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At the sound of her blaring alarm clock, Regina woke and shut it off, groaning to herself. Her body protested her waking up at this hour with little sleep, but she had to get Henry off to school before work. She pressed her feet to the floor and stifled a yawn, before reaching over and checking her phone. She noticed two messages, one from the evening prior and one from this morning.
Emma: I know you're probably asleep by now, but I just wanted to say that I had a really great time tonight. Maybe next time, Henry can sleep over his friend's house so we can be alone for a bit ;) I look forward to another movie date. Goodnight, babe.
Regina couldn't help but smile, remembering the evening prior. She had asked Emma to come spend a few hours with her while Henry was working on a group project with his friends. The two women curled up on the couch together and put on a movie. But if someone were to ask Regina about the movie, she wouldn't have been able to tell them a damn thing. She spent most of the evening lying in front of Emma on the couch, kissing her passionately. She'd stop occasionally, just to look at her or stroke her soft cheek. She'd run her fingers through golden locks and simply admire the beauty that was Emma Swan. Emma had teased her, asking if she was going to turn around and watch any of the movie, but Regina responded, "I have a much more captivating sight to keep my attention this evening."
"Then that's just one more thing we have in common," Emma replied before positioning herself on top of Regina. One kiss led to another, pieces of clothing slowly making their way to the floor. And then the phone rang. Henry had called Regina to let her know he was done with his project. After redressing, the women shared a kiss goodbye and headed their separate ways.
After making sure Henry was in bed, Emma decided to call Regina. Although she never truly enjoyed long phone conversations, Regina talked to her on the phone for hours, completely losing track of time. They talked about silly little things like favorite movies and future date ideas well into the night. Once Regina realized what time it was, she said, "Goodnight" and went to sleep, clearly missing Emma's last text.
Bringing herself back to the present, Regina read the text from this morning.
Emma: Good morning, Beautiful.
Regina: Good morning, dear.
Regina placed her phone on the bathroom counter while she washed her face and brushed her teeth. Moments later, she heard her phone vibrate.
Emma: Just 'dear'? Is someone cranky this morning?
Regina: No, I'm just tired. I didn't get my beauty rest. Someone had me on the phone all night.
Emma: Damn, who was that lucky gal? Besides, you don't need beauty rest. You're already the most beautiful woman in all the realms.
Regina blushed and smiled to herself. Their conversations had always been full of witty banter, but since the beginning of their relationship a few months ago, it often turned into flirting. Regina still liked to play hard to get sometimes, but she knew Emma was highly used to her sarcasm and wit.
Regina: Flattery won't get you anywhere.
Returning to her closet to dress herself in a tight black pencil skirt and red blouse, she ignored her phone for a moment. She found her jacket and heels, finishing off her attire before she returned to the bathroom to do her make-up. Applying it in record time, she returned to her bedside and checked her messages.
Emma: Damn. What about coffee?
Regina: I'm in desperate need of coffee. That might get you laid.
She smirked as she sent her last response. It wasn't often that she gave into sexual flirting, and Emma had told her before how often it caught her off guard to get a response like that.
Emma: Wow. Talking about getting laid this early in the morning? You really do need your coffee.
Before Regina could think of a witty response, her phone vibrated again.
Emma: Good thing I'm standing at your door with some. Is Henry at school yet? ;)
Not bothering to respond to the text, Regina headed down the stairs and opened her front door to see her beautiful girlfriend, smiling brilliantly with two coffees in a drink carrier.
"Emma, why didn't you just knock?" Regina laughed, stepping aside, and letting her in.
Emma looked at her in mock confusion, as she answered, "Well, what would be the fun in that?" Regina laughed as she graciously accepted the coffee she was handed. She took a sip before setting it down on the side table.
The sounds of footsteps could be heard from the top of the steps. Henry came down the stairs, saying "Hey, Ma. What are you doing here?"
"I thought that maybe I could take you to school today. Is that okay?" she asked both Henry and Regina.
"Yeah!" Henry answered. "I just have to finish getting ready." He headed into the kitchen to toast a bagel.
Waiting until he was out of ear shot, Emma leaned close to Regina and whispered, "Hey, so are you sure you still want to have dinner with my parents tonight? If you aren't ready to tell them, I understand."
Regina gently placed her hand on Emma's cheek. "No, Sweetheart. It's fine. I'd like to tell them. It's been over two months already. Don't you think that if we wait much longer, they'll catch on before we tell them? You don't want them to get upset."
Emma nodded her agreement, gently covering Regina's hand with her own. Hearing the toaster pop, the two women released their tiny embrace and stepped apart from each other, placing a respectable amount of space between them. Henry came walking into the foyer, bagel in hand and backpack in the other. He kissed his brunette mother on the cheek before heading to the door. "Bye, Mom. See you later."
Regina smiled at him. "Don't forget that we're having dinner with your grandparents tonight, so don't make any plans."
"I know. I remembered this time."
"Okay, good. Have a good day at school, honey." She waved a small goodbye before folding her arms over her chest.
Emma called to him, "Go ahead and get in the car. I'll be there in a minute." She stepped inside the foyer and closed the door behind her.
"I hope we don't upset him at dinner tonight," Regina sighed.
Emma wrapped her arms around Regina, pulling her into a tight hug. "He's grown up into such a respectable young man. He won't be upset. If anything, he probably already has his suspicions. I mean, I do come over almost every time he leaves."
Regina smiled, wrapping her arms around Emma's neck. "That's because I can't keep my hands off you." She wiggled her eyebrows in a jokingly seductive manner and Emma couldn't help but laugh.
"This is because of the coffee, isn't it?" She smirked before leaning in and kissing her. Reluctantly pulling away, she said, "Sadly, I don't have time for you to repay that favor now. I have to get our son to school and then get to work or my boss will kill me."
"Yes, you do. You can't afford to be late again, Sherriff. People will start to think I'm giving you preferential treatment." Regina joked, placing her best serious look on her face.
"You're right, Madame Mayor. I don't need preferential treatment in the workplace. Just in bed." She winked at Regina before turning to the door.
Regina reached out and grabbed Emma's wrist before she could leave, and Emma turned to face her. "Emma, I…." She swallowed hard. She couldn't figure out why it seemed to be so damn hard for her to say those three words. They were simply words, yet held so much meaning. She had tried before, but the words just wouldn't come out. And Regina wanted to say them more than anything. She wanted Emma to know that she loved her, but she was afraid that the moment she said those words aloud, her happy ending would be taken from her. Her palms began to sweat and her cheeks reddened.
Emma smiled sympathetically, pulling Regina close to her. "Don't worry about it, Regina. Don't rush. I'm here to stay. I've got all the time in the world." Regina kissed her softly, yet passionately, showing all of the love that she wished she could voice. Emma understood how broken Regina felt. She understood that Cora engrained deep inside of her that love was only weakness, and she understood the obstacles Regina had overcome to even make the progress that they had thus far. Dinner with the Charmings was going to be another big step in their relationship, and Emma didn't expect Regina to overwhelm herself all at once. Gently pulling away, she rested their foreheads together, and whispered, "I know." As their breaths mingled between them, Regina's eyes filled with tears. God, she loved this woman. Emma kissed her one final time before wiping away a stray tear. "I've got to get our son to school, but I promise to see you at lunch." She opened the door and looked back at the brunette one last time. She smiled her ten-volt smile that warmed Regina's heart before closing the door behind her.
[X]
Brushing a stray hair from her eyes and tucking it behind her ear, Regina focused her attention on finishing yet another stack of paperwork. She had completed her first stack in time for lunch with Emma, but seeing as how the blonde was late yet again, she decided not to sit there idly and began on the next one. She intended to take a break when Emma arrived, and then continue once again when she left. Looking up from her task to check the time, she realized that Emma was well over 20 minutes late. Biting her bottom lip in thought, she tried desperately to remember if Emma had mentioned that she had other obligations. Not remembering any, she checked her phone for the umpteenth time, ensuring that Emma had not contacted her.
Wondering where her blonde beauty could be, she swiped open her phone and dialed her number from memory, having dialed it so many times before. She rested the phone between her shoulder and her ear to free up her hands. Listening to the ring of the phone, she piled her completed paperwork into a neat stack and started to organize the second pile.
"Hello?" she heard a familiar voice say on the other end, but it wasn't Emma.
"Snow?" Regina asked, concern lacing her voice. Snow sounded stuffy, as if she had been crying and her voice was heavy with sadness. "Snow, what's wrong? Where's Emma?" Regina now had the phone in her hand again, paperwork forgotten.
"Emma, she…" Snow sniffled, trying to pull herself together. "Emma was in a terrible car accident."
The world around Regina froze. Her face paled, her hands began to shake, sweat coating her palms and brow. Her stomach dropped and panic rose in her throat in the form of bile, threatening to spill from her mouth at any moment. Her heartbeat in her ears was the only sound she heard. 'My Emma…' was all Regina could think to herself as the shock rendered her speechless for a moment. Her shaking hand covered her mouth as she stared off into the distance trying to digest the information relayed to her.
"Regina?" Snow called through the phone, ensuring she hadn't lost connection.
"Oh, God…" Regina swallowed the vomit rising in her throat as she asked, "Is she okay? Was she hurt? What happened?"
"We don't know yet." Snow sniffled again. "She was unconscious when the medics pulled her from the car. They're doing testing now to find the extent of her injuries. David and I are waiting for the doctor to return. We…"
"I'll be there in a moment," Regina interrupted. She hung up the phone, quickly calling Kathryn. She explained that there was an emergency and that Henry would need to be brought to the hospital as soon as he was out of school, as she would not be home when he arrived. Kathryn happily agreed to help and hung up.
Knowing there was only one hospital in Storybrooke, she focused her attention as best she could on Storybrooke General. With tears welling in her eyes and a lump in her throat, she flicked her wrist and magicked herself to the main lobby of the hospital.
Not even taking a moment to control her emotions, Regina practically sprinted to the front desk. "Where is Emma Swan?" she asked.
Startled, the woman at the front desk jumped, then answered, "I'm sorry, but we can't give out that information, Madame Mayor."
"Excuse me?! And why the hell not?!" she raged. Her magic was pulsing in her veins, her brown eyes now swirling with flecks of purple and gold. Her hands were balled into fists at her sides as she bit back the tears threatening to fall.
The woman's face reddened. "Ma'am, I'm sorry, but you're not family, nor a spouse. I'm not entitled to give out that information."
"Damnit!" she yelled, slamming her hands on the counter as tears streamed steadily down her cheeks. "I just want to know where my girlfriend is! I need to know that she's okay! Just tell me something!"
A small hand grasped her bicep firmly and pulled her away from the desk. She spun around quickly to see Snow, eyes red and puffy from crying, with a gentle smile on her face. "C'mon, Regina. Let's go for a walk."
Regina immediately calmed at the sight of her friend, knowing that Snow was her best hope at getting information. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, taking a moment to collect herself. Her magic fizzled and retreated deep within herself, at least for the time being. "Snow," Regina pleaded. "Please tell me you know something."
Snow fixed her gaze on the ground as she walked, her arm intertwined with Regina's, held at her side, seeking comfort in the small embrace. "Well, we know that she hasn't been awake since the accident. She hit her head pretty hard. They're doing tests to see if there is any internal bleeding." A stray tear rolled down Snow's cheek, and Regina's gut twisted inside of her. She had been so selfish up until that moment, thinking only of her own pain. She gave Snow's arm a gentle squeeze and offered the best comfort she could under the circumstances, as her own tears were threatening her resolve. "Her head is their main concern," she continued. "She does have a few broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder, but Whale isn't too concerned. He said those particular injuries should heal within a few weeks." Regina nodded her understanding, using her free hand to wipe away her tears.
"So, let me ask you something," Snow began, mimicking Regina's action and wiping her tears. "You and Emma are dating?" Snow had said it so calmly, like it wasn't a shock to her in the slightest. Regina cursed herself for her temper, as her cheeks reddened. She ran a hand nervously through her hair, as she avoided eye contact. She hadn't realized the other woman was behind her when she had her emotional outburst.
Knowing they were going to tell the Charmings anyway, she didn't see the point in hiding it any longer, as Emma was just as prepared as she for Snow and David to know. "Yes, we are. We have been for a little over two months now."
"Oh, so I was aware almost the entire time. I thought you had been dating longer than I had my suspicions."
Regina's eyes snapped up to meet Snow's. Snow pulled her slightly to the side and the two women sat down on a nearby bench, taking a moment to talk before they headed back to the waiting room with David. "You knew? For how long?" Regina asked, confusion evident on her face.
"Well, of course I didn't know for sure," Snow began, fiddling with her shirt. "I just had my suspicions. Emma isn't very good at lying and I saw the uh… evidence," she pointed to her neck before continuing, "after one of the nights you spent together." Regina broke eye contact and blushed, nervously playing with her hands. "From then on, it was mostly just a series of coincidences that seemed to be too convenient. Any time Henry happened to be going to a friend's house or spending the night with David and I, Emma was gone and not answering her phone. And the two of you both seemed to be happier." She poked Regina jokingly in the side and added, "Plus, your little glances to one another are not as subtle as you think."
Regina squeezed the bridge of her nose to release some of the pressure in her head. "Snow, we meant to tell you sooner. Tonight, at dinner, in fact. We weren't trying to hide anything from you. We just wanted to be sure ourselves before we told anyone else."
Her eyes met Snow's and she saw nothing but understanding and compassion. "Regina, I'm not going to lie and say that I wasn't sort of shocked at first. I just didn't see it coming. But never once was I disapproving, nor was David. We both just want our daughter happy, and we're thankful that she found that happiness in someone we all truly care about."
Regina smiled at Snow's words, grateful for their acceptance. She then raised an eyebrow. "David knows too?"
Snow laughed. "Of course, David knows. We talk about our daughter's love life."
Regina visibly winced. Love. There was that word again. That word that she had wanted to say to Emma that very morning, and couldn't muster the courage to do so. Regina buried her head in her hands, the tears she had been holding back falling freely now as a violent sob racked her body.
"Oh, Regina, what's wrong?" Snow rubbed smooth circles over her back with her hand, resting the other on her leg. "What did I say?"
Regina picked up her head, wiping at the tears to no avail, as they just kept falling. "I never got to tell her that I love her. Oh, God. What if I never get the chance? What if she doesn't wake up? Snow, she doesn't know that I love her because I was too afraid to say it."
Snow wrapped her arms around Regina, allowing her to lean against her for support, rubbing soothing circles on her back, her sobs shaking her body violently. Wiping a tear of her own, Snow soothed her with her words. "Emma is going to be okay. She's so strong. She's going to recover, I know it."
Once Regina's sobs had stopped, she sat up apologizing for falling apart like that. Snow assured her that there was no reason to apologize. A comfortable silence fell over the two women, as they each became engrossed in their own thoughts. Snow's phone beeped, interrupting the silence. She retrieved it from her purse and looked at the text message she received. She said to Regina, "It's David. Emma is out of testing."
Thank you all for sticking with me so far! I've got more to come, but I love to hear what my readers have to say! Please leave reviews! Making my readers happy is my goal. :)