A/N: Another chapter! Thanks for the reviews/follows/favs loves, makes my day~ As always, I do not own characters, likenesses, etc. (Though seriously, all I want for Christmas is SwanQueen.)
XX
Regina, for her part, seemed altogether confused, watching as Emma took off down the hall. Turning to Cora, she shoved the tray in her mother's hands, a hurried 'I'll be right back' slipping off her tongue as a parting gift before she threw her ladylike regality to the wind and took off after Emma. Emma slid around a corner, her blonde hair whipping through the air as she neared room #13. It would be empty, it always was, due to the odd suspicions of the townspeople, and she definitely needed a moment alone to adhere her thoughts back together.
Just who was the beautiful, older woman with Regina Mills? Maybe she hadn't been as interested as Emma had hoped.
But really, why should I be surprised, Emma asked herself bitterly. She was nothing compared to the perfection of Regina Mills and she knew it, yet she had hoped that maybe, just maybe, there was a chance. Emma didn't even notice Regina on her heels as she crashed through the door to her destination and turned in place to shut it, but a familiar face stood before her, donning a slightly wrinkled crimson bath robe. The door shut with a soft click, and a slightly louder one signaled that it had been locked. Emma looked away, afraid that if she looked into Regina's eyes she'd falter, and allow herself to break down in front of the woman, but she was shocked when Regina's voice cut the thick air like a knife.
"Miss Swan, what the hell? Why are you running from me?"
Emma snorted; she couldn't help it, she always found humor when the seemingly prim and proper English teacher let a curse slip, and even now, there was no exception to that rule.
Emma stammered a reply.
"I don't.. I just..who.."
Regina cut her off, smacking a dainty palm to her forehead, completely understanding why Emma would freak out. Clearly, the blonde had some sort of feelings for her, although now was not the proper time to give this a second thought. It was true that her Mother was still beautiful, and even though she was up in years, she still gave off the perception of early thirties to anyone who did not know better.
"Miss Swan, that would be my Mother. Cora Mills."
In that moment of embarrassment, Emma swore she could have died.
"Your Mother!? I thought.. I thought-" The blonde could not keep the high pitched squeak from her voice, and she was sure Regina was going to hate her after all this.
Great, there goes my chance. Good job, Swan.
Regina, sparing Emma any further embarrassment, pulled the blonde to her and wrapped her arms gently around her. "Yes, dear, my Mother. Now that we have that taken care of, would you like to meet her? I am not positive how long she is going to be in town, but I do know that she would love to meet my white knight.."
Emma nodded against Regina's chest before the pair embarked from the room, their hands and arms touching but never quite entwining, sending a warmth through them that neither could quite place.
XX
"Mother, this is Miss Emma Swan. Miss Swan, this is my mother, Cora Mills."
Regina made a move towards the bathroom to change into decent clothing, ignoring the 'help me' look that Emma was so obviously shooting at her. Emma had never met the parents of someone she was dating before.
Dating? God damn, Emma, you are not dating your teacher. Shut up. Seriously.
Emma's inner voice ranted in her head and she moved to quickly change the subject.
"So, Mrs. Mills, how do you like Storybrooke?" Trying her best to be polite, a look of relief washed over Emma when Regina returned to the small room, looking flawless as ever. She greatfully accepted a small glass of coffee from her former teacher, and nursed it whilst trying to make small talk with Regina's mother. She wasn't quite sure if Cora knew what had transpired in the few weeks before their meeting, so she was unsure of what she should say.
"Miss Swan, I heard about you saving my daughter from Sidney.."
Emma sighed and shrugged, a solemn look on her face.
"Yeah, well, I couldn't leave her alone with that idiot. I know what it's like to be alone, to have nobody, so there was no way in hell I was going to abandon her.."
The look of pride on Regina's face melted Emma's heart a bit, but it was nothing compared to the other emotions that quickly washed over them. Emma felt her pulse quicken, attempting to ignore it and continue on with her conversation.
"Well Miss Swan, all I can say is thank you. Thank you so very much. If you hadn't been there, I have no idea what would have happened, nor do I wish to entertain such a thought. But alas, I have a meeting in several hours, and I believe it is time for me to leave." Cora Mills stood abruptly, her dark ensemble adding to the power she exuded. Giving Regina a hug, she promised to call her daughter as soon as she arrived home. It would take the pair a while to fix the issues that they held with one another, but they were both hopeful of the future.
"Miss Swan, would you mind walking me out?"
Emma grabbed Cora's bag, nodding in the affirmative. Regina seemed nervous, but she wouldn't let that get to her now. Following Cora out the door, Emma shot one last glance at the brunette.She followed the matron to the waiting taxi silently, handing her bags over to the driver before helping Cora in to the car.
"It was nice to meet you, Mrs. Mills. Have a safe trip."
Emma turned to leave before a soft voice beckoned her back.
"The pleasure was mine, Miss Swan, and I must ask one last favor of you. Don't let her be alone."
With that, Cora Mills pulled the taxi door shut and drove off, leaving Emma's mind reeling.
I swear to you, Cora Mills. I won't.
XX
Regina paced back and forth in her room, wondering if Emma would return. She was sure her mother held ulterior motives in asking for Emma's help, but what they were, she was uncertain. She took the few small moments sans Emma to evaluate everything that she'd been going through in the past few days. Regina stared absentmindedly out the window her arms folded.
"I suppose it is time to acknowledge my attraction to Miss Swan."
Speaking the words aloud afforded them a certain power, a sudden moment of clarity, and she sighed before hanging her head slightly.
What if she doesn't feel the same way, Regina? What if you are making something out of nothing, like you so often do?
The nagging voice in the back of Regina's mind immediately started attacking her thoughts, and she brushed it aside impatiently. A soft click informed her Emma had returned, and she whirled around, smiling warmly at the blonde who sported a slightly dazed look on her face. Emma was the first to break the silence.
"So..that was kind of weird, to be honest. But whatever, I came over to tell you that my parents are totally ok with me going to the conference with you!"
"That's wonderful news, Miss Swan. We will have to further discuss and fine tune the details as soon as possible. Right now, however, I have to attend to fixing the destruction of my household."
Regina grimaced, and for a fleeting moment she considered the possibility of simply purchasing a new home somewhere else. However, she would not let Sidney Glass reign over her, especially in death, and she knew this was something that simply had to be done.
"Miss Mills, would you like me to go with you?"
Emma's voice trailed off softly at the end of her question, and Regina merely nodded in response.
Maybe she cares for you, too, Regina.
XX
Taking a deep breath, Regina Mills slowly opened the door to 108 Mifflin Lane. Her house was the same as any other day, as normal as could be, and yet she couldn't shake the feeling that it seemed all wrong. Trash from Granny's littered the kitchen table, and she immediately set about making herself busy in cleaning it up. Emma, for her part, appeared to completely understand Regina's hesitance, and as she neared the table bits and pieces of all that had transpired flashed in her mind. She shook her head; this was neither the time nor place for this, and she had to stay strong for Regina, who had a weak aura about her. Tossing the last bit of trash, Regina cleared her throat and motioned for the upstairs area. Emma nodded solemnly, and absentmindedly grabbed her former teacher's hand. Neither of them gave it much thought, how instantaneously safe they felt, as they crossed the foyer to head upstairs. Both women were silent as they reached Regina's bedroom, the final showdown with Sidney Glass still readily visible in the books scattered on the floor, the shattered glass around the window, the once made bed in complete shambles, a faint trace of blood on the carpet. Regina let go of Emma's hand and pulled her luggage from the closet, handing an ebony suitcase to Emma, who nodded and immediately deposited belongings from the closet into it. Regina moved about the room quite swiftly, automatically grabbing clothing from her dresser drawers and placing it neatly into a different suitcase. Emma blushed lightly when she witnessed the brunette distribute several pieces of lingerie evenly throughout the bag, and she cleared her throat.
"I'm done, Miss Mills, now what?"
Regina grabbed several last minute items of importance from her bathroom and deposited them into the front of her suitcase before grabbing a stack of files and her laptop. These she hid safely in her briefcase before she glanced one last time around the bedroom that she no longer felt comfortable in.
"Now let's leave this place, shall we?"
Emma hauled both of the suitcases downstairs and put them in the trunk of Regina's car before climbing gracefully into the passenger seat. The car ride back to Granny's was brief and silent, and before long Emma was helping Regina transport her belongings to her current domain. Regina spared a glance at the blonde who seemed so intent upon taking care of her and allowed a small smile to form on her face. Emma was busily unpacking the suitcases and hanging Regina's belongings in the small closet, and for a moment, Regina allowed herself to see a future with Emma. A future in which they would both be allowed to be happy, something that both of them so desperately craved and yet was always a hair away, crushing their spirits and draining their breath until they once again fell into that pit of despair that lies deeply in your stomach and takes you seemingly forever to crawl out of. Somewhere along the way, their dynamic had changed; they were no longer student and teacher, but had grown into something more, something almost undefinable. Regina couldn't put a name to it, try as she might. Friends? Companions? Lovers? They had grown strangely close in the few short weeks that they had spent with one another, and had shared quite a few extremely negative experiences that still rocked their foundations. But still, their dynamic had changed, and they'd grown so much, both internally and together. Regina was driven from her thoughts by the soft utterance of profanity, and she immediately noticed with amusement Emma's low groan. She was unprepared, however, for the way Emma looked at her as she held up a bit of the aforementioned lingerie, desire darkening her clear eyes ever so slightly. Emma abruptly stood up and announced that she had somewhere to be, to which Regina responded her understanding. She wouldn't let Emma know that she'd miss her, that she was still so shaken. Emma grabbed a pen and a piece of paper from the nightstand and hastily scribbled her phone number before sliding it into Regina's hand.
"In case you get lonely, or scared, or need to talk, or you miss me, or something, Miss Mills."
Regina lifted a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.
"In case I miss you, Miss Swan?"
Emma's response was a trademark shrug and goofy grin before giving her teacher a quick hug and departing the room. Regina had just shut the door and made it to the kitchen area before Emma waltzed right back in, sporting a look on her face that Regina couldn't quite place. She watched, bemused, as Emma paced back and forth a minute before setting her gaze upon Regina.
"Miss Swan? Is there a problem, dear?"
Emma quickly shook her head before making a beeline towards Regina. In a few short steps, Regina was against the wall, Emma's hands on either side of her. Regina could feel herself getting almost uncomfortably heated, and she gasped as Emma wrapped her arms around her and pulled her tightly to her, leaning up to softly whisper one word in her ear: "soon".
XX