Author's Note: This is for Swan Queen Week day 3: amnesia. This is my first submission to SQW. I am by noooo means a writer. I have an idea and I put it on paper, but I'm not great at it sooooo bear with me. This was supposed to be a short little story so I'm sorry if it seems rushed. I also wrote this last night so all mistakes are my own.
Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT or any of the characters.
"Mom! Mom, are you ok?!" Kneeling above her in the grass, Henry shook the leather clad shoulder willing his mother to come to.
The blonde grabbed her head trying her best to quell the throbbing pain in her head. She opened her eyes to find a panic-stricken brunette boy hovering over her. She sat up slightly leaning back on her elbow and rubbing her hand over the swelling knot on the back of her head.
"Are you ok!?"
"Yeah kid, but can you not be so loud? My head is killing me."
He let out a sigh of relief and a small chuckle. "Jeez mom, you really do need to work on your magic."
That got her attention. "Wait, Mom? Magic? Kid, what are you talking about?" Obviously she'd woken up in some deranged child's backyard. She tried to stand up, but found herself falling back into the grass courtesy of the dizziness that suddenly overtook her.
Henry looked at his mother confused. "You. You're my mom."
"Look, kid, you're a little mixed up. I'm not your mom. I'm- I'm- I'm not sure…"
Just then a Brunette woman in an pencil skirt ran out of the house with what looked like a bag of ice. The boy looked at her, his worried expression returning to his face. "Mom, something's wrong with Emma. I think she's lost her memory."
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"We need to call Whale." Charming said definitively.
"A whale?" Emma asked confused. She was sitting on the love seat with the boy who was apparently her son.
Ignoring her, the former mayor responded coldly. "So he can tell the whole town that I'm responsible for the savior losing her memories? I don't think so. The last thing I need is an angry mob."
Snow was still pacing in front of the couch "How did this even happen?"
Regina was beyond irritated. She took on the responsibility of training Emma because she thought it would be a good Idea for the savior to hone in on her magic in case another evil threatens Storybrooke. Of course, some of the townspeople were still wary of the former evil queen, Whale and Grumpy being her biggest critics, but charming and snow had agreed and assured the people that this was for the best. She knew dealing with the blonde nearly every day practicing incantations, potions, and other forms of magic would be challenging, but accepted the fact that it would be beneficial to Storybrooke and most importantly, to Henry. What she did not expect, however, was how difficult Emma would be to teach. She was so easily distracted and didn't take learning the art of magic as seriously as needed. Emma's latest example of her inability to cooperate manifested itself in the levitation spell gone awry that afternoon.
Regina had taken Emma in the backyard for practice. Practice was supposed to consist of lifting apples and other small objects, but because Emma was Emma and Henry had the knack of goading the blonde into going beyond the call of duty, practice did not go as planned. As Regina was collecting more apples for the exercise she turned around only to be met with a floating Emma and a cheering Henry. She tried to tell Emma that her powers weren't refined enough to sustain lifting a person, but did she listen? No. And so, as these things go, Emma fell with a hard thud onto the ground, hitting her head in the process and apparently, subsequently losing her memory. It took quite a bit of coaxing to get her back into the house and even more to prove to her that magic was indeed real, but a well formed fire ball quickly dispelled much of the blonde's doubt.
"Why didn't you catch her?!" Snow screeched, face becoming red in anger.
Regina stared incredulously at the pixie haired woman "Because she needs to listen. She needs to learn there are consequences to her actions."
"So you let her fall on her head? Maybe Whale was right." Snow muttered.
Charming placed a hand on snow's shoulder. "Snow."
That did it. Regina stood from her place on the couch. "Excuse me?"
"Can you all just stop?!" Emma finally stated. "So let me get this right. You two," She pointed to snow and charming "Are my parents who happen to be Snow White and Prince charming?"
They nodded.
She turned to Henry "And you're my son?"
He nodded happily.
She turned to Regina "You're also his mother and happen to be the evil queen?"
"Former evil queen, but yes." She said matter-of-factly, lips pursed.
"So are you my girlfriend or my wife or…"
Snow gawked at her with wide eyes, while charming nearly choked. Meanwhile, Henry was trying to stifle a laugh with a pillow.
Regina stared at Emma, jaw slack. "What-I- no- we aren't a- we're not together."
Emma was even more puzzled. "But I live here. With you, right? And we share a son?" She lowered her voice to a whisper "friends with benefits?"
"You're NOT together!" Snow blurted out.
"Snow, calm down." Charming soothed, trying to calm his wife down.
Henry couldn't hold his composure anymore and burst into laughter and Regina put her face into her hands in exasperation. This whole thing was a mess.
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Snow had wanted Emma to stay with her and charming until she regained her memories. Although the pixies haired woman seemed nice enough, she didn't really want to be fussed over, so Emma insisted on remaining with Henry and Regina. At dinner that evening Henry excitedly went on about their adventures in Neverland and against the wicked witch. However, Emma couldn't help but half listen to the enthusiastic 12 year old because she was very much preoccupied with the woman sitting across from her. There was no doubt that the brunette was gorgeous. She was stunning and Emma was in awe. Not to mention how adorable she found the prickly woman's tender side when Regina would talk to Henry.
A fork clanking against a glass dish broke her form her trance. "Ms. Swan, would you stop gawking at me?"
Henry started between the two women, mouth full of broccoli.
Emma pouted. "I wasn't gawking," She paused to figure out the right way to say what she had to. "I was admiring."
Regina just stared at her. She was at a loss for words. Was Emma flirting with her? This had to be some kind of joke. Some kind of elaborate hoax to get the town to turn on her by pretending to lose her memory and now she had the gall to do this? "Ms. Swan, if you indeed have your memories and this is some convoluted way of destroying the relationships I've worked to achieve, I swear to god-"
"I'm not lying about this." She interrupted, raising her voice slightly so Regina would understand. "I wouldn't lie about something like this, right? I mean, am I the type of person who would pretend to forget her son?" A troubled expression crossed her face. Would she really have done something like that?
Regina regained her composure. "I suppose not." Emma wouldn't do something like this. Not if it involved Henry. Not after having to give him up and just finding him a few years ago.
"Besides, you know how you were training me? Well, I kinda don't have magic anymore."
"What?"
"I wanted to see if I could do any cool magic tricks, so Henry and I borrowed your spell book," Regina gave a stern look to her son who was now overly focused on eating his meal and avoiding eye contact. "We tried practicing. Nothing."
"Your magic must be fueled by tapping into your memories. It always starts that way before you become more skilled. We have to figure out how to get them back."
"I know how to get them back. True love's kiss." Henry dead-panned.
Regina stared at her son, then to the blonde across from her who had the biggest grin on her face.
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The next few days had been frustrating. Regina had tried her best to keep Emma inside so her loss of memory wouldn't be made public and subsequently create and frenzied and panicked town. Henry's job was to search every page his book to figure out who Emma's true love might be. In the meantime, Regina tried her best to be as amicable as possible considering the blonde had no recollection of how tumultuous their relationship had been since the day they met.
They would talk while Regina cooked dinner, about Henry or the people of Storybrooke. From time to time the three of them would relax on the couch for a movie. She couldn't help but notice how Emma would inch closer to her once their son abandoned the space between them to refill the popcorn bowl. She also couldn't help but notice that she didn't mind. Regina even tried to teach Emma a few notes on the grand piano she owned, but eventually realized the Blonde's constant glances toward her would make her hands falter. Once in a while Emma did manage to sneak out of the house only to return with an armful of flowers or apple pastries in tow for the seething brunette who was waiting for her at the door. For some odd reason, Regina found this 'new' Emma, disarmingly charming. It had to end.
"It has to be in here somewhere." Regina muttered to herself as she quickly flipped through the pages of her son's book of fairytales. She had become all too comfortable in Emma's presence. All too relaxed under the lingering gazes of a certain blonde woman and she couldn't let it continue. She had find Emma's true love, so she could get her memories back and she would once again be able to protect the town from danger.
"Regina, what are you doing?" Emma entered Regina's study, furrowing her brows in confusion.
"Your true love has to be in here somewhere. Hook? Mulan? Simba, maybe? Someone who compliments you. They have to be here." She kept flipping not noticing the blonde stepping closer to her until a hand gently took the book away from her.
"You compliment me." Emma said with a small goofy smile, putting the book down the end table.
She met the blonde's face with sad eyes. "Emma, I'm not anyone's true anything."
She held Regina's hands in her own. "You said it yourself. You're the former evil queen, I'm the white knight. Good, evil. Light and dark. Cinnamon and hot chocolate." She lifted a hand to wipe a stray tear off the brunette's cheek. "And besides, there isn't anyone I'd rather spend my life with."
At that moment, Regina's heart melted. No one had ever been so sincere. Not since Daniel. But Regina knew this wasn't real. This Emma didn't know all of the stories surrounding her past as the evil queen. If Emma did regain her memories, there was no way she'd want a relationship beyond what they had forged before the incident. But maybe, if only for now, she could enjoy this feeling of warmth while it lasted.
Emma brought both hands up to cup Regina's face. With her belly flipping and her heart full she placed a soft kiss on Regina's lips. Then it hit her.
Every battle, every fairytale, every tear shed, every angry scream, every laugh. It all came rushing back and with a jolt she jumped back from Regina.
With water eyes the former queen spoke "Welcome back."
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That night Emma wandered the mansion, mulling over the day's events. After the kiss, she and Regina had avoided one another for most of the day. She wasn't sure what to make of the kiss. Regina Mills was her true love? That frustrating, uptight, vengeful woman was her true love?
A picture of Regina and Henry hanging on the wall caught her eye as she walked through the hallway. The boy was laughing while the brunette's arms were wrapped around his neck in a hug. This was also Regina. Protective of her family and able to love so deeply. Emma finally came to a door with light spilling through underneath. She knocked.
"Come in." came a voice on the other side.
She opened the door carefully to Regina's study. "Hi."
"Ms. Swan," Regina said remaining seated behind her desk. "You're up late."
"Ms. Swan still? You practically sucked my face off, I think we're beyond 'Ms. Swan' at this point." She laughed nervously as she closed the door behind her. Regina didn't seem to find her as amusing.
Ignoring the joke, Regina spoke in a cool tone "Was there something you needed?"
"I've actually been meaning to ask you something." Emma rubbed the back of her head feeling the remnants of her accident.
Emma was testing her patience. "Well?"
"Would you like to go to dinner with me-Not like right now, but sometime?" Silence filled the room. It was a stupid question to ask. Regina had probably only kissed her so the town wouldn't find out about what happened. "Yeah, no, never mind. Forget I said anything." Emma ran her hand through her hair nervously before beginning to turn and walk out.
Regina was taken aback. "Are you trying to ask me out on a date?"
Emma stopped and turned around to look at her "Yes?"
How could this maddening woman be so charming? Regina smiled genuinely. "Yes. I would like that very much."
The end.