AN: I'm kind of new to this pairing, but this story idea has been bugging me for a while. I hope you guys are enjoying it. The next chapter will take a bit longer to get out simply because I have another fic I'm working on that is almost at a stopping point, but I'll try my best to get back on this one quickly.
Chapter 2
In general, Emma found it odd to be sitting in a shrink's office. The last time she'd had any contact with some kind of mental health professional she was in the foster system being admonished for her consistent pattern of running away. Some of them were of no help at all, some of them wanted to help so much that it broke her heart to see their hearts breaking for her. All in all, she'd sworn off of them on principle.
Until now.
Kissing Regina had been an act so out of character than she felt the need to discuss it with someone possessing a degree in understanding insane behavior. That's why she made an appointment with Dr. Hopper, much to both of their surprise.
"I must say it's a pleasure to see you in here, Sherriff," he beamed with a warm smile. "Of all the residents of Storybrooke, you're the one I know the least about and I'm touched that you trust me enough to open up."
"Yeah, yeah," she agreed, wanting to speed things up. "That's all great, Doc, but I'm not exactly thrilled about what brings me here and I really need some advice on how to fix whatever's wrong with me. Now we've only got an hour here, so let's get crackin'."
"Of course," he agreed, suddenly wondering if he already knew what the subject of their hour might be. "Tell me what brings you here."
"Ok," she blew out a nervous breath as she spoke. "There's something going on with me and… someone else in this town, that shouldn't be going on. Like a sexual thing."
Bingo. He thought to himself.
"Well, sexual feelings are very natural, Ms. Swan," he explained. "I'm not sure what the problem is here."
"The problem is that this person I have these feelings for hates me and makes it a point to torture me at every turn. She..." Emma paused, realizing she'd probably just tipped her hand too much about whom she was referring. "She's being nice to me all of a sudden and that would be great if it were genuine but I don't know for sure if it is; and the more power I give this woman, the worse off we all are."
Dr. Hopper sighed this time.
"Alright, I think we can go ahead and cease the tip-toeing here and just state that we're talking about Regina," he encouraged. "She's obviously been contentious with you on many different levels since you arrived in town. Now, as far as the new development in your relationship-"
"Oh, it's not a relationship," she interrupted him. "We are not in a relationship."
"I was referring to the established personal/professional relationship entering a different phase," he corrected. "I'll note that you are not in a romantic relationship in your chart. Anyway, tell me about what's going on."
"Well, there's been kissing," she started to count on her hands, "some groping, and a plethora of really intense stares..."
Dr. Hopper simply smiled and stopped her...
"I was actually referring to the action surrounding the physical expressions," he elaborated.
"Oh, right," she smacked herself on the head. "Sorry, Doc. Um, well we kind of had a fight the other night because I was late bringing Henry home and that ended up in a kiss, which led her to basically tell me to get lost."
"And how did that make you feel?"
Emma thought for a moment and then responded, "What does that matter?"
Dr. Hopper suppressed a chuckle at the similarity in responses between the two women, "It matters, Emma, because you're trying to deal with your feelings over the mayor. I kind of need to know what they are if I'm going to help you examine them."
"Well, the thing is, my feelings really don't matter," she explained. "Those just need to be cut off. It's her feelings I'm worried about."
"Hmm, interesting," Dr. Hopper responded, writing on his legal pad.
"What do you mean; what's interesting?" Emma asked.
"It's interesting that you're more concerned about the feelings of someone whom you believe is out to torture and destroy you, than your own," he explained. "Do you think that your feelings don't matter in general, or that they just don't matter when compared Regina's?"
Emma crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes as she opted to answer his previous question, "Confused. It made me feel confused and sort of sad."
"Confusion is perfectly understandable," Dr. Hopper agreed, "but the sadness may be a little more distressing in your head. Why do you think it made you feel sad that she cast you aside afterward?"
"I mean, there are a lot of reasons," the blonde leaned forward and clasped her hands. "Everything would be so much easier if she showed even the smallest amount of affection towards me. She'd probably let me see Henry more. She wouldn't be down my throat about every single issue going on around town. She wouldn't be trying to destroy me. But maybe..."
She groaned and ran both hands through her long hair.
"Maybe it also just hurts because I actually do just want her to like me past all of those reasons," she admitted. "She's obviously a good person on some level because she is viciously protective of my... her son. She's completely gorgeous, she's intense and passionate. Hell, I even find her funny when she's berating me because she's got a sharp little tongue in that mouth of hers. Maybe part of me really did want to be genuinely liked by her."
"Did or does?" Dr. Hopper asked.
"Well, that's what I'm here for now, isn't it," Emma started to stare him down.
"Emma, I can offer you the tools to curtail your actions, but I can't get rid of your feelings, those you have to work through or accept."
He could tell that she did not like that answer, so he tried a different approach.
"Why don't we table that issue for the moment and you tell me what happened the day after you kissed," he guided. "What was Regina like toward you then?"
Emma leaned back and stretched out her arms, "She was nice... And it was downright scary."
Emma arrived at work the morning after the kiss in a less than rested state of mind. She'd been thinking about what happened at the mayor's residence since she'd pulled away from the entanglement, and the thoughts only served to heighten both her arousal and confusion at the situation.
Regina initiated the damn kiss, it wasn't my fault. She thought to herself. And it's not like we haven't been all up in each other's faces before. The woman invades my personal bubble all the time. It's as if she's surveying to stake claim over property there. She must have been feeling this way for a long time.
As she stowed away her jacket, she came across one of Grahams scarves. Picking it up and running it through her hands, another thought crossed her mind.
Graham's gone... and he used to keep Regina company in that way. That's why she did it. It had nothing to do with any underlying feelings she's been having for me. The bitch is just horny; plain and simple. Must have a thing for law enforcement too. Well this bronco ain't interested in being anyone's one trick pony. Screw her and her kiss!
Then, as she walked over to her desk, she noticed a still steaming to-go cup from Granny's; a note, laden with impeccable penmanship, rested beneath it.
Sheriff Swan,
I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday. It was all very much out of character for me and I have no doubt it was confusing for you as well. I know that a cup of cocoa isn't exactly a sweeping epic of a peace offering, but besides Henry, it's the only thing I actually know you to be consistently fond of. I promise it's perfectly safe to drink. If you believe any of Henry's stories, from that retched book Mary Margaret gave him, you'll know that apples are the main ingredient from which to steer clear.
-Mayor Mills
Emma smiled softly as she shook her head at the note. Only Regina could give a girl a cup of cocoa to apologize for a kiss and then sign off with a formality. Of course, once Emma realized she was smiling she quickly tried to wipe it from her face and crush the small sense of giddiness that had started to rise within her.
Then, as the day pressed on, her mind started to wander into Regina's territory. The woman had no need for pleasantries with her. She had control over Henry, the town... hell, even the sheriff's salary. She honestly had no reason to be kind to her unless she simply wanted to. Maybe Regina was changing? And if she was, didn't it make sense to encourage that rather than mistrust it?
Glancing at the clock, she noticed it was nearing lunch time. She thumbed her pencil against the desk as she debated, once again, visiting Regina for lunch. Then, as if her body were on autopilot, Emma found herself putting on her jacket and heading to Granny's.
The diner was semi busy given the lunch rush. Emma leaned against the counter and caught Ruby's eye with a wave. The dark haired beauty smiled and finished up her business with Leroy before heading over.
"Hey Emma, how're things going down at the station?" she asked.
Emma liked Ruby. She was always so kind and happy. Plus her lust for life matched Emma's own. They both seemed to like getting into trouble a little too much.
"Not too bad, Ruby," she answered. "How's business? Looks like it's booming as always."
"Not a lot of competition in Storybrooke," Ruby answered. "It's actually one of the good things Regina's done for us; keeping the big corporations out of town. Granny's probably couldn't stand up the likes of a McDonalds and a Comfort Inn."
"Guess she's not completely bad after all," Emma smiled at the idea.
"I wouldn't go that far," Ruby winked. "So what'll it be? Burger and fries; same as always?"
"And a salad," The blonde added, "the Greek one, with extra olives."
Ruby's face scrunched up in confusion, "Hungry there, Sheriff?"
"The salad's not for me," she answered.
"And it's the same one the mayor orders..." Ruby noted curiously. "You planning on a lunch date with the devil?"
"Hey, didn't you just credit her with the security of your livelihood?" Emma quirked her head.
"Well yeah, but that all comes at the cost of having to deal with her and she's nowhere near pleasant the way she lords over us all the time," Ruby crossed her arms.
It occurred to Emma that it must be incredibly hard for Regina sometimes, given that practically everyone in town hated her. Maybe that was her reasoning behind the pleasantries; the possibility of friendship.
"It's just a lunch meeting," the blonde played down the casual nature of the event. "And maybe if we were all a little more understanding of her, she might be a little more pleasant to us."
Ruby packed up the meal and shrugged her shoulders, "I guess it's worth a shot. Let me know if you have any luck with that."
"Will do," Emma left a twenty on the counter. "Thanks Ruby, keep the change."
Regina had checked her phone at least a dozen times over the course of the morning just to see if perhaps the sheriff had tried to contact her and she'd somehow missed the alert, but every time she illuminated the screen she was met with nothing but a picture of Henry smiling in the background. So, when she heard an unexpected knock at the door and saw the sheriff poke her pretty blonde face in, she couldn't help the feeling of excitement that started to swell within her chest.
"Two days in a row, Sheriff Swan," She remarked with a mirthful tone. "People will start to talk."
"Well, don't take this the wrong way, but there are worse things that they could be saying about you," Emma joked back. "I thought that maybe we could have something to eat together and talk."
"Yes," Regina agreed, standing. "I think we probably should. Please have a seat."
She guided Emma to a large table to the side of her office and poured two glasses of water for them to drink. They sat in silence for quite a while before both of them tried to break it at the same time. A soft bout of laughter broke free from both of them before Emma offered Regina the opportunity to speak.
"Go ahead," she said to the brunette.
"Thank you, Ms. Swan," she took a sip of her water. "I wanted to address what happened between us last night. Get the elephant out of the room, so to speak."
"I think that would probably be incredibly uncomfortable but altogether necessary," Emma nodded.
Regina quirked a smile on the side of her mouth as she prepared her to deliver her next statement. And, although she may have been trying to turn over a new leaf, she still couldn't fight off her manipulative nature. And if she knew anything about Emma Swan, that the best way to manipulate her into doing something was by telling her not to do it.
"The truth is I'd like very much for us to get along better, for Henry's sake," she started.
Emma couldn't help but feel a small tinge of disappointment over the idea that the only reason Regina wanted to try to be civil was for Henry, but as soon as the thought crossed her mind she dashed it out. Anything that would benefit the kid's life was good enough for her.
"... and for my sake as well," Regina continued.
A look of surprise crossed Emma's face, but she struck it down as quickly as she felt it.
"I don't have many friends, Ms. Swan," the brunette looked down sadly, "any friends actually. And Henry, well, he thinks that I'm the evil queen in some fairy tale. I believe that the only way to change any of this is to change the way I treat people, starting with you. There's just one problem."
"What's that?" the blonde asked.
"I find myself," she tried to seem embarrassed, "attracted to you. And from the way you reacted yesterday to my acting on it, I'd say you feel that way too."
It was Emma's turn to be embarrassed now, "I'd say that's a pretty fair assessment."
"And therein lies the problem," Regina explained. "We have a lot working against us already when it comes to the situation we find ourselves in. Adding a physical element to that would only further confuse things and possibly make them worse. I'm going to try to control my urges and I'd ask that you do the same."
"Right," the blonde swallowed a mouthful of burger. "Well, we managed to do it for the first few months that I lived here, surely we can keep our hands to ourselves in the future."
"Even if we make an effort to be more civil to one another?" the mayor asked.
"Considering it was fighting that led to the..." Emma searched for the right word, "incident last night, maybe civility will be the greatest romantic deterrent ever."
Regina chuckled a bit, "Perhaps you're right."
They continued on with their meal exchanging small pleasantries and talking mostly about Henry. After cleaning up, they both stood awkwardly. Not quite knowing how to say goodbye without throwing some unkind verbal barb. It was Emma that finally reached out her hand.
"Thanks for letting me crash your lunch hour," the blonde offered. "It was actually nice being in the same room with you for once, Madame Mayor."
Regina smiled and took the offered hand.
"Thank you for lunch, Sheriff," she paused before letting go. "By the way, how did you guess what I usually order?"
"I suppose the same way you figured out I like cinnamon on my cocoa," Emma's lips formed a half-smile. "Maybe we've been paying attention to each other more than we thought."
"Maybe," Regina nodded, and as Emma moved to pull her hand away, the mayor gripped it tighter, holding her in place. "Would you like to have dinner with Henry and me tonight?"
"I..." Emma paused, she was taken aback. "I'd love to, actually. Thank you, Regina."
The brunette nodded and bid her goodbye, "Sheriff."
"Did you not feel her kindness was genuine?" Dr. Hopper asked.
"This is Regina we're talking about here," she reasoned. "Of course I didn't think it was genuine. The problem is I overlook it when I'm around her now because I want to believe it."
"What possible scheme do you think she could be concocting through being nice to you?"
"I'm not sure," she answered. "I've thought about it a lot since last night and I can't see her leading me down any kind of path, through kindness, that could stop me from staying in town or seeing Henry; both of which seemed to be her main goals before."
"Occam's Razor states that the simplest explanation is usually the correct one," Dr. Hopper explained. "A lot of assumptions would have to be made to come up with some sort of sinister plan perpetrated through being nice. Perhaps the best option would be to simply proceed with caution."
"That's basically what I did when I went over there last night," she said, concern painting her features.
"Oh no," Dr. Hopper exclaimed. "Did last night's visit end in quarrel as well?"
"No, actually it didn't... but it still ended in a kiss."
When Emma arrived at the mayor's residence it was Henry who answered the door. As soon as he saw her he stepped out to address her.
"Emma, have you gone insane?" his eyes were wide as he spoke. "This is two days in a row you've gotten to see me. I know you think my mom is trying to be nice to you, but she's must have something up her sleeve. We need to go back to the old way of sneaking around and hanging out... It was more fun then anyway."
"Henry, I'm trying to make things better for all of us," she lowered herself a bit to easier reach his eye level. "Wouldn't it be better if I could just drop by and take you out for ice cream or walk you to school without having to worry that a black Mercedes is going to run me down just for doing so?"
"Come now, Ms. Swan," Regina pulled the door open more and moved in on the conversation, "I wouldn't dare risk denting my car with the hardness of your head. Now, shall we all come inside like civilized people or shall we linger in the doorway like monosyllabic barbarians?"
"I guess my vote is for the former since I'm not quite sure the definition of the latter," Emma said as she put her hand on Henry's shoulder and guided him inside as well.
Dinner was much quieter than either woman had anticipated given Henry's reticence about the situation. The sounds of knives and forks tapping and scraping against plates served as the soundtrack for the evening and it was driving Emma insane.
"So, how was school today, kid?" she asked. "Learn anything new?"
"I learned that if you mix the right candy and soda together you can create a geyser in the lunchroom," the boy remarked.
Emma giggled and Regina rolled her eyes.
"He's just saying that because he thinks it's the only thing about his day that you would find interesting," the mayor explained. "Henry is an excellent student. He excels especially in English and History."
"He obviously gets that from your influence," the blonde admonished. "I was never very good in school. The only thing I really excelled at was hacking the system and changing my grades."
The mayor's head quirked to the side as her eyes narrowed in judgment.
"Something that was obviously very wrong and terrible and you should never do it," Emma corrected herself.
"I'm starting to re-think that dinner invite," Regina warned, with a hint of sarcasm.
"Me too," Emma took a chance at a joke. "This lasagna ain't the greatest."
Regina chuckled; her lasagna was impeccable and she knew it, "You corrupt my son and insult my cooking all in under an hour. Congratulations Sheriff, you've managed to issue forth reason for banishment from my house in less time than it took to make the splendid dish you've nearly gorged to completion."
Henry's face was going back and forth as if he were watching a tennis match.
"Maybe that's why she invited you over," the boy observed before finishing his last bite and wiping his mouth. "You're the only one who will stand up to her around here and she actually likes the challenge."
Both women looked from Henry to each other and contemplated the statement before he stood and spoke again.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to do my homework so I can keep excelling in school. I wouldn't want to grow up and find out that I lack the vocabulary to keep up with adult conversations like this."
He moved over to hug the blonde, "Goodnight Emma."
"Night, kid," she hugged back.
"Goodnight, Mom," he moved in to hug the mayor and spoke once more as he pulled away. "If you really mean this, and you actually want all of us to get along better... I'll try to do better too. Less sneaking around in dangerous places."
"Less sneaking around?" The mayor raised her eyebrows.
"Hey, the sheriff has to have something to do around town if you two aren't going to be fighting all the time."
"Very funny, kid," it was Emma who zeroed in on him this time.
As he headed up to his room the two women at the table were left with the remainder of their dinner, a glass of wine, and a pregnant silence between them that they were both aware of. It was Regina who finally broke it with a bold statement.
"Henry's far more insightful than he rightfully should be for his age. I think he was right concerning what he said about our fighting... to a certain degree."
"What do you mean?" Emma asked as she finished off the last of her dinner.
Regina took a sip of the dark contents of her glass and swallowed a modicum of pride with it before allowing bare honesty to flow freely from her lips.
"Ms. Swan, people in this town are very much creatures of habit. Part of that habit is fearing me," she regaled as she allowed her dark eyes to meet the blue ones across the table. "I could step on poor little Mary Margaret's toe and she'd be the one apologizing to me for its placement. I always have a seat at Granny's because no one dares take it on the off chance that I might stop in. Dr. Hopper was so afraid of me he aided me in setting you, whom he believes to be an excellent mother to Henry, locked up in the town jail. It's tricky getting everything you want, Ms. Swan. It almost takes the joy out of life in general."
She took another sip and then continued. Wondering if Emma was afraid to speak given everything she'd just admitted to her.
"And then you came to town. You stood up to me, you carved up my favorite tree, and you even gave people the courage to stand up for themselves just by following your example. I can have losses again, and I'm not particularly pleased about that... But I can have victories as well. And it's all because of you."
Emma was floored by the honesty in Regina's statements. She'd all but admitted that the girl was responsible for making her feel alive again.
"But what does that mean?" she asked. "Are you saying that the only way for us to interact is through hostility? Because I don't want that, Regina."
"I'm saying that you and I are very different people, Ms. Swan," her tone was neither threatening, nor vicious, "but despite of, and possibly because of those differences you've given me and this town something that I'm not so sure I want to go away, anymore. Does that make any sense to you? I understand you have limited education."
The last part was said with a smile that cropped up a few seconds after the statement lingered in the air. Emma simply shook her head and smiled before picking up her plate as well as Henry's.
"I understand what you're saying but in the interest of keeping consistency, allow me to do the dishes, since that's where my skills are obviously meant to shine," she said with a wink as she moved to pick up Regina's as well.
"You really don't have to do that, Ms. Swan," the brunette said as she followed her inside. "It's rude to have a guest clean and I know my manners."
"Oh, I think we both know I'm not actually a guest," Emma corrected as she placed the dishes in the sink and started up the faucet. "I'm here on suffrage because you like having someone to argue with."
Regina gently nudged her out of the way and turned off the water, "Well, even if that is the case, I insist you cease your labors."
Emma turned the water back on and started to roll up her sleeves, "And I insist you shut-up, sit down and pour yourself another glass of wine. I'm a believer in the 'you cook, I clean' policy of dining and intend to see it through to its finish."
"Don't tell me what to do in my own home, Ms. Swan," Regina shook her head with a dangerous smile. "You wouldn't want to make me angry."
Emma moved in closer to Regina, "Actually, considering what you said just a few seconds ago. I think we're both somewhat fond of making you angry."
Their eyes were boring into each other and their breathing had become labored. Emma knew exactly what she was doing and she also knew that Regina had expressly told her not to.
"Just let me do the dishes, ok?" she asked softly, trying to keep her eyes off of lips she was dying to kiss. "You can think of it as some kind of indentured servitude if it makes you feel better."
"As you wish, Sheriff," Regina said as she moved away contemplating what had just happened.
Emma had stopped herself. It was obvious. She'd wanted to kiss her in that moment but she didn't. She was actually trying hard to respect Regina's wishes. The mayor was beside herself with warring emotions. Part of her was flabbergasted that her plan didn't work. She thought for sure that by telling the sheriff that she shouldn't do something, every fiber in her being would work towards the antecedent of the request. It was somewhat annoying that all of a sudden she'd learned to obey.
But there was another part of Regina that was feeling something different. Something warm and old. Something that she hadn't felt in a very long time. She felt cared for; not feared; not respected, but considered. Like her feelings mattered so much that a person would war with their own primal urges just to keep them safe.
"Henry was right when he spoke to you outside my door, Ms. Swan."
As she spoke, Emma turned off the water and dried her hands. Her face had fallen, but she still maintained daring eye contact with the woman before her.
"What do you want, Regina?"
The brunette swallowed hard, "I want to be able to trust you. I want to be able to believe that you aren't just sticking around to take my son away from me. That you care about him and want to actually be a part of his life. That you want to do good in this town without destroying me in the process. I don't think I actually realized it until now but that's something I want very much from you."
Emma moved closer to the mayor in all her glorious vulnerability.
"Regina, you have had that from me this entire time, you just haven't seen it," she promised. "And we're not so different. Because I want to be able to trust you too. I want to be able to take your kindness and not see it as another way to keep me from Henry."
Regina stared up at her curiously, "Do you think that can ever be possible between us?"
Emma smiled softly, "I think that, thanks to that scalding cup of coffee you spilled on me, we're taking a step in the right direction."
The mayor's face took on a look of alarm, "Oh God, I'd forgotten about that. How are you? Did it heal?"
She softly gently touched Emma's stomach and the blonde backed away as if she'd just been punched. Regina's hand flew up to her mouth as she moved in to apologize.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking, I didn't mean to hurt you again."
"It's not that," Emma shook her head. "It's just..."
It's just what, Emma? She thought to herself. It's just that every time she touches you now you have to go to World War III with yourself to keep from kissing her? You can't tell her that.
"It's just..." she searched hard for something; anything to say that wasn't the truth.
And when she thought about the fact that she'd have to lie to Regina, yet again to hide her feelings she gave up.
"Screw it," she said as she raised her hands to the mayor's face and pulled her into yet another inappropriate kiss.
Regina was shocked at first, but then a smile started to grow on her lips even as they were being caressed by those of the overwhelmed sheriff. Emma had both failed and succeeded according to the brunette's own hopes because those hopes were warring with each other to begin with. The mayor kissed her back and moved a hesitant arm around the sheriff's waist and softly pulled their bodies together, trying to keep from hurting the girl's abdomen.
When they finally pulled away they opened both their eyes and their mouths. The former to try to focus back in on reality and the latter to direct much needed oxygen into their systems. Emma was the first to speak.
"I'm sorry," she said as she shook her head.
Regina scanned her brain for a response to that one. She wanted to say "Don't be" or "Me too" or "I was wrong, just do it again" but she also knew that she needed to appear as if she had some semblance of control over the situation so, when she did speak, what she said was "Yes, you should be."
And then, as if her body revolted against the very words from her lips she moved in to kiss the girl again. The meeting was not that of the night before. It wasn't angry, heated and hard. It was passionate and longing. When Emma's tongue softly licked the outside of her lips, Regina knew that it wasn't demanding entry, but requesting it. And, with a little trepidation, it was granted. This woman... this woman who enraged her to no end, this woman whom she tore away from the Charmings, this woman who was foretold to end her world... Regina was letting her into her life on more and more intimate levels.
And it felt good... Too good to not continue further, and that would be a bad idea. Regina felt like her entire defense system was crumbling all around her and she needed to understand what was going on within her. She pulled back and once again both of them were left breathless.
"We need to stop," she said.
"Uh-huh," Emma agreed.
"You should go home, Sheriff," the mayor ordered.
"Yeah, I know," the blonde acquiesced, understanding her place, as her face fell in the same way that it did the night before.
Yet as she moved to exit the home, her wrist was grabbed by the other woman. She met her eyes, not knowing exactly what she would find there.
"You should go home, not because I want you to... but because I don't," the mayor said.
Emma's only answer to her was a nod. For they were communicating now in their most efficient and intimate way; knowing glances. They'd been doing it since the blonde bounty hunter had arrived in Storybrooke. Whether enraged beyond belief or at the precipice of actual sympathy, the mayor and the sheriff were connected in an undeniable sense.
"I think understand the problem now, Sheriff," Dr. Hopper stated with a nod. "I believe you're actually more afraid of Regina being honest about her feelings, rather than the possibility of her trying to manipulate you, aren't you?"
Emma thought for a moment and finally answered, "Yeah, I think that maybe I am."
"And would you like to discuss why that might be?"
"Because the bottom has always fallen out somehow when it comes to people loving me," the blonde head shook as she answered the incredibly difficult question. "My parents abandoned me when I was born, I had a slew of foster families that never gave a crap about me, and Henry's father left me to rot in prison when I was pregnant... The reason I'm afraid of love is that it has only ever hurt me before, Doc. And if things don't pan out with Regina I may not physically survive, let alone make it emotionally. She could literally destroy me."
"I sincerely doubt that she will. Don't you think that Regina is afraid of the same thing regarding you?" he asked. "Regardless of how you see your situation, Emma, you are a beloved part of this town. Mary Margaret believed in you so much that she bailed you out of jail and gave you a place to live. The former sheriff, God rest his soul, was obviously quite fond of you; he gave you a job. And Henry's love and belief in you shines so bright it has touched us all. Regina has none of that. In all honesty, the only person who has ever been truly kind to her without want of anything is you. If she loses that, then she really has nothing."
Emma leaned forward and threaded her fingers together as if that would somehow help her come up with a better resolution to this problem. It did not, however, and she was forced to surrender to whatever advice the doctor had.
"So, what you're saying then is that there's no magical pill that can help me not feel this way about her?" she asked.
"That's correct," he nodded in answer.
"Well, then what is your suggestion, Doc? I'm all ears, here."
Dr. Hopper smiled as he answered, "Same advice I give to all of my patients; find the path of your heart and let your conscience be your guide."
To be continued...
Constructive criticism is very much appreciated, as well is just stopping by to say you liked something about the story. :)
