Chapter 17

Farewell and Never Ever After

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Next thing they knew, they were all standing in front of a door painted in blue and ornamented with golden crocus. The three Arendelle's royals were categorical, this was the symbol from their land. Regina slowly walked around the door, touching it carefully. Emma and Charming were here too, following her with their eyes, waiting for her verdict.

"It's a portal," Regina finally said. "But I can not tell you where it leads."

"It has to be Arendelle! Look at the crocus it has to be!" Anna answered, almost jumping up and down with excitement.

Regina had grown quite found of her and having the red head leave was paining her a little. She could see Emma going through the same struggle. The blonde was trying to contain her pain. So well so that some less perceptive queen might have missed it. But Elsa didn't. She pulled Emma into a long and whispering hug. The two women held each other in the middle of the crown, yet totally isolated from it.

Regina felt a spark of jealousy but nothing more than that. Especially as Anna bloomed out of the floor in front of her and threw her arms around her neck.

"Good bye," the red head said and Regina felt her heart melt.

"Good bye."

"Take care of my sister," Anna added, pulling back to look at her in the eyes.

"Elsa is going back with you..."

"I meant my other sister."

The two of them took a pick at the teary eyed blondes. So that's what Emma was losing today. Two sisters. As if family hadn't been enough of a problem lately.

Regina turned back to Anna.

"I will. And congratulations on your soon to be weeding."

"Well, we still have to conquer a kingdom before that but we'll get there. Thanks."

Anna dropped a kiss on Regina's cheek before making her way back to her fiance and her sister.

"Please tell Snow that we are grateful for her hospitality," Elsa said and Regina saw Emma tense a little. "I will miss you all."

A few more goodbyes were exchanged and the three Arendelles walked throw the portal and disappeared. The room felt oddly cold without them. David, Emma and Regina stayed there for a moment, sucked into a feeling of emptiness, before walking out of the strange mention. As they reached to porch, a car stopped in front of the garden gate. Henry jumped out of it. Followed by Snow.

The tension that created was so dense it was surprising the air didn't start to crack like an old book.

"They are already gone," David said. "They wanted to get back as soon as possible. They all thank us and send their love."

"But I wanted to say goodbye to Anna!" Henry complained.

"Sorry kid. The reconquering of their kingdom was sort of an urgent thing."

There was an awkward silence. Oddly, Snow wasn't looking at her at all. For some reason, the woman didn't seem to think Regina was the problem. She was blaming all of it on Emma's sexuality. Which was probably even more painful for the blonde.

"Henry, do you want to show your horse to Emma?" Regina said, offering her lover an escape.

"Sure!" Henry turned to Emma for approval but the blonde shook her head.

"I have things to finish here. I'll join you later."

The two women exchanged a long look. Regina didn't want Emma to have to face this alone, again, and so soon. But the blonde nodded reassuringly. Something Elsa had said seemed to have given her strength.

"David can you go show Henry the portal?"

That took everyone by surprise. Henry almost objected but the smart kid seemed to pick up that something was over his head. He looked at Regina for guidance and the brunette smiled at him.

"Please Henry" Regina said. "I'll explain it to you later."

"You keep saying that!"

"And I keep doing it."

"Come on Henry, let's give the ladies some space."

David pulled the kid away and soon the three women were left alone.

"Emma I don't think Regina needs to be part of this conversation," Snow pointed.

"Yes she does. And this won't be a conversation, as I think you made yourself clear enough this morning.

"I don't think I did Emma, because you don't understand what you are doing to yourself taking that path. How much more complicated you life will be. How this can not bring happiness for people like us."

"Ok stop! I don't want to hear it. You disapprove, fine. But I will not change who I am just because you don't like it. Just because that's not what you expected of me. Who ever I chose to be with is my decision and I will not hear any comments on the gender of that person."

"You have no idea what you are..."

"You"re right I have no idea. But this is what I want and if you don't agree with it, keep it to yourself. I get that you want me to have my best chance, but this is the chance I want for myself."

The battle was taking place on so many levels Regina decided to just watch in silence. She could see Emma fighting of her fears, fighting of her need for approval, fighting of her mother's opinion of her, fighting of her sadness. Regina was impressed by how fast Emma had accepted this situation. Or maybe it was what she had anticipated. Maybe she had been preparing herself for that kind of rejection all along. Either was, Regina was happy. For herself, for her lover and for Henry.

Snow hadn't answered yet. She was fighting her own battle in her head. After a moment she straighten herself up, softened her voice and said "Fine. If that's what you want. But you're right, I don't approve. And when you come back to your senses, I'll be right here."

"Kay..."

There was so much pain and sadness in that one sound that Regina felt both like hugging Emma and punching Snow in the face. She got time to do none, as Emma passed by her mother and walked straight to her yellow bug. Regina ran after her getting in the passenger sit. She didn't know what to say, so she took one of Emma's hand in her own, slipping her fingers between the blonde's palm and the steering wheel. Emma squeezed back, holding on to her in silence.

How had they end up at Granny's drinking their fifth shot? Regina was pretty sure it had been Emma's idea but she was in such a weird state of mind that she would not have bet on it. She was both grieving and celebrating at the same time. 48 hours had been enough for Emma to go from hiding in the closet to openly drinking at a bar, clearly flirting with her. And Red was being the best bar tender you could ask for. Smiling and joking with them, making sure they where both comfortable and keeping everyone around them quiet by the simple acceptance of their relationship.

The she-wolf even drove them back when the night was over., making sure both of the reached the front door. They weren't nearly drunk enough to fall in the middle of the garden but it was nice to be taken care of. And Regina was pretty sure the wolf was checking if Emma wasn't locked in the basement, surviving on bred and water until her next public appearance.

The two women then climbed upstairs and crashed on the bed, more out of exhaustion than alcohol. They almost immediately feel into a deep fuzzy sleep.

So when Henry crashed in the room at half past ten the next morning Regina felt like the moon had just fallen of the sky straight onto her bed room.

"It's almost noon! Wake up, I found something."

Emma just grumbled and pulled the cover over her head.

"Henry, let us sleep. We went to bed late..." Regina developed.

"But it's important! It's about operation Mongoose!"

"What is it...?"

"I think I found him! I think I know who the author is!"

About an hour later and after a life saving shower, the two women where following Henry through the corridors of the strange mention where the portal had appeared.

"Yesterday I missed it but I knew there was something weird here so I came back this morning. After Grand Pa drop me of I went through all the rooms an I found this."

"The end of a corridor..." Regina observed, unimpressed.

"With scraping mark on the floor..." Emma added, kneeling down.

"Look," Henry smirked before pulling on a lamp and making the wall magically turn on itself, reviling a hidden room.

Mesmerized, the two women went in. The room was a big library with high shelves covered in books and a empty desk.

"Nice job kid."

"That's not all of it. Look."

Henry pulled out one of the books and gave it to Regina.

"It looks exactly like your book..." Regina said before opening the volume.

"Except it's blank. They all are."

"So the owner of that mention..."

"Has to be the author."

"You found him," Emma said, hugging her son. "You did it kid!"

"Congratulation..." Regina said but she felt oddly unaffected.

"What's wrong? Aren't you happy?" Henry asked.

"Yes I am. And I think that's why I don't care as much as I use to."

"I don't get it."

Looking at the book in her hands, Regina was struggling to find her words. She had not expected to feel like this. So... all right.

"I don't think I really care anymore. I don't want anyone writing me a happy ending. To create me a soul mate with whom I would be destined to be. I don't need anyone changing my past. I..."

Regina looked up to Emma and Henry. The boy seemed a little lost but Emma was smiling at her. The blond understood. In a way, she was feeling the same. No more titles dictating their lives. No more destiny or grand plan from above. The author was as real as they where. He was just a man. And non of them cared much how he would write them. Villain, Savior, mistake, destiny, he could make up what ever he wanted.

Regina closed the book.

"I don't think I want a happy ending anymore..."

"What?!"

"I don't think anyone can live happily ever after. It just doesn't work that way. I want to try being happy now."

"That sounds like a plan," Emma said.

"We could call it operation Swan Queen. As you guys ruined my secret code name."

"That sound's just right," Regina answered, leaning forward to capture Emma's lips. "Operation Swan Queen it is."

The End

That it guys! Thank you so much for your support. You really made it all worth while for me. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. Do tell me what you though of it and keep the ship sailing!

On a side note... What if the author is Walt Disney...?