Emma truly was the perfect Sherriff, the perfect knight…
She always had been. Ever since that rosy-cheeked child locked her tiny fingers around her own.
And right now…
She did that very thing, Emma held her hand.
It was as if the past was all planned out and ready to destroy them, even then. Emma, she held on tight, fingers laced in between her own… just like, just like before, like their first meeting, their first touch.
"Emma, I'm… I'm okay." Regina squeezes her hand, assuring her that she was no longer in any danger, but the sound of her wavering and raspy voice told another story.
"No you're not okay, you were just…"
She refuses to let Emma continue, she does not let Emma outstretch her hand further, not in front of… not in front of them.
Emma pushes and ignores her, stretching her hand further towards her bruised neck, ignoring what they'd talked about, what she still feared and had not fully accepted.
Her eyes are unable to retain a flinch, her hands quickly wrap around her own neck, not letting Emma break her word, not letting Emma caress her bruised skin.
"Honey, I'm fine…" She whispers, her motherly instincts taking control.
"Mom… I." Emma's eyes grow wide, Regina smiles warmly as to not cause a stir in the stubborn blonde. Yes, Emma was always that, a stubborn child… but only when it came to protecting her.
Her little knight…
The towns Sheriff…
Her hand unconsciously reaches out instead and pats Emma's shoulder gently, like the years had never gone by.
"You're a Sheriff now Emma." She uncontrollably smiles; even though moments ago she was sure she'd breathe her last breath.
Granny had told her not so long before Emma disappeared that horrible night. She'd told her she was sure her child would become the town's next sheriff, something Regina at the time did not take serious until… until those many years apart and many repeated days of reading Emma's journal convinced her otherwise. Emma was so young, so eager…
And now, now there was no doubt, no doubt at all… Emma kept and accomplished all those promises.
Those promises she made that night…
She was undeniably an adult, a Sheriff and… and something she could not fathom, something she would have never… no, it wasn't written yet. Fate was cruel; fate was undeniably her worst enemy, their worst enemy.
The one thing Emma wanted, Regina wasn't sure she could give, she wasn't sure if it could ever really happen.
"I..." she can see Emma cough awkwardly, being shy wasn't something Emma was used to anymore. Being vulnerable was something she wasn't used to anymore.
She stops her thoughts before she can blame herself even further, more things to add to her list of guilt and burned bridges.
"I wasn't going to let Whale, or whoever the hell he is kill you." Regina can see Snow and Charming from the corner of her eye, holding each other closer than before, surely wondering how and why "their" princess would care so much for someone who'd tried to kill them countless times in their not so distant past.
Emma's eyes are now eager as she stares at everyone who entered their home, and stood around them.
"And those people, they wouldn't listen… it was my only shot at saving you, and I don't regret it." Emma states firmly, any sign of nervousness gone.
"And if anyone tries to hurt you Mother, prison won't be the only thing they will worry about."
"Emma…" she hears Snow whisper near her.
Regina cannot help but feel her throat ache far worse than the physical damage Whale had caused.
Snow…
"Honey your father and I…" Regina dares not turn to look at them; she cannot go through any of it, not now.
"Mary Margaret, I…" Emma steps beside me and gently turns me to face them, her arm gently around me.
"Thank you for doing what you did, I…"
"Your father David Emma, he's the one that…" She can hear Snow's hopeful words try to convince Emma that they indeed were both her parents now, a mother and a father.
Regina's hands inevitably begin to sweat. Yes, that is true now; Emma has a father, something Emma was denied so greedily by her. She looks down in shame.
"David… I." She can hear Emma pause and hold her breath, surely not knowing what to say to something she never had.
"I'm sorry, I don't know you and… I don't know what to say, I." Emma reaches her hand towards mine and laces her fingers with my own.
"Regina, she… she took care of me, you both abandoned me or that is what I feel. I know the facts and I know she's done terrible things that most would want her dead for, but she raised me and took me in, she…"
"She's the Childs mother." Granny finally speaks, making her feel a jolt of hope? from the people she almost wished hated her.
"Snow, we know what Regina did was…" Ruby begins.
"She took our child Ruby." Snow's eyes begin to fill with the tears, tears that Regina had stolen with her memories.
"She's our friend." Ruby adds heartbreak evident in her wolf friend's eyes.
"Ruby, how…" Snow seems incapable to process her friend's words.
"We know what she did is wrong, so wrong… but she gave us all a home, she gave me a new beginning, one where I am not a monster. And Emma…"
"She stole her from me!" Snows voice forces everyone to blink and look her way; Emma tightens her hold on her forever un-aged hand.
She couldn't let her go through this; she can't let Emma feel this… this is her fault, for this she'd take all the blame.
"Lock me up." She sternly says, ignoring what was certain to come.
"Wait what?!" Emma quickly lets go of her hand and steps back in confusion, pain already visible in her voice.
"Regina what are you d…?" Emma was not going to let this happen, but Regina knew, she knew it had to be done.
…
She was not going to let anyone put Regina in any cell, no one was putting Regina in a….
"Emma." She hears a gentle male voice fill her now reddened ears.
She turns to see David… a few steps closer, his hand now on her shoulder; hesitant but loving.
She couldn't deny that no matter what she'd said and felt, somewhere inside herself she felt a connection, something she'd never felt with any other man but Neal.
"I think Regina… I think your mother has a point." He called Regina her mother, he… it hurts him, yet he called Regina her mother.
"David what are you?" Snow steps forward tears now stains.
He holds her hand gently, the way Emma wheld Regina's moments ago. She could see so much of herself in him, there was no denying it, but what was he… what was he saying?!
"Look, although your mother and I do not trust her." he looks directly into Regina's eyes, anger and pain as evident as snows yet thankful in a way.
"After what she did, she took you away… had her guards stab me and left for dead, separated your mother and I… she, she took care of you, and this is why I stood up for her out there, that and you. You love her and I love you, I wasn't going to become your enemy right when I had just gotten you back now was I?" He smiles sincerely.
"But you want to put her in a cell and…"
"For now..." He begins to explain.
"I think I see where David is going." Ruby shakes her head in understanding and dislike.
"We lock her up for a few days; give the people what they want…"
"I'm not doing that I…" she begins to raise her voice not liking what she hears.
"We will release her as soon as she's in there, it's just to keep a rabble from forming again, to keep her safe."
"Not them…" Regina whispers.
"Emma we have to do this..." she hears Regina's voice whisper near her ear.
It was Regina's turn to grab Emma's shoulders and gently turn her to look into her eyes.
"It's to keep me safe, and most importantly… you safe." Regina does not ask, she is demanding. Somewhere inside herself, Emma could never say no to her, somewhere inside, she was still the woman who raised her.
The woman she'd been in love with since…
"Ugh!" She hated this.
And the most unfortunate thing about this hideous plan was that it would probably work. It'd probably help protect us, and give us time to figure out what we could do next.
"I don't like it Regina…" She whispers back, her eyes surely filled with unshed tears.
"But it's the only way…" She smiles gently; reassuring Emma that somehow it will be okay, somehow this woman's smile could so easily make her fall for anything.
"Under one condition…" She wasn't holding her tongue.
"Yes…" David gently asks.
"I get to be there 24/7 in the station, no one comes in or out." She sternly looks his way.
"You got it." He sternly looks back at her, a charming smile convincing her that he won't do anything to tarnish this plan.
…..
"And David…" Regina steps in front of him.
"Charming…" She corrects her mistake.
"Thank you…" She swallows sharply, the words she once could have never said to this man easily slips from her tongue.
"Don't, it's for Emma…" He turns away quickly, leaving Snow to face her instead.
"Mary Mar…" her words instantly becomes Regal, knowing very well Snow did not deserve it.
"Regina…" Snow's mouth trembles, something she hadn't seen the strong warrior do since she'd threatened her unborn child.
"I'm…" She tries to say those words, but somewhere inside herself, she isn't sorry… she would have never raised Emma, she would have never.
"Don't you dare say it…" She quickly recovers her trembling voice.
"You took her Regina, and… and so much of my time I searched and searched for YOUR Emma, the pain in my heart confused at why I cared so much for YOUR daughter, when you very well knew she was MINE." Her tears had returned and this is where regret conquered.
"Thank you." Was all she could mouth.
"Thank you?" Snow's eyes grow wide like Emma's did so many times before, so identical it stung.
"I won't apologize for taking anyone; fate is the bigger monster between it and I…" she shakes her head disapprovingly.
"All I wanted was Revenge, I wanted to be happy… it gave me Emma… my worst enemy's child and I… I loved her the moment I first laid eyes on her, she… I didn't know at first, I can assure you this if it brings any sort of comfort… But I cannot apologize because she gave me life… she gave me what you took, she gave me a happy ending." She looks down, away from Snow's gawking eyes.
"Regina…" She can hear Emma call her name behind her, a shudder following her name.
"And… thank you, thank you for helping me look for my daughter when you did, without you, Ruby, or Granny… the darkness would have surely destroyed me." She quickly turns away from Snow's gaze, and straight into Emma's emotional ones, she smiles warmly assuring her of the truth she just said.
"Can I…" Snow begins, but Emma gently pushes me behind her and is ready to answer Mary Margaret's instead. She always knew when enough was enough for her.
"Yes Mary Margaret?" Emma sincerely urges her.
"Your room, your clothes, baby clothes, pictures… can I look through and…"
"Off course you can… as soon as Regina is safe, as soon as we know she'll be okay…. I will personally go through my room with you." Emma smiles comfortingly.
And Regina knows this is what they both may need.
"And Snow… thank you for being my friend when I was a child, you did more than you could imagine for me." Emma smiles warmly, unable to call her mom, but able to appreciate Mary Margaret.
"Alright, now that that's done… let's get Regina into that cell and go talk to these people." Ruby breaks the moment, ready to help.
"Free burgers and drinks for the rabble, to celebrate our freedom, on me." Granny adds.
Regina cannot help but grin.
"A little persuasion never hurt anyone." Regina winks as she tries to calm her nerves and hold on to her friends comforting help.
"Let's get going." Regina doesn't let her answer and grabs a hold of the nearest blazer on the rack.
"Well Madam Mayor, seems like your eager to go down to the station." Emma smiles sweetly, easily relaxing her heart.
"No thanks to a bright Sherriff in town." She playfully adds as she nervously avoids the worry she knows they both feel.