It wasn't long before the worst thing possible happened. The door flung open and Emma's parents appeared, mouths agape as soon as they saw the scene before them.

"Oh, my God," Snow gasped, staring with shocked, wide eyes.

"Oh, shit," Emma mumbled, dropping Regina's skirt, pulling away, and covering her face with her hands.

"Get out," Regina hissed, charging the door, backing the Charmings into the doorway.

They stumbled backwards, still staring with their mouths open. Snow was directly behind Charming, and when Regina shoved the man backwards, they both nearly fell onto the stone castle floor. When she slammed the door and turned around, Emma was leaning up against the windowsill, panting.

"Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit."

"Calm down," Regina said sternly, stomping back over to Emma.

"They're going to have me assassinated."

"Why? Am I that horrible?"

"To them, you are."

"Then why did they come to my masquerade ball?"

"Honestly? I don't know. I thought it was weird too."

"I'll never be anything but the Evil Queen to anyone," Regina sighed, sitting down on the floor and leaning against the cold stone wall.

"That's not true," Emma said slowly. "You're much more than that to me."

"What, now that we've fucked?"

"No! I mean... I've always... I'm..."

The brunette looked up and stared into Emma's face, looking for the rest of the sentence.

She didn't find it.

"What?" she pressed.

"You've always been more than that, to me."

"I don't believe you," Regina said sullenly.

"Don't be broody," Emma scolded her. "Just trust me."

"Trust you how?"

"What do you mean, how?"

"How am I supposed to trust you?"

"You take a deep breath, shut your eyes, and believe that I'm telling you the truth."

"It's not that easy. I never believe anyone, because everybody lies."

"Why would I lie to you? What would I have to gain from that? If I thought you were truly evil, would I be here? Would I have done what I just did?"

There was a booming knock on the door, but the lock was frozen shut with magic.

"Shit!" Emma hissed, turning to face the door.

"Relax. They're not coming in here. They can fuck right off."

Emma had to laugh at Regina's nonchalant but defiant attitude. As embarrassed as she was, it felt good to see Regina so relaxed and unfazed by the situation. Something about the woman's attitude helped to calm Emma's nerves.

"But they're going to kill me," she protested, starting to pace around the edges of the circular room, looking up each time she passed one of the windows as the fireworks fizzled to a stop.

"Not if I have anything to do with it," Regina said defiantly.

For some reason, Emma looked surprised. It wasn't like Regina to come to her defense, or anyone's, for that matter. Really, it was more her style to defend herself, rather than others.

"What do you even care?"

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you," Regina told her, backing away from the original question.

Emma wanted to talk, to say something - anything - but she swallowed the words and sat down beside the queen. What could she say, anyway?

When Regina realized that Emma probably didn't put much stock into her previous declaration, she spoke again.

"I mean that."

Emma raised her eyes, but didn't look at Regina. She stared at the wall.

"Emma, please," Regina said softly, reaching over and bravely touching the woman's hand.

"What?" Emma asked, still refusing to meet the queen's gaze.

"Please believe me."

There was a touch of desperation in her voice that made Emma shut her eyes and suck in a breath. She tried hard to believe the words, but found herself unable. Again, she said nothing. There was another knock at the door.

"Oh, fuck it," Regina sighed with frustration.

She stomped over to the door, threw it open, and stared at the unhappy couple, noting that Charming's sword was drawn. Quicker than he could swing the steel, she froze his extended hand with magic and watched as his eyes went wide in shock and he struggled against the force. Snow lunged at the woman, but was also put in paralysis by the same magic Regina used to still her husband's hand.

"Get away from my daughter!" Snow screamed, but Regina just laughed.

"Oh, quiet down, Mommy. I'm not going to hurt your precious little princess."

Then, something strange happened. As charming looked into the face of his darling daughter, he saw desperation in her face. Taking in a deep breath, he relaxed his muscles and watched as the girl stepped closer. She was apprehensive, but she approached anyway, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Regina. At first, they both went quiet, but then Emma decided to speak.

"You can't control me anymore. I'm an adult, and I'll make my own choices. And... And..."

"And what?" Snow screamed, still fighting against the magic that bound her.

Emma looked from her parents to Regina and bit her lip.

"Look," she started. "You said you wanted me to find the one. You said you wanted me to settle down."

She paused and sighed. Snow was rendered speechless.

"David," Emma continued, "of all the people you could have pointed me to, you found her."

David, too, was speechless, and Emma went quiet. Regina said nothing and waited. Waited and waited.

Then, finally, Emma confessed boldly, "She's the one I want."

Snow's mouth dropped open, and when Regina saw that they were practically frozen by Emma's words alone, she dropped the spell, causing Charming to drop his hand and his sword to his side.

"Then be with her," Charming said to Emma.

Snow's eyes went wide with shock.

"Surely, you can't be serious!" she shrieked, glowering at her husband.

"Quite serious," he retorted.

"Not her, Emma," Snow begged. "Anyone but her."

"Snow," Charming interjected. "If this is what she wants - if this is who she loves - why should we keep them apart? There were plenty of people who tried to keep us apart, too, and they were wrong. I couldn't possibly love you more. We have a beautiful daughter together. She's grown up strong and independent. Everything worked out."

Snow had to concede. After all, the opposition to their own marriage had been great. It hadn't been easy. Though Regina was the last person she wanted to see making love to her daughter, there was nothing she could do to stand in the way. Like standing on train tracks, trying to bring a train to a halt, she was helpless to stop it.

"Maybe," Charming continued, "this was meant to be. I found her from across the room, after all. I could have picked anyone, but I didn't. Not even knowing who it was, I found Regina."

Again, Snow couldn't protest. Now, Emma's mouth was agape as she watched her father defend her controversial choices. Was this really happening? Regina, too, was in shock, her hands hanging at her sides as her palms began to sweat. Suddenly, she wasn't so relaxed. As Snow moved away and turned her back on them, Regina grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back around so that she was facing them.

"I'm not going to hurt her," Regina promised.

For a moment, Snow thought she could see tears welling up in the woman's dark eyes. David thought he saw them too. Emma simply stood, staring back and forth between the three of them. Again, Snow turned and walked away, and this time, Regina let her. Emma's father stayed, suddenly scowling at the queen as the woman watched his wife walk away.

"If you do," he warned, "I'll make you very, very sorry."

With that, he followed his wife down the corridor and left the two of them alone. The women looked at each other in disbelief.