As requested, here's Chapter 2. Also, I thought about how to write this and I came up with a way that gives us a chapter to see how Regina and Emma talk it out. But I figured, what's this chapter without another chapter following it as the ultimate test to prove what's going on with Regina and Emma? So, there's going to be a Chapter 3 that may take more time to update, but WILL be posted soon.
Now, in terms of timeline, Regina doesn't react the way she did on the show when she found out about Neal, but since 2x19 revealed the birthday celebration to be Rumple's dream, the sword fighting between Neal and Henry (while Regina and Rumple watched from a distance) happened before the celebration for the sake of this story. If you go along with that, it'll make sense and be a better way to go through all this then to write out the part where Regina finds out about Neal. Anyway, enjoy. :)
Henry sat comfortably on the couch in the living room as he excitedly tore off the wrapping paper of the smaller present. His grandparents happily sat next to him and watched as he opened the gift, though they were skeptical about being in Regina's house and even more so being around Regina.
Per Henry's request, Regina pulled the cake she'd bought him out of the refrigerator while he opened the presents. She would've preferred to serve the cake then give him his gifts, but he was all too thrilled to see she'd gotten him anything given the recent family drama that befell them over the last few months. Instead, he begged her to let him open the gifts and he would eat the cake after.
When Regina set the cake on the island counter, Emma came to stand in front of her around the corner of the island. It gave them a bit of distance, but they were plenty close considering their spiteful relationship a year ago.
"A book," Henry loudly asked in confusion from the living room.
Regina looked in the direction of Henry's voice, but couldn't see him from where she stood.
"A journal," Regina yelled across the way as she remained in the kitchen.
"There's already stuff written in it!"
"Yes," Regina called back then sighed before she could continue.
Regina looked to Emma.
"Can you start cutting pieces," Regina asked her.
"Uh, sure as long as you don't mind them being uneven," Emma tensed her shoulders in a shrug she didn't complete until Henry spoke again.
"Mom!"
"I'll be in to explain it in just a second," Regina said over her shoulder than turned back to Emma. "I'm too tired to care. It's been a long day and we're just going to eat it anyway so...cut it however you like or whichever way you can."
With that, Regina went into the living room and left Emma alone with the cake. The blonde didn't know where anything was and didn't have a thing to cut the cake with. She didn't even have plates to put the pieces on when she finished, but she took a deep breath and looked around to do what she could to help.
Regina timidly, uncharacteristically, entered the living room, unsure if Henry liked the gift. She wanted him to like it, wanted him to accept her again, and she misplaced the anxiety of his acceptance on her presents for him.
"What kind of journal is it," Henry asked.
Regina felt two pairs of nervous and unforgiving eyes staring at her. She looked at Snow and Charming and caused them both to uncomfortably look away. When they did, she tried not to smirk as she redirected her attention back to Henry.
"I thought since you liked the book about the Enchanted Forest, stories of your family and I, you might like writing your own stories and life experiences."
"And the stuff that's already in it?"
"I wrote them. They explain my version of a few truths not told in your book and some that were in the book but weren't entirely accurate. I didn't know how much you'd like that since nobody really likes to hear my side of things, but I thought maybe if I wasn't around and you were ever curious-"
Henry smiled and cut her off.
"I love it. And I do want to know your side of things."
Regina genuinely smiled.
Henry looked at the larger present at his feet before he carefully set aside the journal. He knelt down on the floor and ripped through the wrapping paper.
Emma came out with three plates, each with a somewhat hefty size piece of cake on it. She held one plate in each hand and balanced the third on her forearm as she walked slowly toward the couch. She handed two of the plates to Snow and Charming when Henry revealed the mahogany box under the wrapping paper.
Henry stared down at it for a moment, confused but intrigued, before he unlocked the rectangular box. It was lined with red velvet and held a shinny silver sword with gold lining on the intricate hilt that raised from the handle and crossed in graceful "x".
Henry gasped.
"You got me a sword?!"
Snow and Charming dropped their jaws as they stared wide eyed at the sword.
"A real sword," Henry screamed his question a second time as he beamed up at Regina.
Regina's smile spread.
"This is so cool!"
Emma's eyes widened as she looked from the sword to Henry then to Regina.
"A sword," Snow quietly asked, still in shock.
"Yes," Regina answered as she took her eyes off Henry to address Snow with full attention.
"He's not ready for that," Charming said as he finally looked away from the sword.
"He doesn't have to use it right away. I realize the dangers of wielding a real sword. You still have a lot to teach him and that's fine. When he's ready, he'll have it."
"What the hell is he gonna need a sword for in Storybrooke," Emma finally asked.
Regina frowned. She didn't expect that kind of response from the blonde. In fact, she thought the younger woman would actually be on her side. She didn't know why she'd thought that, but she had.
"Not everyone here is good. Rumpelstiltskin may still be a threat. He's not one to be trusted and if ever there's a fight between him and us, Henry will be able to protect himself."
"He's not the only threat," Charming muttered under his breath, but everyone heard him.
Emma shot him a disapproving look while Regina glared at him.
Snow realized the two of them were equally unhappy with his comment and furrowed her brow. She didn't like the shift in dynamic she felt occur.
"Maybe you should keep it here at the house," Snow quickly suggested. "Until Henry's ready for it. Out of sight, out of mind."
"But grandma," Henry whined.
Snow shot Henry an authoritative look.
"It's okay, Henry," Emma cut in.
Henry barely noticed Snow before he turned to Emma seconds after his grandma gave him the look.
"It'll stay here, but it's yours. Your mom and I will have to come up with a few rules in order for you to use it like when it's okay for you to use it and when you're ready to use it, but we're not gonna forbid you from even touching it before you're ready, okay? Just respect our rules and everything will fine. Got it?"
Henry smiled from ear to ear as he nodded.
Snow stared at Emma, slack-jawed and displeased.
"Excuse me," Snow started, upset. "Since when do you get to undermine my authority?"
"Since he's my son," Emma defended. "The only time you get to discipline him is if he does something wrong at the apartment or talks back or something that directly affects you. The rest of the parenting is up to Regina and me."
"Do not talk to your mother like that," Charming sternly warned.
Emma sighed and rolled her eyes.
"You know what, it's Henry's birthday. Can we save the fighting for another day and just let him enjoy this?"
Snow stared down at her lap as she picked her cuticles while Charming sighed.
"You're right," Charming started as he glanced from Emma to Regina then looked at his grandson. "We're sorry, Henry."
Snow apologetically smiled at him.
"It's okay," Henry said.
"Great. Now that that's settled, here's your cake," Emma kindly smiled as she handed him a plate.
"Thanks," he said as he took the plate from her. "Can we watch a movie? As a family?"
"Is that another one of your birthday wishes," Emma lightly laughed as she asked him.
Henry smiled.
"Not a wish. I'm just asking. We don't have to, but I'd like it if we all sat together. All five of us."
Emma looked at her parents.
"What do you think," she asked them.
Snow and Charming looked at their daughter then at their grandson. Charming looked at Snow for confirmation before he answered the blonde.
"We wouldn't mind," he said to Emma then looked behind her and to the right at Regina.
Emma turned and faced the brunette.
"Is it okay that they stay a while longer?"
Regina forced a smile as she tried to be okay with the situation. When she looked at Henry, it made her decision easier whether she liked it or not. She looked at Emma again and replied.
"It's fine."
Emma smiled and gave a single nod as if to silently say, "Thank you." She stared into brown eyes for a few more seconds before she turned to Henry.
"What do you want to watch," she asked.
Mary Margaret, David, Henry, and Emma sat on the couch together as they watched the rest of the movie Henry had picked. Henry had a plate with a large piece of cake only half eaten on it while everyone else had finished theirs and left it on the coffee table.
Regina put the leftover cake, still in the box on the kitchen island, back into the refrigerator and started to clean up while everyone settled from the short, though mostly happy, second birthday celebration of the day. Occasionally, she looked over to the see the family together on the couch. She displayed a pained smile as she looked at Henry curled into Emma's side between the blonde and Snow White. Emma sat on the far end while David sat on the other. They were picture perfect and made Regina doubtful about her place among them.
David looked past his wife and took a moment to stare at Emma and Henry. He smiled then looked at Snow. She nodded after a few seconds of silent understanding and the two of them turned to Emma.
"We should be going," Snow started. "Are you two coming?"
"Uh," Emma hesitated as she looked from Henry to Regina.
When her eyes locked with the brunette, she almost felt guilty for what she was about to ask their son.
"Henry, do you want to go back to the apartment or stay in your room here tonight?"
Henry frowned as he thought over it.
"Where are you staying tonight," he asked her.
"I'm gonna stay here. Your mom and I have a lot to talk about."
"Well...would it be so bad if I went with grandma and grandpa," Henry asked as he looked at Emma for most of the question, but turned to Regina toward the end of it.
Regina forced a smile, but it didn't look much better than her pained smile from earlier. She knew it would take time to earn his trust again, but it still hurt when he chose the Charmings over her.
"If that's what you want, Henry," Regina nodded.
"Are you sure? I could stay here."
"No, you should go with them," Regina tried to make it easier on him. "If you're worried about my feelings, I'll be fine. Do what makes you happy. That's all I want for you. I want you to be happy."
Henry smiled and got off the couch. He ran into the kitchen and hugged her.
"Thank you," he said as he gave her a light squeeze.
Regina gently hugged him back as she tried not to get too attached. When she looked at Snow and David's matching disapproving gazes, she eased up seconds before Henry pulled away.
Emma apologetically smiled at Regina as Henry came back to the living room.
Snow and David beamed at Henry as David grabbed the boy's coat off the back of the couch and helped him into it.
After Henry's coat was on and he'd turned back to his grandparents, Snow turned to Emma behind her.
"You're sure you want to stay here," she asked.
"Yes. You and David are always talking about how you two find each other. Well, I found her."
Snow shook her head.
"Magic found her. Just because you're a lot more powerful than we knew doesn't mean you and Regina should be together."
"I used magic to find her. In order to have done that, I needed to concentrate. The only time I've ever used magic was when I was protecting people, thinking about them and why I was protecting them. David was there. He saw. Hook was about to attack her and, even though he was successful, the only thing I thought about was stopping him. I only wanted to find her so I could save her, protect her."
"Emma-" Charming tried to interject, but the blonde cut him off.
"Don't tell me that doesn't mean anything. These feelings obviously didn't happen overnight."
"It wasn't true love's kiss," Snow started. "Even if you think you love her, she'll never love you. She can't love."
Regina looked away and headed for the stairs.
Emma sighed as she noticed Regina leave. She looked back at her parents and shook her head.
"I don't think that's true. She loves Henry...and what about Daniel? She loved him."
"That was a long time ago," David said.
"She's capable of love," Emma flatly said, her expression dark as she glared at them.
"How do you know," Snow asked. "All she's done is fight, scheme, manipulate, hold grudges and hate."
"She was in pain. It's not an excuse, but it explains where she's coming from."
"We don't trust her," David started. "And neither should you."
"I'm an adult. I can make my own decisions and I believe in her. I believe she wants to be a better person, the person she used to be. From what I understand there was good in her."
"With a heart as black as hers, I don't think it's possible for her to change," Snow said.
"Sometimes people can surprise you if you just give them a chance."
"We gave her every chance," David nearly shouted.
"In your world. Not here. Things are different now and I'm not just talking about me and her. I'm staying."
David scoffed.
Snow puffed out a frustrated sigh.
"You stay for the night," Snow started after a moment.
"What?! Snow, she can't stay here," David explained.
Snow raised her hand to silence him.
"You have until tomorrow by noon to prove she can change," Snow continued. "If you two haven't figured something out, something concrete, by then, you're coming back to the apartment and you and Henry will not see her anymore."
"What? No, that's not a fair deal. I'll prove it to you by noon tomorrow, but if we don't have a solution then I come back to the apartment. But Henry still gets to see her if he wants to. She's still his mother and that's entirely his decision to make."
"I won't agree to that," Snow said.
"You told me Henry had every right to know his father when we found Neal in Manhattan. Don't you think he still has every right to see his mother when Regina raised him for the last ten years?"
"Grandma," Henry piped up. "I still want to be able to see her. No matter what happens."
His eyes were pleading as he looked up at Snow.
She gave a defeated sigh then looked at Emma again.
"Fine. Meet us at Town Hall at noon."
"Okay. ...I'll see you tomorrow," Emma said as she motioned to the door.
She guided the three of them out and stopped Henry before he walked through the doorway.
"Henry," Emma turned him to face her and crouched down in front of him. "I still have a walkie-talkie at the apartment. Do you have one here?"
"Yeah," Henry quizzically looked at Emma. "In the table by my bed. Why?"
"I'm gonna need help coming up with a plan. I thought you'd want to help."
Henry smiled.
"Yeah. Like another Operation Cobra?"
"Yep. Just like that. Except we should call it something else."
"Like what?"
"I don't know. Um, Operation Save the Queen?"
Henry chuckled.
"Henry, you coming," David called out from the end of the walkway.
Henry and Emma looked to David.
"One second," Emma told him then looked at Henry again. "What do you think?"
"I like it, but...it might be a little obvious."
"Well, what else could we call it?"
"Operation R?"
"R?"
"For Regina."
"Operation Regina?"
"It's not like you have anything better."
"Save the Queen is way better."
"Whatever. We can come up with a name later."
"Okay," Emma smiled. "The walkie-talkie is in my bedroom. I keep it in a shoe box in my closet."
"Got it."
Henry gave her a quick hug that she reciprocated then hurried to Snow and David.
Emma watched them leave before she went inside and shut the door. She took a deep breath and released it in a sigh as she looked up the stairs.
She made her way onto the second floor and stopped outside of Regina's room. She leaned in and listened for a few seconds. When she didn't hear anything, she knocked.
"Regina? Can I come in?"
No response.
Emma gulped as she turned the knob then slowly opened the door. She eased herself inside though her body was tense. She looked exactly how she felt: like she didn't belong there.
"Regina?"
"I said you could stay in the guest room," Regina tried to sound commanding as she emerged from the master bathroom.
Instead, she sounded tired and upset.
Emma frowned.
"I wanted to make sure you were okay. My parents had no right to talk about you like that, especially in front of Henry."
"I don't need your help, Miss Swan," Regina said as she went to her bed and laid down.
Emma shook her head.
"No. You don't get to do this."
"Do what?"
"Give up. You're stronger than that."
"I'm tired. Can we talk about this in the morning?"
"We have to talk about it now," Emma said as she sat on the edge of the bed, Regina's legs behind her.
The brunette rolled her eyes.
"Go to bed, dear, before I regret my decision."
Emma reached out and placed her hand on Regina's forearm. She gave it a gentle squeeze until the older woman locked eyes with her.
"I'm not giving up on you. Henry's not giving up on you."
"They won't forgive me. Snow, David, the whole town," Regina looked away from Emma. "They'll never accept me."
"I'll make them."
"Forcing people to do something never goes well. Trust me."
"I do."
Regina met Emma's gaze, shocked.
"Why?"
"Because I finally see it."
"See what?"
"Your heart."
Regina tiredly, disbelievingly laughed.
"If you could see my heart, you wouldn't be here right now. You would never believe me or trust me."
"You're talking literally. I'm speaking metaphorically."
"Then maybe you should be literal about it. I've done a lot of terrible things, dear. You spent months trying to prove I shouldn't be around Henry before you broke the curse. And after, you immediately took him from me. You know I'm bad and you know I can't be saved."
"You want me to really see your heart? Fine. Show me your heart, Regina. I'll show you I'm not going to run."
"Running is what you do best."
"Running was easy. Staying is a challenge. You know me well enough to know I like challenges. Plus, Henry's stuck in the middle of all this and I know he'd like it if we at least got along. We don't have to date or anything."
"It was just your magic in that room that saved me. You were right. It was all about Henry. You did it to make sure he didn't have to lose me."
"You said earlier that it had to be more than just about Henry."
"You'd just resuscitated me. I was delirious."
Emma shook her head.
"Lie to me all you want. We both know the truth. I was only able to do what I did because I was thinking about you."
"You don't love me. If that's where you're going with this argument-"
"Tell me I'm wrong, Regina. Show me I'm wrong. If you think this is all just some adrenaline kick back from my hero trip, show me."
Regina stared into green eyes for a long moment. She took a deep breath then reached into her chest.
Emma watched Regina's fingers disappear inside her own skin and stood. She remained beside the bed, but instantly tensed. Her eyes were wide in shock and slight horror.
Regina pulled out her heart with a grunt and held it out to Emma. It almost looked like charcoal.
"You can certainly see my heart now. Still think you can save me? Once a heart starts to darken, you can't undo it. The more you give in to your temptations, all the things you know are bad and wrong and evil, the darker it becomes. As you can tell, I never had much self-control."
Emma slowly relaxed as she looked back and forth from Regina and her heart a few times. When she looked at Regina again, she stepped closer to the bed and reached out. Her hand hovered above the black organ until she noticed a red glow in the center. There was a bold red part of her heart untouched.
Emma parted her lips as she admired the heavy object. She stared at it with awe seconds before she touched it. She cupped the heart, still in Regina's hands, and felt it beat under her palm.
A shiver ran down Regina's spine. She gasped as she felt a warmth in her heart she hadn't felt in a long time, a part of her that wasn't set on revenge.
Emma gulped and pressed her fingertips against Regina's hand beneath the heart. They held it between their hands and Emma let Regina in. She broke down her walls and focused on the beat of her own heart.
When Emma's heart beat, a surge of golden magic traveled from her chest to her arms and into Regina's heart.
Emma quickly sat back down on the edge of the bed as she felt the magic weaken her. Every time her heart beat, it sent out of a wave of her magic.
Regina felt it every time. Her heart beat faster and faster as the warmth spread. She closed her eyes and let it happen. The pain started to fade with every beat of the blonde's heart. She felt like her old self again, hopeful and something she couldn't quite place yet.
Emma gradually pulled back her hand until she no longer touched Regina's heart. She lightly gripped the edge of the bed with the hand she'd had on the heart and the other placed between her and Regina.
They stared at the dark heart and their eyes widened, surprised.
The red part of her heart had grown. It was still small in comparison to the black that surrounded it, but it had indeed grown.
"How is that even possible," Regina asked.
Emma smiled.
"I think I just healed your heart. Maybe not entirely, but...enough to show you why I'm still here. That is what I believe in."
Emma pointed to the red part of the heart.
"That's the part of you I know will win out."
"No," Regina started. "It won't. And you don't mean anything you're saying."
Emma sighed and rolled her eyes. She used her other hand, the one closest to Regina and rested her hand over the brunette's heart. She leaned in and moved their hands out of the way before she kissed Regina.
Their lips softly touched as Emma's hair fell around both their faces. Regina's heart warmed in their hands and the older woman broke their kiss with a gasp.
Emma gave Regina a little space and pulled away. She looked down at their hands and uncovered the heart. She looked at it and lightly laughed.
"What could you possibly find so amusing, Miss Swan," Regina bitterly asked out of defensiveness.
"I'm not laughing at you," Emma smiled at Regina. "Look."
The heart glowed red in the center, the organ warmer than it had been in years. The red glow had gotten bigger yet again. Not by much, but it was still noticeable.
"I think we should probably put this back where it belongs."
"I suppose so," Regina slowly said as she looked between her heart and Emma.
"You know, if it keeps getting red like this, maybe instead of undoing the black heart thing you could make it mostly red and start over."
Regina skeptically laughed.
"Doubtful, dear."
"Even faced with the truth that's in your heart, literally, and you still don't think you're capable of being good."
"I'll never be who I once was."
"If your own heart doesn't convince you then I promise I'll prove it to you."
Regina chuckled.
"And how do you plan on doing that?"
Emma bit her bottom lip and started to move Regina's heart-holding hand to her chest.
Regina felt her skin heat up when her heart hovered over it. Her breath hitched and her eyes fluttered closed.
"Regina," Emma whispered.
The brunette opened her eyes and stared into piercing green orbs.
Emma smiled at her and helped Regina ease her heart back in her chest. Her smile faded and turned into a look of wide eyed surprise.
"Whoa," Emma said.
Regina sleepily smiled a genuine smile.
"I think my heart is back where it should be, Sheriff."
"Oh. Right," Emma said as she pulled her hand out of Regina's chest. "Sorry."
Regina's smile faded and she closed her eyes.
"We're supposed to figure this out, right," Regina asked. "Whatever this is?"
Emma nodded, though Regina couldn't see her through closed eyelids.
"Yeah," she said as she crawled over Regina and fell onto her back on the other side of the bed next to the brunette.
Regina opened her eyes and looked at Emma. She furrowed her brow and looked agitated.
"You couldn't have walked around to the other side?"
"Then I wouldn't get to see the look on your face after I climbed over you."
Regina rolled onto her side and faced Emma. She repositioned herself until she was comfortable and sighed.
"I saved your life, you know," Emma proudly said with a smile.
"You did."
"I'm your savior."
Regina rolled her eyes.
"You're the Savior. You save everybody."
"But I'm always saving you. I'm gonna be doing that every day now."
"Every day, Miss Swan? You think I'll need saving that often?"
"Given the fact that by noon tomorrow I have to prove to my parents you can change, I'd say you need saving more than anyone."
"You have a deadline for this? Did Snow suggest that?"
"Yeah."
"Of course she did," Regina groaned. "Then I guess we'll have to figure out how to do that first."
"No," Emma shook her head against the pillow as the action messed up her hair beneath her. "We figure out us first."
"We don't have time."
"We'll make time."
"Then let's make time now."
"I'll solve this in seconds. Don't worry," Emma smirked and leaned over.
Emma placed her hand on Regina's hip and moved in.
Regina gasped and rolled away from the blonde, her muscles tense.
Emma sighed and her hand slid from Regina's hip to her lower abdomen as the brunette moved.
"Can't solve the problem if you won't let me kiss you," Emma said.
"I'm...sorry," Regina started. "I don't...I can't do this."
"Do what?"
"I can't let you in."
"You already did. I'm laying in bed with you, I already kissed you once, and what we did with your heart...?"
"I can't open up. I don't trust anyone."
"I'd ask you to trust me, but knowing you I know that won't change anything. I don't trust easily either, but...okay, when I was fifteen," Emma started as she sat up in the bed. "I dropped out of high school and got my GED."
"Have you forgotten, dear? I looked at your record. It was over a year ago, but it wasn't hard to forget since you were only person in this town I didn't know a thing about. That is until Henry's father showed up with his fiancee. I don't know anything about them now either."
Emma pursed her lips then frowned.
"My records didn't tell you I got a tattoo that same year," Emma raised her left wrist and showed Regina. "I got the flower because I was so used to running away that sometimes I would forget to 'stop and smell roses'. I didn't want a rose though because they all looked tacky and like it should be on some overweight guy in his forties in a leather vest riding a motorcycle."
"Very descriptive."
"I'd seen some things by then."
Regina lightly chuckled.
"I never even told Neal that and I trusted him. I knew him for two years and never told him that story."
"Why not?"
"Well, for the most part I thought it would sound stupid," Emma looked away as she confessed.
"I've called you out on every bad decision you've made that was available to me in your record and yet you told me."
Emma innocently smiled when she looked at Regina again. She tucked her legs under herself and sat Indian-style next to the brunette.
"That was my way of telling you that you can trust me."
"And I suppose I should tell you something if I expect you to trust me," Regina tensed.
"No," Emma shook her head, her eyes wider than usual to make sure Regina knew she was genuine. "You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to talk about it. I just want you to know that you can trust me."
"Well, if you're going to try to get me to trust you and tell me about your past, then we should at least discuss what we're doing."
Emma bit her bottom lip.
"I felt something," the blonde admitted. "I've always felt something, but before it was masked by anger. Now...today, when I brought you back, it was there. It was...strong. You told me what I did was more than about Henry. This is me admitting you're right."
Regina took a deep breath and sat up. She shook her head and looked down at the part of the bed between them.
"That doesn't mean I wanted it to be true," Regina softly said, unable to look at the younger woman.
"I want to try," Emma said after a moment.
Regina immediately looked up and locked eyes with her. She parted her lips in shock.
"Try what?"
"Us. I want to try to make us work."
"Are you saying..." Regina trailed off as she tried not to finish her own thought.
"Regina Mills, will you go out with me?"
Regina couldn't contain the chuckle she emitted.
"You can't handle me."
"I've got two years worth of experience that shows I can."
"You don't want me."
"You don't know what I want."
"I might not know everything you want, but I know one of those things certainly isn't me."
Emma reached out and took Regina's hands in hers.
"You're a dark little thing, but I wouldn't change your past. I wouldn't tell you I love you, but wish you hadn't done the things you had. To me, that's not love. You shouldn't want to change anything about the person you love. You took my family from me and I did a lot of stupid stuff growing up because I didn't have them, but I can't blame you. Whatever you did, it was wrong, but you'd lost hope. You didn't feel anything other than anger and pain. I'm sure you probably felt like you had no other choice. You wanted to be happy, right? I mean, why else would you rob everyone else of their happiness," Emma chuckled. "Mary Margaret, I mean, Snow...told me what you said when she went to see you weeks ago. You told her you could have it all. I'm pretty sure you don't want everything. You want Henry, you want love, and you want your happy ending. The whole revenge thing is just a cover up. The darkest parts of you are all for revenge, but the person you used to be just wants to disappear. That Regina just wants what she thinks she deserves."
"You didn't know me back then."
"I know what I've heard. I also reread your story in Henry's book. I don't know everything that happened, but I know what my...mom has told me, what's in the book, and the rest I can piece together by your attitude and behavior."
"Let me see if I understand this. You're good at finding people, you know when people are lying, and you do great detective work when it comes to psychoanalyzing people?"
Emma smiled.
"That's quite a skill set, Miss Swan."
"I didn't have anyone to teach me table manners or how to do my hair, but I learned how to read people. I learned how to protect myself and reading people was something that really came in handy on the streets."
"Apparently, reading people was something you learned after Henry's father knocked you up."
Emma tensed and looked away.
Regina closed her eyes as soon as she realized her mistake.
"I'm sorry," she shook her head then opened her eyes. "You're just trying to help and here I am, attacking you yet again. This is why you should just leave. Maybe there's nothing to figure out."
A small smile tugged at the corners of Emma's mouth, but never showed as she turned to the brunette.
"If there wasn't anything to figure out, you wouldn't have apologized and you wouldn't have said 'maybe'."
"Then help me figure this out. What about Henry's father?"
"Neal?"
Regina nodded.
"I assume things didn't end well between you two. You said he didn't know about Henry when we first met."
"He didn't. He found out in Manhattan after I found out he's related to Gold."
"Right. Well, now that he's single again, his fiancee being evil, what does that mean for you two?"
Emma frowned.
"Nothing. He wasn't in on the scheme with her so he still gets to be in Henry's life, but...he and I aren't getting back together. I was a kid when I was with him. A lot has changed since then."
"You don't love him?"
"I did. But he broke it and the only kind of trust he'll earn from me now is reserved for letting him spend time with Henry."
"And you trust me? That's worse than trusting him, dear. I don't think you're moving in the right direction."
Emma rolled her eyes.
"And not letting me help you isn't moving in the right direction either."
"I can't change."
"Yes, you can. I've seen it."
"Have you? Or is that just what I wanted you to see?"
Emma groaned out of frustration.
"You're clever and sneaky and manipulative, but you're not that good."
Regina scoffed.
"Not to mention, you already lied to Henry once and it was a big lie. You wouldn't lie to him about redeeming yourself because if he ever found out, and knowing how smart that kid is, he would find out, he'd probably never forgive you. You wouldn't risk that. ...You still haven't answered my question."
Regina remained silent, but looked deep into green eyes.
"Will you go out with me," Emma asked again.
"No."
"Why not?"
Regina looked away. She knew the real reason, but she didn't want Emma to know it.
"Because I don't feel the same way about you."
Emma looked a little hurt.
Regina immediately struggled with her decision to lie to Emma when she saw the look on the blonde's face.
"Okay," Emma nodded and said after a moment. "There's still the issue of proving to everyone you can be good and stay good."
"Don't bother," Regina said as she turned away from Emma then removed herself from the bed.
Emma sighed.
"Regina, come on. Do this for Henry. Isn't that what you've been fighting for since I showed up in Storybrooke?"
Regina shook her head.
"It shouldn't be this hard," Regina held back tears.
Emma cocked her head to the side and thought over the brunette's words before she slid off the bed and stood.
"What shouldn't be this hard," Emma calmly asked as she slowly approached the older woman from behind.
"Everything," she softly confessed. "Why does everyone get their happy ending without any effort? They all get to be happy and the only reason they struggle is because I keep making it difficult for them to enjoy their lives. I'm the only one that gets left behind and that started long before I was the Evil Queen."
"That's what I'm trying to give you, Regina. You're happy ending."
Tears cascaded down Regina's cheeks as she kept her back to Emma.
"You can't. I was never supposed to have one."
Emma's heart nearly broke at her words. She shook her head and took the final step to close the space between them.
She hugged Regina from behind and felt the brunette immediately tense in her touch.
"You can't honestly believe that. You deserve one and you'll get one. Maybe I won't be a part of it, but that doesn't mean I can't be the one to give it to you. I've watched you over the past couple years. I've been unbelievably frustrated with you, I've thought you were no good for Henry, I've hated what you put that kid and I through, but I've never hated you. And this past year, I started to see you, the real you. I can see the cracks in your tough exterior. You can't hide from me and I'm not going to let you go through that painful phase of turning into the Evil Queen again."
Regina closed her eyes and softly sobbed as she tried to fight off the tears that kept falling.
"Let me save you from that heartbreak. No one should have to live through that so why put yourself through it twice?"
Regina put her hand to her stomach, but because of their embrace, her hand came to rest on one of Emma's.
"You want to know why I think you keep slipping? No one's been there for you. No one has held your hand and told you it's going to be okay, that you can do it. When people tell you 'no, you can't do it' for so long you start to believe it yourself."
Regina slowly started to sit down.
Emma followed her to the floor, still holding her.
Regina fought her tears less and less as she knelt on the floor.
Emma moved one of her hands from Regina's stomach to her arm and rubbed it. After a few seconds, she moved around Regina to kneel in front of her. She grabbed Regina's hand, the one that hadn't left her own stomach even when Emma moved, and held it in hers.
"Look at me," Emma calmly but firmly said.
Regina took a jagged breath and slowly looked at Emma.
"You can do this," Emma strongly reassured her. "It's gonna be okay."
With watery eyes and tear stained cheeks, she searched Emma's eyes for clarity and truth. She found much more.
Emma smiled as she started to tear up. She squeezed Regina's hand and contentedly sighed.
Regina lowered her gaze from Emma's eyes to her lips. She took a deep breath and leaned in.
Emma's smile faded as she watched Regina close the space between them. She didn't move as she waited for the brunette to come to her.
Regina pressed her lips to Emma's and kept the blonde's hand in hers. She kept their bodies the same distance apart as she had leaned over to make the contact strictly between their mouths and nothing more. She tried to take it slow and make it less intimate that way, but the kiss did more than she expected. The touch held more power than any curse, spell, or flick of the wrist Regina had experienced in all her years. It didn't matter how far away they were, the connection was strong and undeniable. There was a spark.
Emma brought her hand to Regina's cheek and cupped the side of her face. She brushed the pad of her thumb across a drying tear streak and broke it into two vertical lines down her face.
Regina pulled away and kept her eyes trained on the floor when she opened them. She sat back on her ankles and let go of Emma's hand.
Emma frowned. She got on all fours and crawled to Regina. She didn't wait for the older woman that time. She carefully crashed their lips together as she remained on all fours, Regina only on her knees. The kiss was as sweet as the previous, but more passionate. The touch as harder, but still tender and loving. The lack of proximity had diminished and Emma broke the kiss only to initiate another.
Emma placed a hand on Regina's hip and pushed herself toward the brunette. She forced the brunette to lean back and after a few seconds, Regina brought her legs out from under her.
Regina sat on the floor as Emma continued to kiss her.
Emma pushed forward until Regina laid back. She kissed Regina until she was on top of her on the hardwood floor. She eased her way between Regina's legs on the way down and steadied herself above the brunette. Her lower stomach was pressed against the lap of Regina's unintentionally raised skirt.
She pulled back and stared down into vulnerable and worried brown eyes.
"I'm scared," Regina quietly confessed.
"I'm gonna be here every step of the way. I won't let you lose yourself again."
"I can't do this," Regina whispered as she felt more tears threaten to escape.
"Yes, you can."
Regina shook her head as her eyes watered again.
"To you. I can't do this to you."
"Do what," Emma frowned, confused as she stayed above Regina.
"I want to make this work."
"That's not a bad thing."
"But I can't love you," Regina's voice started to crack as tears fell again.
"That kiss tells me differently."
"Please don't love me. Please," Regina begged as her voice caught in her throat on her last word.
Emma leaned in and kissed a tear streak from the first set of tears.
One fell from Regina's squeezed shut eye and rolled across the temple toward her hair.
Emma pulled herself up Regina's body and kissed the tear before it could wet brunette locks.
Regina sniffled then parted her lips. She opened her eyes after Emma pulled back again and stared up into green eyes.
"Too late."
"I'm only going to hurt you...and Henry."
"That's not gonna happen."
"Why are you fighting for this? For me?"
"Because there's a strength in you I need you to see. There's a part of you Henry sees that I think I've always known was there, but sometimes forgot to consider when I made some of the recent decisions I have. You didn't go about it the right way, but I'm amazed at how far you've come from the past you did. You amaze me."
Emma leaned in and kissed Regina on the lips. She filled it with every bit of sincerity she had as she ran a few brunette strands through her fingers. She kissed her over and over again. The more she did, the more Regina responded until she was completely comfortable with the situation. When she thought Regina was ready, she slid her tongue across Regina's bottom lip, only the tip poking into Regina's mouth for the briefest of moments.
Regina gasped as she broke their kiss for a matter of seconds then kept her mouth open for Emma when she brushed her lips against the blonde's.
Emma took it as a silent invitation and slipped her tongue past parted lips. She ran her tongue over Regina's then explored her mouth.
Regina pressed her hand against the back of Emma's neck and kept the younger woman close. She placed her other hand on Emma's hip and moved it up her body. Her fingertips pushed the hem of Emma's shirt up with them as she touched hot, taut skin no longer hid by clothing.
Emma moaned at the light touch and prolonged a kiss as she trapped Regina's bottom lip between hers. She sucked on Regina's lip for a few moments then broke the kiss when the brunette's palm gently pushed against her exposed ribs.
Emma rested her forehead against Regina's as she continued to use her forearms to balance her upper body. She closed her eyes and tried to catch her breath.
"Stay with me tonight," Regina didn't even ask.
She made it a statement, though Emma could hear the need in her voice.
"I was never planning to leave."
"I meant here. Stay with me in this room."
Emma lifted herself so their foreheads didn't touch anymore and opened her eyes. She stared at Regina for a moment then nodded. She rolled off Regina and laid on her back on the space next to her then took Regina's hand in hers. She laced their fingers and stared up at the ceiling as she left half of her shirt lazily pulled up to her ribs.
"What are we going to do," Regina asked as she stared up at the ceiling as well.
"About tomorrow or about us?"
"Tomorrow."
"I don't know."
Regina took a deep breath and released it with a sigh. She turned her head to look at Emma before she spoke.
"Can you promise me that whatever happens tomorrow, we'll at least have tonight?"
Emma turned and met her gaze.
"If I only get a few moments of happiness before they cast me out again, promise me it'll be here with you."
"I'm gonna do everything I can to make sure that's not the case, but if I fail...I promise you'll have that much."
Regina flashed a smile before it quickly faded.
"I'm tired," Regina said.
Emma warmly smiled at her and stared for a few more seconds before she sat up.
"You should sleep," Emma told her before she stood.
Emma held out her hand to the brunette and pulled Regina to her feet when she accepted it.
"What about you, dear?"
"I need to check on something."
"You're not staying," Regina sadly asked, desperation in her tone.
"I'll be back. I promise. I need to get something from Henry's room."
"...Okay."
Emma pulled Regina close and kissed her before she spun around and went to Henry's room. She retrieved the walkie-talkie and turned it on. Static crackled on the other end briefly before it was open to communication.
"Mom. Mom, are you there," Henry asked.
"Yeah, Henry. I'm here."
"Where have you been? I've been trying to get you on here for the past ten minutes!"
"I'm sorry. I was with Regina."
"Is she okay?"
"She will be. We're gonna make sure of that, right?"
"Right. I've got a plan. Operation Black Heart."
"What? What kind of plan is that?"
"It's mom's code name."
"Seriously? You came up with a code name for her?"
"I thought about it on the ride back to the apartment. Makes sense, doesn't it?"
Emma lightly laughed and shook her head as she sat down on Henry's bed before she answered.
"Yeah. Okay, so what do we do for Operation Black Heart?"
"She'll have to make a sacrifice to prove she's going to change. It has to be something that guarantees she won't do anything evil again."
"Like what?"
"I don't know. I'm eleven!"
"Okay, well, a sacrifice. That's a thought."
"I know I already tried, but she could give up magic."
"No," Emma quickly said.
"Why not? Having magic made it easier for her to be evil."
"That's not a sacrifice, that's surrendering. If they take her magic, she won't have a choice whether to use it or not. It wouldn't show her strength and self-restraint. That's not fair."
"It was just a suggestion."
"I know. I'm sorry. It's just that I'm sure that's what everyone would want to see. Regina powerless. But that's not a solution. It won't solve anything in terms of seeing the good in her."
"That's true," Henry said after he took a minute to think about it.
"But...what else is there for her to sacrifice," Emma asked though she was really only thinking out loud.
"Yeah," Henry responded as he also thought out loud.
They trailed off to think, but neither one of them could find an answer.
"I could apologize," Regina said from the doorway.
Emma jumped at the sound of her voice, but relaxed as she turned to the older woman.
"How long have you been there?"
"Since Henry suggested I give up magic," she said as she walked over to the bed and sat beside Emma.
"You think apologizing will work?"
"It's a start. There's not much else I can give other than magic."
Emma sighed then held down the talking button.
"Henry?"
"Yeah."
"She's gonna apologize."
"How do you know that? Is she there?"
Emma held down the button and allowed Regina to speak.
"Yes, Henry. I'm here."
"You're really gonna do that?"
"Yes."
"And you're gonna mean it?"
"No tricks. All truth."
"That's great! It might not be enough, but it'll mean a lot."
"How are you gonna prove that you mean it," Emma asked her.
"That's the hard part. Maybe...I could show them?"
"How?"
Regina grabbed Emma's hand and sent a surge of magic from her body into Emma's.
"I'm sorry...Emma," Regina slowly said as she used her magic to show Emma her thoughts.
Like a movie, Emma saw flashes of Regina's memories of them during every fight whether it was verbal, physical, or both. When Regina had apologized, Emma felt it in her heart that Regina was telling the truth. She didn't understand how, but she knew it wasn't a trick. The feeling was irrefutable, especially after hearing Regina call her by her first name.
"Mom? What's happening? Where'd you go," Emma heard Henry ask as Regina broke the connection.
She blinked then looked into Regina's eyes.
"How long have you been able to do that?"
"I didn't know I could."
"And you just tried it? On me?"
"After everything you've done magically with me and for me today, I figured it was at least possible."
"Mom?"
Regina motioned with her head to the walkie-talkie loosely in Emma's hand on the blonde's knee.
"You should answer him," the brunette suggested.
"Uh, yeah. Sorry. Everything's fine," Emma said to Henry as she fully snapped back to reality. "I was talking to your mom again."
"So? Do you think they'll understand if she apologizes?"
"I think there's a good chance," Emma said as she kept her eyes on Regina's.
"Mom?"
"Yeah," Emma asked.
"Actually, I meant Regina," Henry slowly said as he tried not to hurt Emma's feelings.
"Oh, sorry," Emma apologized to Henry as she looked away from Regina then handed her the walkie-talkie.
"Yes, Henry?"
"I think I want to come home."
"Really? You don't have to right away. I'll be okay if you want to stay with Mary Margaret and David."
"No, I think...maybe after you apologize? I want to come home with you and Emma tomorrow."
"Oh," Emma said as she stared wide-eyed at Regina. "I thought I was only staying the night."
Regina stared at Emma in silence before she spoke into the walkie-talkie, her eyes still on Emma.
"Do you want Emma to stay at the house with us?"
"Yeah. I want to live with both of you. I think...if you two stop fighting all the time, you two are better together. On the same side, you know?"
Regina didn't respond as she continued to look at Emma. She tried to read Emma's expression, but the blonde made it impossible.
"Do...do you want to stay here," she asked Emma.
"I want to be with you. And Henry."
"But you want to take it slow," Regina stated as she tried to figure Emma out.
"Mom?"
Henry went without another reply.
"Yeah," Emma answered Regina. "If we're even gonna go down that road, I kinda want to date you before I move in with you. That's not stupid, is it?"
"No. But...I'm going to need you here. The best I can offer is the guest room in terms of giving you space."
"So...the guest room...would be my room?"
"Yes, dear."
Emma smiled.
"Mom!"
Both Regina and Emma quickly directed their attention to the walkie-talkie.
"You can come home tomorrow. Emma's going to have her own room here. Is that okay?"
"Are you kidding?! That's perfect!"
Emma laughed.
Regina smiled then looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand.
"It's late, sweetie. Go to bed," Regina said.
"But what about Operation Black Heart?"
"Operation what?"
Emma's smile faded, but it didn't disappear given Regina's comment.
"That's the secret name for our plan for tomorrow," Emma filled her in.
"Black heart," Regina asked her.
"That's your code name."
"What a lovely name," Regina sardonically quipped.
Emma rolled her eyes.
"Henry came up with it. It's fitting considering the current condition of your heart, but it's also kind of ironic since our plan involves you being less black hearted."
Regina shook her head with a subtle grin.
"We'll see you tomorrow at Town Hall, okay, Henry," Regina asked through the walkie-talkie.
"Okay."
Emma placed her hand over Regina's around the walkie-talkie before she spoke into it.
"Get some rest. Tomorrow's a big day."
"Got it, mom. Both of you."
Regina and Emma simultaneously smiled.
"Mom-Regina," Henry quickly corrected to avoid confusion.
Regina scrunched up her face when she heard her son call her by her first name. She knew it was only so she and Emma understood who he was talking to, but it still hurt.
Emma noticed and quickly darted out a hand that she ran up and down Regina's arm. The reassuring touch comforted the brunette as she spoke.
"Yes?"
"I love you."
Regina's smile returned, Emma's hand still on her arm.
"I love you too."
"Goodnight, Emma."
Regina pressed down the button on the walkie-talkie for the blonde.
"Goodnight, Henry," Emma said as she dropped her arm onto the bed in front of her.
"Would you mind if we left this on tonight," Regina asked Emma after she let go of the button. "And take it back to the room with us?"
Emma beamed.
"Not at all. Now come on. You need to sleep as much as he does. Maybe more."
Emma stood and held out her hand to the brunette.
Regina looked at Emma's hand before she smiled up at the younger woman and set her hand in Emma's.
Emma gently assisted Regina to her feet like the Queen she was and walked hand in hand with her back to Regina's bedroom. As they approached the bed, Emma started to let go of Regina's hand, but the brunette squeezed and pulled her close.
Regina didn't hesitate or take her time to kiss Emma. She wrapped an arm around Emma's waist and held the blonde against her.
Emma hummed into the kiss and wrapped her arms around Regina's neck. She arched her back and brushed their stomachs flush against each other. She used her arms around Regina's neck to keep the brunette's lips firmly pressed to hers.
The two stayed fuzed in the kiss for a little longer before they mutually broke it. They slowly pulled away from each other, but allowed their arms to remain attached to the other at neck and waist. After a few moments, Regina slipped away and set the walkie-talkie onto the nightstand behind her.
Emma moved around to the other side of the bed and got comfortable as Regina stood and watched.
Regina smiled as Emma kicked off her shoes and slid under the covers. She slowly did the same after Emma wiggled herself into a preferred position then rolled on her side to face the blonde.
"I never wanted this," Regina started.
"What," Emma asked as she rolled onto her side and got closer to the brunette.
"To be Queen. If I'd never been Queen, none of this would've happened," Regina confessed.
"Well, I guess I'm a little biased when I say this, and don't get me wrong, I wish you never had to go through all the pain you did. But...if you'd never been Queen, you would've ridden off into the sunset with Daniel. We never would've met and I would've never known what it felt like to hold you, or kiss you, or raise our son with you," Emma smiled.
Regina lightly laughed.
"You haven't held me," she corrected the younger woman.
"I'm about to," Emma's smile turned into a smirk as she moved even closer to Regina.
Regina rolled her eyes with a smile and turned her back to Emma.
Emma draped an arm over Regina's waist and snuggled into the brunette's back.
Regina curved her body to fit with Emma's and closed her eyes as she relaxed against her.
"Tomorrow," Emma started as she settled her chin against the crook of Regina's neck. "No matter what happens at Town Hall, I'm gonna take you out for dinner. We're gonna have our first date and it's gonna be special and lovely and you're gonna feel so pampered and loved."
Emma smiled as she thought about it.
Regina smiled too as she envisioned the date.
"It'll have to be a Granny's since there's really nowhere else to eat around here, but I'll make it work."
"I'm sure you will," Regina spoke in a husky voice as sleep started to take her over.
Emma lifted her chin off Regina and chastely kissed her cheekbone.
"I know you never wanted to be Queen, but...you won't mind if I still treat you like one, right? And not of the evil variety?"
Regina chuckled as she kept her eyes closed.
"I may not have wanted that life, but I've been Queen far too long not to live and be treated as such. You have my permission to do just that."
"Then I will."
"Would you like to be treated as a princess, dear?"
"Huh?"
"That's what you are. If I'm going to be treated as what I am then I should think you'd expect the same."
"I've...I'm not really the princess type."
"Sure you are. When you don't get your way, you demand things to change and then things change. You also had the curls. I miss them."
"Who knew," Emma rhetorically asked with a wide smile.
"What?"
"The Queen is a fan of my curls. I guess I'll have to start curling my hair again."
"You'd better, princess."
"Oh, come on. I just got you to call me by my first name. Now you're just finding more pet names? When? When will you ever just call me Emma?"
"You don't like the pet names?"
"That's not what I'm saying. I just...I like it when I hear my name roll off your tongue."
Regina grinned.
"As you wish, Emma."
The blonde almost shivered at the sound. Instead, she smiled as she gently flipped Regina onto her back and leaned in. She brought her lips to Regina's and let it linger before she pulled back. She stared into brown eyes beneath her and bit her bottom lip before she spoke.
"Are you happy?"
Regina didn't blink as she stared into green eyes full of hope and promise. A smile slowly crept across her face before she answered.
"Yes."
The next part gets a little tricky for our ladies, but it'll be a treat. Next chapter should be the last though. :) Please don't forget to review. :D