Chapter 38
What Curse?
Emma smiled and beamed, "We shared true love's kiss."
"Which means that we broke a curse." Regina was suddenly worried. Both women looked at one another confused. They looked at Henry, then at Snow and Charming.
Emma started, "But I didn't feel cursed?"
Everyone was mumbling and whispering.
Zelena added bitterly, "What curse? I'm still green."
"Omegaverse?" Regina wondered.
"No, dearie…omegaverse isn't exactly a curse." Rumple stood up and walked towards them.
Zelena looked down at her crotch, "Well at least one thing is here to stay."
Emma whispered to herself, "She's gotta teach me that trick."
"Then what could it be?" Snow asked worriedly.
"To be quite honest I'm not sure." Rumple looked around wondering if anyone felt anything differently because he certainly didn't. "Perhaps Regina, it was something someone did to you back in the enchanted forest."
"What would they have done to you?" Emma asks Regina.
"I don't know Emma." She rubs her arms reassuringly. "Listen, honey it's our wedding day. We just shared true love's kiss. Let's not worry about this right now."
David stepped up, "Regina's right. Whatever it is or was we'll eventually figure it out either way. Lets enjoy your wedding." He directs this at the women.
Archie steps forward with a smile, "Ladies and gentlemen presenting our brides and true loves Emma and Regina Swan-Mills."
Everyone cheered and clapped happily.
The women arranged for a beautiful white tent in the forest clearing where Emma proposed. This is where the women waited patiently after taking pictures to be announced and enter.
"Emma, I'm delighted beyond words that you are magically confirmed as my true love even though we already knew but…"
"You are worried about what curse we may have broken."
"Yes. Especially because nothing feels different than before!"
"Would you like to cancel our honeymoon to stay and figure this out?" Emma was very much looking forward to their honeymoon and hoped Regina would say no; but she would do anything to ease the brunette's mind.
"No, I want to be with you. Whatever this is will have to wait until we get back. That or the rest of the Scooby-do gang can try to figure it out."
This got a good laugh out of Emma as they heard… "Mrs and Mrs Swan-Mills we are waiting?"
"I love the way that sounds." Emma whispered as she kissed her wife lovingly. Regina slightly moaned at their separation.
"Lets just teleport back to our bedroom."
"Oh Madam Mayor don't tempt me."
The women walked in hand in hand as everybody cheered again. The music began as they started their first dance. Emma put her arms around Regina's waist as she locked her hands behind the blonde's neck as they danced to the Righteous Brother's, Unchained Melody.
Oh, my love, my darling
I've hungered for your touch
A long, lonely time
Time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
God speed your love to me
Both women found this song to be incredibly beautiful and romantic; not to mention fitting for how they felt for each other for so many years.
Emma took Regina's right hand in her left as they rested their foreheads together and softly swayed to the melody.
Lonely rivers flow
To the sea, to the sea
To the open arms of the sea
Lonely rivers sigh
"Wait for me, wait for me"
I'll be coming home, wait for me
The women shyly kissed one another and they could hear champagne glasses being tapped by silverware.
Oh, my love, my darling
I've hungered, for your touch
A long, lonely time
Time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
God speed your love to me
At the end of the song they were tightly embracing and Emma lifted Regina and spun her around. They ended it with a kiss.
The women sat down as Snow took the mic and a glass of champagyne to begin the toast.
"Umhum," Snow cleared her throat as her crying had made her somewhat hoarse.
"Emma, I've made so many mistakes when it comes to you. The things I did were out of love and the best of intentions but it doesn't make them any better. But I don't regret any of it anymore. I did for a long time but now I realize that if our lives hadn't played out as they did you would have never found your soulmate and true love." Snow's voice broke towards the end.
"Emma, I love you. I love being your mother and I am so happy you finally found your true happiness."
Emma was stunned into silence. Her mother's words were genuine and heartfelt. She didn't sugar coat their lives and yet told the truth. Emma stood up and immediately hugged her. As Emma sat down Snow began again, "Wait I'm not finished." Everyone laughed.
"Regina, for a very long time I was ignorant to your suffering. I only had eyes for my pain and didn't realize the damage I had caused you. So much has happened between us since that fateful day when you saved me from that horse. We went from being friends, to family, enemies, back to friends but now we are family again. Except this time we are family the way we were always meant to be. Not you as my stepmother from a betrothed marriage but as my daughter in law." Snow laughed through her tears. "I know we've mended our wounds and moved past all of that but I still wish to tell you how much I love you. And how happy I am that you finally found your happiness, especially with my daughter."
Snow walked over to them as Regina embraced her wholeheartedly, "Thank you Snow."
Zelena then took the mic, "Whew lots of waterworks here. Oh, no need to adjust your eyes nor glasses, it's not the lighting that's making me look like a giant avocado thats just my skin."
The women smiled and Regina rolled her eyes.
"I wish to say congratulations to the brides. Emma, for the bit I've known you, you've been a swell gal. Not to mention you've always been there for my sister. Because of that you've always had my vote. And sis, you and I met as girls and I'm so very happy to have those memories of us. You know everyone, we loved each other instantly. There was no hesitation for us. It was the memory of that love that made me search for you, my family. Things became a bit distorted along the way but the seed of love that you planted remained in there. Buried deep beneath the ruble of my soul. Thank you for accepting me, for forgiving me and for being my family. I love you sis." Zelena wasn't one for vulnerability and Regina knew this was difficult for her and only proved that her sister truly loved her.
Zelena added, "Emma, you've won the best prize there is. Treat her well or else my pretty…Oh and congratulations again for gaining a green family member!" Zelena winked at her.
Emma whispers to Regina, "You told her?" Emma was referring to her fear of the Wicked Witch but Regina just shrugged her shoulders in an innocent 'I don't know what you're talking about' manner. Zelena hugged them and finally Henry took the mic.
"Mom and Ma. Wow this is great! I always believed in you guys which I know it's kinda what I do… I believe. But it was more than that. I just knew. I'm so happy my parents are finally together the way it was meant to be. There were so many times I was bursting to tell just one of you but I was afraid it might scare you guys. Ma would have gotten in her yellow bug and skipped town and mom you may have fireballed a building or something. I needed to wait patiently until it became so obvious that you two could no longer deny it. I almost thought you'd lost your chance but I still believed. I still had hope. And here we are. I love you both very much."
The women rose and hugged their son. He turned around and lifted his glass, "Let's toast to my moms!"
For the father and daughter dance David naturally danced with Emma and Henry with Regina.
The allowed both David and Henry to decide. And the boys picked, "Just the way you look tonight."
Some day, when I'm awfully low
When the world is cold
I will feel a glow just thinking of you
And the way you look tonight
The rest of the evening was great. Everyone was enjoying the food and Emma and Regina finally got to sit down after taking pictures with their small party of guests to enjoy their meal.
Henry had created a photo booth because he insisted it was the "cool thing to do" now at weddings. He created an account for the guests to upload the pictures as #swanqueen. The women found it funny he had apparently created his little operation in secrecy.
For most of the night Zelena had managed to avoid running into Glinda but it was an active job. Right now Zelena was preoccupied with Emma.
"So that's it?" Emma asked.
"Yes of course. It seems difficult as first but once you've mastered it there's nothing to it."
"Thank you so much. And if you don't mind…"
Zelena replied, "Not a word to my sister." As she crossed her fingers.
Emma squeezed her arm in a thank you. Everyone was dancing, enjoying themselves.
Emma looked over Zelena's shoulder, "I think somebody wants to talk to you." Glinda was walking over.
"No!" Zelena started as she pulled Emma into the dance floor. They were dancing to an upbeat song next to Regina and Henry when another slow song began. Emma tapped Henry on the shoulder and he smiled and gave his mom back to Emma.
Zelena was about to grab Henry for a dance when she heard, "May I have this dance?" Glinda stood next to her with an open hand.
Zelena held her breath as her ridiculous etiquette from Shiz University did not allow her to deny a polite invitation and her nephew had smiled and mouthed a 'sorry' as he pulled Violet for a dance.
She silently took Glinda's waist and held her left hand up and away. She wouldn't make eye contact with her nor could there have been any more space between them.
Emma and Regina looked on curiously.
"Elphaba, or is it Zelena here? I just wanted to say that I've stayed around here hoping you'd let me back in. I've missed you so much but have realized that being here with you…not with you has been awful. I've missed you more these past few weeks than I had when you disappeared in that darn twister."
Glinda nervously continued, "So I decided that I'm leaving."
Zelena finally looked at her. "What?"
"I'm going back to Oz. There isn't much over there for me but at least I have friends who care."
"Bah, friends who care! How typical of you to leave when anything becomes too uncomfortable for you!" Zelena snapped.
"Oh oh." Emma looked at Regina.
Glinda looked around feeling embarrassed and walked away saying, "I don't know what you're talking about."
Zelena chased her to the far end of the tent where no one would notice nor hear them, "Don't you Glinda?" She roughly turned the blonde around.
"No, I don't! And lets not forget who ran away to begin with!" She bit back at Zelena.
"To find my family!" Zelena insisted.
"I was your family! And you didn't take me with you!" Glinda was crying.
"How could I? I was enacting my revenge. I was mad with anger!" Zelena passed.
"Mad at who?" Glinda needed her to talk.
"Mad at Oz, mad at my father, my mother, my sister, Fiyero…I was mad at you!" Zelena finally admitted.
"Ah, there it is. So all this time you still hold Fiyero against me."
Zelena couldn't believe what she was hearing, "Fiyero? You think this is about the scarecrow?!"
"Well, why else would you have tossed me aside?" The blonde demanded.
"Glinda, I never tossed you aside. You made your choices. So I made mine."
Emotions were high but Glinda still felt as though she was getting nowhere.
"I don't understand. What choices? YOU told me to lead the people of Oz after the fall of the wizard, YOU asked me to protect everyone. I did! YOU said you'd come back but you never did! If anyone has a right to be angry Elphaba it's me!"
"So many moments. So many times I wanted to…". Zelena put her hands up and closed them.
Glinda further pushed, "You wanted to what? Kill me? Is that it? For not doing or doing whatever it is you think I've done?!"
"I've never wished to hurt nor kill you!" Zelena couldn't hold back her tears. Immediately the salty liquid began to burn her. It was never really water that seared her skin, it was salt. Another fact the story got wrong.
Glinda immediately leaped forward to dry her tears and stop her from hurting but Zelena pushed her away.
"Then tell me Elphaba, stop being so cryptic and tell me why you are being like this!"
"Because I love you!"
And just like that Zelena was no longer green.