A/N: I don't really do requests for stories, but this was one I've had on several occasions, that I no longer could keep pushing it aside. We've all seen The Family Man, right? Well, here's my adaptation, SwanQueen style. I hope you all enjoy the first chapter. Happy reading!
This story goes out with all my love to SheriffSwan28. Thank you for being my world, making it a better place every single day. :)
Thirteen Years Earlier - JFK Airport
This was the right choice. So, then why did her heart tell her otherwise?
Why did she feel like this was the end for them both? A farewell to never seeing each other again?
She felt at home right here. Like this. With her arms and hands wrapped around the woman who was sworn by, for the hundredth time today, that their love would defeat all chasms of time.
Lips met in a gentle kiss, and her pale hands gripped tight- tighter than before- to her girlfriend's trench coat. She loved the way her lips felt every single time her hands would bury themselves against her clothes.
Her perfume would always linger around them.
"Promise me you'll call." She begged through her cracked voice for the millionth time today.
"I promise." Olive-toned hands caressed away at her favorite blonde mane.
"Swear it." She needed to hear it. Now more than ever.
Plump lips placed two more gentle kisses against her girlfriend's lips. "I swear. I will get settled on that plane and I will call you."
The blonde chuckled, feeling the knot in her throat become impossibly tighter. She nods- forcing herself to agree- choosing to trust in her girlfriend's words. But, as she agrees, she can't help but feel a heavy weight weigh down right on her heart.
Why did this feel like goodbye?
"You better," is all the blonde can reply.
Regina had big dreams. She had a bright future ahead of her. She was smart and ready for anything. Emma didn't want to be the type of girlfriend to hold her back, no matter how much her heart was breaking.
"That's my flight." Regina quickly looks over her shoulder at the board, displaying her flight to London had arrived on time and was now boarding, after hearing it being announced over the intercom.
Emma's eyes become puffer, and her nose turns strawberry red. She had been crying, all the way to the airport.
"I'll call you as soon as I land," Regina kisses her time and time again. It was hard letting go for her, too. "I have to go. I love you."
Emma could feel her breath close to her own lips, her hands grab onto hers, but evidently let's go.
Just twelve months. Twelve months of doing her internship at Barclays in London and everything would be back to normal. They would be together again. Just twelve months. Twelve long months.
"Regina!" Emma calls out her name like a song. "Don't go. Please. Just stay." She begs, feeling hopeful but bad at all once.
Regina's eyes sparkle with all the love in the world as she stands about ten feet away from the love of her life. Her luggage pummels to the floor, right by her feet before she rushes over to a smiling Emma, who welcomes her embrace with open arms. Regina is quick to capture the blonde's lips into her own in a kiss so passionate, it turns some heads of other passengers within the airport grounds.
"I love you," Regina whispers, her hands cupping the sides of Emma's face. She loved it whenever she smiled. Just like now.
"I love you, too." She's crying happy tears of hope and love. She's holding onto Regina's body in the tightest embrace, she swore they could become one.
"I will always love you," said Regina, after having placed a gentle kiss against Emma's forehead. And that's when Emma saw that determined look in her eye. "I promise to call you every day."
Those happy tears became sad ones once again. Her pale hands tightened their grip against her black coat.
"I love you." Kissing her one last time, Regina let go, their hands slowly parting as she waved goodbye before picking up her luggage and rushing toward her gate. She couldn't dare to turn. She knew Emma was a mess in her own tears, and it broke her. Regina was just never one to cry in front of her.
Emma knew she loved her. Just maybe, she didn't love her enough to stay. She knew it was selfish to have asked her to blow off one of the biggest bank companies in Europe just to stay with her. But, she wanted to try. She had never done the long distance relationship thing. From what she's heard they never last. And now, Regina is gone. Gone and on to bigger and better things. And she was happy for her. She wanted the best for the woman she loved, but hated having to lose her for it.
This was not the right choice.
This was goodbye.
Forever.
Thirteen Years Later - New York
Regina found herself in her queen size bed, reading the morning paper- business section- as she tended to do every morning. Her silk sheets are still warm from the previous night and this morning.
"You were really something last night."
"Hm?" The corner of the newspaper crinkled as Regina's eyes decided to give their attention to the gorgeous blonde woman standing half naked at the foot of her bed.
"I said you were really something last night." The woman chuckled, reaching for her dress, which was laid out on the bed and quickly zipping herself up.
"And you are an incredible lover." A proud smirk rests on Regina's lips. "When can I see you again?" She asked, setting down the newspaper beside her.
The woman's brow lifts. She had met Regina about a year ago at an office party. They didn't exchange numbers until they ran into each other again for the third time, after that, she would normally call Regina whenever she wanted to feel a warm body next to her. And that was fine for her. She could never turn down a beautiful woman. Like everyone, Regina had needs she needed to satisfy. And Mal was the right woman for that.
She was classy, elegant and uncomplicated. Their relationship wasn't an exclusive one. Just a night of carnal satisfaction and they were back to being two casual people who run into each other from time to time. That's why, when Regina asked her when she could see her again, it surprised Mal. Especially since Regina was never one to ask.
"You want to see me again? I'm not even out the door yet. You must be lonely." She straightens her dress out.
"How does Christmas sound?" Regina asked while removing her glasses from her face.
"Christmas?" Mal sounds surprised once again. "I have to visit my mother, Regina."
"Tell her you can't make it, that you are all tied up with work- except you'll be tied up to my bed." She smirks, seeing a smirk stretch out on Mal's lips.
"As tempting as it is, I can't do that to my mother. But, I'll call you once I leave and maybe I'll come by." Mal reaches for her purse from top of the stand that was underneath the big plasma screen, hanging on the wall. "I'll wear a Santa hat for you."
"I'll hold you to that." The brunette winks before picking she casually picks up the newspaper to continue to read.
Mal gave her a wave, knowing that she went ignored because Regina always engraved herself in the business section of the paper, leaving Mal to show herself out of the front door of the penthouse apartment and going about her day.
La Donna E Mobile blasted through the penthouse an hour later. Regina loved her penthouse apartment. She loved her career and was damn good at it. She loved that she had all the money in the world- enough that she knew what to do with- and best of all, she loved this song.
She wasn't afraid to show how much money she had at her disposal. And why should she be afraid, when life was fantastic?
The double doors to her bathroom parted open as her hands pushed them out. Her lungs bursting into song along with the artist, all too familiar with the words as she made her way toward her walk-in closet. Her wet, naked body wrapped up in a towel.
Her hands skim through her clothing, silk shirts, cotton, dresses, and power suits to choose from. Regina reaches for her favorite of them all. An all black power suit, followed by a white buttoned up shirt. She's humming along to the song as she readies herself for work. Lastly she reaches for her briefcase and is out the door, looking and feeling like a million dollars.
She's still singing and dancing around the elevator in a twirl that comes to a halt as soon as the doors part, where she is joined by her favorite neighbor that lives on the floor below her. She was a short, older woman, who was also very elegant and liked showing off how much money was under her name. She always had her companion along with her, wherever she went. A small Yorkie, who was very well behaved.
Regina wasn't an animal lover, but this well behaved dog didn't bother her one bit.
"Mrs. Peterson." Regina gave her a curt nod.
"Regina," Mrs. Peterson nods back, a ghost of a grin visible on her ruby red lips. "You know, you don't have to stop singing on my account, dear."
The brunette smirks, her eyes falling on the older woman with a teasing, playful and flirtatious glare. "You are looking especially lovely today."
"Why, thank you, dear. I know." The woman is happy to glare back with an equal teasing, playful and flirtatious look in her eye.
They had been neighbors for years and they always enjoyed teasing each other. It was simply a game that Mrs. Peterson was happy to play along too.
"So, when are you going to leave that dreadful husband of yours, Mr. Peterson and run away with me?" Regina teases, wearing a proud smirk.
"Regina…" She gives the brunette a smirk of her own. "You know I could never break my dear old husband's heart like that."
"It's a shame." Regina shakes her head, allowing Mrs. Peterson to step out of the elevator first before she follows to the front glass door of the building that is held open by a doorman.
"Mrs. Peterson, Ms. Mills." He tips his hat to them.
"Good morning, Sidney." Regina gives him a curt nod.
"Have a good day at work today, ma'am."
"I always do." Regina flashes a smile his way before mounting her Class-C Mercedes Benz. She places on her sunglasses before driving herself to start another successful day.
"Good morning, Regina." A man in a navy blue suit greets the brunette with a smile.
"Good morning, Carl." She nods, still walking her way through the familiar building of Gold Enterprises. She enters another section of the office, her eyes falling on Kathryn who quickly stood from her desk and followed her into her office. "Is Gold in?" She asked her.
"Not yet. You're early." She stops before the brunette's desk as Regina sets her briefcase aside and black trench coat aside before taking a seat behind her desk. "Here are today's messages." She hands her about five sticky notes, which Regina takes and looks over them.
"It's a good thing I arrived early." Said Regina.
"Mr. Lancaster called again. He says it's urgent that he talks to you."
Regina glares, crumbling the note in the inside of her palm. "Call him back, tell Mr. Lancaster that I died. Maybe then he'll stop insisting on a ridiculous deal."
Kathryn nodded with a smirk stretched across her lips as she wrote down on her notepad. "Right away."
"And do let me know once Gold arrives, please."
"Noted." Kathryn starts making her way out of her office, when she rushes right back in, "Oh! I almost forgot." She reaches inside of her jacket pocket that matches perfectly well with her light brown skirt, and hands Regina a folded sticky note. "This call came in today for you. They asked for you to call back as soon as possible."
Regina reached for the note, her brow creasing upon seeing a name she hadn't seen or thought of in years. "Emma Swan?" Her body rested back against her chair.
"She said it was important. It sounded urgent."
Her eyes drank in the name followed by Emma's phone number. Silence surrounding her.
"Regina?" Kathryn called out. "Are you alright?"
Regina's eyes found Kathryn's staring at her with wonder. "Yeah, it's just…" She scoffs. "Emma was my girlfriend in college. I almost married her."
Kathryn couldn't help but chuckle. "You married?" She didn't mean for that to sound rude or as if Regina had just told her a funny joke. But, it was a joke. It had to be, because the Regina Mills she works for- as long as she's known her- wasn't a woman that was even interested in being married or having kids.
Regina chuckles because hearing Kathryn say the words out loud makes her realize how ridiculous her way of thinking was when she was young and fresh out of college. "Almost married her."
"What happened? Why didn't you?" Kathryn was too curious not to ask.
"We were at the airport, and she begged me not to go to London for my internship. She was devastated." Her voice sounds a little sad at the memory she hadn't remembered in years.
"Just like that? You left?" The blonde's head tilted in shock.
"Well it was either choosing love or my career." Regina's eyes were lost in thought as she glanced down at Emma's name. "We tried to make it work for a while, but…"
"You chose your career." Kathryn nodded, finishing her sentence. "Well, do you want me to call her back for you? I mean, if she's contacted you after all these years, it could mean that maybe she wants to reconnect."
It took her a minute, but in the end she decided to reach for the note and crumbled it up just like any other message that didn't seem important for her to care about. Kathryn frowned at her action.
"No." Regina tossed the note away in the trash can below her feet. "I'm sure it's nothing."
"Are you sure?"
Regina sighs, looking up from her stack of papers that laid before her. "Emma Swan is part of my past. And that's where she's staying. Just let me know once Gold arrives, will you?"
"As you wish." With that being said, Kathryn leaves her to get on with her day.