AN: So sorry for the major delay but real life has been a bit of a shit-storm. ANYWAY this chapter's a long one to try and make up for it! Don't own OUAT, or the characters, just the half-assed plot line.
Green eyes scanned the apartment as both woman stood beside the door, waiting for something to happen. Emma had no idea what the protocol was for saying goodbye to the woman who had made it her mission to: tried to kill your mother, yourself, you father, gotten rid of you, brought you back, snuck into your apartment, drank your liquor, and then brainstormed a plan to deal with said woman's mother.
It was a lot to take in. And Regina seemed to be feeling that as well.
Emma swayed on the balls of her feet awkwardly as Regina fluffed her hair and tried to straighten the creases from her clothes, her nonchalant demeanour was so forced Emma had to fight down a smile.
Emma cleared her throat, "So you know what you gotta do?"
"Do you?" Regina asked with an irritated roll of her eyes.
"I'm not an idiot, Regina." Emma huffed.
"Could've fooled me," Regina quipped. "Many times."
"You know what? I think one of us needs to be drunk any time we interact." Emma declared throwing up her arm in frustration as the brunette smirked at her frustration. She had missed winding up the Sheriff in her self-imposed exile. She had missed interacting with people, which was strange for her since she never really liked the people in her town all that much.
"You planning more interactions, dear?" Regina asked coyly, stepping into Emma's personal space.
"Not sober ones." Emma mumbled with widening green eyes at the close proximity. She swallowed heavily as the brunette invaded her senses, startling when the woman let out a genuine chuckle.
"Go do your thing, Sheriff," Regina whispered with a quick wink before backing away and replacing her previous expression with one of complete innocence, which wouldn't have fooled anyone, even a blind man.
Emma's mouth was partially open in surprise at Regina's boldness before quickly blaming it on the remnants of liquor in her system, cause it couldn't be anything else. Shaking her head slightly Emma bit her lip at the thought of the massive project ahead of her, "How much do you think we'll need?"
"A lot more than you used against me." Regina deadpanned. Emma winced at the accusation as the memories of her actions toward the Queen were brought to the surface.
"Yeah, it was kind of a spurn of the moment thing," Emma blurted out running a hand through her hair, "and I'm really s-"
"Don't." Regina demanded with a glare. "Don't apologise."
"But I –" Emma started only to be cut off by Regina's hand in her face.
"Your letting me stay here is apology enough." Emma was taken aback at her words before she sighed heavily and nodded.
"You could… stay for longer…" Emma trailed off sheepishly. She could feel her cheeks beginning to burn at the disbelieving expression upon the brunette's face as the implications behind words was registered.
"Henry." She blurted out in explanation. "He wants to see you, Regina."
Regina swallowed heavily at the thought of seeing her son again, "I don't think that would be best."
"Why not?"
Why not? It was such a simple question yet there were so many possible answers. And none of which Regina wished to speak aloud. It might have been because she had given up on trying to reconnect with her son. Or it could have been because she looked a mess after searching for answers at the bottom of a liquor bottle. Neither one was particularly heart-warming, but it was simply because she couldn't see Henry. Not this one, not now.
"Just make sure everything is ready, Ms Swan." The brunette stated icily, falling back on formalities that no longer had any impact.
"Yeah. Sure." Emma muttered as Regina flattened her crinkled blouse before sweeping from the apartment.
Emma shouldn't have been surprised by the abrupt departure, but it hurt slightly. Hell she was trying to be a good person to Regina, and only managed to get it throw back in her face.
It wasn't easy for her to be nice to the woman, and if she found it hard then it would have been tenfold for the former queen. Seemed like nothing would ever be simple in her life. But at least she was never bored...
After pottering around in a boredom induced haze, stopping to stare at the island wondering if all that had happened wasn't just a figment of her imagination, Emma looked up quickly at the sound of people walking through the now open door. She idly wondered why she felt slightly disappointed as her family quickly made themselves at home.
"Hey Emma!" Henry shouted as he engulfed her. She made a mental note to talk to the kid about inside voices as she returned the embrace.
"Have fun, kid?"
"Sure did!" He replied with a beaming smile before letting go and rummaging through the fridge while bouncing on his feet. "You give him candy again?" Snow had the grace to look slightly put out while David just grinned. It was nice to see them smiling, what with the dark cloud named Cora hovering over the town.
"Maybe a little." David chuckled as he gave Emma a one-armed hug. As Emma returned the gesture she was thankful that Regina was no longer present. If she'd heard that Henry had candy – and quite a bit of it if his behaviour was anything to go by – then the ensuing telling-off would have been remarkably colourful.
"Gramps! I gotta show you the new one I was talking about!" Henry exclaims turning and pulling David from his daughter and dragging him up the metal stairs. David sends Emma a small smile mouthing the word "comic" before he disappears from sight leaving Emma to face her mother who rushes the last few steps and squeezes her daughter in a tight embrace, Emma begins to fear that she will never breath properly again.
"Did you have an okay night?" Snow asks softly as she releases her, knowing that Emma doesn't like to be parted from Henry for long, what with the little time they have left.
Emma starts a little and stares at Snow for a moment, searching in wonder if she knows what went on in the darkness of this very kitchen, but shakes the thoughts away doubtfully.
"Yeah. Yes. It was fine." Emma mumbles, waving off Snow's concern as she moves about tidying up the place. Snow nods as her brow furrows but casts her worry aside, passing it off as fear for the upcoming damnation of their town, as she settles herself in the barstool. She watches her daughter's back, waiting for Emma to move. When she does Snow is taken aback by the serious expression cast upon her daughters face.
It was a moment before Emma spoke. The silence weighed heavily upon Snow White's shoulders as she began to worry that something was wrong, that Cora had already struck, that something was about to go terribly, horribly wrong.
"Snow," Emma said to the ground, her hands wedged firmly in her jean pockets to keep from fidgeting, "How do you know if someone's worth saving?"
Snow watched her daughter with barely concealed surprise. Her eyes met Emma's as the blonde glances imploringly up at the silence for an answer, "Oh." Snow cleared her throat awkwardly.
Emma's eyes intently searched her mother's face for an answer. Snow had no idea who her daughter was asking after, or why she had decided to spring it upon her now, but the question still hung in the air waiting to be answered.
Snow looked off to the side as she thought upon what words to say, her brow furrowing in concentration.
"Because you care." Snow said simply, tilting her head to look upon her daughter in wonder at what had brought on this line of questioning.
"About them?" Emma asked equal measures curious and disconcerted causing Snow to be slightly suspicious as to whom her daughter was indirectly referring to.
"You care," Snow spoke carefully, feeling the weight for each word as they fell from her tongue, "about what would happen to them if you didn't." Surprising herself at the truth in them as she finished.
She watched Emma's face closely as the words echoed in the remaining quiet, her eyes turning to the ground as she bit her lip in contemplation.
"Emma, why do you ask?" Snow asked gently as she slid from the stool and approached her daughter standing in the middle of the apartment.
"I'm the Saviour," Emma said with a newfound awareness as she looked up at her mother, "I save people."
"What are you planning, Emma? You can't face Cora alone." Snow declared with worry as she held her daughter by the shoulders. Emma's composed expression pulled at her heart, as did the laughter ringing through the apartment from the two most important men in her life.
"I won't. Not alone."
"You've got something." Snow summarised with pride and hope filling her voice.
"Sort of," Emma shrugged flushing at the look being sent her way, "I was thinking we could do what we tried with Regina." She said moving away from her mother to the kitchen, needing to keep her hands occupied. Snow, sensing her daughter needed space, moved back to her spot on the stool.
"March up to her and yell at her?" Snow asked sceptically, smiling as Emma glared half-heartedly at her from behind the fridge door.
"Yeah, cause that worked real well for us," Emma rolled her eyes before shutting the door and taking a drink from the juice carton to Snow's displeasure. "No, I was thinking more along the lines of the fairy dust."
Snow sighed heavily, sagging slightly upon the counter, "But Cora's much stronger than Regina. We don't have enough."
"Then we mine for more." Emma declared.
"It's not that easy, Emma."
"Why not?"
"She'll see us coming from a mile away. She has kept tabs on Regina even when she was in Wonderland. She knew what we did, and…" Snow shrugs helplessly. She was surprising herself with how much she'd given up hope. It seemed that 28 years of living a mundane life, living without hope of a happy ending had tainted her formerly positive outlook.
"What if I told you we wouldn't do it?" Emma grounds out cautiously, testing the waters for her mother's reaction. Snow's confusion was an anticipated response but the sparkle returning to her eyes was an unexpected comfort.
"So you do have something." Snow said her voice filling with pride and hope. Emma glanced away from her gaze, and shuffled awkwardly under her scrutiny. She wasn't used to this kind of praise, Snow could tell, but she would never stop telling or showing her daughter just how proud she was of her. "Who then?"
"Someone she won't see coming." Emma deflected which started to ring alarm bell for Snow.
"Emma." Snow urged, her mothering tone in full use now causing Emma's eyes to roll. Even at 28, nearly the same as the woman sitting in front of her, Emma was being treated like a child. "Who?"
Snow leant forward across the counter as the blonde mumbled her answer to the floor. "Speak up." Snow demanded acting like the royal she was. And once again Snow was straining her ears, and failing, to hear the name her daughter whispered once more.
"Emma!" Snow drawled in exasperation.
"Regina!" Emma finally blurted through clenched teeth, keeping her voice purposefully low so as not to travel to the upstairs. Snow sucked in a breath at the woman's name before sending a pitying gaze at her daughter.
"And how are you going to talk to her Emma? Let alone fill her in on the plan."
"I… ah… might have already." Emma finished, sending Snow a shy smile.
"…do I even want to know?" Snow asked suddenly exhausted as she rested her chin in her palm, acting more like Mary Margaret.
"She… turned up, last night," Emma began hesitantly, and rightly so judging by Snow's incredulous look. "She was drinking, and we got talking, and then…"
"Wait," Snow interrupted holding up her hand, "If this is going where I think It's going then.."
"What? No! Come on! Seriously?" Emma protested loudly against the accusation. Yet she was surprised to find she wasn't as disgusted at the thought as she was making herself out to be. Which in turn confused her even more as she shivered as her imagination once more ran rampant around her mind.
Snow was much more pleased with Emma's answer and didn't ask her to elaborate further on what her night entailed, because with their imminent demise looming ever closer she did not bother to find out what her daughter got up to with that woman.
"God, Snow. We just talked and came up with that plan."
"You came up with a plan while drunk?" Her mother questioned.
"No, Regina was drunk. Anyway, it could work. Cora won't think her daughter would turn against her."
"…that is true." Snow contemplated quietly. No matter how manipulative Cora was, she truly believed Regina would always come back to her. Which was odd seeing as Regina had ordered her mothers death, but what did she know.
"What's true?" David asked he descended the stairs on light feet, both woman forgetting how quiet he could be when he wished.
"Would Cora believe Regina would fight against her?" Snow turned on the chair to face her husband as he approached the island.
"…not if she had the right leverage." He said strongly, as they all turned their heads to the staircase that Henry was now descending. "Why do you ask?"
Snow turned to her daughter. David glanced between his family before settling his questioning gaze to Emma.
"I… might have something."
"No, Emma. You do have something." Snow encouraged her general cheeriness filling her features.
"What do you have, Em?" David asked as Henry walked slowly up to the adults peering between them curiously. Emma glanced down at her son, sending him a smile, before meeting her father's gaze.
Taking a deep breath she placed her hands firmly on the counter top, raised her chin and spoke firmly as a satisfied smirk grew on her lips.
"A plan."
The stone was cool and unforgiving beneath her fingertips. The eerie quiet of the mausoleum brought a melancholy peace to the brunette who was seeking guidance. Guidance she knew would not be given no matter how hard she wished. The wind outside whispered unintelligible words that could have been the voices of those long silenced. Voices that would not help the woman left to her own devices and hatred for far too long.
"I'm so sorry." Regina whispered to the stone with tears shining bright in her eyes.
Her palm lay flat against the centre of the stone coffin that was for nothing more than decoration. Yet as she closed her eyes a picture her father standing before her, a kind smile on his lips, and a heart beating strongly in his chest.
With a shuddering breath she opened her eyes, "I should've listened to you." Regina leant both hands on the coffin and bowed her head against the memories that rushed vividly through her mind.
She watched as spots on the grey stone darkened. Lifting one hand up to her cheek, she gently brushed the skin and stared at the tear on her finger. "I'll make you proud." She said determinedly, wiping away the tears.
Then with a watery smile, "If it's the last thing I do." She let out a chuckle at the irony before the biting her lip to stop the sobs she knew would rack her body. Her teeth sunk into deeply into her bottom lip and new tears began to fall. Her vision blurred as she bent over and laid her forehead against the stone.
A draft filtered into the mausoleum, unnoticed by Regina.
"Oh my darling." A soft voice filled with uncharacteristic warmth filtered through Regina's emotional distress. With a sniff she pushed herself up at gazed wide-eyed at the woman before her.
"Come here," She said with a fond smile and holding her arms out. Regina automatically followed the order and fell into her embrace. Cora held her daughter and waited for her eyes to dry.
"No use crying over that old fool, he can't help you now." She told her daughter, pulling her back and cupping her cheeks, "But I can."
Regina stared at her mother for a moment. Too soon.
She needed more time, nothing had been finalised, and so long as she was with Cora she would hear nothing from Emma or the Charming's as to the haphazardly thrown together plan they'd concocted in the dead of night.
Influenced by alcohol, none the less. Regina thought, keeping the wry smirk off her face.
"Truly, mother?" Regina asked feeling like the girl she once was.
"Yes, my darling. Now dry your tears we need to show those town folk what you're capable of." Cora's voice held a deadly tone to it as she smirked and pulled on her daughters forearm to the door of the mausoleum.
"We can stay here." Regina piped up. Cora turned to her with narrowed eyes sparking dangerously.
"We are not staying in a crypt." She hissed, eyes flicking to the coffin for a second.
"No, mother. Wait." Regina said pulling out of her hold and pushing the coffin to the side. Turning back to her mother she was shocked to see a small glimmer of pride in her usually cold, detached brown eyes.
"A vault. Like mine."
"I learned." Regina responded with a smirk of her own.
"You did," Cora said surprised at her own admission. "Now show me what we can use against those ridiculous Charming's." Cora's arm swept gracefully, pointing at the stone stairs and waited for Regina to lead.
Regina descended the stairs, grateful for a moment out of her mother's gaze. Even though things were advancing much more quickly than the Sheriff or her hand imagined, it might just work better for them.
Now she had time to find out what her mother was up to, and maybe figure a better way of stopping her than throwing a lame handful of fairy dust upon the Queen of Hearts and hoping for the best.
She only hoped she could keep her mother away from Henry, his safety would always be her priority. Whether he believed her or not she loved him.
And no matter how many times her mother told her love was weakness. She couldn't truly believe those words anymore, not after having lost to True Love so many times.
As she opened her hidden door to her lavishly decorated closet, she once again felt that ridiculous notion of hope, and wished for it not to become a common occurrence, especially in her mother's presence.
There was no telling what the woman would do if she found her grinning like a fool at the thought of victory before having defeated her mother. And she did not want to find out.
AN: Whew! Hope that makes up for the delay, again terribly sorry. But now things are finally chugging along...
But will their plan work? What will they do now Regina's with Cora? Ohhhhh... you'll never know, until I post it.
So, you know the drill...
Review, tell me what you think!