Dark side 11

It had been a week since they had gotten rid of the dark one, and things in Storybrooke were pretty much back to normal. At least on the surface. Things with Regina and Emma was still extremely awkward, so much so that they rarely interacted with each other except for work related things or sending Henry back and forth between them. The hole that had formed in Emma's chest had grown instead of healed, and the guilt of hurting Hook so badly weighed heavily on her mind.

Emma's guilt was what brought her to his side every spare moment she had. To say he was happy about it was an understatement, as Hook was enjoying being doted on by Emma. She cooked for him, helped him get to and from the restroom, fluffed his pillows and made sure he could reach the remote control. Though Emma was glad to help him considering she was the one responsible for his injuries, she found no joy in his company. She reluctantly kissed him when he finally said I Love You back to her, but at that moment the guilt was strongest.

What Emma hadn't admitted to anyone was that the dark one had been telling the truth when she said Emma doesn't love Hook. She was playing a role. She thought having Hook in her life would make her parents proud of her seemingly happy ending. And she was okay with that. But now, her repressed feelings for Regina had come raging to the surface, and she was having a hard time stuffing them back down. Especially knowing that Regina had similar feelings, Emma found she couldn't get her erotic encounters with the queen off her mind. She remembered Regina's words as she encouraged Emma to fight against the darkness. She heard Regina telling her that she was her own happy ending, and that she didn't need anyone to save her but herself. Emma believed that even now, but it didn't ease her confusion.

Emma also remembered how Regina said that her parents already knew Emma's secret. They knew that Emma secretly harbored feelings for another woman, a woman who had hurt them both badly, stole their family and cursed them all for thirty years. That was something Emma had a hard time grasping, and had no intentions of bringing it up. She would rather they all just forget and go on like nothing had changed. It was too hard. It wasn't worth it. Regina wasn't worth it. But how did she know that? Regina was an amazingly strong, independent, witty, fierce, sexy woman. She sure seemed like she would be worth it. Like she would be worth giving everything up for.

Emma shook the thoughts out of her head. No. It was too hard. It would cause whispers, and staring, and shunning, and Emma wouldn't do that to Henry.

Emma sat in her booth at Granny's waiting for Henry to show up. A jingle of the door indicated someone's arrival, and before long an arm slinked around her shoulders and a smile came to her lips.

"Hi mom," Henry greeted as he slipped into the booth across from her.

"Hey kid. How was school?"

Henry shrugged his shoulders. "Fine."

Emma swallowed and tried to act nonchalant. "How's things at home? With you and your mom?"

Henry smirked to himself, seeing his first opportunity. "Fine. Good, actually. It's much better now that I'm the only kid around again. I mean, I like Roland and all, but I kinda like not having to share mom with anyone."

Emma looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean? You don't see Roland much anymore?"

Henry shook his head as Ruby set a hot cocoa down in front of him. "Not since mom and Robin broke up."

There was no way Emma could hide her shock at this news. "What? Regina broke up with Robin? When? Why? I thought they were all...soulmates and stuff?"

Henry shrugged his shoulders. "They broke up when you were still playing pranks like some dorky fraternity brother. She said they were just too different." Henry watched as Emma's eyes darted around, struggling to take in this information. He smiled inwardly and cleared his throat. "Honestly, I never really saw it, anyway. I mean, she's a queen, he's a...thief and lives in the woods. They never would have worked out. She deserves royalty. Like you."

Emma shot her eyes up to Henry. Her eyes were wide in shock. "What about me? What do you mean like me? What-what do you mean?!"

Henry smiled in amusement. "You're a princess. So you deserve royalty too. Like her."

Emma understood what Henry meant but couldn't help but think about the subtext to what he was saying. Regina deserved...some one like Emma. Regina was just what Emma needed.

Henry gave himself an internal high five as he watched the thoughts flow through Emma. Operation Swanqueen had just started and he already was making progress. This wouldn't take long at all.

XXXXXXXXXX

Henry left the mansion with his backpack. It was Friday and he had been invited to a sleepover at the house of one of the kids on his baseball team. He got in the backseat of the big minivan and looked back at his mom waving goodbye in the doorway. Henry waved back and put his tongue in his cheek before pulling out his cell phone.

XXXXXXXXXX

Regina opened the front door and was shocked to see Emma standing there. "Miss Swan! What are you doing here?" She looked down to see a pizza box in her hands. "With pizza?"

Emma looked just as confused as Regina. "Regina! What are you doing here?"

Regina raised an eyebrow and leaned on the door. "Last I checked, I live here. What's going on?"

Emma was clearly flustered and stammered. "I-you-Henry texted me and said you were going out for the evening. He asked me to bring over a pizza and play video games." She looked at Regina in confusion and embarrassment, but noticed Regina break out into a meek smile.

Regina found this flustered Emma absolutely adorable and couldn't help herself but to laugh. She tried to smother it and felt bad at how embarrassed Emma looked. "Well, no, clearly I'm not out for the evening and Henry isn't even here. He went to a sleepover tonight."

Emma shifted her weight as she put a hand on her hip. "Well then why would he-"

"I don't know, Miss Swan, perhaps you got the date wrong."

Emma looked down at the pizza and back up to Regina. "I guess...I could have sworn he said tonight." Emma realized how ridiculous she must look and felt her face flush. "I'm sorry, this is embarrassing. Sorry for disturbing you. Have a nice night, Regina." Emma turned around and headed back down the walkway.

Regina watched as Emma turned away and something couldn't let her do it. "Miss Swan," Regina called. Her heart rate quickened when Emma looked back at her, big green eyes looking at her hopefully. She felt her belly churn in excitement. "You're already here. Unless you plan on finishing that large pizza by yourself," Regina felt her face flush. "You might as well come in and share."

Emma cocked her head in surprise. "Really? You eat pizza?"

Regina scoffed and opened the door wider for Emma to enter. "Despite the accounts that I am a vampire and only drink blood, I do actually eat real food. Every once in a while that does include pizza."

Emma smiled and walked by Regina and into the house. She winked at Regina as she walked by. "Even if there's no kale on it?"

Regina let out a single chuckle as she closed the door behind them. "If there is kale on that pizza I will throw you out this door by your blonde curls."