Lucid
Chapter 4
A/N: Thanks for all of the awesome feedback so far! I'm glad to see that people are excited about this. I have the whole story's plot mapped out and I'm excited to see it through. Don't forget to leave me a review if you feel so inclined : )
"You look like hell," Ruby said as she placed a plate of fries and a hamburger in front of Emma. Emma looked up at her with exhausted eyes. She hadn't been able to get back to sleep the night before. On top of that she had to take care of other annoyances that the storm had caused such as the fallen tree outside of the courthouse and the exploded fire hydrant on Cedar Drive. It was hit by lighting. Lightning. Emma rubbed her hand against her forehead. The morning had not been nice to her, except of course for Mary-Margaret who heated up the dinner she skipped out on the night before for breakfast.
"Yea," Emma ran a hand through her blonde locks. She tried not to think about Regina. "I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night."
"Oh?" Ruby said, leaning against the counter. Her eyebrows furrowed in a concerned expression. "Why?"
"Just," Emma stabbed the hamburger with her fork and sliced it down the middle with her knife, almost predatorily. "Weird dreams." Ruby watched her curiously. Emma knew she didn't need to eat her burger like this but she just needed to take out her frustration on something.
"Weird how?"
Emma was about to answer when Granny came out from the kitchen.
"Ruby, we have customers who are waiting." Granny warned, making Ruby roll her eyes and push herself away from the counter.
"Sorry," Ruby grumbled as she left Emma to take another customer's order.
"No problem…" Emma smiled lightly as she watched Ruby walk away. She continued her massacre of her hamburger, her shoulders slumping. She played the last night's dream over and over in her head. Why was Regina there? And why did she have… magical powers? No, Emma, that's ridiculous. You've been listening to too many of Henry's stories, you've-.
"Miss. Swan."
Emma's whole body froze. She slowly turned her head to look at the brunette in front of her.
Regina Mills was sporting a black pencil skirt that stopped at her knees, a black blazer over a red silk blouse, as well as a knowing smirk. Emma shifted in her seat and swallowed the bite of burger still in her closed mouth.
"Good afternoon, mayor." She croaked out.
Regina rested a hand on the counter and let her gaze land on Emma. "I hope that this storm hasn't taken too much out of you. You look absolutely exhausted." The flicker of amusement in Regina's eye did not go unnoticed by Emma.
"Yea," Emma replied with a snort. "I've heard." She returned her attention to her food, hoping that the woman who was daringly close to her would move away.
"Well," Regina said, making eye contact with Ruby from a few seats down. "Do get some rest tonight." Emma's face fell into confusion as she glanced at Regina. Ruby appeared a few seconds later.
"What can I get for you, Mayor Mills?" Ruby asked, her eyes quickly shifting between Emma and Regina for a second before settling on the brunette.
"Just a coffee, please." Regina's lips formed a small smile. Emma, taking this as her opportunity to get out, practically inhaled the last few bites of her breakfast and pulled a few bills out of the pocket of her red jacket.
"Thanks, Ruby." Emma set the money on the table and hurried for the door. Regina's vision followed Emma as she left the diner.
Her calm composure was gone. Regina was in her office, tapping her foot anxiously as she sat at her desk. Last night did not go as she had planned it, in the slightest. She was pulled from the dream too soon to gain control of it again. When Regina tried to meet Emma later in the night after putting Henry back to sleep, she wasn't there. In fact, Regina could barely remember the second dream she had that night at all.
Regina's fingers clenched around the pen in her palm then slowly released it. She let the pen roll out of her hand, down her long fingers, until it landed on the desk with a clean click.
Regina rose from her chair, smoothing out her skirt. Each click of her heels led her closer to her coat rack. Smoothly, she slipped her black coat on over her blazer. She was determined to get to the bottom of this. If she wasn't enough, perhaps she needed to consult the only other person in town who knew about magic.
"I have to say," Mr. Gold commented as he dusted a wooden clock on display. "I wasn't expecting you to need my help so soon."
Regina scoffed. Maybe it was a bad idea to come here in the first place. "I don't need your help." Regina replied, coolly sliding her hands into her pockets. "I just wanted to consult with you…"
"… About the potion." Mr. Gold finished her sentence as he admired his handy work by observing the clock from all sides. His tone denoted distraction and Regina was beginning to get annoyed.
"Yes," She answered carefully. "I wanted to know exactly how it's supposed to work once you have chosen the two to fall under its spell."
Mr. Gold turned his head to look at Regina with an almost confused face. "You don't already know? My, my, Regina." He shook his head in fake disappointment as he moved on to shining up his display case. After seeing Regina's impatient features etched into her face he continued. "I would expect you to be very familiar with sleeping curses, Ms. Mayor." Regina rolled her eyes.
"Not this one." Regina answered a little more aggressively.
"Calm down, deary." Mr. Gold replied, setting his cloth down on the glass to focus all of his attention on Regina. "I warned you, or at least tried to warn you."
"And why would you care about me?" Regina questioned.
"Simple." Mr. Gold replied. "I wanted the potion, you had it. You were supposed to give it to me. So I tried to tell you of its danger. But, of course, you did not listen. And now you need my help, don't you?" Regina's stare flew away from his face and picked a random corner of the room. "Ah," Mr. Gold nodded to himself. "You do. Well," He began walking with his can around the glass display counter. Regina still was not looking at him. "First I need to know who the unfortunate souls were that fell into your trap."
"I drank it." Regina answered, her jaw clenching in almost embarrassment, but not quite. She refused to feel that emotion around Mr. Gold or anyone else. She couldn't help the small sneer as she saw Mr. Gold raise his eyebrows in surprise.
"And who did you choose for the second half?" Mr. Gold pressed.
Regina looked up at the ceiling and crossed her arms over her chest, pulling them in tightly. "Emma Swan." She finally answered.
"Oh," Mr. Gold smirked. "Interesting choice."
"I had my reasons." Regina defended coldly.
"I'm sure," He nodded, placing his hands over one and other on the handle of his cane. "You wouldn't have done it otherwise."
"The vial…" Regina began but the words seemed to disappear on her lips.
"It chose for you, as it always does." Mr. Gold rested in his cane, watching Regina's features almost soften.
"It shined so bright when I was with her." Regina's eyes gazed out into nothing for a second before she pulled herself back.
"There's always a reason, deary." Mr. Gold affirmed. "So, you want to know how it will work once you two are inside of the dream?"
"Yes, that's what I came here for." Regina pressed her lips together.
Mr. Gold nodded. "Well, basically when you are both asleep at the same time, you will meet in a dream land of either of your choosing. Whoever falls asleep second will meet who fell asleep first in whatever dream they are currently in."
Explains the haven-like pond. Regina thought to herself. And the dresses. God, those dresses.
"Once you are in the dream, you are in control of everything you do. You can be anything, do anything. That's part of the spell. You see? It's called lucid dreaming, deary." He stood up a little straighter and returned to where he was originally stationed behind the display counter.
"Okay, so?" Regina pressed her hands against the glass counter. Her eyes danced over his cocky features. "I knew all of that. So what does it mean?"
"It means, deary, that Emma will have just as much control over the dream as you do. You will be equals in that world."
"But, I will have my powers." Regina countered, pulling back and returning to her previously confident stance.
"So will she." Mr. Gold replied matter-of-factly. "She will be able to use magic as well."
"How is that even possible?" Regina's hands clenched in fists in her pockets.
"Don't you see?" Mr. Gold was surprised that Regina didn't understand yet. "If she wants power, she can have it. It's her dream as well."
That night, Regina laid on her back in her bed, staring at the ceiling for what seemed like hours. She couldn't explain it but she was feeling an odd excitement about seeing Emma again. She quickly tried to push any thoughts like that out of her mind, though.
Regina refused to feel anything other than distaste towards the spunky blond who managed to change everything in her life in a matter of months. No, she wasn't excited to see Emma. She was excited to make Emma squirm under her thumb. That was it, and nothing else.
The brunette let out a frustrated grunt as she flipped onto her stomach, forcing her eyes closed. Again, she tried to let her body relax in order to slip into sleep. She dug her fingers into her pillow anxiously. Part of her didn't want to fall asleep.
Can I really successfully carry out this mission? Do I still… want to?
Stop! Regina screamed in her mind. You have one job, Regina. One job.
The blinding light of the Ferris wheel was the first to catch Regina's attention when she finished materializing. She rolled her eyes. Really, Emma? An amusement park? She began walking past the rides and attractions, her heels clicking as she went. Surprisingly, Regina had control of her wardrobe this time around.
The moon shined bright against the darkness of the night sky. The amusement park colors glowed brilliantly and Regina couldn't help it. She betrayed herself with a small grin. She continued to walk through the park, people watching all of Emma's creations.
Then she saw her. A crowd of people separated in front of a basketball hoop game, creating a path for Regina's eyes to find Emma's back. Regina saw the younger woman's blond curls bouncing around as she picked up the basketballs that were being dispensed by the machine. Then, she heard the blonde's laugh. Regina smiled again, this time letting it reach her eyes.
Not wanting to be noticed just yet, Regina found a wooden bench to sit on. She could still see Emma from there but it was a safe enough distance away that Emma wouldn't be able to see her unless she really tried. Regina watched as Emma sunk hoop after hoop. Her thoughts were so focused on Emma that Emma stopped shooting the basketball.
Regina sat up in surprise as Emma began walking towards her. What the… Regina internally questioned as she waited for Emma to stand right in front of her.
Emma's mind shifted oddly during her game, and she felt an overwhelming need to be somewhere else- to walk somewhere else in the park. That is how she found herself standing, for the second night in a row, right in front of Regina Mills.
"Hello," Regina greeted cautiously, looking up at the blond from her seat. She wasn't quite sure to go about this. Emma had to think that she was the only one in charge of this dream.
"You're here again." Emma responded. Emma's heartbeat quickened when she saw the brunette in her power suit. Regina was surprised when Emma's confusion morphed into a grin. "Miss me?"
Regina was taken aback slightly by this. Hadn't she just left Emma's lucid mind reaching out to her in an arid desert not twenty-four hours ago? Hadn't she just watched as Emma was so scatterbrained by her that she practically ran out of Granny's? Again, Regina pulled in her composure and tried to act the way Emma would expect her to act.
"No," Regina answered. "Of course not, Miss. Swan." Emma rolled her eyes and rested her hands on her hips. Of course, the blonde was wearing her normal red jacket with skinny jeans.
"Regina," Emma looked up at the sky. The stars seemed to be moving around them faster that they normally would. Regina looked up as well, watching the constellations hover above them. Then, Emma cast her vision back at Regina. "Ride the Ferris wheel with me." Emma's confidence intrigued the older brunette.
"What?" Regina blurted out without thinking.
"Ride the Ferris wheel." Emma repeated. "With me. We'll sit with each other."
Regina could see how much Emma wanted this. It amused her in a way that she couldn't explain or even begin to compute. Regina figured that if Emma wanted this, then she had to go along with it. It was her dream after all.
Regina stood up from the bench, her eyes locked with Emma's the whole time. Emma smirked at her and again Regina was taken aback. Still, she followed Emma towards the hectic cluster of vibrancy and lights that was the Ferris wheel.
Emma chose their carriage and pulled Regina into in by the hand. The physical context surprised Regina. Her eyes winded slightly as Emma motioned for her to sit on the opposite side of the transport.
Regina smoothed out her skirt and sat. Emma latched the door closed and sat down satisfactorily. Regina watched Emma smile widely as they began rising with the wheel.
The light bulbs cast glowing beams on Emma's face as the wheel turned to bring the two women higher and higher. Regina's mouth gaped slightly as she witnessed the park unveil itself underneath her. She had to admit, Emma could paint worlds that were more beautiful than anything Regina could imagine.
The looping rollercoasters and ground rides below them slithered and spun. People became small enough for one to cover them up with their thumb from Emma and Regina's vantage point. Regina watched in pure amazement as Emma hummed to herself. Ribbons of color were floating out of her closed lips. Floating. Regina could literally see as Emma made music.
Emma's eyes were closed as she continued to hum a tune she had never heard before.
"Regina," Emma murmured. Regina didn't catch it at first but Emma murmured it again. "Regina, tell me something."
Regina bit her bottom lip. She's in. She's immersed within this. "What would you like to know, Miss. Swan?"
Emma opened her eyes to lock onto Regina's. Regina met the intimate stare, even taking it a step further to lean forward in their carriage so that her elbows were rested on her knees. Emma opened her mouth to ask but then closed it quickly again. A look of hesitation crossed her features.
"Do you..." Emma's voice trailed off. Regina's eyebrows furrowed.
"No, just ask me what you were going to ask." Regina urged. She clasped her hands together, ringing her fingers in knots.
"Do you, think about me?" Emma's vision latched onto Regina's. Regina's breathing stopped for a second.
"I- I..." Regina didn't know how to respond to that. Of course she thought about the younger blonde. Neither of them would be on this amusement park ride if she didn't.
Emma stopped her by gently raising a hand. "Forget it," She gave Regina a half-smile. "Can we just…" Emma looked out of the carriage into the distance of lights and what could be seen as magic. "Sit here for a while longer?" Regina face softened.
"Sure." Regina nodded.
Regina Mills couldn't remember the next morning why she hadn't turned that dream into a disaster of nightmarish proportions. She could have. She had the magic and power to do so. Something stopped her though. Maybe it was her interest in Emma's dream world. Maybe it was the uncertainty of what Emma would choose to do next.
Or maybe it was the fact that Regina didn't want to set that Ferris wheel ablaze. She didn't want Emma to reach out to her with broken and misty eyes as she disappeared into the alerting shock of waking up. This time, the women had shared a comfortable silence, watching the colors dance around the park.
Emma was the first to begin disappearing this time. Regina watched with an almost pained expression as Emma's form became air in front of her. Then, Regina forced herself to follow the same queue.
They both woke up in separate beds, on separate sides of town.
Emma Swan opened her eyes slowly. She immediately felt the need to pull her blanket closer in order to heighten the already fuzzy feeling that was coming out of her. Emma's lips curled into a smile as she remembered the vision of Regina sitting with her in a small carriage at the top of a large world.
