Coming Out
Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time or any of its characters. Swan Queen would've been canon by now if I did. All rights go Adam and Eddy.
A/N: This one-shot came to me during a thunderstorm when the power was out…I couldn't sleep because there wasn't any Internet. Set post season 2 finale, no Neverland arc. I hope you all enjoy.
"I was very vulnerable because I wanted someone to love me."
Unknown
How do you tell your parents that you're not straight, that you're different from them because of your sexuality? Do you sit them down and start off slowly or rip it off like a Band-Aid and accept the collateral damage? How do you begin to explain to them that you like having sex with both men and women? How would they take it? Negatively? Positively? Would they have any reaction at all?
The thunder that crackled through the air drew Emma from her thoughts, the sound loud enough that she jumped. Glancing outside, she saw that the sky had darkened, storm clouds formed and ready to release at any moment, and it was barely noon. It had been a slow day at the station, but when the weather report had come in about a severe thunderstorm warning at ten this morning, she'd set out notifying all the businesses, making sure they had heard, before settling in for a day of paperwork and waiting for calls about the storm to come in. While she had worked on the, admittedly months overdue, paperwork, her thoughts gradually went to how she could come out to her parents. She'd been meaning to for a while now, (they didn't know that part of her, and she wanted them to) but with what had gone on with Cora, and then Greg and Tamara, and then the trigger, well…she didn't exactly have the time. She wanted to tell them soon though…
Another crack of thunder pulled her once again from her thoughts, though she managed to not jump again. The distinct sound of heels had her turning towards the door, setting down her pen. When Regina appeared in the doorway dressed in one of her pantsuits and a warm-looking black coat, Emma raised an eyebrow.
"Something you need, Madame Mayor?"
"They're letting the school out early because of the storm," the regal woman paused for a moment, eyeing the completed paperwork before looking back at her, "I was wondering if you were still going to pick Henry up tonight after dinner."
She couldn't resist her smile. Since the mine incident, she and Regina had managed to have some sort of parental arrangement going on. Regina would have Henry one week and Emma would pick him up after dinner that Friday, rotating weekends with their son. Of course, she never called Henry their son out loud. There would be too many questions. Realizing Regina was still waiting for an answer, she cleared her throat and spoke, "Actually, I'm going to stay at the station for a little while longer tonight. I don't trust the storm. I'll pick him up tomorrow, if that's alright?"
"Of course," The brunette looked at the paperwork again, a smirk tugging at her lips, "Do try to get caught up on this month's paperwork too while you're at it, Sherriff, just don't stay too late." She shot the blonde a teasing smile before disappearing out the door, her heels signaling her exit.
She let out a low sigh as she picked her pen back up, looking back down at the paperwork again, her voice sounding loud in the otherwise unoccupied room as she muttered to herself, "Yeah, you get home safe too, Regina."
Regina leaned against the wall outside the room a moment longer, a smile slipping onto her face at the words. Before she allowed herself to think any more of it, she disappeared in a cloud of smoke to get her and Emma's son.
The blonde looked out her window, glancing at the sky, when she heard the pouring rain hit the roof some two hours later. The clouds were an angry black, and it seemed like this severe storm had the makings of a hurricane. The rain slanted, sounding like bullets when they hit the windows. With a frown, she picked up her phone. She sent a quick text to Ruby about getting three burgers and orders of fries for her and her parents, getting a confirmation back, before she shut down her desktop, grabbed her keys and draped her jacket over her arm, braving the storm to get to her Bug. Safely inside, she switched on the heat and tossed her jacket in the back seat before putting the car into gear and trudging slowly down the road to Granny's.
The normal three minute drive took almost ten. At one point, she had to stop to wait for the rain to slow down, her visibility having been reduced to next to nothing. When she finally stopped at Granny's, she left her engine running – the heat always took forever to kick in – and shot out of her car; Ruby met her at the door, handing her the bag and telling her she could pay next time.
If there was no other person to talk to about her problems, she knew she always had Ruby. She had confided in the tall brunette about her sexuality after a night of drinking, and not surprisingly, the other woman didn't care. Ruby may have been her mom's best friend, but Emma still trusted her with her secret. So, yeah, maybe she'd blurted out that she was bi, but drunk as she had been, she hadn't remembered until Ruby had mentioned it the next day on one of her breaks. She had panicked, begging the werewolf not to tell her parents, and the brunette had assured her that she'd keep quiet.
That had been almost two months ago, and true to her word, Ruby was the only one who knew. Well, honestly, Emma suspected Granny knew because of her werewolf hearing, but she trusted the old woman like she trusted Ruby. It wasn't fair for either of them to be keeping secrets, and it definitely wasn't fair for Ruby to be keeping one from her best friend. Henry didn't need to know her sexuality right now; she knew that he'd understand and support her, and she wanted to tell him, but her parents were her main concern. As she climbed back into her Bug and crept towards the loft, she sighed.
Tonight, she reminded herself, I'll tell them tonight.
Entering her parent's apartment 15 minutes later, clutching the bag of food protectively, she wondered if maybe tonight was going to be a bad night to tell them anything. David was staring out the window with a dark, brooding expression, and Snow was sitting on the couch, her phone placed on one of the armrests, no doubt on speaker, looking worried and angry, her voice coming out harsh, and Emma winced in sympathy at whomever's on the other line, "…and you should've made her go home hours ago, Regina."
Confusion clouded her face. Since when did Snow ever talk with Regina?
"I'm not her mother, Snow," Regina's voice was barely heard over the storm, "you are. She's an adult, and she can take care of herself."
"You're the mayor! You could've closed down the Sheriff's Station and ordered her home!"
"She was just catching up on paperwork," Regina let out an exasperated sigh, "Nothing dangerous, I assure you. She should be home soon."
"What if the Bug didn't start or she got…"
"Enough!" Regina's voice was a low growl through the tiny speaker, "Emma has magic to get her out of trouble, idiot."
"Don't…" Charming started to speak, but she cut him off from the doorway, not wanting to listen to any fighting.
"I'm back."
"There, see?" Regina's voice held agitation, coming out from the phone again, and Emma just barely resisted the urge to smile, "She's with you two, safe and –"
Snow snapped her phone shut, the irritation at her former step-mother disappearing from her face to be replaced with a smile as she walked over to her daughter for a hug, "Emma, we were so worried."
She held up the bag of food as a shield from her mother, smiling softly, "I brought dinner."
It isn't that she doesn't love her parents. She does, but having grown up without them for 28 years, she feels disconnected from them. Hell, they're the same age as she is. David walked over to them, pressing a kiss to her temple and then a light kiss to his wife's lips, moving into the kitchen to grab plates.
"An early dinner sounds great, Emma."
Even if her mother completely freaks at the information, she knows that her dad will always love her, no matter what. She always felt like she would be a daddy's girl anyway growing up. She let out an inaudible sigh as she joined her parents at the kitchen table, passing them their food almost silently. Maybe everything would be okay.
She stood silently by the window, her hands clutched tightly into fists, silently trying to figure out a way to say it. It's not hard to do. It's easy. Just open my mouth and tell them that I like men and women. It can't be that hard. They come from a land with werewolves and magic. They'll get it…right?
"Emma?" She snapped out of her thoughts at her mother's voice, looking up to find them watching her from the couch, waiting for what she had to tell them.
Why did I have to tell them tonight? Lightning flashed outside, thunder rumbling, and she sighed softly. I promised myself I would. Come on, Emma.
"Right," she cleared her throat softly, wiping her sweaty palms on her jeans, "there's been something that I've been wanting to tell you guys for a while now, and I'm not sure how exactly to say it." She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. I can do this. "Mom, Dad, I'm…I'm bisexual." There, done, out in the open. "It means that I like…"
"We know what it means," Her head shot up, surprised by her father's outburst, something far too akin to disgust in his tone for her comfort. Wasn't he supposed to be the supportive one? Her mother sat unmoving beside him, shock on her face, her hand clutched tightly in her husband's. This isn't how I thought this would go. Dread pooled in her stomach. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, her father cut her off again, "Get out." His voice came out low and dangerous, something she's never heard before, but she felt her body freeze in place.
"What?" she whispered softly, almost to herself, feeling tears start to fill her eyes. I will not cry. I won't. Not because of this. Not because of them.
"Get out!" His voice, accompanied by a loud roar of thunder, made her jump.
She swallowed the lump in her throat, choking down the sob as she quickly left the loft, the door shutting loudly behind her.
At the sound of her cell phone ringing, Regina sighed softly, looking up from the hot cocoa she was making for Henry. Though the worst of the storm was over, rain continued to beat down outside; the power had been off for nearly an hour. Gods, is it so hard to get a night with my son without interruptions? Snatching up her phone, she scowled at the name on it and answered it quickly.
"What do you want now, Snow? I can't bring the power back on, the storm's too…" She paused, hearing the pixie-haired woman's poorly suppressed crying, "What's wrong? Was the TV showing Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and then the power went out?"
The woman on the other line sniffled, her voice coming out hoarse from the crying, the one word making the former queen pause, "Emma."
"Snow," she spoke slowly, her heart pounding harshly in her chest, feeling fear constrict it, "where is Emma?"
"We don't know…David and I…Emma left the loft because…because…"
"Because what?" she hissed out, quickly putting whipped cream and cinnamon on top of the cocoa. Snow was still crying, unable to form an answer, fumbling for words, so she walked into the living room where her son sat by the fire, a smile on his lips. She smiled back, passing him his drink, before heading back into the kitchen.
Hiccupping coughs come through the receiver, and Snow spoke softly, tinged in regret, "Emma…she told us that she was bisexual."
She turned the word over in her head, a small smile gracing her lips, "Bisexual, huh?" Of course, she knew the blonde had a liking for women. Well, she may have also seen the way Emma would look at her when she thought she wasn't paying attention.
"Regina, we…David was angry…"
The smile fell from her lips, "What did you two do?" Anger curled inside her, "What did you two idiots do, Snow?"
"David told her to leave, and she did."
"When did she leave?" she was already heading towards her coat and car keys.
"A couple hours ago."
Her anger was trying to take over, and she wanted to go ring her former-enemy's neck, but she held it at bay, "Did she take her car?"
"No…she…"
"You're an idiot."
"We just…we thought…"
Her voice came out with a sneer, "What? What did you think, Snow? This isn't the Enchanted Forest. People aren't going to be outcasts just because they aren't straight."
"You're an outcast here," Snow spoke before she could filter her thoughts.
Regina bit back an angry retort, though her voice still came out harsh, "Emma won't be one." She hung up and put on her coat, calling out to her son, "Henry, I'll be back in a little while."
"Okay," he called back, and she smiled softly at his next words, "I love you!"
"I love you too."
He ran into the foyer before she could open the door, "Hey, where are you going, anyway?"
She knelt down until she was eye-level with her son, "Your grandparents got mad at Emma tonight, and she left the loft. I need to go find her."
"I can go with you," he said quickly, "I can help…"
She pulled him into a hug, "Henry, all I need you to do is stay here if she tries to call or text, ok? And then call me if she does."
"Okay," he frowned softly, hugging her back.
Letting go of Henry, she saw the same look of annoyance that often showed on Emma's face and smiled, "I'll be back soon."
"With Emma?"
"Yes," she replied automatically. There was no way she would take no for an answer.
She hadn't taken into account that her father would be the irrational one. She thought for sure he'd accept her, even if her mother didn't. Sitting in the corner in the Sheriff's Station, knees pulled up to her chest, she choked back another sob. No matter how many times she went over it in her head, she couldn't understand it.
Get out. Get out. GET OUT!
She took in a shaky breath, feeling the tears she'd managed to push away start to slip down her cheeks. God, why did their rejection hurt so much? She shivered in the cold room, rubbing her arms to try and stay warm. Her jacket was in the Bug, and she was wearing her dark jeans and a white tank top, of all things. Even if she felt like moving, she couldn't even go get her jacket because the thought hadn't crossed her mind; she had just wanted to get away, to escape. It felt like the storm had only seemed to worsen when she bolted out into it, leaving her completely soaked through by the time she got here, which, in all honesty, she wasn't sure when she did. The power had cut off a while ago, and the heat of the room trickled away slowly, feeling like it left her faster. While the heat had done little to dry her clothes, she hadn't been worried about hypothermia. Now though, her joints felt stiff, and she really just wanted to sleep, but she knew that sleeping was a bad idea. No heat plus wet clothes was a bad idea.
She felt her eyes start to droop, but bit her lip and dug her fingernails into her arms, trying to stay awake. The sudden presence in front of her startled her (though if she could've focused, she would've noticed the lingering scent of magic) but before she had a chance to speak, Regina's voice washed over her body softly, "I found you." The brunette sounded relieved, which confused her to no end. Sure they were sort of friends but coming out in the middle of a storm to find her?
She cocked her head to the side, a frown settling on her lips, "What are you doing here?" Her teeth chattered despite her efforts to stop them, but Regina didn't seem to mind.
Instead, a blanket was placed around her shoulders, and Regina has her pulled against her, rubbing her arms through the blanket, "Emma, you're freezing."
"Thank you, Captain Obvious," she muttered softly but leaned against the mayor, trying again, "Why are you here?"
"You have to have something else here to wear."
"Stop ignoring my question," she growled out softly. She wanted to pull away, to go back to sulking, to glare at the woman, but removing her head from where it rested against Regina's shoulder seemed too difficult. Her voice came out with another shiver, "There's a bag in my drawer. It has another pair of jeans and a T-shirt."
She almost heard Regina roll her eyes, "Absolutely not. Something warmer…" Her voice trailed off, lost in thought, "Hmm, that'll work."
"What'll…" She felt Regina's magic wrapping around her, warm and immensely comforting. A moment later, she felt her wet clothes be replaced by a pair of sweats and a long-sleeved shirt. "Did you just magically undress me?"
"And redress you," Regina added with a smirk, wrapping the blanket more securely around the blonde, "It'll help you to warm up faster." The thought of a different way to warm up the blonde struck her, one that involved laying down the blanket, straddling the Savior, kissing her senseless, and getting hot and sweaty, but she instantly pushed it away. Now was neither the time nor the place for such thoughts. Not with Emma so vulnerable in her arms, needing someone to take away the sting of her parent's rejection. Gods, Regina, get a grip. She cleared her throat softly, resuming rubbing the blonde's arms again, "Your mother called," she felt Emma tense beneath her but held on tightly, "and she said they're both complete idiots for making you go out in such a storm."
"He told me to get out and she just sat there, doing nothing," Emma said softly, "I came out to them, hoping at least one of them would support me, and they just…" She cut herself off, a sob ripping its way up her throat. "They just didn't care."
"They're stuck in the old ways" she began softly, continuing to rub the blonde's arms, "you see, in the Enchanted Forest, being gay wasn't a problem. Kings could marry Kings, Queens could marry Queens, Queens could marry Princesses," she smirked softly when Emma tensed in her arms, "and, of course, Kings could marry Queens, Princes could marry Princesses, and your idiot parents could get married because a Princess could marry a farmer."
"Regina…" the blonde drawled, obviously not amused.
"Quiet, dear, it's story time," she grinned softly before it slipped from her lips as she continued, "However, the thought that someone could like both a man and a woman was unheard of. If you were thought to be bisexual or it came out that you had even the slightest incline for both, you were considered an outcast."
"Why?"
"People thought you were greedy, that you had no real value, take your pick."
"So even now, I'd be an outcast?"
"Not in my land," she said quickly, a small smile on her lips, "you see, after I had Snow's father killed, I abolished the outcast law."
Emma sat up, looking at her, confusion in her eyes, "Why would you…"
"I think that sticking to one gender is rather greedy," She brushed back a strand of hair that stuck to the blonde's cheek, "wouldn't you agree?"
The blonde's voice came out rough as she spoke, "You're bi?"
She hummed in agreement, a smirk tugging at her lips, even as she found herself leaning closer. She felt her magic at her fingertips, drawn towards the blonde's, felt desire start to pulse through her body, and she felt powerless to stop it. She gazed into hooded green eyes, lit with heat and desire, "It doesn't bother you, does it?"
She knew the answer, but when the blonde surged forward and kissed her, she felt that answer solidified. She had only wanted a small kiss, but the moment their lips touched, she felt something ignite inside her. She moaned softly, pulling the blonde onto her lap, kissing her back. Fingers sunk into her hair, pulling ever so lightly, and she bit the blonde's lower lip in reply; the moan that slipped from the younger woman's mouth had heat pooling into her core. Thoughts of Emma writhing in ecstasy under her filled her mind, and she pulled away abruptly, needing to get a rein on them before they forced her magic into action.
"Regina?" Hurt and confusion laced the blonde's words.
Damn it all. Their lips met again, harsh and insistent. Her body felt hot, desire coursing through her, her magic buzzing in her fingertips. There was nothing else she wanted to do more than make the woman in her arms smile.
She broke the kiss again, breathing heavily as she spoke, "I need you to come to back home with me."
"No," Emma shook her head, "No, I want to stay here."
"I promised Henry that I'd bring you back with me."
"He'll ask me what happened."
"Then you'll tell him what happened."
Emma looked at her, eyes shining with tears, "What if he acts like they did? What if he pushes me away?"
"Do you really think I'd raise our son to think like a bigot?"
"Wh—What?"
She blinked, confusion slipping onto her face, "What's wrong?"
"You…you called Henry our son."
"Isn't he our son, dear?" Gods, why did this woman always have to confuse her?
"Yeah. Yeah, he's our son."
She smiled softly despite her confusion, tightening her hold on the blonde, "I have the fireplace going, and I can make you some hot cocoa. We can talk to Henry in the morning."
Emma looked at her, a small smile on her lips, "Okay."
Moments later, they were swept away by a swirl of magic.
Henry was asleep on the couch, an arm thrown over his eyes, when they entered the living room. Emma smiled softly, nudging Regina's shoulder, "He gets that from me."
"Then he gets all his sleeping habits from you because I assure you that I don't snore."
Emma smirked softly, watching as Regina walked over and placed a throw-over on their son, pressing a kiss to his forehead, "I don't snore. He must have got it from Neal." Her tone was soft, though not filled with the pain of weeks ago, when her first love had fallen through the portal. Regina watched her curiously, but Emma's expression softened as she walked over to Henry, leaning down to press another kiss to his forehead, "We just going to leave him here?"
"I'd rather not wake him. He needs his sleep." Regina snagged her hand, pulling her along as she exited the room, heading into the foyer. She turned to face the blonde, her expression was unreadable, "You however, dear, need a shower. I imagine you're still quite chilled."
Something in the older woman's tone sent heat into her stomach, making it flip pleasantly, "Yeah, a shower sounds nice," her gaze flicked to warm, red lips before meeting dark eyes, "I've never used your shower before. You wanna help me set it up?"
Regina's eyes darkened, "Oh, you have no idea how much I do," she leaned in, a smirk making its way to her lips. Her breath ghosted over pale lips, her eyes meeting lusty, unfocused green, "Unfortunately," Emma's eyes snapped to hers, and she leaned forward before she could reply, snagging the blonde's bottom lip between her teeth, nibbling gently, making the younger woman moan low in her throat, "Unfortunately, I have to," She pushed her back against the nearby wall softly, pulling away from her lips to press kisses against her neck, her hands resting on the blonde's waist, "call your idiotic parents before they think I found and kidnapped you."
"Oh my God," Emma breathed out, "please don't talk about my parents while you're doing that."
Regina grinned into her neck before biting softly, her hands slipping into the sweats to palm her ass through her panties, "Emma," her tone lowered an octave, taking on a seductive tone, and it sent shivers through the blonde's body.
"Regina," her voice came out in a whine, and the brunette pressed against her, removing her hands from her ass to run them up and down her back, "Regina, please."
Red lips covered her own without warning, but she instantly kissed back, heat pooling into her core. She shivered, pressing into Regina. The former queen shifted slightly, slipping her right hand down the front of the sweats, making the blonde gasp softly. She pulled out of the kiss, leaning in closer to the blonde so that her breath caressed her ear, "You're still chilled." She pressed her fingers against the blonde's core, her panties the only barrier, a coy smirk on her lips, "Oh! Not here. No, here you're so warm."
"Oh my God, Regina," Emma's voice was barely more than a whisper, her eyes shut tight against the intensity of the brunette's gaze, her mouth forming a silent oh when the brunette gently rubbed her though her panties, "Oh God."
Eyes darkening with arousal, wanting nothing more than to sink two fingers deep into the blonde, Regina opened her mouth to speak, to say something along the lines of I'll help you get off if you get a shower, but the sound of the front door opening behind them had her playful mood crushed.
"Regina, we—"
She felt Emma tense and immediately held her steady with her free hand, refusing to give the Uncharmings the pleasure of ruining her fun, a smirk slipping onto her lips as Snow stopped abruptly, "Really, Snow?" she slowly pulled her hand out of the blonde's sweats, deliberately slow so that her former nemeses made no mistake where it had just been. She couldn't help but grin slightly when Emma shuddered, despite no doubt being terrified by what her parents would be thinking. She gently cupped her cheek, trying to convey what she felt in that simple touch. She felt the blonde relax, and immediately felt her blood boil at the two idiots behind her, "What are you doing in my house?"
"What are you doing with our daughter?" Charming shot back, more of an accusation than a question.
What does it look like I'm doing? Annoyance slipped into her voice, "Lower your voice before you wake Henry."
Henry. Emma frowned softly, her voice a low mummer, "He must have been awake when we got here, unless you magically summoned them."
Regina grinned, eyeing the blonde with a reserved hunger, "I can assure you, dear, there are more interesting things I would do with my magic than summon them."
"Hey," Charming growled out, pulling them from their conversation.
She lifted an eyebrow, rolling her eyes, causing the blonde to smile softly, "You're still here?"
"We'd like to talk with Emma," Snow replied.
"I'd rather not be talking right now," Emma muttered, leaning her head against the wall.
Regina just barely managed not to attack her neck, speaking to the two idiots, her voice hard, "You can talk with Emma when she's ready."
"We'll talk with her now!" Charming said back, harshly.
"No, you won't." With a flick of her wrist, the two disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.
They stood there for a moment, not moving, before Emma blinked softly and spoke, "Did…did you just poof away my parents?"
"I don't poof away anything," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Well, actually," her gaze turned predatory, waving her hand again. When the smoke cleared, she held up a pair of panties, "maybe I do."
Emma frowned, an embarrassed flush slipping onto her cheeks, "Hey, wait! Regina, that's not fair!"
"Mmm," her gaze shot down to the blonde's pants, "I have to agree. You're still wearing far too many clothes."
Emma pulled her into a quick kiss, "Shower now?"
"Oh, yes."
The smell of pancakes woke Henry from his slumber. He let out a yawn, stretching as he stood. The last thing he remembered before falling asleep was texting his grandparents to tell them that he'd heard his parents enter the foyer. He was almost sure he'd heard his moms climb the stairs later last night, but he might have dreamt that. He let out a sigh, heading out of the room and into the kitchen. He faltered slightly in the doorway. Emma was sitting on the counter next to where his mom was cooking, dressed in a pair of his mom's night clothes, a small smile on her lips.
"Come on," Emma was saying, "I can't wait for the kid to get up. I'm hungry now."
"We're not eating without our son," his mom shot back.
Wait what? Their son? What was that about? Actually, it was kinda cool. He frowned, focusing back on the conversation.
"…your fault I'm so hungry."
His adoptive mom shut off the heat on the stove, stepping into his birth mom's space. He could almost see her smirk, in his mind. What was she doing? She leaned in closer until her lips were millimeters from Emma's. Ewwwwww.
"I'm practically starving, dear. All because. Of. You."
Nope. Nope. That was it.
"Can you two stop please? I'm going to be sick."
"Good morning, Henry."
"Morning kid."
"No, it's not a good morning. I don't need to see my parents almost kissing," He saw his moms share a look, but before they could do anything, he spoke, "Ugh, moms!"
"Let's eat." Regina said with a smile, pulling away from the blonde.
"Finally!" Emma answered, jumping down from the counter.
"Henry, help your mother set the table," the brunette said, turning to their son. The two identical eye rolls had her smirking, "Now, you two."
Henry sighed, setting out the plates and cutlery when Emma handed them to him, "Hey, Emma?"
"Hm?"
"Are you still fighting with gram and gramps?"
She hesitated for a moment, "Yes."
"Is it because you're like mom?"
She looked at him, confused, "What?"
"Is it because you like guys and girls?" he clarified.
"I uh…yeah, Henry." She turned to look at the brunette, raising an eyebrow.
"What?" Regina asked with a smirk, "I didn't raise our son to be a bigot or an idiot, dear."
Henry nodded in agreement, turning to his blonde mom with a frown, his eyes soft, "Jeez, Emma. Did you really think I'd be like gram and gramps?"
"No, Henry," She set aside the cups and knelt down, taking his hands in hers, looking into his eyes, "Not at first. But then I got to thinking that if the law was in your book then you'd probably believe it," Tears filled her eyes despite her struggle to keep them away, her voice coming out choked, "And that's stupid, I know, because you're a great kid, Henry, and…and…"
He quickly wrapped his arms around her shoulders, allowing her to pull him close, "I know, Emma. I love you."
"I love you too, kid."
Setting the food down on the table, Regina walked over to them, gently squeezing Emma's shoulder when she reached them. She let them hug a moment longer, allowing them time together, before she spoke softly, "Let's eat."
Emma wiped her eyes on the sleeve of the pajama top, smiling softly, "Yeah."
Regina eyed the two Charmings warily as they sat on the couch. As much as she abhorred the thought of them in her house, she knew it needed to be done, and more than that, it was important for Emma to reconcile with her parents. She sat in the love seat, a glass of apple cider in her hand, staring at them with a smirk. After breakfast, she, Emma and Henry had a nice, relaxing day in, watching movies. It was only after dinner that Emma broached the subject of her parents, and while Regina would rather them not be in her house, she figured it would be better here than their lovely abode.
"I'll warn you now," she spoke quietly, taking a small sip of her cider before setting it down, "if you do anything to cause Emma any more pain, I'll roast you."
"Regina…" Emma frowned as she entered the room, shutting the door behind her.
"Yes, yes, I know," she replied dismissively, "No threatening the family."
Charming's frown darkened, "Family?"
Regina rolled her eyes, un-amused. It was obvious that he didn't want to think of her as family, even if Snow was partial to it. Her eyes wandered briefly to Emma as she sat on the floor in front of her, "Henry's our son. He's your grandson. Try to keep up, dear." She slowly ran her right hand through blonde tresses, loving the way Emma relaxed under her touch.
"He's NOT…" Snow began, anger tinting her tone.
"Enough!" The lights flicked at Emma's outburst, and Regina felt her magic flow from her fingertips, fueling Emma's, building between them. "I'm sick of you two fighting with Regina! Henry's her son as much as mine, more so, in fact! She raised him for 10 years! And you," she reached up and grabbed the brunette's hand from where it continued through her hair. Regina raised an eyebrow in question, "stop that. It's distracting me."
"Apologies," Regina replied with a smirk, placing their conjoined hands on her lap, "continue."
"Does some law from the Enchanted Forest really matter?" Emma implored, turning back to face her parents, eyes filling with tears.
"Oh, honey, no," Snow answered quickly, "no. Your father and I talked it over last night. We were wrong."
That's a first, Regina thought to herself.
"You mean it?"
"Of course, sweetheart," Charming agreed softly, "I shouldn't have yelled at you or made you leave. We should've tried to see your point."
Emma offered them a watery smile, squeezing Regina's hand softly, conveying her thoughts without words, and Regina smiled softly, squeezing back, "So, we're good?"
"We are," Snow replied softly, and Emma felt like a weight had just been lifted off her shoulders; she looked between the two of them before addressing the blonde again, "Whoever you choose to be with doesn't matter to us."
Oh, Gods, why is she looking at us like that? "Snow, Emma and I…we're not…" Emma looked up at her, confusion in her eyes, hurt starting to mix in. It was one night. It wasn't like either of them wanted more than that…right? Guilt settled in her stomach, "Emma and I haven't talked about where our relationship is going to go."
"It'd better go somewhere good," Charming muttered, causing Snow to elbow him.
"Right, well," Snow smiled, standing along with her husband, "Are you ready to go home, Emma?"
"Actually…I think I'm going to stay here for another night. Have that talk with Regina."
"Oh," Snow frowned before forcing a smile, "Okay, sure, Emma."
"Lovely," Regina said as she stood, a smirk on her lips as she pulled Emma up with her, "Now then," she stepped in front of the blonde, her eyes darkening, "Get out," she lifted her free hand, a fireball materializing instantly. She heard Emma sigh behind her, and she took pleasure in watching the two step back, a grin on her lips, "Now."
A/N: Well that was actually longer than I thought it was going to be. My mind got away from me. This took about 2 weeks to write fully, so I hope you all enjoyed it. Please don't forget to review.
Hime no Kowai Shumi