Author's Note: Hey everybody! I hope you guys are still enjoying the story. Happy reading!
"Regina Mills, if you were planning to spend your morning pacing back and forth on my porch, you should've worn something more conspicuous, and if not, maybe you could've just knocked on the door." Marian sassed as she opened the door to her house, finding her childhood best friend averting her eyes guilty as she stood outside. "I've missed you. More than you know." She said, smiling genuinely as she pulled the other woman into a hug, her smile broadening as the brunette hugged her tightly in return.
"I've missed you too, Marian, so much." Regina whispered back, her voice catching slightly on her words.
"Well, as much as I'd like to say that it's all your fault, I can't." Marian teased, her lips twitching upwards as she let the other woman go and took a step to the side, silently inviting Regina into her home. She walked towards the kitchen, Regina's heels echoing behind her. "We were both only a call away, but neither one of us ever picked up the phone."
"I'm so sorry, Marian, but after everything that happened I thought it was best that I distanced myself from everything. It's what I needed to do, and unfortunately…" Regina trailed off.
"That included me." Marian filled in. "Believe it or not, I understand why you did it, but that didn't make it hurt any less, you know?" She asked, an understanding yet saddened look in her eyes as she walked up to Regina and placed one of her hands on her shoulder while tilting her chin up gently so that their gazes would meet with the other. "You'll always be one of my best friends, Regina. No matter where our lives take us." She said comfortingly, sincerity shining in her eyes as she pulled the woman into another tight hug. "Okay, now that we've gotten that out of the way…" Marian started, discreetly wiping a tear from an eye. "I'll make our breakfast and we can start catching up."
"Honestly, I don't even know where to start." Regina admitted as she took a seat at the kitchen island, watching as Marian started pulling pans out of the cabinets.
"We can start with whatever you're comfortable with sharing." Marian told her simply, slightly lifting one of her shoulders in a shrug. "We don't have to get into any heavy stuff right now if you don't want to." She knew that they'd eventually segue into more difficult subjects. "How are you settling back into town?"
"It's been a lot easier than I was expecting it to be when I made the decision to come back. I've already bought a house and we're settling in quite nicely." Regina couldn't help but cringe internally as she realized that she'd unintentionally mentioned her sister, not yet knowing how they were going to tackle that subject.
"That's great news, Regina!" Marian exclaimed in genuine excitement as she made her way around the kitchen, preparing omelets and pouring orange juice into large glasses. "I'm glad you guys are settling in nicely." She continued. "Roland and I have been settling into this house ourselves, but thankfully, we haven't come across too many difficulties and we have more than enough helpful hands around."
"It truly is a beautiful home, Marian." Regina complimented, nodding her gratitude as a plate was placed in front of her, followed shortly by silverware and a glass of orange juice.
"Thank you. I've done what I can, but the house wouldn't have been anywhere near ready to be moved into if it weren't for Emma and Robin, as much as it pains me to inflate their egos, they've done a great job. David taught them well. "She continued teasingly, knowing that there would be no easier way to acknowledge the elephant in the room than by casually inserting a certain blonde into their conversation.
"Yes, he did." Regina answered, a small smile tugging at her lips a she thought about the Swans. "And if their egos are so easily inflated, not much has changed since high school.
Yet, some things couldn't be more different. Marian couldn't help but think to herself. "If you need any help with redecorating your new house, all you have to do is ask. I'd be more than happy to help, and I know that I wouldn't be the only one willing to lend a helping hand." She said as she made her way around the kitchen island and sat down next to the brunette who was staring pensively at her omelet. "It's not going to eat itself, Regina." She teased lightly before turning her attention to her own plate.
They sat in quietly as they ate, the two of them relishing in the comfort they still felt in each other's presence after such a long time apart. Regina allowed her mind to wander in the meantime, and she found herself thinking about what she'd done yesterday. Not only had Emma Swan shown up at her house to offer her help, but she'd agreed to use her ex-girlfriend's vacant location to expand her business.
Marian could practically hear the cogs turning in Regina's head as they ate, but she knew better than to try to get anything out of the other woman that she wasn't willing to volunteer herself, so she continued to wait patiently and it eventually paid off.
"I spoke to Emma yesterday." Regina said, breaking the silence between them, but not looking in the other woman's direction as she did so.
"Oh?" Marian prompted, genuinely surprised to hear that since she'd spent most of the day with the blonde after all. "And how did that go?"
"It went… surprisingly well." Regina admitted. "We'd already spoken to each other once before, the night that I got back to town, but that didn't go over so well." She continued, not knowing, but suspecting that Emma had already shared that information with Marian. "It was my own fault. I ambushed her, unintentionally of course, but she was dribbling around the soccer field-"
"Unintentionally?" Marian asked skeptically, unable to stop herself from interrupting the other woman.
"I just wanted to see her." Regina said, her voice barely a pitch above a whisper. "I hadn't even realized that I was moving in her direction until suddenly I was calling out her name and-"
"You just couldn't help yourself." Marian finished in understanding.
"Yeah." Regina agreed quietly, while she didn't hear any judgement in Marian's voice, she couldn't help but feel guilty at her inability to keep herself from acting on impulse that night. She'd blindsided Emma, and he ex-girlfriend had done was she felt was necessary to take control of the situation.
"But your conversation with her yesterday went well?" Marian prompted her to continue, not wanting to let Regina dwell on something that obviously still bothered her deeply.
"Yes, it did." Regina said, clearing her throat and allowing her voice to regain its usual confidence. "She came to me this time."
"She did?" Marian asked, a hint of confusion in her voice.
"She showed up at my house last night because she wanted to talk to me about something." Regina started to clarify. "Now before you go getting the wrong idea, she just wanted to offer to help me as a friend." She told her, emphasizing the last three words.
"And how exactly is she planning to help you?" Marian asked, her curiosity was peaked and her determination to talk to Emma was growing the longer she spent in Regina's company.
"I'm planning to stay in Storybrooke." Regina rolled her eyes. "Well, obviously, otherwise I wouldn't have gone through the trouble of buying a house here." She continued, speaking mostly to herself, but Marian heard her clearly if the other woman's amused expression was anything to go by. "But more importantly, I've decided that I'll be opening up one of my clothing stores here."
"How did Emma know you're planning to do that?" Marian asked, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"She didn't. Not until my sister took it upon herself to tell her." She clarified, her irritation towards Zelena evident as she spoke.
"Why am I not surprised?"
"I'd told Zelena about my intentions of opening a new location here in town and she immediately reminded me that Mary Margaret and David happen to own a vacant location on Main Street, and when I said I wouldn't consider it, she completely disregarded what I said-"
"And she went to talk to Emma." Marian finished for her, knowing that the redheaded woman wouldn't hesitate to do anything if it meant helping her baby sister.
"Emma took it upon herself to tell me that she wanted to help me out with the location on Main Street since that vacancy now belonged to her, and after I somewhat reluctantly agreed to her proposition, she left." Regina stated, shrugging her shoulders as she got up from her seat. She took her empty plate, as well as Marian's, and setting them both in the kitchen sink with the intention of washing them.
"You don't have to do that."
"Nonsense. it's the least I can do after you made us breakfast."
Marian simply rolled her eyes, not bothering to argue with the other woman about something as mundane as the dishes. "Were you upset with Zelena?"
"Oh, I was livid. Understandably so." Regina started, barely holding back her smile when she turned around and saw Marian nodding her head in agreement. "And she knew I would be. I'm also inclined to believe that Emma took the time to warn her after she left my house, if how they were in high school is any indication." She rolled her eyes, her smile breaking through as she thought about their teenaged antics. "Zelena didn't come home until well after midnight."
"You were waiting for her when you finally got home, weren't you?" Marian asked amused.
"Oh, no. I didn't have to." Regina laughed out. "She was going to try to sneak into the house undetected, I'm sure, but she forgot her housekey at home and had no choice but to ring the doorbell so that I could let her in. She started apologizing the moment I opened the door. "Marian's laughter bubbled out. "I was still angry with her, but by the time she finally finished apologizing, the anger had simmered down to my usual annoyance, so when she asked me if I forgave her, I turned around, walked back into my room, locked the door, and went to sleep. I think she's still trying to figure out if I'm still upset with her or not." Regina finished telling her with a smirk.
"You guys haven't changed." Marian told her through her laughter.
"Not at all, but it keeps things interesting, so I can't complain too much."
"EMMA SWAN!" A voice boomed through the otherwise quiet house, startling the blonde out of her sleep. She groaned, recognizing the voice's owner immediately and already guessing why it was she was being woken up in such a way.
"What do you want?!" She groaned out loudly, thankful that her girlfriend had left earlier that day to run a last-minute errand so she wouldn't be baring witness to this conversation. She couldn't keep the twinge of hilt at bay after realizing how badly that sounded in her own mind. "Marian, people are trying to sleep in here!" She groaned again as she heard the other woman's footsteps getting closer quickly, as she pulled the pillow closest to her over her head.
"You've got some explaining to do." Marian stated as she opened the bedroom door, not hesitating to throw herself on the bed, smirking when she heard Emma's muffled protests as she landed heavily on her.
"I'm going to lose you to Regina, aren't I?" Emma asked as she reluctantly pulled the pillow off her head, a pout on her lips as she looked at Marian.
"Oh, shut up." Marian rolled her eyes as she grabbed one of the many scattered pillows and unceremoniously smacked the other woman with it.
"Ow!" Emma yelped. "That wasn't exactly a no, you know."
"No, it wasn't, but that's because I refuse to acknowledge stupid questions." Marian answered matter-of-factly.
"I could contradict that with a single example, but I'm not in the mood to fight with my best friend first thing in the morning." Emma sassed back, laughing when another pillow landed on the side of her head.
"Regina and I had breakfast at my house this morning. We had an interesting conversation involving you." Marian told her, laying down on her side so that she could meet Emma's gaze as they continued to talk.
"Yeah, I figured you had." Emma sighed out.
"Do you really think it's a good idea, Emma?" Marian asked her, voice softening as she looked on with slight concern in her eyes.
"Why wouldn't it be?" Emma asked, her eyebrows furrowing in genuine confusion.
"Maybe because Regina will never be just another ex-girlfriend to you, and we both know it."
Emma couldn't help but scoff. "Marian, I appreciate your concern, you know I do, but there's nothing to worry about, okay?"
"Does Lily know?" Marian asked.
"Yeah, she does. We talked about it last night, actually."
"Seriously?" Marian asked skeptically.
"Why do you sound so skeptical?" Emma asked with a hint of annoyance.
"Oh, I don't know…" Marian started. "Maybe because Lily happens to know how much Regina means to you, Emma."
"Well, maybe that's why she's being so supportive of my decision to help Regina." Emma lifted her shoulder in some semblance of a shrug. "She knows what Regina meant to me, she respects her importance in my past." Emma spoke confidently, even as her mind warned her that no matter how understanding someone could be, everyone had their limits.
Marian didn't want to push the subject anymore, knowing that she'd only succeed in annoying the blonde if she chose to continue. "What are you still doing in bed?" She asked instead.
"I was sleeping, until you rudely barged into my house and disrupted my slumber." Emma answered, playfully glaring at her even as a sigh of relief threatened to escape her lips at the shift in their conversation.
"Emma, it's after 2 o'clock." Marian scolded her. "When exactly did you go to sleep?"
"Honestly?" Emma asked, squinting as she thought about it. "I don't know. I went to my music room after Lily went to sleep."
"You stayed up all night playing?"
"Composing, actually." Emma admitted sheepishly.
"And how much of what you worked on last night actually lived to see another day?" Marian asked teasingly, even as her genuine curiosity shined through.
"Almost all of it." Emma said, somewhat shyly.
"Wow." Marian said, unable to hide her astonishment. "That's great, Emma!"
"Thanks." Emma hadn't expected to spend her night brainstorming, but once she'd taken a seat on the bench and started playing, she couldn't seem to stop. She hadn't made it back to her bedroom until after the sun had started rising. She laid down, pulled her girlfriend into her arms, and fallen asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.
Marian could practically see the thoughts running around the blonde's mind, and she couldn't help but think about the timing of everything. She knew better than anyone that Emma hadn't been able to compose more than a few bars since the release of her first album, or more specifically, since her break-up with Regina, yet she'd spent the night in her music room, obviously, inspiration had struck. She wanted to believe that it was merely coincidence, but the inkling that it wasn't weighed heavily on her mind. "Lily's going to be able to share the good news with the label in a few days. She's going to be ecstatic."
"Yeah, I'm sure she will be."
The two women had continued talking about nonsensical things, keeping their topics light. Emma had eventually gotten up to get something to eat, Marian keeping her company in the kitchen as she did. And when the blonde had walked into her bathroom to take a shower, a change of clothes in hand, she hadn't bothered to close the door behind her, knowing that she had Marian would continue their conversation as she got ready.
But now, Marian was sitting in the living room by herself, patiently waiting for Emma to return from Robin's house with Roland in tow. She'd been flicking through channels, not coming across anything interesting when she heard the door open and close behind her. She turned her head to find Emma's girlfriend struggling to carry an armful of groceries as she made her way into the kitchen.
Marian got up immediately, not hesitating to grab two of the bags that were in the other woman's hands to lighten her load. "I'd ask you if you were planning to feed an army if it weren't blatantly obvious that there two bags are Emma's." She said jokingly as she placed the bags on the counter.
"Yeah, I know that Emma has no problem in going to the grocery store herself, but I thought I'd relieve her of the burden of having to do so while I'm gone." Lily responded with a small smile.
"That's sweet of you." Marian told her sincerely. "I'm sure she appreciates it, and you."
Lily simply shrugged her shoulders sheepishly before turning her attention to the bags, pulling things out and putting them were they belonged. "Where is she by the way?"
"She offered to pick Roland up from her brother's house. She should be back in a few minutes." Marian explained. "She wasn't too happy with me disrupting her sleep when I got here." She continued with a laugh. "But how great is it that she's started composing again?"
"It's great!" Lily exclaimed, her voice not sounding anywhere near as enthusiastic as Marian thought it should be.
"Why don't I believe you?" Marian asked her, her voice gentle.
Lily took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before she answered. "I'm sorry, it's great that Emma is composing again, really, but I can't help but think the timing is a little- I mean, I'm sure that she's already told you that Regina is back in town and everything, but- I know how much Regina meant to Emma and how much she influenced her first album, and I guess that I can't help but think about the timing-" Lily wrung her hands together as she looked up to meet Marian's understanding gaze. "I'm sounding like a jealous girlfriend, aren't I?"
Marian shook her head fondly at the other woman. While she hadn't wanted to like Lily when Emma originally introduced her as the woman she was dating because she clung desperately to the belief that her two best friends would eventually get back together, she'd reluctantly given her a chance and they'd bonded. She decided that if Emma and Regina weren't going to be together, she would make sure that the blonde was with someone who would truly care about her, love her, support her love for music, and wanted to help her grow. Lily had ticked every box. "I know Emma better than anyone, Lily, and I know that she loves you."
Lily smiled as she met Marian's gaze. "You're right. Thanks, Marian."
"You're welcome. Now, why don't you and I get started on something for dinner?"
"Great idea."