Title: Meeting the Future In-Laws (Or Our Crazy, Mixed-Up Family Life)
Author: tromana
Rating: T
Characters: Regina/Emma, (Snow/Charming)
Summary: Meeting the future in-laws for the first time is never easy. Especially if they are Snow White and Prince Charming... and you're Regina.
Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time, or any characters associated with it.
Spoilers: Early Season 2.
Notes: Written for hoshinekoyasha, who asked for some Regina/Emma fluff. Thanks to Miss Peg for the quick once-over.
Meeting the Future In-Laws (Or Our Crazy, Mixed-Up Family Life)
"This is ridiculous," Regina huffed as they headed towards the castle. "They know who I am, and they'll never accept me as a part of the family."
"You've been a part of the family once; I'm sure you can be again," Emma said softly, before getting louder. "Besides, you're the one who proposed to me, remember?"
Regina flinched. Of course she remembered and she didn't regret that decision in an instant. Henry had actually been the one to nudge her into proposing to Emma Swan; he'd justified it by saying that he wanted both of his moms to be married. He wanted them to be a proper family. And most of all, he wanted them to be able to prove to Snow and Charming that she was a changed woman. No longer was she the 'Evil Queen', but simply Regina. Naturally, she couldn't say no. She could never say no to her beloved son. After all, as much as Emma had changed her, he had been the one to instigate it. Without Henry, she wouldn't have been the woman she was today. Instead, she would have been eaten up by the bitterness that ravage inside of her. That was a thought that made her feel even more uncomfortable about this daunting prospect.
This wasn't like a general meeting of the future in-laws, and that was bad enough. Regina knew Snow and Charming. Intimately. And she also knew that their history was something that would be difficult – no – impossible to put behind them. After all, they still knew her as the Evil Queen, murderer, villainess, curse caster, the person who doomed them to 28 years of misery. She was the woman who wanted them dead for seemingly petty reasons. They didn't know just how much she had changed, under the care and guidance of Henry and Emma. Although it was meant to be impossible, this leopard had changed her spots.
There had been a time when she had wanted Snow dead in revenge for what she had done to poor Daniel. But, without Daniel's death, she would never have cast the curse and ultimately, that would have never led Emma to her. The tragedy of the cause and effect still hurt inside, but Emma was like a magical salve that could soothe her in her time of need. Regina had been taught that people only ever got one 'true love' but now, she vehemently disagreed. She loved Emma as much as she loved Daniel – and if not, more so. Emma had truly seen her at her worst, and had still managed to get over it. She was still here; she had volunteered to come back to the Enchanted Forest purely to remain with her and Henry. If that wasn't true love, then Regina would never really understand what was.
"Regina, you're overthinking again."
"Am I?"
Another issue quickly sprang to mind. Relationships between people of the same sex weren't against the law, but they were incredibly uncommon in the Enchanted Forest. In spite of all the time she had invested in Snow and Charming, Regina still wasn't entirely sure how they would react to the idea of their only child entering into a relationship with another woman. Just because they already had a grandson (and thus, an heir), it didn't necessarily mean they wouldn't have hoped for more. There were ways around it, of course, but it did make things more difficult. Already, she could imagine the strained smile of Snow White, pretending she was absolutely okay with Emma's choice of beloved, and Charming grinding his teeth as he proffered a hand for her to shake. That was providing they didn't abject refuse Emma's hand in marriage based on her… history with the family.
Emma cupped her cheeks in her hands and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. For just a moment, Regina was lost to her touch. Her eyes fluttered shut and in that instant she remembered all their hopes and dreams for the future. She could see just how thrilled Henry had been when he realized his two moms were going to be married. And she knew that they had saved each other. All she really needed was Emma and Henry. The three of them made up a little family unit and that was what counted. She was so lost in thought that she barely noticed Emma leave her side.
But Emma, having grown up without her parents (because of her) desperately needed to seek out their approval. Regina knew that she had to at least try, even if she did think it was utterly foolish to even think about it. So, that was why she was here, feeling incredibly awkward as her fiancée attempted to persuade her that everything would be absolutely fine. With a sigh, she took a step out of the carriage. Emma was already embracing her parents. Then, with a wry smile, the blonde turned to face her again and held out her hand. Instinctively, Regina took it.
"Mom, Dad," Emma said clearly and looked Snow and Charming square in the eyes. "This is my fiancée, Regina."
xxx
"Emma, dear," Snow started haltingly and grabbed Emma by the arm. "A word?"
Emma could feel herself cringing, but she nodded anyway. A part of her still associated Snow White with Mary Margaret, the woman who had become her first real friend. Even now she had taken the plunge to moving into the Enchanted Forest (as her birthright dictated, if Henry was to be believed), she still had problems separating the two. As far as she was concerned, it was fair enough, because Mary Margaret was always going to be a part of Snow. But, she knew what was coming next and hadn't been looking forward to it.
In silence, Emma left Regina with her father and followed her mother through to one of the many reception rooms. Emma still hadn't entirely gotten to grips with the sheer number of rooms her parents' castle had and couldn't navigate around it properly by herself. Her son, meanwhile, had taken to it like a duck to water and there were no surprises there. Unlike her, Henry had always been far better suited to life in this universe rather than the one she still fondly referred to as 'home'. She watched awkwardly as Snow closed the door, before rounding on her with a hint of fire in her eyes.
"What are you thinking, Emma? That's Regina, the Evil-"
"You know she's not evil anymore. And don't you dare say a leopard cannot change its spots, because she has learned the error of her ways. I wouldn't be with her if she hadn't."
"She's also your grandmother, I hope you realize that."
"Step-grandmother and widow," Emma asserted. She wasn't going to let Snow White win this one. She was going to prove to Regina that they could all play happy families and get on with it. If Regina could reassess her entire life and come out of the dark pit of despair, then Snow and Charming could just as easily accept her decision. "She's not related to me by blood. And because of the curse, the age-difference-"
Snow sat down on a chair and pinched the bridge of her nose. Emma could see that she wasn't happy with this, but even so, she wasn't willing to lose any of them over this. She was in love and that – and Henry's happiness – was all that mattered.
"Her curse cost us your childhood."
"In a roundabout way, it also brought us together and brought Henry into our lives."
"Henry could have – should have - been conceived here."
Emma sighed and sat down beside Snow. Slowly, she interlinked her fingers with her mother's and like when she had comforted Regina back in the carriage, she stared her deep in the eyes. This was fine; they were going to be okay. In theory, there was nothing to be scared of. After all, Snow understood all about true love. She should realize that Emma was the one with the truly terrifying undertaking, not her. After all, love wasn't always that easy.
"Mom," she said, after considering just how to label Snow at this moment in time. "I love you. I love Dad. I love Henry and I wouldn't have had him in any other way. And I also love Regina. It wasn't her fault she came out the way she did; it was Cora's. You didn't kill Daniel; she did. And Regina knows that now. Every night, she's deeply ashamed of how she reacted. The only good that came out of the curse is Henry and our love."
"You saved us all. I couldn't have wished for my daughter to come out in any other way."
"Then, let me be with Regina. Don't let history repeat itself and deny our love."
It only took half a second for Snow to toy with the concept and then, she was up on her feet. Emma grinned; without speaking, she could tell she had won.
"You are sure she's your true love?" Snow asked questioningly.
"I am."
Hand in hand, they headed back towards the dining hall. Emma could already imagine Regina and Charming just staring at each other, neither one of them knowing exactly what to say. But, if she had managed to convince Snow that their love was just, then she knew her mother would be able to get her father to come around too. As she expected, her future wife and father were glaring across the table at each other. Snow, meanwhile, clapped her hands together once to get their attention. Emma wasn't surprised at all, that in reality, Snow White was the one who wore the trousers in the relationship. She never had been.
"Right, I believe we have an engagement ball to be organizing."
"What?" Charming stated, already surprised at the words falling from his wife's mouth.
"Mom," Emma answered, mortified.