Wake Up Call

Before she fully crossed into consciousness, Regina dragged her arm across the sheets next to her, trying to feel Emma and bring her closer to her body for warmth. But her arm came up empty. She pried open an eye. No Emma. Still fighting for wakefulness, she sat up abruptly and instantly felt a nauseating wave of panic wash over her. Emma's red leather jacket wasn't hanging on the chair, and her boots were gone. Did she leave? Had this all be a dream?

But the memories and the details were too vivid, too strong, too intense. It all felt too real to have been some kind of figment of the imagination. Regina's mind began sorting through the images trying to test their authenticity. They had made love to each other countless times over the course of the night and kissed and held onto each other, but she had dreamt about that before. She culled through the confessions and the insecurities, the declarations of love and the admissions of mistakes—and that's what had been so revelatory.

But then she saw it. A long blonde hair laying innocently on the pillow next to her—a single follicle, a piece of Emma's DNA—that was evidence that it had all been real. Regina sucked in a breath. It was a relief to know that everything they'd said and done to and with each other had actually happened. But then, where was Emma? What if she'd woken up, panicked, and run?

Regina curled up on her side, bringing her knees into her chest. She was naked—physically—but also laid bare, and it was paralyzing. She buried her head and let the tears come. What if she had let her guard down and let her love show, and Emma didn't want her in the light of day? It hurt too much to think about, so she gave herself up to the emotion, sobs wracking her body.

She was crying so hard that she didn't hear the front door open, the boots kicked off in the front hall, the rustling in the kitchen, the cabinets opening and closing, or the ascension up the stairs.

Emma, who was trying to be so quiet to avoid waking a sleeping Regina, turned the knob to the master suite slowly and crept in. Her eyes instantly fell upon the figure on the bed tucked into a ball and shaking with sobs.

Emma dropped the tray she'd been balancing carefully on the desk.

"Oh God. Regina! What's wrong?" She pulled her jacket off her shoulders and tossed it on the floor and moved to the bed. Hearing Emma's voice, Regina's tear-stained face pulled out of her cocoon and looked somewhat stunned at the blonde. Emma pulled her onto her lap and held her, soothing her back, kissing her tears away.

"Did you have a nightmare? What happened?"

Regina looked up, but she couldn't find her voice. She saw the tray on the desk—croissants, coffee, and a single pale pink rose laying flat across it—and a flush spread across her face as it dawned on her what had happened.

Regina took a deep breath and spoke in a hoarse voice. "When I woke up and you weren't here, at first I thought it had been a dream. And then once I realized it had actually happened, I thought maybe you'd run away."

Emma leaned in, thumbed away her tears, and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, her cheeks, her nose, and her lips. "I thought you might wake up hungry and in need of some caffeine since we didn't sleep much. So I tried to figure out that contraption in your kitchen, but I got frustrated, so I snuck out to get us some breakfast. I'm so sorry I wasn't here. I'm not going to run from you. I am in love with you. And last night was… Did you know that pink roses mean perfect happiness? That's what I felt when I woke up with you in my arms, and I just wanted to be able to tell you that when you woke up. But I'm so sorry that I let you think the worst. I should have told you I was going."

Regina wrapped herself around Emma and kissed her. She shook her head slowly, a slow small smile brightening her face.

"What?" Emma asked, returning her smile.

"Swan. I never guessed you were such a hopeless romantic."

"I'm not. Usually. I never have been. Are you ok?"
"Yes. I am a little embarrassed, but also relieved and happy. It was a terrible feeling to think that everything that happened had just been in my mind. I wanted it so much to be real. And then I saw a blond hair on my pillow, so I knew it had been real. But your stuff was gone… I let the fear get the best of me. But I'm glad because it made me realize how much I want this, how much I want us. Emma, I have never felt this way in my entire life."

"I know, baby." She cupped Regina's cheek. "I feel everything you're feeling. It was a little scary to walk out into the world because I was afraid to burst our little bubble. But I couldn't let myself think that we were that fragile. I don't know why, but I feel like we can do this."

"Regina, I know I don't have the best track record, but I just want you to be sure of me. I'll be here for as long as you want me, and I'm not scared of what anyone else thinks or whatever. Honestly, the whole time I was walking this morning I just kept thinking, what did I ever do to deserve her."

Regina let out a throaty laugh.

"Why is that funny?"

"Because usually that line is screamed at me by someone in a fit of rage, not standing in front of me and promising me their heart. It's…amazing. I love you."

Emma grinned. "I love you. Henry is going to be home soon. Do you want to eat breakfast with me and then we can get cleaned up a bit?"

"That sounds perfect."

Emma when to grab the tray, stopping to take Regina in again, shaking her head.

"What?" Regina asked.

"You. Not such an evil queen now, are you?"

"Not so much."