One shot (possibly two) story about how Regina's happy ending could differ.
Just some angsty fluff that had been swirling around in my brain for some time now so I decided to put it into words. I hope it all makes sense!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned
Take it easy on me, I'm new to this.
:-:
"Regina," Emma yelled as she slammed open the front door to They mayors mansion. "I know you're here!" She was practically out of breath from running. She kicked the door shut and continued her journey onward. "Regina," she yelled again to no avail. "You can't avoid me forever." Her voice echoed off the walls.
Regina appeared at the top of the stairs with a small glass in hand. The amber liquid swayed gently back and forth as she took a step and then another. "I'm not hiding dear," she announced taking a generous sip of what Emma recognized to be her famous apple cider. She sat on the top step and leaned against the wall for support sighing deeply.
It didn't take long for Emma to charge up the stairs. Her eyes glazed over, and she realized she wasn't really in control of her movements... It was as if her body was moving on its own. Her brain wasn't controlling her body, her body was controlling her brain, her heart, and her soul.
Brown boots fell heavy on the carpeted wooden staircase as she stepped up one by one until she was hovering over Regina's form. The brunette looked up through her eyelashes, fear etched all over her face. Emma's chest rose and fell in rapid succession. She was a mixture of anger, lust, rage, and confusion. "Don't ever walk away from me like that again!" She practically shouted to the subdued woman below her.
Regina finished off her drink in one huge gulp and stood up using the rail to help her maintain balance. She wasn't in the habit of apologizing to anyone, especially Emma, and she wasn't about to start now. "Will that be all Miss Swan?" She seethed through her teeth. When Emma said nothing she turned her back to the blonde behind her and started to walk away.
Emma reached out a hand effectively grabbing Regina by the wrist and stopping her motion of walking away from her... again. "You're not doing this to me again." She said, anger making itself known in her voice. "What's going on Regina," she asked demanding answers. "Please talk to me." She begged, as green eyes searched brown. "Let's talk about this..." She said pulling out the page from her jacket that caused Regina to flee in the first place.
Earlier that day...
"I brought lunch," Emma smiled dropping a salad on Regina's desk. "And root beer." She pulled two bottles out of her coat pockets.
Regina smirked and shook her head trying to stifle a laugh. "You eat like Henry." She said getting a whiff of Emma's burger and fries. She couldn't help but roll her eyes and the blondes antics.
"Salads are boring." Emma stated shrugging her shoulders. "I might as well be grazing on grass." She petulantly stated taking a fry and popping it in her mouth.
Regina sighed and rolled her eyes. "Salads are healthy, and they're good for you." She stated uncovering her salad and taking a fork to the crisp lettuce. She smiled as the vegetable crunched in her mouth appreciating the cool feel against her tongue. "Thank you Emma, this is a nice surprise." She stated her eyes shining.
Emma wasn't sure when, or why, but things between the two women had shifted right about the time they started looking for the author. Emma, like Henry was convinced that Regina deserved her happy ending, and she was going to do everything in her power to help along her new found friend in her former enemy.
"You're welcome," Emma smiled, a genuine smile as she nibbled on another fry. "So what do we know so far about this author person?" She asked standing from her seat to tie her hair back.
"Not much," Regina shook her head. "Just that he's the one responsible for writing the stories. I have no idea who he is or how to find him. I don't even know if it is a him... For all we know it could be a rabbit in an overcoat." Regina stated pushing her salad away from her.
Things had been crazy since they started their pursuit of finding the author. Small clues would make themselves known and Regina knew a little more than she was letting on. She had a few pages in her possession that had just popped up seemingly out of no where. She had more questions than she did answers, and right now she was overwhelmed.
Emma walked over to a small table where the storybook laid, and gently ran her fingers over the gold etching of "once upon a time". If anyone had told her three years ago that fairytales were actually real, and that she was part of that world, she would have laughed at them, and then made an appointment for them with the first psychiatrist she could find. But there was no denying anything now. Everything and anything was possible, and Emma herself was living proof of that.
It's the one thing that convinced her Regina did deserve her happy ending. And then woman had proven herself to be trust worthy time, and time again. Long gone was the evil queen, and in her place was Regina; a woman once lost and broken, she now was basically beckon of hope. Emma smiled as she flipped open the book and ran her hands over the smooth pages. "I wish there was something in here that could tell us who he was." She sighed flipping it closed.
"I've searched that thing front and back," Regina shook her head. "There's nothing." She shrugged. "Henry wanted to do some research at the library, but I convinced him to take the night off." She smiled thinking of her son.
"So you convinced him to go to Wyatt's camp out after all?" Emma laughed.
Regina nodded her head and looked up thinking back to when Henry had told both his moms about being invited to his first overnight outing since the curse broke. They were eating dinner, all of them. Henry and Emma sat across from Regina and Robin while Mary Margret, and David sat on each end of the table. Granny's diner was busy, and loud, but In that moment Regina heard only the voices of the people with her. She felt whole and happy, she felt a part of something for the first time in a long time, and she never thought she'd be there again. She never thought she'd be friends with her enemy, she never thought she'd be happy again.
Emma knocked Regina out of her thoughts as she rounded the desk to stand in front of her. "We will find your happy ending Regina." She stated with such conviction it sent a shiver through the brunettes spine.
Regina couldn't help but believe her. But now she wasn't sure what her happy ending was... She backed away from Emma, pushing herself off of her desk in a desperate attempt to get some distance. Nothing in her life was ever easy (her mother made sure of that) but she didn't expect things to get more complicated on this journey.
"What's wrong?" Emma asked confused as her butt came in contact with cooled surface of Regina's desk.
The brunettes eyes were wide with worry as they fixed themselves on a few papers laying carelessly on the white surface of her table. How had she not noticed she put those there, and how could she attempt to hide them now without Emma seeing them or questioning her. "I... it's nothing dear," she fumbled over her words.
Emma followed Regina's gazed and noticed what looked to be like two pages straight from the book. "What is this?" She asked picking them up.
Regina's heart rate increased, and she could hear the blood pumping through her ears as Emma started examining the first page. "It's you and Robin!" Emma exclaimed excitedly. The pair were locked in a kiss as he held on to her arms tightly.
"Yes," Regina stated as she stood up to grab the pages from Emma. "Now if you could just..." she said reaching forward and towards the illustration.
Emma flipped the pages before Regina could react. Green eyes went wide and pink lips parted taking in a huge gasp of air. "Regina," the blonde questioned as her eyes scanned over the page. "What is this?"
Regina hung her head and sighed. "I don't know," she admitted quietly. If there had been any other noise in the room, Emma wouldn't have been able to hear her. "Those showed up on top of the book one day. I had them locked in a drawer... I'm not sure how those ended up on my desk." She said searching out Emma's expression. She couldn't get a read on the blonde at all.
"But... this... this is..." Emma spit out, unable to form a cohesive statement.
"I know," Regina said stepping forward, gently coaxing the pages from Emma's now shaky hands.
Brown eyes roamed over the page she had taken from the blonde. Emma and Regina were lip locked. Emma's hands rested in brown locks of hair, and Regina's hands caressed Emma's face. "I wasn't sure what it meant. I figured I would get more answers before I said anything to anyone." Regina's usually stoic and strong voice was now slightly shaky with worry.
Emma licked her lips and started to pace back and forth before running a hand through her hair. "I don't... I don't understand." Emma said crinkling her eyebrows. "I mean, we haven't... we've never... you're with Robin, I'm with Killian." Emma said stopping as she locked eyes with the worried brown ones in front of her.
"Emma," Regina said reaching out a hand and placing it on a jacket covered arm. "It's just a page in a book." She soothed, effectively stilling the sheriff. "Look, there's one of Robin and I also. This is why I didn't say anything." Regina rolled her eyes and laid the pages back on her desk.
Small tears made their way to the front of green eyes and Emma took a deep breath trying to steady herself. "Just a page in a book." She practically scoffed. She bit her bottom lip willing herself not to cry. This was insane.
She had feelings for the mayor of Storybrooke. Real honest to goodness feelings, but she never said anything out of fear of rejection. She had too much of that in her past to deal with it in her future. So she said nothing. She kept quiet, and acted supportive as a relationship between Regina and Robin formed. She even found good company in the form of Hook for herself. When he was around it was easy to take focus off of her feelings for the mayor. But now this page was staring her in the face, and she was in a round about way being rejected even though she had done so well to protect herself.
"Emma," Regina said reaching forward running her hand along Emma's jaw. She could read the blondes feelings now like a book. "I..." she started before she through caution to the wind.
She leaned forward pressing her lips against Emma's. They were soft and sure against her own. Without even thinking she deepened the kiss, bringing her hands up to blonde locks pressing Emma's slight form flush against her own. She ran her tongue along Emma's bottom lip seeking out permission to enter the blondes heated mouth. It was eagerly granted as pink lips parted and pale hands took purchase against Regina's hips.
Regina's tongue gently massaged Emma's eliciting a soft breathy moan to erupt from the younger woman's throat. The blondes knees went weak as her head started spinning out of control. She had dreamed of this moment on more than one occasion. And even in her wildest dreams the feel of Regina's lips against her own didn't compare to the real deal. It was magical, and breathtaking. It was everything.
All to soon that good feeling was gone. Regina had broken this kiss and taken several large steps backwards. Worried brown eyes searched Emma's features for a few moments before she fled. She grabbed her purse and left the office quicker than Emma could even think. Emma was left with the sound of the mayors heels clicking against the marble floor. Before she could gain control of her senses Regina was gone.
-Regina's mansion-
"I don't know what came over me, I'm sorry." Regina apologized as she pulled her arm back from Emma. She wasn't really sorry. She had been wanting to do that for some time now, and the moment felt right... until it just didn't. "You're with guy liner... I mean Killian," Regina corrected herself knowing the name calling was just a childish form of jealousy. "And I'm with Robin, and that's how it is." She stated firmly.
"Regina..." Emma started before she was cut off. She could see the confusion and fear in those deep pools of brown eyes. Regina couldn't hide from Emma, she never could.
"No Miss Swan," Regina stated in attempt to cut her off. "Discussion over."
"Stop calling me that," Emma shouted, her voice bouncing off the walls. "My name is Emma, Regina! I think we are far from the formalities don't you?" She was frustrated now. "You don't get to tell me how anything is. I know you're used to getting your way. I know you're used to bossing people around, and them cowering in fear, but in case you didn't notice I'm not like other people." She said now taking confident strides toward the mayor effectively backing her up against the wall.
"This isn't just about you," the blonde continued. She was on a roll now. "I have a say also, and you'll do well to remember that. You kissed me back there Regina, not the other way around, but in case you didn't notice I kissed you back. I don't know why you stopped or what scared you, but it happened and you can't just erase that." She said her tone now softened. "Why did you run?"
"I don't know," Regina admitted with a deep sigh. "You scare me Emma. Everything about you scares me."
Green eyes softened at the vulnerability of the usually well put together woman in front of her. "You scare me too," Emma smiled shaking her head. "But I think we owe it to ourselves to figure out what's going on here." She said now completely in Regina's personal space. "That kiss..." she trailed off thinking to just minutes before. "It knocked the breath out of me. I know you felt the same."
Regina could deny it, but it was no use. She nodded twice in confirmation but couldn't find words to articulate.
"Talk to me Regina. What do you want?" Emma pleaded.
"I don't know." Regina answered honestly. It was simple, but it was true.
With that Emma pressed her lips once again to Regina's. Sure the brunette had initiated the first kiss, but she wasn't going to let it go with just that. She had been fighting these feelings for far too long, and she was over it.
This kiss was just as amazing as the first, if not more amazing. It was as if they were both falling, through time and space. The ground seemed to disappear from below them and nothing outside of the moment existed. It was in fact magical, there was no other word to describe it.
A single tear escaped from Regina's eye as her hands connected with Emma's face. She wanted to pull her closer and push her away all at the same time. It was almost too much. Her heart was flip flopping in her chest, and her thoughts were a pile of mush in her brain. Nothing had felt this right since Henry was placed in her arms all those years ago.
Emma broke the kiss when she needed air and pressed her forehead to Regina's. "I don't want to pressure you, but I want you to know I'm here." She said tucking a stray hair behind Regina's ear. "Come find me when you're ready to talk."
The blonde grabbed the railing and made her way back down the stair case. It took everything she had to walk away in that moment. But the ball was in Regina's court now.