*Hope everyone had a great Christmas or whatever it is that you celebrate.
ONCE does not belong to me.
Chapter 3: Chances
Everyone stared as Regina paced back and forth. She had been doing this for some time now; every time someone tried to get her to stop she would just start to ramble on about how it couldn't be possible.
It was crazy to even think about such a thing being possible. There was no way the Savior was in love with the Evil Queen…at least that's what Regina kept telling herself over and over.
They were just supposed to come and celebrate the holidays, not have a run in with drama. Seriously, did it ever stop with this people? Regina was actually starting to think it would have been better if they had hated her.
Suddenly she stopped and turned to face her family. They waited anxiously to see what she had to say.
"We're leaving" She stated and started to walk out the shop door, only to turn right back around to get Sammy. Once Sammy was secure in her arms she straightened out and tried again for a proper and dramatic storm out.
"What are you talking about? We can't leave, we just got here" Aiden pointed out as he chased after his mother. It's like she doesn't hear what he's saying because she just keeps on walking ahead. "Will you just stop for a moment" he managed to say through shallow breaths. "Jesus, for a lady your age you sure can move"
"Did you just call me old?" Her eyebrows knit together as she asks. She waits tapping her foot against the pavement impatiently…or trying to look impatient, when really she just wanted to laugh at her son's posture. He was so out of shape.
"Yes, but technically I also called you athletic, so you can't really be mad" He tells her taking a couple of deep breaths trying to get his breathing back to normal.
"Your logic makes no sense, sweetheart" He shrugs.
"Nothing he says makes sense" Alice pipes in loving any moment were she can make fun of her older brother. Her cheeky smile makes everyone smile, except for Aiden who closes his eyes out on her letting her know she better run. She does.
"Guys, Guys! This is not the…" and they were off, no longer listening to her "Don't run in the streets!" she called out for them. She and Gold watched them run around like little kids high on sugar until they reached the park.
Regina took Sammy to the play structure and Alice soon joined. She left them in Aiden's hands and she went to take a sit next to Mr. Gold at the nearest park bench.
"I can't do this" She told him not once taking her eyes away from her girl playing around with Aiden. "It was supposed to be a quick, quiet trip to my home town. Now there's all this drama going on. I've only been here for two days and things are already getting out of hand"
"It wouldn't be Storybrooke without drama, my dear" He points out. "You can't run away from this Regina. You did for ten years already, stay and deal with this." He tells her getting serious. "Are you really going to tell me that seeing her after all this time didn't bring some sort of emotion?"
She lays her head on his shoulder and lets out a loud sigh. What is she supposed to do now? For god's sake she hasn't even had a decent conversation with the blonde. Yet she can't deny that there wasn't some sort of feeling at seeing her again.
It felt like all those times from back before the curse broke. When she would get on her nerves just to see the way her forehead wrinkled in anger and her mouth turn into a small, barely noticeable pout. How she would make sassy remarks just to have Emma huff in frustration in that way Regina loved. All those times she would pick pointless matters to argue over just to spend more time with the blonde.
The way her stomach felt like it was going to explode with millions of butterflies. How her heart would flutter just at the thought of the blonde. But then the curse broke and everything, every little feeling went away and turned into loneliness and sadness.
"What if I lose her too?" She asks quietly, so quietly she's not even sure he heard her.
"It's been four years, Regina. Let go, and love again" He knew this was hard for her. She didn't know anything else, except the loss that came with love. The heartbreak and pain…
"The kid's" She tells him.
"You don't need to worry about us mom. All we want is for you to be happy" Aiden speaks up. Regina whips her head around to face her son. "Like uncle said, it's been four years. Love doesn't come easily, mom, so take your chance." The look in his eyes told Regina that he was being sincere and his smile told her he was rooting for her.
"What he said" Alice agreed. They all turned their attention to the last member of the family. Sammy just stared right back not knowing what was going on. She gave them a toothy smile and to then that was her agreeing so the other two kids let out a cheer.
"We should get you guys home. You've been outside for a while now and it's really cold" Mr. Gold suggested. The last thing he wanted was for the girls to get sick during Christmas time. "Plus it's getting close to lunch time" Alice of course instantly smiles at the thought of food, making her family shake their heads at her antics.
As they walked towards Regina's mansion the kids came across a flyer for the Winter Festival. After begging to go, Regina relented and promised to take them later on the night. While they were enjoying their lunch a knock interrupted them.
"Has she come by here?" Is the first thing Mary Margaret asked when Regina opened the door "We've looked everywhere for her and can't seem to find her"
"We haven't been here all morning" by now Mr. Gold has joined them as well. "Does this happen often?" she asks.
"Hasn't for a while but then you showed up and well…"Regina nods in understanding. She closes her eyes for a moment trying to think where the blonde could be and it's when it comes to her.
"I need you to watch the kids" She tells Mr. Gold who nods a small smile playing at his lips "I'll be back" with that she walks passed a confused Snow White and gets into her rental car.
The drive doesn't take much time. She's pretty sure the blonde will be there, it's the only place no one will step foot near it. No one did after the curse broke.
She parked and walked the short distance to the play structure. It was muddy from the melted snow, making her walk extra careful. She tightens her hand around the blanket she pulled out of the car and continues towards were she knows she'll find the blonde.
When she reaches the playground she can see beer bottles lying around. She shakes her head and looks around for any sign of the sheriff.
She sees it when she looks up, boots sticking out from the small red tunnel. She feels like she should take a picture to blackmail her later on with it, because that is just childish.
"Emma?" she calls out when she's at the top of the latter. The boots moves a bit indicating that she was heard. Seconds later Emma's head pops out from the small tunnel.
"What are you doing here?" she asks. Regina can see the bags under her eyes, everything about Emma screams tired. "How did you find me?"
"Can we talk about this once we're inside the car, please?" with that she starts to go down the latter. "Wait you are conscious enough to go down the latter, right? You're not too drunk, are you?"
Emma shrugs and a loud burp leaves he mouth making her laugh. Regina got her answer. She climbs back up and for the first time in ten years she practices magic again. She transports the blonde and herself to where she left the car.
She quickly wrapped the blanket around Emma trying to get her warm. She tries to get her in the car but the blonde wouldn't relent. She refused to get in.
"Get in" she ordered but Emma just tighten her arms around the blanket and shook her head. "Emma, I'm not playing, get in" when Emma shook her head again she huffed in frustration and pulled out her cell phone.
She called Gold to ask him to take the kids back to his shop for a bit. She assured him Emma was okay, this served to calm Mary Margaret down a bit.
Within seconds they were standing in Regina's bedroom. When the purple fog cleared up she helped Emma to her bed.
"I'm going to go get you some coffee" she told her and left the bedroom. Mr. Gold had yet to get the kids out so she saw them out and promised to see them in a bit. She sent Mary Margaret home promising to look after Emma and with much reluctance Snow left.
She prepared some coffee and started for the stairs.
"What are you doing? I left you upstairs" Emma had made her way downstairs while she was prepping the coffee and was now leaning against the couch.
"You did, but now I'm downstairs" Emma pointed out, somewhat out of it. Regina shook her head and handed the coffee over. Emma seemed to get the point because she started drinking it. "Who told you?"Even in her inebriated state Emma knew someone had told Regina the reasons behind her disappearance act.
"You need sleep" Regina told her choosing not to answer Emma's question "You didn't actually spend the night out there, did you?" considering the temperatures at this time of the year in Maine, she was pretty sure the blonde hadn't but she wanted to know for sure.
"Nope, snuck into Granny's to get away from the cold, went back this morning" Emma explained as she took a sit on the couch. "How did you know where to look for me? So, who told you? Was it my mother, Henry? Who?"
"I used to go there after the curse broke. It's a great place to think" She refilled Emma's cup and proceeded to join her on the couch. "Only place no one would think to look for you" she told her "Does it really matter who told me?"
She watches as Emma continues to drink her coffee. They don't say anything until Regina suggests Emma to lie down. They end up in her bedroom and she helps Emma get under the blankets.
"You must think I'm pathetic" Emma comments after a while. "This was not the way I picture myself in your bed" she tried to joke but at the look Regina gave, she knew it wasn't a time for jokes.
"Emma, you need to sleep. Get some rest, then we can talk about what's going on" Regina tried to reason with the blonde.
"Why? It doesn't really matter anymore, does it? It won't change the fact that you're married or than I'm just some piss poor drunk. I've never envied someone as much, as I envy the man who put a ring on your finger. He gets to call you his." Emma rambles on, her drunken mind bringing all those thoughts that have crossed her mind since she saw Regina for the first time again.
"She" Regina tells her. Emma looks at her confused, not knowing what she's talking about "I married a woman, Aiden's mother to be more precise"
"She's lucky" Emma whispers.
"She was…" Regina starts "She died four years ago"
"I'm sorry" Emma says a bit louder taking Regina's hand in hers. Regina smiles in gratitude. She doesn't know what else to say after that so she finally takes Regina's advice and tries to get some sleep.
Once Regina knew Emma was asleep she decided to start getting clothes ready for the girls' for the Winter Festival. Once that was done she decided to call Mr. Gold and have him bring the kids back so that they had time to get ready.
She got Alice into the bath and proceeded to help her get ready. Then she gave Sammy a bath as well, but she didn't have time to get her dressed because as soon as she was wrapped in a towel in her mother's arms the four year old fell asleep.
The day had finally caught up with her and Regina didn't have the heart to wake her up. She did her best to put her in a baggy shirt without waking her up and then put her under her ducky covers. A nap would do her good.
All through this she kept avoiding Aiden's persistent questions about what she was going to do about the whole Emma thing. She avoided the questions because she, herself, had no idea what she was going to do.
Was she ready to give True Love a try?
"Aiden, sweetheart, you're forgetting that my life is no longer in this town. Our life's are in New York." Regina tells him as she combs through Alice's black hair. "Why are you pushing this so much?"
"I go off to college in a few months, mom. I want to know someone is going to be taking care of you that someone is going to be making you happy." Regina smiles at her son's thoughtfulness "Someone that you can come home and tell them about your day. Someone that you'll be able to share all of Sammy's and Alice's many more firsts with, someone that will always be there for you" she pulls him into a hug and kisses his forehead.
"So thoughtful, just like your mother" she rubs her thumb over his cheek "Someday you're going to make someone very happy"
"Maybe, but for now I want you to be happy and I know the snoring blonde in the next room can make that happen" He said nodding his head towards Regina's bedroom. "It can be one of those Christmas romances, like in sappy movies."
"The ones we make fun of?" Alice piped in. This earned her a small push from her brother.
"We'll see. Now go finish getting ready." With that Aiden left the room, already thinking of ways to get his mother to give the blonde a chance. Perhaps this time he would get better results than when he set up his mother with Markus, his friend's father, four months ago.
Regina finished up with Alice and decided to go get ready herself. She kept from making too much noise so she wouldn't wake up the blonde, who was in fact snoring, from waking up. She showered and got dress in some skin tight jeans and a nice red, Christmas sweater.
Once she was done with her makeup and fixing her hair, she decided to finally wake the slumbering blonde. She called out her name a few times and when that didn't work she started to shake her a bit. Slowly and with a groan, Emma finally opened her eyes.
"You need to get up and get ready" Regina told her, pulling the covers back.
"Ready? For what?" Emma asked through a yawn.
"We're going to the Winter Festival" Regina started to pull Emma out of bed, when she was finally off the bed she pushed her towards the bathroom, towel in hand. "Shower, I put some clothes in there that you can use. Oh and there is also a toothbrush there, wash your teeth because you're breath smells terrible" Emma didn't have a chance to talk back because the bathroom door was already closing behind Regina.
While Emma was in the shower Regina went and got Sammy up. She got her dressed and ready as well. By the time Emma was done getting ready all the kids were downstairs waiting to go.
They decided to walk to where it was being held because it was close and there was no point in driving such distance. Emma walked behind the family, thinking back on her day.
"You have three weeks" she heard from her side.
"What?" she asked Aiden, who had started to walk beside her.
"Three weeks, that's the time you have to win my mother's heart over."He explained "You already have some of it so it shouldn't be hard."
"It's not too late?" she asked starring after Regina.
"Never too late for True Love" Emma swallowed and he continued "That's what you guys say right? Your mother and father and what not?" She chuckles at this.
"I never thought I'd see her again" She comments after a bit.
"Perhaps fate is giving you another chance." He tells her "Make it count, blondie" with that he joins his mother's side.
When they get there everyone wants to do and go see different things. She lets Aiden take Alice to buy some cotton candy, while she takes Sammy to buy some hot chocolate.
They walk around for a bit, looking around. Then Mr. Gold spots them and he takes the kids to play some of the games the town had set up.
She suggests a walk to Emma.
"I'm sorry for how I acted earlier" Emma apologizes.
"It's alright" She smiles at the blonde "I missed being able to see the stars" She tells Emma as she stares up into the sky. "They're so clear, so bright." Emma nods in agreement "Why didn't you say anything back then?" she asks getting serious.
"I didn't know. After you left, I started looking for you, at first I thought I was doing it for Henry but as time went on I realized I was doing it for myself. When I couldn't find you, when all my searches came up empty, it started to drive me mad, I almost lost myself, that's when I knew" Emma tells her, not taking her yes away from the night sky.
"I told Rumple to do anything he could to keep anyone from this town ever finding me" Regina tells her, finally letting Emma know why she couldn't find her. "I suppose this is my fault as well"
"No, I' m to blame" Emma assured her.
"I'm not sorry" Regina tells her after a bit "Leaving got me a loving wife, whom I loved very much, and three beautiful, wonderful children. All of which seem to want you to sweep me of my feet" Emma looks at her at this "True Love works both ways, Emma"
