Underneath The Surface
Chapter 36
"Everyone loves a conspiracy."
Dan Brown
Emma did sleep in that morning. When she drifted into awareness, she took a minute to float at the edge of sleep, not willing to greet the new day just yet. But once she realized she was alone in bed, her eyes opened and sought out Regina. She was disappointed to find herself alone.
The morning light bathed the room in a soft, golden glow warming whatever surface it touched. The window was open and a breeze shifted the curtain, already open a crack. A sunbeam sought out Emma's arm and warmed the skin there. She lay there, still unmoving, enjoying the warmth and the song of the robin somewhere outside. Her mind drifted back to the conversation she and Regina had shared the night before.
She knew portal magic took effort to control. No matter how much work it was, she wanted to have the best of both worlds. And if that meant doing whatever was necessary to create and maintain a steady portal between Desperation Lake and Storybrooke, and if that was what Regina still wanted, Emma would do whatever it took to make it reality. She stretched, yawned and climbed out of bed, intent on having a shower before going in search of Regina.
She normally enjoyed hot showers, but today she kept it on the cool side, and brief. She shut the water off, wrapped a towel around her and was tucking the end of it in as she opened the bathroom door. She blinked when the scent of coffee greeted her. "Smells like the coffee goddess has come to visit."
Regina sat at the desk, reading something, and at the sound of Emma's voice she turned and smiled. "Good morning. I brought you up breakfast." Regina rose and pulled out the chair. "Sit here and eat and I'll sit in the other chair."
"Smells good." Emma commented as she crossed the room.
"Waffles with raspberry sauce, scrambled eggs and coffee. Patty said she found a ripe patch of berries yesterday." Regina settled in the other chair and tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. "How did you sleep?"
"Pretty good. I think you wore me out." Emma smiled. "How about you?"
"Very well. Better than I have since we got here."
"Are you still okay with staying to tie up loose ends?" Emma asked as she cut into her waffles.
Regina nodded. "I'm confident that if we can continue to remain as focused on our goal as we were last night, we'll be able to have a satisfactory resolution."
"I'm not sure about the portal though."
"Emma, you have to be. Confidence, intent and emotion are all important parts of getting home. If we want to be able to come and go between here and Storybrooke in the future, we'll need to be absolutely confident it will work. The more you believe this will work, the easier it will be to see details that will help the stability of the magic. Doubt, worry and fear are our enemies right now."
Emma nodded and finished her breakfast deep in thought.
With her meal finished, Emma turned to Regina, who had picked up her book once more. "Just so I'm sure we're on the same page here...we're agreed then that we're going to stay and see our commitments through? I want to be sure I understand what you want."
Regina slid a Sneezing Moose business card into the book to mark her place. "I'd like to have the option of being able to return here. I think we should try and produce a passport for myself through magical means while still working on producing a stable portal."
"I don't suppose there's a timeline of events for this kind of thing?"
Regina chuckled. "I'm afraid not. Magic is sometimes a fickle force."
"Well, it was worth a shot anyway. Are we going to help Callie with Operation Enchilada today?"
Regina chuckled. "Henry is going to get along with Callie just fine. I think she and I will need to go shopping. Charlie may have to provide an excuse to get Patty out of the house so you can decorate."
"I'll take the dishes downstairs."
In the kitchen, Emma found Callie drying dishes as Patty washed.
"Patty, can I borrow your daughter for a second?"
"Sure thing, Emma."
Callie shot Emma a curious look at first, but as they went upstairs, Emma whispered they needed to plan. At the top of the stairs, Callie laid a hand on her doorknob and she motioned with her head.
Emma opened the door across the hall, made eye contact with Regina and jerked her head towards Callie's door.
Once all three of them were in the teenager's room, Callie closed the door softly.
"We still on for Operation Enchilada?" Emma asked.
Callie nodded excitedly.
"Shopping would be easier if all three of us go together, but if we do that, we might tip our hands to your mother." Regina said quietly.
Callie nodded and chewed her bottom lip in thought. "What if you two go out first and I'll follow as soon as Mom and I get the dishes done?"
Emma nodded. "That might work."
"I figure we'll be done cleaning up in about a half hour. I told her I had to go to the library today anyway. So why don't I meet you outside the supermarket in about forty minutes?"
Plans made, they parted company.
Emma and Regina sat on a bench in the shade beside the supermarket while they waited for their co-conspirator.
"You should put in a green space like this beside our market back in Storybrooke." Emma commented quietly. "It's nice."
"It is. Getting community improvement ideas already, Sheriff?" Regina smiled.
"Why not? I mean, Storybrooke already has a lot going for it, being on the coast and all, but the parking lot beside the market is pretty boring."
"Here she comes."
They waited until Callie was only a few feet away before they stood up.
"Sorry, Mom wanted to talk about breakfast options for tomorrow morning."
"It's a nice spot here. Did you decide what you wanted to make?" Regina asked.
"Sure did. I hope we can pull this off..."
They turned as a group toward the front door of the market and went shopping.
That afternoon, Charlie knocked on the front door of the B&B before letting herself in. As she slipped her shoes off she called out for Patty.
"In my room." Patty replied. "C'mon back."
Charlie eased the bedroom door open. "Are you still getting dressed? We're only going for coffee and a walk."
Patty turned from her closet with a smile. "No, Miss Impatient, I was putting some laundry away. Let me just tell Callie we're leaving and we can go."
"I can do that while you get your shoes." Charlie left the room and went to the kitchen, where the teen was sketching at the table. "I'll keep her out as long as I can." Charlie whispered. "You've got the keys to the Moose, right?"
"Yep." Callie looked up. "If you can keep her out for about an hour we should be good. Once dinner is over, I'll go to Gen's. You staying over tonight?"
"Um..." Charlie's ears began to tint pink.
Callie grinned. "Relax, will ya? It's not like this is new. Regina and Emma will be all the way upstairs, and it's not like they'll be playing checkers..."
"Who's playing checkers?" Patty asked as she came into the kitchen.
"I think Emma plays." Callie said as she rose from her chair. "Enjoy your walk." She patted her mother's shoulder and shot Charlie a wink before going upstairs.
Out of sight on the top floor, Emma, Regina and Callie all listened to the sounds of the two women on the main floor. As they heard the front door close, Callie went to her room and looked out the window, which faced the front yard. She watched for a minute to be sure they didn't turn back suddenly.
"Okay, they're far enough down the road that they won't see us, even if Mom looks back over her shoulder. Let's go!"
To Be Continued!