A/N: Hey everyone! So so sorry it took me a while to upload this, but thank you so much to everyone for sticking with it and for giving me such lovely feedback!
I wrote parts of this chapter while listening to Stolen by Dashboard Confessional on repeat, I think that definitely rubs off on parts of it, so give it a listen while you read :)
After returning to Regina's house after the stakeout, with Henry staying with David and Mary Margaret (at his own insistence), Emma and Regina had both undressed and got into bed. Regina had taken a position lying on her back, staring up at the dark ceiling, as Emma lay on her side facing her, with one hand subconsciously running up and down Regina's stomach.
"You don't think we're kidding ourselves, do you? I mean, me and you could never properly be happy together. I'd be the first to admit, I carried an atrocious hatred towards you for a time. I loathed you, and everything about you. I know I can see now I was just jealous, but… I can't take it back. How I treated you, what I said about you. As much as I may love you now, are you sure you won't… grow to regret this?" Regina had been silent for a while before her outburst, and honestly it had taken Emma by surprise. She didn't understand how even now, after everything Emma had told her, she could -still- be so self conscious; so yearning for affection.
"When I said I was proud of you, I meant it Regina. No matter how you feel inside, how broken, dejected, and just downright sad you feel, I'm proud of you. I love you, and everything you've become. I know I sound like a broken record, but I'll keep saying all of this to you, every day for as long as it takes for you to get it into that goddamn fantastic brain of yours. You are good, Regina. You are strong, and you are worthy. And to be honest, I'm falling for you more and more with each passing minute that you are opening up to me. It's nice to see you able to trust someone." Emma lifted her other hand from behind her and stroked her thumb across Regina's chin. "You have stolen my heart, Regina. Not literally, obviously, but.. I can't stop loving you now. Ever. So yeah, I know what I'm getting myself into. And I intend to stay in it for as long as you want me."
Regina sat up in bed, and pulled her knees to her chest in a typical defensive position, although coming from Regina it filled Emma with unburdening sorrow. She grabbed hold of Regina and pulled her into her own chest.
"You understand: why I am how I am. After Daniel and… all of that business, I found it best not to depend on happy endings. If I wanted something; I had to take it. I just never thought I'd want another person, romantically, again. I thought I'd shut myself off from that forever. And then you came along." Regina smiled up at the blonde, and ran a finger down her cheek.
"Believe me, lady, I get it. I've always been the same. Growing up wasn't exactly nice for me. Well, it was a bitch really, from start to finish. But I never let it define me, ya know? I never wanted to be known as 'Emma Swan, the orphan', even though that's what I was. So I used to think the same thing to myself; 'Don't rely on anyone else for anything in this world, and don't rely on a happy ending either.' I could only count on myself growing up; I was the one constant. So I shut myself down, just how you are now. But it's no way to live, Regina. You need hope, and you need trust. In me. I will never let you down, you have my word on that." Emma planted a kiss on the top of Regina's head where it lay on her chest.
"You're right, I know. I'm really trying. Sorry, for… freaking out. Again." The use of the word "freaking" almost elicited a laugh from Emma, but this was neither the time nor the place.
"Don't be stupid. I'd rather you let it out than keep it bottled up, because believe me that isn't good either. Goodnight, Regina." Emma stroked her hair.
"No don't sleep, not yet. Talk to me more."
"What about?"
"Anything. As infuriating and downright taxing as I used to find having a conversation with you, it provides me with a comfort that nothing else can right now. Tell me some more about your life." Emma and Regina continued to talk about anything and everything until the sun began to rise, but even in spite of this, when Regina eventually got to sleep, it was the best she'd had in years.
At around 8am, after only a couple of hours sleep, Emma and Regina were startled awake by a phone call to Emma's cell.
"Damnit," Emma sighed, carefully lifting Regina off her and reaching up to the side table to grab her phone. "Yeah?"
Regina began to open her eyes, and tuned into the conversation that Emma was having. "Hey. Yeah, we decided to make a night of it. Didn't Henry tell you? We've been driving around all night looking for this damned witch…. No, we didn't see anything…. Yeah we just, uh, came to Regina's for some breakfast. I'll be back soon… We were fine, David. We're friends. I can spend one night with the woman." Regina chuckled; Charming was clearly questioning Emma on her ability to stay an entire night with only her for company. "Alright, bye." Emma hung up and sighed, relaxing back into bed with her back half against the headboard.
"No offence to your father, dear," Regina also sat up in bed, stretching out her arms and putting one around Emma's shoulder, "But I would hardly have placed a bet on him being the first to get suspicious of us."
"Hey! I mean, it's true… but that's your girlfriend's dad you're saying that about!" Emma swatted Regina on the nose, before pushing herself deeper into the brunette's side for a moment. "Let's take Henry to breakfast, see what he wants to do today."
"I know what I want to do today." Regina responded, a mischievous glare in here eye. Emma raised her eyebrows, and pulled herself on top of the other woman.
"Well well, what a surprise." Emma responded, before leaning down onto Regina.
Two hours later, Regina and Emma entered Granny's together. Both were still wearing the clothes from the day before, although at least they were armed with their stakeout excuse. Spotting Henry at a back booth, Regina walked over to join him while Emma ordered the three of them breakfast.
"Good morning, Henry. Did you have a good night with Mary Margaret and David?" Regina smiled down at her son, before sitting at the bench across from him.
"Sure, it was great. They're really nice, and they seem to like Mom a lot."
"I know they do," Regina tried to look unsuspecting at Henry's unwitting reaction to their apparently unhidden love for their daughter.
"I wanted to speak to you, actually." Henry looked at Regina, as if to size her up."
"Oh?" Regina shifted a little under his gaze. He could make people nervous when he wanted to; he'd picked that up from her. Obviously some traits, however small they were, had withstood the curse.
"I wanted to know your intentions. You know, with my mom. I don't want her to be messed around."
Regina laughed, "Aren't you a knight in shining armour? I can assure you, my intentions with your mother are no more than honourable. I happen to like her very much."
Henry considered this for a moment, before smiling back at her. "I thought so. I just thought I'd let you know that I don't want her messed around. She deserves the best."
"That she does. Are you… are you always like this with your mother's partners?"
"Yep. A lot of the time it's just been me and Mom, but when someone comes along I like to vet them, you know, make sure they're suitable. The last guy she was with… well it ended pretty quick, and I know she seems fine about it but I don't like to see her hurt."
Emma began to cross over to the table as Regina responded, "Well, she's very lucky to have you. And consider me warned."
"What's going on?" Emma questioned, placing three cups down on the table and taking a seat next to Regina.
"Henry was just questioning my intentions; making sure I'm suitable." Regina raised an eyebrow at Emma.
"You were?" Emma turned to look at her son, raising an eyebrow at him in a way she'd seen Regina perfect countless times before.
"You're my Mom, it's my job to protect you." Henry responded simply, taking a drink of his hot chocolate. Emma turned to Regina, a smile exchanged between them.
"Aren't I the lucky one?" Emma responded, looking between her girlfriend and her son.
After leaving Granny's a while later, the three of them began to walk slowly down the street, exchanging casual conversation. Emma was still thinking about how Henry had attempted to protect her, and was overcome with love for her son.
"Come here you" Emma grabbed her son and kissed him on he forehead, ruffling his hair. Henry looked embarrassed, and shifted on his feet while flattening his hair back down. "Are you embarrassed by me, Henry? I might just have to hold your hand for the rest of the day." Emma said sarcastically, before grabbing his hand and swinging it up in the air. "You too, Regina. Get over here." Regina had been stood just to the side of their son, but on Emma's insistence she crossed over to Emma and took hold of her other hand. "I love my little family" Emma smiled, determined to make this as sickly sweet and embarrassing for Henry as possible. She gazed down at Henry, and then up at Regina, who smiled back. As their smiles exchanged, however, something happened. The ground shook, momentarily. All three braced themselves, with Emma putting a protective arm around Henry, but then as quickly as it had begun, it stopped.
"Henry? Are you alright?" Emma turned her son to face her.
"I… I remember." Henry turned to Regina. "Mom!" Henry kept hold of Emma's hand, crossing in front of her and grabbing hold of his adoptive mother, hugging her as tight as he could; not caring who saw. Regina began to cry, finally holding on to the son who she was afraid she had lost forever. "I missed you," Henry looked up at her and smiled, tears in his eyes too.
"I missed you too, honey." Regina replied, wiping the tears from her cheek. "What was that? I mean… how on earth did it happen?" While Regina and Henry both looked flummoxed, Emma caught on almost immediately.
It was ironic; the sceptic being the first to figure it out.
True love. Not the love she had for Henry, or her love for Regina, or the love those two had for each other, but they love they shared together as a family. While any fraction of them couldn't be perfect, the three of them together could bring them all the happiness they needed. Henry and her mother had been right all along; true love really was the strongest magic of them all.
"I know how," Emma began, grabbing both of their hands again. "It was true love."
A/N: So Henry remembers! I'm looking forward to where this is going next, so stay tuned!
Don't forget to review! :)