as she glanced around, looking at the pictures of a much younger Henry hanging on the wall. She walked towards it, touching one of the frames with so much care and longing, it all seemed like a lifetime away.
The former queen sighed heavily, wishing she hadn't wasted so much time, that she had shown Henry all the love she held so dear in her heart. The brunette let herself regret what she'd lost by keeping her son at such distance. Slowly, she walked towards his bed. It had been so long since he had been in this room that it didn't even smell like him anymore. She took his pillow in her arms, like she had done a few months ago; holding it close to her like it was her little boy himself. Henry's scent was already gone, but if she closed her eyes and concentrated she could still remember how his hair smelled like when she'd kiss his forehead goodnight. The woman's grip tightened around his pillow, a loud sigh escaping her lungs. She didn't want to cry anymore, she was so tired of it, but the tears came anyway, and with them the hard sobs Regina didn't know she was holding.
The Evil Queen had finally been beaten. Regina Mills was defeated.
Emma watched as Henry slept deeply beside her, leaning in to kiss him lightly in the forehead before stepping out of bed slowly. The woman grabbed her red leather jacket and car keys, gave her son another glance and walked out of the room.
The loft was finally quiet, with a side glance she spotted the dwarves sleeping heavily in the middle of the living room, all tangled up in one another, and she couldn't help but wonder how they could sleep that deep in such an uncomfortable position. Careful not to wake anyone up, Emma tiptoed towards the exit only to stand dumbfounded in front of a very much armed Granny sitting on a chair, protecting the house's entrance. To her luck, the old lady was also deep in sleep, holding her crossbow as if her life depended on it, and Emma couldn't help chuckling at the image. Slowly, the Sheriff used her abilities acquired from her one night stands to walk away unannounced, and left the place without being caught. Or at least she thought so, because as soon as she closed the door she could feel someone else's presence standing right behind her.
"Going somewhere, Em?" Not only Ruby's tone, but also her slightly raised eyebrow indicated her curiosity. The young brunette crossed her arms around her chest.
"Oh... Yeah... I was just -" Emma stammered, being caught and having to explain why she was leaving in the middle of the night was not part of her escaping plan, "I needed the fresh air." She went for the safer answer. "You?"
Red only motioned her head to the full moon and Emma nodded. "Out for a run, before I accidentally ripped off Leroy's head with my teeth!" The girl said jokingly, a large grin on her lips, dropping her arms to her side. "That man is driving me crazy!"
Emma laughed inwardly in return, straightening her face quickly into a much more concerned one, "Could I ask you a favor?", she sounded more serious than she intended to, staring at the younger woman's blue eyes.
"Of course, Emma! You can ask me anything, you know that!" The reply held so much affection the blonde couldn't help but smile sincerely.
"I need you to keep an eye on Henry for me. I still don't trust Neal around him, so could you please just be around them while I'm-" she stopped, shifting awkwardly in place, "Just keep an eye on him for me, could you do that? Please?" The woman continued, not breaking eye contact, but making sure her friend understood not to ask anything else.
Ruby only nodded, "You will be ok, right?"
"Right." Emma looked down at her shoes, foot playing below her, "I just need a break, that's all. But I'll be alright."
"Good then!" The younger woman clapped her hands, her voice much cheerier than expected, "I'll be going in then, before Granny decides I need to be hunt down!" She winked at Emma, not taking her huge grin off her face.
Ruby didn't need to ask anything as she knew Emma would always do the right thing. She had faith in her, as did the rest of the town. The brunette decided there was no need to question the other woman. The perky girl knew deep in her heart what is was like for Emma, there was too much going on with her friend's life at this stage, and how overwhelming everything seemed like for someone who was not from their world. She still remembered how she felt when she found out she was the big bad wolf, and how wonderful it was to have Snow White beside her, providing the comfort and care she desperately needed. So right at this moment, staring deep into green eyes, Ruby would return the favor, and what her best friend's daughter needed the most was someone at her side. And if it was an ally that Emma was asking for at the moment, she'd be it.
And for that, the Sheriff would be forever grateful.
Emma squeezed her friend's arm in a thank you gesture and, without saying another word, walked to the bug across the street. As soon as she was inside her car she let out a sigh she didn't know she was holding and grabbed the steering wheel with such force her knuckles turned immediately white. The blonde took a long and deep breath in and waited a few seconds after Ruby closed the door behind her to drive away.
It was only when Emma spotted the first light of morning she became conscious she had been driving for a long time, heading nowhere. And as if by instinct, she found herself parking at the same spot she had just hours before, in the same place she'd met Regina.
Replaying their brief conversation in her head, Emma stepped out of the car, feeling the cold wind blowing her hair away and brushing her skin. The woman closed her eyes at ease in deep thought, a sigh escaping from her lips. If someone told her a year ago where she'd be today, she would never believe it, yet there she was. And like a ghost, the angst and fear she felt a decade ago when she found herself locked up in jail expecting a child were not that different from what she now experienced.
Emma stared at the "Leaving Storybrooke" sign in front of her, the woman thought about the day she first arrived and how everything in her once ordinary life had changed. She swallowed thickly, her heart coming to a clunking in her chest. How did she go from an average Boston citizen to the Savior of a whole realm?
"Savior…" Emma whispered the word quietly to herself almost mockingly. She was no savior, the sheriff kicked a little stone with her shoes in a childish manner, if she was the hero everyone claimed her to be, would they be in such a mess? What had she done anyway?
"Nothing", she answered her own question aloud. The only thing she did was break a curse that she was meant to break since before she was born, so that had nothing to do with being a hero or anything like it. The blonde placed her hands on the back pocket of her jeans, pacing back and forth nervously. A savior would have most definitely listened to their instincts, especially when they were screaming for one's innocence. Perhaps if she'd done that, if she had listened to Regina, they wouldn't be in such chaos. A true knight wouldn't pick sides to choose who they were going to save, so why had she abandoned Regina when she needed the most? What kind of savior was she?
Emma kept walking around, her mind full with thoughts. Mary Margaret had told her once that she herself was to blame for the curse, that she had destroyed Regina's happiness, and even though Emma still couldn't quite understand why, that thought along with the fact that Mary Margaret had just tricked Regina into killing her own mother, made her see things in another perspective. Good and evil were just a misunderstood concept.
The young woman ran back to her car, turning it on almost instantly. She had to speak to Regina again.
TBC