Disclaimer: I don't own the characters and make no profit of them.
Rating: T for some language and suggestive themes.
AN: Thank you for the reviews and please keep them coming. It's always nice when people like your work. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint too much...
"NO! Absolutely not," Snow shrieks and the woman standing in front of her winces slightly at the sound.
"Why not?" the sheriff asks petulantly, barely refraining from stomping her foot as she half expects the other woman to explode. She's starting to realize she might have been naïve in thinking it would be easier to get Snow to agree than Regina. With the former mayor she could use touch and intimacy and promises as a means to convince. But she couldn't exactly to that with her mother. Just the thought of it makes her shudder at how very wrong it would be.
She knows she can use Snow's guilt to get her way easily enough, but it would be wrong. It would also go against some of the purpose of all this, which is to get Snow and Regina to stay civil towards each other for more than 5 minutes so they might see some of what she sees in the other. She knows it might just be a hopeful wish she has, but damn it if she's not going to at least try.
"Because it's Regina!" the dark haired woman bursts out like it explains everything. And maybe it does to some, but quite frankly Emma thinks it's getting old. For all the apparent goodness in this town, the people seem to keep a hell of a lot of grudges and love using the past as an excuse whenever they see fit. And she thought she was the childish one.
"Exactly. It's Regina. Not Mayor Mills or the Evil Queen. Regina. Henry's mom. The woman who raised him to be who he is. Regina, who got us back home."
Snow seems to stop to mull this over and the sheriff hopes it's a sign that the other woman is starting to calm down. She didn't get much sleep last night, what with a certain brunette taking great pleasure in demanding payment for her, in Regina's words, impending days of torture. Not that she hadn't thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. But because of that, her mother's voice is starting to cause a dull thudding somewhere behind her forehead and she really wants to get some sleep before her shift.
"It's supposed to be a kind of family reunion," Snow finally says and the sheriff feels like screaming in frustration. She is certain that the other woman knows she's together with the former mayor. Okay, so she hasn't flat out told her mother, and the dark haired woman has never asked her, but she'd have to be fucking retarded to not have figured it out.
Since Regina brought them back from fairy tale land she's been spending more and more time at the mansion. She's even pushed Henry on Snow and Charming for more than a few nights and even though she pretends to rent a room at Granny's to let her parents be together, she spends most of her free time and nights with the brunette. And not even her mother can be ignorant enough to not know what's going on when Emma informs her Henry is staying the night while she's at Regina's. In her mind that's as good as a written confession.
"Regina is part of the family," she tries to say as calmly and firmly as possible.
"Have you even asked Regina?" Snow asks dubiously and the blonde feels like the other woman is deliberately trying to buy her time or throw her off her track. Maybe she hopes Emma will give up, but if she does, she has another thing coming.
"Yes, and she agreed" the sheriff responds unable to hide her proud grin.
"How in the hell did you manage that?" the other woman asks incredulously.
Oh if you only knew.
And maybe it's apparent on her face because Snow's features distorts in something akin to disgust.
"Never mind, I don't want to know," the dark haired woman replies quickly and the sheriff has the modesty to at least appear embarrassed. She thinks fleetingly that she probably should be since the other woman is now her mother and not her close friend and roommate. But she's never cared what people thought before and she doesn't feel Snow has earned the right of acting the overprotective parent when she hasn't even been one for a whole year yet.
"You're the one who said you wanted the whole family to celebrate Christmas together."
"Yes, you, me, Charming and Henry," the woman explains as she crosses her arms defiantly in front of herself, conveying quite clearly that she thinks the blonde is being deliberately difficult.
"That's not what you said, you said family. And since Regina is Henry's mom and my-" Emma stops abruptly. She had almost said girlfriend. And the brief, knowing smirk of the other woman makes the sheriff realize the dark haired woman is baiting her to reveal the truth without actually having to ask for it. It's sneaky and exactly what she herself would do.
"Well, she's family whether you want her to be or not," she finishes lamely, crossing her own arms fiercely as they lock eyes. Their staring contest lasts longer than Emma thinks is entirely appropriate or necessary, but they both seem determined not to be the first one to break away.
After what feels like forever, Snow lets out a huff and throws up her arms in frustration as her eyes move briefly upwards as if in desperate prayer. Which is ridiculous, Emma thinks, because she's pretty sure there's no higher divine powers in fairy tale land since they have magic there, and it's more like something Mary Margaret would do. But she can't forget that the woman opposite her is not her confidante anymore, but her mom, even though she kind of wishes she was right now, since it would be so much easier to get Mary Margaret to agree to Regina spending Christmas with them.
"Let's say for a moment I agree to this, which I'm not by the way," Snow starts and the sheriff can already feel herself grinning, because it's at least a sign that the other woman is considering it and is willing to listen to reason.
"I just feel it would kind of defeat the purpose to have her here since it's bound to ruin the Christmas spirit with arguing and resentment."
Emma's protective monster roars in her chest at the way her mother makes it sound like it will all be Regina's fault if things go awry. Like it doesn't take two people to fight. And unconsciously she takes an intimidating step towards the other woman so she's almost in her personal space.
"If there's arguing, it's as much your fault as Regina's," she grounds out between tight lips. And it isn't until Snow looks down abashed that Emma unclenches fingers she hadn't realized was digging into the palm of her hand. She tries to stay firm and keep hold ing on to her fury, but can feel herself deflating.
"I'll tell you the same thing I told Regina. You're both going to fake smiles and cut the jabs because it's Christmas and you want Henry and me to be happy."
"And is it?" Snow asks tentatively after a few second's of silence.
"Is it what?" the sheriff replies dumbly and she feels how tired she really is now that most of her anger and fight has disappeared.
"Is it what will make Henry and you happy?"
She thinks that this is probably where she's supposed to spur out argument after argument for why it's what they want and why it will make them happy. But what was a dull thud before is an incessant hammering now and she really needs to sleep for a few hours if she's going to last the day. So instead her reply is a feeble "yes."
And Snow's eyebrows furrow together in concentration, as if she's having an internal argument with herself. When their eyes lock again, it's apparent that she has made up her mind about whatever it was she was considering.
"Okay." Had she not been so tired and in pain, Emma would have done a victory dance. She does one internally instead while she lets out a relieved sigh. She feels like maybe the other woman agreed a little too easily compared to how she initially reacted, but she'll take it.
"I'm gonna lie down for a little while, I have a killer headache," she says and is glad that Snow fights the obvious need to fuss and mother her. Because right now she needs to creep into the bed of her old room, now mostly used for Henry when he stays over, and celebrate her hard earned victories with an hour, maybe two if she's lucky, of well-deserved sleep.
"Thanks, mom," she mutters as she brushes past the other woman.
And she's almost sure she doesn't imagine the sniff coming from Snow at the term Emma so rarely uses.