Zelena found it highly amusing that Regina and Emma still had been in bed together when she and Henry arrived back home.
"It was eleven o'clock, for Christ's sake," she laughingly teased Regina. "You two are like teenagers!"
Regina did nothing to defend herself. She had already accepted that she never would live this one down. And honestly, Zelena wasn't entirely wrong. Being with Emma did make her feel like a teenager. Her stamina had never been better.
"Must have been a late night since you guys could sleep until eleven," Zelena smirked and gave her a nudge.
Regina closed her eyes and sighed deeply. She was entirely over this. 'Yes, it was late night,' she signed, making sure to keep her face entirely expressionless. 'A very late night. We didn't fall asleep until after two am. Happy now?'
She had hoped that the unnecessary oversharing would make Zelena cringe and falter in her teasing, but the effect backfired entirely when Zelena raised an eyebrow and smirked again. "Two am, really? Now that is rather impressive, sister dear."
Regina didn't react. Because deep down, she was actually agreeing with her sister. Staying up until two am WAS impressive. And although she obviously was tired today, it had been entirely worth it.
Oh yes. ENTIRELY worth it. She blocked out Zelena's voice as she thought back to last night. How Emma had touched her. Her hands on her body. Her mouth. Her goddamn talented mouth and all the things it had made her feel. The way she had come. Once again, Emma had cemented what an absolutely amazing lover she was. And the look on her face when SHE had come. Regina remembered it. She remembered Emma's eyes in the darkened bedroom. How full of love and adoration they had been. How she immediately had pulled Regina down for a kiss afterwards. How her hands had wandered in between Regina's legs and…
"You're grinning," Zelena commented, laughing loudly as she nudged Regina again. "And like a fool, might I add…"
Regina scolded her features into something a bit more serious. Then she rose from the couch and went upstairs to change into her running gear. It was a cold, crispy day, but the sky was clear blue, and she could do with some fresh air to clear her head after last night's activities. Henry had been 'parked' in front of the television with a movie. Regina and he had agreed to make cookies later. Tonight was movie night after all. And you couldn't possibly watch a movie without cookies, could you?
Emma had stayed for a late brunch that Henry of course had participated in too. Naturally. He had been very excited about Emma still being there even though 'it is so late!' Zelena had cackled like the wicked witch of the west, and Regina had glared at her while poor Emma had blushed and started talking about something else.
It had been such a good morning.
Regina was already looking forward to the next morning she would be spending with Emma. She hoped it would be soon. Maybe after the celebration next weekend?
She left the house and began the run up the street. Started out slow and then picked up the pace gradually. Certain muscles gave way as soon as she started pressuring herself a little, but she ignored it and let her thoughts drift. She still was a bit nervous about going out next Saturday. Even though Emma had insisted that it was just a small get-together, it still would take place in a bar.
Regina hadn't been to a bar for a very long time. A very, very long time.
Killian had detested bars. Absolutely detested them. Somehow, he had gotten it into his head that every man present in the bar was trying to get her into bed. They'd had a massive argument about it. That had been back when Regina still dared arguing and challenging him.
But later, when he had forbidden her to go bars and threatened her with the fires of hell if she didn't comply, she hadn't dared challenging him. And she had stopped going to bars entirely. Every time her colleagues had asked her, she had come up with all kinds of excuses to avoid it. Killian had been very satisfied. Had praised her for 'making the right decision', and Regina had been relieved because he was happy with her.
Going to a bar with Emma would be different. Regina knew that. But it didn't prevent her from being anxious about it. It was manageable, though. For now, the anxiety was manageable. She was controlling it and not the other way around. But if that changed, she naturally would talk to Emma about it. Not cancel, of course not. But work through it. Like they always did. Emma would help her. Like she always did.
Regina looked left and right and then crossed the street in a jog. She had brought her phone but not her headphones. She was trying to wean herself off of running while listening to music or podcasts. She deemed it an unsafe thing to do while in traffic.
Making it to the opposite pavement, she sped up to a run again. Thought about Emma. She was home now. She had texted Regina a little while ago and thanked her for a 'kickass dinner and a fucking epic night' with lots and lots of winking emojis. Before Regina had gotten a chance to answer that, a second text had arrived. From Emma again. This time she had told Regina how she loved her and how wonderful she had found last night to be. Regina had of course agreed with that a hundred percent. Last night had indeed been wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.
She smiled as she met a fellow jogger. The man returned her smile and continued in the opposite direction, and Regina realized that despite the man being tall and dark-haired and coming straight towards her, she hadn't been one bit afraid of him. Because she had been too busy thinking about Emma….
Because she had woken up so late that morning, Regina of course couldn't sleep at night. It wasn't that she didn't try. She went to bed at a reasonable time. She kept her phone away from the bed, so she didn't get sucked into aimless scrolling. She fluffed up her pillow and opened the window to let in some fresh air.
But little did it help.
Instead of drifting off to sleep, she turned and twisted and was entirely unable to find rest. She was wide awake and instead of making herself frustrated, she sat up in bed, switched on her nightlight, retrieved her laptop from the drawer along with her reading glasses and headphones. She switched on the laptop and waited for it to come alive. Not because she was planning on working, god no. Her intention was actually to watch a bit of late night Netflix for once. An episode of Downton Abbey or Call The Midwife. That was very soothing and perhaps it could make her sleepy.
She logged into the Netflix account she shared with Zelena. She didn't use her Netflix account a lot. Zelena did most of the movie/series watching, and the evidence of that was obvious when the first movie in the 'continue to watch' category popped up on her screen. Fifty Shades of Grey. Okay then. Regina rumbled quietly. And considered doing a screenshot. Just so she had something to 'blackmail' Zelena with. She didn't, though. Instead she gnashed her teeth and wished that she had been able to cuss out loud when Netflix unexpectedly shut down. She logged in one more time and tried again. The exact same thing happened. She tried again. But when Netflix shut down a third time, Regina decided that it wasn't worth it. Apparently, there would be no Netflix watching for her tonight. Alright then.
What should she do instead then? She COULD have chosen to do some work, but she wasn't that sadistic. Feeling robbed of other options, Regina ended up clicking the folder named 'memories'. The folder opened and revealed new folders. Neatly sorted years. It had been a while since Regina last looked at the old photos, and she decided that that was a perfectly acceptable way to spend the night when she couldn't sleep. She clicked the folder named '2012'. Henry was four years old there, and Regina knew that there was a lot of good pictures in that particular folder.
She adjusted her glasses and smiled widely as the first photo popped up on screen. It was a picture of Henry sitting at a grand birthday table. Regina got distracted for a moment by the fact that the picture was taken at her old house in Montreal, but she pushed the uneasy feeling aside and concentrated on looking at her then four year old son instead. He was grinning widely at the camera and waving a pudgy little hand. His cheeks were chubbier than now, but the look of excitement on his face hadn't changed much over the years. He still got excited over cake. The chocolate chip cookies they had made and eaten tonight had been a huge success.
Regina clicked her way through the pictures. She saw everyday situations with Henry unfold. Him wearing a puffy winter coat and grinning broadly with a handful of snow in his hands. Henry attending a carnival there had been in Montreal. He was all decked out for the occasion. Dressed as Peter Pan and looking exceptionally adorable. She was in many of the pictures too. Never behind the camera. Never the one to be the photographer behind the pictures. Zelena was the one who had taken them. She had always made a point of taking many, many pictures of her nephew and documenting every phase of his life. Regina was grateful for her sister's hobby. She loved that she in some twenty years would be able to look back at Henry's childhood.
She smiled a little as she looked at her younger self in the pictures. Just twenty nine years old and with longer hair and brighter eyes. Still older than what Emma was now, but nonetheless young. There were fewer lines on her face. But at least her taste in lipstick had improved. What had she been thinking, wearing that ghastly pale lipstick? It was the completely wrong color for her. And goodness, that skirt was VERY short. A lot shorter than the ones she wore now. Regina absentmindedly wondered if she still could pull that off. Perhaps she should try it sometimes.
She continued to click her way through the pictures, smiling more and more with each memory. She remembered all of them as if it was yesterday. The picnics with Henry. All the times they had been feeding the ducks in the pond. Their snowball fights. Picking him up and spinning him around like she was doing in the picture she was currently looking at. It was a great moment Zelena had captured there. Especially because one of Henry's wellies had fallen off and was hanging in mid-air in the picture. Hmm. That picture was actually good enough to frame. Perhaps she should do that. God, he had been so tiny then! How could such a tiny boy grow into a strapping ten year old so quickly? Give it a couple of years and he would be taller than her.
Regina shook her head. It seemed impossible that her little boy would turn into a teenager in only a few years. Wasn't there some way she could stop the time? At least for a little while? A few years. Just so she could get used to the idea of her son growing up. She would have liked that very much. Some time to adjust. Henry was definitely growing up way, way too fast for her liking. Sometimes she caught a look of almost adult seriousness in his eyes.
Looking through the many memories, Regina reached the series of videos Zelena had captured too. Oh, it definitely had been a while since she last saw any of those, and since she couldn't sleep anyway….
She connected the headphones with the laptop and popped them inside her ears. Then she clicked on the first, the best video.
The video began playing and Regina smiled as she saw tiny Henry run around in their old living room in Montreal. Zelena was laughing off camera and the image of Henry running shook a little as she followed his eager steps into the kitchen.
Her smile when she saw his pudgy little arms wrap around the back of her own legs. "'Whatchu doing, mommy?'" Henry asked in his tiny, light voice.
Her past self turned around, away from the sink, holding up foamy hands and looked into the camera for a split second before turning her attention to Henry. "'I am doing the dishes, sweetheart,'" she said. "'Would you like to help me?'"
Four year old Henry's reply was drowned by the gasp present time Regina let out. That was her voice! The voice she hadn't heard for such a long time! The voice she hadn't been able to use! Her voice. Hoarse and raspy and right THERE.
Regina watched transfixed as her past self laughed in the video. Saw how the twenty nine old version of herself flicked her long hair back and then blew a raspberry on Henry's round little belly.
"'No, mommy, no!'" four year old Henry protested.
"'Yes, mommy, yes!'" twenty nine year old Regina teased. "'Little boys who teases their mommies will be kissed, that's the house rules!'"
Four year old Henry retaliated by standing on his tippy toes, dipping a little hand into the bowl of water and foam and then leaving a foamy trail right on the tip of Regina's nose.
Behind the camera, Zelena laughed, and the video blurred again for a second.
"'Oh, you are paying for that!'" Regina's past-self yelled and mock shook her fist at Henry. "'Come here, you little rascal!'"
"'Noooo,'" tiny Henry laughed. "'You can't catch me, mommy!'" then he took off, and Regina watched transfixed as her past-self eagerly chased after him through the house with Zelena hot on her heels. In the living room, she managed to chase him down, and present-Regina was torn between laughter and tears and as she saw a younger, more carefree version of herself, pick up her boy and spin him around in the air before laying him on the carpet and mercilessly tickle him until he cried with laughter and hiccupped.
"'I love you, mommy!'" little Henry loudly proclaimed. Probably to make her stop tickling him.
"'And I love YOU,'" Regina replied and stopped tickling his ribs.
"'Forever and ever and ever?'"
"'Yes, sweetheart. Forever and ever and ever. And…. Ever!'" right after the last 'ever!' she resumed tickling his ribs again. Henry shook in fits of laughter again. Zelena laughed loudly behind the camera, and then the video of younger Regina tickling tiny Henry froze.
Present time Regina thoughtfully closed the laptop and thought about what she had just witnessed.
Herself talking and laughing with her son. Telling him how much she loved him. In words. Not in signing. But actual words. How many times in her life had she taken her voice for granted? How many times had she said something without thinking about how important words were? Words held power. The many times she had told her son that she loved him, held power. The reassurance he had gotten from her when he was younger had meant something. All the stories she had told him, he remembered. All the many times she had sung him back to sleep when he pint-sized were memories she would cherish for the rest of her life. And she had created those memories with her voice.
Regina sat the laptop aside and stood from the bed. Walked over to the open window and breathed in the crisp, cold air. As she stood there and looked at the star-dotted night sky, she realized that she had gone about this in the completely wrong way.
It was not about her being 'comfortable' with this life and 'knowing what she had'.
It was a question of whether she wanted to make new memories with her voice or not. And the question was also whether she wanted screaming and crying and begging Killian Jones for mercy to be the last memory she had made with her voice before he took it from her.
Regina turned away from the window and walked back to her bedside where she sat down. She reached for the top drawer and opened it. Found the folder about Thyroplasty she had been given by the doctor. She had already flicked through it a million times. She didn't need to open it in order to know what was in it. She didn't read it now either. She just sat on the bedside with the folder in her hands. Her thoughts swirled and swirled, and pros and cons flittered about and made her dizzy until everything stilled and ultimately lead back to that simple question again.
Did she really want that to be the last memory of her voice? Screaming and crying and begging her abuser for mercy? Was that how she wanted to remember her last moments as a person who was able to speak?
No. No, it wasn't.
Regina looked down at the brochure in her hand. Here she had every opportunity to change her life. She had the opportunity to get one more piece of herself back and she had been about to throw it away because she feared the future.
But if she didn't at least try, how would she ever know the future?
If she didn't give this a chance, her life would still be full of 'what if's'.
If she said no to this, the last thing she did with her voice WAS screaming and crying and begging for mercy. And that wasn't right. It was completely and utterly wrong.
In some way, it would be like allowing Killian Jones to win.
But this wasn't about him.
It was about her and how she wanted to live her life.
To hell with 'knowing what she had' and playing it safe. If she said no to this, there wouldn't ever be another chance to tell Henry that she loved him. In words. There would be no chance to ever say Emma's name out loud. Telling HER how much she loved her. Introduce herself by name and claim the identity Killian had taken from her that night. Create new memories in which she talked and laughed with newfound gratitude. All the little things she once had done with ease and taken for granted, she never would take for granted again. She would be grateful for every single time she was able to say her name. Every single time she was able to laugh audibly. Every time she could tell her loved ones just that. That she loved them. In words.
It would hurt. Yes. But honest to god, Regina had been through worse pains than that.
This was not the time to play it safe.
It was time to make a decision.
And making a decision was exactly what Regina was doing in that very moment as she looked at the now crumbled folder she accidentally had ruined when she clenched her fist. And the decision she had made was one that nearly took her breath away. Because she had decided that saying important things out loud was a hell of a lot more important than knowing what she had and be satisfied with that.
She was going to say yes to the operation.
She was going to get her voice back. No matter the cost.
In one swift and surprisingly agile jump, Regina was on her feet. The crumbled folder fell to the floor as she stuck a hand in the air simply because she could. A huge smile spread on her lips. Her decision had made and although nervous, she knew that it was the right choice. It would be hard, but the outcome would be worth it. She would get her voice back. Be able to talk. Speak her son's name out loud again. Say Emma's name for the first time.
A bubbling confidence spread in her body, and she mostly wanted to rush into Zelena's bedroom and shake her awake to tell her what she had decided. Henry too. But it was the middle of the night. She couldn't tell them now. It was late. They were asleep.
Her hand lowered but her confidence did not. Tomorrow. Yes, she would tell them tomorrow. First thing. For the first time ever, she would take advantage of Zelena's silly little 'family-meetings'. She had created those a while back and every time Regina rolled her eyes about it, Zelena had insisted that family meetings were important.
Well, tomorrow Regina would be the one who had something to share, and with the confidence still bubbling in her mind, she finally went to bed and fell asleep….
She was up bright and early the next morning, and for two hours, Regina waited in agonizing impatience for Zelena and Henry to wake up. She aimlessly wandered around in the house. Scrubbed surfaces that didn't need scrubbing. Took a bath and forced herself to stay in the tub until her body was tingling with the urge to do something. That urge brought her into the bedroom where she got dressed in soft pants and a not too formal blouse. It was Sunday after all. And she wasn't planning on going anywhere.
Her impatience nearly drove her to go for an early morning walk, but the weather looked cold and there was a thin layer of frost on the lawn. Not exactly inviting one to spend time outside. So she settled in front of the television where she put on an old episode of Bakeoff. She was not doing a very good job at watching it, though. She was mostly just staring blankly at the screen without seeing anything as she waited for the first creak on the staircase. She waited and waited and waited. She was so eager to tell Zelena and Henry about her decision. Naturally a bit nervous about the procedure, but that was to be expected. Although the operation wouldn't take much longer than a couple of hours, it was still done under anesthesia and generally, she didn't like hospitals. She hadn't even liked hospitals before her world was turned upside down.
But the fear did not sway her in her decision. That still remained completely steadfast. Nothing had changed overnight, thank god. It would really have been awful, feeling so sure last night and then waking up and second guessing everything.
She glanced impatiently at her watch. Seriously, how long was Zelena and Henry planning on being asleep for? She knew it was Sunday, but nonetheless…
Regina scoffed to herself. She was a fine one to preach about getting up early in the morning when she had been snoozing until eleven o'clock yesterday.
But that had been different. She'd had a perfectly good reason for being tired. Zelena didn't. As far as Regina was concerned, Chad wasn't upstairs with Zelena.
She turned her attention back to the television screen. Had no idea what they were baking. She hadn't been paying properly attention. Was far too busy listening after sounds coming from upstairs. Regina wrung her hands. Had the strongest urge to simply go upstairs and wake her sister and son. Seriously, they had to wake up soon! Because if they didn't, she would explode with anticipation.
Regina huffed. Crossed her ankles. Then uncrossed them. Shifted on the couch and tried to find a comfortable sitting position. But she didn't really succeed. She was still antsy, and not even the contestants baking away on television could soothe her. She would only feel soothed once she had told Zelena and Henry about the decision she had made. Her foot began to tap up and down against the floor in impatience. What even was the point of sleeping in?!
When Zelena finally showed her face downstairs, Regina was on her third cup of coffee and was as jittery as if she had been an ant.
"Good morning," Zelena yawned and ran fingers through her messy red curls. "Is that coffee I smell?"
Regina gave an impatient nod and signed: 'is Henry awake?'
"Mmm, I think so. Why?" Zelena yawned again. Then stretched her arms high above her head.
'I'd like for him to come downstairs. I have a family meeting situation,' Regina explained.
"Family meeting?" Zelena echoed, eyebrow raising and voice a bit more awake and alert. "Is something wrong?"
'No. It's something good.' At least she hoped that it was.
"Oh?" Zelena tilted her head. "What is it then?"
Regina shook her head in response. Not until Henry came downstairs.
"Did Emma finally ask you to move in?" Zelena asked eagerly and grinned.
In response to that, Regina folded her arms across her chest and rolled her eyes. Not this again!
"Alright, alright, I was just asking!" Zelena defended as she poured herself a cup of coffee. "It was only because you said it was something good…"
Regina rolled her eyes again. And that was the only thing she could come up with? Yes, living with Emma would have been awfully nice, but Emma still had not hinted at anything, so it was safe to assume that they weren't on the same wave-length when it came to that. No moving in together. At least not now.
"Have you had any breakfast yet?" Zelena asked, interrupting her train of thoughts. Regina shook her head. She had been much to excited to think of food.
"And are you going to, or…?"
'Later', Regina signed. After she had told Zelena and Henry about her decision. Then she could think of food.
"Okay…." Zelena said slowly, giving her a look. "Is it something I should be concerned about, or…?"
'It's something good,' Regina reminded her sister.
"Right. You said that. Sorry, I'm just paranoid. Usually, I'm the one who calls for family meetings and not you…"
'And for some reason, you rarely have anything interesting to say at those family meetings', Regina teased her older sister.
"How dare you," Zelena mocked huffed. "I have plenty of interesting things to say! It's hardly my fault that you and Henry never chip in with anything!"
That very true accusation had Regina rumbling in amusement.
Zelena had just started breakfast when Henry came bumping down the stairs rubbing his eyes and half-yawning good morning.
'Good morning, sweetheart,' Regina signed.
"'Morning, sweet nephew of mine," Zelena quipped.
Henry found the box of cereal, a bowl and some milk and sat down. Zelena glanced at Regina across the table in a 'go on'-matter.
But Regina stalled. Henry had just woken up. He could at least have some breakfast before she laid out her business, right?
Zelena was having none of it, though. "Come on, sis," she insisted. "The anticipation is killing me!"
"What is it?" Henry asked sleepily and rubbed his eyes again.
"Your mom wants a family meeting, dear nephew."
"A family meeting?" Henry repeated and looked at Regina who had no choice but to nod. Thanks a lot, Zelena!
"Am I in trouble?" Henry asked, now frowning as though trying to remember if he had done something wrong.
Regina immediately shook her head and smiled at her son. Of course he wasn't in trouble!
"Oh, okay." Henry visibly relaxed at that. But only for a second. Then his eyes widened. "Is it something about Emma? Are you guys not together anymore?!"
Regina had never signed faster than right now. 'Of course Emma and I are still together.'
"Oh. So…. You still love her, right?" Henry checked.
Absolutely. Regina nodded eagerly in confirmation.
"And she loves you too, right?"
Most definitely. Regina nodded again.
"It's not something bad, Hen," Zelena interrupted. "Your mom just said so."
Regina nodded again and smiled reassuringly at Henry. Definitely not something bad.
"Okay," Henry said, the wrinkle between his eyebrow smoothing. "What is it then?"
"Yes, tell us, little sis," Zelena insisted. "You look like you're about to burst with news!"
Regina smiled. That wasn't entirely wrong.
"Come now," Zelena said firmly. "Don't stall!"
No, Regina wasn't gonna stall. She smiled at her sister and son. Then lifted her hands and slowly signed: 'I have decided to get the operation.'
There. Now the cat was out of the bag so to speak and all she could do now was to wait for the reaction to come.
And the reaction DID come. Zelena let out a squeal, jumped out of her chair and came around the table. She more or less threw her arms around Regina and hugged her. "I am so happy for you, sis! This is going to be fantastic!"
Regina rumbled and overbearingly patted her sister's arm.
"Seriously, this is amazing," Zelena continued upon releasing Regina again. "I would have stood by you no matter what you chose, you know that, but this makes me very happy."
It made Regina happy too. It felt good to finally having made a decision about her future. It definitely was another huge step, but it was one she was prepared to take. Because she believed that it would work. That the operation would restore her voice. Regina realized that Henry hadn't said anything yet, and she glanced at him over the table. He had gone very quiet, and his little forehead was wrinkled again. He looked worried all over again. Regina reached out and patted his hand gently. Then lifting her hands to sign once more. 'Are you alright, sweetheart?' she wasn't disappointed that Henry didn't react in the same fashion Zelena did. She understood that this was a lot to take in.
Henry nodded, but he didn't look to be entirely okay. His voice was very small and vulnerable when he said: "does that mean you have to go to the hospital again?"
Regina nodded, confirmed: 'yes, I will have to go to the hospital again. But only for a little while.'
"Will it be like the last time?" he asked quietly. "Will you get really sick again?"
Regina promptly stood from her chair and walked over to Henry. Crouching down to be at eye level with him, she firmly shook her head and signed: 'no. I will not get sick like last time. It will be different.'
"Do you promise?" he looked at her with wide eyes.
'I promise', Regina signed and put a hand on his shoulder.
Henry didn't look entirely ready to let go of his worry yet. "I wanna go with you," he murmured. "Can I? Please?"
'Of course,' Regina assured. 'We're all going together.'
"All?" Henry echoed. "You mean you, me and aunty Z?"
'And Emma,' Regina signed and smiled at her son. 'She has said that she will go with me too.'
"Seriously?" a little smile crept onto Henry's face. "Emma's going with us to Toronto?"
'She is,' Regina confirmed. 'We're going to Toronto together. Isn't that going to be fun?' perhaps 'fun' wasn't the most covering word to use, but she knew she had to sell this as a fun experience to Henry. She didn't want him to be scared or worried about the surgery. It was such a small procedure that would be over before either of them knew of it.
"It's gonna be awesome," Henry said, adopting one of Emma's favorite expressions.
Regina rumbled and ruffled his hair. That was better. He had lost the frowny face, and Regina was very happy to see that. It would be a little adventure for them. Not anything to be afraid of.
"Have you told her yet?" Zelena asked.
Regina shook her head.
"But you're going to, right? I mean, this is a relatively big thing."
'I'll tell her,' Regina signed as she rose to her full height. 'After the celebration on Saturday.'
One of Zelena's well-shaped red eyebrows rose. "Seriously? You're going to wait an entire week?"
Regina frowned at her sister. 'Yes, I am going to wait a week. She's getting ready to celebrate her book contract. This is about her, not me. I don't want to take the attention away from her right before her big night.'
"Fair point, but I still think she would like to know sooner," Zelena said, wagging a finger at Regina.
Regina ignored the finger being wagged at her. She didn't care whether Zelena had a point or not. There was no way she would start to dump all of this on Emma right before the celebration of her book contract. It would be selfish of her.
"Can I read about the operation?" Henry piped up.
She nodded and smiled at him. What a great idea. They could read about the surgery together. And Regina could explain the things he didn't understood. That way, Henry would learn that it truly wasn't a scary thing at all.
Because it was obvious that he was reacting in an anxious way to her news. He was concerned, and Regina perfectly understood that. What happened to her, the coma and the long stay in the hospital afterwards had left a mark on him too. Almost like PTSD. Regina looked thoughtfully at her boy who was now smiling. Henry was so strong, but despite his usual, cheerful mood (which truly had brightened a lot ever since Emma came into their lives) he was still the little boy which image of his mother had changed. He had learned that she was mortal so to speak. This had happened to him too, and Regina vowed to herself that she would support him as much as she possibly could if he had a bad reaction when they got to the hospital. Nobody knew better than her what it was like to experience flashbacks.
But for now, her son was smiling, and that was all that mattered. After breakfast, they could talk some more, and if he had any questions, Regina would be happy to answer them….
When Saturday night came, Regina had gotten nervous.
Not about the surgery, but about going to that bar with Emma and her co-workers. Which was ridiculous, but she couldn't help it. This was the first time in a very long time she was going to a bar.
Still, she tried to push it back as she looked at herself in the mirror. She had changed into her favorite little black dress with the thin straps and rather short skirt. She had been a little inspired by the video she had seen of herself as a twenty nine year old. Had done her hair and makeup. She had absolutely no reason to keep standing here. Regina turned around and grabbed her phone so she could send Emma a text. 'I'm ready.' That was all. But that was also what they had agreed on. That Regina should send a text when she was ready.
The response from Emma came quickly. 'Great, I'll be leaving now. Can't wait to see you :)'
'Likewise.', Regina replied and immediately regretted the slightly lackluster answer. It almost gave off the impression that she wasn't looking forward to seeing Emma again, and that was definitely not the case. She was just a bit nervous about tonight. Regina sighed. She feared that her texts had been like that all week. A bit too short. Distracted. She'd had a bit of a busy week. She had been to see Doctor Anton for a checkup, and she had of course told him that she wanted the operation. He had smiled and congratulated her. Almost as though she had won some kind of price. She hadn't, but she was glad that he currently was in the process of 'putting the wheels in motion'. Meaning that he was arranging everything with doctor Auburn in Toronto. Emma had not been with her for the doctor's appointment. She had been a work, but Regina had been fine. She still had not told Emma about her decision either. Despite Zelena breathing down her neck about it. Very annoying. Regina could see that her sister had a point, but she was stubborn about her decision not to tell Emma about her plans until after the book contract celebration. She didn't want to take the spotlight away from Emma. She had waited so long for this. Tonight was her night. Absolutely. Everything else was less important. Everything else could wait.
Regina turned her back on her reflection and went downstairs to wait for Emma. Knowing her, it wouldn't be long before she showed up in her little yellow bug. S
She sat down on the couch and did her best to quell her anxiety. She was fine. Tonight would be fine. Even though she didn't know Emma's coworkers personally, she knew that she was among friends. And she knew Malena. Malena had never been one for partying in too loud places. That was a rather soothing knowledge to have. Yes. With Emma and Malena there, everything would be just fine. It would be a fun night. Of course it would. There was nothing to be afraid or anxious about.
She could do this. Absolutely…
Regina was so far away in her thoughts, thinking about the operation and the upcoming trip to the bar and just everything at once really, so she didn't initially pick up on the sound someone knocking on the door. Zelena was the one who had to inform her that Emma already had been outside for a couple of minutes.
Regina quickly sprung into action, grabbed her blazer and adjusted the scarf, then went into the hallway and opened the door for a smiling Emma Swan who looked absolutely smashing in her black skinny jeans and black top with spaghetti straps. Regina was used to seeing Emma in tanktops that had wider straps, but these thin ones definitely worked too. And so did the neckline on the top. Emma was showing a bit of cleavage tonight. How absolutely lovely.
Emma was wearing a pair of dangly earrings tonight. Another new thing. She didn't typically wear earrings, Regina had noted. But it suited her. As did the style she had chosen for her hair. In soft waves down her back. Regina loved when Emma's hair was styled like that.
"Hi," Emma grinned, clearly looking at her. In that particular way.
Regina almost felt tempted to do a little mock-spin. She had 'pulled out the big stops tonight' as Zelena would say. Her eye makeup was darker than usually, and the shade of her red lipstick was also a bit darker than normally. It almost matched the red blazer she was wearing over her short dress. For once, the scarf was back. Tied elegantly around her neck. She hadn't felt comfortable with going to the bar without having covered her throat. Emma was used to seeing the markings on her neck, but Malena and Emma's co-workers weren't, and no matter how you twisted and turned it, the markings looked scary. That was just how it was. Regina was aware of that. And that was one of the reasons why she had asked Doctor Anton to ask doctor Auburn if it would be possible to do something about the marks on her neck. Not make them disappear, that wasn't possible, but perhaps make them look a little less scary.
Emma kissed her cheek and Regina smiled. That felt nice.
"Are you ready to go out and have a good time tonight?" Emma asked.
As ready as she would ever be. Regina nodded, and then Zelena showed up in the hallway and greeted Emma with a: "hello, Emma."
"Hey," Emma greeted. "You're on Henry duty tonight?"
"Yep, I sure am," Zelena confirmed, pushing one of her red locks behind her ear.
Turning to her sister, Regina signed: 'make sure he's in bed by nine thirty. And no sugar before bedtime.'
"Yes, bed by nine thirty and he's only allowed to have fruit before bedtime. This gotta be the millionth time you tell me. I do know the drill, sis." Zelena rolled her eyes.
Regina raised an eyebrow and wiggled her fingers in the air again. 'I am serious about the sugar.'
"I promise I won't give him any sweets before bedtime," Zelena said. "You have my word. Now get out of here, will you? Go out and have a good time."
"We will," Emma assured. "Isn't that right, babe?"
Emma's usual sweet manner did make Regina feel a bit more certain about tonight being a success.
"Are you ready to go, babe?"
Actually, no. She had forgotten her purse in the kitchen. That in itself wasn't a tragedy, but it WOULD be if she forgot to give Emma the thing that was inside the purse. She shook her head and waved Emma towards her, and once Emma had gone "Okay", Regina lead her into the kitchen where her purse indeed was waiting for her. As she roamed through it, Regina thought to herself that it had been clever of her to leave the purse in the kitchen rather than doing this in front of her too-nosy-for-her-own-good sister. After a moment, she found what she was looking for in the purse. The square box covered in velvet. That was another thing she had been occupied with this week. Finding the perfect gift for Emma. She handed the box to her.
"What's this?" Emma asked, taking the box from her. Her voice was laced with surprise and curiosity.
Well, there was only one way to find out, wasn't there? Regina shrugged in what she hoped was a mysterious manner and then she gestured for Emma to open it. She was so curious to see Emma's reaction.
Emma opened the box, and just like Regina had planned, she found the letter first.
She had spent quite a while on considering what to write in that letter too, and after some good thinking through, she had landed on: 'Dearest Emma,congratulations on your book contract. I hope that the upcoming publication of your book will remind you to believe in yourself in the future. You don't do that often enough.Seeing you achieve one of your biggest goals has been a privilege and a pleasure, and I cannot wait to see you achieve even more.Thank you for letting me be a part of your onwards journey.All my love,Regina.'
Short but sweet. And so very truthful too. Regina watched as Emma read the letter, and if she wasn't mistaken, Emma's eyes looked a bit misty. She folded the letter and carefully stuffed it into the back-pocket of her jeans. Then she turned her attention to the box again, and Regina was almost anticipative as she watched Emma lift the necklace out of the box. The chain was a rather simple one, but the pendant was quite special. Made of silver and shaped as a swan. A swan for a Swan. It couldn't get anymore perfect, could it? Regina had found the pendant in an antiques store, and naturally, she had to buy it.
"Oh my god," Emma croaked "Regina, this is..." she ran out of words.
Too much? Regina tilted her head. Too soon? This was the first time she was buying Emma jewelries. Perhaps she should have gone with something simpler?
Or perhaps not. Emma pretty much launched herself right into her arms and kissed her in a way that had Regina tethering slightly on her high heels.
"I love it," Emma breathed, pulling out of the kiss for a split second. "I," she kissed her again. "Love," another kiss. "It," once more. "So," another peck. "Much!"
Regina rumbled in amusement and admittedly, relief, and wrapped her arms around Emma as she deepened the kiss for just a moment. They didn't have unlimited amount of time. Couldn't risk Emma being late for her own celebration. So after another quite heated kisses, they pulled away from one another again.
"Thank you so, so much!" Emma said, holding the swan pendant and chain so gently it looked like it was made of glass.
Regina shrugged lightly to show Emma that she didn't need to thank her.
"I love it," Emma repeated. "So much. And I love you. Even more."
Now see, that was the kind of talk that easily could make Regina kiss her again and make them even more late. So to avoid that, Regina elegantly plucked the necklace out of Emma's hands and then motioned for her to turn around.
Emma happily complied and Regina got busy pushing her blonde hair out of the way so she could expose Emma's beautiful neck. Once that was done, she held the necklace up in front of Emma and slowly guided it over her slender neck. The clasp was a bit difficult, so Regina might have brushed her fingers over the back of Emma's neck a few times. But that didn't appear to be a problem. She was sure she heard Emma inhale.
After a few more attempts, she managed to fasten the chain and swan pendant around Emma's neck. It was so very tempting to dip down and kiss that bare shoulder in front of her, and she was nearly relieved when Emma turned around and kissed her again. Undoubtedly in gratitude, but for once, Regina let it slide and simply concentrated on kissing her girlfriend. She toyed lightly with the swan pendant now resting in the column of Emma's throat and could have sworn she felt Emma shiver.
"Oh good god, get out of here."
Like so many other times, their kiss was interrupted. They broke apart just as Zelena came strolling into the kitchen. She rolled her eyes at them. "Are you two trying to scare Henry again? Wasn't it enough that he kept asking questions about how you could sleep till eleven o'clock last Saturday?"
Emma cleared her throat and Regina glared at her older sister. Reminding her of the painfully awkward series of questions Henry had asked them that Saturday morning, was a terribly low blow.
Emma cleared her throat again and gently touched her elbow. "Should we get going, beautiful?"
Seemed like a good idea before she ended up murdering her sister. Regina nodded.
They were walked into the hallway again. Henry called an obscenely loud 'bye!' from upstairs and Regina didn't know whether to be amused or cringe as Emma hollered 'goodbye, kiddo!' just as loudly.
Right before they left, Zelena shot her a look. One that suggested that she thought Regina should tell Emma what was going on. Regina shut her sister down just by looking at her, and she made sure to put on a big smile for Emma as they left. Tonight was her night…
As they drove to the bar, Regina discovered that she perhaps was less 'zen' about this than what she had hoped. She kept adjusting her black scarf, and more than once, she moved it aside and ran her fingertips over the markings hiding under it. She wasn't entirely sure what was going on with her. It had to be a mixture of anxiety about tonight, annoyance that she still wasn't feeling bold enough to go out in public without wearing the scarf, and hope that doctor Auburn would be capable of making the scars on her neck a little better.
"Everything okay?" Emma asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.
Regina nodded and quickly tugged the scarf back up. It felt silky soft against her neck. After the surgery, she would have to wear a plaster and a bandage on her neck again. That would be annoying. She remembered that the plaster had itched a lot. And she also had to change the plaster. That would be annoying too. But hopefully, she would be less anxious about it this time.
"Are you sure?" Emma gently prodded.
Okay, now she really had to snap out of it so she could be present for Emma on her big night. It wouldn't be fair of Regina to just completely disappear into her own head. She hastily nodded and put a reassuring hand on Emma's jeans-clad knee whilst smiling.
Emma shot her a bit of sideway glance. One of those suggesting that she was starting to grow suspicious.
Regina didn't want her to be suspicious. Not tonight. Not when they were on their way for her celebration. It was time to distract miss Swan. She smirked a little as she moved her hand from Emma's knee and up to her thigh instead.
Emma drew in a breath and warned: "that's the kind of thing that'll make me pull over, Mills. And I don't think the backseat is very comfortable to lie on."
Regina gave a slight rumble and gave Emma's thigh a gentle caress. She was probably right about that. Regina had found herself engaging in activities that definitely wasn't driving in the backseat of a car once (she had been eighteen and very, very drunk!) and no, it hadn't been a particularly comfortable position at all. But that wasn't what she was aiming for here at all. She was just… giving her girlfriend some attention, that was all.
Emma inhaled again and this time the sound was less joking. "I'm actually trying to drive, beautiful. Keep that up and I WILL have to pull over!"
Okay, okay. Regina let out a rumble again and then moved her hand away from Emma's thigh.
"Awesome. Now I can breathe again," Emma joked.
The mood had lifted. Emma no longer looked suspicious. Regina leaned back in the car seat. She hadn't been meaning to, but somehow, she ended up toying with her scarf. Again. She was interrupted when Emma put a hand on her bare knee. Regina wiggled a bit. Now she was the one who wanted to pull over. And for some reason, she was suddenly certain that the backseat was incredibly cushy and comfortable to lie on. Jesus Christ, how easily distracted she was. How quickly Emma made her feel all sorts of things.
After a moment, Emma moved her hand away from her knee again. "I'm looking forward to going out tonight," she said lightly, elegantly maneuvering the car through a turnabout. "And I'm so happy to have you with me. I had never finished those stories with you. You're my muse."
Naturally, Regina shook her head. But she smiled at the same time. She actually quite liked the idea of being Emma's muse.
"You are," Emma said firmly and touched the swan pendant resting in the column of her throat. "And have I mentioned how much I love this necklace? Because I do. And I'm never gonna take it off again."
That brought another smile to Regina's lips. But once they reached another turnabout and Emma announced: "almost there," she grew slightly nervous again and toyed with the scarf again. Just to make sure that it really was sitting as it should.
"Do you wanna listen to some music?"
Regina nodded. Some music would be nice. Perhaps that could take her mind off of things for a while. Make her stop obsessing with her throat.
Emma switched on the radio and 'She Will Be Loved' by Maroon 5 floated from the radio. Regina knew that song quite well. And she also happened to like it a lot. She bopped her head up and down and let her foot tap lightly against the car floor.
The music was definitely doing something to her. When her upper body began moving to the music, Regina did nothing to prevent it.
"You look ridiculously sexy when you do that!"
Oh. Was that so? Regina smirked a little.
"And you look sexy when you do that too," Emma added.
Regina smirked again. She liked when Emma told her she looked sexy.
"Good god," Emma said, putting a hand on her chest in mock swoon. "You'll make me crash the car or something!"
Regina raised an eyebrow. Should she stop doing what she was doing?
Emma laughed softly. "Keep dancing, babe. Just keep dancing."
For some reason, that had Regina flushing a bit, but she kept 'dancing'. And when 'Wild Women' blasted through the radio, Regina couldn't help but to become even more enthusiastic about dancing.
"Into Pretty Woman, huh, babe?" Emma asked.
Regina flushed again as she admitted to being just that. She actually loved 'Pretty Woman' with a passion.
Emma's smile only grew at the admittance, and Regina had a feeling that her girlfriend had just added that movie to the list of movies they should watch together. The only problem was that they were so horrendously bad at watching movies together….
They reached the bar. Emma parked the bug and then shot her another sideway glance. "You good?"
Regina nodded in confirmation. She was feeling absolutely fine.
"Are you ready to head out?"
Regina nodded again, this time smiling. She was absolutely ready to go out and celebrate Emma's book-contract.
"Alright then. Let's do it!"
They exited the car, and as soon as Regina had closed the car door, Emma took her hand and squeezed it gently as they crossed the street.
Regina squeezed back, and just like that, they were standing in front of the bar. It wasn't that big of a place. Regina could see Malena and a few other people in there. They were laughing and having a good time. Nothing to be afraid of.
When Emma looked at her, Regina willingly met her eyes and nodded towards the door. She was nervous but had decided that that wasn't gonna stop her. No way.
"Yep," Emma agreed. "Let's head inside." She gallantly held the door open, and Regina walked inside the bar.
She looked around. There was a pretty good crowd in here despite it not being that late. Her heart thrummed in her chest, but she drew in a quick breath and reminded herself that she was okay.
It didn't take long before Malena spotted them. She flashed them a grin. "There she is. The woman of the hour. Come here, miss Swan, and let's make a toast to Dragon Publishing's next successful author!"
She was already tipsy. Had to be. It wasn't that Malena was slurring or anything, but Regina knew Malena so well. She was well-versed in understanding all the little things she said and did, and she wasn't in doubt that Malena had treated herself to a bit of 'liquid courage' before leaving. Malena wasn't a social butterfly at all, and Regina knew how nervous being in a crowd made her. She was proud of her friend for doing it anyway.
Emma grinned as she took her hand again as they walked over to the little crowd. She smiled at her co-workers and boss.
Malena looked at Regina. Flashed her a smile. "Long time no see, Regina."
Yes, it definitely had been a while. Regina nodded and returned the smile.
"It's good to see you," Mal continued.
Regina put a hand on Emma' shoulder to get her attention and signalize that she needed her to translate, and it didn't take long for Emma to react to it. She smiled, said: "yes, absolutely."
And so Regina lifted her hands and let her fingers wiggle in the air. Slower than what she normally would have. She wanted Emma to have the best chance to understand her.
"'I wanted to be here and toast to my girlfriend,'" Emma translated. Perfectly.
Regina was as proud as could be and she beamed at Emma. Then thought of the irony in this. Just as Emma truly could understand and translate her signs, Regina had decided to get the surgery that could restore her voice. That WAS ironic.
Malena smiled. "And toast we shall. In champagne, preferably. Excuse me for a moment while I go up to the bar and sweettalk the bartender into whipping out the champagne." She swaggered up to the bar.
Regina sighed and rolled her eyes as she observed Malena's walk up to the bar. Perhaps more than tipsy then.
Emma snickered, wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. Regina leaned into the touch. It felt really nice.
"You two are adorable," a dark-haired man said.
That had to be August. Emma had talked a lot about him. Had laughed a lot about his shenanigans.
"Yep. We are. Glad you've noticed that." Emma said simply.
Regina rumbled softly in agreement. They truly were adorable.
The group found an available table nearby. They talked about Emma's book contract mostly, but also about random things. Regina was formally introduced to Emma's colleagues. Everyone introduced themselves by name and smiled at her. They were nice people. Of course they were. She hadn't expected anything else.
Regina sat next to Emma and followed the conversation. Emma's co-workers treated her exactly like a 'normal' human being. It wasn't an issue that she couldn't speak. Whenever they asked her a question and she answered by signing, Emma translated for her. Perfectly. Regina was so proud of her. One could tell that Emma really had made an effort in the Sign Language lessons.
Then Malena joined them. "We'll be getting champagne in a moment."
Regina rolled her eyes. The top button in Mal's blouse was undone. It hadn't been when she walked up to the bartender a moment ago, and Regina had to scold her features because she recognized Mal's old trick. She had constantly used it when they were younger.
The woman sitting next to Mal, the receptionist called Ursula, rolled her almond shaped dark eyes. "Good god, Mal," she said.
Regina was intrigued when she saw Ursula and Malena send each other little smiles. This was interesting. Mal only let her closets friends call her 'Mal'. Interesting. Very interesting. Regina raised an eyebrow.
"Oh yes, Ursula and I are dating," Malena said casually. "But it's a very well kept secret in the office, so I expect you to keep it to yourself, kitten."
Beg your pardon? Regina tilted her head slightly. Had she just opened a door to the past or what? God, it had to have been at least fifteen years since Mal called her 'kitten'.
Next to her, Emma raised an eyebrow, and honestly, Regina couldn't blame her for being puzzled.
"Pardon me," Malena said. "Slip of tongue."
Emma gave her a gently nudge. Flashed her an amused look and mouthed: "kitten?"
Regina shrugged and hoped that the blush in her cheeks wasn't too obvious.
Emma snickered. Which probably meant that the blush in Regina's cheeks WAS obvious. Darn it.
That was when the bartender showed up with their champagne. They toasted to Emma's book-contract. Regina took a sip. The champagne was sweet yet crisp on her tongue. She felt…. Alive. Yes, that was the exactly right word. She felt happy and vibrant right here. Amongst friends. She was in a bar again and she didn't have to be afraid of accidentally making eye contact with someone or smiling at the bartender. She could enjoy her drink without fear. Another thing Emma had given back to her. Because she surely wouldn't have come here if it hadn't been for Emma.
"Cheers, beautiful," Emma said softly as she raised her glass towards Regina.
Regina smiled as she clinked her glass with Emma's, and she even felt bold enough to mock sneer at August when he went 'aww'.
When Ursula started talking about potential covers for Emma's book, Regina was all ears.
"I think I want to keep it simple," Emma said. "Maybe a red apple on a black background or something." Her voice was casual, but Regina could tell that Emma really liked that idea, and she hoped that Emma's idea would come true.
They toasted again. Emma leaned and whispered in her ear: "to your dress, babe." Regina flashed her a smile. Dear, sweet, silly Emma. Her dress was old and had spent far too long in the back of her closet.
The music got louder and louder. At some point, 'Love Me Like You Do' blared from the speakers. Emma put a hand on her arm and asked: "do you wanna dance?"
Dance? Regina lifted an eyebrow.
"Please?" Emma said in that sweet, sweet voice. "I promise I won't step on your toes."
Obviously not. She never did. Regina smiled and nodded her yes. Then she rose from her chair. They walked out on the not-too-big dancefloor, and Emma smiled as she put her hands on Regina's hips. "That okay?"
Absolutely yes. Regina simply smiled in confirmation and draped her arms loosely around Emma's neck.
They swayed to the music. Perhaps too slow for the fast song, but Regina didn't mind that. This pace suited her rather well. And of course dancing with Emma was wonderful as usually.
"This is nice," Emma said and flashed her a rather goofy smile.
Regina smiled back. She loved Emma's goofy smiles.
Emma squeezed her hips gently. "You are so much better at this than I am, babe. Someday you'll have to give me lessons."
Oh? Regina quirked an eyebrow. Interesting. She would absolutely love to give Emma 'lessons'.
"Oh my god. I did NOT mean it like that!" Emma exclaimed, clearly having caught the double-meaning too.
Shame. Regina did her best to mock pout.
"That is, unless of course you WANT to give me lessons…." Now Emma's voice was loaded with something that most certainly belonged in the bedroom and not in a public place.
Regina found it to be delightful. She flashed Emma a bit of a wicked smile as she nodded. Absolutely, yes, she was more than interested in giving Emma 'lessons'. It was a pity that she couldn't give her a few when they got home. She would have enjoyed that very much.
Then a spot on her neck started itching and she had no choice but to move a hand away from the back of Emma's neck so she could move the scarf down slightly and scratch the spot on her neck. Then she waved her hand slightly in the hope to get some air. 'Itchy', she mouthed to Emma and frowned slightly.
"Yeah."
She rubbed the spot on her neck once more for good measurement, tugged the scarf back where it belonged and let her hand return to the back of Emma's neck.
"You good?"
Regina nodded and surprised both of them by leaning in and kissing Emma right there on the dancefloor. Because she could. Because she was happy to be here. Because she was no longer nervous about this.
Emma squeezed her hips slightly, and Regina had to fight hard not to let it show much that little gesture truly affected her….
The party got wild.
At least for some.
August got drunk. Very drunk. His poor girlfriend nearly had to carry him out of the bar.
Malena was highly amused by the scene unfolding. "Let's hope he'll be sober on Monday," she mused.
"Let's hope poor Ivy won't collapse under his weight," Ursula muttered.
Regina rumbled in amusement. Had already determined that Malena and Ursula were a good match. Ursula, the mystery woman Mal had been reluctant to tell her about a while ago. Well, now that secret was out. In every way. At some point, Regina would have to remember to tease her old friend about it.
"Cheers," Emma said, lifting her glass. "To…. August's drunkenness. Guy's the life of the party. Even when he isn't here."
Regina happily toasted to that. And she and Emma decided to bet five bucks. If he didn't come into work on Monday, Regina would have to pay Emma five bucks, but if he against all odds DID come into work, Emma was the one to owe Regina five bucks.
They danced again. To 'Dancing Queen', of all the songs in all the world. Regina had tried to convince Emma that it was too much of a cliché, but naturally, Emma was so much better at convincing her of the opposite.
"I love clichés!" she half-shouted. "And besides, you're a queen and you love dancing. It's perfect!"
And how was Regina supposed to resist that? She grinned at Emma. Took off her blazer and then grabbed Emma's hand.
She danced. And took the opportunity to impress Emma with her salsa steps. Now the gift she had gotten from her father on her twentieth birthday came in handy. She could still remember the steps. Perhaps she should take some more lessons sometimes.
"You'll have to teach me that sometimes," Emma said as she spun Regina around.
Regina rumbled as she pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. She had a feeling that her hair wasn't as smooth anymore, but honestly, she didn't care.
"Have I mentioned that you look beautiful tonight?" Emma asked once Regina was back where she belonged. In Emma's arms.
Regina grinned in response and toyed slightly with the swan pendant resting in the column of Emma's throat.
"Where did you even find that?" Emma questioned and looked down at the pendant between Regina's fingers.
At 44-not-telling-you-street. Regina offered a mysterious smile and booped Emma's nose gently. Then she tugged a lock of hair behind her ear and grinned at the way Emma tried to scowl but failed miserably. She looked so adorable when she pouted (or tried to!) Regina couldn't resist to kiss the tip of Emma's nose. Then her lips.
The kiss was immediately returned. Emma's arms wrapped around her, and Regina didn't care that this was a dancefloor until Malena loudly commented on how nice it was to see her act as a teenager for once.
Now Regina was the one who tried to scowl. But she ended up smiling instead….
By the time it was decided to call it a night, Emma was most certainly tipsy. And obviously very delightful.
Regina had only sipped at her champagne. She had secretly named herself to be the designated driver tonight so Emma could get a bit to drink and celebrate.
Malena was more than tipsy. She was officially drunk. She hugged Regina. Very tightly. And then unceremoniously kissed her twice on each cheek before wagging a finger in her face. "Don't be a stranger, my dear."
Right, she wouldn't. Regina felt guilty as she nodded. Then the guilt was replaced with surprise as Malena went as far as patting her cheek. Well then.
She watched as Mal practically sailed out of the door with Ursula trailing behind her, and she thought to herself that Ursula was in for a long night with lots of no's and 'go back to bed'. Because Mal had the habit of dangling about everywhere when she was drunk. And she also got extremely handsy. In some cases, it could feel like she had more than two hands. Regina had once managed to bring the drunken Mal to tears because she had ended up saying that Mal was more octopus than dragon. Something she had ended up apologizing for for the rest of the night, and Mal, goddamn her, hadn't remembered anything when waking up the following morning.
Emma snickered as they left the bar, and once they reached the little yellow bug, she handed Regina the car keys. "Would you mind driving, beautiful?"
Regina took the keys from her and was happy Emma was handing them over so quickly. Of course she was sensible enough to not wanting to drive.
Both of them climbed inside the car. Regina switched on the engine and maneuvered the car out of the parking lot. Quite easily, really.
"Seems like you can easily handle her. The Bug I mean. Not me. Well, you can handle me too, but y'know what I mean..."
Regina did her utmost not to show how amused she was. Tipsy Emma was mighty entertaining.
"Yeah, I might be a little drunk," Emma admitted. "Just a smidge anyway."
Yep, that sounded about right. Once again, Regina scolded her features and tried not to laugh. But it was mighty hard when Emma so unceremoniously let her head flop back against the headrest. "Man, I'm tired," she announced, yawning behind her hand. "I can't wait to crash at your- Zelena's place. I love sleeping with you."
Regina's mouth fell open in sheer surprise. Alright then. Well, that certainly was blunt. This time, her chin quivered in amusement.
"I meant sleeping next to you!" Emma quickly amended. "Jesus! My filter isn't working tonight."
Yeah, no kidding. God, this was hilarious. She had no idea that Emma was so goofy when drunk.
"But I do love sleeping with you too," Emma added, now grinning like a cat who got the cream.
Regina snorted. Emma wasn't exactly broadcasting breaking news right now, but still, it was nice to know you were appreciated and all that.
"Imagine if we could do that every night," Emma said a bit slurred and closed her eyes. "Imagine if we lived together. God, that could be awesome!"
Regina's eyebrow raised and her heart began to pound in her chest. She shot Emma a sideways glance. Had she just… Was she asking her to…?
No. She drew in a breath and ordered herself not to get overexcited. Emma was drunk. Her filter wasn't working. She had just said so herself. She wasn't in control over the things coming out of her mouth right now, and there was a good chance that she wouldn't even be able to remember this come morning.
But… at least it was something she had been thinking about. It had to be. Otherwise she wouldn't have brought it up. Drunk or not, her subconscience was at work.
Emma had thought about them living together. That was something.
Emma hadn't moved much by the time they were back at Zelena's place, and Regina had to stroke her arm several times before she came to it.
"Awesome," Emma said as she clumsily opened the door. "I really need to pee."
Okay then. The corners of Regina's mouth twitched as she undid her seatbelt and stepped out of the car. Emma was clearly on a roll tonight. Was this some kind of milestone in their relationship? It was the first time Regina saw her drunk.
Emma wasn't quite as steady on her feet as she fumblingly unclicked her seatbelt and then exited the car. She slammed the car door shut loudly and leaned against the car for a moment.
Goodness, it was hard not to laugh! Regina gallantly outstretched a hand towards Emma. She looked like she could need a bit of extra support.
"Thanks, babe," Emma said a bit slurred as she took Regina's hand, and they began to walk up to the house. "You're the best, did you know that? And your hands are sooo goddamn soft all the time!"
Great. Fantastic. Regina smiled overbearingly at Emma, and in return, Emma started to snicker. But Regina doubted that she knew what she was snickering off. Which made it even more hilarious.
"Heyyy, you're not using a key," Emma commented as Regina managed to open the door with one hand. "Is Zelena still up? Does she wait up for you while you're out? Pulling that whole 'concerned sister'-act?"
Probably. Regina nodded and Emma sniggered again. Then toed off her boots and wiggled out of her jacket. She quietly murmured something about the bathroom and then disappeared through the door leading to the downstairs guest bathroom.
Regina was impressed. Even while drunk, Emma was clearly still bearing in mind that Henry was asleep upstairs.
She too took off her coat and shoes and winced slightly. Perhaps dancing in high heels hadn't been the most sensible thing to do.
Her throat was a bit dry, so she walked into the kitchen to get herself a glass of water. She was tired. Was looking forward to laying down.
"Was that Emma I heard laughing?
Regina turned around and found her sister sitting at the kitchen table with her laptop open. She nodded in confirmation. That was indeed Emma laughing.
"She had a good time then," Zelena deduced and smiled. "And what about you? Did you have a good time too?"
'Yes,' Regina signed. 'It's been a very fun night. Lots of dancing.'
"Oh, that's excellent." Zelena smiled for a moment. Then narrowed her eyes slightly. "Have you told her yet?"
Seriously? This again? Regina scowled and shook her head. Wiggled her fingers in the air. 'No, I have not. As I've told you a million times, this night was about her. We were there to celebrate her.'
"I know that," Zelena said carefully. "But you've known it all week now. Don't you think it's time to tell her?"
"Tell me what?" Emma asked casually as she opened the door and came into the kitchen.
Quicker in the bathroom than what she had expected, then. Regina scowled at her sister. Why was it that she always was unable to keep her big, fat mouth shut?!
"Whoops," Zelena said and had the audacity to not look very sorry.
"Tell me what?" Emma repeated and looked at Regina. "What's going on?"
Well, now she had to do SOMETHING. Regina found her phone in the pocket of her blazer and wrote a quick message. 'How about we talk about it tomorrow? This is your day. Your celebration. I don't want to take the attention away from that.' Then she turned the screen towards Emma.
Despite being drunk, Emma clearly had no problem with reading the message. "Or how about you tell me what's going on right now?" she suggested. "I knew there was something. You've been acting a bit odd all week."
Oh, god damnit! Thanks to Zelena, Regina was now doing the one thing she had sworn she wouldn't. Steal Emma's spotlight. Once again, she glared at her sister.
"I didn't know she was lurking outside the door!" was Zelena's brilliant defense this time.
"Come on," Emma said softly to Regina. "Please tell me what's going on?"
Regina sighed gravely. Now that she effectively had been 'backed into a corner', there was no other option than telling. So she wrote on her phone again. Kept it short and precise to bear Emma's slightly drunken state in mind. Then looked at the message for a moment. 'I've decided to get that operation.'
Short and straight to the point. Impossible to misunderstand. Regina turned the phone screen towards Emma again and felt oddly nervous. No matter what, it would always be strange to deliver life-changing news via text….
To Be Continued….