Merry Christmas! This is one of my favourite chapters so far... so it is my gift to you! Hope you enjoy it :) Thank you so much to all anonymous reviewers, whose reviews I can't respond to but certainly appreciate!
"It was not six feet long, Emma. You're exaggerating."
"It was! It was at least as tall as my dad, probably taller!"
"There are no fish within Minnow Lake that are six feet long. It is called Minnow Lake for a reason."
"I'm telling you this thing was huge."
"Very well. Show me a picture."
"Well, we didn't get one because we were too busy trying to not get dragged into the water!"
"So you've no proof of your six foot long fish."
"No, but I'm telling you it was that big!"
Regina rolled her eyes. Emma and her father had used some of their overtime hours this morning to spend some father-daughter time fishing. Emma had returned about thirty minutes ago, just in time for her daily lunches with Regina, who was not buying for a second that they had caught such a large fish.
"You don't believe me."
"Of course not."
"Are you callin' me a liar, ma'am?" Emma asked, in her best Southern drawl.
Regina ignored her, taking another bite of her couscous.
"'Cause I sure don't like bein' called a liar."
Emma put her food down, narrowing her eyes playfully and slowly encroaching on Regina's space.
"You smell like a swamp."
"It's from my six foot swamp monster!"
Regina sighed, shaking her head. When she realised just how close Emma was getting, she made a face and backed her upper body away.
"You smell vile. Return to your side of the couch."
Emma refused, reaching out and taking Regina's container and placing it on her coffee table.
"You called the sheriff a liar. That kind of behaviour needs to be punished."
"I did not say that. I simply stated that I did not believe your story."
"That's as good as calling me a liar," she said, now hovering above Regina, who was laying on her back on the couch. "I should arrest you."
"For stating the truth? That there are no six foot long fish in my lake? I created this town, dear. I'm well aware of what types of fish are and are not in its lakes."
Emma grinned, her fingers slowly dancing up Regina's sides. Regina's eyes widened when she realised what was about to happen.
"You will not tickle me, Emma Swan!"
Before she could throw her off, Emma dug her fingers into Regina's sides, grinning when a burst of laughter escaped from the mayor's lips. Regina instantly began wiggling, demanding that Emma cease her behaviour. Emma refused, but even as she "tortured" her more-than-willing victim, she ensured that she was never truly pinning Regina down. They both knew that if Regina wanted to escape, all she had to do was push Emma away. Instead, Regina grabbed Emma's wrists and attempted to pull them away from her body.
"Stop! I am the mayor!" she protested through giggles.
"A mayor who calls her sheriff a freaking liar," Emma said with a smile, leaning down and kissing her cheek.
Emma lessened the pressure of her fingers but continued tickling along Regina's ribcage until she was just below her bra. The touches changed almost instantly, her fingers now tracing along the soft skin beneath the lacy material.
Regina looked up at the woman hovering above her, who now bore a lust-filled expression. She licked her lips, arching her back as she pushed Emma's hands up and over her breasts. She moaned quietly as her eyes fluttered shut, head moving to the side the second she felt soft lips against her throat. She gasped when Emma pushed her bra up and palmed her naked flesh, nipples hardening instantly. She panted in Emma's ear, unknowingly causing a veritable flood between her girlfriend's thighs as she did so.
"Emma," she moaned, hands plunging in blonde locks to encourage her mouth. "We should… we should stop."
Emma paused her gentle ministrations, pulling away just enough so that Regina would hear her clearly.
"Are you suggesting we stop or are you telling me to stop?"
Regina, panting, squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to concentrate. They needed to stop. She was at work. This was completely inappropriate, but the throbbing between her legs was making an extremely valid argument as well.
"Suggesting," she finally responded, throwing caution to the wind.
They hadn't had a moment alone in days, and she had been aching for Emma's touch. They had been spending every waking moment researching ways to get to Oz, and as much as she appreciated the help from her son and from Snow, she and Emma hadn't been able to do anything more than exchange chaste kisses in their presence. And by the time they arrived home at night, they both fell into bed exhausted, too tired to do anything but cuddle. This was an opportunity to do more that Regina just didn't want to give up.
"Thank God," Emma replied, resuming her kisses to Regina's throat.
"Do not leave a mark, Emma Swan."
Emma grinned against her neck. Oops.
"You did not," Regina growled, pushing Emma away. When she saw the sheepish grin, she narrowed her eyes. "You'll pay for that."
Regina straddled Emma's hips, pinning her against the back of the couch. She began her own assault on the other woman's throat, hands instantly snaking under her top to roughly grab her breasts.
Emma did not complain. Instead, she grabbed onto Regina's hips, holding on as the woman attacked her throat, her breasts, behind her ear. She knew she would be covered in marks, but she could easily magic them away, if she chose to. Sometimes, she preferred to leave them as a reminder of their activities.
"You are enjoying this far too much."
"I have a hot woman in my lap," Emma panted, "touching my tits and kissing my neck. You're damn right I'm enjoying this."
Regina chuckled against her throat, shaking her head.
"I don't think I've learnt my lesson yet. You should definitely keep punishing me."
"I believe I will need to find a more suitable punishment," Regina purred, fingers pinching the hardened tips of Emma's breasts.
"No, no. This one's good. I'm definitely learning a lesson."
"And what lesson would that be?"
"Fuck," Emma breathed, when Regina licked up the column of her throat.
The knock on the office door was like a bucket of cold water shattering the heated moment, both women instantly jumping apart. Regina immediately stood, fixing her clothes and running her fingers through her hair.
"Mayor Mills?" Came the muffled sound of her secretary's voice. "You have an appointment in fifteen minutes."
Footsteps faded as she left, and Regina raced to the mirror to adjust her lipstick. Emma, on the other hand, made no move to right her appearance. She actually kind of liked it when Regina messed up her hair and her clothes. Instead, she began packing up their lunch, placing the half empty containers back in the fridge.
"How do I look?" Regina asked, fussing over her skirt.
"You looked better when it was obvious you were fooling around."
"Emma! I'm serious."
Hearing the stress in her voice, Emma sighed.
"Alright," she said calmly, reaching out to fix an errant hair. She then squatted and tugged at Regina's skirt, smoothing out the wrinkles as she adjusted it. She stood and adjusted her shirt until it sat perfectly on Regina's shoulders, smiling when she finished. "There. You look perfect."
"Thank you."
"I'll get going before anyone gets here just in case there's any suspicion. I don't want anyone thinking the sheriff is consorting with the mayor."
This time, Regina chuckled.
"Everyone is already quite aware of the status of our relationship, Emma."
"Damn right."
Emma grinned, placing a soft kiss on her lips.
"Who's the meeting with anyway?"
"Belle."
"Really? Do you want me to stay? I feel like I should be here for this."
"No. You need to return to the station. Mulan has worked alone all morning. It's unfair to leave her without aid. Belle and I will be fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. I will see you this evening, Emma."
"Okay, see you tonight."
Emma leaned in for one last kiss before leaving. Regina made her way back to her desk, smiling at Belle when the woman finally entered her office.
"Hello, Belle."
"Hi, Regina. How are you?"
"I'm fine. Has your research yielded any new results?"
This would be their second meeting, and Regina was desperately hoping Belle had some answers. It seemed at every turn, they faced yet another dead end. Belle had warned her when she'd called that she didn't have much information, but Regina had hoped there would at least be something.
"I've ruled out the cyclone, since we've no way of calling one. And I've had no luck about the magic beans. I'm still looking though. I believe at this point our best chance is Emma magically transporting you both to Oz, though I'm not sure her magic is strong enough to send her there, let alone the both of you."
"And even if it were," Regina responded, "I don't believe Emma understands her magic well enough to be able to do accomplish such an endeavour."
Belle nodded, feeling guilty. So far, her research hadn't proven promising at all. It had only been five days since they'd tried the failed spell, which was not a long time when it came to doing research, but she knew just how desperate Regina was for a solution. Five days was an eternity, especially when she'd already been cuffed for weeks.
"We're still looking for Jefferson's hat," Belle stated, trying to sound encouraging.
"It hasn't been seen in years, and even if Jefferson knows where it is, he isn't going to help us."
"We'll find a solution, Regina. I just need some time to do more research. Every problem has a solution, this is one just… particularly difficult to find."
"We're going to have to ask the imp for help," Regina muttered to herself. When she remembered who exactly was in the room, she sent a tight, apologetic smile. "Sorry."
"No, it's… it's alright. I realise he hasn't always been the kindest man. He is doing his best to improve. If I ask him for help, he will. For me."
Regina shook her head.
"You and Emma… you help people who don't even deserve it. I don't understand how you can love such monsters."
"You and Rumple, you're not monsters, Regina. You're people. You've made some horrible decisions, yes, but you're still people and you're capable of good. Everyone is. I've seen the change in you, Regina, and it gives me hope that Rumple can do the same."
"Some days I wonder if I really have changed," Regina said gravely, staring at the cuff on her wrist. "I've thought about murdering those damned dwarfs every day since the second they put this wretched thing on my wrist."
"That's completely understandable. I probably would have thought about harming them as well if I were in your position. The difference is, Regina, you haven't done it. That's all the proof you need to see that you've changed."
Regina sighed, looking over at the brunette seated before her.
"Thank you, Belle. For being such a good friend, despite everything I've done to you. I don't deserve your kindness."
"You're not that person anymore, Regina."
Regina smiled softly. She never tired of hearing that the changes she was making were noticeable.
"I'm sorry I don't have better news for you, but I want you to know I'm not giving up. I'm going to return to the library and continue looking through my books, and I'll call you if I find anything, alright?"
"Very well. Thank you, Belle. Take care."
"You too, Regina."
Regina watched the woman leave, grabbing her phone once she was alone in her office. She pulled up Emma's name and then hit the messaging app.
-Belle hasn't any viable solutions. She said she will continue her research.
The reply came a moment later.
-Im sorry Regina. Lemme know if theres anything I can do to help her. Its pretty busy here so I might be late tonight. Hope thats okay.
-That's fine. Cease your fraternisation and concentrate on your work, sheriff.
-Yes, maam. Right away, maam.
Regina snorted, putting her phone away.
"Idiot."
She worked for the next few hours, stopping only when her phone chimed indicating she had received a message.
-Mom can I go swimming with grandma and grandpa tonight? They're bringing Neal to a mommy and me class but older kids can go too and swim in the deep end. Grandpa and I are gonna practise our cannonballs.
David was a bigger child than her son, but she was secretly pleased that he spent so much time with his grandson. Henry had never had a father figure, so it was nice that he took on the role.
-That's fine, Henry. Will you be home for dinner?
-Don't think so. Swimming starts at six so I think we're gonna eat first and then go. I'll text you when we're coming home k?
-Alright. Have fun and listen to your grandparents.
-I know mom. See you later.
Regina tucked her phone away, groaning as she reached for the dwarfs' budget. She had been ignoring it for nearly a week now, but she knew this was an ideal opportunity to confront the horrendous mess they had handed her. With Henry and Emma both away from the mansion, there was no reason for her to return home early, so she reluctantly attacked the paperwork she'd been ignoring. She didn't stop until she was interrupted by her secretary, who informed her it was nearing five o'clock. She thanked the woman, then grabbed her phone and texted Emma.
-Do you know what time you will be arriving at the mansion? I'll remain at the office until then.
Regina waited and waited, but she received no reply. She sighed heavily. It was now nearing five thirty with no response. That likely meant that Emma was back at Ursula and Cruella's, attempting to settle another of their domestic disputes. The women worked well together as a couple, truly they did, when they weren't drinking. However, after a long day of work, the two liked to unwind with a few cans of beer and that was when the problems began. Emma had already been there once this week, working several hours of overtime as she attempted to settle an argument between the two. Regina wondered just how long she'd take tonight.
It was nearly seven o'clock when Regina's phone finally rang, and when she looked down, she saw that it was Snow.
"Hello?"
"Regina? Where are you?"
"Snow?" Regina asked, the woman's panicked voice immediately setting her on alert. "What's wrong? Is Henry alright?"
"He's fine; it's Emma. Get to the mines, Regina. There's been a collapse."
"What?!" Regina cried out, her heart racing. She immediately jumped from her chair and ran out the door. "Is she okay?! What happened?!"
"We don't know. Just get to the mines."
Regina immediately ended the call, heart in her throat as she burst through the front doors of town hall. She immediately hopped in her Mercedes and committed nearly every traffic violation as she sped to the mines, fighting the nearly overwhelming urge to cry, throw up, or scream, or possibly a combination of the three. She drove her car as close as possible once she arrived, seeing Mulan, David, Snow, her son, as well as various others already huddled together. She jumped out of her car and ran as fast as she could, her son throwing himself in her arms the second she arrived.
"What the hell happened here?"
"The dwarfs have been mining the formerly forbidden areas of the mines," David responded.
"Formerly?! They're still forbidden! Those mindless, insipid-"
"I know. What I meant was, the areas of the mines that were protected by your magic. With the cuff binding it, all the spells you put around the mines have been lifted. Or they're not working, so they've been doing as they please, even though we've been checking in on them regularly. When we came to check on them, they were never mining any place they shouldn't. I guess they've been doing it when we weren't around."
Regina vibrated with anger.
"What does this have to do with Emma? Is she in there?"
David nodded solemnly.
"Why is she in the mines?"
"She received a call from Archie, who was walking Pongo around the area. He felt the earth shake, so she came to inspect. She wasn't supposed to go into them-"
"But she did because she is an idiot. Alone I presume, as you and deputy Mulan are standing before me."
"Yeah. She went alone."
Regina shook her head. Idiot.
"When will we begin a rescue mission?"
"We're already working on it, but we need the plans for the mines. We need to find alternate routes to this area. We think they're beneath us or somewhere nearby, since this is where Archie says he felt the rumbling. They'll be nearby, unless they've moved. But we need maps of the whole place, especially the ones focusing on the forbidden areas."
"Very well." Regina took out her phone, stepping away as she dialed her assistant. "Cindy? I'm sorry to bother you at home. I will need you to go to the office- what? When did you return? … Yes. How did you hear? … You're correct, nothing stays quiet long in this town. I will need you to retrieve the plans for the mines from the archives room. … You've already gotten them?" Regina was stunned. "Alright, we will see you momentarily." She hung up the phone and looked at David. "She returned to the office when she heard about the collapse. Apparently, she pulled out the plans weeks ago because she suspected the dwarfs would ignore your caution."
"You've got yourself a smart assistant, Regina."
"Yes," she responded, still a bit stunned at the woman's foresight. It was definitely time for a raise for her indispensable secretary.
"Mom?"
Regina looked down at her son's worried face, cupping his cheek.
"Do you think ma's okay?"
"She's fine, Henry. Your mother is far too resilient to be seriously injured by something as simple as a mine collapse. She is likely trying to find a safe way out. Your mother loves you and fears me far too much to do anything that would compromise her life, alright?"
He nodded, leaning against her. She was right about one thing at least: ma was terrified of his mom's wrath. Henry looked up when he heard a car approach a few minutes later, happy to note that Cindy had finally arrived with the plans for the mines. He was eager for his grandpa and Mulan to rescue his ma.
"Hi," Cindy said sheepishly, unused to having so many eyes on her at once. "Here you are, Mayor Mills."
"Thank you, Cindy."
Regina laid out the plans on the hood of her assistant's car, pointing out the area they were standing on.
"We are here. There are only two entrances to this part of the mine: the one above ground and the other below, both of which I had sealed off magically." Regina flipped through the sheets of paper until she found the plan that focused more clearly on the part of the mine they believed Emma to be in. "We will go through this tunnel here-"
Regina was interrupted by a loud rumbling sound, coupled with a violent rattling of the ground. She immediately reached out for Henry, grabbing him as others screamed and fell. The earthquake lasted mere seconds, but it was enough to terrify them all.
"Okay, well, that didn't work," Emma said to herself, wincing as she checked her throbbing side. It turned out to be just a few scrapes caused by falling chunks of rock, so she pushed her shirt back down and looked at the men before her. "Everyone okay?"
"Fine," Happy coughed out.
Emma did a cursory glance and was relieved to note that all seven men looked alright (a little dirty, but fine). She then looked around, her shoulder sagging in defeat. There was now an even larger pile of rubble that blocked off their exit.
"I told you magic was unstable down here."
Emma frowned at Doc's words, approaching the mountain of rocks. This was the easiest way out, but the exit had been obstructed when the men had been digging earlier. They had caused a collapse. Emma had hoped that by using her magic, she could clear the way and create an exit once again, despite the men telling her that her magic wouldn't work properly down here. She had tried anyway, summoning her magic as she always did. However, it had felt weak, less powerful than normal. So she had dug deeper into herself, summing up what magic she could, and attempted to clear the blocked path. However, her magic had backfired, exploding into the heap of rubble and causing another earthquake. Luckily, no one had been hurt by the falling rocks and the ceiling hadn't completely caved in, so Emma counted herself lucky.
"You're not doing that again, sister," Leroy warned.
"Yeah, I hadn't planned on it."
"What now?"
"We'll have to go back through the mines," Emma said. "Find another way out."
"Alright. Let's go then."
Emma followed Doc and Grumpy, wincing as she moved her injured side. Regina was definitely going to be pissed when she found out about this. She was probably really worried too. Emma had tried calling her earlier, but her phone received no reception down here, and there was no way for her to magic her way out of the tunnels either. Even if she could, she wasn't convinced she could find her way back to the dwarfs, so she wasn't sure she would have done it anyway. Emma felt guilty knowing her son and his mother, her parents, the townspeople were probably incredibly worried, but there was nothing she could do now except get out safely, without magic.
"Damn it!" Grumpy shouted.
Emma halted. Her mouth slowly opened in fear, her eyebrows creasing.
"This isn't our exit," she said in disbelief.
"It is."
"This wasn't here before!"
"The second earthquake must have caused another collapse."
"Is there another way out?"
"There's always another way out," Doc said hesitantly. "The problem is, we aren't as familiar with this part of the mine because it was forbidden. We haven't explored it as thoroughly as the rest."
"Think you can still get us out?"
"We'll try."
The men shone their flashlights around the mass of rocks blocking their path, but Emma shook her head even before she began speaking.
"We're not moving anything. I'm not risking another collapse. The last one almost caused a cave in, so we're going to do this the hard way. We'll try tunnels at random, until we find ourselves in more familiar territory."
The men agreed, backing away and retracing their steps until they found an alternate tunnel.
"We could be down here for days looking for a way out."
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Emma said gravely.
"You're not going too, mom, are you?"
"Of course I am," Regina said urgently, at the same time as David insisted she was not. "What? I'm going with you, David."
"No offense, Madame Mayor, but this is not your call. You're the mayor. Mayors don't personally assist their sheriff's department in search and rescue missions. Besides, we need you here to read the maps and give us directions in case we get lost."
"I will give you directions personally while I guide you through the mines."
"He's right, Regina," Snow said, finally speaking up. "You'll just get in the way. I know you want to go, but you can't."
"That is my sheriff in those mines, Snow White, as well as the mother of my child. I will not sit idly by while she is in danger."
"I know how you feel. That's my daughter down there, and I'm about to send my husband off as well. I'm terrified too, but the best thing we can do right now is stay here where we aren't in the way and they don't have to worry about us. Let them do their job."
"Please, mom?"
Regina ground her teeth. They didn't have time to argue. Emma could be hurt. She desperately wanted to get down there and see her girlfriend, who was possibly lying unconscious and in need of her help. Logically, Regina knew they were right. She didn't have her magic. She wasn't as physically strong as they were, and she was definitely not wearing the right footwear (not that this would have truly stopped her). They would be able to cover more ground than she could, and more quickly too, but she loathed the idea of simply doing nothing while Emma was possibly in danger. Regina was a woman of action, and taking a backseat to the idiot and his sidekick did not sit well with her. Despite this, she finally gave a curt nod. She backed away so that David and Mulan could read over the maps, squeezing her fists as she tried to work through her irritation. She despised feeling useless, and that was precisely how she felt at the moment. If she had had her magic, there was no doubt in her mind that they would have requested her assistance. However, without it, she was useless.
"Alright, enough talking. We're going. Take this walkie-talkie, Regina. I've got it on channel 3. If we get into trouble or we get turned around, we'll let you know."
The two headed off, leaving Snow, Regina, Henry, and Cindy by the car. The small gathering of townsfolk stood back silently, watching as the two deputies entered the mines.
"Madame Mayor, if you don't mind, I'll be going now. Will you please inform me when sheriff Swan is safely out of the mines?"
"Of course, Cindy. Thank you very much for bringing these plans. Please adjust your timesheet to reflect the extra hours that you've worked."
"It was nothing-"
"It was not nothing. We will be discussing a salary adjustment as soon as my idiot sheriff is retrieved from the mines."
Despite her boss' serious tone, Cindy knew exactly what that meant: she was getting a raise. She fought her smile, knowing that it would be completely inappropriate given the circumstance. There were a lot of people who hated her boss, but the mayor had been nothing but fair (if not demanding), and Cindy enjoyed working for her.
"Yes, Madame Mayor. Thank you."
"Thank you, Cindy. Have a pleasant evening."
Regina carried the plans to her car as Cindy drove off, laying them on the hood. She waited impatiently, pacing, biting her cheek, clenching her fists. She ignored the ever growing crowd amassing nearby, paying them absolutely no mind as she tried to keep herself calm.
"Madame Mayor."
Regina glared in response.
"Now, now, dearie. No need to set me on fire for simply greeting you. Oh! My mistake. That would be an impossible feat with that dreadful thing on your wrist, now wouldn't it?"
"What do you want, Rumple?" she barked. She was in no mood for games.
"Nothing. I just came to see how our dear sheriff is doing."
Before Regina could lash out at him, Belle came running over.
"Rumple! I thought you were staying at the shop."
He shrugged in lieu of a response.
"Regina," Belle said, turning her attention to the now livid woman. "I'm sorry. I just heard. Is there anything I can do?"
"Get him out of here."
"I will. If you need anything, please let me know. I'll be happy to help."
Regina sagged against the hood of the car when they had walked away, looking up only when a pair of high heeled boots entered her vision.
"Hey," Ruby said, giving a small smile. "You okay?"
Rather than snap like she wanted to, Regina looked away.
"Sorry. I guess that was kind of a dumb question. I was thinking of going to get some food for everyone. Snow and Henry haven't eaten yet, and I'm guessing you haven't either. Can I get you something? Even just something to snack on?"
"Thank you for the offer, but I won't be able to stomach anything."
Ruby nodded, reaching out and squeezing her elbow.
"She'll be fine, Regina. They just need to find her, that's all."
"I hope you're right."
"I am," Ruby said before getting up and taking off.
Regina sat, looking at her hands and trying desperately to ward off the negative thoughts filling her mind. Emma would be fine. She would. Emma was strong. She was a fighter. She would be okay.
"Regina? Are you there?"
Regina immediately pulled out her radio, grateful for the distraction from her thoughts.
"I'm here."
"We went to the entrance you pointed out, but it's blocked off. We back tracked, but we're not sure which way to go now. Can you guide us to another tunnel?"
"Do you know where you are?"
"At the star, where there are about four or five different tunnels to choose from."
Regina looked down at the map. Her eyes immediately landed on the area David mentioned, absentmindedly noting that it did in fact look like a star.
"Face the tunnel which led you to the collapse."
"Yep."
"Do you see the tunnel to your right, the one which would be at your two o'clock?"
"Yeah, we see it."
"Follow that tunnel. You will see that it forks into two paths. Turn left. After you've turned left, continue straight. It will bring you to a new juncture of three meeting tunnels. Let me know when you arrive there and I will give you further instruction."
"Roger that."
Regina waited, pacing and occasionally glancing over at her son, who sat somberly, picking almost disinterestedly at his fries. It pained her to watch him, because he reminded her so much of Emma. Henry and Emma both saw the very best in others, both were a bottomless well of hope. They had incredibly large hearts, bigger than any other in Regina's opinion. They would need to, to love someone like her. And she loved them dearly.
She did not know she could love so fiercely, so intensely, until she'd had Henry. After Daniel, Regina had shut her heart to love. The pain she had felt upon his murder had devastated her. It had nearly blinded her in its intensity. She had never known a pain so powerful. And she had vowed to never, ever allow herself to feel such a pain again. So she'd closed herself off to love completely to protect herself. But then Henry… Henry had ripped her heart open and then he'd helped mend it. He had helped Regina learn to love again, something she thought impossible. And he had loved her in return, but Regina thought he would be the only one who could ever so do.
But then she'd met Emma. Dear, sweet, loving Emma who adored her, who loved her despite her past, despite her faults and her undesirable traits. She had bullied her way into Regina's life, into her home, into her heart. Emma had brought back feelings that Regina hadn't felt in decades, raw, real emotions that she thought had been dead and gone forever. But that impossibly charismatic smile, that charming personality, that incredibly loving and loyal woman had shattered the walls Regina had built around herself. That damned woman had made her way right into Regina's soul, and God damn if Regina didn't love her completely.
A sob hitched in Regina's throat.
She loved her. She loved Emma, and she had never once told her. She was down there in those mines… she was in those mines and she could be hurt and Regina would never have told her, she'd never know-
"Regina? We found them! Everyone's fine. We're heading back now."
Regina put the radio down and hugged her now ecstatic son, wiping her tears as she returned his embrace with a smile on her face. She retrieved the radio and gave careful instructions to help them find their way out when they became lost once again, stomach tightening the closer they got to the entrance of the mine. When she spotted Doc and Sleepy, she heaved a sigh of relief, putting the radio down for good.
Henry raced as fast as he could to his mother, throwing himself into her arms hugging her tightly as the townsfolk cheered. Emma hugged him close, but her eyes were up, staring clear across the area to where Regina was standing, holding herself. She looked both relieved and furious. Emma knew she was about to get yelled at, but she didn't care. She was just too happy to see the woman she loved.
"You okay, kid?"
He nodded.
"You okay too, ma?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm gonna go see your mom now, okay?"
"Okay," he said, pulling away and heading over to his grandfather.
Emma began walking towards her, and Regina was unable to stay still. She started out walking, but it turned into a desperate run when Emma was only a few metres away. She launched herself into Emma's arms, shaking as she clung to her, burying her face in her neck.
"Don't you dare to that to me again," Regina choked out, voice cracking as tears spilled down her cheeks. "Don't you dare do something so utterly idiotic, Emma Swan."
Emma crushed Regina close, ignoring the pain in her side.
"I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to scare you."
"Why must you act like this? Why must you always be the hero!" Regina raged, knot tight in her throat. "I could have lost you," she whimpered.
"I'm sorry, baby," Emma repeated, pressing her lips to Regina's ear as she spoke lowly against it. "But you didn't. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere, alright? I'm not going to leave you. I'm always careful, Regina. Always. We would have been out a long time ago, but we got lost. I wasn't in danger though, okay? I'm sorry for scaring you, honey. I really am."
Regina didn't respond, instead burying her face in the crook of Emma's neck as she attempted to hide her tears. She could feel dozens of eyes on her, and while she loathed that they were seeing her in this moment of weakness, she couldn't pull away from Emma's embrace.
"I was so frightened," Regina breathed against her skin.
"I know. I'm sorry," Emma said softly, relieved that Regina's voice seemed a little stronger. "I would have texted, but there's no cell reception down there. I didn't want to leave until they were all out, even though I should have just left them there after what those bastards did to you."
"Yes, you should have. They would have deserved it."
Emma kissed the side of Regina's throat, holding her close. Regina took a shaking breath, swallowing hard and pulling away just enough to look into Emma's eyes.
"I love you, Emma," Regina said softly, tears spilling down her cheeks.
Emma's breath caught in her throat. Regina had never said the words before. God, it felt so good to hear them. Emma buried her face in Regina's neck, squeezing her middle as she fought back her own tears.
"Say it again," she pleaded.
"I love you, Emma, dearly. I'm sorry I hadn't told you before. I was- I was frightened to say the words aloud. I was a coward, and I apologise profusely. However, I have felt it for some time, darling. I have loved you for a very long time."
Emma squeezed her in response, nodding as a few tears slid down her cheek.
"I love you, too."
They stood closely together, ignoring the crowd of onlookers as they held each other tight. It was only when Emma saw her mother out of the corner of her eye that she finally pulled back gently.
"I'm sorry. I don't want to let go, but I should go see my mom. It's her turn to yell at me."
Regina let out a soft chuckle, reluctantly pulling away. She refused to let go of Emma's hand though, holding it tightly as they walked together towards Snow. Regina only let go of Emma's hand when Snow wrapped her arms around her daughter, pulling her close.
"You scared us, Emma. You should have waited for your father before going into those mines."
"I know, mom."
"You scared us all. You could have been hurt!"
"I was careful, I promise."
"I don't care how careful you were. You could have been killed!"
"I was just doing my job, mom. And see? I did it right because I'm fine."
"You aren't fine, Emma," her mother argued. "Grumpy told us you were injured."
Regina's eyes bulged as she immediately turned to her girlfriend.
"What?!"
"I'm fine. A few rocks fell and I was in the way. It's literally just scrapes, see?"
Emma lifted her shirt and showed the area in question. There were a few superficial scrapes, as well as some minor redness.
"See? Nothing bad."
"Are you injured anywhere else?" Regina asked, hands running up and down Emma's arms and sides as she checked for any anomalies.
"I'm fine, baby. I promise."
Regina glared at her, looking into her eyes until finally she was satisfied Emma was telling the truth. She then turned to Mulan, who was busy speaking to the dwarfs.
"You will arrest each and every one of these men, correct?"
Mulan nodded.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good. Do you require Emma's assistance?"
"No, ma'am. I believe Deputy Nolan and I will manage just fine."
"Good."
Despite the fact that Regina just wanted to go home and curl up with Emma, and perhaps yell at her a little more, she knew that as mayor, she had a job to do. Therefore, she reluctantly moved away from Emma and addressed the crowd, informing them that the area was off limits for the near future and that anyone caught trespassing would be promptly arrested. She made a note to look pointedly at the dwarfs as she said this, who were being piled into the cruiser. Most townsfolk wandered off after the announcement, the last few finally leaving once David and Mulan had pulled away.
"Where's the baby, by the way?" Emma finally asked her mother.
"I left him with Granny. I should go now though. She's had him for quite some time."
"That's fine, mom. Thanks for everything today."
Snow took a step forward and pulled her daughter into her arms.
"I'm so glad you're safe. I love you."
"Love you too."
"Would you like me to take Henry?"
Emma pulled back, looking at her son.
"Do you want to come home or go with grandma and grandpa?"
"I'd rather come home," he said honestly, sending an apologetic smile to his grandmother. "Maybe I can come hang out this weekend?"
"That sounds nice, Henry. We'll go to the pool then."
Snow walked to her car, Emma reaching out and grabbing Regina's hand. She laced their fingers together before leading the way to the Mercedes, opening the driver door for Regina. Emma was too tired to drive, so she ceded control to Regina just this once and slid into the passenger seat. The drive home was relatively silent, all three relieved to be returning home together. Regina pulled into the driveway and parked the car, leading the way into the house.
"I think I want to take a shower and then just curl up on the couch," Emma said as she removed her boots. "I'm exhausted."
"That sounds good. Mom and I will pick something out."
"Okay. Thanks, kid."
Emma made her way upstairs, Regina following her with her eyes until she could no longer see her.
"You okay, mom?"
Regina smiled warmly at her son.
"I'm fine, Henry. Thank you for asking," she said, kissing his temple. "I believe I will make your mother and I something to eat, however. Are you hungry?"
"Not really. I had some french fries earlier and a few bites of a hamburger, but they're sitting in my stomach like a rock or something."
Regina reached out and pulled her son into her arms, holding him close.
"You must have been quite frightened today."
He nodded against her chest.
"I'm sorry, Henry."
"Wasn't your fault. And ma's okay. It was just scary for a while."
"Yes, it was."
She rubbed his back gently, holding him securely until he finally pulled away.
"Thanks, mom."
"Te quiero mucho, mijo."
He smiled up at her and kissed her cheek in response.
"What are you going to make? Do you need some help?"
"No. Why don't you set up a movie while I make something simple to eat?"
"Okay," he agreed, heading to the living room and turning on the tv.
He was glad to be home with his moms, especially after today. He had been incredibly scared, especially after the second earthquake. He hoped his ma would take the weekend off, instead of going in to do some work at the station like she had planned. He really wanted her to be safe, and the safest place would be here with his mom. Maybe his mom could convince her. After seeing how she had reacted today, crying in front of everyone (she'd never done that before), he was pretty sure she wouldn't let his ma go in on her days off.
Henry settled onto the couch, throwing on How It's Made while he waited for his mothers. His ma joined him halfway through his second episode, groaning when she saw what was on.
"I'm turning it off, ma. You big baby. I was just watching it until you got here."
"Big baby? I'll show you a big baby."
Emma dropped down onto the couch, laying across her son and whining like an infant.
"Ma! Get off! Your hair is wet," Henry protested, laughing.
"Oh no. Not the hair!"
Emma shifted, purposely rubbing her hair all over Henry's arm. He shouted and tried to squirm away, laughing as his ma tickled his sides.
"Mom! Save me!"
Regina sighed, a smirk on her lips.
"It seems I was mistaken when I believed I only had one child."
Emma stopped, grinning up at the woman when she heard Henry call out to her. She sat up, face lighting up when she saw the plate in Regina's hands.
"You made grilled cheeses?" she asked excitedly, sniffing the air.
"I did," Regina confirmed, taking a seat and handling the plate to Emma. She snuggled into her side before reaching onto it and grabbing a half.
"And you're going to have one?"
Regina smiled at her lover's disbelief, taking an Emma-sized bite and grinning at her. Emma, eyes wide, looked at her and spoke in a serious tone.
"You have never been hotter than you are in this moment."
"Aw, ma. Gross. Really?!"
The women laughed, Regina chewing as discreetly as she could.
"No, seriously," Emma whispered conspiratorially, "so hot."
"Thank you, darling," Regina said, a tinge of humour in her voice.
Her subsequent bites were dramatically smaller, but she had enjoyed the delight in Emma's eyes when she'd acted so out of character. Emma wrapped her left arm around Regina, holding her close as she happily munched away on a grilled cheese half.
"What are we watching, kid?"
"I was thinking Remember the Titans. What do you think?"
"Love that movie. Regina?"
"That's fine," she responded, as she reached out and took a second half of grilled cheese.
"I love that you're eating this with me," Emma confessed, licking her lips before placing a wet kiss on Regina's cheek.
"An indulgence I'll allow for today," Regina responded, looking at Emma. Their eyes met for a brief moment before Emma leaned forward, kissing her softly on the lips.
Henry almost protested, almost, but after today he decided to allow that one kiss, especially since his mom looked so happy. If they tried anything else though, all bets were off. The kiss was brief though, luckily, and his moms turned away from each other to look at the screen as the show started. Henry would admit it to no one, but he kind of liked it that his moms were affectionate with each other, even though it was pretty gross too. But when his mom rested her head on his ma's shoulder and whispered that she loved her, and his ma kissed her forehead and said it back, well… that was pretty cute indeed.