A/N: Hello everyone! Thank you for all of the reviews, favorites, and follows so far! I apologize that it took so long to get a second chapter up. I had a lot of ideas for how to do this chapter and rewrote it several times. I hope you like how it turned out! This one will reveal Regina's backstory.
Chapter Two: Don't Be a Stranger
Don't be a stranger.
Those words, her beautiful smile, the way her brown eyes shone with happiness when she said she would see her around… Emma couldn't get any of it out of her mind. She tossed and turned all night, impatient to start the next day. She was thankful to hear her alarm go off, and for once, she didn't hit the snooze button.
She hurried to grab her journal and headed to the porch to watch the sunrise.
xxxxxx
July 15, 2011
You never know what life has waiting for you around the corner.
Like suitcases to trip over.
Or a man who is too arrogant to accept a helping hand after crashing into his things.
Or a kind woman with an adorable son who lets you rest your head on her shoulder after an exhausting day and happens to not only be vacationing in the same place as you, but is also staying at the same hotel as you. Only a few rooms over, actually.
How one sentence can make your heart flutter all night.
Don't be a stranger.
And that was one day.
Life certainly has a lot of surprises for you, doesn't it?
xxxxxx
Emma fell back into her chair, pulling her knees close to her chest. She twirled the pen in her hand, thinking over the previous day's events and imagining the moments to come that she would be able to spend with the brunette.
Should I go see her today? And what time?
Would that be weird that I stopped by today? Too eager?
She said don't be a stranger. She wants to see me again.
Ask her to go to breakfast? Join her at the beach? Maybe she and Henry would like to go to the little downtown area near the hotel with me this evening?
No. That's too much, right? I can't overstep my boundaries. I have to remember that this is a family vacation for them. Regina meant to stop by the room and visit with them a few times. That's all.
Right?
Emma let out a breath.
I'm a writer. Shouldn't I be able to interpret the meaning of her message?
Regina's not a book, Emma. She's a person. And people are more complex than a book will ever be.
She rested her head on her knees and continued to watch the sun rise above the ocean.
I like her, and I want something with her. I just don't know how to go about it.
Fort Myers Beach, Florida.
Many months were spent researching for a place to vacation in Florida. Her sister offered input, too, since she had lived in the state for a couple of years now. After much consideration, a final decision was reached, the hotel was picked, and the flight was booked.
Her, Daniel, and Henry.
A two week family vacation.
The three of them had been overjoyed.
Regina couldn't help herself that night. When she went to her room and settled into bed after the long travel day, she found herself crying. The emptiness came back to her at the sight of not seeing her husband lying beside her.
He died three months ago.
She booked the flight on a Sunday night after they had all finished dinner. She remembered turning away from the computer and looking up at Daniel with a huge smile. Henry had been jumping up and down in excitement. The minute she stood up from her chair, he pulled both her and Daniel into a hug. When he backed away from the embrace, he started talking about all of the things he wanted to do. They listened happily as he chatted away.
Monday night. Seven thirty.
It was a later night at work for Daniel.
Henry was watching cartoons. She had just finished dinner and was bringing everything to the table. Daniel was supposed to be home in a few minutes' time.
Then phone rang.
And she heard the last news she ever expected to hear.
Their food went cold that night.
They rushed to the hospital immediately. Storybrooke was a small town, and the hospital was only a ten minutes' drive from their house.
Daniel had been involved in a terrible car crash. It hadn't been his fault. A drunk driver had hit him.
The doctors did everything they could, but he didn't make it. He was pronounced dead at 8:05pm.
Henry was a complete wreck. He screamed at the doctors when he heard the news. He claimed that they were lying. He didn't want to believe his father was dead. He said he couldn't be, not after they had booked their flight the night before. Not when they were supposed to go on a vacation together so soon.
When Regina went to pull him into a hug and comfort him, he pushed back at her and ran away. She said a few words to the doctor who had given them the news and hurried to follow him. She found him outside the main doors to the hospital, hunched over and sitting on ground. He was bawling like a baby. As soon as she sat down next to him, he leaned against her and cried into her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him and rocked him gently, singing softly in his ear until he calmed down.
Mary Margaret and David Nolan found them sitting there. David was the sheriff of Storybrooke and was dealing with business on the other end of town when he received a dispatch about the crash. He drove home right away to pick up his wife and came to the hospital. The Nolans were very close friends of theirs, and the news was a devastating blow to them as well.
She was so damn grateful for their support. Without them, she didn't know if she would have be able to hold it together in front of Henry.
Regina didn't want to go into that room. She didn't want it to be real. As she walked down the hallway with Henry to Daniel's room, she considered the possibility that maybe the doctors were wrong, that maybe when they were outside, a miracle of sorts had happened and he'd come back. That he would be alive. That the three of them could still go on that trip, but they would just push the vacation forward so he could take the time he needed to recover. Even hoping against all odds that the crash had occurred. Rather, it was just some terrible nightmare, and in a few minutes, or even seconds, she would wake up to him sleeping peacefully next to her.
But she knew better.
Before they walked inside the room, she tried the best she could to prepare Henry for what he was about to see while also mentally preparing herself. Despite it all, it didn't make it any easier when they saw him, especially with knowing he was dead. How could anyone honestly prepare themselves for a moment like this?
Regina never said goodbye to Daniel. Not even at his funeral a week later. Saying goodbye meant he was gone. That she had truly lost him. And she didn't want to think that way.
They stayed at the Nolans' loft that night. She didn't want to go home right away. Not without him. It didn't feel right.
Once she knew Henry was sound asleep, she finally broke down. She had come down the stairs and only taken a few steps into the kitchen when she completely lost it. Mary Margaret rushed to her side immediately and caught her in her arms as she fell to the floor and weeped. She remembered everything going out of focus around her, struggling to control her breathing, and even getting sick at one point because she had been crying so hard. She unfortunately woke Henry up, but before he could see the state she was in, David came to her rescue and helped him fall back to sleep. She never woke him again that night, but it took several hours before she had calmed down enough to fall asleep herself. Mary Margaret ended up staying with her all night. She even called off work the next few days to watch over her and Henry. When her crying had subsided, she looked on with weary eyes as the woman filled out her substitute teaching plans for the days she would miss. It was just beginning to get light outside when she finally closed her eyes.
Mary Margaret was her rock in the time after Daniel's death. She helped her stay strong in the weeks leading up to their vacation. She had really wanted to cancel the trip. She didn't think she would be able to handle going without Daniel. But she couldn't do that to Henry. She knew how much he had been looking forward to it. Despite what had happened, he still wanted to go.
And now, here she was, day one of the vacation. It was early morning, a little after eight o'clock. She was walking the beach with Henry. Even though he had stayed up way past his bedtime the previous night, he had woken up before her and practically pulled her out of bed so they could head out.
She wasn't going to have to ask him what he wanted to do that day. She already knew they would be spending a good amount of time at the beach.
Regina smiled at Henry as he bent down and inspected another seashell.
"Mom! Look at this one!"
He was having a ball searching the beach for shells. She was certain he would have quite the collection of them by the end of their trip.
As she waited for him to look at the other shells around him, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She glanced behind her and immediately felt a wave of happiness wash through her.
Emma.
The blonde gave her a quick wave and joined her at her side. "Hey."
"Hello, Emma."
"Mind if I join you two?"
"Not at all." She nudged her shoulder gently. "I did say not be a stranger, after all."
Emma looked away shyly at the comment. The reaction made her own heart skip a beat.
God, she's so adorable.
It was her turn to look away shyly.
Wait. Did I just say that?
She was thankful for the distraction when Henry jumped up from his spot and noticed Emma's arrival. "Emma!"
"Hello, Henry."
He held up the small bag of the shells he had collected. "Look at the shells I found!"
"Wow, kid. You've got a lot already."
"Yep!"
Regina watched as Emma looked at the sand for a few seconds and then knelt down on her knees. "Think you could find a shell for me if I showed you what it looked like?"
Henry nodded vigorously.
She picked up a small, pointed fragment that Regina guessed formerly belonged to a much larger shell. She held it up for him to see. "This is the top to a fighting conch shell. They can be hard to find completely whole, but judging by the shells you've collected so far, it looks like you have pretty a good eye for finding some nice shells. I bet you'll be able find a whole one of these."
"You think so?"
Emma nodded.
"Can I have that piece as a reference?"
"Yep."
Henry took the piece in his hand. "Thanks, Emma."
She stood up and brushed the sand off her legs. "Just make sure there's nothing in it. Sometimes you'll find one and see the snail inside it. You can't keep those ones. You're not allowed to take any shells with living creatures in them."
"Got it." He smiled at her and then was on his way, determined to find the shell Emma had told him about. They watched him in amusement as he ran a few paces ahead of them, all the while keeping his head down to look at the shells beneath him. Regina knew he would be preoccupied for some time.
"Collect a lot of shells back in Tallahassee?"
Emma turned to her. "Yeah. I loved learning about all the different shells and going to the beach to search for them whenever I got the chance. I had quite the collection." She laughed at herself. "I actually filled up this entire lamp base with them. And this base was like a good three feet tall. That lamp came with me to Boston. I could not leave it behind when I moved."
"It sounds like a rather unique piece of furniture. I wouldn't leave it behind either. Have a fighting conch shell in there?"
"I think I do, but there are a ton of shells in that base. And it was many years ago that I filled it. I can't exactly remember if I placed one of those in it."
"Well, you've given Henry quite the mission. You won't leave without a whole one. He'll make sure to find one for you."
"Let him keep them for himself. I've found them before. They'll be a nice souvenir for him to remember his first trip to Florida by. And speaking of first times… What about you? Ever been to Florida before?"
Regina shook her head. "Nope. This is my first time, too."
"You'll like it here. A friend of mine recommended the area while I was living in Tallahassee, and I came down here a few times."
"So I guess you can be my tour guide then?"
Emma looked away briefly and then smiled at her. "I think I can do that." She put her hands in her shorts pockets and rocked on her heels before speaking again. "Going to the beach later?"
"I am. You?"
"Yep. And I imagine we'll run into each other there?"
"Most likely. It seems running into each other is something we're very good at."
"Yeah. What are the odds of this whole situation? I would have never guessed that the person sitting next to me on my flight would end up at the same hotel as me."
"And on the same floor."
"That too."
"I'm glad, though. I really did enjoy talking to you on the plane, Emma."
"I did, too."
Regina really meant it when she told Emma she enjoyed the conversation they had shared on the plane yesterday. That time that she talked with her… She needed it. She knew Henry would fall asleep after takeoff, and she had feared those quiet moments alone if the person sitting next to didn't want to talk with her. That silence would invite her mind to drift. She would start thinking about Daniel and how he should have been sitting next to her and how it wasn't fair that had died that Monday three months ago and the tears would start to come. But Emma sat next to her, they began to talk, and all that fear faded away.
She couldn't believe she had let herself rest her head on top of the blonde's and fallen asleep. She hadn't meant to fall asleep. She just wanted to close her eyes for a few minutes…
Even though she had been embarrassed by the action, she couldn't ignore the fact that she had enjoyed the closeness with her as well. And she knew she shouldn't feel that way, but she couldn't help herself. She felt something for Emma. It didn't take her long to recognize this after she had finished talking with her and allowed her to rest her head on her shoulder as she slept. She felt an instant connection with her, the same kind she had felt with Daniel when she first met him.
It made her somewhat uneasy. She wasn't sure it was right to feel that way about someone so soon after her husband's death. Or if Henry would even approve if she did act on her feelings during this vacation. But ignoring those feelings and forgetting that plane ride together? She knew she wouldn't be able to do to either of those things.
So she asked Emma not to be a stranger and well, she would see where it went from there.
"Let's not run into each other at the beach today," Regina said suddenly. "How about you come with us?"
"I couldn't impose."
"It's not imposing if I asked you to come. Besides. I know Henry would be happy if you came along. And…" She shuffled her feet in the sand. "I'd be happy too if you joined."
A smile appeared instantly on Emma's face. "Okay. What time should I be ready?"
"Sometime between eleven thirty and noon? I can call you when we're close to being ready if you, um, don't mind exchanging numbers."
Regina noticed Emma's green eyes light up at the suggestion. "I don't mind."
"Okay."
They both pulled out their cell phones and quickly exchanged numbers before turning to look at Henry, who was now sitting in the sand near the shore and intently analyzing what looked like every single shell around him.
"Want to try looking for that shell for a bit?" Emma asked.
The answer came easily. "I'd love to."
They walked over to Henry, sat down in the sand next to him, and began searching away.
Emma couldn't believe she had decided to go walking along the beach at the same time Regina and Henry had. Although, it really shouldn't have been that surprising to her, given the events of the previous day.
Like Regina had said, running into each other seemed to be something they were pretty good at doing.
Shelling was one of her favorite pastimes when she lived in Tallahassee, and she had been looking forward to partaking in it again during her vacation. But in that moment, she was completely distracted. She was thinking about the day ahead of her, when she got to spend time at the beach with Regina and Henry.
She also kept catching Regina's eyes any time she glanced up from the sand. Like it was seriously every single time she looked up. Not that she didn't like that, but it was making her heart flutter like crazy.
Emma wouldn't have spotted the conch shell had it been placed in the sand right in front of her.
Sorry, Henry. I'm of no use with helping you find shells today.
Henry was excited to hear that she would be joining them later. He told her they could continue what he called "Operation Fighting Conch Shell". When they headed back to their rooms, Regina explained to her that Henry had a thing for operation names.
"I can only imagine the number of operations he'll have going if I ask him to find any more shells for me."
Regina laughed.
They were now in the elevator and had just arrived on their floor. Regina gave Henry the key, and he ran off to the room with his bag of shells in his hand.
"You'll want to clean those shells," Emma told the brunette. "And check to make sure he didn't accidentally take anything live."
"We wouldn't want that, now would we?"
"Definitely not."
She pulled out her phone and glanced at the time. It was almost ten o'clock. "So, I'll hear from you in like an hour or so?"
"Yep."
"Sounds good. I'll see you later, Regina."
"See you, Emma."
Regina began to walk down the hallway when Emma noticed something.
"Regina?"
The brunette turned around. "Yes?"
She grinned and pointed at her shorts. "You, um… You still have sand on your butt."
Her brown eyes widened, and she put her hands on her hips.
"Like, I'm serious."
Regina glanced behind her and quickly brushed off the last of the sand. When she faced her again, she had an eyebrow raised.
"What?" Emma asked nervously.
"You were staring at my ass, Miss Swan."
"Hey, you remembered my last name!"
"Avoiding the subject, Miss Swan."
She bit her lip and looked down. "So… Um… Later?"
"Yes. Later."
Emma looked up hesitantly and was relieved to see the brunette grinning at her.
There goes the fluttering again.
Actually, more like pounding. And I swear she's going to hear it if I don't leave now.
"Bye, Regina."
"Goodbye, Emma."
She was staring at my ass.
Regina let out a chuckle once she saw Emma walk inside her room. And the blonde struggled a bit with that, having to try her key three times before successfully opening the door. She loved how nervous and awkward she could be.
She headed to her own room.
Dare she admit it….
I definitely looked at her ass, too.
Regina felt connected to Emma, and she was attracted to her.
Could it be possible that she was ready to move on?
She still felt it was too soon, though, and she had cried last night.
She let out a breath.
Baby steps, Regina. It's okay to feel something for her. Just take it slow and see how you feel down the road.
Remember. Don't be a stranger, and see where that takes you.
Thoughts? I always appreciate feedback :) Promise the next update will be much sooner!
