Emma very, very s-l-o-w-l-y turned the last page in the book and equally slowly, she closed it. She had actually managed to finish "The ABC Murders" while she was waiting for Regina to come to bed. They usually went to bed at the same time, but tonight, Regina had told Emma that she would stay up a little longer and finish the speech she was writing on for the event tomorrow night.
She had said she would come to bed shortly. An hour ago. And she still hadn't showed up. Emma shifted in the bed and almost had to bite her tongue not to call out to Regina and ask when she was going to come to bed. Emma was feelin' mighty lonesome in this big bed. And she wasn't used to being the first one in bed. It was rare, but when it happened, Emma was the last one to go to bed. Tonight the roles had switched, and Emma felt completely awkward because of it even though it was ridiculous.
Neal cooed faintly through the baby monitor, and Emma instantly froze and listened intensely. Was he waking up? Nope. False alarm. Just "sleepy baby talk". Again. Emma chuckled softly. Neal sounded so cute when he was making sounds in his sleep.
The blonde turned her head and glanced at the little stack of books laying on the bedside table. Should she pick up another book? She did feel tired, but going to sleep without having kissed Regina goodnight? No thank you. Emma grabbed the next book from the stack- Death on the Nile- and began reading it. Or, she tried to. She was getting tired and had to blink several times in order to be able to focus on the words. Maybe it was ridiculous, but she really did not like the idea of going to sleep when Regina hadn't come to bed yet. It didn't feel quite right. Emma was willing to stay awake until she came to bed. She turned a page in the book and forced herself to be interested. Normally, Agatha Christie was her jam, but tonight she struggled to fully be interested. And then Neal cooed through the baby monitor again. Was he perhaps waking up this time? Emma listened intensely again. Nope. Still false alarm. She wondered what the little dude was dreaming. And she was looking forward to the day where he would be capable of telling them about his dreams. And call them "mom". Emma grinned at the thought as she turned another page in the book. Man, she was tired! Maybe she should call out for Regina anyway and say something sweet to coax her into bed. Something like "I'm cold, come and warm me up". Or "I'm naked!" She had actually used that line on Regina at some point, and Regina had laughed her head off. And tutted upon discovering that Emma wasn't naked.
But before Emma could get the chance to use a cheesy line, she heard activity from downstairs. The sound of someone almost jumping up from a chair. Quick footsteps coming up the stairs, down the hallway, into the bathroom. Emma heard the tap being switched on. The whirring sound of an electric toothbrush. Regina usually spend a while on that. She took dental hygiene very, very seriously. After a moment, quiet, and even though Emma couldn't hear it, she knew that Regina was in the middle of removing her makeup. Then she would brush her hair, tie it back into a low ponytail like she always did when she was going to sleep, and then in five-four-three-two-one...
Emma heard footsteps coming down the hallway. The door to the bedroom was pushed ajar, and Regina stepped inside. Her hair had indeed being tied back in a low ponytail, and her face was free of any makeup. She looked beautiful.
"Hi," Emma smiled and closed her fake-reading book.
"Hello," Regina said a bit sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize...it had gotten so late."
"That's fine," Emma assured. "I was reading anyway, so..."
Regina glanced at the book still in Emma's hands. She raised an eyebrow and then chuckled. "Emma, darling. The book...is upside down."
Emma quickly looked down at the book herself. Regina was right. The book was indeed upside down. "Oh."
Regina chuckled again. "You can just... go to sleep, you know."
"Without having kissed you goodnight? No thank you."
Regina shook her head slightly as she opened the closet and began stripping out of her clothes. Emma immediately adjusted her glasses so she was sure she could see everything happening.
Regina first took off her blazer. Then she unbuttoned her white button up, and Emma felt thoroughly satisfied with having stayed up for this. Seeing Regina undress was not a sight she wanted to miss. Ever. She tilted her head and licked her lips as Regina slipped the white button up down her shoulder. She neatly hang the white button up on the hanger and then stripped out of her camisole, leaving her in only her purple lace bra and her black slacks. Emma licked her lips again. Regina looked so awfully good shirtless. Emma felt a murmur of arousal, and had it not been quite so late, she would definitely have suggested other activities that didn't involve sleeping in the bed but rocking it instead.
Regina reached back and unclasped her bra, rubbed the spot on her shoulder where the strap had made a mark and then she wiggled out of her slacks, standing only in her panties. After a bit of consideration, she grabbed one of Emma's long t-shirts and slipped it over her head.
"You look nice," Emma chuckled.
"Thank you, my darling," Regina softly hummed in reply. She turned around to face Emma and asked: "are you...sure you want to come with me tomorrow night?"
"Uhm, yeah, of course," Emma said and raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Alright."
Emma frowned as she slipped off her glasses. Regina's tone gave her pause. "You don't want me there?" she asked, unable to keep the hurt out of her voice.
"That is not what I'm...saying, my love," Regina said gently as she smoothed a hand over the long t-shirt. "I'm saying that I'm going to be talking about a lot...of the things he did to me, and it might not... be nice for you to hear about."
Emma shook her head in amazement. "You are unbelievable. Do you know that?"
"You've told me that a few...times," Regina smiled.
"If you can handle talking about it, I can definitely handle hearing about it," Emma said firmly.
"I'm also gonna... talk about some things I might not... have told you," Regina continued. "Some...details."
"Okay," Emma said simply. She knew that there were details Regina might not have shared with her. Simply because she hadn't been able to. Until now. "Are you okay?"
"Yes," Regina nodded and flashed Emma a soft smile. "Writing this speech goes...much better than writing that letter I gave...you. I haven't felt sick. Because I knew that I was coming up...to you."
"I'm proud of you," Emma smiled. She would never ever forget the letter Regina had written to her. That letter in which she finally had told Emma the truth about what had happened to her. The letter that had changed everything. Emma was pretty sure she could remember every word of it.
"Thank you, my love," Regina smiled as she glanced at her reflection in the mirror.
"Are you gonna come to bed?" Emma asked. "I'm feelin' mighty lonesome."
Regina chuckled as she turned her back on her reflection. "Certainly, my love." she turned her back on her reflection and came towards the bed. She elegantly climbed up and wiggled until she was the "little spoon" like she always was.
Emma ran her fingers through Regina's dark hair. "Are you nervous about tomorrow?"
"A little," Regina admitted. "It'll certainly be daunting to talk about it...but I believe I can do it."
"I know you can do it," Emma said. "And I'm so proud of you."
Regina chuckled slightly. "I can manage to... talk for one or two people."
"I'm pretty sure there will be more than that," Emma softly pointed out.
"We shall see," Regina said and grabbed a handful of the duvets so she could pull it over them.
"It was nice of Malena to offer to babysit for us tomorrow night," Emma said.
"It was," Regina nodded.
Yes, tomorrow they had to rely on Malena's excellent skills as a babysitter. And Ursula's. She too would be coming over to keep her girlfriend company. And spend more time with Henry. He was such a huge part of Mal's life, and Ursula wanted in on that as she had said with a chuckle. And she hadn't looked the least bit jealous about it. Emma had even asked about it, but Ursula had laughed heartedly and flipped the question. Was Emma jealous of Malena? Emma had immediately answered no, she wasn't the least bit jealous of Malena. While she and Regina might have been together in the past, she could easily see that their relationship was solely based on friendship now.
"Exactly," Ursula had chuckled. "That's exactly how I feel about Regina. She and Mallie are friends. So what? Everyone can see that Regina is obsessed with you, and you alone."
Emma had grinned. "'Mallie?'"
Ursula had wrinkled her nose and blushed slightly. "Don't ever tell anyone I called her that."
Emma had promised to do so.
"I've written quite a bit...about you," Regina murmured, pulling Emma out of her thoughts.
"Huh?"
In my speech," Regina clarified. "How you came into my life and so on. I've actually...written a lot about you. Is that okay?"
"Hell yes. As long as you don't tell anyone that I sing in the shower," Emma laughed.
Regina chuckled warmly. "Don't worry. I won't tell...anyone about that. That's just... for me."
"Good. I like having secrets with you, Mills," Emma joked.
Regina smiled in darkness but then grew serious. "Do you think Henry was...very upset that he couldn't come?"
"Honestly? Yes," Emma said gently. "But I still think it's for the best that he doesn't."
"I agree," Regina murmured.
Obviously, they had told Henry about the "No longer silent!" arrangement at the community hall, and he had begged to come with them, but for once they had to tell him no. This was not something he could come with them to. He already knew what had happened to his mom. He didn't need to hear the story a second time. Regina had gently explained to him that he might get upset if he heard her talk about it, and she didn't want him to be upset. There had been plenty of that in the past. Then she and Emma together had explained that there also would be other women and possibly men who were gonna talk about their experiences, and those stories might be "not very nice". Henry had understood, but he hadn't been very happy about it. That's why Regina had called Malena and asked her to babysit for them. And Henry had perked up when he found out that he was gonna see his godmother instead. Slowly and steadily, Malena was becoming Emma and Regina's secret weapon.
Emma yawned and her jaw clicked slightly.
"I've kept you up," Regina said, clearly scolding herself for it.
"Nah, I chose to stay up," Emma corrected. "I sleep better when you're here."
Regina chuckled lightly. "How on earth did we manage to be...apart when he didn't live together?"
"That is a very good question, Mills," Emma grinned. "I do remember that my bed always felt cold after you left."
"So did mine," Regina admitted.
"Well, now we never have to experience cold beds again. How awesome is that?"
"Very awesome...indeed, my love."
"Have I ever mentioned how much I love it when you call me that?"
Regina chuckled. "Mmm, a few times...I believe."
"Sassy," Emma commented with a grin. "It's very attractive, professor."
"Stop it."
"Never. Professor Mills."
Regina groaned slightly. "Emma."
"Yeah? Is there a problem, professor?" Emma chuckled.
"You are... asking for trouble," Regina told her, and her voice dropped an octave or two.
"Am I indeed?" Emma smirked and gave Regina a little squeeze. "Are you flirting with me, professor?"
"I might be," Regina purred.
Emma groaned. "You can't be seductive in the middle of the night, babe! It's not fair!"
Regina turned around in the bed and planted a light kiss on the blonde's jaw. "How about tomorrow night then?" she purred. "Can I...be seductive then?"
"Are you making a romantic suggestion, Mills?" Emma asked. Now she was the one who was purring.
"Yes," Regina breathed.
"Well then," Emma smirked. "It's a date, beautiful."
"Wonderful," Regina said, then yawned quietly. And that was seemingly contagious, because a moment later, they both heard Neal yawn loudly through the baby monitor. Both women chuckled at that.
"It is getting late," Regina observed as she curled into Emma's side.
"Yeah, we should probably get some sleep," Emma agreed. "Tomorrow's gonna be a big day."
"I know," Regina said quietly.
Emma quickly considered what she had just said. "Did I make you nervous? I'm sorry. That wasn't the intention."
"I'm not...nervous," Regina said softly. "I was merely thinking of...all the things I'm going to say tomorrow night. I hope it'll be coherent and not just a bunch of...nonsense."
"I'm sure it won't be," Emma soothed.
"I'm worried that I won't be able to-" Regina cut herself off midsentence and started to laugh. She had to cup a hand over her mouth in order to quieten her giggling.
"What's the joke, Mills?" Emma asked, amused and slightly confused.
"I was about to say... that I'm worried I won't be able to say anything," Regina spluttered.
"Oh," Emma said and chuckled slightly now. "Well, you'll always be able to say something. No matter what."
"I know," Regina said, and then late night philosophized: "I'll never take the...term "speechless" lightly again. Not ever."
Emma gave her a little squeeze.
"Sorry," Regina said sheepishly. "I'm getting tired."
"Which is literally not something you have to apologize for," Emma reminded her. "Is the speech all ready for tomorrow?"
"I think so. Unless I... find something to add," Regina said with an eyeroll and thereby referred to what she had been doing for the past week. Written and re-written on her speech constantly. And driving herself crazy in the process because of it.
Emma chuckled lightly again. "I'm sure it's perfect, babe. Like you."
"Smooth," Regina smirked. "Real smooth, miss Swan."
"Why thank you, I'm trying my best," Emma grinned as though Regina had just given her a genuine compliment.
Regina pecked her jaw again. "Goodnight, my love."
"'Night, baby. Try not to dream of your speech. Dream of me instead."
"That..." Regina kissed her jaw again. "Is not something you have to tell me to...do."
Emma chuckled, held her closer. This was her favorite way of going to sleep, and it didn't take long before she was swept away to the world of dreams...
The next morning started exactly as all their mornings did. With Regina getting out of bed to come to the crying Neal's aid. After a minute or two, she too got out of bed to wake Henry. The boy wasn't particularly thrilled about that, but somehow the promise of hot cocoa for breakfast made things go a lot smoother. He promised to get out of bed, and Emma went downstairs to start the breakfast-making process. She had only just whipped out the frying pan when Regina came downstairs with Neal in her arms.
"Good morning, beautiful," Emma greeted with a smile as she opened the fridge and found a pack of bacon.
Neal cooed softly in his mother's arms.
"And good morning, little one," the blonde hummed and smiled as she glanced at Neal. He looked positively adorable in his little Eeyore sleeper complete with tail and everything. "How did you sleep last night?"
"Oooh," Neal chirped and squirmed in Regina's arms.
"Yes, yes, I know you're hungry...little darling," Regina murmured as she gently placed him in the bouncer. "Mommy will fix your milk in a heartbeat! Yes, she will!"
"Aww," Emma cooed. "Who the heck gave you two the permission to be so darn adorable this early?"
"Hoo-ooh," Neal squealed and squirmed in the bouncer.
"He's saying...that we can't help it," Regina said amusedly as she dropped a kiss on the baby's head and then wiggled past Emma to fetch Neal's bottle and formula. "Excuse me," she said as she ended up bumping hips with Emma. In the most literal way.
"I certainly don't mind that kind of morning activity," Emma snickered and gave Regina's hips a little extra bump for good measurement.
"Now, now," Regina gently chided.
"You were the one who started to grind against me, professor Mills," Emma grinningly informed her girlfriend.
"I wasn't grinding...against you."
"You totally were."
Regina didn't object against that. Instead she said: "at least not on...purpose."
"Are you sure about that?" Emma teased.
"You're silly," Regina gently accused.
"You're flirting with me this early," Emma casually shot back.
Regina chuckled as she prepared Neal's bottle. "Let's call it...a happy accident."
"I love happy accidents!"
Regina chuckled again as she shook Neal's bottle. The baby began chirping happily.
"I'm telling you, he sounds more and more like a bird every day," Emma said and clicked her tongue.
"Our little bird," Regina said fondly.
"Mmm," Emma hummed softly. "Our little bird."
"Who's a little bird?" a bleary eyed Henry asked as she came trotting into the kitchen. Yawning and rubbing his eyes.
"You are," Emma teased. "You look a bit ruffled, kid. Like you've just fallen out of the nest."
"Ha-ha-ha. Very funny, mom," the boy scowled and then glanced up at his other mom. "Can I give Neal his bottle? Please?"
"Of course," Regina said and smiled. "Then I'll get...the cocoa going."
"Awesome! Hi, Neal," Henry said as he plucked the bottle out of his mother's hand and then went over to the bouncer. Neal didn't need to be held when he had his bottle now. He could sit in the bouncer whilst being fed. And he was starting to grab the bottle more and more during his feedings. Which made things a bit trickier, but also very entertaining.
Regina quickly fastened a bib around Neal's neck to minimize any spillage, and then Henry "went to town" and began feeding Neal exactly like Emma and Regina had taught him. And he was doing a very good job indeed. He even remembered to wipe Neal's chin and to tip the bottle backwards to make sure Neal wasn't overeating and potentially got sick later on.
"You're almost overqualified for the job, kid," Emma joked as she flipped the bacon on the frying pan.
"Huh?" Henry asked as he wiped Neal's chin again.
"Never mind," the blonde chuckled and turned her attention back to the sizzling bacon on the frying pan.
Regina appeared to be suffocating a chuckle as she stirred the cocoa mixture in the casserole.
"You guys are being weird..." Henry scoffed as he turned his attention back to Neal.
"When are we not?" Emma asked nonchalantly and cackled in a particular barmy way.
Henry mock shivered, but Emma felt something entirely different when Regina opened her mouth and let out a perfectly wicked villainous laughter. Fuck, that was probably a lot sexier than she had intended. Or maybe Emma just thought so because she was so used to Regina's voice dropping a few octaves during...other occasions.
"You're scaring me, mom!" Henry mock-complained and turned to Emma. "Isn't she scary, Ma?"
"Yeah..." Emma said with absolutely zero convince. "Totally scary!"
Regina laughed villainously again, and Emma was on the brink of asking her not to.
After a little while, the table was all set, Neal was all fed, and Emma, Regina and Henry sat down to have breakfast. Henry clearly wasn't completely awake, and not all that big on going to school today. It was difficult for him to know that both of his mothers would be home "all day" as he called it.
"We'll be working, sweetheart," Regina patiently told him. "It's not like we'll be-"
"Having a ton of fun," Emma finished the sentence and took a sip of her cocoa.
"Exactly," Regina nodded.
"I know, but..." Henry scowled a bit now. "You get to hang out with Neal all the time!"
"And witness his magnificent screaming sessions and his dirty diapers-"
"Eww!" Henry wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Gross, Ma!"
"Just tellin' you what you're missing out on," Emma teased.
Henry rolled his eyes and took a large gulp of his cocoa. Neal hooted from his bouncer, and Emma found that this was an awesome morning. Another awesome morning.
After a while Henry dashed upstairs to get ready, and Emma and Regina cleared the table and carried Neal into the living room with them. He was placed on the baby blanket on the floor, but both Emma and Regina knew that he wouldn't remain there for long. He was all for crawling. And preferably all over the place. Emma and Regina often had to "catch" him. Right now was a perfect example of that. Regina got up from the couch to fetch her laptop from the bedroom, and Neal immediately got on his little hands and knees and panted slightly as she began crawling towards the kitchen.
"And there he goes," Emma muttered as she rose from the couch. "Kiddo! Wait up!"
"Hoo-oooh! Hoo-ooooh!" Neal "chirped", and Emma shook her head. That sound was farther away than she had thought. He was farther away than she had thought. Someone was opting to become an Olympic-crawler.
She caught up with him in the kitchen. Right before he crawled into the table leg.
"Got ya!" Emma triumphed as she grabbed him and spun him around. "You fast little bird!"
Neal chirped in agreement and snuggled into her.
"Did Neal run off again?" Henry laughed as he came skipping downstairs.
"He did. And what did we tell you about running down the stairs?"
"Not to," Henry said sheepishly. "Sorry."
"It's fine. Just be careful, okay?"
"Okay," he promised and weighed his school bag. "Is the bus here yet?"
"Nope, not yet."
A moment later, though, the bus did in fact arrive, and Henry hugged both Emma and Neal goodbye. Then he turned his head and called up the stairs: "bye, mom!" exactly like he always did. Usually, Regina knocked twice on something to indicate that she had heard him and wished him a good day in school.
But today something was different. Something was most definitely different. "Bye, sweetheart!" Regina called down the stairs. "Have a...nice day!"
"Thanks!" Henry yelled a bit surprised and looked at Emma. "Do you think she even realized she did that?"
"Nope," Emma said as she kissed his forehead. "Have a good day. Make good choices and don't get into fights."
Henry giggled because Emma always used the same ridiculous mantra every morning.
"Oh, and do you have your-"
"My lunch box?" Henry butted in and grinned at her. "Yup, I've got it, Ma. See you later! Bye!" with that he dashed into the hallway, wrestled his shoes and jacket on and then left the house. Obviously, he slammed the door after him, and Emma cringed and was sure Regina was doing the same. Speaking of Regina... Emma grinned a bit as she bounced Neal up and down in her arms, turned her head and then called: "hey, babe?"
"Yes?" Regina called back, and Emma grinned like an idiot because Regina could actually "shout" back. Well, perhaps they weren't shouting-shouting, but still, her voice was now so strong she could actually make herself heard from the bedroom! That was awesome!
"What...is it?" Regina called again.
"Are you aware that you just shouted back?" Emma asked, still grinning.
There was quiet upstairs for a while. Then a soft: "oh."
"That's awesome!" Emma yelled and fist pumped the air.
"Hooh!" Neal said and wiggled in her arms to be sat down.
"Neal thinks so too!" Emma added with a chuckle.
Regina's soft laughter reached her ear, then footsteps as Regina came down the stairs with her laptop tugged under her arm. "I didn't even realize," she said proudly. "Nor was I...straining."
"You rock," Emma said plainly, leaning forward so she could plant one on Regina's lips.
"Mmm," Regina said as she returned the kiss. She then chuckled slightly. "That was a new...one."
"Seems fitting though."
"Indeed," the brunette agreed. "Shall we go into the living room?"
"Yeah," Emma said. Neal wiggled in her arms again, so she sat the impatient little boy down on the floor. She and Regina headed inside the living room. Emma almost flopped down on the couch, and it didn't take long before Regina did the same. Almost. She looked a bit more graceful as she sat down. She sat up her laptop, switched it on, then roamed inside the pocket of her blazer for a second before finding her reading glasses and perching them on her nose.
"You look so good in those glasses," Emma said fondly.
"Mmm," Regina said and smiled as she glanced at Emma over the rim of said glasses.
"Professor," Emma teasingly added.
"You are interrupting my work Em-ma," Regina drawled as she hastily tapped in her password.
"Oooh, I'm sorry. Will I be send to the principal's office for that?" Emma smirked.
Regina clicked her tongue in mock disdain. "Perhaps you'll... be send to my office instead, dear. How is that?"
"Sounds like you're flirting with me, professor," Emma observed and did her best to match Regina's drawling tone. "And I would love to...step into your office."
Regina's professorial façade dropped as she threw her head back and laughed. "If that was an...euphemism for something else, it was a terrible one, my darling."
Emma mock gasped. "What are you talking about?! That was a brilliant euphemism!"
Regina just shook her head and then their friendly little banter was interrupted by Neal who came crawling into the living room, hooting loudly as he did so.
Emma chuckled. "Hey, kiddo. Nice of you to join us."
"Very nice indeed," Regina said warmly. "Did you get up to no good in the kitchen, hmm?"
"Hoo-oooh-hooo-ooh!"
"Was...that a yes or no?" Emma snickered.
"I haven't got the...faintest," Regina said nonplussed as she adjusted in the couch and threw her bare feet into Emma's lap.
"Look who's making herself comfortable," Emma teased as she gave Regina's feet a slight squeeze.
"Mmm," Regina said and then warned: "but not that... comfortable, dear."
Emma laughed because she understood what Regina meant. No squeezing her feet or attempting to massage them. That would lead to something entirely different. So Emma settled for chuckling as she grabbed her own laptop and switched it on. While waiting for it to start, she glanced at Regina who was now squinting slightly behind her glasses.
Emma thought to herself that working at home was absolutely awesome...
As the day progressed, Regina seemed to get more and more jittery, and she frequently asked Emma if she really thought that this was a good idea. Emma assured her that she did, but it didn't help much. Come evening, Regina was most definitely nervous. And that was apparent in the way she kept fussing over the dress she was wearing tonight. The blue dress with the side zippers. Emma so favored that dress. Regina looked awfully good in it, and when combined with that short little leather jacket and those heels, she just looked too good to be true. And yet she kept shifting and fussing and looking up the stairs as though she was considering to go upstairs and change. Emma had to do something.
"Baby," she said softly.
Regina's head snapped up, and her fingers finally stopped tugging at the lapels of her jacket.
"You look beautiful," Emma assured.
Regina sighed. "I'm nervous," she admitted. "I thought that I...wouldn't be, but I am."
"And that's completely fine," Emma stated. "It's okay to be nervous, babe. And it's also okay to decide that you don't want to do this if you're not ready."
"I am ready," Regina said immediately, and Emma could tell that it wasn't just an automatic answer. It was genuine.
"Okay," Emma said and put the mascara wand down. She stood from the chair in front of the vanity and walked over to Regina. It didn't take long before she was gently wrapping her arms around Regina and pulling her closer.
"Mmm," Regina hummed, instantly leaning back against Emma. "That feels very nice... my darling."
"Happy to hear that, Mills," Emma said softly and planted a kiss to the side of Regina's neck. "How about this?"
"Mmm," Regina hummed again.
"Yeah? And this?" Emma gently kissed the side of Regina's neck again, carefully swiping her long dark hair to the side for better access.
"Goodness me," Regina breathed, her voice going a bit raspier, a bit more heated. "Emma, what are you doing...to me?"
"Helping you relax?" Emma suggested and brushed a hand over Regina's neck. "Want me to stop?"
"No..."
"Want me to continue?" Emma asked, lips close to Regina's neck again.
"Our babysitters will be here in ten minutes..." Regina pointed out. Yet she made no attempt to move away.
"Yeah, I know," Emma husked. "A lot of things can happen in ten minutes, beautiful..."
Regina laughed croakily. "Emma Swan, are you...suggesting a quickie?"
Emma laughed too, because hearing Regina utter the word "quickie" was so unfamiliar, yet so, so hot. "Maybe..." she said silkily.
"I hardly think that would be a good idea," Regina murmured. "That'll...certainly leave me unconcentrated for the rest of the night."
That was actually a pretty good point. "We can't have that," Emma said. "How about some good ol' fashioned kissing until we have to leave then?"
"I like that idea," Regina breathed.
"Laying down kissing?" Emma added hopefully. "Preferably with you on top of me?"
Regina chuckled as she turned around. "Miss Swan, are you...quite sure you're not suggesting a quickie?"
"I am not. And you really gotta stop saying that word."
"Why?"
"Because it makes me horny," Emma shamelessly offered.
"Oh," Regina said, chuckling slightly. "Well, that makes...two of us then."
Emma's breath caught. Hearing the word "quickie" out of Regina's mouth was one thing. But hearing her so nonchalantly confessing to being horny... Well, she could just as well have set Emma on fire!
"You can't tell me stuff like this!" Emma moaned as her legs gave in and she ended up flopping back on the bed.
Regina smirked. "I believe you wanted me...on top of you, dear?"
"Fuck, yeah!" Emma breathed.
Regina smirked again as she crawled up the bed and shifted until she had her hands planted on either side on Emma's face and was hovering just above her. "Ready?"
"Get down here, woman!" Emma laughed.
"I think 'down' is a tad too...optimistic right now, my love," Regina joked as she gracefully lowered herself down on top of Emma. "But perhaps later."
"Jesus Christ!" Emma moaned. Her head was starting to spin. Because of what Regina had just said. Because of the way Regina's breasts were pressing against her own. Emma could feel how her nipples were hardening under the stimulation.
"No-no, just Regina," Regina joked as she pecked Emma's lips. "Now kiss me!"
And that was exactly what Emma did. She wrapped her legs tightly around Regina's waist and raked her fingernails up and down the brunette's back as they kissed each other slowly and sensually. The world melted away like it always did whenever they were kissing each other. Emma was floating somewhere in space with Regina on top of her. Where they were going didn't matter. As long as they were together.
Regina moaned slightly into her mouth and she was definitely shifting. Emma could feel that. Could feel how this little shift meant that certain parts of them were brushing against each other. Emma's breath became a bit heavier, and she didn't quite know how she was aware enough to write 'I love you' on Regina's back.
Regina broke the kiss and chuckled because she knew what Emma was writing on her back. She smiled down at the blonde.
"Do you remember that first night in the cabin?" Emma breathed.
"Mmm," Regina hummed. "I do. That was a...very special night."
"One of many special nights," Emma corrected. "That was the first time you told me you love me."
"And I don't believe I've stopped since," Regina lightly quipped.
Emma snickered slightly. "Do you remember the second evening in the cabin then?"
"Yes," Regina murmured. "The first time I showed you...my throat."
"That was special too," Emma whispered.
"It was," Regina softly agreed. "And so was that night as far as I remember."
"Oh yeah," Emma couldn't help but smirk a little bit now. The first night she and Regina had been in the same room during intimacy.
"I'll never forget that," Regina murmured as she tenderly cupped Emma's cheek. "There was a...part of me that kept thinking you were gonna open your eyes and look at me. But you didn't."
"I made a promise about keeping my eyes closed," Emma said simply. "Of course I was going to keep that."
Regina shook her head in amazement. "I don't think that...many people would have done that."
"I'm not many people."
"No, you're not," Regina agreed as she pecked Emma's lips softly once more. "That was an...incredible night."
"Mmm, it sure was. Followed by so many mores," Emma said, and her breath hitched slightly when she thought about the first time, she and Regina had made love. Together. No phones, no barriers, no nothing. Just them.
"What are you thinking about, miss Swan?" Regina asked and affectionately bopped Emma's nose.
"Naughty things," Emma admitted and flashed Regina a rather salacious grin.
"Is that so?" Regina drawled and then she was dipping down to kiss Emma again. Emma returned the kiss with all her might. Felt tempted to run her fingers through Regina's hair a few million times, but Regina had just spend a half an hour on her hair. Her hair was off limits. But fortunately enough, there were other things that weren't. Emma chuckled into the kiss as she let her hands slip lower and cup Regina's ass.
Regina 'oooh'ed' into the kiss. Exactly like Emma knew she was going to do.
"That feels nice?" Emma half-teased as she adopted a perfectly innocent tone.
"Mmm, yes, it really does-"
"MOOOO-OOOMS! Mal and Ursula are here!"
Emma and Regina both twitched at the shouting coming from downstairs, and Emma came shockingly close to biting Regina's lip in pure shock.
"MOOOOMS?"
"We'll-" Emma's voice was raspy, and she had to clear her throat before trying again: "We'll be right down, kid! Just...Just let them in, okay?"
"You always say I'm not supposed to open the door?!"
Emma mentally slapped herself for that blunder. "Today it's okay!" she shouted back. "We're almost ready!"
"Okay!"
Regina groaned as she gently rolled off Emma. "That was...not ten minutes. That was five."
"Yep, looks like Mal and Ursula chose today of all days to be early," Emma chuckled as she gave Regina a slight nudge.
Regina puffed out air. "I suppose we better get downstairs and greet them."
"Yeah, uhh... you might wanna re-apply your lipstick, beautiful," Emma snickered.
Regina instinctively brought a hand up to her lips. "Oh. Right. I'll just...take care of that then." she pushed herself up and the bed creaked as she stood.
"Yeah, right, up we go," Emma mumbled and couldn't help but feel ever so slightly disappointed. She had been onto something.
"Mo-oooms? Are you coming?" Henry called from downstairs.
"Yes, dear!" Regina called back, sounding as patient as ever. "We'll be right there!"
"You're really acing that 'yelling back' thing," Emma praised.
Regina was now in the middle of re-applying her lipstick, so she couldn't answer.
Emma quickly went over to the mirror and checked her own appearance. Her hair was a bit tousled. She fixed that with the hairbrush and took care of her smeared lipstick.
Once Regina was done fixing her own lipstick, the couple headed back downstairs hand in hand, and Malena tilted her head as she looked at them. Then she snickered and winked conspiratorially. Henry asked questions and wanted to know why, but no one told him. Malena and Ursula clearly thought that they had sex, and neither Emma nor Regina could be bothered to correct her. It had come bloody close to being just that anyway, so...
By the time they reached the community center, Regina's mood had switched from seductive and playful to nervous and slightly alarmed. Especially when she saw how many cars were parked in front of the community center.
"Good grief," she mumbled.
"You'll do awesomely," Emma was quick to assure her as she elegantly parked the Mercedes between two cars.
"Is that even a...word?" Regina half-teased. But the joking was immediately followed by a concerned: "what if I stutter?"
"Then you stutter," Emma said simply as she removed the key. "And that's completely fine, beautiful."
Regina nodded and fiddled a bit with her hands in her lap.
"Are you ready to head inside?" Emma asked gently.
Regina took a deep breath. Set her jaw. Squared her shoulders. Took another deep breath. "Yes. I'm ready."
"Great," Emma said. "Then lets go in and see what's it all about, eh?"
Regina nodded as she unbuckled her seatbelt, grabbed her purse and opened the car door. Emma followed her example and soon they were crossing the parking lot hand in hand.
Emma couldn't quite hold back a surprised "holy shit!" when they made it inside. The community center was quite literally crawling with people.
"That's a big...crowd," Regina commented.
"Uhm, yeah, it sure is," Emma agreed and squeezed Regina's hand. "You alright?"
"Yes," Regina nodded. "I keep forgetting that I'm actually used to...speaking to a crowd. I've done it before. I can do it again. Even if this isn't one of my lectures but about something completely different."
"That's my girl," Emma joked as she leaned in and pecked Regina's cheek. "I'm so proud of you."
"Maybe you should wait with that until after I've held my speech," Regina joked.
"No way!" Emma said firmly. "I'll always be proud of you no matter what, Regina."
Regina chuckled slightly and gave her hand a soft little squeeze.
"Regina Mills?"
Both Emma and Regina turned around and saw a blonde woman in her mid to late thirties come towards them. She smiled warmly at both of them. "Hello. My name is Allyson Smith. We spoke over the phone."
"Oh yes," Regina said, returning the smile. "It's very nice to meet you, Allyson. I'm Regina. And this is my girlfriend, Emma."
"Ah yes, of course," Allyson beamed as she first shook Regina's hand and then Emma's. She offered Emma a warm smile and then turned her attention back to Regina: "I wanna thank you for choosing to speak tonight, Regina. As the arranger of this, I'm very happy about that. I must admit that I feared that no one would contact me considering the nature of this subject and all."
"I believe it's something that needs...talking about," Regina said softly.
"I completely agree," Allyson said seriously and glanced at the crowd. Everybody were slowly starting to find their seats. "And as you can see, there are many people here tonight. Many people who have been affected."
"Indeed," Regina said quietly.
"Regina!"
Emma's head whipped up at the familiar voice, and she smiled when she saw Zelena coming waddling towards them. Seeing Zelena here tonight wasn't very surprising. She had decided fairly early on that she wanted to be here and hear Regina speak tonight.
"Hello, Zelena," Regina smiled. "I can see that you...made it."
"Of course," Zelena said as she gave her sister a hug. "Wouldn't want to miss this. Hello, Emma."
"Hey," Emma smiled.
"Allyson, this is my sister, Zelena," Regina quickly introduced.
"It's very nice to meet you, Zelena," Allyson said and smiled as she shook Zelena's hand.
"I wanted to hear my sister's speech," Zelena said with a light shrug and then glanced at the crowd. "And it would appear that many people do."
"Indeed," Regina repeated quietly.
"Are you nervous?" Zelena asked softly.
"A bit," Regina admitted. "But it'll be...fine. I hope."
"It will," Emma chirped in. "You'll ace this. I know you will."
Regina chuckled slightly and then her cellphone vibrated in her pocket. She quickly wrestled it out and her smiled widened as she checked the message.
"Henry?" Emma guessed.
"Mmm, he's saying good luck," Regina told her. "And...he also send these." she turned the phone screen around, and Emma laughed as she saw the picture Henry had taken of himself, Malena and Ursula. All three of them were smiling ridiculously at the camera while giving thumbs up. The second picture was of Neal lying on his baby blanket. Someone had put a yellow post-it note on his chest saying: 'good luck mommy!'
"Well, if that isn't the cutest thing, I don't know what is," Zelena said plainly.
"I agree, that's very sweet," Regina hummed.
"Definitely," Emma said and slipped an arm around Regina so she could give her waist a little squeeze.
"Well, I believe we're almost ready, actually," Allyson gently interrupted them. "Are you ready, Regina?"
"Yes," Regina said. Sounding sure as ever.
"Fantastic," Allyson said and flashed her a smile. "Well, I was thinking that I would say a few words first, and then the stage is yours. Does that sound good?"
"Yes," Regina said again.
"Good luck," Zelena murmured as she quickly leaned in and kissed Regina's cheek. "You'll do wonderfully, because you, little sis, is the bravest person I know!" and with that she disappeared in the crowd to find her own seat.
"Interesting," Regina half-joked as she and Emma found their own seats close to the podium.
"Why? It's no secret that you're brave," Emma scoffed.
"I meant the fact that she was kissing me," Regina laughed.
"Oh. Yeah, she hasn't done that in a while," Emma nodded.
"And I hope it'll...stay that way," Regina joked.
Emma snickered softly, gave Regina's hand a squeeze.
Allyson came up on podium and cleared her throat softly, immediately claiming everyone's attention. "Good evening," she softly greeted into the microphone in front of her. "And welcome to this "no longer silent" arrangement. I was expecting a small gathering-" she took a break so everyone could laugh at that. "-But I can see that that's not the case. And that is both good and bad. Good that so many of you have decided to step into the light and let your voices be heard. And bad because this-" she gestured towards the crowd. "Shows how many people are still affected by domestic violence."
She went quiet and Emma quickly glanced at Regina to see if she looked upset. But Regina didn't. Her gaze was fixed on Allyson, and Emma could tell that she was listening intensely to every word.
"Each and everyone in here have been affected by domestic violence in some sort of way," Allyson continued. "Myself included. But tonight I'm not here to talk about myself. I'm here to introduce a woman who called me about a week ago and offered to be the first speaker tonight."
Emma gave Regina's hand another little squeeze.
"So without further ado, let me introduce you to the woman who has bravely chosen to share her story with us tonight- Professor Regina Mills!"
Everyone began applauding. Emma was perhaps the one who was clapping the loudest. And Regina briefly put a hand on her knee, gave a little squeeze. Emma mouthed 'I love you', and Regina smiled as she rose from the seat and walked up on the podium. Her footsteps echoed slightly, and she smiled as she reached the microphone. "Thank you," she said softly as the applaud died down. "I am both happy and terrified to be here tonight," she said as she lowered the microphone a smidge. "But mostly, I'm very proud that I made this decision. Proud that I chose to talk about the darkest chapters of my life." She softly cleared her throat, and Emma saw her swallow a couple of times. The blonde smiled encouragingly at her girlfriend, and Regina briefly smiled back. Then she cleared her throat again in the silence. Emma was starting to feel a little nervous. She hoped that Regina would be able to do this.
"Domestic abuse..." Regina began. "Is not always punches and black eyes and what we see in movies. Domestic abuse is also yelling, humiliation, manipulation, coercion and being told that you're stupid, ugly, fat and useless so many times you actually believe it." she took a break and shifted a bit in front of the microphone.
Emma's throat already felt dry.
"Domestic abuse is believing that you somehow brought this upon yourself," Regina continued. "That you deserved to be slapped by your partner. Domestic abuse...is when your partner plays on your feelings in order to make you forgive them. Domestic abuse is changing your clothes without questioning it because... your partner thinks it's too revealing. Domestic abuse is pretending to be happy with things in the bedroom and letting your partner do things to you because it's easier than saying no."
Emma bit her lip harshly and willed herself not to cry.
"Domestic abuse is hiding your birth control pills and taking them in secret because your partner refuses to wear a condom and having a child and thereby be tied to him forever scares you beyond words." Regina took a break and treated herself to a sip of water from the glass next to her.
Emma looked around in the hall. Everyone was looking at Regina, and Emma could see the same haunted look in some of the women's eyes that she had seen in Regina's so many times in the past.
"My name is Regina Mills, and I'm a survivor of domestic abuse," Regina continued. "My story begins in a bar in Quebec where I met someone, I thought was the man of my dreams. It turns out that the dream was a nightmare."
Emma swallowed and listened as Regina described her supposedly rose red life with Killian. How he had been the perfect man. How he had proposed to her. How the arguments had become a frequent part of her life. And finally...
"The first time he raised a hand to me, I was too surprised to get angry," Regina said. "I locked myself in the bedroom and listened while he...cried on the other side of the door and apologized to me over and over again and again. He told me that it would never happen again. And I believed him."
Emma bit the inside of her cheek now.
"I thought I could change...him," Regina said. Her voice was growing stronger with each word. "I thought I was the motivation he needed in order to stop what he was doing. I kept telling myself that it would get better if I just stayed one more day. And then another. And another. It was an evil spiral, and I had no idea how to break it. I learned to keep my head down and avoid arguing if I could. I didn't have the strength. Arguing...seemed pointless. It was easier to give him what he wanted. In every situation. Sometimes...I was coerced into having sex when I didn't necessarily wanted to have sex. Sometimes I tried to tell him that, but at most times I didn't. And I kept...telling myself that it wasn't rape because I technically hadn't said no." She took a deep breath. "But today I know it was rape. Because even though I was too frightened to say the word, my "no" was still obvious on my face and in the way my body tensed when he touched me. A "no" can be given in a hundredth different ways, and he chose to ignore every single one of them." she took another break, and Emma could hear faint sobbing in the hall. Not from Zelena, but from someone else. Someone who saw her own story in what Regina was telling.
"The question victims of domestic abuse often meets is 'why didn't you just walk away?'" Regina said, claiming Emma's attention once more. "'It's not like the door was locked or anything'. And we need to stop asking that question. It has nothing to do with whether the door is locked or not. Instead we need to ask why abuser did what they did. Maybe my story sounds like a standard description of an abuser, but nothing about domestic violence is ever standard." She took another sip of the water. Emma's hands were going clammy, and she felt like she was bursting with pride at this very moment.
"For the longest time, I was afraid of naming my abuser," Regina said. "But as my son, who happens to be a huge Harry Potter fan, pointed out: 'fear of the name only breeds fear of the thing itself.' And you know what? He is absolutely right about that. The name of the man who hurt...me is Killian Jones. And I am...not afraid of him. Not anymore."
There were applauds and cheers at that. Emma fought the urge to race up there and kiss the breath out of Regina.
"I am a survivor of domestic abuse, but that is not all I am," Regina continued. "I am a mother. My son isn't here tonight, but he has been texting me nonstop to wish me good luck. Seriously, I can feel my phone vibrate in my pocket right now."
Everyone laughed slightly at that. Emma included.
"I am a sister. My older sister... is sitting in this room tonight and crying because she's emotional and pregnant... So I am going to be an aunt too. And I am someone's girlfriend. My amazing partner is also here tonight, and to use her words, she's "hella" proud of me. And you know what? So am I." another pause.
Emma saw how Regina licked her lips slightly before continuing: "perhaps some of you have noticed that my...speech is somewhat delayed. Or perhaps you haven't. My girlfriend keeps telling me that I'm the one who notices it the most, and she's probably...right about that, but anyway... there's a reason for that. The night I tried to leave Killian, he attacked me. He smacked my head into a wall repeatedly and choked me until I nearly lost...consciousness. That night I hit back and managed to run upstairs to the bedroom. I locked myself in and called the police, yelling that he was going to kill me. That was all I managed to say before Killian broke the door down and came for me. He did terrible things. Unspeakable...things. I doubt I'll ever be capable of fully forgetting what he did to me that night. And then he wrapped his belt around my throat and choked me until I lost consciousness. I would have...died if the police hadn't shown up when they did. I was rushed to the hospital and stabilized, but I had to be in a medical induced coma for a week to lessen the pressure on my brain. When I woke up, I couldn't speak. The strangulation had given me vocal cord paralysis and scars on my throat."
Several gasps were heard at that. Emma saw several women look at one another.
"My voice wasn't...restored until recently," Regina said. "I went through one failed operation and seventeen months where I was unable to speak because of what he had done to me. Because he wanted me to "shut up, damnit!" as he put it." she tugged a lock of hair behind her ear. "The first day or so in the hospital...is a bit blurry for me, but I do remember the time afterwards. God, do I remember the time afterwards. I fell directly into a black hole. Everyone constantly told me... how lucky I had been, but I didn't feel lucky. I felt completely broken. Physically and mentally. I had to be sedated every time a doctor had to examine me, because I couldn't stand to be touched. Not even by my own son. I wasn't even capable of holding his hand, because every single touch was a constant reminder of what had been done to me that night. I couldn't sleep at night. I was afraid of everything. In the end, I had to be transferred to a psychiatric ward to get the help I desperately needed. I had many, many, many conversations with a psychiatrist, and it was with her help I learned to hold my son again. I learned to hug him and show him affection, but I was beyond scared of going home. Of stepping into the real world again. I didn't feel ready. I didn't feel ready for anything. I felt broken. Alive, but not living. Barely functioning. When I left the hospital, I knew exactly what kind of life I wanted to live. I wanted to be the best mother I could possibly be. I wanted to dedicate the rest of my life to motherhood. Nothing more than that. I was never ever going to...open my heart for another person. But fate... wanted it differently." She smiled, and so did Emma. She could feel how her heart fluttered in her chest. For a moment she made eye contact with Regina, and what she saw in those dark eyes almost made Emma run up on the podium for the second time.
"This is going...to sound really sappy, and I apologize for that," Regina said with a slight chuckle. "But I cannot make this speech without mentioning my partner. When I think of Emma...I think of the sun. Bright. Beautiful. Full of warmth. When I think of Emma, I think of someone who never gives up, someone who will walk through hell for those she love. When I think of Emma, I think of a yellow post it note and a tap of the shoulder. Because...that's how our story started. With a tap on the shoulder and a yellow post-it note. Who knew one could meet your fate in a train?" she took a break and chuckled slightly. "When I think of Emma, I think of home. My home. I truly believe that Emma is one of a kind. When I think of Emma, I think of bear claws and the smell of cinnamon. I think of Sunday mornings...where neither one of us are doing anything. When I think of Emma...I think of safety. Of comfort. Of my safe place. Emma saw me at a time where I desperately tried to be invisible. She saw me when I needed to be seen. She found me beautiful when I couldn't see my own beauty. She finds me when I feel lost. And when I feel broken...she reminds me that I'm not. She loved me at a time where I was unable to love myself. And she...she heard me when I was unable to say anything. She heard my voice in the silence. She helped me see that good can come from broken, and for that I am...so grateful."
Emma was openly crying now. And she wasn't the only one. She could hear several of the other women sniffling.
"I love our life," Regina continued, now speaking directly to Emma. "I loved what we've created together. I love all the things we...do together. All the little things like sitting in the couch and reading together. I love that you're such a caring mother for our boys." She smiled and glanced at the crowd. "Quite recently, another little boy has come into our life in the most unexpected ways, and I'll have you know that he's absolutely precious. Even at four in the morning." the crowd laughed at that. So did Emma. Even though it was through tears.
"I love that you never give up," Regina continued and smiled fondly at Emma. "I love that you refused to stop caring for me even when I told you to. I love...how you looked at me and didn't see someone who couldn't speak. Instead you saw me. The real me. You don't love me in spite of what happened to me, but because of it. Because of you, I wake up every day and I feel happy. Because of you, I feel safe. Because of you, I cannot wait for the rest of our life together. Because of you, the idea of marriage doesn't feel scary anymore. No pressure, darling." She chuckled lightly again and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
"Well, we both know that it's gonna happen sooner or later," Emma said before she could stop herself. "It's no secret that I want to marry you."
The crowd gasped and Regina was quick to assure: "that wasn't a proposal. I know my Emma, and I know that she'll come up with some silly, romantic gesture. Because that's the kind of thing she does. The kind of thing she always does to make me smile." Regina looked at Emma with eyes that were overflowing with love. "I've said...a lot of things tonight," she said softly. "It's hard to keep track of everything, but I know that I said..." she took another pause and took a sip of the water, wetted her lips slightly. "Back in the hospital when I first woke up, everyone told me how lucky I had been, and I didn't agree with them. But now...Now I know that I am lucky. I found a way out of the darkness, and I hope that each and everyone present in here...will be able to do the same. It is possible." She shifted her attention from Emma to the crowd. "Killian Jones is dead. He'll never be able to hurt me again. And I've been... struggling to come to term with his dead. Because I had things, I wanted to ask him, things I wanted to say to him. But tonight I realize that it wouldn't have changed anything. It wouldn't have helped me. Because I wouldn't have gotten the answers I needed." She took a deep breath. "So instead I'm going to say this to you: If someone treats you badly, if someone raises a hand to you, that being a man or a woman, and claims that they didn't mean to, they were just so 'annoyed' or 'frustrated', remember that there is something wrong with them, not you. Normal people don't go around destroying other human beings because they're annoyed or frustrated. There isn't, and there never will be an excuse for domestic violence, and we have to keep t-talking about it until everyone understands that." Another pause where she swallowed and tugged her hair behind her ear. "We're victims. But we're also survivors. Thank you for letting me speak tonight."
The crowd went wild. That was the only way Emma could begin to describe it. Each and everyone stood up and applauded and cheered, and as Emma looked around at the women and men present in the hall, she saw something else in their eyes. Empowerment. Hope. Some of them were even whistling and whooping, and Emma absolutely could not hold back anymore. She ran from her seat. All the way up to the podium where she almost tripped, but that didn't matter. She stumbled over to Regina, wrapped her arms around her and hugged her as tightly as she could. The room nearly exploded at that, but Emma barely paid attention to it. "I love you, I love you, I love you!" she breathed as she peppered Regina's cheeks with kisses. She didn't give a damn that everyone could see them. "God, I love you! You're amazing! You're so, so amazing, babe!"
Regina chuckled as she returned the hug. "Y-yes, I think...that went pretty well considering that I don't have my speech."
Emma stumbled backwards slightly to look at her. "You're kidding me?!"
"No," Regina chuckled. "I forgot the speech at home. It's on the bedside table."
"You... You improvised all of that?!" Emma breathed.
"Well, I could...remember the essence of it, so it wasn't so...bad," Regina said lightly as she slipped an arm around Emma.
"Oh, don't give me that," Emma huffed. "You totally just improvised all of that!"
Regina smiled and her eyes twinkled. "Maybe a little bit."
"God you're amazing," Emma breathed and turned so she could kiss her cheek again.
"Thank you...my love," Regina said softly. "I believe we're... in the way. We should get off the stage."
So that was exactly what they did. But they didn't make it very far before Zelena nearly fell over Regina and hugged her whilst sobbing uncontrollably. "Baby sis, that was amazing! You've turned me into a complete mess!"
Regina chuckled wetly. "I'm sorry about that, dear. But I had...things to say."
"You sure as hell did!" Emma said proudly. "And you fucking said them!"
"I fucking did," Regina said plainly and took a deep breath. "I think I'll go outside and...get some fresh air for a moment."
"I'll go with you," both Emma and Zelena said, and then both of them chuckled.
"For some reason that doesn't s-surprise me," Regina snickered. She made her way through the crowd towards the door. Didn't get very far before she was stopped by Allyson who thanked her effusively. Regina smiled and told Allyson that there was no need to thank her. Then she continued towards the door with Emma and Zelena in tow. They were almost halfway there when they were stopped again. This time by a woman. A young woman who couldn't be much older than twenty one. Emma could see the remains of a black eye adorning her face. And the same haunted look in her eyes.
"Excuse me, professor Mills?" she asked quietly.
"Regina," Regina corrected and smiled at her.
"Regina," the young woman said. "This is gonna sound really strange but can I... would it be okay if I give you a hug?"
"Oh," Regina said slightly surprised, but clearly happy too. "Certainly."
The young woman stumbled towards her and hugged her tightly, and Emma was pretty sure she was going to start crying all over again. She bit the inside of her cheek harshly in order to control herself. Zelena did nothing to control herself though. She was openly crying again.
"Thank you," the younger woman whispered as she and Regina parted. "Thank you for speaking tonight. You've... inspired me to do something with my life. For a long time, I've considered to travel somewhere to start a fresh, and I feel like this is the push I need. You said that there is a way out of the darkness, and I think I can find mine if I leave." She smiled at Regina.
"What's your name?" Regina asked gently.
"Melody," the young woman answered.
"I'm proud of you, Melody," Regina said and flashed her a beaming smile. "I'm proud of you for making this choice, and I wish you all the best for the future."
"I wish the same for you," Melody said. Now she was smiling too. "Thank you again." with that she disappeared in the crowd, and Emma saw her exchange a hug with an older woman who could only be her mother.
Regina, Emma and Zelena continued their walk towards the door, and this time they made it to their destination without being "hijacked" again. Regina opened the door and walked out on the parking lot. Emma and Zelena both followed her, and Emma watched as Regina took a deep breath in through her nose and out through her mouth. She was sucking the warm-ish air all the way into her lungs. It almost looked like she was breathing for the first time.
Emma closed the distance between them and took Regina's hand. Gave it a slight squeeze.
Regina squeezed back immediately.
"How do you feel?" Emma asked softly.
"Free," Regina said simply and the smile she flashed Emma completely took the blonde's breath away.
To Be Continued...