A/N: Sorry, sorry, sorry! It's late again, I know. Please don't hate me. My life is hectic as always, but now had a date in which I can tell you that I will be free. From June 19th until September 21st I will only be working 4 days a week and I won't have college and study time on top, so more and regular chapters! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! All mistakes are mine, like always.
Chapter thirteen:-
The following morning, Regina woke to find her face covered in an abundance of golden, cinnamon smelling curls that gracefully tickled her nose with every breath. The sight and the heavy weight of the blonde woman snuggled into her chest was more than welcomed with a warm smile that happily embellished Regina's lips. Everything about their positioning was natural, surprisingly familiar and extremely comforting. Emma clung onto the woman beneath her as though she were her anchor to the world; ultimately making Regina feel desperately needed for the first time since Henry was but a babe. The constant need to be wanted was something Regina was never really granted in her youth, nor while she was Queen, but now with a loving family that surrounded her, she wanted nothing more than to revel in the feeling whenever she deemed possible. With this being one of those moments, Regina managed to shift her body as gently as she could beneath the blonde in order to pull the other woman even closer than she was before, leaving a very little amount of untouched skin between them.
It had been merely hours before that Regina had tugged Emma into her arms and asked to hear about the night terror that had tormented the blonde throughout her sleep. As expected, Emma was overly reluctant to share the tale and quickly attempted to distance herself from the brunette as fast as she could. But to Emma's dismay, Regina simply held her tighter as she traced reassuring patters across her back, calming the worrisome blonde almost instantly. The pair lay in silence for a little while before Emma finally let out a sigh and willingly shared the details of her nightmare. When the tears that had built in Emma's eyes threatened to spill, Regina gave her a comforting squeeze as if to encourage the blonde to let out her emotions in whichever way she needed. And for Emma, that moment was the only moment she believed it to be safe to openly weep in the arms of the woman she had fallen in love with.
Emma had pressed her entire body into Regina's side and nestled her face in the crook of the brunette's neck, letting the sobs wrack not only her own body, but Regina's too. Whispering sweet nothings into the air around them, Regina threaded her fingers through the messy blonde locks and dragged her nails across the blonde's scalp. It was a move that she had pulled on Henry often throughout his youth; he had loved the sensation so much that Regina often made habit of it. After what felt like forever through a series of exhausted hiccups and sniffles, the pair eventually fell asleep in a mass of clingy limbs.
When Emma finally began to stir, Regina had to pull herself out of her self-pleasing thoughts and images of eventually sewing together an unconventional family with the woman in her arms. The thoughts and images were like the images of the dreams that had always played in Regina's mind since she was a child: a loving partner, wonderful children and a happy life. What she could see with Emma was exactly what she had always been able to see in her happiest dreams. This could be her happy ending.
"Good morning," Regina whispered in a voice that was deep and still filled with the memories of a peaceful sleep.
"Hey," Emma croaked out in return as she attempted to pull her hair away from Regina's face without actually moving from her comfortable position on the brunette's chest. "Thank you – for last night, I mean. You didn't have to do what you did. It really wasn't fair to drag you out of your bed at that time of the morning, especially not for me, anyway."
"Don't be so ridiculous, Emma," Regina lightly scolded as she pulled the blonde's face towards her own, lightly caressing Emma's philtrum with her thumb. "I've already told you that all of this is going to be a roller coaster that I'm going to ride with you. That was a terrible metaphor, but you need to understand that I'm going to be here because I want to be here. I will be here with you until you tell me that you don't want me to be around you. Do you understand me, Emma?"
The blonde reluctantly nodded. Regina let go of Emma's chin and the blonde dropped her head against the other woman's collar bone and squeezed the her waist tightly in thanks. The two lay in silence as one of Regina's hands found it's way to Emma's hair once more and Emma's own fingertips unconsciously ghosted light patterns over Regina's stomach. The actions were incredibly intimate and surprisingly domestic, but neither woman found the desire to stop at anytime soon, not even when Regina decided to voice something that had been playing on her mind from the moment she woke.
"Do you think that you should see Dr. Hopper for a little advice?" She wondered aloud, knowing all too well that Emma wouldn't take well to the question, but continued anyway. "I'm not a doctor and there is only so much I can do to help you through all of this. I just want you to get as much help as possible for your own benefit."
"I get it," Emma abruptly pushed herself off of Regina and began to stand from the bed. "You're sending me to someone else because I've got too much baggage and you don't want to deal with it. I get it – but all you needed to do was to say that, Regina."
Emma let out a huff and completely stood as she muttered under her breath: "God, I am so stupid to believe you were different."
"Don't you dare say that, Emma. That is not what I meant and you know it!" Regina all but shouted as she reached out of the bed, grabbing Emma's wrist and spinning her around. "I am different, Emma. I am not giving up on you. Dr. Hopper knows more about this than I do, so he can help you in the ways he helped me. I am not sending you to anyone else to deal with all of this, and I am definitely not leaving you on your own. The two of us need some help with this and it was my fault that all of this happened to you, Emma, and I need to fix it. I fell in love with you a long time ago and I fought my way through realms to get you back; do you really think that I'm going to let you go after all of that?"
"There is nothing wrong with me, Regina!" She pulled her way out of Regina's grip with one swift tug of her arm but refused to break the eye contact between them. "There is nothing wrong with me and I don't need a doctor. I don't need to be psychoanalysed and tested for mental disorders and poked and prodded like some kind of mental patient!"
Emma's bottom lip began to quiver and this time, she held very little control over her tears as they began to stream down her rosy cheeks. "I don't need it."
"Oh, Emma. Come here." The crestfallen look in Regina's eyes was enough to convince Emma to fall into the other woman's arms. She was quickly enveloped in Regina's embrace and the unfallen tears from the previous night made their reappearance as the blonde openly sobbed once more. "I know that there is nothing wrong with you, my love, but you need some help to forget about New York, or at least to accept that it happened. You can't let this burden you forever; take it from someone who knows."
Emma remained silent in Regina's arms (apart from the occasional sob or sniffle), and nodded lightly against her neck. Being in Regina's arms was like being pulled to safety in the middle of a war, and that war was Emma's personal battle, where Regina was her ultimate safe haven. As much as she hated to feel vulnerable, Emma couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of being at home in Regina's arms.
"There is nothing more that I want than your happiness," Regina continued after a while, holding Emma's head close to her shoulder as she pressed gentle kisses into the blonde's temple. "The only way that that is going to happen is for you to trust me on this one. You may hate it, but I know for a fact that it will help you. Archie helped me a lot when you broke my curse. In fact, he actually helped me come to terms with the fact that I had fallen in love with the woman that was meant to be my undoing." Regina laughed in spite of herself and felt Emma smile against her neck. "Now, thats when I felt the need to be tested and psychoanalysed."
"Why, because you had fallen for the charms of the Charming family and for Snow White's daughter?" Emma laughed through a sniffle.
"Exactly, dear. That was definitely not my intentions when I cast my curse." Regina paused for thought before letting out a breathy chuckle. "Mind you, that wouldn't have been a bad idea..."
With a playful pinch of Regina's side, Emma managed to whisper in the other woman's ear ash she squirmed. "If that was the case, I'm pretty sure you would've made your move a lot sooner than you had. And I'm almost certain that you wouldn't have made peace with almost everyone in town."
Regina couldn't help but smile at the teasing tone of the blonde's voice. For the twenty-eight years she had spent in Storybrooke without Emma, she had watched the entire town live out her master plan of being a town without happy endings. But clearly, the fates had a more twisted idea of how Regina would finally get her happy ending. In order for the Evil Queen to be happy, Snow White needed to be happy too, and without a doubt, had Regina's past self known the outcome, she probably would've cursed herself too.
"You are definitely not the same woman that fried to run me out of town for years ago, that for sure." Emma continued, holding Regina closer for her own sake and sanity. "But our son is still our son and he's probably awake and questioning why he doesn't have pancakes in front of him."
"Some things will never change, dear," Regina gently kissed Emma's cheek and let the blonde out of her strong hold. "And what I said earlier about Archie: I really want you to consider it."
Casting a bashful glance towards her feet, Emma timidly asked: "Would you come with me if I did?"
She refused to even attempt to make eye contact with the brunette as she waited for her answer with baited breath.
"Of course I will, Emma. If that's what you want, then so be it." Emma raised her chin and offered the brunette a thankful smile.
"You don't suppose I could borrow something to wear until I go home, do you?" Regina gestured to the silk camisole and incredibly short silk pyjama shorts that she had thrown on during her phone call with Snow only hours prior. "I don't think your parents would appreciate the sight with their morning cups of coffee."
"I most certainty would," Emma muttered almost coyly and barely loud enough for Regina to hear, but stepped back to take in the sight before her.
"Behave," Regina chided with a laugh as she tossed a cushion at the blonde before setting off to find the bathroom.
After freshening up and each dressing in a pair of black leggings and oversized hoodies (of which Regina deeply protested against wearing either, but was convinced with a simple kiss), the pair set off towards the apartment's open planned first floor where they found their son sat at the counter with his grandparents. Seeing Henry so happy and comfortable filled Regina Regina with an unexplainable warmth. He now had the family that she had never been able to give him. Emma had given him everything she never could.
The feeling of a gentle touch on the small of her back brought Regina out of her thoughts and back to reality. Somehow, Emma Swan always seemed to know when she needed to be rescued from the poison that dripped through her thoughts.
It was a few moments before the pair were spotted and greeted with an overly cheerful voice.
"Good morning, Emma! Regina!" Snow pulled out two extra mugs from one of the cupboards and quickly invited to two to join their son and Charming at the kitchen's rather small breakfast bar. "Coffee?"
"Please," Emma and Regina said in unison, lightly blushing at their timing but never meeting each other's eyes.
"Morning, moms," Henry said with a youthful smile and making Regina smile at the word 'moms'. There had been far too many occasions in their relationship where Regina had believed that Henry would never call her 'mom' ever again, so hearing the heartfelt and honest way it simply rolled off her son's tongue made Regina fill with happiness. "I'm glad you stayed the night, mom. I've missed you too much."
"I've missed you too, sweetheart." Regina kissed her son's forehead, revelling in how much he had grown in the two years they had been away from each other, but she could see it in his eyes how young he really was. "Maybe we can make up for some lost time over the next couple of weeks?"
Emma, who was sat beside Regina, knew that the question wasn't simply aimed at their son but her too. She knew Regina wanted to make up for the lost time between the two of them and Emma knew that there was a possibility that they could do such a thing as a family for the first time. Several dinners at Granny's had been the closest thing to family activities that the three had ever engaged in. Emma didn't even have a great relationship with Henry in New York because of Ryan, so there was even more of a reason for Emma to join them.
"So, Regina, do you have any ideas about the situation with Rumple?" Charming asked as Snow handed over two steaming mugs of java for the two women.
Regina's mouth opened and closed several times before she was able to get her mind on track to what Charming was asking. She hadn't even had time to process everything hat had happened to Emma and Henry, let alone delve straight into city issues and have an immediate plan. In fact, Rumplestiltskin hadn't even crossed her mind since they had all left the station for Granny's welcome-home party. Of course she had thought up a few ideas while they were in the station, but her head was too full of anger and the dire need for revenge for her to actually think straight. If she were to reveal exactly what she had thought up in those moments, Charming would most likely have her locked up and waiting to enjoy whichever fate Rumple was to be faced with.
She took several sips of her coffee before finally answering the prince.
"I'm going to have to do some research in some of his and my mothers old spell books; there could be something in them with enough power to banish him from this realm and allow him to suffer for his actions." She told him as she eyed the mug in her hands, still unsure of how she would answer any of the questions that would surely come her way.
"When you left the diner, Blue mentioned a netherworld." Snow hinted as she leaned over the counter with a worried look in her eye. "She said that if we could open a portal, we could send him through it and close it until we come up with a proper plan because right now, we need to worry about everyone's safety. We don't even know if the cell that was made is even strong enough!"
"Oh, it's strong enough," she sighed. "That cell is strong enough to withhold the most powerful thing known to any wizard in all the realms. The magic that radiated from the entire thing was enough to transcend realms several times."
"What if we used that magic to send him to another realm! Isn't he wanted in the vast majority of them?" Snow bounced on the balls of her feet in excitement, hoping that she had the answer to their problems.
"No way," Reigna firmly stated. "Rumple is our problem. Not anyone elses. Besides, he is still Henry's grandfather and we have no idea what would happen to him if he was sent to a realm where they wanted his head on a stake."
"Didn't you want our heads on stakes at one point...?" Charming asked with a confused look on his face, earning himself a harsh glare from Regina. Somehow, the woman still managed to look incredibly fearsome in a baggy hoodie and leggings.
"That's not the point, Dad." Emma huffed as she dragged an irritated hand through her hair. "Regina is right: we have to be the better people. We can't burden another realm with the Dark One, for Christ's sake. He would probably burn the entire place down as soon as he got there and then some!"
Regina cast Emma a grateful smile and took the blonde's hand in her own to rest them on the countertop between them. Their PDA needed to be discussed, but right now, Regina needed the encouragement and comfort that Emma provided and Emma needed the stability and safety that Regina offered, so the opinions of Snow and Charming were the last things on their minds.
"Fine, but it needs to be sorted soon. We can't have him locked away in our only cell in the entire town for the rest of his time."
"Yeah, and I need to find a place for Henry and me to live for a while, dad, so that's where my priorities are right now," Emma said a little too sternly for her parents liking. "Before New York it was cramped enough with the four of us staying here and Henry is a teenager now - he needs his own space when he stays with me. Besides, I shouldn't be living with my parents at thirty."
"But we've just got you back, Emma!" Snow protested with a heartbroken frown on her face. "I know the apartment is small, but we can look for a bigger house for the four of us to live in, then we can all have our space."
"Look, it's probably going to be a while before I find some place, anyway, so we're not going any time soon." Emma said with finality. It was a tone she always used on her parents when she no longer wanted to discuss something and clearly they had done right to remember it.
Breakfast was served and eaten in relative silence, apart from Henry telling his grandparents and adoptive mother about his tales in New York while Emma remained completely silent, playing with her food on her fork. The actions weren't missed by Regina, who dropped her hand under the table and traced patterns on the top of the blonde's hand until she freed her palm and took the brunette's hand in her own.
Regina's small and recurring gestures were something that Emma was quickly beginning to love. The other woman constantly knew when she needed reassurance or a little guidance and obviously Regina was constantly willing to give.
As her family conversed with her son, Emma took advantage of the moment to sit and admire Regina's natural beauty. Without the make-up and overly expensive power-suits, Emma could finally see the real woman she had fallen in love with. Emma Swan had fallen in love with the scared and vulnerable Regina Mills who's son was out in life threatening danger in the lit bottom of a mine. Minus the scared and vulnerable parts, Emma saw the exact same woman sat beside her for the first time since the incident. Yes, Emma still loved every part of who Regina really was, but the natural, no walls and relaxed Regina Mills was definitely Emma's favourite.
Emma had never really seen Regina as the Evil Queen. Admittedly, she had called her such several times, but she had never actually seen Regina lash out like her parents and friends had told her she had. She knew Regina had killed people, she knew Regina had tortured people, and she even knew that Regina had ruined people's lives just for the sake of doing so. But the Regina Mills that Emma knew was not that same person. Regina Mills was a person. The Evil Queen was a monster run by a master puppeteer.
"See something you like, dear?" Regina whispered as the Charmings and Henry stood to clear their plates.
"I was... Um... I..." She stuttered as she tried to hide her embarrassed blush that had crept onto her cheeks and neck. "Sorry."
"You don't have to apologise for looking at something, dear."
"I wasn't looking," Emma said truthfully, "I was admiring."
Regina's gaze faltered and a charmed smile tugged on her lips before she latched them onto the blondes's before her. The kiss was sweet and chaste but never failed to excite the women.
"So I was thinking," Regina began once their lips had separated but their foreheads tightly pressed together. "Maybe you and Henry could move into the mansion with me. I know it might be too soon and you can have the spare room for as long as you wanted, but I just wanted to make sure that you and Henry were safe and happy."
"I...Uhm, thank you, Regina, but I don't think I'm ready for all of that..." She trailed off, making Regina lift her chin with her index finger for what felt like the millionth time since she had found them in New York.
"And that's okay. It was just a suggestion and my offer will always be open to you, Emma." She caressed Emma's chin with her thumb before continuing. "Everything that happens between us will only be done when you're ready. I'm not going to push you into doing anything you don't want to do, okay?"
Emma nodded with a smile before pulling Regina onto her lap for a loud and messy kiss that was definitely the beginning of making up for lost time.