Disclaimer in chapter 1
Chapter 16
Emma lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Regina was tucked in still sleeping beside her. It was Sunday and herself and Regina had planned to take a walk-through town later. She was nervous about it, but she knew her mother would be safe. Ingrid was going to arrive at the Mills' house in about 2 hours. Emma was going to sit down with her and tell her everything that had been going on. Cora was then going to insist they go to the spa like she said for a couple of days. Emma took a deep breath and let it out.
"It will be ok," Regina says as she turns on her side to cuddle into Emma.
"I hope so," Emma says as she interlocks her fingers with Regina's hand that is splayed on her stomach.
"Let's just take this one part at a time. Mal will slip up and we will get her. I could go in there all guns blazing and fire her, tell her I never want to see her again but her being as bad as you have said I want her out of our lives. I don't want any of us to be looking over our shoulders for the rest of our lives wondering when she is going to try and put a spanner in the works," Regina says as her hand moves to Emma's face. She moves slowly and presses her full lips to Emma's thinner ones. Their lips begin to move together like they always do. The two halves of a whole. Regina nips at Emma's bottom lip. Emma moans at the sensation. Regina then presses her tongue into Emma's mouth. She slowly explores Emma's mouth. A mouth she knew so well. A mouth that expressed such words of love to her over the years. A mouth she thought she would never taste again, but fate (or Cora) had brought them back together and she would fight with all she had for Emma. For five years she was miserable. She existed that was about it. She wasn't happy but now she was happier than she had ever been. Regina moves in closer to Emma. She slips her leg between Emma causing another groan from the blonde. They hadn't gone as far as sex yet, but Regina wanted it so bad. Emma wanted to take things slower and Regina was respecting that, but a little teasing was no harm. Regina pulls away and Emma is dazed and confused.
"Breakfast?" Regina says. Emma looks at her bewildered not even sure what planet she is on.
"Huh?" Emma says as her eyes open and close slowly a few times, and she sees Regina is now out of the bed. Regina laughs as she heads to the bathroom. Emma lies back on her back and laughs. She is now regretting wanting to take things slow. She gets up and starts to dress herself. After a few minutes Regina appears back out of the bathroom.
"Sweetheart, how about we go to Ruby's café for breakfast?" Regina asks. Emma stops putting on her boots. She turns to look at Regina. She is looking straight into the brown eyes of the woman she loves. She sees the determination, the fearlessness and the strength. She's not alone in this. Maybe she can borrow some of Regina's strength and determination. She wants their lives back and the only way to do this was to stand up to Mal, together.
"Ok," she agrees. They finish getting ready and 20 minutes later they are ready to leave. They bid goodbye to Henry and Cora and tell them they will be back in time to meet Ingrid. They head off towards the little café that Ruby runs. She had stayed around Storybrooke. She went to night school and took a business class. She had been a manager at one of the local restaurants for years, so she learned how to do the day to day running of the business as well. A couple of years ago she had decided to take the plunge and open her own business. She had married Graham a year later after dating for 2 years. They were very happy. Graham was running a now very successful construction company which he had built from the ground up himself. They were the couple everyone was jealous of in Storybrooke. Both very good looking and successful and both very happy. After Emma left her and Ruby fell out of touch. Emma couldn't risk anyone knowing where she was. Regina and Ruby remained friends though and Regina now believed she should have stuck closer to Ruby than to Mal. Hindsight is twenty twenty vision she thought. As they are walking Regina is very surprised to feel Emma take her hand. She looks at Emma who has that shy smile she loves on her face. Regina returns the smile to Emma and gives her hand a light squeeze. She will protect Emma this time. Emma has done so much for her in her life that she will repay her. They are walking and chatting when they hear someone call their names from behind. They both turn around to see a smiling Graham running up behind them. He moves straight to Emma and engulfs her in a hug.
"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes," he says. He hasn't changed much Emma thinks. He is musclier now from all the construction work she guesses. He has a lot more stubble than he used to.
"Graham it's so good to see you," Emma says with a wide smile. He looks down to see that the two women are again holding hands. They notice where his look has gone, and he looks up and cocks his eyebrow at Regina.
"You amaze me at how you pull things off," he says with a laugh.
"Well are you heading to Ruby's you can catch me up on well everything I guess," he says, "actually I probably won't get a word in when she sees you." He chuckles and heads to the door of the café. He holds it open and lets the two ladies in.
"Hey Regina," Ruby says as she looks up, she then freezes when she sees who is with her.
"Oh my god," she says. She is moving now towards them at great speed.
"Oh my god," she squeals as she gets as far as Emma, "Emma Swan is it really you?"
"Ya Rubes, it's me," Emma says with a chuckle. She is engulfed in a huge hug for the second time in as many minutes. This one nearly causes her lungs to collapse. She hasn't let go of Regina's hand and as Ruby pulls away she notices. Her eyes go so wide Emma thinks they may fall straight out of her head.
"Oh my god we have so much to catch up on," she says as she grabs the two women and brings them towards a table.
"Yes, we do Rubes, but we can't stay long. How about a double date soon and we can fill you in?" Regina suggests.
"A double date? As in you two are back together? As in you are seeing each other again? There are just too many questions right now," Ruby says in amazement. Emma laughs and places a hand over Ruby's.
"Yes Rubes. We are together," Emma says as she sends a beaming smile to Regina.
"Ok, I will take that much for now, but I have some many questions. How about you come over for dinner because I need to talk, and I am pretty sure that any restaurant will kick me out when I hear this story," Ruby exclaims. She stands up and signals at a waitress to come over to take an order.
"Its so good to see you Emma," Ruby says as she heads back to work. Graham wanders off after her laughing to himself at the exchange between his wife and her oldest friends.
"I thought she would be upset with me," Emma says.
"Why?" Regina questions.
"Ruby was my best friend and I just took off. No explanation no nothing. I disappeared on her," Emma says.
"I explained what I knew at the time. About me thinking you had cheated and that you had left. I guess maybe she understood. She is a great person. We became closer after you left. Not as close as I now wish as I could've relied on her more than Mal, but it is what it is," Regina explains. Emma squeezes her hand and picks up her menu.
"We better eat as Mom will be here soon and I need to explain everything I guess," Emma says. They eat and start walking back to the house. As they are passing the city offices giggling at something Emma had said, Regina hears her name being called. She turns to see Mal walking towards them. Emma stiffens immediately. Regina places her arm around Emma on the small of her back and begins rubbing comforting circles on her back.
"Mal hi," Regina says, "were you in the office today?"
"Yes, I was tidying up the mess you made of cancelling all those appointments I had made for you on Thursday and Friday," Mal said her eyes were jumping between glaring at Emma and Regina's hand being around Emma and Regina's face.
"Oh, it wasn't that much of a mess," Regina responds. She must break the news that she is no longer running for the senate seat, but she is pretty sure now is not the time to do that judging by the veins popping on Mal's forehead.
"If you say so. Swan what brings you to town? Forget to tell us of some mould or something that was in the wall there or had you more finger painting to show us?" Mal says with disgust. This is probably the first time that Mal has spoken to Emma like that with Regina present. Regina sees the hate in her eyes for Emma. What she had always thought was just a difference between two people she now sees the raw hatred in Mal's eyes. How had she been so blind? Regina is about to speak up when Emma gets there before her.
"I came to see Regina," she says as she wraps her arm around Regina. Regina is beaming with pride. She didn't think Emma would respond like this when she saw Mal. The talks of her not being alone in this must have gotten through to her. Mal stares at her turning her head slightly sideways as if passing a silent message of "Oh have you now."
"I wasn't aware you wee back together. Regina is this wise given that she cheated on you before. Not good in an election to have a lying cheat by your side," Mal spits out. Emma scoffs.
"I didn't cheat on her Mal. And I really don't think that what goes on between Regina and I is any of your business," Emma responds while also stepping forward. Its like a dam broke inside of her when Mal started speaking. She had the love of her life back. A second chance and she would rather die than walk away without fighting for her again.
"Mal, I will speak to you in the morning. Emma and I have plans," Regina says as she pulls Emma back. The last thing they need is Emma hitting Mal or something that Mal can use against them. She was so proud of the way Emma spoke, but it was now time to get out of there and get Emma home. The wheels had been set in motion now. It was time to see where all the chips fell. Mal is left their astounded with her jaw hanging open. Regina doesn't dismiss her like this. It's having that slimy Swan back again. The goody two shoes that everyone thinks can't do anything wrong. Well it was time to hit her where it hurt. She storms back inside the office. Game on Swan she thinks as she slams the door behind her and screams into the empty office.
Regina gets Emma back to the house. When they get in the door Emma is just standing there in a bit of a daze. Regina walks right up to her and gives her a chaste kiss. Emma looks into Regina's eyes and Regina sees a fire burning there. The only other time she had saw that when they were going through the trial with Robin. Emma looked like she wanted to rip him limb from limb if she got her hands on him. Cora comes out from the sitting room and looks at the situation before her.
"I take it you saw Mal?" Cora questions.
"Yes mother," Regina answers as she stays looking at Emma.
"Emma dear are you ok?" Cora questions.
"Not yet but I will be," she says with a fiery determination.
"That's what I like to hear. Your mother is waiting for you in here. Henry took Evie out to see the horses and then they will go for ice cream," Cora says.
"Thanks Cora," Emma says as she moves into the living room to her mother.
"Hey mom," she greets as she goes to hug her mom.
"Hey sweetheart, are you ok? You seem tense," Ingrid says.
"Ya mom," she says with a small smile "I'm ok but I have to talk to you about something."
"Oh no," Ingrid says "Did Regina get you pregnant? What have I told you girls about safe sex?" Ingrid says with a grin trying to break the tension in Emma.
Emma laughs, and Regina moves from the door to sit beside Emma and Cora sits beside Ingrid.
"Ok you guys are scaring me now," Ingrid says, "Emma honey, what is going on?"
"I need to tell you why I ran from Regina those years ago. Someone sent Regina pictures of me kissing someone else. The photos were doctored. After I left Regina's apartment Mal came to find me. She told me she had found your Ex's name and that she would send him your address if I didn't leave town. So, I panicked and ran. I was so afraid that he would come and hurt you, so I ran. It turns out that Mal is in love with Regina and that she was trying to get me out of the way, so she could have her. When Regina came to the homework club last week Mal threatened me to stay away or else, she would send the information. I was going to stay away but it was so good to see Regina that all those feelings came bursting back out from where I had boxed them away. Regina was there in front of me something that I thought would never happen again. So, when I met Regina that not for our "it's not a date date" I told her everything. Then we came here and told Cora," Emma says all the time looking at her mother. Her mother doesn't know what to say. She is silent.
"That absolute little conniving bitch," Ingrid says. Emma laughs because her mother never curses.
"I can't believe she did that to you Emma. You should've told me. We could've done something," Ingrid states.
"I know mom. I know. It's the biggest mistake of my life. I can't change it, but I can fight for this second chance I have been given, but I don't want to put you and Evie in any danger. We have a plan that we want to run by you. Cora suggested that we let Mal see us together and that then she will send Him to the house but that we have cops waiting there. He is not supposed to go anywhere near you so if they catch him, he is straight back inside. The plan is that you and I will go back to Allensville and Evie will stay here with Cora and Henry and we just wait it out until she sends him looking. It's probably dangerous but I think she may send him after we saw her today. We hope that if she does that, he will give her up. If not, we will have to find another way to get her," Emma says.
Ingrid is again silent. Letting all the information sink in. She looks at the three other women in the room.
"Why can't I just go kick the shit out of her?" Ingrid asks. Again, Emma laughs and Regina smiles.
"Because we want her out of our lives. Something that is going to stop her permanently so that we don't have to keep looking over our shoulders the rest of our lives. She has already taken enough from Emma and I," Regina says honestly. She takes Emma's hand and squeezes it.
"For now, Mom we want you to go to the Spa with Cora for a few days. We just ran into Mal there. She is pretty pissed. We pretend like I hadn't told Regina the truth and just that we were back together. Regina is going to go to work tomorrow and tell her that she is no longer running for the senate. If that doesn't set her off to send him after you, I don't know what will," Emma says honestly "but Mom I want you to know if you are not happy with this. If you are afraid or concerned, then I won't do it.
"Emma sweetie, Regina is right. She has taken too much from you. I wished you told me at the time because I wouldn't have let you run away. But you sacrificed yourself to save me so now its my turn. I trust this plan. We can get her. If not, I am going to go and whoop that bitch's ass," Ingrid says as she smiles and wipes the tears that have started falling down Emma's face.
"So, I get to go the spa?" she grins looking at Cora. Everyone laughs. Ingrid squeezes Emma's hand and mouths I love you to her. Emma does the same back as she prepares to fight for all that she holds dear.
Meanwhile back at the city offices Mal hangs up the phone with an evil smirk.
"I warned you not to play with me Swan. Regina will be mine. She can't see me right now because you are in the way, but she was starting to fall for me. Now I will take your life apart bit by bit," Mal drawls to an empty room as she looks at the picture of Regina she has stashed in her drawer.