A/N: I'm on a roll today, guys! This chapter switches from Regina's POV to Emma's. Please be kind, I don't connect with Emma and she's extremely hard for me to write. If I don't have her down, let me know and what I can do to make it better. She's going through some stuff, so I have to get her through it to move her forward. This chapter contains quite a bit of internal monologue and a bit of Hook being, well, Hook. We'll move on to the good stuff soon, I promise. Reviews are like crack, please drop one if you can! Cheers!
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Emma sat and listened to Henry list the names of all the newcomers:
Aladdin.
Mowgli.
The Three Musketeers.
Quasimodo.
Emma's vision started to blur, her heart quickened and blood rushed to her ears, drowning out the rest of Henry's words. More fairy tale creatures that needed help. More people that needed to find their happy endings. More villains to fight. Would it ever end?"
"Emma." Emma looked up to see Regina and Henry staring at her with concerned faces. Emma glanced down to see her hands trembling. Damn it. She stood up and shook herself, barking out a false laugh. "I really need to lay off the coffee. Hey, kid, why don't you keep going through the list with your mom? I think I need to jog off this energy." She bent down and kissed Henry on the head and despite his attempts at protesting, bolted for the front door. She was about to pull the door closed behind her when a hand tugged her back inside and slammed the door shut.
In the blink of an eye, Emma found herself pressed against the wall, staring into the face of a very concerned Regina Mills. "What the hell-"
"Shut it," Regina hissed, her hands on Emma's shoulders and nails digging into her skin through her clothes. She was too close, Emma could smell the sweetness of the mimosa still on her breath…
"Let me go, Regina," Emma whispered harshly, determined not to let Henry hear what was going on as she struggled to get away. Regina's eyes flashed and she stepped closer, making it impossible for Emma to move. "No," she said firmly. "Something is wrong, Emma. Your son is trying to include you in his discoveries and plans and you're shaking and running off? Don't block me out! Talk to me!"
Warmth was spreading through Emma rapidly, and she told herself it was anger. Regina was too close, they never stood this close to each other, it just wasn't something they did…and how dare Regina trap her like this?
In a panic, Emma did the only thing she could do: she poofed away in a cloud of white. Away from Regina and the press of her body, away from the concern in her eyes, and back to her own large, empty house. She hated this house. It was bare, it was filled with bad memories, and it just wasn't home, but it was still hers.
Sitting down at her kitchen table, Emma stared at her shaking hands, breathing heavily. What the hell is happening to me? she thought, clasping her hands together in an attempt to stop the tremors.
Why did breakfast have to end? It had been so perfect, so therapeutic. For just a short time, she was able to pretend that everything was normal, everything was fine, and Regina just had to break that peace…stupid Regina, with her stupid silk pajamas and her stupid gratitude and her stupid beautiful face (that Emma was totally sure she'd used magic on to hide the shadows that had been under her eyes before breakfast) and her stupid powers of observance…..
"Swan!" She heard, the sound of Killian's voice startling her. She hadn't known he was in her house, but there he was, strolling into the kitchen with a grin on his face. "I've been looking for you all morning, and your cell phone kept going to that voicemail thing."
Emma stood up from the table and put her hands behind her back, still clasping them tightly together. "Hey!" she greeted him breathlessly, pasting a grin on her face. "I'm sorry, Killian. I forgot to charge it last night and left it on my nightstand. I've been at Regina's. Sunday breakfast, you know." Killian's smile became strained, but he nodded in remembrance. "Ah, that's right. And how's our dear former queen today?" She heard the sarcasm in his voice but chose to ignore it as she replied, "She's fine. She and Henry are going through the list of names from the Land of Untold Stories. I opted to come find you since I didn't make it for a nightcap last night." The lie came easily, and Killian's smile relaxed as he gathered her into his arms. The smell of leather and sea and sweat engulfed her, suffocating her. The memory of a softer body, gentler eyes, and the smell of orange juice and champagne came unbidden to the forefront of her mind. Why was everyone crowding her, trapping her, today?
"I waited for over an hour love, before sleep took me." His grin was lecherous now. "I suppose we still have time this morning to pick up where we left off last night…" He leaned down and captured Emma's lips with his own, and Emma tried not to grimace at the rough stubble against her lips and chin. After allowing a quick kiss, she put her hands on his shoulders and pushed gently, stepping back from him. "Killian…"
Sighing, Killian released her. "All right Swan," he said, "what's going on with you? We're alone. Don't you want to spend some time together?" Emma gave him a guilty look and replied, "Of course I do. It's just…there's still more we have to do. All these new people, and Henry's working hard to document them and figure everything out, and he shouldn't have to do it alone. We need to go to Granny's and check up on our…our guests." Killian signed, resigned. "All right, Swan. But do you think, after we're done with the heroics today, we could have a chance to be together?" He gave her a roguish grin and waggled his eyebrows. Emma fought the urge to roll her eyes and wondered when his charms had gone from amusing her to annoying her. "Soon, Killian," she promised, leaning forward to give a small peck to his cheek. "Give me a moment, I need to go charge my phone and use the bathroom." Brushing past him, she went upstairs, plugged her phone in, and walked into her adjoining bathroom. Closing the door behind her, she took a seat on the floor and rested her back against the door. She hung her head in her hands, breathing heavily.
Savior.
Happy endings.
Regina split herself and killed her evil side. She's different. Something's wrong.
Killian wants to consummate our relationship and I don't know if I want to. Why don't I want to?
Land of Untold Stories. Villains. Heroes.
How was Regina handling Robin's death, really?
Bring back the happy endings.
So many things on her mind, so much responsibility on her shoulders….she was having a panic attack! That's what was wrong with her! She hadn't recognized it because it had been so long since she'd had one. 13 years, in fact. Her last one had been in prison, when she'd found out she was pregnant with Henry. Desperately, she tried to remember the breathing exercises she'd been taught, and slowly, her tremors stopped and her heart calmed. After another moment, she felt a lot calmer. She stood, turned on her faucet, and splashed her face with cold water. She turned the faucet off, dried her face, and peered at her reflection in the mirror. She almost didn't recognize the strained, pale face staring back at her. It was pathetic.
"Em-ma," she heard faintly, and for a moment, she thought she saw a second figure in the mirror. One that looked awfully familiar….she stared harder, disbelieving.
A knock on the bathroom door startled her and she turned toward the sound. "Swan, you all right love?" she heard Killian ask through the door. Emma replied loudly, "Yeah, I'll be out in a second!" She turned back to the mirror and looked for the figure again. It wasn't there. Emma told herself that her nerves were still frazzled and she'd imagined the whole thing. Rolling her eyes at her own weakness, she turned and exited the bathroom. It was time to get to work, so that she could eventually get back to starting her life with Killian.
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As soon as Emma and Killian entered Granny's, they were bombarded by a large group of fairy tale characters.
"You have to find my mother! I know she was with me when we crashed, but I haven't seen her here!"
"I dropped my satchel in the forest, it had something very important-no, don't worry about what's in it, I just need it found!"
"Have you seen my wife?"
"Is Hyde really locked up?"
"Emma, can you calm these people down before they wreck my establishment?!"
It was chaos and Emma's sense of calm was already beginning to dissipate. She instantly regretted coming here without an organized plan. She searched for something to say in reply but the sound of the door opening and heels clicking against the floor caused everyone to stop and turn. Regina and Henry breezed into Granny's and Regina quickly placed herself between Emma and Killian and the mob of newcomers. Her presence immediately engulfed the entire room, and she gave a calming smile. "Good morning everyone. If we weren't introduced last night, I'm Regina Mills. I'm aware that all of you have questions, a few of you are looking for loved ones and missing belongings, and we will get it all sorted out, but for now we all need to calm down and form an orderly line so that we may address each issue individually. Nothing can get done if everyone is yelling over each other."
Regina, always just in time to save the day and take control.
Emma felt her cheeks flush with heat and she chocked it up to being embarrassed that she hadn't been able to handle a simple mob of storybook characters. Yes, that was it.
The crowd began to shuffle about, forming a line. At that moment, Snow and David walked through the door, accompanied by Zelena. She was pushing baby Robin in a stroller. "Good morning everyone!" She said cheerily. "My goodness, this is a large crowd. I'm so sorry I missed the showdown with Hyde, motherhood duties, you know! But I'm here now!" She joined Regina in the front of the crowd and sent her sister a beaming smile. Emma noted that Regina didn't smile back, and wondered what that was about. Snow spoke up, "Everyone, David and I will join Henry in taking down the rest of your names and your concerns. Please form a line in the back of the room, and we will get this done so we can all move forward."
If Regina was annoyed at Snow's overtaking of command, she didn't show it. She pulled Zelena into a corner and began talking quietly with her, but Emma noticed she kept looking her way, her eyes tinged with concern and exasperation. Emma couldn't take it. She looked away and joined her parents and son in listening to each person's grievances, Killian following behind her with a hand on her waist.
It was going to be a long day.