After battling with myself over this, I have decided that this will not be the last chapter after all. Stay with me as I add an epilogue chapter to this lovely piece of work. AS always, I really appreciate the reviews. I love hearing what you guys have to say about the story. I'm sorry that our ride is almost over, but it was a ride worth taking.
"Well, kid. Here we are. Our new home."
"It's really… big."
Emma let out a small snort quickly followed by a light chuckle. Henry was right; the house was huge. It was more than spacious enough to house the two of them comfortably. It had been a rash decision on Emma's part, one hundred percent spur of the moment, but she had yet to regret it since contacting the realtor almost a month prior.
When she had come to the fork in the road while leaving Storybrooke after the reunion, she knew it may not have been a good idea to turn right and head towards the old beach house on the coast. Yet, Kathryn's words fueled her actions. I think you need to let her know that. Let Regina know that she still loved her. What better way to show her than by going back to the place where it had all began. To go back to their spot. And not just take a picture, but to sketch the image exactly as she had remembered seeing it on her last visit there. It was the only way she thought of that could convey her feelings accurately.
Apparently, it hadn't been enough. She had sent the picture to New York the same day she had contacted the realtor about buying the place. The old home had been in rough condition, but a little elbow grease and love had fixed it right up. All it was lacking was a fresh coat of paint on the exterior walls. Something her and Henry would be getting to in the coming days. Slowly, but surely, they had brought smaller items up from Boston. Now they had brought the last of the things in a small moving truck and were ready to unpack the last of their things.
It was just past lunch when Emma suggested they take a break from unpacking and eat something. As she was standing at the stove, attempting to stir a pot with a spatula, she realized the box of kitchen utensils was still sitting out in the front yard.
"Hey, kid! Can you go get the box of kitchen stuff from outside? I can't leave the stove."
"Sure, Ma!" Henry called as he moved from the living room to the foyer, opening the front door. He froze on the spot, staring out into the yard.
There was an unfamiliar car parked next to the old yellow bug; a black Mercedes. Standing next to the car was a dark haired woman dressed in a black pencil skirt with a deep red blouse and heels. She was dressed far too nice for the casualness that the house exuded. Henry finally blinked as the woman cleared her throat before speaking.
"Is…. Is Miss Swan available?" she asked, clearing her throat once more in her nervousness. She looked the young boy up and down. Well, not so much a young boy as he was on the outskirts of becoming a young man.
Remembering his manner, he spoke. "Hi. My name is Henry. May I ask your name?" He gave her a lopsided grin. And that's how she knew he was Emma's son, despite him having stated his name.
The woman gave him a warm smile as she stepped closer to the house, the fresh gravel crunching under her heels. "It's nice to meet you, Henry. My name is Regina Mills."
Henry's eyed widened, making Regina's smile fall. "It's you," he whispered, taking a step back into the house.
Regina halted her movements. He knew who she was? How much had Emma told him? Maybe she should just leave. Henry's sudden shout nearly made her jump.
"Ma, she came!"
There was a moment of pause before Regina could just faintly pick up the sound of someone walking through the old house. She always had a heavy step, she thought before the blonde woman appeared behind Henry, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Why don't you go finish unpacking your room?" she suggested, eyes focusing on the brunette at the foot of the steps.
"But Ma. It's her, right? The lady from the reunion, the one from high school?"
"Now, Henry."
The boy huffed as he turned and disappeared into the house. Emma folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the doorframe, eyes on Regina. Watching. Waiting. Regina looked down, playing with her nails before looking back up at Emma. Still, the blonde waited.
"He has your smile." Regina finally said.
"I know."
"You bought the beach house."
"I know."
"You sent that drawing."
"I know."
"I still love you."
"I know." Emma's statement made the brunette pause, staring up into green eyes that twinkled in amusement at her shocked expression. When greeted with silence, she continued. "It took you long enough to come up here."
"It is a long drive up from Albany, Miss Swan," Regina said, holding her head high as she walked up the steps to come to stand on the front porch.
"Miss Swan, really?" Emma rolled her eyes as she stood up straight, walking out to meet Regina. "We've been through too much for you to call me Miss Swan. Besides, you just admitted that you still love me."
She felt hands grip the front of her shirt before she felt herself being pulled forward, full lips pressing against her own with "Do please shut up, Em-ma" being muttered. Emma gently pushed her away, their eyes locking.
"Well hello to you too, Regina," she said, both women smiling at one another. "Do you want to come in? I was just starting on lunch," Emma offered, stepping to the side so that she wasn't blocking the open door.
[SQ]
The sun had set a small handful of hours before, yet the two women still found themselves sitting on the back porch of the old house, wine glass and beer bottle being held by its respective owner. The sounds of palms making contact with skin in light swats was soon followed by almost girlish giggles nearly made the women forget the uneasiness between them that was the high school reunion.
"Why did you leave?" Emma asked after a few minutes of content silence. Her gaze was set firmly on the harbor in the distance, watching the boats come and go. She lifted the bottle to her lips and took a hefty swig. "Why didn't you leave a note?"
Regina sighed softly before chewing her bottom lip. She pulled her feet up to tuck them beneath her on the porch swing, having discarded her heels earlier in the evening, and ran her finger along the rim of the wineglass. She had expected the question at some point, but had not figured it would be posed while they were enjoying themselves. The afternoon and evening had been nice, almost as if things had never gotten rocky between them. It had felt like the way things should have been had they never broken up.
"I was scared, Emma," she finally answered, her voice soft as she spoke. "I was confused and scared and I thought that there was no way you could still have feelings for me after so long. It just didn't seem possible. Especially since I was the one who, stupidly, ended things." Lifting the glass to her lips, she took a sip to give herself the liquid courage to continue.
"I didn't want to admit to myself that old feelings were resurfacing. That would make them real and that was something I was not ready to face. So I left. I ran back to my empty apartment, to my overly demanding job, to what I had called normal for the past ten years. Then," she let out a small laugh with a shake of her head, "you sent me the picture of our spot."
"Was it too much?" Emma finally spoke up. She had been sitting silently, letting Regina say her fill on the topic. She hadn't actually meant to interject, but she just had to know.
"No." Regina shook her head. "I think it was just what I needed. That, and the fact that Kathryn wouldn't stop harassing me about it."
Emma chuckled. "She's the one who gave me the address to the firm. Seems like she was pushing for us to get back together."
Regina looked up from her wine. "Is that what we're doing? Getting back together?"
"I mean, I'd like to give us another shot. If you'd like to, that is. I don't want to push you or make you feel pressured or anything. But I mean, if you do say yes, and don't think that you have to, that maybe we could have better communication this time and –."
Regina placed a finger over Emma's lips, effectively shutting her up with an amused expression. Once she was sure Emma wouldn't continue her rambling rampage, she lowered her finger a lifted her glass.
"To Kathryn. The not to technical reason we broke up and they very technical reason we are getting back together," she toasted.
"To Kathryn," Emma echoed, softly clinking her bottle to the wineglass before finishing off the last of it. "Are you staying anywhere? It's too far of a drive to head back to New York."
Glass halfway to her mouth, Regina paused. "I didn't make any reservations. I left in such a haste that I didn't even bother to pack a bag."
Emma laughed, a good deep from within laugh. The once highly organized Regina that she had remembered from their youth had made the lengthy trip to her childhood vacation home without a thought as to actually plan the trip.
"You can stay here. There are more than enough rooms, as you know. And I'm sure I have some clothes that are up to your standards. One condition thought."
Regina had huffed at Emma's comment about the standard of the clothes but was now eyeing the blonde in curiosity, eyebrow raised. "Oh? Well, what is the condition?
The smirk should have given it away. The twinkle in her eyes should have given her some indication of what was to come. "You have to sleep in my room. In my bed. Like old times." Emma smiled before it transformed into a cheesy grin. She thought she had won that round, but the look in Regina's eyes told her different.
"Old times like the first time I invited you out here, or old times like every year after that?" Regina asked with a raised brow. The grin from Emma's face fell as she contemplated the question.
She reached for the wineglass in Regina's hand, lifting it from the brunette's grasp. "That's your call, Miss Mills. After all, I wouldn't be a very good host if I didn't at least attempt to honor your requests." There was a wink as she lifted the glass to her lips and drained the last of the wine.
"Well I most certainly did not drive all this way for nothing."
That was all the answer Emma needed. Standing, she grabbed Regina's hand and pulled the woman against her, wrapping her arms around the slim waist with a smile. A soft peck was placed upon full lips.
"As you wish. Like I said, I'd hate to be a disappointing host."
Regina turned from Emma's embrace, hands still clasped together, as she lead them back into the house. It had been years since she had been there, but she led them to the master bedroom with ease, her only difficulties coming in the form of distracting kisses from one overly eager blonde.
"I see some things never change," she laughed, pulling Emma into the room and shutting the door softly. "Which room is Henry's? I don't want to wake him up because someone is too vocal." Her eyes flashed innocence as she lifted a finger to boop Emma on the nose.
"The one we used to share." Emma said, wincing when Regina smacked her in response. "What was that for?"
"You let your son claim the room that we…. That we…."
Emma saved her from trying to formulate the right words. "He chose that room all on his own. He insisted that it was the one." She stepped closer to the brunette. "I'm beginning to think that you spend too much time in the courtroom. All this arguing is uncalled for. From now on, you're on vacation."
"Is that so?" Regina's fingers played at the hem of Emma's shirt. "And you plan on helping me relax, I take it?"
"Oh, I'll help you relax alright." The smirk that graced her lips told Regina everything she needed to know about the rest of the evening. And for once, the thought of being alone with Emma didn't terrify her.