At the North Pole
"We should be there already." Henry murmurs bitterly while walking besides her. "Do you think that elf purposely gave us the wrong directions?"
"We could have gotten lost as well." Regina murmurs hesitantly while again noticing the same pipeline they had already passed a couple of minutes ago. "Ok, we must stop because I'm pretty sure we've already been through this hallway."
"Then it's official. We are lost."
"I did not raise a pessimistic son." the brunette woman scolds him lightly. "What happened to the Truest Believer?"
"He's cold and hungry and wants to return home so he can sleep and get his gifts." Henry rants while moving his arms dramatically. "I swear that these things only happen to us."
"That I can't deny." Regina agrees with him because they were really unlucky when it came to the amount of 'end of something' experiences they had to go through.
"And..." Henry continues saying. "Most of them occur because of one of us. This time it's Emma." he stares at his Mom. "It's like she attracts trouble."
"That's your other mother alright." the witch chuckles and stops when she notices a shadow passing around them. "Stop!" she raises her hand and uses her magic to freeze the object.
Running quickly towards it, they don't take long to realize that it's another elf, this one with a big book on his hands and what seemed to be a whip.
"Kinky..." Henry murmurs and Regina hits him on the shoulder. "Ouch."
"Let me go! I have no time for this!" the elf exclaims frantically, or what they believe is frantically since the little creature can't move.
"Of course..." Regina agrees but still doesn't stop the spell. "I'll let you go as soon as you tell us where Emma Swan is."
"Emma Swan?" he asks confused.
"Tall, blonde woman, blue eyes and really skinny. She likes to wear tight pants and beenies." Henry summarizes to him.
"I know her! She's here!"
"We're aware of that." the witch murmurs bored. "What we don't know is where she is."
"Just follow the end of the hallway..."
"We have been trying to do that for the last half hour." Henry complains. "And all we have seen is the same pipeline."
"That's because you're not thinking of where you want to go. You're just walking. In order to find the end of the hall you must see it." the elf says cryptically.
"Not another riddle!" her son says angrily. "Mom, do something about this!"
"You know..." Regina smirks and raises her hand menacingly. "Instead of sending us on another silly goose chase you could guide us to her."
"I could do that too." he shrieks and starts to run backwards the moment he's set free. "Follow, follow." he tells them rapidly. "No time to wait."
"Why?" Henry asks curiously and then looks at the whip. "And why do you have a whip?"
"For the reindeers of course." the elf tells the child obviously. "They'll need the guidance since Santa won't be able to ride today."
"But if Santa won't be using his sleigh then who will?" Regina asks while noticing a door that had definitely not been there a couple of moments ago. "I thought only Santa could use it..." she stops talking the moment she sees a familiar blonde with a red coat staring sheepily at them.
"Emma?!" Henry asks excitedly. "You're Santa?!"
SQSQSQSQ
"So I just have to tell them what to do and they'll do it?" Emma asks suspiciously while staring at the reindeers in front of her.
"Yes dear, they're magical and will answer to the thoughts and orders of the person that's wearing Santa's coat." Mrs. Claus assures her quickly.
"Then why did Fidgety run out of the room screaming about needing a whip?"
"Because he fidgets." the older woman reminds her. "And he likes to forget about the magical properties of the coat."
"That doesn't reassure me much." the blonde admits hesitantly. "I mean, in only a couple of hours I'll have to leave and the fate of Christmas will be in my hands. I don't think I can do this."
"Well I don't think you'll be alone dear." Mrs. Claus whispers to her while staring at the door with a curious smile on her face.
Turning around, it only takes Emma a couple of seconds to realize that Fidgety has not returned alone. With him, she can see a boy that looks like Henry, who is staring at everything with happiness and shock on his face. Right next to him, and with a protective arm around him, is a woman that could definitely be Regina.
But Emma knows that Regina and Henry must be back in Storybrooke and that perhaps this is a test of some sort done by Mrs. Claus or an illusion or some other silly thing characters must face by the middle of the movie.
Right?
"Emma?!" Henry asks excitedly. "You're Santa?!"
That does sound like her son.
"I really don't know why they even try to tell us that it's impossible for people to find the North Pole when in one night three people have been capable of doing so." Mrs. Claus murmurs amusedly while staring at the scene in front of her. "So that's Regina." she tells Emma and watches the way the blonde woman nods absently. "Why don't you go and talk to them."
"Because they can't be Henry and Regina." she tells the older woman calmly. "They must be in Storybrooke."
"Really child?" the older woman asks her sassily.
"It could be some sort of test in order to see if I can put them aside and do what's necessary to save Christmas."
"Miss Swan!" she hears fake Regina say and stops talking with the older woman. "What are you doing wearing that coat when I specifically told you to not wear it?!"
That sounds like her Regina alright.
"How can I know that you're real?" she asks instead and sees the surprised faces of the two of them.
"Did you do something to her?" fake Regina asks Mrs. Claus.
"I did nothing dear. It seems like Emma is under the belief that this is some sort of test."
"A test for what?" fake Henry asks curiously. "We came here to help you fix Christmas!"
"To be Santa of course." Mrs. Claus smiles. "Since she was the one that arrived to the North Pole with the coat she will have to be Santa Claus for the night."
"She doesn't have to do anything." fake Regina replies seriously.
"She kinda does because she's wearing the coat. Once Christmas is over it will automatically come off." Fidgety explains to the fake witch.
"You tricked her then?!" fake Henry asks annoyed.
"We did no such thing. She knew what she was doing when she put it on!" the elf defends himself.
"And even with knowing what would happen you decided to put the coat on?!" fake Regina asks angrily. "That's so you Emma Swan!" she then gets close to Mrs. Claus. "You must take that coat off. I promise we'll help you."
"I can't dear. The magic of the coat has bound Emma to it until the end of Christmas."
"I'm sure I can find a way to unbound it." the fake witch murmurs darkly.
"Ok, stop!" Emma speaks after noticing the fight happening in front of her and the four people in the room stare at her. "I need proof." she addresses the brunette woman.
"Proof of what?"
"Proof that you're my Regina and not some figment of my imagination. By de facto the moment I prove who you are I'll know if Henry is real or not." she tells the woman who blushes softly. "Tell me something that only Regina would know."
"This is ridiculous." the brunette replies anxiously. "Right now is not the time for games Miss Swan."
"She won't believe us until you do Mom." fake Henry says to her calmly. "So just do what she's asking."
"Just do it." Mrs. Claus adds.
"I like apples." fake Regina stutters.
"Everyone knows that Mom." Henry replies sassily. "You must say something that no one would know, only Emma. Something embarrassing."
This makes Emma stare at the fake Henry and realize that he's right and that there is something that Emma knows. Something that Regina would never dare tell to anyone.
"Tell me what happened two weeks ago at your house when Henry went on a camping trip with my parents." the blonde tells fake Regina and notices immediately how she blushes profusely.
(Flashback)
Emma was making her way towards the mansion because she honestly had nothing else to do. With Henry on a camping trip with her parents and Ruby in the middle of her own The Notebook romance with Whale (yes, it was weird), Emma felt that the only person in town who would understand her boredom would be Regina. They had been getting close, and she knew that the brunette woman would welcome her with a smile and open arms. But her feelings were resurfacing. She had finally understood what she felt for Regina and it was more than mere friendship.
It wasn't that Emma felt guilty or ashamed of herself for experiencing those things. On the contrary, she wasn't that surprised because Regina was a wonderful and beautiful woman that deserved her affection. No, that wasn't why Emma had tried to keep her distance from the witch. It was because the Savior was afraid that Regina would never feel the same for her.
Noticing the manor standing in front of her, Emma surely walks towards the door and rings the bell, expecting Regina to quickly open the door for her. When nothing happens and a couple of minutes go by, Emma starts to get worried. Just because her parents had forgiven Regina that didn't mean that the rest of people of Storybrooke did. Taking her phone out, she dials the witch's number and waits until she gets the answering machine. More concerned. Emma turns around and goes towards the back to the sculpture of the ugly frog that she knows has a secret key (Henry told her about it in case of an emergency).
And this was an emergency.
Opening the door quietly, Emma takes her gun out and silently walks around the familiar house. Noticing that nothing seemed amiss or in a mess, the blonde starts to think that maybe Regina did have plans and had just decided to leave the house. Sad at the prospect of not spending the day with the brunette, it takes Emma to reach the door of the study to realize that there's music coming from inside of it and that the tune was really familiar.
Peeping the door open, Emma was definitely not prepared for what was happening in front of her.
"Let me lick you up and down till you say stop. Let me play with your body baby, make you real hot. Let me do all the things you want me to do. Cause tonight baby I wanna get freaky with you."
Emma's brain was going to combust. She was sure she had just died and gone to heaven because that would be the only way for her to see Regina Mills sexily dancing to Freak Me. Pinching herself and gulping when she realizes that what was happening was real, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the brunette and her body. Regina was moving her hips in sync with the music, her eyes closed and hands caressing her body teasingly. Her hair, shorter than what she had last seen it, was moving around her, the movement accentuated with the way her hands kept putting it in place.
"You know I can't resist you, girl,I'll fly you all around the world. I wanna see your body drip, Come on, let me take a sip. To calm what you cherish the most. 'Cause we're not about to brag or boast."
Without really thinking about it, Emma starts to take a step forward, which in turn causes the wood around her to creak and for brown eyes to stare shockingly at her. With the music still around them, the blonde can't move, the music making the scene somehow erotic and electrifying. She could sense Regina's doubt, her necessity to explain and yet her desire to not apologize for what had happened. For seeing where this would go and what Emma would do.
And Emma, stupidly, runs away.
(End of Flashback)
"Really?" Henry asks when neither woman answer to the questions he's asking. "Can someone tell me what happened?"
"Emma came to the house. And I was at the studio with my music on." Regina blushes and looks down. "I was dancing and I didn't notice Emma was watching me."
"Creepy Ma!"
"Not my fault kid!" Emma answers quickly while blushing as well. "I thought your mom was in danger because she wasn't answering and I used the key from the ugly frog."
"That key is for emergencies Miss Swan." Regina scolds her lightly.
"Well I believed there was one!" the blonde adds exasperated. "And will we really talk about this now? You were dancing to Freak Me Regina!" she whispers dramatically.
"Well I'm sorry Miss Swan for traumatizing you." the brunette huffs bitterly. "Now are you certain that we're not illusions?"
"You didn't traumatize me Regina." Emma huffs. "Trust me, you did quite the opposite." she adds and this makes the witch smile warmly at her.
"So you didn't run because you didn't like what you saw?"
Emma nods softly.
"I ran because I didn't know what to do with what I saw. I didn't know how you would react and that scared me." she admits hesitantly. "I was afraid you would hate me."
"You idiot." Regina tells her sweetly. "I wanted you to stay."
"Really?" Emma asks her hopefully.
"Really Ma." Henry interrupts them. "Like it's obvious since my Mom just doesn't randomly dance around the house." he then gives his mom a knowing look. "And I told her that you were probably on your way to the house."
"What?" the Savior asks while staring at Regina who's looking at the roof absently.
(Flashback)
"She left Henry!" Regina tells her son through the phone after watching Emma run out of the house like a maniac. "Like literally, she ran away the moment she saw me."
"She was probably shocked Mom." Henry tries to appease her. "I mean, what did you even do?" he chuckles.
"I did what you told me to do and I danced in front of her." Regina says but then blushes.
Henry doesn't need to know which song I danced.
"Perhaps I was too direct." the witch agrees with her son, who had made a bet with her.
One that she had lost and that had probably risked her friendship with the only person who cared about her.
Damn her pride.
"Mom, Emma won't hate you." Henry whispers to her calmly. "She likes you too much for that." he tries to joke.
"I hope so dear." Regina says softly. "She was already acting weirdly around me. I bet this will make things even weirder." she then chuckles bitterly. "Remind me again why I agreed to do this stupid bet?"
"Because you lost and you always honor your word?"
"Then tell me why you decided to make me do this."
"That's for me to know." Henry says amused. "Just trust me when I tell you that I'm sure Ma won't be mad at you."
"I know there's something you're not telling me Henry Daniel Mills." Regina tells him with a serious voice.
"Just trust me Mom and let me do 'my magic'." he jokes with her. "Now, I'll got to go because Grandpa is getting annoyed about staying still for too long. Talk to you later Mom."
(End of Flashback)
Both mothers stare at their son, who is doing his best to act as if he had done nothing wrong.
"Henry..." Emma starts saying.
"Daniel..." Regina continues.
"Mills." both women continue.
"Explain yourself kid."
"I knew you two cared about each other and I decided to do something about it when I saw that at the pace you two were going it would take you years to finally admit your feelings to each other." Henry explains quickly.
"You care about me?" Regina asks the blonde softly.
"Of course I care Regina." Emma whispers. "You're the mother of my son. My best friend." she then looks at the brunette who is doing her best to not cry. "And the most beautiful and complex woman I have ever met."
"I care about you too." the witch admits. "I have for a very long time." she gets closer to Emma who smiles brightly at her. "I was just afraid of saying it first."
"Well, you don't have to say it." the blonde smirks. "And instead you could show me." she says jokingly but doesn't complain when Regina nods and kisses her sweetly on the lips.
It was everything Emma had expected it to be and everything else she had never imagined it could be.
"Finally." they hear their son murmur behind them.
Separating from each other, Regina pecks her lips one more time and turns around to stare at her son.
"You're still grounded young man." the brunette says while kissing him softly.
"I imagined I would be." Henry murmurs with a smile on his face. "But totally worth it."
"Now that that's solved." the three of them stare at Mrs. Claus and Fidgety who are giving them knowing smirks. "How about you three now help us with saving Christmas?
"Sure! Right behind you." Emma says as she watches the woman and elf leave. "Shit I forgot about them being here." she whispers and Regina hits her softly on her arm.
"Language." she chastises the blonde. "Emma, this is so embarrassing. Mrs. Claus just saw us kissing!"
"Don't be embarrassed. I literally told her how I felt about you after knowing her for 10 minutes." the Savior admits with a dashing smile.
"I would expect nothing else from you dear." Regina says brightly and pecks her lips. "Idiot."
"But your idiot, right?"
"Forever and ever, babe." Regina winks at her knowingly.
Regina Mills just quoted the cheesiest line from Click and it totally made my heart burst, Emma thinks while following the brunette like a lovesick puppy.
Which I guess I am...