A/N: Good Morning, beautiful readers! I hope everyone had had a thoroughly wonderful week! I love you all for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following my little story! Major love for Hunnyfresh as always for her beta-reading! Please enjoy and leave a review!
This chapter takes some inspiration from a fantastic movie, D.E.B.S. I highly recommend it. The segment in particular I was thinking of was this one (watch?v=mDi8rUvjf3E) Just put that into youtube after the url and enjoy!
If you would like to, please find me on Tumblr at Korderoo. I love prompts and animated discussion and new friends.
Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing from Once Upon A Time or D.E.B.S.
Emma had woken up for the second day in a row feeling thoroughly depressed. Since she had come to Storybrooke, despite all the crazy battles being fought, she had not felt alone. Although she told herself that she was being childish to be discontent when she finally had her parents and her son, after only one date Regina's words had reduced her to the hurt, insecure, rejected mess she was the last time her heart had been broken.
She had dressed carelessly and thrown her hair back in a ponytail. She did not even take the effort to put in her contacts, instead pulling on her hated glasses. Her eyes felt so puffy anyway that she felt better leaving her contacts out. She ushered Henry off to school after a silent Breakfast of cold cereal. He had been giving her space since she had returned from her shift at the diner. He had left before she had woken on Tuesday morning, but when she called Mary Margaret, who volunteered at the school still, to make sure he got to class safely he was there. She had tried to ask where he was, but he simply gave her a very poor imitation of an innocent face and said he had "things to do" before school.
This morning as he said goodbye to her outside his school he gave her a mischievous smirk she was certain he'd learned from Regina and said, "Have a good day," before turning and running into the building. She watched him go before letting her shoulders slump. She turned and shuffled off to Granny's to have her daily cocoa and start the morning. She was going to be late to work, but she could not really be bothered to care just now. She despised the bell for jingling merrily as she walked into the diner – it sounded too damn cheerful. She scowled as she took a seat at the counter.
"What'll it be this morning, Sheriff?" Granny was working the counter as Ruby handled the Breakfast rush in the dining room.
"Just a cocoa," she muttered. Granny left for a moment and pushed it across the counter at the sulking blonde.
"About your shift…"
"I know, Granny. I already owe you like another two shifts and if I drop any more dishes I'll be stuck here for life." Emma snapped without raising her eyes to the woman.
"Well would you look at that?"
"What?" Emma growled.
"Here you try to tell a person they don't need to come in anymore and they just practically bite your head off."
Emma's head snapped up, "What do you mean I don't have to come in?" Her eyes narrowed. Eugenia Lucas was no Rumplestiltskin, but she still did not go about giving things away for free.
"Your debt has been paid. Besides, I've hired another full-time waiter. It makes Ruby happy she can take some time off and…well, I think he's going to work out just fine." She gave a man across the room an approving sweep of her eyes. Emma followed her gaze and saw a thin man winking ridiculously at Granny, who looked tickled pink and waved the gesture away.
Emma's eyebrows shot up as she said, "New guy in town?"
Granny shook her head, "Just recently remembered his past and I guess he used to be in service."
"What's his name?"
"Jacques Lumiere."
Emma spat cocoa all over the counter as she choked before saying, "As in Lumiere? The dancing candlestick guy?"
"As in an experienced server and my new employee," Granny scolded, "Not to mention the fella who's saving your skin, so I'd be grateful if I were you, missy."
"So you're just going to let me go without repaying you by working the shifts?"
"Sheriff, I'll be saving money by not having you making a mess of my café."
Emma snorted, having no trouble at all believing that and feeling immensely cheered up that at least she no longer had to come in to work here."
"Well, thanks, Granny. That's fine by me."
"Don't thank me, girl. Thank the mayor. She introduced me to Jacques and paid for your dinner."
Emma's face hardened at the mention of Regina. She felt cold fury building in her stomach. "Is that right? How very generous of her. I'll take the rest to go, please."
The absolute nerve of Regina. Now she had invalidated the one date Emma had actually managed to take her on by paying for it herself. It had been Emma's intention to treat her to a special evening, but now she had taken that away. Emma's face was bright red by the time Granny set down her Styrofoam cup. She slammed down the money to pay for her cocoa and stormed out of the diner without a word.
As she turned the corner she ran into Regina headlong. Regina held out her arms to brace Emma, who pulled roughly away. There was nobody she wanted to see less right now. Regina looked equally unprepared for their meeting, but appeared to be more nervous than anything. Emma ignored this.
"Beg your pardon, Madame Mayor," she muttered as she turned and started to walk away.
"Emma, I…"
"You know what, Regina? I don't really want to hear it right now. I've got it. I'm clear on where I stand with you. I need to get to work." She turned and walked briskly away to the station without looking back. Regina stood and watched her walk away until she turned the corner and then sighed, squaring her shoulders and walking into Granny's.
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When Emma went to pick Henry up from school, he was kneeling on the sidewalk being licked by two Dalmatians and giggling happily. She waved at him and patted Pongo's head saying, "Who's your friend, Pongo?"
"This is Perdita!" Henry smiled broadly at her.
"Like…from the movie, Perdita?"
Henry nooded happily, "Yes, it's Pongo's happily ever after."
She smiled despite her previously foul mood and said, "I guess it is, kid. How about you and I go get a hot cocoa?"
He jumped up and grabbed her hand, anxious to take her to the diner.
When they had been seated in their usual booth Emma nodded to Ruby who came over and said, "Cocoa for two?"
"You know it."
"I'm on it."
Ruby retrieved the drinks from the bar where Granny had put extra whipped cream and cinnamon on, giving Emma a nod and a wink. Ruby set down the mugs saying, "I think Granny's feeling pretty grateful to you right about now."
"Why's that?"
"Jacques. I caught them sucking face earlier."
"Ruby!" Emma chastised, sounding remarkably like Henry's brunette mother. This fact was not lost on Emma who tried to recover saying, "Besides, I didn't have anything to do with that."
"Well you did motivate Granny…you're a terrible waitress Emma."
Emma gave a mocking bow and said, "At your service."
Ruby giggled and said, "Well, I'm glad he's here, too."
"Why's that?"
"Well, he loves working at the diner and it appears he'll be spending more time with Granny. Which gives me enough time to go to school."
"You're leaving Storybrooke?"
"No! That's what's great, I don't have to."
"But there isn't a college in Storybrooke."
"No. But there is a library. And Regina suggested that part of the library renovation include adding internet access to patrons, which means I could take classes online."
"And spend some quality time with the librarian?" Emma guessed with a grin.
"Well, that too. But you know I've always felt like I wanted to do something just for me. I feel like this might be that chance."
Emma nodded and smiled, "I'm happy for you, Ruby."
Ruby gave her a broad smile before gliding away to help her next customer. Emma frowned and shook her head.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. It's just she said that your mom convinced Belle to put in the internet access so Ruby could go to school."
"Yep."
"You knew that already?"
"Yep."
"Are you going to tell me how you knew that?"
He regarded her solemnly before saying, "I don't think you're ready yet."
Emma sighed heavily and said, "Kid, I'm starting to really dread hearing you say that. It always means everything's about to change."
"Yep."
Emma groaned. "What is it exactly you think is changing?"
"You're bringing the happy endings back."
"Henry, I haven't done anything."
He gave her a superior smirk and refused to say anything more about it.
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That night when she went to bed she found an envelope on her pillow. She saw her name written in elegant script on the front. She knew immediately who it was from and cursed her traitorous heart for racing as she picked it up. She held her breath as she broke the seal and opened it. She let the air out in a rush as she took in two simple words.
I'm sorry.
Regina had apologized. This was definitely unexpected. She fell back onto her bed and stared at the two words. Her feeling from the morning of being rejected and hurt had now evolved into feeling confused and unsettled. What had all of this stuff been all day? Was Regina feeling guilty about not sharing Emma's feelings and therefore trying to compensate in other ways?
Perhaps. But other than the fact that Emma no longer had to work shifts at the diner, she had benefitted directly from very few of Regina's actions. Henry had seemed awfully smug all day. It seemed unlikely she would confide in him what was going on and besides, Emma was sure he hadn't seen Regina.
And she was sick of all this savior crap. Why was Granny giving her extra whipped cream? Why had Henry said that she was "bringing back the happy endings"? She had nothing to do with anything that had changed. She frowned as it occurred to her that it was Regina bringing them back. That must be what had Henry excited. Emma knew that he had wanted to believe she had changed from the start. She looked back over the note, tracing her fingertip over the letters as she wondered what exactly Regina was sorry for. She allowed her eyes to drift shut, the note still clutched to her chest in her hand.
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When Emma arrived to the station the following morning to start her day, she found a bear claw and a cocoa on her desk. There was still steam rising from the cup. She looked around quickly, trying to determine if someone was still there. She had a funny feeling she knew precisely which someone had left them. She was surprised to find herself slightly disappointed not to catch a glimpse of power suit and brunette hair anywhere. She had dreamt all night of Regina and had woken up feeling a powerful urge to seek the mayor out. She dismissed the idea quickly. Even if Regina had been making gestures, it didn't change what she said. And whether or not it was still the case, Emma was reluctant to open herself up again and risk being hurt.
Still, she smiled softly as she took a bite of the sticky pastry and allowed herself to sit back with a sigh, staring at the ceiling. Today was Thursday. If everything hadn't changed she'd be sitting here planning the perfect outfit for her date tomorrow night. She'd be looking up the meaning of different kinds of flowers, figuring that Regina would appreciate the subtlety of that form of communication. Instead, she finished her bear claw and sat up with a groan to begin working through the mountain of paperwork that had somehow appeared on her desk in the last two weeks.
She did not look up again until nearly noon when she heard footsteps coming down the hallway. She was surprised to see Mary Margaret walking into the station with a picnic basket in hand.
"I thought maybe we could have an indoor picnic. I'm afraid it's too cold to go out for one."
"That sounds great. I can just clear some space…"
"Why don't we just go in the interrogation room? That table's clear."
"Uh…sure. But why do I get the feeling that this is more than just a simple lunch."
"Well, there's something I wanted to talk to you about."
"Which is?"
"Let's just set this all down first, ok?"
They set up a mini-picnic of grilled chicken caesar wraps and fruit on the interrogation table and sat down. Both started eating without resuming conversation for a few minutes.
"So…what's up?"
"Emma, are you ok?"
"I'm…alright."
"Henry says you've been just moping around and won't tell him what's wrong. Did something happen with Regina?"
Emma sighed. She understood now why people didn't involve their families in their relationships. It made it so much simpler when things went sour.
"Look, I don't really want to talk about it. The short answer is that she made it very clear she doesn't feel that way about me."
"Did you quarrel? Was there something that made her respond that way?"
"No, it was nothing. We had a great time on our date, right? And then Monday she came to Granny's when I was finishing my shift and she said she wanted to take me home and then she just…I don't know. She told me that our date was cancelled and that my feelings were misplaced puppy love."
Emma was nearly shouting as she finished her rant, as emotional as Snow had ever seen her daughter.
"I see. And you haven't spoken to her since then?"
"No. I mean, she left me a note on my bed."
"What did it say?"
"I'm sorry. That's it. No explanation. No "Can we talk about this". Just those two words."
"Regina apologized?" Snow looked floored. She had known Regina longer than anyone and had never heard her apologize.
"Well, yeah. But I'm not even sure what she meant by it. And she's been doing all these things around town."
"I know."
Emma stared at her for a moment before exploding, "Is this some secret conspiracy everyone's hatched to make me insane? Regina's acting bizarre, everyone in town is acting like they are in an actual fairy tale, Henry is smirking at me and saying that I'm bringing back the happy endings, and now you?!" She was on her feet pacing the room, completely at a loss as to what in the actual hell was going on.
"Well, no, Emma. I have not spoken directly to Regina, nor am I aware of any conspiracy. However, she did speak to Ashley."
"To Ashley?"
"Yes. She thought that since Ashley's having difficulty managing caring for the baby when she and Sean are struggling so to make ends meet without his father's support that maybe the town needs a daycare. And since I'm pregnant and have a background in working with children, she thought that maybe I should open a daycare. She asked Ashley to speak to me about it."
Emma snorted, "Well at least in this batshit town one thing stayed the same – she still couldn't bring herself to talk to you directly. What did you tell Ashley about her stupid idea?"
Snow colored now, "I told her I thought it was a wonderful idea." Emma gaped.
"You thought that the Evil Queen recommending your next career move was a great idea?"
"I thought that the mayor, who put herself at risk to save the town from her mother, who raised my grandson to be a wonderful young man, and who my daughter has repeatedly assured me has changed had a great idea."
Emma stared at her feet now. She suddenly felt like a child being scolded, which she supposed was appropriate coming from her mother.
"Emma, I understand why you feel hurt right now. But I think maybe you should consider all the evidence here. I think you are again letting your own insecurity cloud your judgment. She actually apologized to you. Do you know that I've known her for about four decades and I've never heard her say those words to anyone?"
"Well, she didn't actually say…"
"And now she's gone into the town and made things better for people. Maybe you should hear her out."
"There's nothing to hear," Emma threw her hands up in frustration. "Other than leaving that note, I have not heard a word from her. Just all these indirect mentions. Well that and a bear claw, which I hardly think says, "I love you"."
Snow blinked at her, "Is that what you're waiting to hear?"
Emma stammered, "What? Of course not. Ridiculous. After one date? No."
"Well, what exactly are you waiting for?"
Emma sighed now, deflating, "I don't know. Just…something more."
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Emma sighed as she shut down the sheriff's office well after dark. Her mother had offered to take Henry for the night to give her some time to herself, which she gratefully accepted. She walked to the diner, intent upon a bacon cheeseburger and several stiff drinks. She had not gotten more than a block, however, before she was stopped by Marco and August.
"My God, August! It's been months! Are you ok? I'm so sorry I didn't believe you, I should have listened. I…wait a second. The last time I saw you, you were wood. Like solid wood. What the heck?"
He grinned widely at her and pulled her into a fierce hug before whispering in her ear, "Magic."
"The Blue Fairy?"
"No, actually, it was Regina."
"Of course."
"She managed to get a hold of me even though I had hidden myself away in the woods. I was unsure what would happen if I crossed the border, and let's face it…I wasn't exactly going to blend in."
"I'm so glad you came back! We should catch up."
"Later. Right now I want to catch up with my father." He put his arm around Marco's shoulder, who looked at him tearfully smiling and patted his cheek.
"Right, well…have a good night then, guys." Before she could walk away, Marco detached from August and pulled her into a hug that made her think her ribs might have cracked.
"Thank you, for my boy," he whispered.
"I really didn't do anything."
"Nonsense, you're the savior. And you've managed to save my family." He kissed her on both cheeks before turning and walking away with his son. She watched them for a minute before proceeding on to the diner.
Walking through the door she noticed so many things simultaneously she stopped and stared for a moment to allow her brain to catch up with what she was seeing. All of the tables at Granny's were now covered with spotless white tablecloths and candles. She saw Leroy and one of the nuns at a table holding hands and making goo-goo eyes at each other. She saw the mechanic, Michael, eating with his twin son and daughter. He raised a glass in greeting as she entered, smiling happily. She saw Archie sitting across from Sidney Glass and felt her jaw drop open as she realized they were holding hands across the table as well.
Jacques came over and greeted her with a kiss on both cheeks before saying, "My dear sheriff, where would you like to dine this evening? Anything we can do for the savior."
"I'm fine actually. I…uh…think I'll just take my order to go." Emma was feeling a sensory overload with all of the events of the last few days. She needed time to process it and clearly this was not the place to do that. She sat at the counter for a few minutes while her food was being prepared. She kept her head down and thought over everything her mother had said, everything Henry had not said, and everything she had witnessed occurring. She decided that she needed to find out just what the hell was going on.
Without even waiting to collect her meal she turned and walked out of the diner. After a minute she started jogging, then running. The rain that had been drizzling down when she'd left the station was now pouring down in sheets. She reached 108 Mifflin Street out of breath and completely unsure what she was doing there. She took a moment to catch her breath, despite being soaked and freezing. Before she could even raise her hand to knock the door opened.
"Emma, what in the world?"
"What are you sorry for?"
"Excuse me?"
"Your note. The bear claw. All the crazy shit going on in this town right now. I don't understand what it all means."
Regina blushed. "Come inside, it's freezing, you'll get pneumonia." She reached out a hand to usher Emma inside, but Emma pulled her arm away and took a step back.
"I want to know what the hell is going on. You kiss me and ask me to have another date with you. Two days later you tell me I am delusional for thinking I stand a chance with you because of ethics or some other bullshit. Now you've decided to become the town's personal goddamn fairy godmother. So tell me, Regina. What in the actual fuck is going on here?"
Regina sighed and lowered her gaze for a moment before she resolutely stepped out into the rain in front of Emma and looked her dead in the eye.
"Emma, I'm…I'm sorry."
"Yeah, you said that. That's the one thing you've said. And it explains nothing."
"You're right. You deserve a full explanation and I will give you one."
Emma waited for her to continue. When she didn't, Emma threw up her hands and said, "Like now? Because if not then standing out here is sort-of pointless."
"It's difficult for me, Emma. I know that you deserve to hear the whole story, but you have to understand, I've never shared that with anyone. And I'm…afraid."
"Of what?!"
"That if I tell you the whole truth you won't look at me the same way you did on our date."
Emma gaped. She had no idea how to respond to something that she could tell instantly was completely sincere. Regina was making herself vulnerable, exposing her own weak spot. Emma had not noticed the tears leaking from Regina's eyes in the rainstorm, but she heard the catch in her breath and instantly felt the urge to protect her. She forced herself to stay back.
"Regina, I don't know what to think. You told me I was feeling misplaced puppy love. If that's all this is, then I don't understand…"
She was unable to finish her sentence as Regina stepped forward and crashed their lips together. She wrapped her arms around Emma's neck tightly and tried to communicate in a way she was so very reluctant to do out loud how very untrue her declaration of feeling nothing had been on Monday. Emma wrapped her arms around her waist and pulled her closer, hungrily returning the kiss. They stayed like that for what felt like a lifetime before Regina pulled back and looked into Emma's eyes, desperately trying to see whether she was forgiven.
Emma stared blankly at her for far longer than she was comfortable with before her face split in a shit-eating grin. Regina could only smile back as they stood and looked at each other until Emma shivered violently, reminding her that they were still standing in the pouring rain.
"Now will you please come inside so I can explain properly?"
Emma nodded and said, "But only if you'll answer one question."
"What's that?"
"Is our date tomorrow back on?"
Regina gave a nervous smile and took Emma's hand in her own to lead her inside. "Let's just take it one step at a time, dear."