Chapter 12
Emma decided to continue her run and raised her tempo. She wanted to make her body so tired that she could barely stand. So that her body would look like she felt on the inside. She was so fucking confused. She was torn really.
What the hell had just happened? Why had she just shown up like she had? Oh god Swan, what have you done? Emma stopped and screamed as long and loud as her lungs would allow. She was shaking, out of both anxiety and exhaustion, and she didn't know what was actually worse. She punched a tree and sunk down then covered her head in her hands and cried. Cried like she had never before.
Regina was the most precious thing Emma had ever had in her whole life, and these past couple of days with her had made Emma so happy. So what was gonna happen now? Besides that she had almost told Regina's mother the she was her girlfriend earlier? What if she had put the pieces together? You're such an idiot Swan! It serves you right to be miserable! You just fuck everything up..
When Emma came home again it was late. She had been out for hours. Screaming, running, and crying in the forest. Granny had obviously been waiting up for her, but she had fallen asleep in the armchair. Emma placed a kiss on Granny's forehead and sat down on the couch. Nobody had ever cared that much for her before, like Granny did and actually wanting her to come home. It had always been the other way around. No one ever even cared.
"Swan, Hi." Ruby grinned when she came into the living room and interrupted Emma's thoughts.
"I just made some tea. You want a cup?"
"Nah, but I would love a big glass of water" Emma replied with a careful smile.
"Sure. Coming up!" Ruby nodded and disappeared back into the kitchen and reappeared minutes later. Ruby joined her on the couch and Emma was confused by Ruby's behavior. She seemed so laid back and it felt weird. Why wasn't she angry with her? They had spoken on the phone earlier and Emma had apologized for her behavior. It had been so brief, but Ruby seemed to have forgotten about earlier. Unfortunately Emma had not. It was still a fresh wound to her.
"Ehm Ruby, I have to say…..well, again, that I'm sorry for earlier. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm so sorry." Emma sighed.
"It's fine Emma. You had your reasons and I have to respect the fact that you have difficulties expressing your feelings sometimes." Ruby shrugged.
"Yeah you're kinda right I guess, but I'm still sorry."
"Well I fucked up too, so we're even." Ruby grinned and Emma raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean by that?" she asked.
"Let's say I assumed it was Regina who had made you upset….so I went over there to yell at her because of it, but then her mother showed up and I had to leave. I feel like a real ass."
"We're quite alike you and I. Aren't we Rubes?" Emma asked with a smile.
"Yep, the crazy sister's crew huh?"
"Yeah, but compared to Regina's mother we're quite sane." Emma said and let out a big sign.
"Wait a minute, have you met her? I mean I know you've seen her from a distance, but that was awhile back." Ruby asked carefully and Emma nodded.
"Yeah, I jogged by Regina's before to, you know, apologize for just leaving earlier. Well Cora opened the door. Apparently she has a new car and I didn't know she was home." Emma said. "And she threatened me with calling the Sheriff if I didn't leave.."
"Yeah we don't call her a bitch for nothing." Ruby replied. "Did Regina hear her threaten you?"
"Yeah. She came out and talked to me, but her mother was furious about it. She gave me a quick kiss but I don't know, something felt odd with Regina."
Regina went up to her room without even sparing her mother a glance. She was saddened by her mother's behavior, and hoped Emma didn't get too upset by it, even though she knew the blonde probably would. Emma was fragile. Regina sat down on her bed and shook her head. The only positive was that her mother was leaving the next morning, but she couldn't stop feeling anxious. Her mother had something planned and that was never good. Daddy, why aren't you here?
Regina reached for her phone and started to type a text to Emma, but it didn't matter what she wrote. Nothing felt right. No words in the universe could describe how sorry she was for her mother's behavior. Emma didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve yet another roller-coaster of emotions. She deserved stability and warmth. Regina was just worried that she couldn't give Emma that if her mother started to be home more. With a big groan Regina sent her girlfriend the shortest text she could manage.
Re - I'm sorry for earlier. My mother is a real bitch.
E - Really? I didn't notice. Lol. How are you?
Re - I miss you like crazy, is that the right answer?
Emma smiled and felt the butterflies in her stomach. She wished she could go over to Regina and just kiss her, and tell her how much she cared about her, but with Cora home, Emma knew she would probably get escorted away by the Sheriff if she turned up at the house again.
E - I miss you too. And I'm sorry if I gave you trouble
Re - Don't be dear, mother has the weirdest opinions about people. Are you okay?
E - Yeah I guess.
Regina heavily sat on her bed as she felt the tears stinging in her eyes. She could feel Emma's words dripping with anxiety. Regina put away her phone and did what she always did when she felt upset or overwhelmed. She seeked comfort from her Daddy.
She grabbed the picture of her and her father from the nightstand and held it close to her heart. It had been taken on her 10th birthday. They were smiling wide and standing with a beautiful young Rocinante between them.
Regina had been so happy. Her daddy worked a lot and Regina spent as much time she could with him, but now she knew it hadn't been enough. She should have been with him more because shortly after, that horrible day came.
Regina had been about to turn 14 when her world started to crumble, then a couple of short years later, fell apart.
One day her Daddy had just collapsed while the two were grooming horses, and had been rushed to the hospital. When they received the news that Henry was diagnosed with an advanced stage of cancer, both Regina and Cora had forgotten to breath for a second.
Regina groaned at the memory and laid down on the bed. She fell asleep with the picture in her hands. That night she dreamt of her father and Emma. About a meeting that would never happen.
"So who is this girl that makes my daughter so happy?" Henry asked curiously once they had arrived back from a ride in the forest. Regina grinned and dismounted Rocinante.
"You'll see daddy, and trust me, you will love her!" Regina replied as she and Henry dismounted their horses, Rocinante and Titan. Daniel took the reins to both horses and lead them into the stables.
"I haven't seen you this happy in a long time Regina, so I know she has to be special." Henry said with a gentle smile. "I hope she is planning to join us for dinner tonight."
"Yes daddy. I invited her. She's looking forward to meeting you too!" Regina was so excited.
Cora was out of town so Regina wasn't nervous at all about tonight's dinner. On the contrary, she was looking forward to it. Regina met her reflection in the mirror and smiled at what she saw. She was wearing a wonderful red dress her father had bought her on one of his businesses trips, along with a beautiful necklace. A sudden knock on her door, caught Regina's attention and she turned around.
"Miss Mills, Miss Swan is downstairs." Rosita informed and Regina gave the maid a broad smile.
"Thank you Rosita!"
Regina came downstairs then she smiled when she heard Emma and Henry. They were laughing and talking like they had known each other for years. When Regina joined them in the dining room the two stood from their seats. Henry gave his daughter a big hug as she passed by his seat, and Regina gave Emma a gentle kiss on the cheek before they all finally sat down at the table. Rosita served them drinks and disappeared back into the kitchen.
"So Regina, Emma was just telling me about your morning routine." Henry chuckled.
Regina rolled her eyes at her father and felt an overwhelming feeling of happiness spreading through her whole body. Emma was wearing her usual, tanktop and jeans, but there was something about Emma that made her shine like a diamond. It was her smile. Her body language. Regina really loved her. She loved absolutely everything about her.
Henry and Emma clicked, just like Regina knew they would. They had the same sense of humour and even that twinkle in their eyes were similar.
"It's nice to finally meet you Emma. I have heard so many great things about you," Henry said and took a sip of his wine, then glanced towards his daughter before moving his gaze back to Emma "and I can't describe how wonderful it is to see and hear how happy you make my daughter."
"Thank you Mr Mills." Emma blushed but smiled
"Please call me Henry." he chuckled. "I'm not known for calling people by their last names. It always sounds a little snobby to my ears."
"Mkay ehm Henry, I've heard quite a bit about you as well." The man simply smiled brighter and nodded once
"So Emma, how did you and my daughter meet?" the man lead most of the conversation, but Emma kept up easily. Regina smiled brighter than she ever had before.
They sat and talked for hours. Emma was now practically sitting in her girlfriend's lap and she was loving this. Henry was a good man. She had just met him for the first time, but he was so sweet and easy to get along with. So nice, polite and loving. He and Regina seemed exactly alike. She understood where Regina had gotten her personality from.
"I'm so happy for you Regina." Henry smiled and gave Emma a wink. "I'm glad my daughter's in such good hands"
"Thank you Henry." Emma smiled back.
"I hope I get invited to your wedding Hm?" Henry teased and Regina blushed.
"Daddy!" she squealed and rolled her eyes, then broke out in laughter.
"Oh darling, I know you're gonna marry that girl. I'm not stupid."
Regina woke up with a start and a smile on her lips. She was just about to run into her Daddy's study when she finally snapped back to reality and realised it had all been a dream. It made her weep. It hade only been a dream! Her dad and girlfriend would really never meet. That thought shredded Regina's heart to pieces. Regina's smile faded fast, and instead she buried her head in her pillow and sobbed into the silence.
Cora decided to go down to granny's before she left town. She needed to have a talk with Eugina about her adoptive daughter. When Cora actually stepped into the diner, Granny almost dropped some dinner plates due to her loss of balance. Good, people are still afraid of me. Cora smirked and thought to herself.
"Madam Mayor." Granny snarled and gritted her teeth. These two women did not like each other at all. Not one bit. Granny had really tried to befriend Cora. Especially right after Henry's passing, but it hadn't worked out at all. It was like Cora actively rejected any sign of friendship or compassion.
"Mrs. Lucas. I need to speak with you. In private if you please." Cora huffed and Granny rolled her eyes but nodded as they sat down in a both. It was one hour before the diner officially opened, so nobody was actually in there except for the two of them. The whole comment of wanting to speak in private made no sense at all. Cora looked around the empty diner with sustain anyway.
"What do you want to speak about?" Eugenia asked, fighting every urge in her body not give the mayor a real piece of her mind.
"I want your foster daughter Miss Swan, to stay away from my home and daughter." Cora growled. "I don't want people like her around my house"
"She's actually been adopted so that makes her my daughter, and with all due respect Cora.. I can't tolerate it when you speak about my daughter like that. She may have been a foster kid but she's my family now. Emma is a sweet and smart girl, and if she wants to spend time with Regina, so be it. I'm not gonna forbid that." Eugenia snapped.
"Sweet? Who are you trying to kid Mrs. Lucas? Emma is a street rat! My horses have better manners than her!"
"Like I said, I'm not gonna control her."
"Oh you will! Or else! I swear to God I will make your life a living hell! Starting with shutting down this god forsaken diner of yours!"
"I don't know what the hell you're after Cora, but I don't acknowledge blackmail or threats, and like I said before. What my daughters do in their spare time is their own business! I don't control them! I won't control them!"
"It's not that odd Anita became an addict if that's how you feel about motherhood. Is that why Ruby was left on your doorstep?" Cora spat and Eugenia gritted her teeth.
"Don't ever speak of Anita like that!" Granny growled. "Get the hell out of my diner!"
"Oh I will! I can't stand the smell inside this dump anyway! I hope you'll control your foster daughters better than you did your own daughter. Aside from your first failed attempt being an addict, it isn't enough to have one lesbian in the family?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Eugenia shot back with a false sense of confusion. Even though she knew about Emma and Regina's budding relationship, she wanted to see how Cora had figured it out. Since she obviously had.
"Oh, I may be home very little, but I'm not stupid like your street rats. Miss. Swan came by my house the other night and demanded to speak with Regina. She stopped herself but I know she was about to say…" she trailed off and twisted her mouth like the word refused to come out. "girlfriend, and I'm not going to let Regina become that. She is going to marry Daniel and have kids and that's it! No negotiations!" Cora growled and left the diner. Granny sunk down on the chair and covered her head with her hands.
"Oh, my dear Emma…what have you gotten yourself into? I hope I can protect you from this." she sighed as she thought of Henry and a younger Regina "I hope I can protect both of you."
Regina was happy her mother was gone when she went downstairs, but frowned when She found Daniel sitting in the dining room and eating breakfast. What the hell?
"Daniel?" Regina asked confused and felt her heart fall to her feet. Something had to have happened to the horses, but he would surely have called. "What are you doing here?" She finally asked in alarm. How did you get in?
"Don't act so surprised, Dear." came the startling voice behind her. Regina turned around and saw Cora in the hallway grinning. This can't be good! What is she making him do?
"Mother? What's going on?" Regina was thoroughly confused at this point. I thought you were gone!
"Nothing dear. I'm just going to say goodbye to you and your soon to be husband before I go." Cora said and Regina actually couldn't believe her ears.
"Mother, a word please?" Regina growled and,lead the two outside onto the back porch, then closed the door behind them quickly. "What the hell is going on here? Husband?! I don't need a babysitter and I'm not going to.." Cora cut her off with a direct slap to the face. Regina bit her lip. Cora's ring had left a bleeding cut on her lip.
"I tried to give you time to work this out on your own dear, but you appear to live in your own little fantasy world with the street rat. And that's just not something I can accept!" Cora spat. "You're marrying Daniel and that is that! I'm not letting you live under my roof and just turning a blind eye to your disgusting…. thing you have with the Miss. Swan!"
"What?" Regina frowned. How?
"I know you are... involved with that girl Regina, and I'm very disappointed in you!" Cora paused to gain a bit of composure and watched Regina pale before she spoke again "Thankfully you have kept it discreet, so nobody in town has seen you. That I'm thankful for." Cora said with a low growl in her voice, making Regina almost lose her breath. "So now I'm leaving you with your soon to be husband. I'll be gone for a while but I think that's good for you and Daniel. You can get to know each other in private. I have to go now dear. Take care!" Regina couldn't get a word out as her mother strolled through the door. Regina was stunned to silence and frozen in place. Not even being able to breathe.