Flu Love's Kiss 16

Epilogue 2 'I understand you'

Emma got home late from work feeling tired and cranky. She'd been out in the suburbs on a call, responding to a report of domestic violence and when she'd got there she'd had to break up a physical fight between a husband and wife. As far as the danger went, the spouses were fairly evenly matched and both sporting evidence of their clash, but still it reminded her that not all was a fairytale in Storybrooke.

She walked into the dining room where her fiance was sitting at the table with a pile of paperwork, magazines, and fabric swatches. Emma immediately went to her for a hello kiss.

"Hey," she sighed, relieved to be home.

Regina pecked her back. "How was your day? I didn't know you'd be getting back this late."

"Yeah. Had a thing to take care of."

"Oh. Can you have a look at this and tell me which one you think is best?" Regina held up a couple of white scraps of fabric.

"Yeah, in a sec. I'm starving, is there dinner?"

"Yours is in the fridge."

Emma left and Regina called after her towards the kitchen. "Emma?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you bring it in here? I'd like your help with this."

A few minutes later, the microwave pinged and Emma returned to the dining table carrying her plate of lasagna and salad. She sat at the table across from Regina, making a space among all the wedding stuff and tucked into her food gratefully.

Regina turned around two sample menus to face Emma. "We have to choose between these two meal plans. I was leaning towards the first one but I wasn't sure if you'd like the other one better."

"I'm sure they're both fine," said Emma wearily. "Just pick one."

"Ok, but we're running out of time. There's a lot of weddings this time of year especially because of the Love Flu epidemic. I have to call the caterer tomorrow before 9am to finalise or we're going to lose our booking so you'd better be sure."

"I am," said Emma shortly.

Regina frowned, wondering what she'd said to annoy her but she decided to ignore it and go on.

"I organised the flowers. Your mother is going to check the colour scheme matches because we won't see each other's dresses before the day. But we still have to choose the table settings - and soon - because they're coming from Oranges and Lemons and it'll take longer."

"What?" said Emma blankly.

"Which fabrics do you like," Regina laid out the swatches and decided to make it simpler. "These are for the tablecloths and these are for the napkins."

"I dunno," said Emma tiredly. "I just got home. They all look the same."

"Fine," said Regina. "I'll choose. Like I have chosen everything else for our wedding."

"Well, you're better at this stuff than I am anyway. What do I know? Look how gorgeous the house is. Just choose whatever you think and it's going to look great."

"Yes, but then it will be the wedding I plan. Not the wedding we plan together. Are you planning on turning up or am I going to have to do the ceremony alone too?"

"Stop it, Regina. I'm not going to talk to you when you're like this." Emma got up to take her plate back to the kitchen.

"Go have a shower. Maybe it'll wash the cranky off," Regina called to the blonde's retreating back. It was something she used to say to Henry when he was in a childish mood.

Regina looked down at the swatches in her hand and decided to go with 'Snow White Jacquard', hoping that Emma would at least be more amused on the day than she was now. She still had to go through and select bonbonnieres and vases for the table decorations but her heart wasn't in it anymore so she let the catalogue fall shut with a flutter.

Emma did have a shower and the searing heat washed away much of the frustration of the day. She tied up her wet hair into a bun and put on a tanktop and pyjama bottoms and her ratty slipper-socks that Regina threatened every day to throw out.

She went to Henry's room to look in on him while he was finishing up his homework. It was getting late and he was only eleven so she was going to tell him to put it away in favour of playing or resting.

Leaning in the doorway, she saw her son doodling at his desk. "Hey, kid."

"Hi, Emma," Henry said dully.

"How was school?"

Henry shrugged, returning to his drawing.

"You had a bad day huh? Me too," said Emma, ruffling his hair and kneeling down beside his chair.

"Did you have to catch some bad guys?"

"Not today. Just had to deal with two people who don't understand each other very well."

Emma simplified it so he wouldn't ask any specifics about it since she didn't want to get into explaining the situation, but she noticed he still looked a bit pensive about something. She hoped he hadn't heard her and Regina's tiff and been worried by it.

"Kid, you look a bit sad. You wanna talk about it or you want me to leave you alone?"

"Mm not really." Henry shrugged again.

His answer was vague and he looked like he still might want to talk so Emma decided to make herself available, near but not too near, by getting up to go sit over on his bed quietly. After a while, he spoke up all on his own.

"Emma?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you love Mom?"

Emma smiled. "Yeah, kid. I do."

"But you didn't always?" Henry swiveled his chair around and tilted his head at her.

"No... it kinda snuck up on me." Emma grinned at him and then turned a little more serious. "Henry, you know me and your Mom fight sometimes but that doesn't mean we don't love each other ok? We just get under each other's skin a bit."

"But what are you supposed to do if you like someone who doesn't like you back?"

Hm, this sounded like it was heading in the direction of a different talk, thought Emma. Maybe the kid wasn't worried about his Moms after all... And given their circumstances with Love Flu and a stone heart, this might've been a better question to ask Regina.

"I guess it depends on the situation..." said Emma, fishing for details.

"There's a girl at school in my class," started Henry. "I like her."

Emma's heart clenched, her baby boy was so growing up so fast. Thinking about girls! Geez, he was only eleven and it felt like he only just came back into her life and now she was losing him already? But his question about one-sided love had pinged her Mama Bear radar. This girl better not break my boy's heart, Emma thought grimly, and if she does Regina definitely better not know about it.

"Does she - I mean, have you told her?"

"Yeah, but," Henry twisted his mouth sideways resignedly. "She likes someone else. She has a boyfriend."

Emma tried to keep a straight face. An eleven year old girl has a boyfriend? What was with kids today. But then she sighed inwardly, thinking of poor Henry and his first crush not working out.

"Sometimes it happens that way, kid. It sucks ... but sometimes the person you like doesn't feel the same way. But it doesn't mean you're not awesome ok?"

He nodded but he still looked a little down and it made Emma think that wasn't all.

"Is there something else that made today suck?" she asked.

"Emma, if I tell you... can you not tell Mom?"

She cringed. "Kid, I'll try but I'm not gonna make a promise I can't keep ok? Your Mom and I are a team."

"Tim's Dad picked him up from school and I was there. He called Mom a bad word."

There had been a few people in town who refused to let the Evil Queen stuff slide but Emma suspected the slur wasn't about that. Regina had told her about Montague not wanting Tim to hang out with Henry because of his parents' relationship and it'd made Emma's blood boil. Not for her own sake, she didn't care what people thought, but she didn't want Henry to be hurt. But if Regina could hold off killing the guy or getting up in his face, then she could too. And apparently the Dad didn't bother to see Tim very often anymore anyway, now that Ethel Montague had been awarded full custody, which Emma thought was pretty damn low of him.

Henry wrote the word down on paper in texta and held it up for her to see. "I don't get it but I know it's bad. Please don't tell Mom, it'll hurt her."

Emma got up to go pull Henry out of his chair and into a hug. "Kid, Mom's a fairytale character but she does understand the world ok. There's lots of people out there who suck but you can't let it get to you. It would hurt her yes, but mostly cos she would be hurting for you. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah," Henry nodded, accepting it more easily.

"But seriously, is there anyone at school giving you problems over this? Cos I don't want to butt in and make things worse for you... but if you're in trouble I can help."

"No. I'm ok," said Henry firmly. "And I don't care what anybody thinks either. I love Mom and I love you... and I can't wait till you get married."

"Me too, kid." Emma closed her eyes and cradled his head on her shoulder. She grabbed the paper off the desk, crumpled it up with one hand and put it in the rubbish bin - where it belonged.

After Henry had gone to bed, Emma padded into her and Regina's bedroom where the light was still on but her fiance was already in bed. Not asleep, just sitting up flicking through a book like she was waiting.

"I uh, think we should get that cake," Emma started as soon as she looked up. "The second one at the tasting. You know, the lemon one with the um, white ganache or whatever it was. Have you ordered one yet?"

"No, not yet. I liked that one too," said Regina, putting the book on the bedside table. "Are you still in a snit?"

Emma gave her a sideways sarcastic look. "I was not in a snit."

"Perhaps you need a dictionary to check the definition. You were definitely in a snit."

"I know what a snit is. And because of that, I'd say that you were in a snit as well."

"'As well' hm? So, we agree then. You were in a snit."

Emma went to her side of the bed and got in under the covers. She slid into the comfy bed and fidgeted around, settling her weary self down and pulled her pillow close to Regina's.

Regina brushed a few locks of blonde hair back. "You look tired. Sorry I jumped on you the second you got home."

"I'm sorry too."

Emma sighed and grabbed one of her hands to play with, threading her fingers through hers.

"Has Henry gone to bed?" asked Regina. "I went to say goodnight before but he was still up."

"Yeah, he went to sleep after I sat with him and had a chat for a while. He had a crappy day, poor kid."

"Is this an Emma-Henry thing or can I know too?"

Emma started to explain it a little. "Well, long story short is he's got his first crush-"

"Jenna?"

Surprise covered Emma's face. "How'd you know?"

"I know everything. Plus I've seen him dawdling around after school trying to catch her eye."

"Yeah. And there was a bit of crap with Tim's father. You know. But I won't tell you all of it, cos Henry didn't really want you to know. I think he's ok but he was worried about us. Sometimes I just think - well, relationships are complicated enough without the world butting in with it's two cents."

She sounded so jaded that it made Regina concerned. "Emma?"

"Yeah, sorry," Emma scrubbed a hand over her face. "I was out at the Earnshaws' tonight. Using each other as punching bags again. God, why are they still together? They're terrible for each other."

Regina reached over to switch off the lamp, sending the room into darkness, and then scooted down into the bed. She laid on her side and put her arm around Emma's waist to draw her close. Emma leant back into the comfort of it feeling immediately better.

"You still want to get married don't you?" said Emma, laying her arm on top of Regina's.

"Yes, of course," said Regina, like she was wondering why she would even ask that, "I'd hardly change my mind because we argued about something. And you'd better not be backing out either, Emma Swan. Because I already have my dress and if you break our deal there will be consequences."

"There's no way I'm breaking that promise. Sorry bout before, I didn't mean to act like I wasn't interested in the plans. I was cranky, I don't want you to think it was because I don't want to help. I know it's stressful planning a wedding, especially if you have to do most of it on your own. But really, I meant what I said. You've planned this thing so carefully. It's going to be beautiful."

"Yes, but I want it to be what you want too, Emma. It's your wedding too and I want it to be perfect for you."

"I don't care if we wear burlap sacks and carry dandelions... I just want you there next to me. That's what will make it perfect to me."

Regina's lips twitched with a smile. "You can wear a burlap sack if you want … but you know your mother will kill you."

"Oh god," Emma groaned, turning her face into her pillow. "I just remembered. I told her she could come help me pick a dress on Saturday."

"I'm sure there won't be many feathers on it, dear," teased Regina.

"Argh! But how could I say no?" wailed Emma plaintively. "She's my mother... There doesn't really have to be feathers right? Can't you like, pull the Evil Queen act and threaten her or something? Just this once."

"No," Regina said loftily. "I think some people are already expecting her to make an appearance at this wedding anyway."

Emma detected a bit of strain in her voice though and wondered if she was ok with it all. "You're not worrying about that are you?"

Regina closed her eyes for a second. "Not really, but ... there are people who will look at us and look at our wedding and no matter what they see, they're going to think I don't deserve any kind of happiness at all after what I've done."

"You deserve to be happy, Regina," said Emma sincerely. "Please tell me you believe that."

"I don't know if I deserve it... but I want to be happy. And I want to make you happy."

"You already do."

Regina took Emma's chin lightly and tilted her face, bringing their lips together in a kiss.

"How do you do that," Emma whispered it inches away from her face. "Erase my bad day in a second?"

"I love you."

In the near-darkness she could only just make out Emma's face full of love mixed with surprise. After everything that'd happened, obviously she'd known it was true for a long time but Regina hardly ever spoke that way.

"You've never said that to me before."

"Well, I'm saying it now."

Emma laughed softly and leant up on her elbow to push Regina onto her back, covering her body with her own and started whispering in her ear.

"Aren't you too tired," asked Regina wryly, as her pyjama shirt got raised.

"Not for this." Emma started placing kisses along her neck and moving lower. "By the way, I've seen that other catalogue you've got over there. Have you ordered something fun?"

"Yes, but - " Regina arched into it and bit her lip against a moan. "n-not until after the wedding. And no - I'm not telling you."

"Well, let's see how good you are at keeping secrets then..."

A/N: One to go - next up, the wedding!