Emma's hands are shaking as she runs down the hallway of the Storybrooke Grand Hotel. She pays no mind to the stares of people who are left gaping after her all she cares about is meeting, for the second time, the woman who has captured her heart. She finds her way to Regina's room and knocks on the door. She stands there with her hands sweating and breathing becoming rushed. Her eyes flicker from the silver handle to the door itself as she hears footsteps from the other side approaching. She holds her breath as the door swings open and...its not Regina.
A blonde woman stands in front of her with pale skin and ocean eyes. She is beautiful and reminds her of a woman she knew long ago, "Yes?" The woman asks.
Emma's face twists in confusion, this is the room that Henry showed her, she knows it is so who is she? Jealousy suddenly erupts as she stands in the doorway with hands balled into fists.
The woman looks at her equally as confused as she opens the door wider, revealing her uniform. Emma instantly relaxes. "Is Regina here?"
"Regina? No. Miss Mills should be at rehearsal by now." She says with a sweet smile.
"Rehearsal?"
"Why, yes. The play is set to open this week, down by the lakeside theater. You're a guest here and didn't hear about it?" The woman asks, looking a bit skeptical, her brow arched in question.
Emma flushes red, "Ah. Well, I've just arrived here you see but I was hoping to get a chance to speak with her." She stutters out the excuse, hoping the woman doesn't see through it.
A moment passes,"Try the theater." She says looking not completely fooled nor exactly disbelieving.
"Thank you." Emma says just as quickly before she sprints down the hallway.
She walks surrounded by a crowd of people, trying to hide how out of place she feels as she makes her way through the lobby. No one could possibly know where she comes from and her outfit seems to be fitting in enough but she can't help but feel as though she's obvious. As if she's wearing a giant yellow sign with words that read, 'Hello. I'm from the future.' She avoids eye contact with as many people as she can before she makes her way to the receptionist's desk.
The man who greets her is kind with big brown eyes and a trusting smile. He looks vaguely familiar, she thinks, but dismisses it just as quick citing that most men look alike to her. She has an easy enough time securing a room, she's not sure how long she will be staying but if all works out for a very long time. She asks for directions to the theater and thanks that man before turning to walk towards the lobby doors when suddenly a large red ball bounces off her legs.
"Henry!" The man scolds from behind the desk as a young boy runs towards them.
She stops for a moment, her mouth slightly agape as memories of days prior enter her mind. She knew he would be here but what she didn't expect was for him to be so young. The weight of her actions finally hitting her as she catches the eyes of the boy with tousled brown hair and shining eyes. Henry , she repeats fondly as she watches the boy stand in front of his father, his head hung in shame. A pang stings her chest that she never even said goodbye but she tries smile when she captures a fleeting glance from the boy. Smiling to herself, she picks up the ball and holds it in her hands.
"I'm so sorry Miss for my son's carelessness. He knows better than to disturb a guest. I apologize again." He says as he whispers Henry's name and nudges him towards her to apologize.
He looks up at her with his big brown eyes, tears flowing and cheeks a blotchy shade of red, "I-I'm sorry Miss." He says as he looks down at his hands.
She smiles at the man and glances at Henry whose eyes are wet with tears, "It's alright, really." She says as she bends down to get to his level. She places the ball in his hands and he clutches it to his chest. "See ya around Henry." She says as she ruffles his hair and turns back towards the doors. When she is far enough she glances back and catches a glimpse of the boy still standing by the desk, a ball in one hand and his eyes still wet but a hopeful smile on his lips.
She wasn't sure what to expect the world to look like as she ran through the doors. It was a different decade but things haven't changed that much have they? There was the lake in front of the hotel, the long driveway lined with trees, the building had remained just as pristine, everything looked the same but it felt different.
The hotel seems to have a different type of energy, a different air. The quiet, chaste nature of the hotel transformed to one full of life and vigor. From where she stands she can see the couples huddled under trees, their bodies radiating from the glowing excitement of young love and faces close together. She sees groups of friends celebrating the feeling of life out on the lake, yelling out in their endearing youth and stupidity as if today was the last day they will ever live. The energy of the people seemed to flow in the warm summer breeze which beat against her as she continues down the path towards the theatre. She passes Mifflin house on her way, catching sight of the house which had surprisingly remained unchanged. It still had its pale blue paint, old wooden porch, and it's short pier beside the home. An ache arises in her which forces herself to swallow as she continues her way.
The theater is small yet nice looking, making up for any cosmetic appearance with being positioned with a view of the lake. On the sides of the building hang posters promoting the upcoming show, Against the Current, which features an illustration of Regina surrounded by party lights and towers of a big city. Emma makes her way into the theater and is instantly surrounded by the busy work of the cast and crew. Each person wearing a look of intensity and seriousness and she recognizes it and knows that they are close to the opening of the play.
She gapes at the interior beauty of the theater with its velvet seats and raised ceiling. The architecture was astounding and nothing like one might expect given the subdued nature of the building's outer appearance. It reminds her of how she felt when she first attended a show on Broadway. How amazed she was by the high ceilings, private boxes, and overall grandeur of it all. It was nothing compared to her humble roots at a community college which barely had room for an orchestra and stage so small that ten people at once was too many. She had come a long way.
"What are you doing just standing there?" A voice behind her yells. "Don't you have something better to do!" She turns and recognizes immediately from the dark bags under his eyes and strain in his voice that he must be the stage manager.
"Actually I was just looking for Regina." She says innocently as he places boxes into her arms and motions for her to follow him.
The man huffs and rolls his eyes, "Isn't everyone?" He says, walking up the stairs and ducking behind the curtain. "I haven't seen her, but if you do tell her to get Cora to back off my ass about these damn sets! I'm going to get them finished by then. You tell her that." He drops the boxes down onto the table with a loud thump and Emma releases hers.
A woman who Emma must not have noticed between the bumbling of various crew members steps out from behind the curtain, "What's this I hear about Regina?" A woman says approaching the pair. She is young, around Emma's age, maybe older she thinks with pale skin and red hair. She has measuring tape draped around her neck and pins and thimbles attached to her apron.
The man points his thumb at Emma, "Nuthin, Zelena. This lady over here just wanted to know if I seen Regina but I haven't seen her since last night's rehearsal." She looks at the woman and tries to smile innocently but it ends up looking more like a grimace.
The woman studies Emma carefully, sharp blue eyes piercing the ones before her. "She usually likes to take walks by the lake before rehearsal. If I were looking for her, I'd start there."
Emma nods, desperate to escape the woman's gaze before politely thanking them both before making her way back towards the lake. The woman left still staring behind her.
She walks down the gravel path once more, this time walking towards the silhouette of the Grand Storybrooke Hotel. The sun is just starting to set and she walks the path carefully, noticing each and every dark-haired woman but with no sign of Regina. People are starting to become scarce as the sun continues to set and people begin to make their way into the hotel. She is about to give up for the day and continue her search tomorrow when in the corner of her eye standing at the edge of the lake she sees her.
She is beautiful. She is alive. She is so much more than the portrait could ever do her justice.
Regina is standing there with one hand draped on the tree beside her as she stares out towards the glistening lake. Her dark short hair is flowing with the late summer breeze and her olive skin aglow. She seems so serene, so calm, as she continues to stare at the blinding reflection before her. The hue of the lake growing darker as the sun washes over it, the sky the color of flames.
Emma approaches her slowly, step by step as if unable to tell if the woman in front of her was real or an illusion. As if with one fatal step the scene before her might dissolve into dust and blow away, leaving her to scramble after it, her hands outstretched and grasping. She continues to walk towards her when at once, sensing her presence Regina snaps her head, brown eyes meeting green ones instantly. No, she thinks, this woman that stands in front of her is no illusion. She is very real with her eyes slightly wide and lips parted in surprise.
A look almost like recognition crosses her face as she gasps and takes a small step back. "Is it you? She asks, her voice unsure and her eyes darting across her face, "Is it?"
Something moves in her, the feeling of an incantation nearly complete, her dream threading through her fingers. Emma knew that if she held her gaze for much longer, she would forever be lost in the swirling brown orbs before her. Regina had captured her, much like the portrait, and trapped her in her gaze. She had only seconds left, she thought, her body already betraying her as she could feel herself starting to slip away. This was the deciding moment, the point at which her life would forever remain changed. She could feel her heartbeat which continued to pump in her ears, reminding her that this was all real and not a dream. For it if were a dream how cruel it would be to awaken in a world without her, she thought. She's not sure she could survive it again. She takes a deep breath, letting herself be held by her gaze and counts her remaining seconds;
One...
Two..
Three.
Home was a word that was thrown around a lot. Group home, foster home, it was used to discuss places to survive not places to live. Emma had given up on ever finding her home, pitying social workers would tell her, You'll find a home too Emma, trying to reassure her that one day she would have a family . She knew better, she knew the consequences of false hope and what constant belief in them could do to a person. The closest thing she had to a home was in New York with Ruby by her side but in the end she ran away from that too. She was always running away and it wasn't until she met Regina that she was actually running towards something. As if the fog in front of her eyes had finally dissipated and she was left with a clear understanding of something she wanted, her.
Everything at once had changed. No matter her future whatever happens next had at once become inexplicably tied to Regina. Her heart held prisoner by the woman before her, she was where she was meant to be, irrevocably in love. The realization fell over her like a veil but it didn't leave her feeling lost or powerless as falling in love often does. It felt like running into the arms of someone you love, the wash of safety which drapes over you as their arms tighten around your body. After twenty-eight years, Emma Swan had finallyfound her home.
Emma's mind went racing and her mouth went dry. Unable to from a coherent sentence nor thought she nods her head and stutters a "Yes". Regina nods her head in a sort of sad understanding before reclaiming her composure and looking back at her.
"I didn't mean to scare you." Emma says as she watches the movements of the other woman.
Regina chuckles but no confidence can be found in her voice, "You didn't. I just…" she says giving her a onceover, "I just wasn't expecting you." She says though the nervous smile isn't quite reaching her eyes and Emma burns even more with curiosity to understand this woman.
Her hands are sweating as she wipes them on her skirt, and somehow despite her anxiety when she speaks her voice is even, "My name is Emma. Emma Swan."
Even from the distance Emma could smell Regina's perfume, an aroma of apples and spice. It was intoxicating and like hands beckoning for her to come closer, she feels herself inexplicably drawn to her. Regina turns from her and Emma reaches out a hand but doesn't touch her as she says, "Please." The woman turns around to face her again, "You don't know how long it took to get here."
Regina looks at her with uncertainty and opens her mouth to reply before an older woman approaches them.
"Excuse me, Regina dear, is this woman bothering you?" A woman says as she stands before the couple, her presence is cold and hard and Emma recognizes her right away from the portrait in the room: Cora.
"No, mother." Regina says, the life in her voice is gone and replaced by steel, "Miss Swan here was just asking for directions. I'm sure she will be on her way now." Regina says giving Emma a hard stare. Any other person probably would have bowed out and retreated under such a cold gaze but Emma didn't always make the best decisions so she stands there gaping at both of the women who stares side by side would be strong enough to freeze over an entire army.
"Go on dear." Cora says nudging Regina away, "I will catch up with you shortly."
Regina exchanges looks between the two before continuing her walk back to the hotel. Emma stands there watching her walk away and desperate to trail after her before Cora's voice captures her attention. "Now, Miss Swan is it? I'm going to tell you exactly was going to happen next, something I never tell those who are in pursuit of Regina."
Emma looks at her aghast, "But I'm not-"
"Please don't lie to me child." She snaps, "I can see the way you look at her, the way all other men do. Don't think your the first woman to ever get caught looking at Regina that way, she has plenty of suitors regardless of gender. But considering I am in a decent mood today I am going to tell you what's going to happen next."
Emma stares blankly at the woman as she continues to show off her claws listing off various threats about staying away from her daughter and what would happen if she didn't. Emma was only halfway listening which in hindsight was a stupid idea but a precursor to things that would follow soon enough. When Cora was finished with her intimidation tactics she looked at Emma awaiting a nod, which she was prompt to give so long as she was finished talking. "Good." Cora continues, "Now enjoy your stay." She stalks off and Emma has to fight the urge to follow once more.
