Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Once Upon a Time
Chapter 2
Emma woke the next morning, bathed in the warmth of the sun's rays, and of the soft gaze of the brunette lying beside her. She stretched languidly, an unexpected moan escaping her lips, and the brown eyes that watched her darkened with unchecked desire.
"Morning."
"Good morning dear, did you sleep well?"
"I did." She raised herself on one arm, taking in the other woman, with her hair perfectly coifed, still wearing the same pantsuit and vest. "Did you even sleep at all?"
"It would seem ghosts don't sleep."
"Oh." A painful reminder. "Let me put some clothes on and we'll figure this mess out."
Regina waited primly on the edge of the bed, while Emma showered and tugged on some jeans and a t-shirt. She quietly followed Emma out the door and down the tree lined streets of Storybrooke as they made their way to the diner.
Emma pulled up a seat at the counter, absentmindedly pulling out the chair beside her.
"Hey, I'm Ruby." A tall lanky brunette with a wide smile appeared before her, setting down a menu with a flourish, "Can I start you off with anything?"
"Get the pancakes with apple butter, they're delicious…and if I could just smell them…" A husky voice whispered in her ear.
"Jesus you have to stop doing that." Emma hissed.
"Excuse me?" Ruby's features were screwed up in confusion.
"Nothing." Emma shook her head quickly and with a quick glance at the woman next to her, she added, "Uh hey, I'm Emma, Emma Swan. And uh…I'll get the pancakes with apple butter."
"Oh thank you Emma," Regina beamed.
Emma's heart skipped a beat at that smile. And in that moment, she knew that the rest of her life would be devoted to making Regina happy, to see that smile day after day.
Ruby paled, "Are…are you sure? No one has ordered them since…"
"Yeah, I'm sure." That was a clue, at least Ruby knew Regina. But food would come first. The power of suggestion made her ravenous.
"Oooookayyyy, they'll be coming right up in just a few minutes. Anything else I can get for you?"
"Oh, I'd love a hot chocolate with cinnamon."
Ruby laughed, "You're weird Emma, Emma Swan, I like that about you."
"Thanks?" She liked this town already, it felt more like home than any previous way stop.
It wasn't long before a plate of golden brown pancakes appeared before her, with a dollop of apple butter and a twist of whipped cream.
"These smell heavenly," Regina sighed deeply.
"No pun intended," Emma mumbled in return, winking at her companion.
"Oh be quiet." She quipped. And then she laughed, low and sultry.
Emma inhaled the first pancake, then the second, before calling out to the woman behind the counter. "Hey Ruby!"
"Yeah? How is everything?"
"Oh it's great," The blonde wiped her mouth hastily on the checkered red and white napkin she found beside her plate. "I was wondering…What can you tell me about Regina Mills? I'm renting her place."
Ruby looked around nervously, as if there might be someone to save her from the awful fate of answering Emma's question. "You haven't heard?"
"No?" Emma paused mid bite and beside her, Regina drew in an audible breath.
"She was in a car accident about six months ago." The tall brunette explained, "She's at Storybrooke General as far as I know. She's in a coma, has been since the accident."
"I'm not dead, Emma I'm not dead."
"That's great news!" Emma exclaimed.
Ruby raised her eye brows.
"I mean… you know… it's great because she's not dead."
"Yeah I guess?"
"Emma lets go," Regina brown eyes darted towards the door, "Please?"
"Yeah, I gotta go." She pulled a crumpled twenty from her pocket and tossed it in the general direction of the waitress. "Keep the change," She called, as the door to the diner banged shut behind her.
She wished she'd driven her car, because the seven long blocks to the hospital were taken at nearly a run.
And still the journey wasn't over fast enough.
Out of breath, and with a stitch in her side, she collapsed on the information desk. "Hi." Pant. Pant. "I'm here to visit Regina Mills."
A few clicks of the mouse, followed by a painfully slow two finger typing, before the woman replied, "Regina Mills, room four-oh – six. I'll call Dr. Whale and have him meet you up there."
"Thanks." And Emma jogged to the bank of elevators, dancing from foot to foot while they waited the long minute before the doors opened with a ping.
A man in a white coat met them at the door to her room, the name embroidered into the pocket of his white lab coat, proclaiming him Dr Whale.
"Hi, I'm here to visit Regina Mills," Emma repeated, anxiously looking over his shoulder at the half open door that was sure to lead to Regina.
"That's what the nurse told me on the phone." He crossed his arms over his chest, "You see, no one has visited her in the six months she's been here. So, who are you and why is it that just now you're coming to see her?"
"My name is Emma Swan, I'm actually the new Sherriff for Storybrooke…And she…well…I'm her girlfriend."
"Emma no, he'll never believe that," Regina protested frantically.
"I've seen the way you look at me, I know you're into the ladies." The blonde whispered.
"It's not that, Emma." Brown eyes were downcast as she continued, "It's just I didn't exactly date. Ever."
The doctor shook his head, voicing Regina's fears, "Regina didn't exactly date."
"I… Uh…it was long distance. We'd only been together a few weeks. I thought she didn't want to see me anymore when I stopped hearing from her. I just found out that it was because she was in a coma. Please can I see her, I feel terrible for thinking the worst all this time," Emma begged, green eyes wide and innocent.
He shrugged then and glanced back at the door. "Sure, whatever, it's not like she's going to notice anyways."
"Is there no hope that she'll wake up then?"
"She has healed well all things considering. There is no remaining damage from the crash. There's no reason why she shouldn't wake up and be just fine. However, it has been six months of no change and we aren't so hopeful anymore."
"What about family?" She blurted, "Haven't they been here to visit her?"
"Far as I know she doesn't have much family. She's got a mother, she's the senator for Maine in fact. Though we're only to call her is she wakes up, or if she passes."
She glanced at the brunette beside her, who was carefully studying the ceiling tiles through the unmistakable sheen of tears filled her eyes. "That's terrible."
He shrugged again, "You can go ahead in, just press the call button if you need anything." And he wandered off down the hall, immediately preoccupied by his phone.
Emma pushed open the door and it was a few moments before her eyes adjusted to the dim light. The woman on the bed was indeed the same woman as the one who had been following her every move these past few days. Her dark eyelashes fluttered in stark contrast against the creamy flawless skin of her cheeks. Her lips were full, and the scar was still entirely too kissable. Her hair was longer, reaching her shoulders in soft waves. "Oh God Regina, you're beautiful."
"I'm in a coma."
"But you're alive. You're alive and you're beautiful."
"I'm alive."
"You are, Regina. Look your heart is beating."
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"Why am I like this?" Utter devastation dragged her gaze down to her ghostly form.
"I don't know."
"How can you see me and no one else can?"
"I don't know."
Tears spilled from her warm brown eyes and she didn't bother to wipe them away. "I'm not dead."
"No Regina, you're not." She stepped closer to the other woman, reaching instinctively for her trembling hand. The blonde stopped short when she realized she'd be coming up empty. She smiled warmly, hoping, wishing that it would be enough, "You're beautiful and you're alive."
"But I'm trapped." She protested with a strangled sob and then she was gone, floating out the door and disappearing down the hall.
"Regina!" She called and called until a nurse asked her to please quiet down because she was disrupting the other patients. Emma didn't care, not when Regina was alone in this world. Trapped and scared.
Heart heavy, brimming with determination, to be the savior, to rescue Regina from her prison, Emma returned to the mansion.
Alone.
Scared.
Regina appeared later when Emma was cooking dinner.
"You're burning the onions."
Emma barely startled, she was getting used to the other woman appearing and disappearing without warning.
"Thanks." A heavy silence loomed between them, a silence filled with the memories of the hospital and of the uncertain future.
But slowly they began to fall into a comfortable rhythm together, Regina with her suggestions to save Emma's meal and Emma desperate to impress, following them to the letter.
They laughed when Emma cut the carrots and the pieces flew across the room, rolling under the fridge.
They squealed when the oil got too hot and spit at them.
They cheered when Emma plated her meal.
And they chatted as Emma ate her dinner.
Regina scolded her as she cleaned up, reminding her not to use the rough sponge on the Teflon pan.
And Emma pulled a beer, just one, from the fridge and took a swig before breaking down the wall that separated their playful dinner banter from the events of the day. "Uhhh look I'm sorry about the accident, the coma, your mother…"
"At least I'm not dead," She said precisely, emotion flitting behind her eyelids while she stared down the granite counter top.
"Maybe you'll wake up?
"Maybe," She sighed, "Otherwise, why am I here?"
"I don't know." Emma repeated for the countless time.
"How is it that only you can see me?"
"I don't know, maybe its fate or some crap, and I'm supposed to help you?"
"Or maybe you're just crazy?" She grinned, lifting her gaze.
"Maybe?" Emma chuckled.
They watched a movie together, Regina's choice, it was the least she could do when the woman just found out she was in a coma. It was some chick flick and tears came fast and furious for the both of them. Emma wasn't a touchy person, but with Regina, it was all she could think of to pull her into an embrace, to hold her hand, to wrap her arm around her waist. It just that she wanted what she couldn't have, that alone made the desire stronger. That was it.
After the movie, Regina climbed into bed with her. "I thought you couldn't sleep."
"I can't," She blushed, "But its comforting being with you, watching you sleep."
Emma shrugged and turned her back to pull a basketball jersey over her head before she slipped beneath the covers.
She looked at the woman lying on her back beside her, her hands clasped in front of her, carefully averting her gaze.
"Night Regina."
"Good Night Emma?"
Only then did she turn, and their eyes met.
Perhaps it was fate.
She appeared on the toilet seat the next day as Emma stepped out of the shower.
"Jesus Regina." And she wrapped the towel more tightly around her.
"I've seen you in a lot less," The brunette shrugged.
"I can't say I mind, although the gawking in this relationship a little one sided now, and I hardly think that's fair." Emma returned, tongue in cheek.
"Oh so this is a relationship now?"
"It's something," Emma grinned.
"Or you're insane."
"You keep saying that!" She crossed her arms over her chest, holding the towel more snuggly in place, and sticking out her lower lip in an exaggerated pout, "So what's up?"
"Oh…I suppose I remember my life...before."
"Why didn't you say so!" She dropped the towel in a puddle on the floor and scurried buck naked into the walk in closet. "Let me get dressed and we'll talk!"
The older woman giggled, a furious blush creeping across her features, the image of pale cheeks disappearing into the walk in closet, was not a sight she'd soon forget.
Emma stepped back into the room, nearly crashing into Regina hovering at the door. "Alright, tell me."
Her eyes sparkled with a childlike excitement. "Come."
And she led her outside, Emma taking the steps two at a time to keep up.
"This tree, it's a Honey Crisp tree. My father gave it to me as a girl, it was just a seedling then. He showed me how to tend to it and look at it now. I remember. He gave me his love of nature, he taught me to ride, to speak to the horses and speak to the trees. I loved him dearly."
"Where is he now?" Emma struggled not to bombard the other woman with questions, words jumbled and clustered on the tip of her tongue.
"He passed away when I was in my final year of university?"
"Oh god, I'm sorry Regina…"
She shook her head, "He was a lot older than my mother, he lived a good life."
"And your mother, she's a senator?" One question, just one.
Slowly, methodically, Regina told her story. "Yes, she is the Senator of Maine. She was mayor of this town before I was. When she moved up, I moved in. Win-win for the both of us."
"Wait holy shit you're the mayor." She couldn't help herself.
"I was." She shrugged, coming to stand beneath the tree, gazing up though the branches. Her manicured fingers caressing the air, as if aching to reach the bark. "I'm thirty six years old. I was born here and spent my life in this town, except for the four years I spent at Yale. My mother brought me into politics, groomed me, and I became mayor about ten years ago."
"Oh man if I wasn't intimidated before, I am now. That's sexy. Damn."
Regina smiled, blushed, but continued unheeded, "I didn't lead such a glamorous life. I didn't have any friends. First I was the mayor's daughter, people stayed away. Then I became the mayor and I was even more feared. "
"Oh god, Regina I'm sorry. It's their loss, you're a special woman." Emma inched her hand towards one of Regina's own.
She shook her head, "You know I didn't date. There was only a boy in high school, we fell in love. My mother though she found out and next thing we know he was sent packing, military school, the army. We didn't have the freedom of email, lost contact with no help from our parents, my mother especially. I heard he was killed a few years later. I always blamed myself for that. If it wasn't for me, for my mother, he wouldn't be dead."
"You can't," She gasped.
"I do." Regina shivered.
"Come, let's sit inside, it's chilly out." It wasn't. But the mood had shifted to overcast.
Emma opened a bottle of wine and they managed an awkward laugh when Regina floated through Emma's glass in an attempt to taste the fragrant bouquet.
Then they sat, side by side, as Regina continued to speak late into the evening.
About her father mostly. Those were happy memories. Horseback riding. Road Trips. Her secret Quinceañera.
About her life at its most recent time points. Those were lonely memories. She had her work, her garden, her passion for cooking.
About her dreams. Elusive at the best of times, today felt impossible. She wanted a family, children, a house filled with chaos.
Emma just listened, watching the way the other woman spoke with her hands, the way her brows animated, and the way her scar quirked.
Much later in the safe cocoon of darkness, they were spooned together, close as they might given the circumstances. Regina whispered, a forbidden memory, "I remembered something else."
"What is it 'Gina?" Emma mumbled sleepily.
"They used to call me the Evil Queen."
The blonde stiffened then slowly reminded herself to relax into the space about the other woman. "I'm sure that's not true."
"Oh it's very true. The people, they feared me, they hated me, much as they hated and feared my mother. Much as I feared and hated my mother."
"I'm so sorry Regina."
"I'm a different person when I'm with you, Emma."
"I wish everyone could see this you, you're beautiful and loving and kind and just…the way you tell stories could have just about anyone falling in love with you."
"Perhaps they will, one day."
"I will do anything. Anything. Regina. So that you will see that day."
"Thank you…I…."
"I know, me too…You've changed my life."
It had all happened too fast.
Maybe she was crazy.
Maybe it was fate.
A/N: Editing this is soooo much harder than getting the bones of the story out of my fingertips! And a lot less fun! Here's an attempt at a second chapter before I run off to do Camp NaNo!