Notes:
A big thanks so much for all the kudos and comments for my story. I started this story because The prince of Tides its one of my favourite films and I thought it would llendvcwell to the characters of Emma and Regina. I never really knew what to expect when writing this. I honestly appreciate all your support. Thanks for being my cheerleader, Valk1. And for your help and suggestions when reading over the chapters I needed an opinion on before posting them.
And thanks to Pat Conroy for writing such an amazing novel in the first place and thanks to Barbra Streisand for adapting it into a brilliant film.
Please enjoy this last chapter of Changing Tides
Chapter Text
One year later
"I still can't believe he murdered all those women. He seemed so nice when I first met him," Emma stated in disbelief.
They were all out celebrating at the Rainbow Room. Regina had booked it for their private party to celebrate the end of the trial - after the Jury found Daniel Colter guilty of murdering twenty-six women and one man - Michael Mirror. Better known as Sidney Glass to his Uber customers and the Queens "Chinese Massage Parlour" clientele.
"Serial killers are usually unassuming, sweet and even charming individuals, Emma. In Mr Colter's case, it served his purposes to have those characteristics to get his victims to trust him enough to follow him and do as he asks. Just look at me. I trusted him and I'm meant to be a mental health professional." Regina said roughly, thoroughly disgusted in herself for having been fooled by Daniel Colter.
"Regina, there was no way you could have known, sweetheart. I still call bullshit when he said that he wasn't actually going to kill us when he pointed his gun right at your face. That he just wanted to scare us," Emma said, trying to console Regina who felt guilty for trusting the man and questioning herself when it came to her career.
"Cariña, you have nothing to feel guilty about," her dad said, also trying to reassure Regina. "I was a psychiatrist for over 35 years and even I found him charming when he testified in court." He patted his daughter's hand gently.
"You're a great psychiatrist. You helped me, Regina," August added.
"Thanks, everyone. Mr Colter succeeded in scaring me, though, but the police had said that there were no bullets in the gun. Either way, he was still guilty of kidnapping us and murdering all those innocent women. And Sidney."
"So what kind of sentence will he get for that, ma?" Henry asked, looking at Emma. Emma's still getting used to being called ma by Henry, it still made her emotional.
"The electric chair, hopefully," Lila exclaimed.
"No, the death penalty has been abolished here, Lila," David said.
Lila had come to New York not long after Regina and Emma's first weekend at the cabin. She phoned Emma to say that she had left Rupert Golde after learning a few things about what he had done concerning his son, Neal, as well as how he had struck Emma that one time. She scolded Emma and said she wished Emma had told her after it happened, but Emma explained the threat he had made.
Lila also discovered that Rupert had a mistress. So, Lila filed for divorce and was a very wealthy woman by the time she became single again, moving to New York to be close to Emma and August. She even officially adopted them, even though they were fully grown adults. She had said it made her feel better having it on paper and they were happy to oblige. And Henry Jr was happy to have a grandmother figure in his life. And an uncle.
And Henry Sr? Well, he had made a new companion close to his age. He and Lila had become friends over the course of the year. Very good friends. Something that Emma or Regina never
wanted to hear or see again. They got home one night, after a date, to hear strange sounds coming from Henry's apartment above the garage - he had moved into the garage instead of Emma. He wanted them to have the master bedroom after Emma moved in. Anyway, they had gone to investigate the noise to make sure Henry wasn't being murdered or having a stroke. Well, they didn't have anything to worry about, except wanting to erase the memories of what they heard and saw from their minds. They found Henry and Lila completely naked and in a very interesting sexual position which they didn't think was possible for a couple in their sixties and seventies. Regina yelped and then bolted. Emma looked like a fish out of water, opening and closing her mouth repeatedly in shock before Regina returned to grab her arm, dragging her out of the apartment as she kept her eyes squeezed shut. For the next few days, they couldn't even face Henry or Lila, too embarrassed and nonplussed by what they had witnessed. The older couple were completely indifferent to the whole situation.
"I beg your pardon!?" Lila exclaimed. "Do you mean to tell me that he took twenty-six lives away-"
"Twenty-seven, mom," Emma corrected Lila.
"That sorry excuse for a carcass doesn't count after what he did to you, Emma. He's lucky that madman only shot him dead. I would have tortured him."
"Thanks, mom, but perhaps not in front of Henry," Emma said, though quite touched by Lila's sentiment.
"Oh, I'm a big boy, Emma cariña," Henry Sr stated, winking at Emma.
"Haha!"
"I'm a big boy too, ma!" Henry piped up, puffing his chest out proudly.
"Yeah, you are, kid. Can't believe you will be thirteen in less than a year," Emma said as she ruffled his hair and he tried to move away from her.
"And grandma is right, ma. Sidney was lucky. If I were there, I would have karate chopped him in the ba-"
"Henry Mills!" Regina shouted, stopping him from finishing his sentence.
"Mom, I was going to say back. Jeesh!"
"Excuse me? Enough with the attitude, mister. I know exactly what you were going to say."
Henry just pouted, knowing he'd be grounded if he said much else since his mom wasn't wrong. And he didn't want to miss out on going to the dojo he had joined if he was grounded. He had already reached the orange belt level after 6 months of joining. He was close to getting the green belt which he would get after 9 months.
"Thanks, kid. Anyway, to answer your question from earlier, I reckon he will get a few life sentences without parole. That's good enough for me. I wouldn't want him to die. Otherwise, he wouldn't really suffer. He'd just be dead. Condone, enough about those guys. Let's order some food. I'm starving!" And with that, Emma's stomach growled rather loudly and everyone at the table laughed as she blushed, deeply mortified.
"Good one, Em!" August cheered, raising his beer mug.
"It's okay, honey, I know I've been starving you today. It was only because I know the menu here and I knew you'd want to order everything on it," Regina said, then pecked her girlfriend's cherry flavoured lips.
_
Once the desserts arrived, everyone was quite merry. Not because of alcohol, because they didn't want to get drunk in front of Henry Jr, but just by the outcome of the trial and the company they were in that evening. They even had a live band playing instrumental music, and once they had finished eating, David had pulled Mary Margaret onto the dance floor. They were quickly joined by other couples. Graham and Zelena - who had come back home from England and were now officially a couple, Henry Sr and Lila, and eventually Regina and Emma when a song that they both loved started playing. Emma hadn't noticed that someone had gone up to them and requested a song to the band. "Alfie" by Burt Bacharach. They had both loved the original film, with Michael Cane, and the theme song by the same title - Alfie. They had danced to it many times, just in the privacy of their master bedroom or even in the kitchen if they were home alone. So Regina got up, taking Emma's hand and gently led her to join the other couples on the dance floor.
Now they held each other tightly as they slowly swayed to the beautiful rendition of the song. Regina's five-inch heels allowed a bit of height over Emma so she could put her arms over Emma's shoulders and around her neck, caressing it as Emma's arms were around Regina's back, stroking it lightly as they moved around the dance floor. They were in their own little bubble, obvious to their surroundings. As the song neared the end, Regina started singing the words shortly so that only Emma could hear her. And the deepness of her voice made Emma melt. She noticed that Regina exchanged the name, Alfie, for Emma as she sang the last verse.
"I believe in love, Emma
Without true love we just exist, Emma
Until you find the love you've missed you're nothing, Emma.
When you walk let your heart lead the way
And you'll find love any day, Emma…."
The music tapered off as Regina pulled back to look into Emma's eyes, which were wet with unshed tears.
"You are my true love, Emma Swan. Before I met you, I just existed. But now…"
Regina then looked to her son, who had been watching them dance, and nodded her head at him. He smiled as he swiftly got up and walked towards them. He then got a velvet box out of his pocket and handed it to his mom before taking a couple of steps back.
Regina looked back at Emma, gulped nervously before getting down on one knee - which was quite a feat in five-inch heels. She then opened the box and nervously held it up to Emma.
Emma was completely in shock as she covered her mouth, tears running down her face and blurred her vision as she awaited the question she knew was coming.
"Emma Swan, you came into my life to help me save your brother's." August let out a whistle here, which they both smiled about. "And you did help me. And you frustrated me beyond belief. But you also saved me, and Henry. I wasn't sure if I ever wanted to be married again, after what Robin did to me. But I can't imagine…" Regina looked at her son - their son - again, before looking back up at Emma and continuing. "We can't imagine our lives without you in it, Emma. Will you marry me? Us?"
Emma was still in shock as tears streamed down her face, but she was nodding her head very quickly as she pulled Regina up from her knees and kissed her as passionately as she could while a sobbing mess.
"Is that a yes, darling?" Regina asked when they stopped kissing to take a breath.
"Yes! Oh my God, yes, Regina. Of course, I'll marry you!" She wrapped her arms around Regina's back and spun her around as they kissed, again, to applause and cheers from their family and friends.
Henry couldn't wait any longer as he barrelled into them to hug them both. "Mom, you still need to put a ring on it," he smirked.
Regina was stilled holding onto the velvet box tightly, not wanting to lose it when Emma had pulled her up. "Of course! What do you say, future Mrs Mills? Can I put a ring on it?" Regina asked, smiling sappily at Emma, who held up her left hand for Regina.
"You mean future Mrs Swan-Mills, don't you?" Emma asked, cheekily.
"Mills-Swan?" Regina rebutted.
"What about Smills?" Henry asked, making both women crack up and shaking their heads.
Then seriously, Regina gently took Emma's left hand and put the white gold band, with a beautiful diamond-encrusted swan wearing a crown, on Emma's ring finger before kissing her again. Just a peck, since their son was right there with them.
"So, does this mean I'll be Henry Smills?" He asked, half-jokingly.
"Yes, darling. Once we have decided on a proper last name, Emma will legally be your mother when we all sign the adoption papers."
"Wait, are you serious? I'll legally be Hen's mom once we are married?"
"Yes, darling, or before we are married if you want to sign them sooner?"
"Nah, let us wait for the wedding. It will make it an even more special day when I become your wife and Hen's mom on the same day."
"You're already my mom, ma," Henry said, smiling. "Unless you give me a terrible last name. Then I'll disown you both." With that, he quickly pecked each of their cheeks, took the now empty ring box back off his mom and went back to sit at the table.
"That's our boy," Emma chuckled.
"Yes, darling. That is our boy," Regina agreed, smiling brightly at Emma as they were surrounded by the others who came to offer them congratulatory hugs and kisses.
THE END