And the final chapter!
The epilogue is written and corrected by my awesome beta and sometimes co-writer, Chris, and it will be up in a few days.
Regina couldn't remember when was the last time she slept through the whole night. Even before the war started, she had trouble sleeping. Now that she thought about it, the problems began when Cora meddled in her relationship.
The brunette rolled from one side of the bed to the other. It was not the first time she wondered how Emma was doing, and if she got the messages that Regina had sent her regarding the Star Tear.
If she was honest with herself, she never believed in magic nor witches, but when her grandfather named his condition for giving his blessing to her relationship with Emma, her beliefs changed. Not only because she wanted to believe that her love would win, but because she had learned about the culture.
Now, Regina not only studied how to conceive a child with Emma but she learned of other magical properties such as healing and telepathy.
During one of her studying sessions with an elderly witch, Regina came across a drawing that looked exactly like the Star Tear that Emma once gifted her. When she asked the witch about it, the witch said that no one had seen a Star Tear in decades. The Dark One destroyed every piece that he could find because it was the only thing besides his dagger that could kill him.
The witch also told Regina that even before their destruction, Star Tears were extremely hard to come by. Since they were gifted by stars themselves, who came to the Earth once every century to protect star crossed lovers.
A knot formed in Regina's throat. A star had given Emma the rock. A star had thought their love was worth protecting. And now, Emma was fighting a war that they had slim chances of winning.
The brunette's heart stopped when she realized that the only chance the kingdoms had at winning against the Dark One laid on Emma's chest. Emma could do it. She could end it all by slaying the Dark One.
The only problem was how to get the message to Emma without risking word spreading. The last thing she needed was the Dark One learning that Emma had a Star Tear before the blonde knew of the rock's power.
She started learning telepathy that very same day and even before she was even close to mastering the skill, she sent Emma messages. It was worth trying.
Pushing the sheets away, Regina sat on the edge of her bed and tried to clear her mind of her magic lessons. She needed to rest if she wanted to be useful tomorrow.
It was when the sound of horns ripped through the silence that reigned all the nights since David and Snow got married. Her heart felt as if she was going through palpitations. What did the horns mean?
Regina jumped out of her bed and reached for her robe. She hadn't even finished tying a knot around her waist before Lizzie, her handmaiden, barged in. Normally, Regina would scold Lizzie for entering without knocking, but the horns made everything an exception.
"It's over, your highness!" she said in an excited tone, "The war is over, the Dark One defeated!"
Lizzie continued telling Regina about the message the King got, about Emma and Graham's bravery and how they defeated the Dark One. Regina tuned out most of the story. She was lost in her thoughts. So it was over — the war, the fear, being apart from Emma. It was all over.
Instead of dismissing Lizzie and going back to bed for a few more hours, Regina picked the clothing she would wear that day. The sky was still dark, but she knew that the day would be eventful. She wanted to finish her duties as soon as possible so she could ride to the Swan Castle and meet Emma.
Even though Regina liked dresses better, she opted to wearing riding clothes for practical reasons. She dismissed Lizzie after the maid braided her hair. Regina proceeded to put her boots on; she was half way through the second boot when she heard voices out of her door.
At first, she thought it was her guards talking, but soon enough, she realized they were arguing with someone. Someone who had a female voice. A female voice that sounded like…
Her heart stopped.
With one boot unfastened, Regina walked towards the door. Her heart half prepared for disappointment and half prepared for bursting of happiness. She opened the door to find two large men blocking the exit with their backs. In front of them, Regina saw a glimpse of a familiar blonde mane.
As soon as the three soldiers noticed that the door had been opened, they stopped talking, Regina's two guards turned around to see their future Queen looking past them.
"Emma," Regina breathed out.
"Hi," she answered timidly.
The blonde looked as if she was dragged through fields of blood and mud. She also looked sleep deprived and hungry. But, she was alive and smiling. And, to Regina, Emma had never been more beautiful.
Regina grabbed Emma by the seams of her armor and brought the blonde towards her, crashing their lips together. Emma reacted quick enough and snaked her arms around Regina's waist.
The kiss was sweet but far too short to Regina's liking. Emma separated from Regina, leaving her hands to rest on the brunette's hips.
"I'm filthy," she confessed, suddenly looking self-aware of the state of her body, "I haven't showered in a while. But I haven't seen you for so long, so, I rushed here immediately after the victory," she excused herself.
"I don't care." Regina shook her head and cupped Emma's cheeks. "All I care is that you're alive and you're here with me. Everything else is irrelevant."
They shared another short kiss before Regina took Emma's hands and dragged her into her room, not before asking the guards to tell her grandfather that any business she had to attend would be postponed until the next day.
Once Emma and Regina were in the privacy of Regina's chambers, the brunette started unbuckling Emma's armor. Regina's fingers worked carefully and in silence. After the armor was off, Regina preceded to take off all of Emma's clothing, starting with the shirt and ending with the underwear.
She magicked warm water into her bathtub, Emma looked at her with an impressed face, but she didn't make a comment until she reached out for the strings keeping Regina's shirt closed.
"I heard your voice, when I was walking into the Dark One's castle," the blonde said as she loosened Regina's shirt and pulling over the brunette's head. "Graham and I are alive because you told me what to do."
Regina brought their bodies closer, naked chests coming together, before commenting, "You are alive because you are the bravest and most selfless person I've ever met." The brunette cupped one of the blonde's breasts, which earned her a moan, "I just helped you a little."
Emma didn't answer, partly because she didn't really care who was the hero and partly because the only thing she could concentrate right now was Regina's skin against hers, specially Regina's hand against her breast.
The blonde worked her hand down Regina's naked torso and under the brunette's riding pants and underwear. Lightly, she touched the sensitive bud the way she knew Regina liked it and smirked when Regina's breath hitched.
"Get in the -ah- bathtub, Swan," it was meant to sound like an order, but with the little moan that Regina had let out in the middle of the sentence, it sounded like anything but an order.
"Your wish is my command, my Queen."
Letting Regina go, but not for long, Emma stepped into the metallic bathtub and sat before she extended a hand towards Regina.
"First I'll bathe you," Regina announced, regaining her composure now that Emma's hand was away from her clit.
"But -"
"You were the one who said you were filthy."
"And you were the one who said you didn't care."
Regina hummed as she grabbed a bucket, filled it with water, and gently poured it over Emma's head. The blonde closed her eyes and let the liquid wash her over. Regina repeated the procedure once more before applying some shampoo on Emma's mane. She massaged Emma's scalp until she noticed that the blonde's breath was getting deeper and slower.
The brunette smiled as she watched the sleeping beauty. Her sleeping beauty.
Carefully, she rinsed Emma's hair and proceeded to wash the blonde's body, making sure to keep her touch professional and not elicit any sexual stimuli while the other woman was asleep. She was sure Emma wouldn't mind, but she'd never take advantage of an unconscious person.
It was not until the tub was almost empty and Regina was drying Emma's hair that the blonde woke up.
"Hey," she mumbled, "Sorry I fell asleep, I wanted to come home and make love to you, but your hands are magic."
Regina smirked at the unintentional innuendo before helping the blonde to her feet and wrapping a towel around the clean body.
"Don't worry, dear," Regina said, pressing a kiss to Emma's forehead, "We'll have time for that."
Emma nodded in silence. After drying her body and leaving the towel over a chair, she walked towards Regina's bed and climbed inside. Regina followed her shortly after, taking her boots and pants off.
The brunette laid on her side, studying the blonde next to her. She still couldn't believe that Emma was back.
Emma must have sensed that she was being watched, because she rolled to one side, her front now facing Regina, and slipped a hand down Regina's hip and towards her buttock, bringing the brunette close to her.
"I love you," Regina confessed, even though she thought Emma was sleeping. She was surprised when green eyes opened and a smile appeared on Emma's face.
" -ove you, too," the blonde muttered, placing a kiss on Regina's nose, "It's good to be home."
"Home?" Regina asked, not because she minded, but because she didn't know what part of the Mills' Castle Emma considered her home.
The blonde nodded. "Home… Your arms," she explained before pressing her forehead against Regina's clavicle and drifted to sleep.
Regina placed an arm around Emma's slumbering body and rested her chin over Emma's head, tucking the blonde into her body. And for the first time in what felt like years, Regina Mills slept.
