A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting. I was away from computers and internet for a couple of weeks. Hope you enjoy the chapter. I think there will be one or two more after this one.
Regina startles awake, disoriented by the feeling of weight on her chest. She reaches out to grab at whatever is holding her down, but catches herself just in time. Emma, it's just Emma. Sprawled out as usual, her arm thrown across Regina.
Regina lets out a deep breath and calms herself. The sight of Emma sleeping peacefully is both soothing and still a bit unsettling. Regina is not unaware of the growing intensity of her feelings for Emma, and the idea that she might actually be falling in love with the woman sleeping besides her is frightening. Regina stops herself from thinking about it further. For now she simply closes her eyes and focuses on the gentle breeze blowing in from the open window.
There's a chill in the air this morning. It's mid-August, and already Regina can feel autumn in the air. The weather had been for many years the only indication that time was moving forward in Storybrooke. Then Henry had come to Regina and time had been measured by the growth of a small boy, by the milestones that amazed her more than any magic ever could.
"Mmmm," Emma moans and rolls over so that she is resting against Regina's side. Regina smiles at the blonde's fondness for snuggling in the morning. "Good morning."
Regina wonders if she will ever get used to the way Emma is smiling sweetly at her. The thought that she is undeserving of such a gaze gnaws at Regina.
"Good morning," Regina says, smiling despite the surge of unease in her chest. She wonders how long this can last.
"What time is it?" Emma mumbles against Regina's chest.
"7:15," Regina answers, a hand finding it's way into Emma hair, hoping the familiar feel of silky locks will soothe her.
"How long have you been awake?"
"I just woke up. I hope I didn't wake you."
"Nah. We went to bed early last night. It feels like time to get up."
Emma stares at Regina, her eyes heavily lidded with the remnants of sleep, hair wild, lips parted slightly. Emma thinks of the guarded woman who Emma first met when she came to Storybrooke. It warms Emma's heart that Regina, who is so strong and so hurt and so determined not to be vulnerable, is lying here like this with her.
Emma's chest surges with an emotion that she tries and tries not to name, but even if she's had so little in her life, she knows it somehow, knows that she loves Regina. Fear rolls over Emma in sickening waves. She can't love Regina; she can't love anyone. She had promised herself years ago that she wouldn't be so foolish. But it's there, deep in her chest: love.
Emma bites back the fear, tells herself to ignore the feeling that only grows stronger as she continues staring at Regina.
Emma leans forward and presses her lips against Regina's. Emma loses herself in her growing need and forgets all else.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Regina asks as she places a box of fruit roll ups in the shopping cart.
"Because I know that Henry hates those things." Emma smiles as she imagines Regina discovering fruit snack for the first time upon arriving in Storybrooke.
Regina rolls her eyes and pushes the cart down the aisle. "What do you want for dinner tonight?" she asks.
"Can we make something out of the Indian cook book that you have? I've been dying for some curry. Next time you conjure up a town, you need to remember to add some more diverse restaurant choices."
"I will try to remember that," Regina attempts to deadpan, but she can't help the way that the corners of her lips turn upward.
Emma grins feeling quite pleased with herself. "Stop trying not to smile. You think I'm adorable."
"I think no such thing," Regina insists, but her smile only grows larger as Emma bumps their hips together before wrapping an arm around Regina's waist.
Emma sees it first – Snow turning her shopping cart down their aisle. But before Emma has time to prepare Regina, Snow is besides them with her ever-present smile. "Hi Emma, Regina. Lovely morning isn't it?"
Regina tries to keep her breathing even as she moves quickly away from Emma. Snow must have seen them touching though, and at the realization Regina feels like she can't get any air. She moves further from Emma. "Good morning."
Snow doesn't seem to notice Regina's intense discomfort. "Do you have anything planned for the day? Better make the most of the weather before summer ends."
"Mostly errands today actually," Emma tells her mother. "Henry thinks he wants to try going to school on the first day, so we're going to pick him up when we drop off the groceries and then go get school supplies."
"Oh Emma, that's wonderful," Snow declares. "I'm so happy for both of you."
"Yes well, like Emma said, we have a busy day," Regina says with a curt nod before turning and striding down the aisle away from Snow.
Regina unloads the last of the shopping bags and gets into the driver's seat, burying her face in her palms. Her breathing is heavy, and she feels panic overtaking her.
Emma enters the car a moment later after returning the cart. "Regina, what's wrong?"
"What's wrong?! You're mother saw us. She might be a bit slow, but even she couldn't have missed your arm around me."
Emma bites on her lower lip nervously. "Regina…"
Regina wonders if this is it, if Emma will leave, if everything will be over before Snow even has a chance to ruin it.
"She kind of already knows."
"What?!" Regina asks furiously, "How the hell does she know Emma. What did you tell her?"
When Emma looks at Regina though it isn't anger she sees but fear. Eyes darting around furiously like a trapped animal. Regina looks terrified, like her whole world is about to be torn apart and she doesn't know anyway to stop it.
"I didn't tell her much. She just knew we were together. Apparently she can spot happiness on your face." Emma sees that Regina is deathly pale and looks like she might throw up. "What's wrong?"
"Your mother knows about us!"
Emma reaches out and grabs Regina's arm. "Hey, it's ok."
"Why would you tell her?" Regina growls.
"I just told you, I didn't tell her, I swear. She just knew."
Emma watches as despair and resignation overtake Regina.
"It's going to be ok," Emma reassures Regina who is shaking her head as tears begin to fall. Emma doesn't know what to do. Regina has been so certain, so strong, from the moment they walked on the Jolly Roger. And now she's falling apart, and Emma doesn't know how to handle that. She has no idea what she's going to do if Regina doesn't believe in them, because Emma isn't strong enough, doesn't have nearly enough faith, to hold them up. "It's ok. Please, I'm sorry."
But Regina doesn't seem angry anymore. Her body is shaking and she looks hopeless. "Regina," Emma whispers, bending down to try to catch Regina's eye. "What is it?"
"Your mother knows."
"She does, but she is actually bizarrely fine about it. Like she seems to want us to be together."
Regina is quiet for a long moment before she whispers into the silence in the car. "The last time your mother meddled in my relationships Daniel died."
Emma has heard the name before but never the full story. "Well I'm pretty sure she isn't going to kill me," Emma jokes.
"You don't understand, Emma. Whether she means to or not, your mother takes everything from me. My fiancé, my mother, my freedom."
Emma does the only thing that she can think to do and kisses Regina. She resists for a moment, caught off guard and not wanting to be soothed, but the gentle massage of Emma's tongue against her bottom lip calms Regina. Even as her mind still races with the horrible possibilities her heartbeat steadies, her mouth responds, and she loses herself momentarily in Emma.
When they pull apart there are tears streaming down Regina's face, and all of a sudden it hits Emma: Regina loves her. The tears, the terror; this wouldn't be happening if Regina didn't care so deeply for Emma, if she didn't love her.
"What is it?" Regina asks seeing the way Emma has suddenly frozen up.
Emma stares at Regina debating whether to say anything, wondering whether she could be wrong, whether saying these words could ruin everything. But Regina still looks terrified, and Emma thinks that even if this doesn't soothe Regina, it will sure as hell be a good distraction. "You love me."
Regina looks horrified, caught, ready to deny it, until Emma realizes her mistake. "That's good. It's really good. I love you too."
"You…how?" Regina can feel the weight of her past on her; can hear her mother's voice telling her that she is bad, that she will always be bad.
Emma's heart is pounding in her ears. "I don't know," she says with a nervous laugh. "I think this is supposed to be one of those things that you can't really explain."
Emma is staring at Regina with an expression so nervous and sweet and innocent even after a lifetime of experiences that should have stripped her of all goodness. So even as Regina wants to deny it with everything in her, she can't. She can't look at Emma anymore and not say the words; she can't deny Emma this any longer. "I do love you Emma."
When Emma sobs and laughs in relief all Regina can do is repeat those words: "I love you."
"Good. Ok, good. We love each other." Emma says the words out loud, taking a minute to appreciate how incredibly strange this is. "What now?"
"What do you mean what now? Do you want a five year plan?"
Emma blushes. "No, I didn't mean…I just, this is something I never expected, you know?"
"Believe me, I do. Falling in love with Snow White's daughter was never part of my plan."
Emma laughs at that, because sometimes the absurdity of her life is too much to do anything but laugh at. "I bet not."
They smile easily at each other, let the confessions and the truths sit between them. Regina is the first to break the silence. "We should get home. Henry is waiting for us."
Emma looks at her watch and realizes that they've been gone over a half hour. "He hasn't even called to check up on us."
The two mothers share a proud smile before heading home to their son.