Emma sped down the highway back to Storybrooke, worry and regret etched into her features. A similar expression painted the face of Henry perched in the passenger seat next to her. Emma attempted to calm the boy by stating repeatedly that everything would be ok, that Regina would wake up once they got to Storybrooke, but Henry just stared ahead at the road, his features unreadable.
Emma replayed her last conversation with Regina over and over in her head. She regretted the harsh words and sentiments that may be the last words she'll ever say to the woman she loved. She recalled the heartbroken look on Regina's face as the brunette pleaded for Emma to hear her out. Maybe if she had stayed long enough to let the woman speak, none of this would happened.
"You have no idea of what I've been through, the evils I have had to face."
Emma shook her head, the memories of the other night invading her mind in acute detail, the desperation in Regina's voice ringing in her ears.
It was true, Emma knew nothing about Regina's life, how she grew up, her family…how she became the Evil Queen.
No one is born evil, it's made. Even Emma knew that. If Regina really is the Evil Queen, something, or someone, made her that way. Emma realized it wasn't fair to take Henry away without hearing Regina's side. She only hoped it wasn't too late to make things right.
SQ
The rest of the trip passed in an anxious haze, emma's mind finally clearing once they neared Storybrooke. They crossed the town line into familiar territory, but everything looked different to Emma. None of the buildings or streets had changed, but the light looked a bit dimmer, the details seemed somewhat blurry, and the people moved as if in a sporadic slow-motion.
Nothing seemed real, almost as if Emma was watching everything through a TV. Emma wondered if she would ever look at anything the same again.
Henry perked up as they arrived at the hospital, jumping out of the car before Emma was fully parked. Emma hurried behind them, stopping only at the front desk to ask which room Regina was in.
They walked down the long, clinical hallway, anticipation and dread filling Emma's gut. One one hand she desperately wanted to see Regina, to touch her and hold her, but on the other hand she was terrified of what she might find. She was terrified that Regina wouldn't wake up, that she wouldn't be able to fix it.
Emma took a breath and steeled her nerves before she walked into the room.
She placed a hand on Henry's shoulder and gently urged the both of them in.
Regina was laid out on the hospital bed, her dark hair and olive skin a stark contrast to the sterile white cotton sheets. A ventilator was attached to her mouth, so part of her face was covered. Needles were stuck into her hand, delivering fluids from a plastic IV bag suspended from a metal hook above her head. There was a robotic beeping sound coming from the heart monitor and the air was permeated with the smell of disinfectant.
Everything about the image seemed so incredibly wrong. Regina was a vibrant, passionate woman, constantly in action. Whether she was sassing the nearest Storybrooke citizen, taking care of Henry, or making love to Emma, she was alive. But here, in this room, she looked as close to death as Emma had ever seen.
Henry immediately started crying and ran to her bedside. Emma followed slowly, trying her hardest to reconcile the situation in front of her. Emma's mind instantly went into denial mode. It just wasn't possible. Regina was the strongest person Emma had ever met. There was simply no way she could be in a coma.
Emma approached the hospital bed and sat on the edge, reflexively reaching out and taking Regina's hand. The feel of the other woman's skin jump started Emma's processing system and the tears began to fall.
She and Henry sat like that for a minute, trying unsuccessfully to put on a brave face and pretend like everything was going to be ok.
There was a light knock on the door and a doctor walked in.
"Hello, I'm Dr. Whale. I'm Regina's physician. Emma Swan, I presume?" He asked and held out his hand.
"Yeah, I'm Emma," she said, wiping the tears off of her face and obligatory shaking the man's hand.
"And Henry, it's good to see you again, although I'm sorry about the circumstances. It looks like you've recovered quite well from the mine incident," he said kindly and shook Henry's hand as well.
"Yes, thank you," Henry responded politely. "Is my mom going to be ok?"
"Well, right now I can tell you that she is stable and comfortable. Her heart rate and blood pressure are normal, there seems to be nothing wrong with any of her organs and she doesn't appear to have any symptoms of an illness. We are taking the very best care of your mom Henry, and we are working very hard on trying to figure out what is wrong with her so we can fix it," Dr. Whale said gently, trying his best to put the situation in terms that a ten year old could understand.
Henry nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer.
"Ok. Henry I just need to have a word with Emma real quick, we are just going to step outside the door. Will you be ok in here for a minute by yourself?" Dr. Whale asked.
Again Henry no need and walked back over to Regina's bed and sat down again, looking down sadly at his mother.
Emma followed Dr. Whale out of the room.
"So, how bad is it?" Emma asked, readying herself for bad news.
"Well to be honest, we honestly don't know. Regina was brought in here exactly as you see her now. There were no signs of injury or illness. I've been Regina's physician for as long as I can remember, and she has always been perfectly healthy. She doesn't even have allergies. We've done all the blood work and tests, X-rays, CAT scans, MRIs, and there seems to be nothing wrong with her."
"So I don't get it. People don't just fall into comas for no reason."
"You're right, which is why this is so puzzling. I'm beginning to wonder if this was induced psychologically. Has Regina been under any extra stress lately?"
Emma shook her head, unable to look the doctor in the eye. "No, as far as I know, everything has been fine," she lied.
"The only reason I'm asking is because I know you and Regina are…close. At this point, any information you can give me would be a great help."
Again Emma shook her head a pad fidgeted with the hen of her shirt. "No. Everything is the same. I can't think of anything," she said quietly.
Dr. Whale nodded understandingly. "Ok. We'll continue to keep looking for the cause, and in the meantime if you have any questions, just call my office." He shook Emma's hand again and walked away.
Emma felt like shit. She knew that somehow she had caused this. Maybe taking Henry away was too much of a shock for Regina. Maybe the woman did something to herself out of fear or anger or sadness because Emma said all those horrible things to her. Emma knew she could never forgive herself if anything bad happened to Regina.
She turned and walked back into the room.
"I know how to fix it, Emma!" Henry pleaded. "True Love's kiss! It can heal anything. You have to kiss her, and she'll wake up," the boy insisted.
"Henry, I don't think that's going to work. I think your mom needs medicine, or an operation, or something…"
"Please Emma, just try." Henry looked so desperate.
Emma sighed. "Ok, I'll try it. But don't get your hopes up."
Henry nodded and stepped out of the way. Emma walked up to the side of Regina's bed and looked down at the beautiful woman. Emma was scared, and heartbroken, and feeling powerless. How could a simple kiss fix such a horrible situation? But she gave it a try anyway.
Emma leaned down and moved the ventilator enough to get access to Regina's lips. She took a deep breath and pressed her mouth against the brunette's.
Nothing.
No change.
Emma tried again. This time kissing harder and longer. But still, Regina remained unmoving and unconscious.
Emma turned towards Henry with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry kid, I don't think it will work."
"No! It has to! Try again!" Henry demanded.
"Henry, please, it's not going to work…"
"But you're the savior! It has to work, it just has to!" Henry sobbed. Emma rushed to comfort him, wrapping her arms around his small frame and hugging him tightly.
"I'm so sorry, Henry. I"ll fix it, somehow, I'll make it better, I promise," she said, her own tears falling onto his mop of brown hair.
The pair stood like that for a while, both of them clinging desperately to the thin shreds of hope that seemed to be vanishing with each passing minute.
SQ
After the hospital, Emma decided to take Henry back to his house. Both of them were feeling the effects of physical and emotional exhaustion and they needed a good meal and a good night sleep.
Luckily, there was some leftover casserole in the fridge at Regina's house and a few vegetables. The pair ate in silence before Henry retreated upstairs to bed. Emma figured she would just crash in the guest room and began to clean up after dinner, but her mind refused to turn off so she made her way to the sideboard where Regina kept her liquor.
Emma poured herself a generous amount of Regina's Scotch and started a fire in the study, settling into one of the comfortable love seats. This room reminded Emma of Regina in so many ways: the taste of wine on Regina's tongue, the feel of her skin warmed by the fireplace, the sounds she made while they were intimate in ways that seemed to make time stand still.
Emma could happily drown in memories of the brunette. Everything seemed so much simpler a week ago, before Emma learned the truth. She would give anything to have that back.
A knock on the front door broke Emma out of her musings. Sluggishly she made her way to the foyer, and instantly regretted opening the door when she saw who it was.
"Gold. Seriously? You actually think this is a good time to come snooping around?" Emma asked incredulously.
"I'm not snooping, dearie. Hence why I knocked on the door. I was wondering if I might have a word?"
"About what?"
"Regina. I know why you left town, I know that you have learned the truth, and I may have some insights about her past that you might be interested in."
Emma stood there dumbfounded. "How? How on Earth do you know?"
"I know more than you could dream of, and I'd be happy to let you in on some of that information if you would be kind enough to invite me in."
The man waited patiently while Emma pretended to deliberate. Of course she was going to let the man in, she was desperately curious about Regina's past, she just didn't want to give the man the satisfaction of seeming too eager.
Finally Emma opened the door a few inches wider and begrudgingly allowed the man to enter.
She led him the kitchen and offered him a drink.
"Tea would be lovely, thank you. I believe Regina keeps it in the cabinet above the microwave," he stated.
"How would you know where Regina keeps the tea? I wasn't under the impression that the two of you were friends," Emma responded, retrieving the tea and putting the kettle on to boil.
"I wouldn't necessarily call us friends, but we do go back a long way. I was the one who taught her magic. I've know Regina since she was a teenager, long before she was ever dubbed 'The Evil Queen'. She wasn't always evil, you know. Once she was just a scared young woman hoping to make the best out of a bad situation."
"What do you mean?" Emma asked.
"Regina has never talked about her family, has she?" Emma shook her head. "Well that's because her mother mistreated her and her father was too meek and soft to protect her. Regina's childhood was spent in fear and pain, her adolescence was spent as a powerless bride in a forced marriage, and her adult life was spent hated and persecuted by everyone in the realm. So, you can see why she has…intimacy issues."
Emma was silent, stirred only by the whistling of the kettle. Pouring both of them cups of tea, she invited the man to continue.
The man took a sip and began the story of Regina's past. "Regina's mother was born into poverty, and spent her life wanting everything she could not have…" He spoke for a full hour, recounting every significant aspect of Regina's past. Emma sat quietly, absorbing everything the man was saying.
By the end of it, Emma could finally understand everything that had been so mysterious about the woman she loved. Like Emma, she was never properly loved as a child. She lost the one person she loved, witnessing his death at the hands of her mother, and then was forced into a marriage with a man twice her age. She was taken advantage of, used and neglected with no way out.
As a powerless woman in a male-dominated world, she turned to magic to finally take control of her own life. Emma could not blame her for the bad decisions she made later on concerning Snow White. A heart crippled by pain and loss can not be expected to forgive and forget.
"So what do we do now?" Emma asked. "I mean, Regina's in a coma. You wouldn't happen to have some kind of miracle pill in your shop by any chance?"
"Ah yes, well, you see, that would be my doing as well. Regina is not in a coma, she is under a sleeping spell."
"What the hell Gold!? You put A sleeping curse on Regina!?" Emma yelled.
"No, no. Not a curse, a spell. She is sleeping peacefully and will remain unchanged until the spell is broken," he explained.
"Wait, I thought magic didn't exist in this world."
"Magic can not be created in this world, but it can be carried over from another realm. I created the Dark Curse, and as such I made several…loopholes, if you will. I may have brought a few items from my world for an emergency situation."
"Ok, so how do we break the spell?"
"True Love's kiss, of course."
Emma's face fell to disappointment. "I already tried that. It didn't work."
"There is a difference between just any kiss, and True Love's kiss. In order to wake Regina from the sleeping spell, you have to truly believe that you can. There is no room for fear or doubt in True Love. It exists as an entirely pure entity, therefore your love for Regina must be pure. You must accept, love and cherish everything about her. All of her good, all of her bad. This is not a world of black and white, there are endless shades of grey. If there is anyone in this world who can understand and love Regina's shades of grey, it's you, Emma."
Emma ducked her head. She knew she loved Regina, and after hearing her life story, all of the missing pieces fell into place; but she still doubted herself. Emma was not raised with 'happily ever after' bedtime stories; her reality was harsh and cruel and disappointing.
Gold continued on. "Emma, you are not just the child of Snow White and Prince Charming. You are a product of True Love. That magic flows in your veins. You have all of the tools you need to wake Regina, in fact you may be the only person in this world who can."
"Also, know this: once you kiss Regina and she wakes up, the curse on the town will break and everyone will have their memories back. Every person in Storybrooke will remember their old lives, and everything the Evil Queen said and did. They will come after her."
"I won't let them," Emma stated decisively. "I can protect her."
"I sincerely hope you can. Don't let her down, you have to be strong, you have to believe, or she will never wake up," Gold finished.
The thought of Regina never waking up, never speaking or arguing or kissing or smiling brought an ache to Emma's heart. She knew this if she didn't come through, she may as well put herself under a sleeping spell; it would be better than living in a world without Regina in it.
"Ok, I can do it," Emma said.
SQ
The hospital was cold and quiet. Emma's footsteps echoed in the hall as she slowly made her way to Regina's room. Her heart was thumping hard against her chest as doubts and hopes swirled around in her head. Emma had no idea what was going to happen. She was hoping for the best, but preparing herself for the worst.
Emma pushed the door to Regina's room open. Little had changed since she was there earlier that day. A fresh blanket had been placed over Regina's seeping form and the curtains had been drawn.
It was just as difficult seeing the brunette in such a state as it was when Emma first saw her. Emma approached her bedside and softly touched Regina's hand. She had no idea where to begin, so she just blurted out what was weighing most heavily on her heart.
"I understand now. I understand why you are so scared of love, why you tried to push me away, why you have such hard edges and why you put such a giant wall around your heart. I know about your mother, how she abused you, murdered your lover and forced you into an arranged marriage. I know how your freedom was ripped away from you and how you fought to get it back. I know you hate my mother and father and they sent me away because they were afraid of you. I grew up as an orphan because of you."
"I should be angry with you. I suffered because of you. But I also fell in love because of you. I feel complete and happier than I ever thought possible…because of you. You raised my child better than I could have myself. You give my life meaning and my stomach butterflies. You make me want to be a better person. You have ruined me for anyone else, because the rest of the world falls short of your perfection."
"I can't do this without you. I can't raise Henry alone. I can't live the rest of my life without you. need you, I love you. Please, come back to me."
And Emma bent down to place her lips upon Regina's. She poured all of herself into that kiss, all of her hopes, her dreams, her fears, her love, her despair. That kiss was the last lifeline.
And to Emma's shock, Regina's lips began to kiss her back. A white light swept the room as a wave of energy burst from the space between Emma and Regina's chest.
Emma pulled back in shock as she watched Regina's eyes flutter open. Familiar brown eyes looked up into Emma's face.
"R-Regina? Are you ok? Baby?" Emma asked and cupped her hand to Regina's face, not believing what had just happened.
"Emma? You came back?" Regina asked weakly.
It was the sweetest sound Emma ever heard. She exhaled in relief and a tear slipped down her cheek.
"Yeah, yeah I came back. I was…I'm sorry about what I said, I didn't mean it…"
"Why?" Regina asked softly. "Why did you come back?"
"Because I love you, Regina. I love you so much, and I don't want to be without you. I know I said some harsh things, but I didn't mean them. I was just confused. Please, can you forgive me?"
Regina looked up at Emma with a surprised expression. "Forgive you? Emma, you don't need my forgiveness. You were right, I am evil, I've done terrible things," she turned her head and a tear slipped down her cheek. "I don't deserve you. I don't deserve Henry."
Emma gently coaxed Regina's face back towards her and kissed the tear away. "Regina Mills, you are the most beautiful women I have ever met, inside and out. You are kind, and loving, and strong, and passionate. You deserve every happiness, and I want to be the one to give them to you. You are my happy ending."
"But, the curse broke. Everyone will remember. They'll come after me…"
"I won't let them. I'll stand between you and the entire town if I have to. I'm the Savior, remember?" she said with a cheeky smile.
Regina chuckled. "You're also quite smug about it."
Emma smiled. "There's my sassy mayor," and bent down to plant a lingering kiss on the lips she could never get enough of.
SQ
The next few months were rough. After the people of Storybrooke regained their memories, they were out for blood. Emma spent every waking moment trying to establish peace between the townspeople and Regina. It took a few weeks, several heated town meetings and a handful of arrests before things began to settle down.
Snow White and Prince Charming resumed their leadership roles, and out of love for their daughter, backed Emma in her demand for peace and forgiveness for Regina.
Addressing Emma and Regina's relationship on a personal level was a different matter however. It took a while before Snow and Charming could even be in the same room as Regina, but seeing Emma's love for the former Queen was gradually wearing them down.
Between keeping the peace in town and acting as ambassador between her girlfriend and her parents, Emma had little time and energy to spend with Regina. Not to mention, having a ten year old kid in the house was a bit of a cock-block.
Emma and Regina had stolen a few moments here and there, but after two months of constant battling with the townspeople, awkward conversations with her parents and raising and entertaining Henry, Emma was desperately ready for a break.
It was Friday and Emma was headed home.
Home.
Just the word brought a smile to Emma's face. She never had a home before. She never had a safe place full of people she loved where she felt like she belonged. Until now.
As she pulled into the driveway, Emma's body began to tingle in anticipation. She had made arrangements for the entire weekend to give her and Regina some much needed time alone. Henry was spending the weekend camping with Charming, Snow was acting Mayor and peacekeeper, and Graham was on duty as Sheriff, as well as training Ruby to be part-time deputy.
Emma had zero responsibilities for the next two and a half days, and she planned on making the most of it.
The blonde parked her car in her spot in the driveway, unlocked the front door with her house key, kicked off her boots in their designated place beside the door and went searching for her girlfriend.
As usual, Regina was in the kitchen, preparing dinner. Since she was no longer the mayor of Storybrooke, Regina had copious amounts of time on her hands. At first she went a bit stir-crazy. For the past twenty eights years, Regina's life circulated around running a town and raising a son. She wasn't used to unstructured days, so she found hobbies.
Regina discovered she loved cooking and relished attempting new and difficult recipes. She started gardening and planting new apple trees, intent on establishing an entire grove to brew and distribute her own organic apple cider. She devoured books, and at the suggestion of Henry began writing her memoirs. Regina's days filled with purposeful leisure, and her nights were spent wrapped in the arms of the woman she loved. For the first time in her entire life, Regina was truly happy.
Regina was just prepping the vegetables for new pad Thai recipe she found online when she felt strong arms wrap around her midsection and a pair of soft lips find that certain spot on her neck behind her ear.
"Mmmmmm. I was wondering when you would be getting home," Regina hummed and relaxed against the warm body behind her.
Emma peppered a few more kisses along her girlfriend's neck before responding. "Not soon enough. I missed you."
The brunette turned in Emma's arms and kissed the blond solidly on the mouth.
"Where's Henry?"
Kiss.
"With my dad. Camping. For the whole weekend."
Kiss. Kiss.
"Whose on duty this weekend?" Regina asked.
Kiss.
"Graham and Ruby. And my mom is acting as peacekeeper."
Kiss. Kiss.
"Soooo, you're saying that you have the entire weekend off and Henry is in the woods somewhere with Charming, so we have the house to ourselves for the next two days?"
Kiss.
"Mmm hmm," Emma affirmed.
"Well, that's pretty much the best news I've ever heard." Regina proceeded to grab Emma by the waist and push her backwards against the island. The brunette claimed Emma's lips with hungry fervor, and the blonde happily acquiesced.
The two women allowed their hand to roam the other's body unfettered, holding nothing back. Emma's hands went directly to Regina's breasts, kneading the firm globes possessively. Regina smirked into the kiss, knowing just how much sway her chest held over her lover.
For her part, Regina snaked her hands under the front of Emma's shirt and trailed her fingertips along the top of Emma's boy shorts, making the blonde groan into Regina's mouth. The brunette, wanting to waste no more time, deftly undid the front of Emma's jeans and slid her hand into the blonde's underwear. Her fingers were met with no resistance, they slid easily over then between the slick folds of flesh.
Emma bucked her hips against her lover's hand, seeking penetration. Regina teased her a bit more, circling her clit and rimming her entrance. Emma surprised Regina by grabbing her wrist and stooping her ministrations.
"If we don't go upstairs right now, I'm going to take you every which way on this kitchen counter. Which I'm ok with, but I know how you are with germs and kitchens."
Regina hummed in agreement. "Then you better take me to bed, Miss Swan," she said in a dangerously seductive tone.
Emma's entire body pulsated with desire. She loved it when Regina called her Miss Swan. Emma turned the oven burners off, putting a hold on dinner preparations. Grabbing the brunette possessively around the waist, Emma backed them towards the staircase and led the pair upstairs.
Clothes were shed along the way, leaving a tell-tale trail in their wake. When the women finally reached the bedroom, whatever scraps of clothing remaining were yanked off and they fell naked into bed.
Emma's hands trailed over every inch of Regina's skin she could reach, while Regina assaulted the blonde's throat and chest with her mouth and tongue.
"I need you, Regina. Please…" Emma pleaded grabbing Regina's hand and putting it where she needed it most. The brunette's fingers wasted no time in locating Emma's hot, slick center and thrusting inside.
One finger quickly became two, then three. Emma's core stretched deliciously around the intrusions, and pain quickly became pleasure. Regina set a punishing pace. It had been far too long since she had had Emma like this, and Regina planned on making the most out of every moment.
When Regina's thumb found its familiar path to Emma's clit, the blonde clenched around Regina's fingers and came in a shuddering jerk. This time she didn't have to hold back as she cried out. Regina savored every moan and groan, drawing out Emma's release by lightly stroking her fingers up and down Emma's slit.
Eventually Emma pulled Regina's hand away, having become too sensitive to bear any pressure to her overstimulated center.
"Baby that was amazing, but I need a small break. How about I take care of you for a minute?" she asked, already sliding down Regina's torso. Before she could protest, Emma was hungrily lapping at Regina's arousal. The brunette could only murmur in encouragement as Emma busied herself between Regina's thighs.
The former mayor relaxed into Emma's ministrations. There was no need to hurry. They had all the time in the world.
They had their happy ending.
THE END
Thank you to all who read and reviewed this. Sorry it took me so long to finish.