Feels Like Home To Me
Part 25
Emma felt surprisingly awake that night when she and Regina packed the last few things and stuffed their luggage into the Mercedes. Snow and David had agreed to "house-sit" the next three weeks. It was better for Veronica to be at home, among her own things.
Emma had just stuffed their suitcases into the Mercedes when Snow and David pulled up in front of the mansion.
"Hey, Regina, I think they're here now."
Regina didn't answer, and Emma hadn't expected her too, either. Regina was currently upstairs in the nursery, freaking out over leaving their little girl behind.
Emma left her wife to have her "moment" and went into the hall to let her parents in.
"Good morning, guys," she said and suppressed a yawn.
"Bright and early," David quipped and gave his daughter a quick hug, despite having seen her that evening.
"Mm, something like that," Emma said.
"Where's Regina?" Snow asked as she shrugged her coat off and left it on one of the hangers.
"With Veronica. Freaking out," Emma said truthfully.
"Oh. Having trouble leaving without the little bird?" Snow said understandingly.
"Yup. Regina?" Emma called up the stairs again, and this time, Lady came trotting down the stairs. Which could only mean one thing. Regina was on the move, so to speak.
And Regina indeed came down the stairs two seconds later, scowling slightly, but with dry eyes. So Emma had been wrong in her assumption. No tears over having to leave Veronica for three weeks.
"You ready?" Emma asked and flashed her a smile.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Regina answered surprisingly calm.
"And are you…. Okay?" Emma asked, still trying to figure out Regina's current state of mind.
"Yes," Regina half-laughed. "I'm done freaking out as you put it."
"Good. I'm happy to hear that."
"Are you ready, miss Swan?"
"Mrs. Swan-Mills," Snow immediately corrected, and Regina lifted an eyebrow.
"I've been calling your daughter miss Swan for seven years. Forgive me for forgetting her new title from time to time."
"Title," Emma scoffed. "You make it sound as if I've been promoted or something like that."
"And haven't you?" Regina asked calmly and gave Emma's shoulder a light brush with her fingertips.
David sniggered. "One hell of a promotion."
Regina stoically ignored that. "We should probably get going. It would be a shame to miss our flight."
"Right. I'm going upstairs to Veronica. Do you want to come with, or have you said goodbye already?"
"I'm done." Regina said grimly. "If I'm going up there it would be to grab her and strap her into the car seat."
Emma chuckled a little at that and went upstairs closely followed by Lady. The cocker spaniel watched Emma's every move, and Emma felt equally guilty for leaving the dog behind, as well as the baby.
Emma decided to for once ignore Regina's rule about never waking their daughter when she was asleep. Veronica was a good sleeper. She would fall right back asleep as soon as Emma put her back down in the crib.
"Mommy's gonna miss you," Emma cooed to the baby as she picked her up and hugged her tightly.
Veronica cooed softly and flashed Emma a drippily smile.
"The next time we're going on vacation, you're coming with us," Emma promised. "But I'm afraid there's no babies allowed on the honeymoon, Roni…"
"….Yes?" Regina said from downstairs, and Emma grinned when she realized that the brunette had thought Emma was talking to her.
"Not you," Emma called back. "I was talking to Veronica."
"Oh. Well, stop confusing me," Regina snapped, and Emma buried her chuckle in Veronica's soft curls. Regina's attempt at covering up the fact that she still was responding to her curse name was charming. No pun intended.
"Goodbye, sweet girl," Emma sing-songed to Veronica. "Be a good girl for your grandparents, okay?"
"Gaaah," Veronica said, and Emma chose to take that as a yes.
The blonde reluctantly put the little girl back in her crib and gave her forehead a wet kiss. Then she walked back downstairs, closely followed by Lady.
"Our daughter was as cheerful as ever," Emma reported, and then, smirking slightly: "We better get going, Roni."
"Stop confusing me, Emma," Regina warned.
"I was just joking," Emma said and tried to bite back her chuckle.
"It's not funny," Regina scowled. "I accidentally answered the Town Hall phone as "Roni" after talking to you,"
"And who was in the other end?" Snow asked while David and Emma bursted out laughing.
"Leroy. He thought he was talking to my new secretary," Regina said grimly.
Now Snow laughed too, and Emma gave Regina a little nudge. Regina didn't look too pleased and she muttered something that sounded like "split personality".
"Alright, joke's aside," Emma said. ,,Let's get going."
"Yes, lets," Regina said and tossed Emma the car keys. "You'll drive."
"You're actually letting me drive the Mercedes?" Emma asked and blinked a little.
"Yes, and that probably makes me insane. Let's go," Regina said lightly.
Snow and David followed the pair outside, and Snow and David once again hugged their daughter. And then Regina.
"So, do I have to remind you to be nice to my daughter?" David said dead-seriously but with a glint in his eyes as he hugged Regina.
"Dad!" Emma interjected.
"I would appreciate if you didn't," Regina drawled. "I'm perfectly capable of being nice to her."
Emma shot Regina a warning glance. David might not have picked up on the not-so-subtle meaning behind the words, but Emma had.
Regina just smirked innocently and gave David another hug for good measurement.
Snow quirked an eyebrow at Emma. Apparently, she had no problem with reading between the lines.
Great, just great. That was probably revenge for the "Roni"- comment.
"See you in three weeks, dear," Regina said as she hugged Snow. "Try not to destroy Storybrooke while I'm gone."
"We wouldn't dare," Henry teased, and both Emma and Regina turned around. So their son had decided to come and see them off.
"Have a nice trip," Henry said as he hugged both of his mothers.
"Thank you, kid. Take care of your little sister, okay?"
"Always." Henry promised.
Emma climbed into the Mercedes and waited as Regina gave Henry one extra hug and a kiss on the forehead.
After one last goodbye and well wishes from Snow and David, Regina joined Emma in the car. Emma smiled and started the engine. "Next stop, Boston."
"Indeed."
Emma honked and ignored Regina's hissing warning about not waking Veronica, and then she turned the Mercedes around, steering towards the town line.
"Hand," Regina said plainly, and Emma immediately abandoned the wheel with one hand and extended it out toward Regina.
Regina waved her hand lightly over Emma's, and Emma could see and feel how her wedding ring started to glow purple, and she knew that Regina had just used it to contain her memories.
Emma smiled brightly as Regina did the same to her own wedding ring.
"There," Regina said. "Now we won't forget who we are."
Emma nodded and was immediately taken back to their "trip" to Seattle.
Oh, how things had changed since then.
A second later they reached the town line, and Emma saw how Regina exhaled softly when the magic left her body. Emma could feel it too. The absence of her magic. It wasn't uncomfortable as such, just a little strange.
"Are you okay?" she asked Regina. Just to check. Just to make sure.
"Perfectly fine," Regina assured and patted Emma's knee. "But do you mind if I take a little nap? As you know Veronica was rather lively last night, and I didn't get much sleep…"
"Knock yourself out," Emma said. "I've got the road covered."
It barely took five minutes before Regina was fast asleep on the passenger seat, and the sight almost melted Emma's heart. No doubt Regina was a beautiful sleeper. And to think that she had actually let Emma drive the Mercedes. That's gotta be a new milestone in our marriage.
The journey to Boston Airport was long and quiet. Regina slept through it all, and Emma reminded herself to tell Henry about how his mother had trusted her enough to fall asleep on the passenger seat instead of barking orders to Emma.
Emma hummed quietly to herself. It wasn't pitch black outside anymore. The sky was blue and clear, and the sun was shining brightly. It would be another beautiful day.
Probably even nicer in Hawaii. I wonder how warm it is there? Emma shot a quick look at Regina and smiled. Still completely unconscious. God, she was beautiful like that. All content and peaceful.
Exactly four hours and four minutes later, Emma pulled up in front of the airport. She gave Regina's knee a light pat. "Regina?"
Regina exhaled softly but didn't wake up.
"Babe?" Emma tried again, and knew that she was playing with fire. Regina probably wouldn't appreciate the pet name.
No response.
Emma decided to use "harsher methods" and she leaned in and gave Regina a light peck on the cheek. "Sleeping beauty? We're here."
"I'm not Aurora," Regina mumbled and opened her eyes.
"But you are beautiful when you sleep."
Regina ignored that and looked out. "Are we here already?"
"Yep," Emma grinned. "You've been out for four hours."
"Oh. Sorry about that. That must have been rather boring for you, dear. I assure you, I only intended to take a short nap."
"It's fine," Emma assured. "You can sleep as long as you want to. And you've got plenty of time to do it on the plane. Thirteen hours to be precise."
"No," Regina said firmly. "I didn't fly across the globe to be asleep."
Emma chuckled as they exited the Mercedes and grabbed their suitcases. Regina still looked a little tired when they checked in, but she quickly recovered and started chatting to Emma as they waited to board their plane.
They were talking about Henry and Veronica when their flight suddenly was announced over the speaker.
"Next stop, Honolulu," Emma grinned as they walked to the gate.
"Indeed so, babe," Regina taunted and wrapped an arm loosely around Emma's waist.
To Be Continued..