Surprise!
Here I am at last. I thought about apologising for my long absence, but I won't. Real life is real life and it will always be the priority. Doesn't mean I've abandoned this story, because I haven't.
I want to address some review I've gotten by someone named Kaszandra. I thought about doing it in private, but since your colourful review was made publicly I decided to grant you with the same courtesy.
Thank you for calling my plot stupid. For telling me it was basically nonsense.
I have news for you, dear Kaszandra: it's people like you that make me appreciate my readers so much. Not only have they stood with me all this time, not only have they supported me, but they also had the brains to grasp the concept of this story.
Yes, there is no slavery anymore, but believe me...especially when it comes to strippers and prostitutes the conditions are often not far from it. Ever heard of human trafficking? You might not know this, that's why it's so easy for you to judge, but I know someone in the business and it is ruthless. Aside from that Emma and Gold had a deal and he might not have been able to force Regina back into working for him, but he could have ruined Emma and her family. Their reputation and everything they have worked for. He wouldn't necessarily need evidence against them, sometimes some well placed rumours are enough and let's face it - with the people he knows he could have fabricated quite the story. If you don't know the first thing about that particular business and its shady people...please don't judge.
In the end that arc was used to show exactly how far Emma and Regina have come, how far they are willing to go for one another and it turns out nothing is going to stop either of them when it comes to protecting the other.
As I already said - you apparently didn't understand the concept of this story.
As for Ashley - what do you expect Regina to do? Because really...realistically there is nothing she can do. She doesn't have the means to go against Gold. Doesn't mean they won't help her, because they will...I already mentioned that as I have not forgotten her as you have insinuated. You simply missed it by not paying attention. I didn't expect anything else from you tbh.
So for all I care please don't read my story, because it's a waste of your time. And mine as well.
And now on with the story...
TAKE ME TO WONDERLAND
Chapter 44.1
The penthouse was deadly silent while Emma stared out of the window and Ruby watched her best friend closely.
She could tell how nervous Emma was, how worried. But also how very excited.
"Emma, you know that it's going to be okay, right?"
"Yeah", she finally turned her head to look at Ruby, "Of course. It's just...I'm so happy, Ruby...like...sooooo unbelievably happy...and I'm scared...that I'll do something...or that something happens and it all goes to hell...just think about David...and Mary Margaret...he almost died only a couple of days before the initial wedding...we almost lost you too."
Ruby smiled at Emma sympathetically, "Don't you think you and Regina have been through enough? You've slayed enough dragons for a lifetime, Em."
"But what if it never stops..." Emma hung her head, "Losing Regina would destroy me."
"I know", Ruby pulled her into a hug, "I know...and you have to believe that everything will be fine...because as you said...David almost died...I did too. But we didn't. We're still here. And we'll have that Charming wedding soon enough...it's going to be completely over the top and the media circus is going to drive us all up the walls, but they'll get their happy ending and so will you."
When Emma did not say anything Ruby added, "And besides...what I learned from all of this...and from Graham...if it taught me one thing...then it is that we really shouldn't waste our time. Not a second of it...'cause tomorrow is never guaranteed...for no one."
At that Emma finally nodded, "You're right and I'm being pathetic. I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It's okay to get scared once in a while. That's what we have friends for...to help us through it. To battle the darkness and to come out the other side stronger", Ruby gave Emma's shoulder a squeeze, "Have I ever told you that Graham left me a bunch of post it – notes? Hiding in all kinds of places...all over the apartment?"
"No", Emma chuckled, "But it sounds like something he would do. God, I miss him so much."
"Me too."
Emma eyed her curiously, "What did the notes say?"
"Well", Ruby snickered, "Some were just random stuff...things I needed to know about the place. Like that his one neighbour was annoying as hell...that old Misses Finegold...and that I should bring her truffels from that one shop in downtown here and there...and guess what, it works. She even baked me a cake the other week and it was delicious..."
Emma laughed out loud at that, "Oh yeah...I remember her...she's a piece of work."
"She really is", Ruby agreed, "Most of the others were basically inside jokes, little reminders of something funny that made me laugh...and I truly needed that...especially during the first few weeks I lived there. There were times when I thought I really couldn't stay there for a moment longer and then I found another note and it made me smile and remember...and I realised I couldn't leave either. I still find one here and there...actually, I found one only two days ago."
She reached into her pocket and pulled out three blue post-it notes that were attached to one another and handed them to Emma, who stared at them for a while.
'One of these days you will fall in love, Rubes. It will happen, that's a promise. And don't roll your eyes at me now 'cause you know I'm right.'
'Love isn't so scary, you know. You don't have to be alone for the rest of your life. Take Swan for example – you only needed to mention the word commitment and she chased off at lightning speed.'
'And yet she has a family now. A family of her own. I don't say you have to play house and have kids, but let someone love you. I promise you it will be worth it. And I'll take care of you from above.'
Emma wiped a stray tear off her cheek, "That idiot! How could he just die...without saying a word? I mean I get it...I do...but..."
"I know", Ruby sighed, "I know. But I'm so glad he did all these things...wrote all these letters...to all of us. It made things...well, not easier, but..."
"Yeah", Emma looked at Ruby then, "He is right though, you know..."
Ruby winked at her, "You know me, Em...but I guess we'll see. Maybe...one day."
Regina had barely managed to get everything ready in time after reading Graham's letter, but here she was, standing in front of Emma's door, nervous and excited all the same.
As soon as Emma opened the door Regina stepped forward and pulled her into a hug that grounded them both.
They were both dressed casually as Regina had pointed out that they would not go anywhere fancy, much to Emma's relief.
For one because she did not want Regina to feel like she had to impress Emma with something that was not Regina and secondly because it was not them either.
"Ready?"
Regina eyed Emma carefully, but the blonde simply nodded, smiled and intertwined their fingers, "Let's go."
Emma's eyes went wide as soon as they entered the park and she caught sight of the gazebo from afar.
There were countless candle lit lanterns everywhere, bathing their rapidly darkening surroundings in warm light and providing a relaxing atmosphere.
As soon as she stepped into the gazebo she also caught sight of blankets, pillows, wine glasses, bottles and food containers and Emma was rendered speechless for a moment before she met Regina's gaze, her eyes sparkling in the dim candle light.
"This is...it's perfect, really."
An almost blinding smile appeared on Regina's face then, "I'm glad you like it. Please, make yourself comfortable."
She poured two glasses of wine before she joined Emma on the gazebo floor that was quite comfortable with all the pillows and blankets.
It was not overly chilly during the nights yet and Regina had deemed that place the only one fitting for their first date considering its history and importance in Emma's life.
Emma raised her glass, "To us. To our future."
"May it be a bright one", Regina clinked her glass against Emma's, her eyes never leaving her girlfriend's.
Graham was right – they were the lucky ones.
There had been some easy going conversation about their teenage years where Regina had revealed that her favorite subjects in school had been history and art, which had not surprised Emma all that much. There was something truly artistic to some of Regina's make ups and she had asked the brunette if she had ever painted and Regina had told her then that she had used to for a while, but that her mother had not approved of it and so she had given it up eventually.
Emma had admitted then that she had always been a bit of a math geek, which had earned her a frown and a raised eyebrow from Regina, who had a love/hate relationship with numbers.
Minus the love as the brunette had pointed out, which had caused Emma to chuckle for two minutes straight.
They had managed to stay away from the nasty topics for the most part - thanks to Emma's stories about her highschool years with Ruby.
The two of them had gotten themselves into quite a bit of trouble at times and Regina had not been able to stop laughing for a while after Emma had admitted, face flushed, that she had needed to cut off her hair after they had tried to make themselves dreadlocks with some homemade concoction of sugar, honey and some other ingredients she could not remember and how Ruby's grandmother had chased them through the house with an umbrella because she had been so furious with the both of them.
Lying on the gazebo floor in a bed of pillows now, snuggled together and covered by one of the blankets they just enjoyed the silence and being together, because truth be told, that would always be enough for the both of them.
"Are you happy?", Emma asked all of a sudden and it threw Regina for a bit of a loop. How could Emma even ask that?
"I am. Of course I am. Why are you asking?", she managed to rasp out in confusion at last.
Emma smiled, "Just checking..."
"Are...are you?", Regina eyed her expectantly, but Emma's smile only widened, "I think it's truly impossible for me to be happier than I am right now. I never thought I'd have anything like this...and I thank God or fate or whatever it was that brought us together...every day...'cause for the first time in my life I really feel like I'm home. I've always been so restless...but lying here with you...yeah, I'm home. That's how it feels like. I'm where I've always been meant to be."
A single tear fell from Regina's eyes, because while she knew that Emma loved her, and she did, she really did, it was still such a foreign concept to her that she could mean so much to someone other than her son. That Emma saw something so unbelievably precious and beautiful in her while all she saw was a broken woman, who was damaged beyond repair. Well, that is what she had seen for the longest time anyway, but with Emma's help she had started to put the shards back together and it had made her remember who she had always wanted to be and who she actually was under all those layers of broken.
She would always be flawed and there would always be cracks, but it did not bother her so much anymore, because she was stronger now. The glue that was Emma Swan had helped her to, as the blonde had said so many months ago, rise and shine, and she was standing on her feet firmly now, stable enough to carry whatever weight would be put on her shoulders.
Yes, she was damaged, but she was not useless. She was not worthless. Emma had shown her that, mostly with her incredible patience and kindness.
And of course because of the love they had found in one another.
It was close to midnight when they finally started to pack up, ready to go home when Emma eyed a small container in Regina's hand, "What's in there?"
"Don't tell me you are hungry again", the brunette teased, but took off the lid and Emma openly glared at her, "You brought pineapple cubes and didn't even tell me?!"
A bark of laughter escaped Regina's lips, "God, you really are such a child sometimes..."
"And you love it", Emma fired back, her eyes never leaving the pineapple cubes, "I need to have one of those."
Regina raised her eyebrow, "Really, Miss Swan? You should know better by now..."
Emma watched in slow motion as Regina took one of the cubes and popped it into her own mouth, "Hm...yep, they are quite delicious."
A smirk grazed Regina's lips and she put the container down while Emma glared even more, "You're playing dirty...how's that fair? That's so...so evil."
"Poor Emma", Regina mocked, "I'd say I dare you to come get one, but..."
But before she could have finished speaking Emma had rushed over there and had stolen the sentence from her lips by kissing Regina passionately, taking all common sense away from the brunette in the process.
When they finally broke apart Emma bent down and snatched a pineapple cube from the container while Regina was caught up in a dazze from the heated kiss.
Emma smiled triumphantly while Regina reveled in the sensation of her tingling lips and racing heart.
They had agreed, in a moment of utter madness, to sleep apart that night – first date and all – but in the end neither of them had even wanted to imagine falling asleep without the other. Or how it would feel like to wake up alone and so Emma had stayed with Regina in the end. Like every other day prior to that.
And it had turned out to be a good decision too, because now that Emma was on her way to the Swan mansion she was at least halfway calm and collected. She did not even want to know how much of a wreck she would be if she would have had to spend the night alone in her penthouse.
Once she had parked her car she rushed up the stairs and into the huge house before she could change her mind, because she really had to talk to her father.
She found him sitting in the garden with a glass of, what she assumed had to be Scotch, and it broke Emma's heart to see him so conflicted as he stared at nothing in particular. And it was way too early to drink.
"Dad?"
He didn't even bother to turn his head, to look at her, "What do you want, Emma? You've got you wanted."
Emma stepped right in front of him and took the glass out of his hand, "I never wanted this. All I wanted was to protect Regina."
"Right", he growled, "The stripper."
"She's not a stripper anymore! And she never wanted to be one to begin with", Emma fired back, glad that her father wasn't too drunk to have a proper conversation. He had probably just gotten up anyway as it was early.
"Look, dad...I don't want to fight. I really don't. And neither does mom. And Regina...she's miserable, because she blames herself for all of this...and it's not her fault. If anything it's mine. It was my choice and everyone else just tried to help me...to help her. She never asked anything of me...she's not the enemy", Emma continued and prayed that her father would at least pay attention to what she was saying, "She's my family now...as much as you are. I don't want to choose...but I will if I have to...please...don't make me."
Roger Swan studied his daughter in silence for a while, "I don't trust her."
Emma sighed, "I know, dad. I know. And it's not your job to trust her...but trust me."
"What is it about that woman that has you so...so smitten?", he was not even sure if he wanted an answer to that, but he got it anyway.
Emma gave him a smile, an honest smile that made her eyes sparkle even more, "When I first met her she was all prejudice, anger and edges."
She laughed at the memory, "She thought I'm some rich kid, who just throws her parents' money around. That I thought I'm better than her...that was at Mary Margaret's bachelorette party. For some reason I found my way back to The Rabbit Hole after that...which was mostly Ruby's fault...and the more I think about it...the more I suspect she did it on purpose. Regina refused my help time and time again...hell, she fought me tooth and nail...but Henry...and you know Henry...when she was sick...and I saw how he took care of her...how decent a kid he is...I realised that she really is the amazing person I suspected her to be under all the anger and behind all these walls...and it was Henry...who brought us together. As roommates and later as friends...as a family...she had flat out told me...that she is not into women the first time we met...it didn't keep me from falling in love with her though...because...if only you would give her a chance...you'd see for yourself what an extraordinary woman she is..."
"And that's what has me so concerned...she isn't into women and yet she is in love with you?", Roger Swan looked at his daughter in disbelief, "How can you even believe that?"
Emma's smile only widened, "Because I know her. And I know...without a doubt...that she really cares about me. I can't explain it, dad...it's not my place to tell. But believe me...it's not 'cause I'm desperate or anything...Regina loves me. I know she does. And I love her. She's my whole world and I will not walk away from her, no matter what. Because she's the best thing that has ever happend to me. Her and Henry."
He didn't know why, but Roger knew that Emma was telling the truth.
"I get that you want to protect me...after everything that has happened with Jade. And I really appreciate it. I do...but you don't have to protect me from Regina. She's kept me sane...she's kept me safe...and I'll do the same for her...whatever it takes", Emma met her father's eyes, "I know you liked Jade. I know...you thought she was the perfect fit for the family...you welcomed her with open arms...and I'm so sorry that it didn't work out the way you wanted. More than anything I'm sorry you got so hurt, dad. Apparently it hurt you more than me...because I found a way to move on...thanks to Regina."
Her father fell silent for a while, but then he made a gesture for her to take a seat next to him and Emma did.
"She was like a daughter to us, Emma. To your mother and me. I couldn't believe that she would betray us like that. I can't...to this day. You and your mother figured out how to let go, but I haven't. And I don't know if I can do this again...allowing anyone else into the family...", he reached for the glass and Emma gave it to him, watched him as he took a big gulp.
"But you like Henry, don't you?", she asked carefully and she saw the tiniest of smiles appear on her father's face, "That kid makes it impossible for you not to like him."
"That's true. And you know why he is the great kid he is...because Regina raised him."
Roger turned to face his daughter fully, "I hear what you are saying, Emma. I do. But it's not that easy."
"I know. Just forgive mom already. I don't mind having her stay with me...with us really. I don't. But it's not right. She did nothing wrong...and the company won't suffer, no matter what you might believe right not. This was never about the family name or the business anyway. We both know we can afford it...you're just scared", Emma stated, her voice gentle and understanding.
"Besides...the Charming wedding is next week. Don't even think about letting her attend it alone", Emma sounded stern now, determined.
Roger seemed to consider it, "Will you be there?"
"At the wedding? What kind of question is that? Of course I will be there...Mary Margaret is one of my best friends...I'm one of the bridesmaids", Emma gave her father an offended look for even asking her that.
"Emma, I know that. I'm not an idiot", it almost sounded as if Roger would be joking, "I meant you and Regina."
"Oh."
She nodded, "Yes. We'll be there. Mary Margaret asked her to do her make up after Killian suggested it."
"What? Is she really that good?", Roger asked in surprise and Emma gave him a proud smile, "According to Killian she's the best."
"I see. And Henry?"
Emma laughed, "Of course the kid will be there. Henry will be carrying the rings. You should see him in his tuxedo...he looks dashing. And he's so proud."
Another momemt of silence passed between them before Roger finally found the courage to ask what he had wanted to all along, "So...you're making your relationship public?"
"Yes."
No doubt, no hesitation on Emma's side, "I know what it means, I know there's no way back once we step into the spotlight...but I'm sure. Regina is...she's the one."
Roger took a deep breath, "I'll give the family lawyers a heads up...just in case. You know the media will be on it like piranhas."
"Thank you, dad", Emma grabbed his hand and squeezed it, "I'm sorry I can't stay longer, but I promised Henry we'd go sailing once he comes back from his sleep over."
"He really likes ships", Roger mumbled, "Reminds me of you."
"Me too."
Emma got up and kissed her father on the cheek, "Can I tell mom to come home?"
"Tomorrow."
It wasn't what Emma had hoped for, but it was better than nothing. She knew that her father was having a hard time with all of this and she was aware that they had to stop pushing him. He would come around when he would be ready.
The next days had been incredibly busy for everyone.
Regina spent a lot of time with Mary Margaret, figuring out the perfect make-up, Emma was busy with her own projects and last minute wedding prepartions. Working with Neal proved to be a lot of fun and she vowed to herself to talk to him about her idea first thing after they would be back from the cabin.
And then Saturday arrived and with it the wedding of the year, according to the media.
Emma and Regina were the first to arrive at the location, only minutes after Mary Margaret, because Emma was supposed to meet up with Neal to go over the details once again. They also wanted to do one last check to ensure that everything was in its place while Regina would help Mary Margaret to get dressed and fix her make-up for the big day.
Neither Emma, nor Regina expected so many reporters to be there that early, but as soon as they got out of the car camera flashes went off everywhere.
Emma rolled her eyes in annoyance, locked the car and walked over to Regina, who seemed as uncomfortable as she could be, the car shielding them from the reporters temporarily.
"Hey", Emma smiled and brushed a strand of hair out of Regina's face. They were both casually dressed in jeans and button downs as the wedding was still a few hours away and since Regina's heels were quite a bit higher than Emma's they were pretty much the same height, "Everything's going to be fine, okay?"
Regina nodded, "I know. I'm just not used to..."
Emma simply took her hand and intertwined their fingers, "Let's go before Mary Margert gets a heartache...and it will happen if we are late, believe me."
Regina chuckled and they stepped out behind the car, right into the focus of the waiting reporters, who fired off their cameras as soon as they noticed that they were holding hands.
Emma didn't even bother to pay attention to them, because today was about her friends wedding to begin with. Instead she told Regina the story of how Ruby had ended up right on her ass at the first red carpet event she had attended, because she had grabbed the wrong pair of heels and Ruby had been unable to walk in them.
Regina couldn't stop herself from laughing out loud, because the bare thought was hilarious, especially since she knew Ruby and how clumsy she could be at times, as they walked towards the entrance while countless pictures of them were taken and she looked at Emma with so much love and adoration, because she was well aware that Emma had shared that memory with her to distract her, to keep her calm.
And it worked.
Emma was pulling the door open when one of the reporters yelled, "Miss Swan, isn't that the stri..."
Regina froze, but Emma squeezed her hand to signal her that it was fine and that she got this. And then Emma turned around and gave the press her best and proudest smile, "That is the woman I love."
