When Emma didn't immediately talk, Snow directed them over to a bench.
"What is it?" she asked putting a comforting hand on her knee.
Emma kept her eyes on the ground. Her heart was racing.
"I've …I've made mistakes," Emma said. "And I've done things I'm not proud of."
She paused.
"Things got out of hand. I didn't mean for things to get complicated and when they did I took the coward's way out. Now I don't know what to do."
"It can't be all that bad," Snow said. "You are a good person. Tell me what this is all about and I will help you through it."
Emma turned to face her mother. "I fell in love with someone."
….
Regina got back to the couch from her short trip to the bathroom. She hated crutches.
These injuries made her feel so – weak. Combine the physical with the emotional turmoil she was going through and she had never felt so out of sorts.
Emma loved her, she knew that now. The problem was Emma's love for her may not be enough for to overcome her fear.
She understood that this wasn't going to be easy for either one of them. When she started to have feelings for Emma she had considered the challenges that they would have to overcome. The Savior and the Evil Queen – it was like a poorly written script, but it was their lives and Regina wanted to live out that life with Emma.
Even if she was tolerated in town, people genuinely liked Emma. People wouldn't be harsh to her. They might question Emma's choice, but they wouldn't shun her completely. It didn't make any sense – Emma was the bravest person she knew. She didn't let fear rule her, which made this all the more confusing for her.
Then there was the matter of Hook.
As much as she played it off that she had no right to be upset with Emma, she felt betrayed. When she first learned of Emma leaving Hook's boat that morning she thought her heart would break. Now to learn Emma had lied to her about Hook all along, it felt like a slap in the face.
When she and Emma had first started sleeping together, it became apparent early on that all the excuses they made to different people wouldn't be enough to keep hiding their liaisons. It was tough because they shared custody of Henry which meant when Emma didn't have him, Regina did, so they most of their hook-ups occurred during the day while he was in school. For the first time in her career as mayor she began taking lunch breaks.
Then Emma started to get worried because her parents, and the way she made it sound – half the town – were concerned that she didn't seem to very sociable and needed to get out more. That is when Emma started to "date" Hook. The idea, or so Emma said, was that as long as people thought she was occupied they wouldn't be curious or asking questions which could lead to them being discovered. Regina didn't like the idea at all but it's not as if she could really tell Emma no. She tried to without saying it directly; trying to convince Emma that there was another way – that they could be more discreet or maybe see each other a little less.
But Emma felt this was the best way to divert attention.
She should have known there was more to Emma's relationship with Hook. In fact, she did know, she didn't want to admit it though.
Emma had been seeing Hook for maybe two months, when it happened.
Regina had been at home when the call came in – it was from Snow. She was calling to let her know that Emma was in the hospital so wouldn't be able to pick up Henry for the weekend. Although Snow said Emma was fine, Regina had gotten Henry and went to the hospital.
Emma had been chasing a suspect in a domestic violence case and as she tackled him they went down two flights of stairs at the apartment complex and she got a concussion. They had gotten to the hospital and found her room – Henry had gone running in. Regina stayed at the door watching as Henry hugged his other mom. In the room with them were Snow, Charming and Hook.
That was the moment she knew.
She didn't fit in that room – she probably never would.
Thinking back to it now, Regina wondered if that is what Emma had known all along. Had she known Regina could never fit in her world, but was too afraid to come out and say it? That the feelings they had didn't matter because their relationship didn't work beyond the boundaries of whatever place they chose to fuck in.
It made sense that it was the weight of that knowledge that was pulling Emma down.
After all Regina felt the weight of it as well.