Part Thirty-Three: The One With The Prophecy
"You are dating Regina?"
Emma had barely pushed the door of the loft open when Mary Margaret's voice reached her ears.
She was standing in front of the door, inside the loft, one hand holding her waist and the other holding up a spatula.
Emma pulled the key from the door lock, closing the door behind her.
"Good morning," Emma said.
She put the duffle bag she was holding by the door before sliding her jacket off her shoulders.
"You are dating Regina?" Mary Margaret asked "Emma, are you insane?
Emma narrowed her eyes at Mary Margaret, hanging her jacket on the hookers next to the door.
"Careful, Mary Margaret," Emma said seriously "You are my friend but watch your tone when talking about Regina"
Mary Margaret tilted her head to the side, staring at Emma with curious eyes.
"It's serious, isn't it?" Mary Margaret asked.
Emma walked to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, taking a water bottle from inside. Mary Margaret followed her to the kitchen and put the spatula inside the sink before turning off the flames of the stove.
"Yes, it is," Emma opened the bottle cap "We are together"
Emma drank the water, slightly uncomfortable with the way Mary Margaret was looking at her.
"Why you didn't tell me?" Mary Margaret asked, "Were you ashamed?"
"Of Regina?" Emma laughed, cleaning the corner of her mouth where some of the water had dripped "I don't think anybody on their right mind would ever be ashamed of her"
"She's rude," Mary Margaret said.
"She's hot," Emma clicked her tongue.
Mary Margaret scrunched her nose at Emma, crossing her arms.
"Then why didn't you tell me?" Mary Margaret asked.
"Because," Emma sighed "It was none of your business"
"You gave me a hard time when I was with David," Mary Margaret said.
"Regina isn't married, Mary Margaret," Emma said "Unlike David was. Or is"
"I know," Mary Margaret sighed "It's just that Regina she is…"
Emma clicked her tongue again, staring deadly at Mary Margaret.
"Difficult," Mary Margaret said after a moment "She is difficult, you know that"
Emma closed the water bottle and put it on top of the sink before looking at Mary Margaret again.
"No, I don't know that," Emma said tonelessly "She put on a hard front, Mary Margaret, but that's only because nobody in this town really gives her a chance. Once you get to know her, the real Regina, you see that she is the exact opposite of difficult"
"She was keeping you a secret," Mary Margaret pointed at Emma.
As if she hadn't heard a word Emma said.
"We were keeping things between ourselves because we didn't want to hurt Henry in case things didn't work out between us," Emma said.
Mary Margaret looked at Emma, her features slightly softer.
"Be careful, Emma," Mary Margaret said "There is something about Regina that I just don't trust. She hates me for no reason"
Emma took a step closer to Mary Margaret, invading her personal space.
"Don't ever tell me to be careful with Regina again," Emma said angrily looking into her eyes "I trust her. I believe her. I love her"
"Love?" Mary Margaret whispered disbelievingly.
"Yes," Emma said tonelessly again "So whatever you think about Regina, whatever it is between the two of you, you can keep it to yourself. Nobody hates for free Mary Margaret. If she hates you I'm sure you did something to deserve it"
"I didn't do anything," Mary Margaret said quickly.
"Yeah," Emma smiled coldly "Keep telling yourself that"
"Emma…"
"Im going to my room," Emma said "Please don't bother me again"
Emma walked past Mary Margaret and then up the stairs to her bedroom, falling on top of her bed.
She had a few hours before she had to go to work.
Emma used her foot to kick her boots off her feet before snuggling under the covers.
She had planned to take a nap before going to the station, the night and early morning activities with Regina had barely given her body any time to rest.
Emma closed her eyes, bringing the sheets under her chin.
She waited and waited and waited, but sleep never claimed her.
Something was missing.
The bedroom didn't have their scent, the mattress didn't have Regina's presence.
And Emma no longer wished to be in a place where her family wasn't in it.
Regina entered the pawnshop, her posture the embodiment of cold boredom.
She walked inside the shop, eyeing this or that object on display, her eyes lingering a moment longer on the open case on top of the counter on the right.
Prince Charming's sword was there, reflecting the sunlight entering the shop and casting a silvery glow on the wall.
Regina remembered that sword so well.
It had nearly nicked her face when he threw it in her direction, the day she invaded his marriage to Snow White.
He had missed it, of course.
As much as he liked to brag, he was never truly good with a sword.
He never had the proper training.
Regina could easily disarm him without the use of magic. Even Snow White was better with a blade than he was. David was a farmer, not a soldier. He was never forged to go into battle like she was.
Like Snow White was.
Both of them had fought wars from the second they were born against the people who wanted to use them to gain nothing but power.
Until Regina grew tired of fighting and took power for herself.
"Madam Mayor,"
Regina looked ahead, watching Gold behind the counter a venous smile adorning his face.
She hated that man.
She wished she could blame him for all the tragedies of her life.
But the guilt of that wasn't his alone.
He had given her freedom when he taught her how to use magic. And then he trapped her again under his cobweb of schemes and hate.
It had consumed her, to the point where Regina thought she could not exist without her hate, without her revenge.
It poisoned her.
And she willingly let him feed her the poison.
Because without it, Regina thought she would just disappear into thin air.
Her thirst for revenge was the only thing that kept her breathing, that made her heart still beat inside her chest.
Until now.
Until love had found her and mended her broken heart.
Until Emma and Henry gave back everything it had been stolen from her.
"Quite beautiful, isn't it?" Gold said, "Would you like to take a closer look, dear?"
Regina blinked her eyes, rage running freely through her veins, trying to wake the magic that no longer lived there.
This world did not allow her to access her magic.
Another blessed relief when she first arrived in this world.
The lack of magic somehow had lessened that rage.
It made her realize what was missing from her life.
It had made her seek Henry.
And then Henry had brought the other half of her heart home.
"I want Emma out of the deal she made with you," Regina said.
Gold looked at Regina, every inch that moved up on his lips curved into a hateful smile, like a viper staring at its prey before the pounce.
"I'm afraid that is not possible, dearie," Gold said.
Regina breathed slowly, trying to calm her racing heart. It was almost impossible to keep the casual façade, with all the rage crawling under her skin and boiling her blood.
"Name your price," Regina said firmly "And I'll pay"
"Unfortunately, there is nothing that I want from you," Gold said lightly "Not anymore"
Regina walked in his direction, every step more determined than the other, her eyes never breaking contact with his.
Sometimes she thought if she looked really closely, she could still see those serpent eyes, shining in the darkness of his rotten soul.
"You are awake, aren't you?" Regina asked.
"Do I look like I'm sleeping to you, dearie?" Gold laughed "Perhaps you should go home and take some rest. The glow in your skin is quite beautiful but the circles under your eyes do worry me"
Regina put her hands on the surface of the counter, her fingertips marking the glass.
"Tell me your real name," Regina said, shades of anger adorning every word.
"Why?" Gold asked "Have you forgotten already"
"I want to hear it from your lips," Regina said.
Gold smiled at her again, walking behind the counter.
"Everything has the right time to happen," Gold said, the clicking sound of his cane against the wooden floor echoing in the shop "And the right time has not come just yet"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Regina asked.
"You'll know sooner rather than later," Gold smiled.
"I am not interested in playing your games anymore, Gold," Regina said "I will not let you harm Emma"
"I've no interest in harming Miss Swan," Gold said.
"Then make a deal with me and cut her out of your games," Regina said, her breathing becoming heavier.
Gold took a step closer, invading Regina's personal space, and ran the bone knot of his index finger down her face.
His cold touch made something recoil inside Regina and hide somewhere deep.
"Love is such a beautiful thing, dearie," Gold said "But have you forgotten, Regina? Love is weakness"
Regina gasped for air, staring at Gold with eyes wide and heart beating so fast she could feel it pushing her flesh and bones.
Those words had echoed inside of her for years and years, whispered in her heart every time she wanted to justify her actions.
It took everything good she had inside of her leaving only darkness to full fill the space.
It turned her into a monster.
It turned her into The Evil Queen.
"No!" Regina whispered.
Gold smiled at her again, staring into her eyes.
Regina could feel the fear coiling around her heart and spreading through her body like a rosebush full of thorns.
Ripping her apart.
The bell above the door chimed, its sound echoing inside the shop.
Regina looked to the side, the daze of Gold's stare breaking, stopping the thorns from piercing her.
The fear withdrew slightly, uncoiling from her flesh and bones, gathering itself somewhere deep inside of her.
"You," Regina said.
In front of the door the outsider, August, was standing, looking between Gold and Regina.
"Madam Mayor," August said.
Gold looked at August, his features suddenly hard. His grip slipped from his cane and for a second, Regina could swear his fingers were trembling.
"Is there anything else you need dear?" Gold asked Regina.
Regina blinked her eyes one and then two times.
"We are not done here," Regina said.
"I think we are," Gold said firmly "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a customer to attend"
Regina took a step closer to Gold, pressing her lips against his ear.
"Get anywhere near her again," Regina said slowly "And I will kill you with my bare hands"
Regina stepped away from Gold and walked out of the shop.
And just when the door was shutting behind her, Regina could hear the word whispered from August's lips.
Pappa!
Regina walked on the sidewalk away from the pawnshop, her brain a hurricane of thoughts and feelings and she could not distinguish one from the other.
All she knew, all her instincts were telling her was that she had to keep Emma and Henry safe.
And the only way to protect them was by protecting her curse.
Regina balled her hand into a fist, primal hatred rippling beneath her skin.
She had lied for too long.
Hid for too long.
And now…
"Mom!"
Regina stopped walking, Henry's voice pulling her out of her miserable thoughts.
She looked to the side and saw Henry crossing the street, his book tucked under his arm.
"Henry, what are you doing here?" Regina asked, "Why aren't you at school?"
"What were you doing in Mr. Gold's shop?" Henry asked.
"Nothing," Regina shook her head "Is school over already?"
"Yes, it is," Henry said "I was reading my book and gathering information for Operation Cobra and…"
"Henry…"
"I think I know who he is," Henry said "Mr. Gold. He is Rumpelstiltskin isn't he?"
Regina swallowed drily, staring at her son.
"Emma made a deal with him, mom," Henry said "Bad things happen when people don't honor their deals with Rumpelstiltskin"
"He is not getting anywhere near Emma or you," Regina said seriously.
"The only way to protect Emma is by telling her the truth," Henry said.
"Henry, please stop," Regina said.
She resumed her walking, Henry's steps echoing behind her.
"You can't keep lying to her, mom," Henry said "Emma is going to find out the truth"
"Henry, go home," Regina said, her voice choked.
"We are running out of time," Henry said "The curse is going to break, it's Emma's destiny to break the curse"
"Henry, stop," Regina said, her voice higher a notch.
"You have to tell her the truth mom," Henry said.
"I can't" Regina shouted.
She turned around to face Henry, holding his face between her hands and soft tears falling from her eyes.
"I can't," Regina whispered.
And her heart squeezed inside her chest.
As if those thorny stems were wrapping around her heart again.
Regina felt the cold wind blow on the nape of her neck, carrying a scent Regina would recognize anywhere.
Wildflowers and summer breeze forged with apple blossom.
Her true love.
Regina rose to her full height, cleaning the tears with her fingers.
"Regina," Emma said behind her.
And her voice sounded almost desperate.
Regina turned around, smiling at Emma, hoping that smile would somehow cover her tears and fears.
She forced her heart to slow its heartbeat, forced the thoughts out of her mind, forced anything that would give Emma any indication Regina was under any sort of distress.
Emma stopped in front of Regina, holding her face between her hands, her eyes boring into hers.
"What's going on?" Emma asked, "Are you okay? What happened?"
Regina covered Emma's hands with her own, sliding one palm and then the other to her lips, kissing them softly.
"Everything is perfectly fine," Regina smiled.
And even though she was lying, her smile now was genuine.
Because that kind of concern Emma had for her would always touch something good in her heart.
The part that belonged to Emma and Henry.
The pure part of her heart untouched by darkness.
"Why were you crying?" Emma asked.
She cherished Regina's cheek with her palm, her soft touch like velvet against her skin.
"It was just…" Regina shook her head "It was just the wind"
"Mom," Henry said seriously "Tell her the truth"
"What truth?" Emma asked looking at Henry and then Regina.
"Henry, please," Regina said almost defeated.
"What is he talking about, Regina?" Emma asked.
"Tell her the truth about the curse," Henry said.
Emma sighed audibly, pressing her forehead against Regina's.
"Is that why you are crying?" Emma asked softly.
Regina closed her eyes, losing herself for a moment on Emma's touch, the proximity of their bodies, on Emma's hot breath tickling her lips.
She squeezed Emma's hands that were touching her face, letting her skin memorize the soft touch before sliding Emma's hands down her cheeks.
"It was just the wind, really," Regina smiled "I have to go. I have a lot of work to do today"
"Regina…"
"It's all gonna be alright, Emma," Regina said.
She turned to Henry, her eyes stern when she looked at him.
"You know I don't like you walking around town alone," Regina said "Go home, Henry"
"Mom!" Henry protested.
"Go home, now," Regina said.
"I have stuff to do," Henry said.
"No, you don't," Emma said seriously, "Your mother tells you to go home, you go home"
"Ma?!" Henry said surprised.
Emma's harsh tone took even Regina by surprise.
And it was almost a relief knowing that she wasn't the only one who could get annoyed by Henry's insubordination sometimes.
Emma looked at Regina apologetically, but Regina just shook her head.
There was no need for her to apologize.
She was Henry's mother as much as Regina was.
Emma smiled softly at Regina, taking a step closer. She intertwined her fingers with Regina's, squeezing her hand between hers.
"I'll take him home," Emma said.
"Thank you," Regina said back.
"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you to the Mayor's office?" Emma asked.
"No," Regina shook her head, "I think I could use some fresh air"
Emma looked at Regina sadly, her eyes glowing with concern.
Regina could barely stand that worry adorning Emma's features.
Even if the care touched her deeply.
Regina took a step closer to Emma, pressing their lips together.
"I'm okay," Regina said softly "Take our son home"
Emma nodded slowly, bringing her free hand to Regina's cheek.
"I'll see you later?" Emma asked.
Regina smiled at Emma, kissing her lips again.
"Absolutely," Regina said against Emma's lips.
She let go of Emma's hand and turned to Henry, running her hand over his hair.
"Your mother is going to take you home," Regina said "And I expect you to obey her"
"Okay," Henry said.
Regina kissed the top of Henry's head and then turned to Emma, pressing her lips against hers.
And then she walked away from them, past the car Emma had parked so carelessly on the street that the door was still open, and then passed the street that would take her to the Mayor's office.
Regina's feet guided her body on its own accord.
She barely noticed the people who walked past her and greeted her.
Barely noticed she was distancing herself further and further from town.
Barely noticed the graveyard around her until she stopped in front of her father's Mausoleum.
Regina pushed the heavy door open, her heart racing inside her chest.
She couldn't remember the last time she was there.
It was probably ten years ago when Henry was still a baby and she woke up there with no recollection of how and why she felt the need to go inside.
Regina ran her trembling fingers over the engraved name of her father on the coffin, tracing his name with her fingertips.
So much damage she had done.
She couldn't let it all be for nothing.
Regina pushed the coffin to the side, stone cracking on stone loudly for the lack of use.
And then she walked down the stairs to her vault, hoping to find something that would help keep her family safe.
Emma was walking the pathway to the mansion's door, both herself and Henry silent as they were when they first entered her bug.
She was feeling guilty for the way she spoke with Henry.
Her tone was cold and angry and Emma never wanted to talk to Henry like that again.
Even if she was right.
But she couldn't help herself.
Her blood was already boiling inside her veins and her heart was constricting inside her chest like a viper had curled around it suffocating its existence.
It hurt.
She could hardly breathe.
And she knew to whom that feeling belonged.
So Emma stepped on the gas, desperate to find Regina, fear already crawling under her skin.
It wasn't as bad as it had been on that stormy night.
That night had devasted her.
But still…
Emma couldn't bare knowing Regina was feeling like that for some reason.
She had just entered the pawn shop street when she saw Regina walking on the sidewalk, Henry behind her.
They didn't even notice her car.
And Emma just hit the brakes, not even bothering to park her car properly or close the door behind her when she left the car. The actions took more effort than what she was willing to give at the moment.
And by the time she called Regina's name, the feeling dissipated, slowly at first and then all at once.
As if it had never been there.
And she could fool herself to believe they weren't if it wasn't for the tears Regina was trying to hide with a smile.
A smile that didn't reach her eyes.
When Emma asked Regina what was wrong and she told her it was the wind, her lie detector beeped so loud she thought Regina and Henry would hear it.
It was pure bullshit.
But Emma didn't really need her lie detector to know that.
And then Henry had insisted that Regina needed to tell her the truth. Every instinct inside Emma went on high alert.
For a second, she thought he was talking about Regina's secret.
The one that almost broke them apart.
But when Henry talked about the damn curse, Emma just sighed audibly, annoyance hammering in the back of her head.
She knew how much that hurt Regina and quite frankly, Emma was starting to get hurt about it herself.
What Henry did, telling Regina she was some evil witch and telling Emma she had loving parents were so far away from the truth it hurt.
And as if that wasn't enough, he had dared defy an express order from Regina.
Emma had no choice but to be stern with him.
Henry needed limits and she couldn't let the guilt of abandoning him dictate all her actions.
He was a good kid but that didn't give him the right to defy Regina like that.
But now…
Now that the rage had lessened, guilty started to creep in, even though she knew she was right.
Because Henry had given her the silent treatment the whole ride to the mansion.
"Well, I'm home," Henry said.
He put his key on the door lock, turning it to the right, and then pushed the door open.
"Henry, I need to talk to you," Emma said.
"About what?" Henry asked.
"Let's go inside," Emma said.
Emma entered the mansion, closing the door behind her.
"Why don't we go to the living room?" Emma asked.
"Okay,"
Henry dropped his backpack beside the door and then walked to the living room, his book tucked under his armpit.
He sat on the couch, crossing his legs, the book neatly displayed on his lap.
Emma sat beside Henry, scratching her forehead and then running her hand once over her hair.
"I didn't mean to talk to you the way I did early today," Emma said "But your mother gave you an order and you are supposed to obey her"
"You never cared about that before," Henry said "I used to sneak out all the time to meet you and you never really said anything"
"I know," Emma sighed "And that was wrong of me"
"I wasn't trying to disobey her," Henry said in a small voice "I just needed to gather intel for Operation Cobra"
"Henry…"
"The curse is weakening," Henry said "I know it is, I can feel things are changing"
"Why is this so important to you?" Emma asked.
"Why isn't it to you?" Henry asked back.
Emma looked down and shook her hand.
"I don't want to be this Savior, Henry," Emma said tiredly before looking back at Henry "I never had an easy life. This is the first time in twenty-eight years that I truly found something good. With you and your mom, I finally have something good, Henry. With you and Regina I finally have a family"
"That's not true," Henry insisted almost desperate "Your parents are here and they are waiting for you. They all are"
Emma sighed, fighting back the tears that were prickling behind her eyes.
So many years she spent looking for her parents, looking for a reason why.
Even after she had Henry, Emma still looked for them.
She thought that maybe if she could understand why they did that it would somehow lessen her own guilt for doing the same to Henry.
But Emma never found them.
And now she never would.
Somehow, life had granted her a second chance with her son.
And she had fallen in love with his mother.
And they were all Emma cared about.
They were the only family who matter.
Emma looked seriously at Henry, nodding slowly.
"Okay," Emma said "Okay, let's pretend for a second that this is real"
"It is real," Henry said.
"Alright," Emma said "Tell me the story again. Tell me the story of how I came to this world"
"Your parents, Snow White and Prince Charming put you inside a wardrobe," Henry said "The wardrobe had the power to bring you to another world. This world"
"And why did they do that again?" Emma asked.
"Because it was the only way to save you from the curse," Henry said.
"A curse that I'm supposed to break because I am the Savior?" Emma asked.
"Exactly"
"Do you know what the problem with this story is, Henry?" Emma asked "I don't really understand why they had to send me away"
"The Evil Queen was going to send them to a horrible place," Henry said.
Emma laughed, a soft tear rolling down from the corner of her eye.
"Does Storybrooke look like a horrible place to you, kid?" Emma asked.
"They are all separated from the ones they love," Henry said.
"Are they?" Emma asked "Let me ask you this, who do you think Granny and Ruby are"
"Ruby is red riding hood," Henry said "And Granny is… well, she is Granny"
"Correct me if I'm wrong but were they separated because of this curse?" Emma asked.
"They hate each other," Henry made a face "They are always fighting"
"They love each other and anyone can see that," Emma said "And Ruby does deserve some of the things Granny tells her"
"You are missing the point, Ma," Henry said.
"And what point is that, kid?" Emma asked.
"You are the product of true love," Henry said "It's your destiny to break the curse and save everyone in town"
"And what if I don't want to do that?" Emma asked.
Henry looked at Emma blinking his eyes once and then twice.
"It's your destiny," Henry said "You don't have a choice"
"Yes, I do," Emma said "If you can believe that Snow White made a choice when she put me inside a wardrobe then you have to believe that I have a choice when I say I don't want to fulfill this destiny"
"I don't understand," Henry said.
"She could have kept me, Henry," Emma said, a single tear falling from the corner of her eyes "She didn't need to put me inside that wardrobe, she…"
"It was Prince Charming," Henry said interrupting Emma.
"What?" Emma asked.
"It was your father who put you in the wardrobe," Henry said.
"Right," Emma laughed "Well, as I was saying, they could have kept me. They could have brought me here to this world with them, they could have brought me here to Storybrooke. They chose to give me away, they chose not to keep me"
"They were trying to save you from the curse," Henry said.
"No, kid, they were trying to save themselves," Emma said angrily "I was hours old when I was abandoned on the side of the road. Hours, Henry. I was their child and they chose a whole realm over me. They chose to save themselves over me. They chose to believe in this prophecy that I would return twenty-eight years later to save them all but guess what, kid? I almost didn't make it to twenty-eight"
"What do you mean?" Henry asked, his voice small.
"I've been through things in life Henry that nobody should go through, especially at a such young age," Emma said "And you have no idea how grateful I will always be to your mom for having been the one who adopted you. Because unlike Snow White and Prince Charming, Regina would never give you away"
"She would if she had to save me," Henry said.
"To save you, yes," Emma said.
She ran her hands over Henry's hair and then held his face between her hands.
"To save herself or even a realm?" Emma asked "She wouldn't. She would never put herself before you. She would always choose what's best for you, Henry. Not others"
Henry looked down, staring at the couch.
Emma let go of his face and cleaned the tears from her face, her heart heavy inside her chest.
So many things she went through growing up.
So much of the unfairness of the world was shown to her at such a young age.
And all for what?
So she could save a bunch of people she never even met in her life?
To save them from an Evil Queen who brought them to the most idyllic town she had ever seen?
To save her parents who didn't even bother to make sure she was safe first?
Emma shook her head, pushing Henry's idea of what her life story was out of her mind.
This wasn't her story.
Her story was far darker than Princesses and Queens fighting over who was the fairest of them all.
Henry lifted his eyes to Emma, staring at her for a moment.
"My mom is The Evil Queen," Henry said "And she did cast the curse that trapped everyone from the Enchanted forest here"
"Henry…"
"But she changed," Henry said interrupting Emma "She changed when she adopted me. I know I was wrong now. She loves me. She has always loved me. And I love her too"
"Of course she does, kid," Emma smiled "No one bites that hard for someone they don't love"
Emma laughed lightly and Henry smiled at her, his eyes glowing softly.
"You changed her too, you know?" Henry said "She is happy with you. You are changing her. You are making her good"
"I don't want your mom to change, kid," Emma said softly.
"You don't want her to be good?" Henry frowned.
"I want her to be who she is," Emma said "Change is something we do for ourselves, kid, not others. I don't want your mom to fit into an idea of what I or you think it's good. If I am changing her somehow, I want it to be because she welcomes these changes, not because she wants to please me. I want your mother to be who she is because that is the Regina I fell in love with. I accept her just the way she is, with all her flaws, because she does the same for me. I'm not perfect, Henry and neither is she so I'll take her with the good and the bad because, without it, she wouldn't be my Regina"
"Oh my God," Henry said.
Henry looked surprised at Emma and then smiled at her before launching himself against her body, hugging her tightly.
"You mom's true love, aren't you?" Henry asked.
Emma laughed lightly, patting Henry's back.
"I hope so, kid," Emma said.
Henry pulled away from Emma, staring into her eyes.
"She looks at you like she looks at me, you know?" Henry said "She looks at you like you are everything"
Emma took a deep breath, the tears prickling behind her eyes.
She felt something pull in her heart before nesting in there, invading her and making its home. It spread warmth through her body, rippling from the inside to the world, a sense of peace washing over her.
Because she was found, she was finally found and now she would never be lost again.
Emma looked at Henry, running her hand over his head, pulling it back.
"She is everything to me too, Henry," Emma said "You both are"
Henry nodded at Emma and then looked at his book.
"I'm telling the truth about the curse," Henry said.
"Just because you believe in something doesn't make truth, kid," Emma said back.
"You said that before," Henry said cheekily.
"Yeah, I remember," Emma laughed.
"I don't think you can run away from your destiny," Henry said "It's what you were made for"
"If my parents made me just so I could break a curse," Emma said "Then I don't owe them anything"
"The whole town depends on you, Ma," Henry said.
"Then they are all screwed, kid,"
Regina closed another book heavily, dust flying from between the pages and then hovering in the air.
She had been down there the whole day looking through her mother's books, her own books, the books she stole from libraries across the realms.
And not a single one of them had the answer she needed.
Not a single one of them had the answer to how to break a deal with The Dark One.
Regina sighed before staring at the stone wall, the usual darkness of her vault surrounding her.
It had to be a way to take Emma's place.
She would not let that man get anywhere near Emma, she would not allow his darkness to touch her.
She didn't care if it was just a spark or a fucking drop in the ocean.
He would never sink his claws into her.
Regina crossed her arms and closed her eyes, tears threatening to fall.
This was all her fault.
And neither Emma nor Henry would pay for it.
She would keep them safe even if that took her last breath, she didn't care.
Because she would never let them pay for her mistakes.
Regina opened her eyes, soft tears rolling down her face.
She breathed slowly and calmed her thoughts, pushing them away from her, letting them disappear in a fog inside her mind.
She didn't want to risk Emma sensing her emotions.
It had been bad enough that morning and… before.
But it was getting harder and harder lately not going too deep into her emotions.
It was getting hard to not let fear creep in.
Her curse was weaker than she thought.
The more time passed the harder it became to tell the truth.
And the longer she kept the truth hidden the harder it was to keep her family safe.
Because how could Emma protect herself if she didn't even know what she was protecting herself from?
Regina rose from the chair and picked up the books she had read. She walked to the hidden library inside her vault, putting the books back inside the empty stone shelve.
What was Gold waiting for?
What would he ask of Emma?
Regina walked back inside the main room, pacing from one side to the other.
Did he want her to break the curse?
And if so, to what end?
Why would he manipulate her into casting the curse only to have it broken years later?
It didn't make any sense. But then again, nothing that man did ever made any sense, until the final end.
That moment when you realized he had played you all along for his own selfish reasons.
And that moment had just come upon her.
Because Regina was only now realizing that he wanted Emma to break the curse.
And if that was what he wanted, then Regina had to keep it safer.
Keeping the curse safe might be the only way to keep Emma safe.
Regina's phone rang, pulling her out of her thoughts. She walked to the desk in her vault and picked up the phone from inside her purse.
"Hello?" Regina cleared her throat.
"Hi, mom," Henry said on the other side of the line.
"Hi, sweetheart," Regina smiled softly.
Just hearing Henry's voice untied a knot inside her chest.
"Are you coming home soon?" Henry asked.
Regina pulled the phone away from her ear, looking at the time flashing on the screen.
She should have been home an hour ago.
Regina brought the phone back to her ear, already picking up her purse from the desk.
"Yes, I'm on my way home," Regina said.
"Oh, okay," Henry said.
"I'll be right home, sweetheart,"
Regina finished the call, putting the phone inside her purse. She swung the purse over her shoulder and when she turned to leave, her elbow hit something on the shelve behind her, falling near her feet.
Regina bent down to pick it up, a sad wave squeezing her heart when she realized what the object was.
The curse scroll.
Regina unfolded the scroll, her fingers tracing the words she spoke twenty-eight years ago when she enacted her curse.
It felt so right at the time.
It was the only way to get rid of all of that anger that was eaten her alive.
Regina read the words in her mind again, a soft tear falling from her eye and then falling on the scroll.
And just like magic, the tear soaked the paper, revealing words that have never been there before.
"What the hell?" Regina whispered.
Regina sat on the floor, bringing the scroll closer to her eyes and reading the inscription.
"The day the curse shall be enacted along with it the Savior will be born. Be aware that when the child reaches the age of twenty-eight years she will fulfill her destiny and save them all from this curse evil deeds and light and darkness shall finally fight as one when the final battle begins"
Regina gasped for air her heart racing inside her chest.
She read the inscription over and over and over again until her eyes stung with tears from having been open for too long.
And then she rolled the scroll again, putting it inside a vessel on the shelve.
Because now she knew how she could keep Emma safe.
Half an hour later, Regina was opening the door of the mansion.
She had walked from the cemetery to her house, fogging her mind as much as she could to keep her emotions in check.
At least the dark ones.
The ones that often consumed her whole
The one that could scare Emma.
Regina pulled her coat off her shoulders and walked inside the house.
"Henry?" Regina shouted.
"Kitchen" Henry shouted back.
Regina turned to the right, hearing soft laughs that filled her heart with calm and peace.
Laughs that anchored her heart and soul.
Regina pushed the door of the kitchen open, finding Emma and Henry at the island, eating ice cream.
Emma smiled at her, wild and bright, and God she was so beautiful.
Regina could spend the rest of her life living on her smiles.
"Hi, mom," Henry said.
Regina walked to Henry, kissing the top of his head.
"Hi sweetheart," Regina said against his hair.
"Hey," Emma said softly.
Regina kissed Henry's hair again and looked at Emma, her heart humming with love that echoed in the deepest of her soul.
She wrapped one arm around Emma's waist and dropped her coat and purse on the floor, reaching for Emma's cheek.
And then she closed that final distance between them, pressing her lips with Emma's and kissing her softly.
And slowly.
Letting the pure need to have Emma take over every inch of her.
Letting the love she felt for that woman erase the fear of ever losing her.
Emma broke the kiss a smile dancing on her lips when she looked at Regina.
"Hi," Emma whispered.
"Hi," Regina whispered back.
"Just so you two know, I'm still here," Henry said.
Emma chuckled and Regina rolled her eyes, taking a step away from Emma.
"You two had dinner yet?" Regina asked.
"Ma and I cooked together," Henry said "There is a plate for you in the microwave"
"Oh!" Regina exclaimed.
"Is everything okay?" Emma asked.
"Yeah, I just..." Regina crouched to pick up her purse and coat "I just got caught up with something"
"Okay," Emma said "Take a seat, I'll warm up the food for you"
Regina put her purse and coat on top of the island, taking a seat.
And only one minute passed before Emma put a plate with steamy delicious food in front of her.
Her stomach growled at the smell.
"Mom?"
Regina looked from the food in front of her to Henry.
"I'm sorry," Henry said in a small voice.
And Regina's heart squeezed inside her chest.
Because Henry looked so regretful that it pained her heart to see it.
"Honey," Regina said softly.
"I didn't mean to disobey your order earlier when you told me to go home," Henry said "I was just… busy doing something else"
Regina rose from her seat and walked to Henry, running her hands over his face.
"Thank you for apologizing," Regina said "Just don't do it again, okay?"
"I'm not sure I can promise that," Henry said sounding both honest and cheeky.
And Regina just laughed before leaning forward to kiss the top of his head.
"Well, try," Regina said.
Emma walked behind Regina, putting her hand on her lower back.
"How was your day?" Emma asked.
"It was fine," Regina smiled before walking back to her seat.
"A lot of work?" Emma asked.
"Yeah, you can say that," Regina said, trying to be as vague as possible.
To avoid the so-called lie detector Emma had.
"How was your day?" Regina asked.
"I was actually here the whole afternoon," Emma said.
And Regina could tell she was a little embarrassed.
"Ma helped me with my homework," Henry said "And then we made dinner together. It was fun"
Regina looked at Emma smiling softly at her.
And then she frowned at the way Emma was looking back at her.
Like she was feeling guilty for having done something she shouldn't have.
The pink shade of her cheeks was as lovely as always but the stiff posture and obvious discomfort tug something into Regina's heart.
Because she hated seeing Emma like this.
Like she didn't belong.
Everything Regina was, belonged to Emma.
"Mom, I was thinking…" Henry said.
Regina tore her eyes from Emma for a second and then focused them on Henry.
"We should go to our cabin this weekend," Henry said.
"Our cabin?" Regina asked surprised.
"Yeah, you, me, and Ma," Henry said "I don't have school this Friday, and it has been a while since we last went there"
"That is actually a very good idea," Regina looked at Emma "What do you say, Emma?"
"I'd have to check my schedule, but I think I can change some shifts," Emma said.
"Then it's settled," Regina smiled "We are going to the cabin this weekend"
"Awesome!" Henry said, hopping off his seat "Well, I'm going up to my room. I have a… comic book that I want to read"
And then he left the kitchen leaving the two of them alone.
Regina watched Henry go, waiting for the door to close behind him.
When she looked back at Emma, she not only saw but felt that discomfort again.
Tugging into her heart.
Whispering she had done something wrong.
Emma moved the spoon around the ice cream, her gaze fixed on the task.
"What's wrong?" Regina asked softly.
Emma sighed and put the spoon down, biting her lower lip when she lifted her eyes to look at Regina.
"I didn't ask if it was okay to be here with Henry without you," Emma said shyly.
And Regina finally understood what that discomfort feeling was.
Regina leaned on the island, reaching for Emma's hand and intertwining their fingers together.
"Of course, it is," Regina said.
"Are you sure?" Emma asked unsurely.
Regina pulled on Emma's hand, urging her to come closer.
And the second Emma stopped in front of her, Regina pulled her down, claiming her lips.
Moaning inside her mouth.
Needing more than just her lips.
Covering just how much she wanted Emma near.
Always.
Forever.
She wanted her in her life.
Regina broke the kiss slowly, her lips brushing against Emma's as she sucked the air of Emma's warm breath into her lungs.
"Always, my darling," Regina said against Emma's lips "I want you here"
Emma smiled at Regina before kissing her again and again and again.
Until that need to have Emma naked under her body, rubbing against her skin echoed maliciously and lustfully through her being.
"So I guess it's okay if I stay here tonight?" Emma asked against her lips "I don't want to go back to the loft"
Regina pulled away enough to look into Emma's eyes.
Something about the way she said it didn't feel right to Regina.
"You not staying here wasn't even an option to begin with," Regina said and the smile Emma gave her made her heart miss a fucking heartbeat "But why you don't want to go back to the loft?"
Emma sighed and scratched her forehead, sitting on the stool beside Regina.
"Mary Margaret doesn't seem to be taking very well the fact that we are together," Emma said "We kinda had an argument this morning"
"Oh!" Regina exclaimed.
"But don't worry, I put her in her place," Emma pointed at Regina "I'm pretty sure you would have enjoyed"
Regina chuckled, amused for a second and then confused for another.
She wasn't quite sure how to feel or even process what Emma told her.
She supposed she could understand why Mary Margaret had a problem with her and Emma being together.
They were friends and Regina was never particularly kind to her and she always made sure to fill Mary Margaret with incomprehensible fear.
But if she had a problem being Mary Margaret, Regina didn't even want to think about the rage Snow White would feel.
And God, just for a split second, Regina wished she could revel in the feeling, she wished she could take pleasure in knowing how devasted that bitch would be.
But she couldn't.
Not anymore.
Her hatred for her had lessened.
And not just for her.
Regina looked at Emma, a lump forming in her throat.
Emma would never know who that woman really was, what they were to each other.
And that burden was something she would have to carry for the rest of her life to keep Emma safe.
To selfishly keep her by her side.
But maybe she could lessen the effects os this disturbance.
She did not wish any harm to come to Emma and Mary Margaret's relationship.
"Move in with me," Regina said.
"What?" Emma blinked her eyes.
"Move in with me, here," Regina said.
"Regina," Emma laughed "What are you talking about?"
Regina rose from her seat and walked the two steps closer to Emma. She held Emma's face between her hands, looking deeply into her eyes.
"We are a family," Regina said "You, me, and Henry, we are a family. We should start living as one"
Emma covered Regina's hand with her own.
"Don't you think it's too soon?" Emma asked.
Regina smiled at Emma, leaning forward to kiss her lips.
And then she pressed her forehead against Emma's, every inch of her humming with the closeness.
"No, I don't," Regina whispered "I want you here with me and Henry. I want our family together"
Emma slid Regina's hands from her face intertwining their fingers together.
And Regina just took a step back, searching Emma's gaze.
"Are you sure of what you are asking me?" Emma asked, her voice slightly choked.
"I am," Regina said firmly "Come home, Emma"
Emma smiled at Regina, squeezing her hands between hers.
"Okay," Emma nodded "Yes"
And those words pushed away all the shadows in her heart.
Letting it lighter, letting it beat freely.
"Before the weekend," Regina said.
"Okay," Emma frowned "But why?"
"When we go to the cabin this weekend," Regina said "I want us to go as a family. I want us to leave our home together and go to our cabin together"
"This week," Emma nodded.
Emma rose from her seat and pressed her lips against Regina's.
"Eat your dinner," Emma whispered "You'll need your strength tonight"
And then she just left the kitchen, leaving Regina standing on shaky legs for the promise of the night.