Author's note:
Hey-lo! I am so sorry that its been nearly a month since i've updated. That's mine own fault actually, back in January when I was devising ideas for this story Neal wasn't in it at all. In fact this was meant to be between 13-15 chapters LOL. So now I have been rearranging and shifting ideas, so it fits my original storyline. Yeah...I was slightly saddened though, I had 190 favourites one day and then 186 the next- it was depressing. But on a better note I liked writing this chapter, it has a bit more angst than humour which is okay, the next few chapters will be like this. However, there is going to be a very funny/humorous chapter coming soon!(free of angst- that will be after Regina and Emma get their act together) Once again thank you all for the most amazing reviews, seriously if I knew where you all lived i'd hug you haha. last chapter was my highest in terms of reviews for one chapter which was 60 reviews - AMAZING and thank you! I am going to start doing a few dedications here and there, especially people who literally comment on every chapter or PM me. You're all brilliant people and thank you so much for reading my story. Anyway here is chapter 18!
Escort Services: Chapter 18 – Denial
"You have got to be fucking kidding me!" Emma shrieked hysterically.
Neal's eyes roamed over her body, his jaw remained on the ground. "You're an escort!?"He gave her a look of sheer disgust. And that is when it started.
Anger. It is a useless emotion. It's paralyzing in every sense and it consumes your very soul. Some people attempt to battle their anger, but it only proves to further enrage their withering emotions. A few hours ago - The moment emerald eyes laid on the familiar man, whom she had claimed to love, years worth of rage and contempt surged through her body. Emma had suppressed the urge to scream in anger. However, it wasn't long before her hostility became the better of her and as a result she mentioned Henry. The first thought that raced through her mind was: Oh fuck. Neal had no knowledge of her son until now. Within a matter of seconds they were yelling at each other. Emma was almost sure that some low life geek roaming the streets of Boston filmed the incident and posted it on YouTube. Once the shock had passed the dim wit demanded that he saw his son, Henry. This ultimately led to another yelling match. By passers halted and tore their eyes away from their smart phones to observe the intense pair. A few of them had the nerve to yell out 'Punch on!' Emma would have loved to knock him square in the face. Her pale knuckles would dislodge his obscure nose and she'd watch him stumble backwards and hit the concrete hard. This short reverie almost became reality when Neal's voice climbed a few decibels. However, this only attracted the attention of other fellow Boston city workers. She had noticed from her peripheral vision that a well-suited woman sat down on the nearby bench with a fresh batch of popcorn. A mere 30 minutes had passed when the pair decided to end their fervent argument, only to sneer at people who watched on in amusement. They quickly dispersed from the scene and moved relative to their destination. Neal had offered to go to a cafe or park to talk which Emma for her part just wanted to hop into her bug and zoom off to Storybrooke. She had no choice but to accept his offer.
Neal fidgeted on the uncomfortable park bench, "Have you been an escort since getting out?" He inquired curiously.
Emma growled, "No, not that it's any of your fucking business." She retorted.
The man sighed, "I travel for my job, marketing, selling products…"
"Good for you." Was the quick reply.
The pair sat in silence for a few minutes.
"Can I see my son?" He mumbled, his voice rough and constricted from the previous yelling match.
Emma simply stared in front of her. "Go fuck your self." She deadpanned without sparing him another glance.
The man growled under his breath before sighing tiredly, "His my son too, Emma."
Emma gritted her teeth at the undeniable truth, "You and your fucking sperm." She murmured quietly. Conversely, her eyes softened at the thought of her son, but not a moment later did her eyes widen at the thought of a certain Mayor. "I'm fucking screwed." She whispered to herself. For someone who relentlessly indulged in humor so frequently, there was no humor behind her statement. Their relationship was beginning to become a reality despite no confirmations from neither of them. She knew they were not ready to put a label on it. And hell they certainly weren't now.
Emma spared a glance at the melancholic man beside her. Surprisingly, the feelings she had buried deep down for such a long period of time quickly arose. This was the man whom she loved dearly. He was her partner in crime, and as cliché as it may sound, he was her everything. She gulped audibly and slowly fluttered her eyes close, knowing that she was going to regret the proposition she was about to propose.
"When?"
Neal straightened up, slightly startled. "When what?" He inquired, perplexed.
Emma rolled her eyes, "As clever as ever." She murmured to herself.
"When do you want to see...Henry?" She exhaled through her nose.
Neal's eyes sparked in delight, "Are you serious?" He asked hopefully.
Emma gave him an obvious look, "No, I just want to lead you to a remote part of Maine, knock you unconscious, toss you into a nearby lake, then find a rock and throw it in...Like a mini tombstone, you know?" She professed sarcastically.
A familiar smirk spread through his features, "You could at least get me a proper tombstone..." He suggested with a light shrug.
"Perhaps but I should probably get you a sword or something like a shield..." Emma zoned out thoughtfully.
Neal frowned, "Why?"
Emma smirked, "Because you're going to meet the mother of my son."
...
The perfectly painted white door brought a smile to Emma's face. She slowly dragged herself up the few steps, drawing closer to what could be described as her greatest fear behind that very white door. Emma spun on her heel and frowned angrily at the man whom refused to listen to her orders.
"Down! Stay down!" She mouthed and made the movement with her hands to accentuate her command. Neal reluctantly sank further into his seat.
After noticing his compliance she faced the door once again. Her heart melted at the sound of Henry's laughter on the side. The nerves had begun to consume her - so there was only one thing she could do.
Emma breathed, "When you're feeling low, lower than the floor,
and you feel like you ain't got a chance..." She smiled in delight before continuing. "BOM, BOM, BOM, Don't make a move, til you're in the groove and do the Peter Pan-da Dance."
...
The brunette on the other side of the door had just taken the lasagna out of the oven, with time to spare before Emma was to arrive she decided to attend to her house- specifically its cleanliness. Henry was lying on the sofa, preoccupied with his new comic book. Regina hummed in content but abruptly halted her late night cleaning at the sound of a particular voice outside her window. She swiftly moved over to the window and almost chuckled at the sight of the dancing blonde.
...
"Hop 3 times like a kangaroo. Side step twice just like those crabs do, 3 steps forward, 1 step back, quick like a turtle lie on your back, roll like a log til you can't roll no more, hop up quick like there ain't no floor, hold you're breath and jump to the left, and that's the Peter, I swear that's the Peter, that's the Peter Panda Dance!" Emma finished excitingly. The nerves had immediately disappeared, it was impeccable timing because moments later an amused brunette opened the door.
"Are we rehearsing for a recital, dear?" Regina questioned with an unusual beaming grin.
Emma didn't response and instead took a mental picture of the woman. "I'm going to miss that..." She spoke solemnly, subtlety referring to her gleaming smile.
The brunette frowned in confusion, "Miss what?"
Emma quickly dismissed the questioning with a small shake of the head. A light blush spread across her cheek. "Don't worry…can I come in?" She asked timidly.
Brown eyes narrowed, Regina meticulously observed the anomalous woman. Emma gulped unconsciously, a sinking feeling set in. She had deduced that Regina knew something was not quite right. The Mayor moved aside to let the blonde in, a leery expression flashed upon her face. Despite, her tactful efforts to be subtle Emma had already noticed it. Regina gently closed the door and almost instantaneously spun around to face the blonde, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
"What is going on, Miss Swan?" The Mayor asked unkindly.
Emma breathed out through her nose and gently massaged her temples. "My client in Boston…" She glanced at the seemingly composed brunette, who seemed to become abnormally austere.
"You slept with him, didn't you?" Regina growled.
Emma's eyes widened, "No, I didn't. I mean...I have b-but...not in the last 10 years." She spluttered with a slight shrug.
Regina's eyes darkened at the revelation, "What do you mean in the last 10 years?" She almost shrieked incredulously.
Emma averted Regina's penetrating gaze, "His name is Neal. He's Henry's biological father." She revealed, almost inaudibly. It was so soft that the brunette nearly missed it.
The Mayor gritted her teeth, and was about to release her outrage when Henry spoke up, having finished his comic book.
"Emma!" He exclaimed in delight and immediately ran over to the blonde, throwing his arms around her waist. She couldn't suppress her smile at the sight of her son. Emma delicately held him close and ran a hand through his soft brown locks, remaining mute. A thrilling shiver ran down the course of her body, brown eyes bored into her soul- she didn't dare glance up to meet the harsh gaze that awaited her.
"Hey, kid. How've you been?" She pulled back slightly to meet his gaze, a firm smile situated across her face.
Henry beamed, "I've been good, mom's being getting me some really awesome comic books lately." He glanced to his adopted mother who almost instantly gave him a warm smile. The expression dissipated the second he turned back to face Emma.
"I'm glad, you have a great mother, Henry." She whispered, moments before Regina decided to end the family reunion.
"Henry, can you please go wash up for dinner. I need to have a word with, Miss Swan."
Henry let his arms drop back to his sides and with a small smile he raced upstairs. Regina simply spun on her heel and gracefully sauntered over to her study, expecting the blonde to follow her. Emma closed the door behind them and turned to face the seething woman.
"Look, Regina-" Emma begun, but was promptly interrupted.
"No, Miss Swan. I do not care for what you have to say. Henry is my son, no one else's. I will not allow you to turn my life upside down, understand? You being Henry's biological mother was quite the surprise and I've certainly had enough of those. I don't want Henry knowing his biological father and I don't want him seeing Henry." Regina declared, her indignation fully rising to the surface. Her fists were clenched, nails seeping into her palms. Her breathing rate had almost doubled, and to be quite honest- she was petrified that she was going to lose her son. The only person she lived for. Regina's jaw clenched and her eyes narrowed at the blonde, whom hadn't let out a single word.
Emma saw right through the mask concealed with animosity, "Regina, neither Neal or I are going to take Henry away from you. He just wants to meet him." She pleaded with a gentle expression, moving closer to the evidently distressed woman.
"No." Regina stated firmly, her tone leaving no room for discussion.
"Henry's his father, he also deserves to know. And he travels for work which means he wouldn't be here all the time." Emma attempted to reason, it was like adding fuel to a fire.
Regina turned her back to the woman and allowed herself a moment to process everything. She knew that if Henry found out his father was alive; he would want to meet him. She didn't want to lie to him, only now was he beginning to look at her like he had done when we was just a little boy. He trusted her; their relationship had improved so much in the last month or so. Regina was adamant not to jeopardize that, even if that meant the loss of her own son. It wasn't until a soft padded thumb swept across her cheek did she realise she had let a few tears fall. She immediately wiped her eyes and regained her composure. The blonde was looked on sympathetically, her lips parted but Regina bet her to it.
"Fine. I will inform Henry and he can meet this man tomorrow afternoon." Regina nodded, more for her own reassurance.
Emma couldn't contain her surprise at the decision, "Thank you, Regina." She gave a small smile.
The Mayor nodded in response, "However, this changes things..." She began.
"What do you mean?" Emma gulped fearfully.
Regina flicked her gaze upwards to meet emerald eyes. "Your assistance is now strictly professional. You will not come to my house unless I give you permission that goes with visiting Henry as well. And I will only require your presence at the celebrations, nothing outside of that." She spoke sternly, her tone left Emma unnerved.
Stunned, Emma shook her head in disbelief. "You're kidding right? Please tell me you're kidding? We've been here before and we worked hard to get to a somewhat stable relationship in terms of Henry and...What about us Regina?!" She spat urgently. Emma was infuriated with Regina's extreme course of action.
A mirthless laugh escaped red lips, "There was never an us, dear. And if you thought there was, you are delusional."
Emma's blood boiled, "Perhaps I was delusional, alright? But I highly doubt you were! Especially this morning when you were silently begging me not to go."
Regina scoffed, "Don't read too much into it, dear. I simply did not want to drive back to Storybrooke." She raised her chin defiantly.
"Don't give me that bullshit! All you're doing is lying to me and to yourself, Regina. Whether you like it or not this fake marriage is becoming more real as everyday passes." And there it was ladies and gentlemen, the truth both had adamantly tried to avoid. Emma was content to find Regina thrown off guard with that truthful statement. She tentatively moved closer to the brunette, nearly invading her personal space. "I know this is hard for you, because I can see the conflict in your eyes." Emma spoke softly.
Regina averted her eyes around the room- refusing to meet Emma's non-threatening stare. She shifted her weight onto the other foot and took in a sharp intake of air; Emma had wrapped her arm securely around her waist and pulled her closer. Regina felt exposed, vulnerable, and weak and that was not okay with her. Deep down under years of heartache, torture and loss…she knew her feelings towards Emma would only become stronger within time. She knew Emma was right with everything. Regina kept her arms crossed over her chest as Emma gently tucked a loose brown lock behind her ear. Her eyes fluttered close at the contact, but she quickly flicked them back open- only to stare head on into green orbs.
"I…I like you…okay." Emma struggled to convey her own feelings while simultaneously convince that woman that there was something between them. She searched the emotionless brown pair in front of her. "Say something…please." She encouraged.
Regina gently removed herself from the secure embrace, "Unfortunately for you dear those feelings aren't reciprocated. What we've had is fling, a bit of fun, nothing more." She watched a subtle flicker of hurt flash across Emma's face before it was replaced by anger.
"So you feel nothing for me!? Nothing at all."
Yes. "Not a single thing."
Emma bit her lip to keep the threatening tears at bay, "Do you feel anything? Do you have feelings at all, Regina?" She asked with a slight bite to her tone.
The Mayor simply disregarded the question with a seemingly tired sigh, "It is quite late, Miss Swan. I will expect to see you on Friday night for waltz lessons. The next celebration is formal and I will be supplying your attire for Saturday evening. I believe you know your way out." Regina explained with a stoic expression before swiftly exiting her study.
The brunette moved into the kitchen and began to rearrange her kitchenware. At the sound of the front door slamming shut Regina dragged her body over to the kitchen sink. She gripped the edges and her shoulders deflated- her emotions and tonight's events weighted heavily on her. She closed her eyes; a lonely tear ran down the tip of her nose. Regina wiped at it and let Emma's words continue to wreck havoc in her mind.
Do you feel anything? Do you have feelings at all, Regina?
…
A pair of small eyes watched the Mayor breakdown. From an early age his mother had told him countless times that eavesdropping was very rude. He listened and obeyed the rule for a great deal of his childhood, but recently got into the habit again since he was never keen on Sidney Glass. However, when he heard yelling from his room he listened by the door, unnoticed to anyone in the Mills household. It was a conversation that left him speechless and he didn't know what to make of it. He wasn't sure what was more crazy: the fact that he had a father and was going to meet him or that his biological mother (the Saviour) like likes his adoptive mother (the Evil Queen). All he knew was that he didn't like to watch his mother cry, so to give her some privacy he silently escaped to the safety of his bedroom.
What'd ya think? :)
Does anyone else know the Peter Pan Dance from The Pacifier? It was my favourite song :) Oh and does anyone also have a photographic memory? I legit do and sometimes I really really wish I didn't have it but I can remember heaps of formulas and stuff...med school here I come!
I'm quite random if you haven't noticed :D
Thanks for reading and reviewing...if you did