Chapter 20 – The one with the closet (or lack thereof.)
"Have fun, Ma." Henry hugs his mother close, happily pressing a kiss to her forehead now that he's taller than she is. They're standing in the greenroom of this weekend's popular Fan Expo convention in Vancouver where Kingdom Come is hosting a special early screening of the season six premiere, in which fans will get to watch the episode with the entire main cast.
"You sure you don't want to join us? You could fit on the couch with us," Emma asks one last time, patting his chest. He chuckles and shakes his head.
"Nah, the cast of that new zombie show is here and I wanna go get some autographs, maybe a photo op with the leads. Plus one of my favourite comic book artists has a booth in the art hall today and I need him to sign a copy of the newest Batman for me."
Emma laughs, letting her boy pull away. "Fine, fine. Have fun, I'll come find you after the screening."
"Maybe I'll sneak into the back of the theatre to catch the end of the episode," he offers with a wink before waving merrily to the rest of the cast in the greenroom. "See you guys later!"
There's a happy chorus of "bye, Henry!" from the others, a cast that he considers family after they all basically watched him grow up on set these past years, and then he's gone, his tall, lanky form bounding down the hall and away to the rest of the massive exhibition hall. Sighing, Emma drops down on the couch between Ruby and Ivy, slumping down to get comfy and nestled. Ruby pats her thigh comfortingly.
"They grow up too fast," the blonde laments, missing the days that her young fourteen year old would lean against her hip and beg her for spending money with his big puppy dog eyes. Now he works for the camera department and makes plenty of money on his own.
"Please, he's the biggest momma's boy," Ruby teases. "You have nothing to worry about... Or maybe that's concerning in itself."
Ruby cackles even as Ivy reaches over to slap her knee gently.
"It's cute!" Ivy defends with a raspy laugh. "I love how close you and Henry are, Emma. Boys should always be sweet with their mums. It's a good sign that they're emotionally open and affectionate. Makes for great family men."
"You think Henry would make a good family man, huh?" Ruby says with a wiggle of her eyebrows. Ivy flushes and rolls her eyes.
"I was just making a point."
"Ivy," Emma whines, making a face, because the idea of one of her best friends being with her son is just— ick! And not as far-fetched of an idea as it used to be, apparently. Not when Henry is now nineteen going on twenty, tall and lanky and boyishly handsome even when he's trying to perfect his nine o'clock stubble look.
"It's not like that," Ivy says, but she also giggles, actually giggles, and Emma knows they're all doomed.
"We're ready for you guys," one of the handlers says, poking his head into the door and juggling an armful of microphones. The cast stand, excited to watch the premiere episode with a live audience. Mary Margaret stops and looks to the back door with a frown.
"Regina's still not here," she says, concerned, because even if Regina has self-exiled herself to be the black sheep of the cast, she's still a part of the team. The fans will be upset if the lead actress isn't present.
"We can't wait," the handler says, grimacing as he checks his watch. "We're on a tight schedule. There's a Buffy reunion happening in this theatre right after your screening."
The cast exchange wary looks before they all shrug and grab their microphones, following the handler down the hall and up onto the stage. After a brief introduction to deafening applause, they all settle down on the two leather couches on stage, both side-facing so that they can watch the projection as well as interact with the audience. The lights dim down to darkness and Ruby makes a dramatic "oooooh" sound when the title sequence starts, garnering delighted laughter from the fans.
"Are you guys excited?" David asks into his microphone, turning to smile at the audience. The room fills with happy cheers and David grins, shooting them all a big thumbs up before turning back to the screen. "Oh, I forgot this starts with me in chains."
There's more laughter as David—or rather, Atticus—glares up past the camera at something offscreen, his face dirtied and blood trickling from his hairline. He's shackled in a small underground cavern, and Artemis is nearby in her own little cell, still unconscious from getting slammed into a wall by the wicked Queen Drizella's magic. Drizella herself slides into view, smiling that coy, dangerous smile, and Ivy's fans scream their adoration.
"Didn't that corset end up leaving bruises all around your hips?" Ruby asks into her microphone, turning to glance at Ivy while Drizella sashays towards the camera onscreen, and Ivy widens her eyes dramatically and nods her head towards the audience.
"I bruised like a peach and still have the pictures to prove it."
The laughter is brief, audiences quickly shushing themselves when Drizella starts speaking, but the cast has too much fun pointing out little facts or making jokes about filming each scene, and most of the audience will have to rewatch the episode when it airs on television because no one can hear a word over all the laughter.
"You're doing what?" Cora hisses, all venom and rage. But the effect is lessened by the fact that Cora is currently on the other side of the world and yelling at her through the phone, and Regina is thankful she doesn't need to see the disappointment in her mother's eyes while they're having this conversation.
"I am letting you know now as a courtesy. You can't change my mind, Mother."
"Don't you dare out yourself, Regina! I didn't go through all that work for you to ruin it like this!"
"You may have helped, but I've worked hard to get where I am," Regina says calmly, taking a deep breath to steady her voice. "And I think I'll be just fine going forward, regardless of whether or not you continue to represent me. I will not prioritize my career over love, Mother. Not anymore. They're my family, and I'm going to fight for them."
"Regina—!"
Regina hangs up, basking in the thrill of hanging up on her own mother for the first time. Cora calls back and she taps the 'ignore' button with a building sense of glee. She's finally ripped off her leash after more than three decades of being tugged around by her mother, and damned if it doesn't feel good.
"There he is," a gruff voice says from beside her, and she spots Henry in the crowd ahead before turning to smile at her bodyguard. He has his arms crossed and an imposing scowl on his face, keeping the fans at a safe distance. Regina reaches out and touches his shoulder, ducking her head.
"Thank you for your help, Jecob," she says softly. His lip twitches upwards for only a moment before he huffs and shrugs.
"I'm doing it for them. You better not fuck up this time."
His foul language would surprise anyone else but Regina just laughs, loud and warm and husky. The man acts tough but she can see the softie within.
"I won't," she promises, before turning and forging through the crowds. The exhibition hall of the convention center is packed but she is a woman on a mission and people move out of her way instinctively as she marches towards Henry, pulling off her big sunglasses as she does so. Fans shout in excitement when they realize it's her, but Jecob is hot on her heels with a murderous glare and no one dares to approach.
"Henry," Regina calls out softly when she reaches him, stopping and staring at the new broadness of his back. He stiffens and turns, gawking down at her at the same time she has to crane her head up to look at him because he's so damned tall now.
"Regina?" he says in disbelief, looking around at all the fans staring at them and wondering what the heck she's doing out here on the floor. She could get mobbed for crying out loud. But then— "Jecob?"
"She hired me," he says with a shrug.
"I owe you an apology," Regina blurts out, ignoring the fact that they're in the middle of a crowded convention hall and that Kingdom Come fans are whipping out their phones to take pictures and videos. This is hardly going to be the most shocking thing she does today. "I was afraid of what other people would think, and I pushed you and your mother away because I was a coward. But I... I miss you, Henry. I miss you both. And I'm not afraid anymore."
She takes a tentative step forward, hands outstretched, and Henry visibly swallows and nearly leans towards her, a yearning in his eyes that makes him look like the young boy she'd met years ago, the one who curled up at her side and beamed at her compliments and craved her approval at every turn. She misses him so much that it hurts.
"Really? You mean that?" His voice is deeper with age but still light and full of hope. Regina feels tears stinging at her eyes.
"I love you, Henry. Can you forgive me?"
He doesn't respond. Just lunges forward, scooping her up into a hug so tight that her feet lift clear off the floor, her arms wrapped around his shoulders and their cheeks pressed together. Henry's breathing hard, huffing against her shoulder in an effort not to cry, but Regina chokes out a sob and runs a hand through his short cropped hair, turning her head to press damp kisses to his cheek and temple.
"I missed you," he says hoarsely, hunched down so that he can receive every bit of love and affection that she's willing to give him. Regina doesn't hesitate to cover his face in kisses.
"I missed you too, my sweet boy," she murmurs lovingly, which finally gets the wetness in his eyes to spill over. Henry sniffs, soaking in the attention for a good long moment before finally swiping at his eyes and giving her a warm smile.
"Have you spoken to Ma yet?"
Regina shakes her head. "Not yet. They're still watching the screening, I didn't want to interrupt—"
"Interrupt! Definitely interrupt!" He grabs her hand and starts pulling her away like a hyperactive kid in a candy store, and Regina can only laugh helplessly and follow him, Jecob on both their tails.
"What now?" Kavalan asks, the night breeze lifting blonde locks from her bare shoulders. The moonlight bathes her naked skin in a soft, silvery-blue glow as she stands at the balcony doors, staring down at the crumbling courtyards below. Everything her Queen has worked so hard for is in ruins.
"Now, you come back to bed," Reina orders, her voice a low, husky purr. Kavalan turns and prowls towards the Queen's bed, her eyes gleaming like emeralds in the darkness. Reina tosses the furs away from herself, stretching out like a lazy, naked cat, and Kavalan groans as she climbs onto the bed, immediately dropping a kiss on smooth olive flesh.
"The kingdom is in ruins," Kavalan murmurs, sighing as she runs her fingers along Reina's hip. The brunette hums, arching into the feather-light touch.
"We will fix it."
"It won't be easy..."
"No, but at least I will have you by my side."
Rolling towards her lover, Reina drapes herself over Kavalan's lean, lithe body and kisses her, a slow press of lips against lips that give way when a tongue begs for entrance. Moaning, Kavalan winds her fingers into dark hair, content and pliant to whatever her Queen demands of her.
"I love you, my Queen," she husks, eyes at half mast as Reina brushes their noses together. The Queen smiles, slow and warm, her eyes glittering.
"And I love you, my Guardian. You and I will make Drizella regret ever crossing us. All the kingdoms will be ours."
Kavalan grins up at her, excitement and bloodlust rising to the surface at the thought of waging a new war for her beloved Queen. It's not the first and it certainly won't be the last, not for as long as she draws breath and loves this woman in her arms.
"As you wish."
The screen cuts to black as the music crescendos, and the entire theatre explodes in applause, fans screaming their joy over Reina and Kavalan's return to action. The season premiere promises the biggest war between the factions yet, and no one can contain their excitement.
"Wow! Can you believe it?" The MC says into the microphone, urging on their applause as the lights go up and hundreds of eyes blink rapidly to adjust. "I think that might just be the most epic episode yet, not least because the actors themselves are here watching it with us! Please give a big round of applause for the cast of Kingdom Come!"
The crowd screams their adoration as the cast stand up, smiling and waving their gratitude to their massive fanbase. The MC quickly rattles off autograph and photo op information as the cast start shuffling towards the curtain, only to stutter to a stop as the doors by the back of the theatre slam open, Regina and Henry stumbling inside.
Every eye in the entire theatre falls on them, but Regina only has eyes for one person.
"Sorry I'm late," she says, breathless. Henry touches her back with a reassuring nod. Flashing him a nervous smile, Regina starts down the middle path through the audience seats and towards the stage, her expression determined. Emma, on the other hand, stands frozen, eyes wide and mouth agape.
"Emma, I'm sorry," Regina says once she reaches the front of the stage. There are no stairs on her side and it's just a little too tall for her to climb up in her tight jeans and high heels, so she sets her hands on the edge of the stage and stares up pleadingly at the blonde frozen just a few feet away, ignoring the audience and their cameras behind her. "I pushed you away because I was a coward. I let someone convince me to hide who I was, and that was the biggest mistake I've ever made. Our friendship these past years has been the best thing to come into my life and I don't want to lose that. I'm not scared anymore, Emma. You told me once that you loved me, and I hope that's still true because... I love you too."
The entire audience gasps audibly, going still and silent in anticipation of Emma's response, their phones all held in the air to record the moment and share it with the world. Heedless of them, Regina stretches a hand up to Emma, her eyes pleading for forgiveness.
"Give me one more chance. Please?"
Emma blinks. Once. Twice.
"Took you long enough," she rasps, eyes wet, before grabbing onto Regina's hand and hauling her up on stage. "And I'm still mad at you."
"I'll happily spend the rest of my life making it up to you." Regina has just enough time to chuckle softly before their lips are crashing together, shiny pink lip-gloss against crimson red lipstick.
Camera flashes go off, the audience screams joyously, Henry jumps into the air with a loud whoop. All around them is an explosion of cheer and excitement and congratulations, but all Regina and Emma see is the overwhelming love in each other's eyes, no longer missing the look but instead basking fully in it, their yearning finally returned. It's by no means a happily ever after, not when they have so much personal baggage and years of wounded feelings to work through, but it's a step in the right direction when both are finally on the same page and willing to put in the work.
Cora is predictably furious, dumping Regina from her client list the very same night of the convention and running off to Barbados to sulk alone in her self-imposed vacation time. Zelena is almost insufferably smug about everything, and Marian decides to take a break from acting and try her hand at being an agent, taking on Regina as her very first client and proving herself to be excellent at the job in the months after, soon gathering an entire list of celebrity clients. The cast and crew of Kingdom Come are the biggest MVP's in the wake of that fateful convention night: rallying behind Regina and Emma's tentative new relationship, their overwhelming love and support all over social media forces the production company to also play nice and post the obligatory "we're LGBTQ allies!" on their pages, securing Kavalan and Reina's relationship and safety on the show for the foreseeable future.
Social media is barely comprehensible. Fans scream and sob and wail over their OTP finally being canon - both on the show and in real life. Pictures and videos of that momentous day saturate the internet, rainbow flags fly, and when Regina finally posts a photo on her social media, Ruby is convinced some fans must have died of heart attacks.
Pictured: Emma, in a comfy plaid shirt and a red scarf around her shoulders, a big goofy grin stretching her cheeks, sits on a couch taking the selfie. Regina wears a cashmere sweater and is cuddled up against Emma's side, clean of makeup and her smile soft and happy. A little golden crown necklace rests against her collarbone, the glittering jewel nearly as bright as her eyes.
ReginaMills: Happiness isn't the life you live, but the people who live in it with you. I love you, EmmaSwan76. #GuardianQueen
