A/N: Just one update today, but this story is almost reaching it's end and then I will start on Part 3. ;) I hope all my lovely readers enjoy and that I get more reviews. Happy reading!
Regina stares at the flames. How they dance around, lighting up in the brightest orange and blue colors in the fireplace to Emma's apartment. And despite the heat radiating through the flames, and the blanket that is draped around her shoulders- she is cold. Bone chilling cold.
Ever since the news of Emma's disappearance, Regina found herself in the blonde's apartment along with all of her friends and Emma's family. Even Ivy found herself there. She can hear the faint sounds of the plasma tv, giving the news of New York's billionaire's disappearance. Ugh! Can they just shut up and stop referring to her as if she were dead. Regina's eyes shut tight, a single tear rolls down her cheek. She pictures the house Emma took her to see, it had even bigger rooms and an even bigger fireplace. A fireplace she wanted them to make love in front of. Yes, that would be nice. No doubt, Emma would find some way to make the moment memorable.
She wanted to make love with Emma in front of this fireplace.
Even the times when they were just fucking, those were pretty memorable too. Where are you, Emma? She allows herself to become numb, nothing but the anguish pain inside her chest lingering. Nothing but the ache of her missing puzzle piece. She was sad and angry, angry because everyone in this room held onto a loved one. Belle held onto Ruby, and she looked devastated. Mr. and Mrs. Swan-Nolan held each other. Mary Margaret couldn't stop her crying. She loved her darling girl, like a real mother should love her daughter. While David's eyes constantly watched the news for any change in reports.
Ivy and Ella seemed to be hitting off pretty nicely.
Of course, there was Daniel, who had tried to talk to Regina on several occasions, be there for her like a friend should be, but Regina was numb. All she could do is look at the dancing flames inside that fireplace, block out the whispering conversations around her of whether Emma could be dead or alive.
'Regina, you've bewitched me.' Emma said that the first time she slept with Regina in her bed.
More tears fall, and Regina holds the blanket closer to her body, hugging herself, feeling her world fall apart in a matter of seconds.
"Gina. Here," Mrs. Lucas gently calls out, her voice bringing the brunette back into the room, into the now, into the anguish. She hands her a cup of tea.
"Thank you," Regina whispers, her voice horse from her unshed tears and the lump in her throat.
Ivy takes a seat right across from Regina, next to Mary Margaret. Both their faces fallen, Emma's mother unable to control her anguish, her crying. Ella and Daniel are engraved in a whispering conversation by the bar, while Mrs. Lucas busies herself in the kitchen. Ruby walks up to the coffee table, reaching for the remote and lowering the volume on the reporter's voice on the news. No doubt already annoyed with there being no progress.
Regina is grateful. She can't bear to listen to the news anymore, or even see them. She couldn't bear seeing the title at the bottom in big letters announcing: EMMA SWAN MISSING. Her beautiful face plastered all over the news.
She then wonders, that if Emma were to walk through those elevator doors, what would she think of having this many people in her home?
In the corner, David and Gold are talking to the authorities, fishing for any new information. But Regina knows better. It's meaningless. Because the fact was, Emma was missing. She has been missing for eight hours. No sign or word from the blonde. It's been long agonizing hours and the search has been called off because it is far too dark outside. And no one seems to know where she is. Emma could be hurt, hungry, or worse. No!
There has to be hope. Regina closes her eyes, clinging herself to that very little hope, that thread of silent prayer to God. Please let Emma be okay. Please bring her back to me.
'I'm doing this because I've finally found someone I want to spend the rest of my life with.' Emma's words come back to haunt her.
Please don't allow for the rest of her life to be this short, God. Please, please. We haven't had enough time… we need more time. We've done so much in the last few weeks, come so far. It can't end. Regina gently rocks back and forth, deep in prayer.
She wants to sob, scream, anything, but she can't. Mary Margaret is already broken enough, Ruby looks devastated, David looks shattered, even if he's trying to put his best brave face. She can't break, she refuses to think that Emma could be… No. No. No.
Oh, God, please let her be okay. She can't be gone. She just can't. She's the center of my universe. Without her, I'm nothing.
"Do you want to call your mom and dad?" Daniel is beside Regina, his hand offering a gentle squeeze to hers.
Regina shakes her head, unable to speak. She couldn't possibly call her mother to tell her the devastating news. She would break then. And she didn't want to give her father that worry to carry- knowing him- he would want to fly all the way to New York to be with her. And that would just cause her to break down and cry and cry and cry.
Ivy joins Regina soon after, grabbing a hold of her other hand. "She will come back," she says, her voice initially determined but cracking on the last word.
Regina is watching Ruby, who is hugging her mother tightly now as the woman weeps and weeps in her daughter's embrace.
The brunette clasps both of Ivy's and Daniel's hands, offering another silent prayer. Please, God, please let her be okay. Bring her back to me and I'll do anything… anything.
"Emma!" Suddenly Mary Margaret shrieks, rushing across the room and throwing herself at a dismayed Emma. Regina's eyes tear up more until all of their tears drop down her cheeks. There she is! She's standing in her pair of navy blue dress pants and her black tank top. Her shirt, which was dirty and her suit jacket dropped to the floor once her mother embraced her.
She looks tired, dirty, and utterly beautiful. Her hair was brought up in a messy ponytail.
Mary Margaret kisses her daughter hard on the cheek, her tears blurring her vision.
"Mom?" Emma gazes down at her, completely at a loss.
"I thought I'd never see you again," Mary Margaret's voice trembles, voicing everyone's worst fear.
"Mom, I'm here." Regina can hear the consternation in Emma's voice.
"I died a thousand deaths today," Mary Margaret can't hold back her sobs any longer, her arms wrapping tightly around Emma's frame. "Oh, Emma." She cries, choking on her own sobs.
Emma's arms squeeze tighter around her mother's frame, and soon everyone joins in. Ruby, David, Ivy… everyone but Regina, who's tears blur her vision, and she can't move.
Finally, they all pull away, giving her space to breathe.
"Sorry," Mary Margaret mumbles.
"Mom, it's okay," says Emma.
"Where were you? What happened?" Her mother cries.
"Mom," Emma breathes, pulling her mother into an even tighter embrace. "I'm here. I'm okay, it's just taken me a hell of a lot longer to get back from Portland. What's with the welcoming committee?" Her eyes scan the room and they lock onto deep brown ones. She blinks and glances briefly at Daniel, who releases Regina's hand.
"Why didn't you call, Emma?" Asked David.
"I had no power in my cell."
"Oh, Emma! Don't you ever do that to me again! Do you understand?" Mary Margaret is almost shouting.
Ruby threw herself into Emma's arms next, "You had us so worried!"
"I'm here now, I'm here." Emma's eyes move back to Regina. "Let me say hi to my girl now," she moves forth, where Belle pulls Daniel aside to give both women a bit of privacy. Her green eyes are sparkling as she stands before her.
She's really here. I'm not hallucinating. Emma's here! Regina can't resist throwing herself into her love's embrace, "Emma!" She's sobbing uncontrollably now.
"Hush," she says and holds her, burying her face in jet black hair and inhaling deeply. "I'm here." She lifts the brunette's face up and kisses her briefly. "Hi," she murmurs.
"Hi," Regina whispers, taking in the feel of Emma's hands wiping away her fallen tears.
"Miss me?"
"A bit."
Emma grins. "I can tell." Her thumbs wipe away more fallen tears so gently, Regina doesn't want her to stop.
"I thought… I thought-" She shakes her head, choking on her words.
"I'm here, baby… I'm here." She murmurs and kisses her chastely again.
"Are you okay?" Regina asks, releasing her and touching her face, hair, chest, her arms, her waist. Oh, to hold her again.
"I'm okay. I'm not going anywhere."
"Oh, thank God," Regina hugs her tightly again, pulling her closer, feeling Emma's embrace wrap around her.
"Ms. Swan," says Daniel evenly.
She nods. "Emma, please," she says.
"Emma, welcome back. Glad you're okay… and, um- thank you for allowing me to stay."
"No problem." Emma narrows her eyes, but she's quickly distracted by Mrs. Lucas, who is suddenly at her side.
The woman was dressed in her sleeping attire, her hair was loose and she had a used up tissue in her hand. "Can I get you something, Ms. Swan?" She wipes her eyes with the tissue.
Regina smiles. Look at all these people who love you, Emma? Maybe now you will believe that you are dearly loved and well deserved of it.
Emma smiles fondly at her. "A beer, please, Eugenia and a bite to eat."
"I'll get it," Regina murmurs, wanting desperately to do something for her girlfriend.
"No. Don't go," Emma says softly, tightening her arm around the woman's frame.
Everyone joins in. Emma shakes Ella's hand and gives Belle a peck on the cheek.
"Just a beer, Em? Here I thought you'd want something stronger." Says Ruby. "So what the fuck happened to you? First I knew was when dad called me to say the chopper was missing."
"Ruby!" Mary Margaret scolds.
"Helicopter," Emma growls, correcting Ruby, who grins, and Regina suspects this is a family joke. "Let's all sit and I'll tell you." She pulls Regina toward the couch, all eyes were on her. She looks over to Gold who is hovering near the entrance and nods. Gold nods back.
"Your daughter?" She asks him.
"She's fine now. False alarm, ma'am."
"Good." Emma smiles.
"Glad you're back, ma'am. Will that be all?"
"We have a helicopter to pick up."
Gold nods. "Now? Or will the morning do?"
"Morning, I think, Gold."
"Very good, Ms. Swan. Anything else, ma'am?"
"No, thank you." She takes the offered bottle from Eugenia, giving her a kind smile and both her and Gold are out of the room.
"Emma, what happened?" David demands.
Emma launches into her story, while Regina sat next to her, watching her perfect, beautiful profile. Watching her fingers, her hands, the detail in her vein that runs up her arm. Her perfectly manicured fingernails. She was here. She was alive and back. Regina didn't want to waste anymore time, ever again.
"Ingrid had never seen Mount Saint Helens, so on the way back as a celebration, we took a quick detour. I heard the temporary flight restriction was lifted a while back, and I wanted to take a look. Well, it's fortunate that we did. We were flying low, about two hundred feet above ground level, when the instrument panel lit up. We had a fire in the tail- I had no choice but to cut all the electronics and land." She shakes her head. I sat her down by Silver Lake, got Ingrid out, and managed to put the fire out."
"A fire? Both engines?" David is horrified.
"Yeah." Emma nods. "It was sheer luck that I was flying so low," she murmurs. Her head turns to Regina, who shudders. "Cold?" She asks her, wrapping her arm around her tightly.
Regina shakes her head, but snuggles closer to Emma anyway.
"How did you put out the fire?" Asked Belle.
"Extinguisher. We have to carry them by law." Emma answers.
"Why didn't you call or use the radio?" Mary Margaret asks.
Emma shakes her head. "With the electronics out, we had no radio. And I wasn't going to risk turning them on because of the fire. GPS was still working on the phone, so I was able to navigate to the nearest road. Took us four hours to walk there. Ingrid was in heels." Her mouth presses into a flat line. "We had no cell reception. Ingrid's battery died first. Mine died up on the way."
"How did you get back to New York?" Her mother asks.
"Luckily we weren't far from an airfield. We hitched and pooled our resources. Between us, Ingrid and I had six hundred dollars, and we thought we'd have to bribe someone to fly us into New York, but someone agreed to fly us home. He refused the money and shared his lunch with us." She shakes her head. "It took forever. He didn't have a cell. It's weird but true."
"You've made the news, Em." Says Ruby.
Emma rolls her eyes, "I figured as much, when we finally arrived here and there was a handful of photographers. I'm sorry, mom-" her eyes are on her mother, "I should have asked the driver to stop so I could use a phone. But I was anxious to be back." Her eyes move to Daniel, who still cringes under her intensive stare.
Oh, Emma… my jealous, possessive Emma… how I love having you back safe and sound.
"I'm just glad you're back in one piece, sweetheart." Mary Margaret smiles fondly.
Regina cuddles more up to Emma, inhaling her scent of outdoors, sweat and a hint of her body wash. Her eyes burning with fallen tears again.
"Both engines?" David says with disbelief.
"Go figure." Emma shrugs, her hand tucking underneath the brunette's chin. "Hey," she whispers, meeting with brown, once again, happy eyes, "No more crying. I'm here."
"Stop disappearing." She looks up at Emma, who smiles lovingly at her.
"Electrical failure… that's odd, isn't it?" David says again.
"Yes, it crossed my mind, too, dad. But right now, I'd just like to go to bed and think about all that shit tomorrow."
"So, the media knows that the Emma Swan has been found safe and well?" Asks Belle.
"Yes, Ingrid- even after she went through with me, along with my PR people will deal with the media. I must give that woman a raise." Emma chuckles.
"It's late," says Ruby, standing up from the couch, "I think it's best we all leave and give my dear sis time to get some her beauty sleep."
"I think we could all use the sleep." David smiles.
"Stay," Emma offers.
"No, sweetheart, I want to get home. Now that I know you're safe." She pulls her daughter into her embrace, hugging her so tight one last time. "I was so worried, darling," she whispers.
"I'm okay, mom."
Mary Margaret leans back, studying her daughter intently while she holds her. "Yes. I think you are," she says slowly, glancing over at Regina, she smiles.
Both women usher everyone out, saying their goodbyes. Belle hugged Regina one last time, while Emma said one last goodbye to her parents and Ruby.
"I can see you two are still nuts about each other," she whispers. "Who knew we'd be falling in love at the same time?" She giggled.
"And with sisters." Regina smirked.
"Come on, baby," Ruby summons her from the elevator.
"We'll talk tomorrow, Gina. You must be exhausted."
"You, too, Belle. You've traveled such a long way today."
Belle and Regina hug one more time, before parting ways. Daniel waits in the hallway, his eyes falling on both Emma and Regina who are walking back into the great room from the foyer, hand in hand.
"I think I'll turn in… leave you two," he says.
Why was it whenever Daniel was in the presence of Emma things felt awkward?
"Do you know where to go?" Emma asks.
Daniel nods. "Yeah, the housekeeper-"
"Mrs. Lucas," Regina prompts.
"Yeah, Mrs. Lucas, she showed me earlier. Quite a place you have here, Emma."
"Thank you," Emma says politely, her arm wraps more around Regina's form as she kisses her hair. "I'm going to eat whatever Mrs. Lucas has put out for me. Good night, Daniel." Emma wanders back into the great room, leaving both friends alone.
Wow! She is really leaving me alone with Daniel.
"Good night." Daniel looks uncomfortable all of a sudden.
"Good night, Daniel, and thank you for staying." Regina smiles.
"Sure, Gina. Any time your rich, hotshot girlfriend goes missing- I'll be here." He grins.
Regina smacks his arm a bit hard. "Daniel!"
"Just a joke! Don't get mad. I'll be leaving early in the morning. I'll see you sometime, yeah? I've missed you."
"Sure, Daniel. Soon, I hope. I'm sorry tonight was such a disaster." She smiles apologetically.
"It didn't turn out so bad, did it?" He smirks and hugs her. "Seriously, Gina, I'm glad you're happy, but I'm here if you need me."
She gazes up at him, seeing the truth in his eyes, and still a little bit of pain. "Thank you."
He flashes her a sad, bittersweet smile and heads on upstairs, waving goodnight to Emma, who waves back. Regina quickly turns back to join Emma by the breakfast bar. Her expression is unreadable.
Finally, they are alone. They gaze at one another.
"He's still crazy about you, you know," Emma murmurs.
Regina chuckles. "And how would you know that, Ms. Swan?"
"I recognize the symptoms, Ms. Mills. I believe I have the same affliction."
Her smile is gone, turned to worry. "I thought I'd never see you again." She whispers.
"It wasn't as bad as it sounds." Emma pulls her into her embrace, hugging her tightly, her eyes closing for a moment.
"Emma," Regina gasps and her tears start coming down again.
"I'm here, Gina. It's okay." Emma kisses the woman's hair. "You know… in the few seconds of sheer terror before I landed, all my thoughts were of you. You're my talisman, Gina."
Oh, to hear her sweet words again… Regina's eyes close.
"I thought I'd lost you," she breathes.
Both women stand there for a moment, holding each other, breathing each other in, reconnecting and reassuring one another.
"Come and shower with me," Emma murmurs, pulling away.
"Okay." Regina's arms remain around the woman's waist, not wanting to let her go. She refuses it.
Emma's hand tucks underneath the brunette's chin, tilting her head up. "You know, even tear stained, you are beautiful, Regina Mills." She leans down and kisses her gently. "And your lips are so soft." She kisses her again, deepening it this time.
Regina surrenders herself, her arms wrapping tightly around her girlfriend. All fears and thoughts of death gone from her mind. Emma was here, really here and she loved her. Oh, God, did she love this gorgeous, broken and troubled woman.
Soon, she pulls away, her fingers tangling in her hair.
"Do you still have the gift I gave you for your birthday?" She asks.
Emma chuckles, fishing inside her pants pocket and pulling the same small box out. "Right here."
"Open it," she whispers and her heart starts pounding.
Emma's brow lifts, "I was hoping you'd say that," she whispers. "This has been driving me crazy."
Regina grins. She felt giddy, nervous, and anxious. She loved looking at Emma's amused yet intrigued expression. With long, skillful fingers she watches as the blonde unwraps and opens the box. Her brow creases as he fishes out a small, circular silver pendant with a swan right in the middle of it. It's chain rattling against the box as she pulled it up to inspect it closer. Her eyes meet anxious brown ones as she looks up from staring at the necklace a minute longer.
"Turn it over," Regina whispers, holding her breath.
Emma does, her eyes wide and her lips part at what is inscribed on the back in fine letters. Yes. Her eyes look up to meet happy, beautiful brown eyes, and a smile that stops her beating heart. Her heart that was once black, turned blood red and alive in that moment.
"Happy birthday," Regina smiles.
"Does this mean yes?" Emma's eyes are sparkling light diamonds, happy and thrilled.
"Yes." Regina nods.
"Like yes, yes?" Emma grins.
"Yes, yes, yes." Regina shrieks once she feels Emma's arms scoop her up, holding her tightly around her waist, her lips melting away with hers in a kiss so passionate, so loving- it made her feel alive again.