SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ
SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ
Two days...
They were set to sail to Hades in two days and the entire town of Storybrooke were moving around as if everyone was in a hurry, like the entire world was going to end. Most of the townsfolk who weren't affiliated with the dark side were happy that the Empress and the Evil Queen were leaving and they were hoping that those two would stay in hell where they belonged. Of course, no one in their right mind would be caught bad mouthing the Evil Queen and the Dark Knight to their faces—or wear any of their loyal followers could overhear them. That and the fact that some of their own were going down there as well, including the Fairy Queen herself Mayah Faye.
No one, on either side, knew just why they were going down to Hades in the first place, but they knew that Snow White had something to do with it.
At the Mills manor, Regina was in the kitchen cooking Maddi and Max a late breakfast while Pocahontas and Emma hauled suitcases out of the manor and into the trunk of Emma's canary yellow Jeep with Rajah following their every footsteps. And Regina was going to miss this...the domesticity of having her family completed with the broken curse. Everything had been perfect, except for the fact that Snow White was still breathing, and in two days time she will have successfully destroyed Regina's happiness. Or at least put a damper in it, yet again.
Maddi came into the kitchen, setting her newly acquired iPhone on the counter as she took a seat at the island, and she was right on time because Regina had just finished preparing their plates. She didn't make anything special, just blueberry buttermilk pancakes with a side of bacon. As far as late lunches went, it was still healthy and wouldn't spoil the twins appetites later on for lunch.
"Where's your brother?"
"I don't know, playing video games or something," Maddi shrugged, picking up her fork to dig in—or at least she would've had Regina taken the utensil with a raised eyebrow, eyes expecting and Maddi resisted the urge to roll her eyes, "Fine, I'll go get him."
Regina smiled sweetly at her sassy nine year old, "Thank you, sweetheart."
Maddi made it as far as the kitchen door and poked her head out before yelling at the top of her lungs for her brother to come get his food before returning to her seat with an equally sweet smile directed at her brunette mother when Maximilian's thunderous footsteps were heard upstairs and coming down the stairs.
"Walk!" Regina called just before her son could run into the kitchen like a mad man, she set his plate down in front of him, "I want my kitchen cleaned before you two do anything else today. Your mother and I will be stepping out in a little while, so mind your grandmother, unless you want a repeat of last time. Understood?"
"Yes ma'am," they both responded back, but Regina was half way out of the kitchen and outside on her front porch. Regina sighed softly as she sat down on the bench and Rajah was quick to join her and settle at her feet. The tiger was far from tired, but she could feel Regina's weariness from a distance and had decided to go comfort the woman who allowed her to stay within her home despite her mild complaints about having such a wild animal in her house. Regina would never admit it to anyone else, but she has truly come to enjoy Rajah's quiet company in such a short time and even scratched the tiger behind her ears a few times throughout the day.
Regina watched as Emma and Pocahontas made all of their, mostly Regina's, suitcases fit and only had to remove one seat. She watched as Pocahontas and Emma talk briefly before the warrior left and Emma turned, spotting her Dark True Love sitting on the porch, smiling at her and Emma was immediately sitting next to her—draped over Regina, not that she minded at all. She loved the warmth and sense of security Emma provided. Emma had her long legs stretched out over the tiger sitting at Regina's feet.
Anyone who didn't know them would frame them as a beautiful, harmless couple with a tiger for a pet. They would probably even wave and engage in a brief conversation just to be polite. Of course that would be possible if anyone were brave enough to to live on the same street as the Empress of all that was unholy and the Evil Queen but with Storybrooke's expansion with the second curse, they'd have neighbors soon enough.
"We have an hour before we have to go to the meeting...did, did you wanna see her?"
"See who?" Regina questioned quietly, playing with her lovers wedding band subconsciously.
"The ship. The Fairest of Them All. I created her with you in mind," Emma kissed Regina's temple softly, knowing how anxious her wife was. Hell, she could feel it through their bond. She knew how scared Regina was about this trip down to the underworld...but they had a plan within the situation they found themselves in. The last time they did something this major, they were separated for nine years, but the Empress wasn't going to let that happen again. She couldn't, not with their third child on the way.
"I made you two promises, Regina." Emma started, eyes going dark as her arm around her wife's shoulders tightened, prompting the brunette to look at her finally, "I promised that our family will remain as it is now when we come back..."
"And you promised me Snow White's head on a platter," Regina despise that woman and it made her internally giddy that her numbered days were finally coming to an end. "Tell me how you're going to do it. Is it going to be messy?"
"Do you want it to be?"
Red painted lips twitched, and Regina brought her free hand up to reach beneath Emma's polo shirt, the tips of her fingers dancing over the butt of her .50 cal handgun, "I don't want it to be too fast."
"I know," Emma whispered, eyes taking full darkness and Regina could feel her dark magic and Emma's shadow magic teasing one another, "You like things nice and slow, but not too slow—"
"Ahem."
Regina and Emma both turned, their bubble popped, to find Cora standing a few feet away by the front door with both of her eyebrows raised, completely unimpressed, "Regina, dear, may I remind you that public sex is not fitting for a Queen of your stature. Either of you."
Emma scoffed, but adjusted her sitting position regardless and sat up a little straighter so that she wasn't practically pushing her wife down onto the bench. Neither of them had realized what they were doing until now, and Rajah had even tucked herself beneath the bench when she sniffed out what had been going on.
"We were actually just leaving."
Regina glared halfheartedly at Cora over Emma's shoulder as rose from their bench and straightened out her dress, "The kids are inside, and they've already eaten." Regina stopped in front of Cora, "And mother, remember that you're actually here to do something other than watch Spanish TV soap dramas because I have better signal than you."
Cora rolled her eyes and waved away Regina's comment as if she didn't even know what her daughter was talking about and closed the door. Emma opened the passengers for her wife, and helped her into the large Jeep. Just as the Empress was about to get in herself, she winked at the Sheriff that was sitting down the street and the man in question frowned deeply. The Empress' attitude was grating on his nerves, and he was almost a hundred percent certain that she killed Prince Neal and his family a few nights ago. He didn't care what the ballistics report said—Emma Mills was in the middle of it somehow.
SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ
It was a work of luxurious art, and Regina was blown away by the sheer size of it when Emma finally parked the Jeep as close as possible before they had to walk the rest of the way. The carefully crafted ship, yacht seemed more like a more appropriate term, sent shivers down her spine.
But it was the interior that made Regina fall in love with it completely. Emma had truly outdone herself and it was clear that she brought back the theme of the Dark Kingdom from the Enchanted Forest with a few touches of color on the beautiful furnishings. Whereas the Dark Kingdom was cold and impersonal—The Fairest of Them All had a air of comfort that complimented its elegance. Four decks of endless possibilities and by the time Regina returned to the fourth deck (top floor), Emma had their bags moved into the master suite and she was fixing them both a drink, orange juice for Regina and a beer for herself.
Quietly, Regina took the offered drink and sat down on one of the comfortable sofa's that faced one of the larger windows that offered an unobstructed view of Storybrooke Bay, and she could only imagine the type of deadly creatures that lay beneath the calm blue waters. That thought alone once again proved why leaving at a time like this was a horrible idea, they had so much to do and to sort out especially since they were in the middle of real estate negotiations with those bleeding hearts, those so called 'heroes'. They were going to have a mess to deal with when they came back.
"I wish we could have this forever, but alas that damned Snow White managed to delay our happiness." Regina shifted around until she was leaning against the arm of the sofa, with her bare feet in Emma's lap.
"I don't know," Emma just hummed, draining half of her beer bottle, kicking off her boots and putting her feet up on the coffee table, "It makes you miss the Enchanted Forest even more—killing her there would've been so much easier, but Snow is a slippery bitch to corner."
"I should've put her down when I put her under that sleeping curse." Regina chuckled into her glass of orange juice, "We'll have our chance again soon."
Emma nodded in agreement, and set her half empty bottle aside and began massaging Regina's feet with chilly fingers, "How's the little one doing?"
Regina's hand automatically went to her still flat stomach, smiling softly, "You remember when I was pregnant with Madeline and Max? It's just like that, and it's still hard for me to believe that I can have something like this. Someone like you, Emma."
The Empress studied her wife with interest, before focusing back on the brunette's feet in her lap and between her strong, calloused hands. Emma swallowed thickly, "I never thought I would get to have this with you either, baby. I um... y'know when I first ran away from Snow and Charming, I didn't know where the hell I was going or what I was gonna do. I could barely tell anyone who I was or even...what I was."
"Emma..." Regina set her glass on the floor and tried to pull her feet away, but Emma wasn't letting go.
"I went through a lot that could most, and so did you...and neither of us thought we could ever be this happy or find someone to love. And I'm never gonna let you go, Regina. You helped me when no one else could, or even would...and you didn't even know it. One of the things I love so much about you."
Regina pulled her feet away and this time Emma let her and she suddenly had a lap full of the Evil Queen and neither could be bothered to check the time. Regina had something on her mind, and whether she used words or became physical—she was going to show Emma either way. And the Empress was not complaining.
SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ
A little more over an hour later...
Snow White, the Fairy Queen, and the Ice Queen were standing at the entrance of the docks with near impatience and none of the women had anyway of entering the sacred area since they weren't on the magical 'guest list', not that Snow hasn't tried several times already. Nothing in particular happened to her when she tried but she it was like walking into an invisible wall.
"You would think that they'd have more class than this," she crossed her arms, shaking her head.
"You should be the last person talking about having any class, Snow." all three of them turned around to see Emma standing directly behind them and alone.
Snow glared at her through narrowed eyes, "You people set the time, and you should honor it. Classless, as usual. And where is the Evil Queen? Still doing her dirty work I see."
Emma stared at Snow, fingers twitching at her sides. She had to leave the comfort of the master bedroom suite and Regina's arms for this. The Empress wanted to end Snow White's life right then and there and be done with all. But she knew that there had to be a plan to control the chaos, and patience was key and the dark side always had something of those bleeding hearts—they would always need Emma and Regina, and other 'evil doers' more than they needed them.
The Ice Queen took a subtle step back, knowing that Snow was just asking for it and she wasn't willing to get in the middle of it. She had her own agenda and she would not allow the poor excuse of a Queen to ruin it for her.
Snow seemed to realize that she was losing ground, and reluctantly averted her gaze. It wasn't much of a victory but it was one Emma would take. For now. Emma felt Regina's calming presence through their bond and forced herself to relax and turned her attentions to the woman that mattered.
"Do you have the list?"
Mayah Faye, the Fairy Queen, shot a warning look at the the former Queen of the White Kingdom, regretting allowing the woman to come to this meeting already as she handed the scroll over to the Empress. "Five travelers as promised, is there anything that we need to know?"
"Such as the list of names that you're bringing along?" Snow just never learned.
Emma looked at the woman disdainfully, eyes flashing briefly, "You'll just have to wait and see, Snow. And pray that Regina and I are the only ones who want you dead aboard that ship." in cloud of dark smoke and shadows, Emma was gone. And in the distance a certain Rumpelstiltskin watched the entire scene with curious eyes from the safety of his shop. He could feel Emma and Regina's bond growing stronger as well as their magic. Their magic was the strongest in all of Storybrooke and he closed his blinds sharply and going back to his various spell books scattered across his pawn shop, in hopes to find a spell to help him get onto that ship in two days.
SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ
SQ :: SWAN QUEEN :: SQ
Could be pretty obvious at this point, but Cerberus_Spectre is...literally the same person, MG, so. Awkwardness behold. So sorry for the wait, like years. and I have no excuse. The fandom got to be too damn much and I quit the show but y'know, I never quit this story I just didn't know where to go, but I do now. So. Hey.
And I'm still getting back into the grove of this particular pairing in this particular universe that I've created so give me a little time, a chapter or two, to get my grove going again. I'm rusty as fuck.
All mistakes are my own.