By the time their first weekend off was approaching Emma had, had enough and the welcome reprieve of a few days off couldn't come fast enough for her. Regina left town almost the second that the final wrap of the day had been called where she had gone Emma could only guess but she herself decided to have an early night in her trailer to try and catch up on some much-needed sleep.
Though she didn't sleep well she did sleep longer without her usual alarms set she didn't wake up until ten, and while she wasn't exactly feeling bright and sparky she was feeling fresher than she had in days when she popped in her headphones and jogged to Grannies hell bent on running through her problem with Ruby so that they could search for a solution together because she couldn't go on like this she had to find a way to get through to Regina.
"I think what you need is to get a journalist on board" Ruby suggested
"Are you kidding me" Emma exclaimed "A journalist was what got me in this mess into the first place, nope I think what I need is to stay well away from journalists!"
"Just hear me out Em" Ruby implored "A corrupt paparazzi journalist lied to make a quick buck but not all of them are like that"
Emma looked doubtful
"Okay, so most of them are probably like that" Ruby conceded "But the point is that some aren't, we just need to find one of those and you can tell the true story to them and when they print the truth Regina will see it, understand what happened and forgive you" Ruby smiled broadly evidently very proud of her plan,
"It's a nice idea but it's just too risky, I can't afford for anything else to go wrong" Emma sighed and played with the straw in her drink as she mulled over her thoughts, "but" she said slowly a few minutes later as a plan began to form in her mind "I think I might know a way to make your idea work"
"Really" Ruby asked leaning towards Emma with her elbows on the counter "So tell me already, I'm all ears" she smiled
"Well," Emma said finalizing the details in her head "I don't actually need the article published right? I mean at least not at first, I just need for Regina to see it, to understand that I didn't tell the pap anything like what was printed and that I don't think those things about her at all, I could make something myself and give it to her, and if she reads it and understands, I can put it up on social media after for the whole world to see the truth if she wants me to" Emma smiled feeling lighter than she had in days now that she had a workable plan, "thanks Rubes you've been helpful as always" she grinned pulling her sister and friend into a brief one armed hug across the counter, "Here take a photo of me will you" Emma thrust her phone into Ruby's hand and smiled from her stool as she took the picture,
"Awesome, thanks" Emma beamed when she took the phone back and viewed the image, "now I have to get to work, I'll be back at the loft, so I'll see you there later" Emma said discarding her straw and downing the rest of her drink in one, slamming the empty glass on the table a little to enthusiastically when she was finished,
"Hey, hey be kind to my glasses" Granny said as she came out of the kitchen just on time to see the glass hit the deck,
"Sorry Granny" Emma blushed sheepishly as she turned to leave the diner.
Emma hadn't been away for long but already it felt strange to be leaving the diner and walking back home to the loft like she used to, she thought about that day that Guy had spotted her as she was walking home just like now, that day that had changed her life forever and smiled, even though things weren't great between her and Regina at the moment she still had high hopes of fixing them and she was still happy to have landed the role.
It felt stranger still when she walked into the loft a short while later, nothing much had changed since she was last here except that Dorothy's things seemed to be all about the place, she certainly seemed to be making herself at home and Emma's heart felt happy at the thought she was glad for both of them, that they had this time to be alone and play house together.
Like Ruby, Dorothy was out at work, so Emma had the place to herself when she sat down and powered up her old laptop, her newer one was back at the trailer, but the printer was here, so she compromised rather than wasting time returning to the trailer unnecessarily,
"Come on Sloth baby, you can do it" Emma gently urged the ancient device as it loaded up and though it was painfully slow Sloth trusty as ever preformed without a glitch and soon Emma had created a very different but much more honest article than the one that had been published in the magazine.
Once she was completely happy with it, she sent a copy to the printer to print several times just in case it took a few tries to persuade Regina to read it and another to her phone ready to upload to social media at a later date if that was what Regina wanted.
She looked up at the clock on the kitchen wall as she slipped her finished article into a small file for safekeeping and to her annoyance saw that there were still several more hours remaining before Ruby's shift was due to end, so after shutting Sloth down and putting everything away Emma decided to head back out to the diner to show Ruby what she had done there rather than waiting for her to return.
"The truth behind the lies by Emma Swan" Ruby read the headline aloud when she flipped open the folder that Emma had just handed her "catchy, I like it" she smiled
"Shh" Emma hissed not wanting anyone else to over hear what she had written,
"Wow you got it bad huh?" Ruby giggled as she read the article
"What" Emma exclaimed looking at her friend's face shining with humour, mortified "Shit it's not that bad is it?" she asked her eyes dropping to look at her hands in her lap and her shoulders sagging deflated,
"I'm just messing with you Em" Ruby laughed "It's really good"
"You really think so?' Emma asked hopefully,
"Yep, you know I think you may have missed your calling, it's dead professional looking"
"I wouldn't go that far" Emma smiled ears glowing bright red,
"Well, I would" Ruby insisted "This is a proper job Emma, you should be proud of it"
"I just hope she reads it" Emma sighs "Then hopefully we can put all this nonsense behind us"
"Of course, she'll read it Emma" Ruby assured reaching across the table they were sitting at to take her hand "how could she not"
"I hope you're right" Emma replied as she looked her article over for what felt like the hundredth time,
She'd drawn inspiration from the original article, laying hers out with her title written in a similar font in big bold letters so that it stood out from the rest, her picture looked out from the top of the page just like in the previous article but instead of her looking shellshocked by the sudden flash in her eyes she was smiling demurely and the contents of the article itself of course read very differently than the previous one had.
Now she thought as she walked back to her trailer, she just had to find a way to deliver it to Regina preferably without her or anybody else finding out that it was from her at least not until it was actually in Regina's hands.
The solution to her problem presented itself to her a few days later, they had gone back to filming and though Emma still didn't feel at her best knowing that she had a plan in the works was helping her to rest better, her dreams at least were much less intense now but still she had been planning how to execute the final stage of her plan.
The answer came to her when she was returning to the trailer one afternoon and passed a trolley being pushed out of security laden with flowers, letters and other gifts from Regina's adoring fans, Emma knew from seeing this happen before that everything on the trolley had been checked by security and that they were now headed for Regina's trailer for her to find on her return and that gave her an idea.
The trolley was still behind her when she pulled in at her own trailer so grabbing the white a4 Envelope from the her passenger seat which she had been carrying around in her script every day since filming had begun again after the weekend hoping to find an opportunity to sneak it in with Regina's things and failing to so, so far, Emma grabbed a pen from her glove compartment wrote Regina's name across the front of it and hopped out her car walking towards the front of her trailer, hiding out of sight waiting for the guard with the trolley to pass.
She didn't have to wait long, after giving him just enough time to clear her trailer and sparing a quick look around to make sure no-one else was about to witness what she about to do Emma ran after him calling out,
"Wait, you dropped this one" as she waved the envelope in the air for him to see when he paused to look round at her a little perplexed, Emma slowed down as she approached him holding the envelope out with bated breath.
"Ahh thanks Miss Swan" The guard smiled taking the envelope and adding it to the pile on the bottom of the trolley "I can't think how I didn't notice that, but I'm sure glad that you did"
"It's Emma" Emma blushed "And it's really no problem" she returned his smile "I best let you get on your way before Miss Mills returns" she concluded, he smiled and nodded waving goodbye as he continued onward while Emma retreated to the safety of her trailer where she finally let the breath out that she had been holding, her plan had worked so far now she just had to wait to find out if Regina read and believed it.
Three days later she was talking to Ruby on the phone after another long day filming,
"She still hasn't read it" she sighed "either that or she screwed it up the second she saw it and hasn't bothered to mention it"
"Give it time Em" Ruby relied "You said there were a tonne of letters on that pile, I bet she just hasn't gotten to it yet"
"I hope so" Emma sighed again
"I know so" Ruby replied confidently as a knock sounded on Emma's door,
"Hang on a sec there's someone at my door" Emma said getting up to open it, she swore her jaw must have almost dropped to floor when she saw Regina standing on the other side holding her article up with a strange look on her face,
"Umm I'm going to have to go, I'll call you back later" she said hanging up while Ruby was still asking who was at the door, Regina taking that as an invite in had already stepped across the threshold by the time Emma had pocketed her phone leaving Emma to close the door behind her,
"What do you call this?" Regina demanded turning on her the second she had closed "Is this some kind of joke to you?" she asked eyes flaring,
"What no" Emma exclaimed appalled, tears forming in her eyes, she had believed her plan to be so solid so fool proof and still she had somehow managed to make things worse,
"Then what is it?" Regina demanded again voice faltering a little as the first of Emma's tears rolled down her cheeks,
"It's what it says it is" Emma sobbed "the truth, that is what the article would have said had I actually done an interview and the truth been printed"
"So why didn't you just tell me that" Regina sighed pinching the bridge of her nose
"I tried" Emma retorted voice raising a couple of octaves through her frustration "but you wouldn't listen to me, I couldn't stand you hating me without ever knowing the truth, I thought that at least this way you would know and then if you still hate me, I guess there is nothing I can do to change your mind so I'll just have to live with it" Emma dropped onto her sofa and cried into her hands,
"Oh Emma" Regina replied and Emma felt the sofa sag next to her before a gentle hand pulled one of hers away from her face keeping hold of it on the seat of the sofa between them, Emma let her other hand drop into her lap trying not to focus on the way her heart was racing as Regina held her hand in hers and looked up to meet Regina's eyes which she saw to her dismay also had tears forming in them,
"Please don't cry" she whispered reached over with her free hand to wipe the tear that was just falling away at the same time as Regina said,
"I don't hate you; I never did, I was just so hurt that you could do that treat me like a meal ticket when we were getting on so well, I really believed you might be different and that we might be able to friends maybe even trust each other one day and then the article..." she trailed off,
"I am different" Emma insisted squeezing Regina's hand reassuringly "I know it must be weird to work with a fan, maybe that even makes it harder to trust and I understand, I really do but I never saw you as claim to fame or a bit of juicy gossip Regina, all I've ever seen you as is the human being that you are, I hate that you were hurt by this and that it was on some level my fault, but I didn't say any of those things, I swear it, you gave me the benefit of the doubt once, please can you do it again" Emma implored looking earnestly into Regina's eyes, silence stretched between them for a few seconds then,
"This" Regina held up the article "is beautiful Emma, all the things I said to you before the article, it's all here, I don't think I've ever had anyone really listen to me like you do before," she offered a small watery smiled,
"I have a copy on my phone you know" Emma told her returning the smile with a slightly timid one of her own "I can share it on social media if you like so that the rest of the world can see how wrong that article was"
"No please don't do that" Regina replied, and Emma's heart sank "I'm used to the world thinking the worst of me, that reputation is one of the legacies that my mother has handed down to me unfortunately, my big sister she managed to escape that curse, everyone thinks that Zee is wicked cool, but me I'm the Evil Queen and I probably always will be" she sighed sadly
"Not to me" Emma told her adamantly "You were never that to me and you never will be"
"I know" Regina smiled warmly "and I'm glad, but I don't care what the rest of the world think, not really, who are they to me, let them have their bit of gossip, they aren't my fans, half of the haters don't even watch my shows and the ones that do are watching because someone else they like is in it and they don't like it when they think that I'm stealing their favourite stars spotlight" she chuckled "I meant it when I said that this is beautiful Emma, it truly is and I don't want to share it with the world, I want it to be for me only, who cares what anyone else thinks anyway" she beamed pulling Emma into a hug which Emma happily returned heart soaring.
When they pulled away Emma felt so light that she thought she might be floating,
"Can I get you anything to drink?" she asked grabbing the box of tissues from the table and offering them to Regina then taking one for herself before the silence that had fallen between them after the hug could get awkward,
"Sure, a hot chocolate would be nice if you have any" Regina smiled as she dabbed her eyes with the tissue that she had just accepted,
"Two hot chocolates coming right up" Emma smiled back and moved to the kitchen to prepare the hot drinks
"Mm" Regina moaned into her cup as she took a sip sending tingles through Emma's body "This is divine, what is this stuff because it's definitely not what I have in my kitchen"
"I found it in my bag when I was unpacking, Ruby says that Granny packed it, thought it might bring me comfort if I started to feel homesick and she wasn't wrong, this is the stuff they serve in Grannies, it's my favourite flavour she peps this one up with cinnamon" Emma said taking a sip of her own drink barely able to contain her own groan as the liquid hit her tongue this was the first thing that she had tasted properly in weeks and Regina was right it really was divine.
"God I'm so sorry Emma" Regina sniffed
"Hey" Emma's forehead creased in concerned as she took hold of Regina's hand again "it's okay"
"No it's not" Regina's shoulders hunched and she rested her mug on her knee "This is your first acting gig, you've been feeling home sick and I've just been being horrible to you, I even made you have a panic attack and even after all that you're still sat here trying to comfort me and making me the best hot chocolate I've ever tasted, I don't know how I shall ever go back to my regular nightly hot chocolate after this" she sighed raising the cup to her lips to take another sip,
"Well, if you play your cards right, I might be persuaded to make you one of every night before bed" Emma winked and Regina snorted with laughter into her drink,
"Shit, that sounded so much worse out loud than it did in my head" Emma exclaimed mortified "I really didn't mean that the way it sounded" she stammered feeling her face heat up as her heart pounded in her ears,
"No I'm sure you didn't" Regina laughed all traces of sadness gone from her eyes as tears of laughter began to roll down her cheeks, her laughter proved so infectious that Emma joined in and soon they were hopeless piles of helpless giggles and even though it had come at Emma's expense that broke the serious feel to the mood and after they sat and talked easily the past finally in the past where it belonged, after a second hot chocolate Emma was seeing Regina to the door, as much as they could have sat in each other's company for much longer they both knew that it was unwise to do so with their early start in the morning.
"Are you sure you don't want me to walk you to your door?" Emma asked as they pulled out of their final embrace
"Don't be daft, I'm only a few doors down" Regina replied
"Okay" Emma shrugged following Regina out the door anyway shutting it behind her,
"Emma, I said I can walk myself home" Regina laughed "Nothing's going to happen to me in this secure complex",
"I know and I'm not walking you home" Emma assured her "I'm just going to stand at the front of my trailer so I can see you get to yours safely" she grinned cheekily
"That's very sweet of you but there's really no need" Regina assured her
"But I'll be able to sleep better if I see you get in safe" Emma pouted
"Fine" Regina conceded "I know" Regina said suddenly thrusting her hand into her pocket and holding her phone out to Emma "Put your number in this and I'll text you when I'm in, you can reply when you're in and that way we'll both sleep easy knowing that we're both safe"
"Aww you're worried about me in this big scary secure complex too" Emma teased as she tapped in her number thrilled at the prospect of receiving a text from Regina, "Can I save your number in my phone when you text me? She asked not wanting to presume,
"Course you can" Regina replied pulling Emma into another quick hug at the front of her trailer, "see you in the morning" she whispered into Emma's ear sending goosebumps racing all over Emma's flesh before she pulled out of the embrace and headed towards her own trailer with Emma watching after her until she stopped to wave then vanished in between her trailer and the next, as soon as Regina was out of sight Emma raced back into her trailer and locked the door, her phone chimed as she was walking through the lounge area heading for her bed,
She smiled as she opened the text from a number with no name,
I'm home safe, thanks for tonight, Emma
Love R x
Thanks' for coming round and hearing me out,
I'm in safe too
Love Emma x
Emma tapped out her reply and hit send then saved Regina's number before quickly dialling Ruby's number to briefly fill her on the evening's events,
"That's brilliant Ems" Ruby shouted excitedly and though she couldn't see her Emma knew that Ruby was punching the air in celebration right at that second "I'm so pleased for you, now you can finally move on, leave that stuff behind you and start enjoying yourself"
"Thanks Rubes" Emma suddenly yawned hugely "I'm sorry I can't talk any longer I really have to get some sleep, I just wanted to let you know that everything was okay, I'll call you tomorrow okay" she yawned again
"Sure, speak tomorrow Em" Ruby replied, the two hung up after saying goodbye and Emma moved quickly through her night-time routine, she had just gotten herself comfortable in bed when the phone chimed again,
"Dammit Ruby this had best be good" Emma grumbled as she rolled out of her comfortable position and grabbed her phone and glasses to read the text, she got a bit of a surprise when she saw Regina's name on the screen instead of Ruby's,
Good night, Emma, I hope you sleep well,
See you in the morning,
Love R x
With a giant grin on her face that she was glad that no one else could see Emma tapped out a similar reply hitting send before returning her phone and glasses to their places on her bedside table and rolling over quickly falling into the soundest sleep that she had, had in weeks.