The Mayor's cell phone rang at 5 in the morning, wrenching the two women out of a deep sleep. Regina snatched it to her ear reflexively, and answered with an eager, "Yes?"
"Madam Mayor, it's Dr. Whale at the hospital. I am letting you know that Henry is starting to wake up. His vitals seem good and I believe that the worst is over."
"I'm on my way. Thank you Doctor," Regina gratefully responded, throwing the covers off of her and Emma and sliding out of the blonde's arms.
Emma looked up expectantly, rising from the bed as well. "Is Henry ok?" she asked, hoping for the best news possible.
"Yes, the doctor said he is waking up and he seems to be fine," Regina answered evenly, grabbing for her clothes and getting dressed as fast as she could. Emma followed suit, donning her own clothes from the day before, even though they were still dirty from her descent into the mine.
There was a slight tension between the two women, neither one knowing how to acknowledge the intimacy of waking up next to each other after a fight that nearly drove them apart permanently, on top of a gut-wrenching experience during which they almost lost Henry forever. So much had happened that they didn't know where to start, so they just concentrated on getting to the hospital as soon as possible.
Regina drove them in her car going well over the speed limit the whole way. She and Emma flew through the hospital's entrance and entered Henry's room almost side by side. Dr. Whale was checking Henry's breathing with his stethoscope and looked up to see the two women arriving together. The fact that Emma still wearing the same clothes from the day before was not lost on him.
Regina reached Henry first, running her hands through his hair and planting kisses all over his face. "Oh Henry! Are you ok? I was so worried about you! I love you so much!" She poured over the frail looking kid as she hugged him as tight as she could without disrupting the lines and sensors that were attached to him, monitoring his condition.
"Hi mom," Henry answered weakly, but looked up at his mother with a genuine smile. "I love you too. I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about anything now, I'm just glad you are ok," Regina all but broke down in tears of relief, holding her son close, so incredibly thankful to hear those precious words again.
Emma stood in the doorway with her own emotions welling up in her chest. Henry was awake, he was in the arms of his mother, and everything was going to be ok. Seeing mother and child reunited left an overwhelming need in her heart to belong to them. This was a family; this was something she had never experienced but longed for her entire life. She wanted to have a place here, with them, in this room. She wanted to share in the moment but instead she stood back, allowing Regina to be with Henry first.
Finally Henry looked past his mother and over to the blonde. "Emma!" he cried feebly, reaching a hand out to her and inviting her near. Emma walked over quickly, taking his little hand in hers and sitting down on the edge of his bed, smiling into his face.
"Hey kid," she said with a lump in her throat. "Welcome back, we missed you."
"I'm glad to see you too," he croaked, lightly squeezing her hand.
Dr. Whale cleared his throat. "There are some matters I need to discuss with Henry's mother, and some paperwork to fill out."
"Um, yeah, I should go then." Emma started to rise, letting go of Henry's hand shuffling back a few paces. She half expected Regina to ask her to stay, but the Mayor was absorbed in tending to Henry and didn't even look at her. It was clear that she was no longer needed. She turned to go, giving Henry one last smile before she walked out of the room. Alone. Again.
SQ
After a much needed change of clothes and a huge breakfast that Mary Margaret graciously whipped up, Emma laid down in her bed completely drained, physically, mentally, and emotionally. The silence and stillness in her room was such a sharp contrast to the turbulent events of the past 24 hours that it was almost crushing.
She was so thankful that Henry was ok, but she still couldn't rid herself of the ache that squatted in her heart since leaving the hospital. She wanted so badly to stay with Henry and Regina, to be useful and wanted, but all she got was a silent dismissal and it hurt.
She didn't know why she expected to stick around. The Mayor was Henry's legal guardian and it was her job to take care of him and to do all the parental things like filling out paperwork and talking to the doctor about Henry's recovery. Regina would get to take Henry home and watch over him, take care of him while Emma got to do nothing.
She and Regina weren't exactly back together, and maybe they had never even been together in the first place, but that didn't keep Regina from leaning on Emma last night. The memories from the bathtub and falling asleep together in the brunette's bed were so fresh that Emma could still smell the body wash she rubbed on Regina's skin, the shampoo from her hair, and she could still feel the soft cotton sheets she had slept on only a few hours ago.
In the past 24 hours Emma had been a rescuer, a hero, a partner, and a companion, and now she just felt used, rejected and heartbroken for the umpteenth time in her life. The two people who meant the most to her obviously no longer needed her now that they had each other again. The image of Regina and Henry smiling at each each other while excluding Emma felt like a knife through her heart. Giving in to despair and loneliness, Emma buried her face into her pillow and cried herself to sleep.
SQ
Three days later, Emma's phone rang, and the screen revealed the name of the one person she didn't want to talk to.
"Hello?" she answered unenthusiastically, trying to sound disinterested.
"Hello, Miss Swan. I trust you have had a chance to recover from all the excitement a few days ago?" Regina said in a business-like manner.
"Yeah," Emma wanted to keep this conversation as short as possible. It had been three days since they last saw each other at the hospital and they had not talked since. Emma was getting updates on Henry from Mary Margaret who was in contact with Regina about school assignments that Henry could work on while he was recovering at home.
The Mayor waited a moment for Emma to elaborate, but apparently she was only getting a one-word answer. She cleared her throat before continuing on. "I have some town matters to attend to at my office tonight, and while Henry is doing much better, I don't want to leave him alone. He has been asking about you, and I thought you might come over to stay with him while I get some work done," she offered.
"What time?" Emma asked dryly.
"5:00? Would that suit your schedule?" the Mayor asked with an edge to her voice.
"Sure," Emma was not going to say anything more to Regina than she absolutely needed to.
"Very well. I will see you at 5," the Mayor hung up the phone sharply before Emma could respond.
"Bitch," Emma said under her breath, but only half-heartedly.
SQ
Regina scowled as she hung up the phone. She was hoping the call would have gone better. The Mayor was hoping her phone call to Emma would reveal some emotion, some state of being from the blonde, but she seemed determined to sulk.
Since taking Henry home from the hospital Regina had spent her days by his side. He seemed mellow and pensive, but more caring and responsive to Regina than he had been for a long time. She made him his favorite foods and let him watch movies on the couch all day long, resisting the urge to question him about why he had gone down the mine.
She asked him once and he turned away, his features clouding over and responding with a childish "I don't know."
She was so happy that he was ok that she didn't press the matter. He did ask her how he got out of the mine, and Regina told him how she, Emma, and Graham used a rope to lower Emma into the pit. He lit up when he heard that it was Emma who rescued him, and a pang shot through her heart that he regarded Emma the hero of the story.
Thinking about Emma caused other unpleasant emotions as well, including regret, loneliness, and loss. Regina tried her best to suppress them, to forget her feelings toward the other woman, but Regina had yet to change the sheets on her bed. The one side still smelled like Emma, and she couldn't make herself erase the traces of their night together.
Regina remembered how she wanted Emma to stay in the hospital room with her after Henry woke up, but Dr. Whale was there, as well as a plethora of nurses and the Mayor didn't want suspicions aroused. They were already suspect enough, leaving and showing up at the hospital together, and Regina saw how the doctor smirked ever so slightly when he saw Emma wearing the same clothes as the day before.
Regina remembered Emma's slumped shoulders as she walked from Henry's room at the hospital, and she had to resist the urge to run after her and drag her back, allowing the blonde to soothe her with the kisses and soft touches she was so good at.
So when Mr. Gold called Regina for an impromptu meeting, the Mayor thought it would be a good excuse to see Emma again. But the blonde demonstrated her pig-headedness in spades with her sullen attitude, and Regina was almost regretting that she called.
SQ
When Emma knocked on the door, the Mayor straightened the her grey jacket over the plum-colored silk camisole she knew Emma loved and checked her lipstick before she opened the door. Emma looked as beautiful as ever, but there was a hardness in her eyes that the Mayor wasn't prepared for.
Emma strolled in the house barely looking at Regina, walking straight towards Henry and giving him a smile and a hug. The Mayor could see that Emma was clearly only there for Henry, so she brushed over the usual speech and left the house as quickly as possible, unnerved by the blonde's stoney demeanor.
And to make things worse, now the Mayor had to deal with her least favorite person in Storybrooke; Mr. Gold. In her past life, he went by another name: Rumplestiltskin. When she was a queen, he was her mentor and teacher of magical arts, and the only one who could rival her.
The man was powerful, selfish, and greedy - traits he seemed to carry over into this new world. He was also exceptionally cunning and seemed to acquire whatever he was after, which was why Regina was always suspicious whenever he asked to meet with her. She was always nervous that he would want something she didn't want to give, but usually his requests were small and relatively insignificant. Only once did their dealings involve something more than a tax break, or Regina looking the other way when Mr. Gold's pawn shop acquired something illegally.
When Regina decided she wanted to adopt a child, it was Mr. Gold who found and procured Henry. In exchange, Regina gave Gold the commercial deed to most of the businesses and shops in town. The majority of Storybrook had to pay rent to the man, and Regina surmised he must be very wealthy after 11 years, though you won't know it just by looking at him. Mr. Gold lived a quiet life, with a modest home and few extravagances. Whatever money he'd had accumulated over the years was more than likely saved and set aside, but for what, Regina didn't know.
"Madam Mayor, how nice to see you," he said in his usual, overly-courteous tone as he waited in the reception area outside the Mayor's office.
"Gold," Regina acknowledged. Walking into her office without breaking stride, Regina hung her coat on it's hook and settled into the chair behind her desk. Motioning for him to have a seat opposite her, she braced herself for whatever scheme he had come to propose.
Mr. Gold started without hesitation, lowering himself slowly into the chair. "I was quite sorry to hear about your son's unfortunate accident in the mine. I am relieved to hear he is ok, and do hope he is recovering well."
"Yes, my son is fine. Is this what you wanted to talk about, Mr. Gold?"
"No, Madam Mayor. I just wanted to bring something to your attention. Last week I was cleaning out my office, and I came across something you might be interested in."
"And that would be?" Regina asked skeptically.
"Emma Swan's personal file. You see, after I arranged Henry's adoption, this file sort of fell into my lap. I have forgotten about it's existence until recently, and seeing how the two of you have become…close, I naturally assumed you would be interested in the details of the Deputy's past."
Regina's jaw clenched. Of course she was interested in Emma's past. She knew very little about Emma's history, and admittedly was quite curious about certain details. She knew, though, that if Mr. Gold was offering something, he would want something in return.
Trying to remain neutral, Regina responded as casually as she could. "Mr. Gold, I don't know what you think is going on between Miss Swan and I, but I can assure you, we are anything but close."
"Oh come now dearie," he said with a sly grin. "It isn't hard to see the way you look at each other. And we are both adults here, I can honestly say I have no interest in your personal life. I am just trying to extend an offer that would benefit the both of us."
Regina eyed the man, hesitant to take the bait he was so obviously waving in her face, but curiosity got the better of her. "Ok, Gold. So assuming I would be interested in this file, what would you want in return?" the mayor asked curtly.
"Just a favor, dearie. A little something for a rainy day. I don't have anything specific in mind at the moment, but someday I may need a little cooperation from the Mayor's office, and it would be nice to know I can count on you. It wouldn't be anything illegal, I will promise you that, nor will it cause harm to any of the townspeople. You have my word."
Regina stared back at the man. Mr. Gold always had a knack for making his requests sound reasonable at the moment, but ultimately they end up costing more than Regina bargained for. The man was diabolical, and Regina's instincts screamed at her to say no, but she was awfully tempted by the offer.
Gold knew he had the Mayor on his line, but he didn't want to reel her in too quick and risk losing his prize catch. "Please take some time to think things over, Madam Mayor. You know where to find me when you have your answer." Mr. Gold rose slowly and limped out of Regina's office.
Regina remained in her seat, mulling things over for an hour. Making deals with Mr. Gold had always had its risks, but the last deal she made with the man seemed to turn out ok. It resulted in Henry.
Regina sighed heavily a stood up. She was tired, and needed a clear head before she made her final decision.
SQ
Emma and Henry were sitting on the couch watching TV; rather, Henry was watching TV while Emma stared off into space. The Mayor greeted her cordially enough when Emma knocked on the door to the Mayoral mansion, but was quick in giving instructions for heating up lasagna for dinner, and reminding Henry that he was allowed to watch TV for only a half hour before bed. Regina left without much else to say, exiting the house briskly, her heels clicking down the stone path towards her car.
After she left Emma told Henry he could watch as much TV as he wanted, winking the same way she did when she let him have dessert after their suppers at the diner in the past. Henry grinned, appreciating how his birthmother had no fear of his adopted mother, unlike everyone else he knew, and ran to the living room to turn on cartoons.
They ate dinner on the coffee table in front of the TV (another huge no-no in Regina's book) and placed their dirty plates in the sink with out rinsing them and putting them in the dishwasher. Emma was bound and determined to break as many of Regina's rules as possible in a passive-aggressive streak that made her feel a tiny bit better about the way Regina had been treating her.
Henry looked over at Emma sitting next to him on the couch. "Mom said that you saved me." he ventured, pulling her out of a daze.
"Huh?" Emma asked, raising one eyebrow.
"Mom said that you went into the mine and pulled me out. You saved my life." he smiled at her.
Emma half-smiled back. "Yeah, well I had some help. Graham and your mom lowered me down and pulled us back up, so I can't take all the credit...even though my job was the most important." she teased.
Henry grinned. "Yeah, cause you're the savior, it's what you do." he explained matter-of-factly, referring to his fairy-tale theory that he had been explaining to a patient Emma over the past three months. She was indulging his imagination because she could see how happy it made him, and it gave them something to talk about.
Emma laughed. "Ok, I guess."
"I want to show you something. I found it in the mine," Henry said suddenly, jumping off the couch and running upstairs to his room.
"Hey, take it easy! No running! Your mom will kill me if you over-exert yourself," Emma called, following him.
Walking into Henry's room Emma saw his legs protruding from underneath his bed, his upper body hidden under the dust-ruffle. He wiggled out backwards, holding a shoebox between his hands.
"Don't tell my mom, but I think this has something to do with the curse," he said, opening the lid and pulling out a shiny, clear object. He held it out to Emma as she took it in her own hands.
It seemed to be a large shard of glass, with intricate silver designs weaving around it.
"What is this?" Emma asked, confused at why something of such fine craftsmanship would be down in an old mine.
"I don't know, but I think it is from the other world...Fairy Tale land," Henry answered solemnly.
Emma smiled at the kid's youthful imaginings, and decided it was best to go along. "Ok, well keep it safe, and don't cut yourself. Here..." she added, picking up a sock from off his floor, "wrap it in this, so it doesn't get scratched."
"Good idea," Henry said eagerly, placing the object inside the sock and wrapping the excess fabric around it for padding. "I'll have to do some more research to find out what it is, but when I do, I'll let you know."
"Ok. By the way Henry, why did you go into the mine in the first place?" Emma asked casually.
Henry shrugged and crooked his mouth. "I don't know, really. I guess it just seemed like a good place to hide something." He paused, then continued. "I was thinking that if I was the Evil Queen and I wanted to hide something, I would put it somewhere where no one could go. I just wanted to take a look, I didn't think anything bad would happen."
"That's good thinking kid. But next time, do me a favor and let me know when you want to do something dangerous? I promise I'll help, Ok?"
"Ok," Henry complied. "I have some more ideas I need to work on, but I'll let you know before I do something."
Emma laughed to herself at Henry's eagerness to prove his unlikely theory, and secretly inside she wanted him to be right. The boy needed something in his life to give him hope, and to keep the nastiness of the real world at bay. She wanted him to enjoy being a kid for as long as possible, because being an adult meant that the fairy tale was over; there would be no more knights in shining armor, no more true-love kisses that would break evil spells, and no more happy endings.
SQ
Regina returned to her home later than she originally intended. She was putting off going home because she wasn't ready to face Emma again. She knew the deputy was still mad at her and the friction between them was incredibly unsettling. Regina was trying to anticipate what was going to happened when she was finally alone with the Deputy. She dreaded the inevitable awkward confrontation, the frosty attitude Emma would be emitting, and Regina knew there would have to be some pride-swallowing if she wanted to make things right between them.
When she walked into her house, she heard the familiar sound of a fire crackling in the study. Knowing Henry would be asleep at this hour, she walked through the house, putting off facing Emma in the room where so many memories resided.
She walked into the kitchen to pour herself a glass of wine, and smirked when she saw the mess that Emma had not cleaned up. She made her way to the study, taking a breath before she went in.
Emma was sitting in one of the love seats, staring into the fire with a glass of Regina's best Scotch in one hand, watching flames and pretending not to notice the other woman. Regina snaked her way to the chair facing the deputy and slowly sat down.
"I see you've helped yourself to the 20-year. I do hope it agrees with your palate," the Mayor sassed out of habit, immediately regretting using such a harsh tone.
Emma just snorted, shook her head in what looked like dismay. "You know, I believe it's gone bad," she dictated cooly, placing her glass on the coffee table between them. She moved to stand up. "I'll see myself out." Emma moved towards the door and almost made it through the doorway when Regina spoke up.
"Wait." The Mayor sounded deflated and tired, losing the confrontational edge to her voice. Emma stopped but did not turn around. "I had a meeting tonight with Mr. Gold," Regina stated in an exhausted tone, trying to start a dialogue with Emma so she wouldn't leave.
"And?" Emma asked when Regina didn't continue.
Regina sighed. "And he wants to make a deal. Mr. Gold is offering some information I want, but he wants an open-ended favor in return."
"So?"
"So Mr. Gold is a conniving slime ball and completely untrustworthy. Who knows what he will want?"
Emma shrugged. "Sounds like you have a problem there Madam Mayor."
Regina glared at Emma's apathetic response and reached over to the coffee table, taking the glass Emma was just drinking from and finishing the remaining Scotch in one gulp. "Well, thanks for your concern," she spat sarcastically, before standing and moving to the sideboard to refill the tumbler.
Emma shook her head. "So just give him what he wants."
Regina took a large sip. "I'd rather not. Chances are it will be something I don't want to give."
"Well that's what a deal is Regina. You have to give something to get something."
"I know what a deal is, Miss Swan! I just need it to be on my terms. That man is dangerous, and I'm not about to let myself get under his thumb," the brunette stated defiantly.
Emma sighed, resignation in her voice. "Do whatever you want. You want to try and control everything, be my guest. I just hope it keeps you warm at night," she said sadly and walked out of the room.
Regina stared after the blonde, becoming irritated with her passive aggressive behavior. Emma was an adult, and she should act like one.
"Emma, wait," Regina called out, only to hear the footsteps of the blonde's boots carry her further down the hall without breaking stride.
"God damn-it Emma! Stop!" the brunette yelled, chasing after the younger woman.
Emma turned, facing Regina as she rolled her eyes.
Regina closed in on Emma. "Ok. I get it. You're mad at me. But we both said some pretty hurtful things the other night, and you don't see me sulking around like a child. If you have something to say to me, then say it!" Regina challenged, a familiar forcefulness back in her voice.
"Ok, you want to do this?" Emma squared off. "You want me to say how pissed I am for how you treated me? How you attacked me, tried to drive me out of town, then you fucked me, then cast me aside like a piece of trash? You used me, Regina, the same way people have used me my entire life. For some insane reason I thought you would be different, I thought you would actually want me back. So yeah, I guess I am acting like a child, believing in something that would never come true."
Regina shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I knew this would be a bad idea. I knew getting involved with you would not turn out well," she said in a softer, defeated tone.
"Well, you're fucking right about that." Emma turned to leave.
"Wait!" Regina demanded, grabbing the blonde by the arm. "You've had your say, now let me have mine."
"This oughta be good," Emma stated, crossing her arms.
Regina took a deep breath. "It was never my intention to hurt you, Emma. I was completely unprepared for you when you barged into this town. At first, I felt threatened, so yes, I tried to push you out. Then…things happened. You challenged me, and accepted me, and wanted me in a way that no one ever has. And in the process, you became quite special to me." The brunette smiled gently. "You're stubborn, and frustrating, and beautiful, and strong. I don't have much practice being in a relationship, and I'm not very good with emotions, so I know I have not been very fair with you. I accept the blame for that," she admitted.
For the first time, Regina was being completely honest with Emma, and the blonde's gut began to tingle with warmth. Regina's eyes shone with sincerity, and Emma felt her resolve start to crumble.
Regina continued, taking a step forward. It was now or never.
"I will respect whatever you want to do, but I…I miss you Emma." The Mayor smiled, remembering the words the blonde once spoke to her. "I don't want things to end between us, not because of something this stupid. I like you. A lot. I like being with you, and I don't want it to be over. I'm sorry I made you mad, but please, don't go."
Emma was truly moved that Regina remembered that conversation so well. She smiled and hung her head, trying to hide the wetness of her eyes. "No fair," she murmured.
Regina smiled and closed the distance between them. The brunette cupped the blonde's face with her hands and looked pleadingly into her eyes. "Emma Swan, will you take me back?"
Emma didn't trust her voice. Her throat was suddenly clogged with emotion, so she answered the only other way she knew how, by pressing her mouth into Regina's in a kiss that spoke more than words ever could. In that kiss there was forgiveness, there was acceptance, and there was love.
Regina responded hungrily, grabbing the blonde by the waist and pulling her body against her own. The two women allowed themselves to melt into the embrace, temporarily forgetting the rest of the world and it's complications.
Before things became too heated, Emma pulled away. She needed clarity before she fell victim to Regina's seduction again.
"Regina, I want to be with you. Not how we used to be, sneaking around, but really be with you. I want us to have a real relationship. With you, I either have to have all or nothing."
Regina smiled, finally letting herself give in to the voice in the back of her head that had been nagging her to admit what she really wanted from Emma. "Yes, I want that too."
Emma beamed before reclaiming the brunette's lips. Out of habit, Emma began to move Regina back towards the study, until Regina redirected their course towards the stairs, and up to the bedroom.