Thanks for waiting so long yet again for an update. For some reason I find getting the motivation to work on this story difficult. But I really appreciate that you guys are still reading it!. I'd also love to hear from you guys! I only hear from a couple of people and it would be nice to know what everyone else thinks too! I hope you like the new chapter :)
Emma had already supervised the employee from the moving company attach the little rental trailer to the back of the yellow bug and was signing some forms as Stewart loaded the rest of Henry's luggage into the trailer. Regina had busied herself with taking some of the luggage out of the backseat of the car so Henry would have more room on the trip home.
"Will your car really be able to pull this thing all the way to Storybrooke?" Henry asked after the man from the moving company had left.
"Of course she can!" Emma patted her car affectionately. "She's stronger than she looks."
"She?" Regina folded her arms in amusement. "Have you named her too?"
"No." Emma's voice rose to suggest otherwise.
"Mhmm." Regina raised an eyebrow.
"All done!" Stewart announced as he stepped back from the trailer.
"Thanks Stewart." Emma smiled appreciatively as she looked down at all of the boxes and luggage stored securely in the little rental.
"It was my pleasure. I hope you three have a wonderful trip. And be safe on the roads."
"Always." Emma replied with a wink. "Have a good night."
"You too. I hope I'll see you again soon."
"Yeah, see ya!" Emma said as the man headed back into the building.
She turned to the other two. "What d'you say, time to head home?"
"Yeah!" Henry said happily.
"Should we grab another drink for the road? It's my treat! I think I'll be needing another coffee for this drive."
"Can I get another hot chocolate?" Henry asked hopefully.
"Of course you can! Want another white one?"
"Hmm, I dunno. It was really good but I think this time I'll get a regular one."
"You got it. Regina how about you?"
"I'm fine thank you."
"You sure? It's a long drive. Come on, I swear I don't mind." Emma's voice rose encouragingly.
"Well, perhaps another tea couldn't hurt." Regina said softly.
"That's the spirit!" Emma grinned.
Five minutes later they were all seated in the car with their fresh drinks.
"This'll be fun." Henry commented as he took a sip from his hot chocolate. "I've never had an overnight road trip before."
"It's not really overnight kid." Emma said as she checked her mirrors.
"It's the closest I've ever had."
"We drove back to Storybrooke in the dark when we first met." Emma pointed out.
"True... but it wasn't nearly as late."
"But it was just as dark."
"I guess," Henry shrugged. "At least this time you let us get snacks."
Emma shook her head in amusement, sharing a look with Regina before she pulled the car out onto the road.
They had been driving for a little over two hours. They had already stopped once to use the bathroom but other than that it had been a smooth and peaceful drive.
Emma was currently focusing on the driving, and Regina had been pretty quiet from the passenger seat for the majority of the ride.
Every once in a while Emma checked on her to see if she had fallen asleep, but each time she found the brunette silently gazing out of the window.
After a while Emma began to notice Regina glancing into the backseat every so often to check on Henry. Finally, a little while after Emma had seen Henry falling to sleep, Emma saw Regina's gaze lingering on the boy for a little longer.
"Henry?" Regina whispered into the backseat.
When there was no response, she settled back into her seat with an uncomfortable expression on her face.
"Emma..." She began uncertainly.
"Yeah?"
"The way you've been acting towards me lately, is it all just an act because you feel... I don't know, sorry for me because of what happened? Or do you truly mean it?"
"What–?" Emma glanced at the brunette, thrown off by the unexpected question.
"Because if you're only pretending to be nice to me because you think I'm just some fragile, depressed, lonely woman who might at any moment make another attempt on her life if she gets too upset, then I would rather you stopped."
"Regina–"
"I don't like falseness in others and I don't want to be treated differently because of a few pills."
"I'm not pretending anything Regina." Emma replied firmly, keeping her eyes on the road.
"Are you sure? Because I don't want people thinking they have to tiptoe around my feelings."
Emma glanced at her, a little shocked. "Regina that's not what's happening. I'm 'being nicer' because I feel terrible about what happened. Sure you've gotten on my nerves at times in the past, but that doesn't mean I would ever have wanted you to hurt yourself. Believe it or not I'm being nice to you because I want to be. To be honest it's been nice getting to know the real you this past week."
"The real me?"
"You know, now that you're not constantly trying to drive me out of town or making cheap shots about practically everything I do, you're kind of a nice person."
Regina studied the blonde for a few moments. She nodded slowly, giving a small smile as she found that she believed what Emma was saying.
"These past few weeks are something I can never take back," Emma continued, "but I want you to know that I would rather we got along and are both able to be in Henry's life, instead of continuing to fight over him for god knows how long. It's just not worth someone getting hurt over."
"You think we can be friends?" Regina asked in an almost disbelieving tone.
"I dunno." Emma said with a tiny shrug. "But I think we should at least try. We've been getting along alright this week haven't we? I think we could both use a friend. But if that doesn't work out we can at least try to be civil acquaintances. It's worked alright so far."
Regina nodded thoughtfully, happy to know Emma's attitude towards her was genuine.
At Regina's lack of response Emma shot a glance her way, but was happy when she saw that the brunette seemed content with the answer. They sat quietly, both contemplating their own thoughts again until Regina broke the silence once more.
"I do regret what happened you know," she said softly, "and I hope I never find myself in a situation like that horrible morning ever again. But it did happen, and it doesn't change who I am. At the time yes... I did feel like it was the only way to end the pain, but it was a mistake. One I hope to never make again."
Emma gave a tiny nod. "I hope you never do either." She replied softly. "And I mean this Regina, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you so badly that you would think suicide was your only option. If I had known how hard you would take Henry's leaving I would have insisted that he stayed in Storybrooke with you."
"Do you really mean that?"
"Of course I do."
Regina gazed at her for a few seconds, trying to find hints of dishonesty but finding none. "Thank you Emma," she said softly.
"I really didn't mean for you to suffer like that Regina," Emma said quietly. "I hope you know that."
Regina nodded gently, not being able to respond vocally to that.
They continued to drive along the highway in silence. About twenty more minutes passed, and every once in a while Regina would steal a hesitant, sideways glance at the driver's seat as if she wanted to ask Emma something but couldn't find the courage.
The looks were so subtle that Emma continued to drive along without noticing them. Regina glanced at her a final time, and checked on Henry once more before fixing her gaze out the front window. Her clasped hands fiddled nervously as she wondered if she would regret what she was about to say.
"It's all real." Regina said quietly.
"What's all real?" Emma asked passively, taking a sip of the new coffee she had bought when they had stopped to go to the bathroom.
Regina turned to look at her, taking a deep breath to try to steady her nerves.
Emma, noticing that something was wrong, put her coffee down and stole a glance at the brunette.
"What?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Henry's stories. What he says about the... the curse. He's been right all along."
Emma glanced at her sideways again, trying to ignore the shiver that ran down her spine.
"Regina what are you saying?"
"The curse is real Emma."
"Regina... maybe you should try to get some sleep, you're not making sense."
"Emma I'm serious. The Enchanted Forest is a real place. I used to live there. I was the Queen and Snow White was my stepdaughter."
"Whoa, wait, hold on a minute–"
"I spent most of my adult life in that world trying to seek revenge on her for causing my fiancé's death. When nothing else worked, I cast a dark curse which brought everyone in the land to Storybrooke and wiped their memories. Mary Margaret is Snow White. Henry's been right all along."
"No." Emma shook her head, she knew Regina was having a go at her but she just couldn't understand why. "No! You're messing with me aren't you? You're still mad that I took Henry to Boston and now you're messing with me as punishment."
"Emma I'm not–"
"Regina seriously, I think you're just sleep deprived. You've had a long day. Hell, you've had a long week. You should try to get some rest. We're still about two hours from Storybrooke, that's plenty of time for a nap."
"Emma this isn't the exhaustion talking. The curse is real, I really am who Henry says I am. I was the Evil Queen, and your parents are Snow White and Prince Charming. You are the savior."
The car lurched forward suddenly as Emma hit the brakes a little too hard. Henry moaned in the backseat but didn't wake up. Emma resumed driving, a little more carefully this time.
"What the hell Regina!" Emma said in a hushed voice. "Why are you saying these things?!"
"Because I can't keep living this way."
"What way?"
"Lying to Henry. Trying to keep something this big from him. It destroyed our relationship. He figured out the truth ages ago but I lied and told him it was all in his head because I was afraid of what would happen once the truth was exposed. We both knew it was real, but I had to pretend he had imagined the whole thing. I let him believe that he was... that he might be crazy." Regina looked sadly into the backseat at her sleeping son. "That's something I'll never be able to forgive myself for."
"Regina no one believes what Henry says about the book. It wasn't just you who tried to make him stop believing they were real. " Emma said cautiously.
"But it was never a matter of me believing him! Unlike everyone else I always knew he was telling the truth. Only my solution to the problem was not to face it, but to put him in therapy."
"Wait but Archie told me Henry was in therapy before he got the book. You didn't put him in therapy because of the fairytales."
Regina gave a tired sigh. "He knew something was wrong long before he got the book. He was starting to notice that nothing in Storybrooke ever changed except for him. He was the only one in his class to ever move to a higher grade, and he was the only one to ever age. When he was younger the curse helped to hide that from him, it hazed his memory as it did everyone else's. But as he grew older and more observant he grew out of it. And since he was never a victim of the curse it couldn't keep its' hold on him."
Emma's knuckles were white as she gripped the steering wheel. She was staring straight ahead with a half fearful, half uncertain look in her wide blue eyes.
"Regina... do you even know what you sound like right now?"
"Crazy I'm sure." She replied quietly.
"That's an understatement."
"But do you believe me?"
"I... I don't know what to believe. You kind of just sprung this on me. While I'm driving. I just need a little time to process, that's all."
"Emma I'm not making this up."
Emma pulled over to the side of the road. She turned the car off but still clutched the steering wheel tightly and her eyes remained fixed in front of her.
"Believe it or not, it's the truth Emma. And I think it's about time you knew about it."
"Why?" Emma asked distractedly. Her heart was beating fiercely in her chest and she knew it wasn't just because of the caffeine.
Regina took a deep breath, she stared down at her clasped hands for a few moments before speaking.
"Because Emma… I need you to break the curse."
"What?!" Emma whispered, finally turning to look at the brunette. "Why?! And why does it have to be me?! Can't you do it? If it's even real that is. Do you realize how ridiculous this is?!"
"Haven't you been paying attention to what Henry's always been telling you? You are the savior Emma. Which means only you can break this curse."
Emma took a deep breath, thinking this over for a minute. "But... if... what you're saying is true, you're the one who brought everyone here. You're the one who cursed everyone in Storybrooke! Why would you of all people want to end that?"
Regina looked back at Henry again. "Because of him. He deserves better than this."
"What do you mean?"
"What I want more than anything is for him to have a normal life. But unfortunately, whether or not the curse breaks, that's never going to happen. You see, right now I'm not aging. I am precisely the same age I was when I adopted Henry. And if the curse stays intact, I'll remain this age for as long as Henry lives."
"Oh..." Emma replied a little faintly.
"And everyone else in Storybrooke would be the same age as well. You and Henry would grow old while your friends remained the same age forever. They wouldn't even notice that you're changing. Is that something you would want for him?"
"But... what will happen to you? If the curse breaks. Won't everyone you cursed... I don't know, maybe want revenge or something?"
"Are you worried about me now Miss Swan?" Regina asked mockingly, sounding a bit more like her old self.
"Yes. But I'm also worried about Henry. He needs you."
Even in the dark car Emma could see Regina's eyes soften. "Well, I can't know how the people of Storybrooke would react to the curse breaking, but I can guess well enough."
Emma nodded thoughtfully, a sad expression on her face. She looked back at Henry too. "I can't believe this. This is insane." She said quietly.
"I know it is... But I promise you it is the truth."
After a few moments Emma looked back at the mayor. "You promise you're not screwing with me?"
"I promise. Everything I've told you tonight is true."
"Okay..." Emma nodded distractedly. She closed her eyes, taking a deep, steadying breath. "Okay... so... if this is real, whatever happens Regina, I'll help you. I'm not letting him lose you. Not again."
"What can you do to stop an entire town?" Regina asked, a slight break in her voice.
"Do you really think it would get that bad?"
"You don't know these people like I do. Their Storybrooke identities are nothing like how they truly are. We all come from the same land. Don't let the candy-coated title of the Enchanted Forest fool you dear, it can be a ruthless place."
"Well... I don't know what I could do. But if it comes to it I can always bring you and Henry back to Boston. If you want. If things get you know... too messy."
Regina sighed, her eyes were full of anguish. "Thank you. But I truly hope it doesn't come to that. Storybrooke is my home."
Emma nodded understandingly.
Regina watched Emma, there was a desperate look in her eyes. "You'd really want to help me? Even after everything I've done as her. As the Evil Queen?"
"Look Regina, besides what I've read in Henry's book about... your character, I don't know what you've done in the past and frankly I'm not sure I want to know. But the Regina I've gotten to know can be warm and kind when she wants to be. She has a son whom she loves and who loves her so much in return. I'm not about to let that be ruined. He cares about you and I care about him. I'm going to help you."
Regina was very touched by Emma's words. Only a few short weeks ago she never would have imagined the sheriff would be so eager to help her. Or that she would even side with her against the town if it came to it.
"I don't know how to thank you Emma."
"Thank me by telling me this is all a dream. Or too much caffeine... something."
Regina gave a soft laugh. "It's not a dream Emma. I promise I'm not lying to you."
The blonde bit her lip uncertainly. "So... how does one go about breaking a curse?"