Title: Only when you sleep – chapter 3
Author: thingsabout
Fandom: Once Upon a Time
Pairing: Swan Queen (Regina Mills/Emma Swan)
Rating: T
Author's note: Well, look at this! Here is Chapter 3 of "Only when you sleep". This could very much be the penultimate chapter to this fiction. For someone who started it as a ficlet, I am very satisfied how things progressed. Couldn't have done it without the incentive you guys have given me. I took the liberty to take and write around some parts of the delicious ficlet Heartsways posted on Tumblr. I hope she doesn't hold it against me! So, if you haven't read hers, go read it! NOW! Read ALL of her work! It's magic. Honestly! And it's really how this all started.
All of this is for you. Thank you!
All mistakes by me. I own nothing.
Enjoy! (^_^)
After leaving the Mills' estate, Emma went directly to the Sheriff's Office since she received a call from one of her deputies, reporting in some events that took place on the previous night. Some traffic tickets, a DUI and a bar brawl, where Leroy's name promptly showed up. Emma got there and, after another fair share of warnings to Leroy, she let him go. Her stomach growled, a reminder that she hadn't eaten anything yet.
"Charles, I'm going to go to Granny's and grab something to eat. I won't take long." She addressed her deputy.
"No problem Sheriff. Things are pretty calm, unless the paperwork that I'm filling on Leroy decides to have a piece at me, too." He chuckled.
"Alright, see you in a few." She lightly smiled and left
At almost half past two, Granny's wasn't full, as you'd expect on a Sunday. A few regulars were scattered at some tables, so Emma wasn't greeted with the usual bustling, that even for a small town diner, was quite a lot. She sat at one of the tables, letting out a breath. Hearing Regina and Henry's conversation earlier certainly contributed to the heaviness that was upon her chest. She could also not forget Regina's expression as they locked eyes just before she left. It only sunk her heart deeper. She sighed, pulling her mobile out of her jacket and placing it on the table.
"Afternoon, Emma. What can I get'cha?" A bubbly Ruby appeared just beside her.
"Hi Ruby. Can I get a grilled cheese and some coffee?" Emma ordered.
"No hot chocolate today?" Ruby found it slightly odd. Emma also appeared a bit tired to her, the lines on her face seemed a bit deeper.
"Nope, just coffee. And the grilled cheese."
"Okay, be right back."
Emma traced the lines of her mobile softly, a bit lost in thought as she was waiting for her meal. She wished she had a chance to properly say goodbye to Regina, but given the stunt she had to pull that morning, it was impossible. As she ran her fingertips over the keys, all that was between her and the mayor, since the number she knew now by heart was on speed dial, was just a simple touch.
At that point, Ruby returned with a tray and placed her meal on the table, pulling Emma from her musings.
"Here you go, Sheriff! One grilled cheese, extra on the cheese and your coffee." She poured the dark liquid into a mug.
"Thank you Ruby." Emma replied with a faint smile on her lips.
"You OK Emma?" Ruby rested her hand briefly on Emma's shoulder. "You look a bit down."
Emma dismissed it a bit, half rolling her eyes. "I'm fine, Ruby, just tired. Thanks for the concern."
"Hey, no problem! You know I'm here for ya" Ruby smiled. "I'll leave you to lunch." Ruby returned to the kitchen, appearing moments after behind the counter.
Emma took a sip of her coffee and placed the cup on the table. She bit her lip on the inside, looking at her mobile and then pressed a key, without any haste. As soon as she heard the call sign, she put her mobile to her ear listening to the call sign till her call was answered.
"Miss Swan...what do I owe the pleasure?"
Regina's addressed her in such a velvety tone that surely, if Emma was not sitting, her knees would go weak.
"The pleasure is all mine, Madam Mayor." Emma smiled, taking another sip of coffee. She cleared her throat. "About this morning..."
Regina Mills ended the call and put down her phone on her desk. She idly touched one of her earrings as she pursed her lips lightly for a moment. Anyone who looked at her at that very instant would probably say she was probably daydreaming. Emma's voice was still lingering in her mind and it was not enough. Regina picked her phone again, quite ready to call Emma when she noticed an alert on her mobile.
Memory full. Please delete some files.
She quizzically looked at the device, finding it very odd that her memory was full.
"Must be another game Henry downloaded..." Regina brought up her Applications folder, nothing seemed changed. She closed the folder, but the alert remained. Regina wasn't one who worried about such trifling matters, so she dismissed the alert. Nevertheless, she didn't put her phone down right away. A seemingly nostalgic feeling dawned onto her and she suddenly felt the need to go over some of Henry's older pictures she had on her mobile. She smiled fondly, though her pensive features would say otherwise. She scrolled through each one of them, mentally cataloguing them. When were they taken, under what circumstances, why did she take them. Looking back in time, she regretted, in a way, that her relationship with Henry reached such disaffected moments some times. She wasn't her mother. When Mr. Gold brought Henry to her, she'd recalled a promise she made to herself long ago. She would never be her mother.
Regina scrolled past another of Henry's pictures, a fairly recent one, only to find herself looking at something that certainly set apart from the rest of the pictures. Regina's expression subtly changed. The emotions one could read on her face where totally different from the ones she supported just instants ago. The fondness was still there and now, there was also a mix wanting and concern. In it, Emma Swan's figure hovered over the dozens of books that were neatly aligned on a shelf, one of the many that filled the bookcases in Regina's study. The sight she was gifted with was nothing less than stunning, in her opinion. Emma was on her tiptoes, reaching for the top shelf, in nothing but a pair of one of her favoured pieces, when it came to undergarments: black boy shorts, cleverly and partially concealed under Regina's shirt, one Emma snagged and wore, while leaving Regina in repose after their lovemaking.
As she leaned on the door frame, Regina unfolded her arms and in a whim, without a sound, she reached for her mobile that was just inches away from her, on one of the end tables near the door. As not to startle Emma, Regina carefully picked it up, briefly going through the phone's menu, she opened the camera. Giving one last look at the blonde in front of her, she pressed the button. Regina's look was one of satisfaction, nonetheless, most likely anticipating how she could use this picture as leverage on hers and Emma's cat and mouse game. She put the phone in one of her robe pockets, before asking Emma about the shirt she was wearing.
Emma smiled before slowly turning to face Regina. In a defiant pose, she boasted about how good it looked on her. A mischievous glint on her eyes indicated it was a clear affront to Regina, an affront that fuelled their little bantering game and they both loved it.
Last she remembers was Emma, grabbing her hand with an inviting look on her face and leading her once again through the stairs, back to the bedroom, with a book under her arm. Regina smiled at the thought. Summoning into mind that she still had some office matters to review today, she was about to put her phone down when she noticed that there were two more files on her 'Pictures' folder.
Regina Mills' reaction to what she was seeing on those two pictures was nothing but astonishment. She easily recognized the floor, the windows, the bed... She recognized herself and Emma Swan, sharing the same bed, under the same covers. She looked at them for several minutes without a single thought passing through her mind, a state of blankness pretty much taking over her, not to mention shock. How in the world could this have happened? In the middle of all that was going through her mind at this moment, she could not hide the tenderness she felt and possibly showed upon looking at the last picture. Emma's arm was draped over her, encircling her as if she was shielding her from the vivid, nightmarish thoughts she had been having as of late in her sleep. A smile surely must have crept over her face. Regina was frantically calm, attempting to collect her thoughts and replaying possibilities in her mind. She went over every single one of them, then the one she ruled out the most, was in fact, the one that was truly possible.
"Henry...?" She uttered under her breath, covering her mouth. It couldn't be. Regina rose from her desk and headed to Henry's room. His door was open and he was playing video games. She deterred herself for a bit at the door frame, not quite knowing how to address this. Henry saw her reflection on his wardrobe mirror and her troubled expression.
"Anything wrong, Mom?" He paused the game for a bit, turning away from the screen.
Regina lips slightly parted as if she was about to say something but she didn't. "No, honey..." She affectionately said. "Just checking up on you." Then a thought crossed her mind.
"Henry, what do you say if we go to Granny's later on? I have to pick up some documents at the Town Hall. We could have a snack there."
His face lit up. "Can Emma come too?"
Regina anticipated his question. "Henry, I'm sure Sheriff Swan is working today. Besides, you had dinner with her yesterday."
"We." Henry's reply sprung out as he looked at Regina. "We had dinner with her yesterday. You were there too and it was an awesome dinner. I wish we could be like that all the time." He returned to his game, not paying any more attention to her.
Regina knew this conversation was over. She left Henry to his game and went to the kitchen, to get some water. As she was drinking, she leaned against the counter, thinking of all the things that just happened. The pictures, the talk with Henry... She really wished it was that simple.
Emma was reviewing and filing some folders when she got a text message on her phone.
I am dropping by the Town Hall around 6PM. Meet me there. We need to talk. It's important. Regina.
She looked at the screen, puzzled. Then she looked at her watch. It was nearly 5.30PM.
Author's note 2: I really have no idea where I am going on this chapter, I had some difficulties writing this chapter and I think it shows... But bear with me. Next chapter will be better!
As always, R&R! Your comments, suggestions are all taken in consideration! Thank you for reading!