A/N: Thank you to all who are enjoying this story. As always, it is thanks to you all and SQ that writing has become such a wonder in my life. :) Here is the next update of this wonderful and heartfelt adaptation. I anxiously await your reviews. Happy reading and a happy weekend!
THIS STORY CONTAINS A MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH. (Sorry!)
Saturday morning, Emma decided to work on her car to adjust some trinkets herself, to save some money. She loved working on her car. It relaxed her, and helped her think. Just like driving it. But as her mind cleared, and the instrumental music played out of the stereo of her car in a low and decent volume, Emma couldn't stop thinking about Regina. On their kiss. On the words they had exchanged. The fear in Regina's eyes when Emma confessed her feelings to her.
Her eyes looked straight forward, and away from her car to see Graham's jeep parking off to the side of the street. She smiled in greeting at him as he made his way up to her. "Hey." She said.
"Hey, Em. How's it looking?" Graham nods to Emma's car.
"Not bad. I just have a few more adjustments to do and it should be good." Emma reached for an old rag that was along the roof of her car to wipe her hands.
"Had I known you would be out here doing this, I would have brought over some cold ones." Graham pulled open the driver's side door and entered the car, turning up the music. His brow lifted as he heard nothing but cellos playing Smells Like Teen Spirit. "Whoa… What the hell is this, Em?"
"2Cellos." Emma smiled. "I think my mom has some lemonade inside. Would you like some?"
"No." Graham exited Emma's car, his eyes never leaving Emma. Her smile. That sparkle in her eyes. "Where in the hell did you get this music?"
"Regina lent it to me." Said Emma, turning down the volume to a more decent level.
Graham watches Emma move along to her car, reaching for a different tool to use. "What, so now she has you listening to her kind of people's music?"
Emma's brow lifts, "Okay, her people?"
"Yeah. Her bible hugging, crucifix wearing… Honk if you love Jesus! People." Graham chuckles, shaking his head.
"Hey, lay off, alright? Regina isn't like that." Emma glares before turning her attention back to her car.
"Oh, she's not, huh?" Graham moved around the car, enough to be able to study Emma's face. "So, now all of a sudden you're her biggest fan?"
"Look, all I'm saying is there's more to Regina, okay?" Emma stands, tossing the tool into the toolbox and reaching for another before moving back to her car. "I think if you'd allow yourself to get to know her a little better, you'd like her, too."
"Not as much as you do, apparently." Said Graham, seeing Emma's eyes avoid him entirely. "You know you got Lily thinking that, that little lip action between you and Regina up on stage was pretty real."
Emma throws a quick glance in Graham's direction before avoiding it once more.
"What's been going on with you, Em? I mean, it's like you don't even have time for your friends anymore."
"I don't know, Graham." Emma sighs, standing up and wiping her hands. "I'm just over it, you know?" She shrugs. "I'm sick and tired of doing the same 'ol shit all the time."
Graham chuckles softly, "This girl's changed you and you don't even know it, Em."
Emma chuckles, "Let me guess, did Lily say that, too?"
"No. I did." Graham's frown causes Emma to frown.
Emma tosses the rag on top of her car. Her eyes look straight into Graham's. "So, what if she's changed me? Are you going to stop being my friend?"
"Are you?" Graham asked.
"I'm still your friend, Graham." Said Emma. "Just because I want to be around Regina all the time, it doesn't change how I feel about you."
"So, it's true. You like this girl. Don't you?" Asks Graham.
Emma blinks, her eyes never leaving Graham's, "And what if I do?"
Graham raised his hands, "Hey, you like who you like, that's fine. But, Em, you're talking about Regina Mills." He chuckles, shaking his head. "I mean, I really doubt she's ever been kissed in her life, Em, so forget getting her into your bed or sneaking in through her window-"
"Hey." Emma's voice is stern, it causes Graham to swallow his next choice of words. "Don't talk about her like that, alright? She gets enough shit from Killian, Lily and everyone else- she doesn't need your shit to. Besides, it's not like that anymore."
"It's not like that anymore." Graham muttered under his breath, seeing the anger in Emma's face. "Well, what's it like now, Em?"
Emma shuts the trunk of her car, her eyes on Graham. "I really like her, Graham. And it's not about sex, it's…" What was the word? Emma didn't know, but it made her smile. "It's so much more than that."
"Lily told me about you following her out of the library like a mad woman." Graham chuckles.
Emma rolls her eyes, "Lily talks too much."
"Yeah, well, Lily still likes you." Said Graham. "Are you honestly willing to change her for someone like Regina Mills?"
"Honestly?" Emma sees Graham nod. "I'd change everything for a chance with Regina, Graham." She smiles.
Graham's brows hit his hairline in surprise. Emma wasn't just smitten with Regina. Emma was in love.
"Emma," Mom's voice called out after knocking outside of Emma's bedroom door.
"Yeah?" Emma looked up from reading another one of her mother's books. Her body sitting up from lying on her bed as her mother entered her bedroom.
"I'm going to return some clothes I bought the other day, so I'll be a while. But when I come back we can go out and have some lunch somewhere, if you'd like." Mom smiles.
"You're returning something? Would you mind if I tagged along with you? Saves you the trip of coming back here just to leave again." Emma shuts her book, neglecting it on her bed.
Mom's brow lifts in surprise. "Sure. If you'd like to come, yeah, I'd love that."
Emma smiles. She reaches for her jacket and places it on before walking out of her bedroom with her mom up front.
A day out with her mom had been perfect. They sat and had lunch in her mother's favorite deli, and now returning clothes seemed to take longer than Emma had hoped for. But, she wasn't exactly bored. Not when she glanced over and a light purple thin sweater caught her eye.
"Mom, I'll be back." Said Emma, walking into the direction of the sweater. She looked through the sizes and picked out the correct one. This one was perfect. She smiled, already picturing Regina wearing it and looking beautiful in it.
"That doesn't seem like your style, Em." Emma turns to the familiar voice behind her. It was Lily.
"What are you doing here?" Emma asks.
"Same as you," Lily holds up a shopping bag. "Shopping." She smiles, eyeing the sweater. "So, who's that for? A new girlfriend?"
Emma glared at Lily, choosing not to answer her questions.
"Listen, I'm having a party at my house tonight, if you want to come."
"I can't. I have homework I need to catch up on." Said Emma.
"Since when do you care about homework?" Lily chuckles. "You know there was a time where you wouldn't turn down my invitations, Em."
"Things change, Lily." Emma breathes.
"So have you it seems." Says Lily, eyeing the sweater once more.
"I'll see you in school on Monday." Emma walks away, heading toward the cash register.
"Will you sit at lunch with us?" Lily's question goes unanswered. She watches Emma smile at the lady behind the cash register, and happily pay for the sweater.
Regina was sitting outside of her front porch, engraved in one of her books when she spotted Emma's yellow bug stop in front of her house. "You." She said as Emma climbed up the porch to stand in front of her.
"Me." Emma held out the gift bag before Regina.
"What is it?" Regina's eyes went from the bag, up to Emma.
"A gift. I got you something." Emma smiles.
Regina hesitates but eventually takes the bag from Emma. "Thank you." Emma bought something for her? That was something Regina never thought she'd see.
"Listen, Regina… I wanted to ask if you would-"
Regina's eyes moved to her father who was coming out of the house. Emma turned to face him immediately.
"Ms. Swan." Reverend Mills stood by.
"Reverend Mills." Emma nods curtly. "Don't mind me, I was just leaving." She smiles, her eyes on Regina. "I'll see you around school."
"Okay." Regina nods, watching Emma leave, her car driving away. She feels her father join her on the porch bench. Regina smiles as she takes out the sweater to inspect it. Needless to say, she loves it.
Dad studies the sweater, noticing the smile on Regina's lips. "Regina," he pauses, sitting back. "Girls like that…" He points a finger out into the street. "They have expectations. Now, you know the rules around here are not going to change."
"Fine." Regina nods in understanding.
"Now, you might not care what I say or think. But, you should care about God's opinion." He points using the mouthpiece of his tobacco pipe.
"I think God wants me to be happy." Said Regina, smiling at her father's grumpy scowl. "Daddy, it's just a sweater. I'm going to get started on dinner, okay?"
Henry feels a kiss along his cheek before Regina heads inside, smiling at her new sweater. He sighs deeply and shakes his head, his shoulders deflating.
Emma poured the Ragu sauce into the pot of noodles, stirring carefully while her mother set the table.
"I talked to your dad today." Said mom, setting down a freshly made pitcher of tea. "He said he saw your play. For about ten seconds."
Emma scoffed, her back remaining to her mother. "Yeah. Sending a check once a month doesn't exactly make him a father."
Mary Margaret sighs, "Emma. I've told you before, there are a lot of reasons as to why-"
"He left us, mom. That's all there is to it." Emma gave a glance over her shoulder.
"You need to learn to forgive him, too. I already have."
Emma continues to stir the noodles, until she sets the spoon aside. "It's ready." She tells her mother, wishing to change conversation.
"Let me see." Mom walks up to the stove, glancing inside of the pot. She smiles. "That's perfect. Get the plates, please. Let's eat."
"Please." Emma smiles, reaching for two plates and handing one to her mother for her to serve.
"Look at Regina Mills!" Killian held a picture of Regina and Emma kissing on stage. He smirks, shaking his head. "Looks like you've really been replaced, huh, Lily?"
"Shut up." Lily muttered under her breath, glaring down at the picture in his hand.
"I have to say, Regina did look pretty hot in that wardrobe." Said Killian.
Mia scoffed, smacking Killian's arm, while Lily shook her head. "She did not look hot." Said Lily.
"No, she did. I'm sorry," Killian turns to Mia with a smirk. "But she definitely did."
"Wait a minute," Lily snatched the picture from Killian's hand, an evil smirk playing along her lips. "I have the best idea."
Mia smirks, "What are you thinking?"
"Let's go." Lily rushed straight into the library, Killian and Mia in tow.
By lunch hour, Regina was the talk of the entire school. Thanks to some flyers created by Lily and Killian that were passed around the entire campus. They used the picture of Emma and Regina sharing a kiss on stage with captions underneath in big black bold lettering: VIRGIN NO MORE? Except the entire stage had been replaced with a background of a sex room with explicit toys hanging along the walls.
Regina was the source of murmurs as she walked down the hallway that day. Except she didn't understand why.
"Regina!" Lily caught up with Regina along the hallway as she headed into the cafeteria, smiling innocently. "Hi."
"Hi." Regina smiles, walking along.
"Listen, I wanted to talk to you. I wanted you to know that there are no hard feelings." Lily paused, seeing the confusion linger along Regina's face. "Emma and I are way over."
Regina's brow furrows quizzically. "I really don't know what you're talking about."
Lily smiles sarcastically. "Sure you do. I mean, it's no secret that you and Emma are… Well…" Her brows wiggle up and down.
"I'm sorry?" Regina chuckles, the crease along her brow deepening. Emma and her are what?
"Though, I feel I should warn you. No matter what she says, you'd be wise not to take Emma too seriously." Lily stops in her tracks, as does Regina. "Right now it's you, but tomorrow someone else will come along and- well, it doesn't really matter. I'm sure you're a big enough girl to understand, right?" She chuckles forcefully.
Regina's head cocks to one side. Not understanding anything.
"Come on, eat lunch with me!" Lily reaches for the sleeve along Regina's purple sweater. One Lily can immediately recognize.
Regina smiles innocently. "Okay." She didn't understand the sudden hospitality and friendship from Lily, but she appreciated it. Her smile was replaced with a frown as eyes turned in her direction from the entire cafeteria. There were whispers that Regina couldn't quite catch. There were glances darted in her direction. Her heart was telling her something was wrong.
"Oh, my God…" Lily feigned shock and innocence as she was given one of the many flyers. Her eyes wide as they look toward Regina. "Look at this."
Regina accepts the given flier, a gasp escaping her parted lips as her hand clasps around it. Her eyes instantly filled up with tears as they stared up at Lily, who was smirking now.
"Wow, Regina… I guess you aren't so innocent after all, are you?" Lily's brow arches wickedly.
Regina's eyes look around the cafeteria. Her ears echo with the laughter of Killian and everyone in the room before they move back to Lily.
"What would daddy say?" Lily asks mockingly, shaking her head. Her smirk growing at the corners.
Tears streamed down Regina's cheeks, every breath she breathed out was shaky, almost hyperventilating. The room was closing in an inch at a time around her, she couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. All Regina knew was that she needed to get out of here, but her feet were rooted to the ground. She couldn't move.
"Emma!" Graham caught up with Emma, flier in hand, breath panting.
"What's up?"
"You have to take a look at this." Said Graham, handing Emma over the flier.
Emma's eyes bugged out, her brows furrowed, jaw clenching tightly in sudden anger as she stared. This had Killian and Lily written all over it. She knew it.
"Em, I promise you, I had nothing to do with this. I swear." Graham raised his hands, swearing innocence as Emma glared in his direction.
Emma drew in a sharp breath through gritted teeth as she took off in a sprint toward the cafeteria, flier in hand. As she entered, she caught Regina as the brunette raced toward the exit. "Hey, whoa." Her eyes met Regina's, even if Regina couldn't look at her. She used the back of her knuckles to gently wipe away any fallen tear. "Gina, this is on me, okay? It's not on you." Emma said softly. "Wait here."
Regina saw Emma's backpack hit the floor by her feet before she turned, watching as Emma walked across the cafeteria.
Emma glared in Lily's direction as she snatched another flier from her hands.
"Lighten up, Em, it's all in good fun." Said Mia.
"You shut up." Emma lifted her index finger, inches away from Mia's face, her eyes glaring at Lily again. "And you. Don't you ever come near me or Regina. Ever again."
Lily frowned, smile gone.
Emma walked up to Killian next, holding out the fliers in her hand.
"Where's your sense of humor, Em?" Said Killian, looking down at the fliers in Emma's hand. "You know, I had no idea that all that was going on between you two," he motioned to the fliers. "But now that you've broken her in, maybe I'll take a turn, huh?" He snickered.
Emma's lip curled as she shoved the fliers right at Killian's chest, pushing him so far back, he stumbled along the table.
Students stood around them, expecting a fight to break out between Emma and Killian. Emma's hand balled into a fist as soon as Killian stood up. Graham moved past Regina, and ran, putting himself between Killian and Emma, his eyes on Killian. "Hey! Just knock it off, Killian, alright? Cool off."
"Knock it off?! She started it!" Killian's eyes glare in Emma's direction as he pushes Graham aside. He grunts, feeling a sharp and direct punch come at him from Emma, striking him right on the mouth. Mia rushes to be by his side as Killian glares up at Emma, the taste of a warm iron lingering on his tongue, causing him to spit out blood.
"Baby, are you alright-?" Mia's hand hovered over the corner of Killian's mouth.
Killian pushed Mia's hand away, his eyes glaring in strongly in Emma's direction. "Our friendship ends here. We are through!" He seethes.
"That's great." Emma waves her hand in the air, quickly walking to be at Regina's side.
"We are through forever!" Killian shouts, going ignored by Emma.
"Are you okay?" Emma's hands cup the sides of Regina's face in a gentle manner, feeling her head nod. "Are you sure?" Another nod. "Let's get the hell out of here." Emma reaches for her backpack along the ground and walks Regina out, her arm cradled gently along her back.
Regina's breath trembles as soon as they reach the outside, tears threatening to escape her eyes again. She was shaking.
And that Emma couldn't have. "Here," Emma removed her jacket from her body and placed it along Regina's shoulders, her hands cradling her arms, followed by her face again. "Baby, I'm sorry." Emma used her thumb to gently dry away a tear. "Don't you listen to them. They're fucking amateurs, okay?" She sees Regina nod. "Come on, I'll drive you home."
Emma remained parked outside of Regina's home. She didn't plan to leave until she was sure Regina was okay. "Feeling better now?" Emma asks.
Regina nods, her eyes looking into Emma's.
"Are you sure?" Emma asks, her arm outstretched along her seat. Thumb gently stroking along Regina's shoulder.
Regina nods once more. "I'll be fine," she finally says. "Thank you for driving me home."
"No, you're welcome." The corner of Emma's lip tilts into a small smile. "Come on, I'll walk you to the door." Emma steps out of her car, goes around until she reaches the passenger side door, pulling it open for Regina. She waits until Regina is out to shut it and walks beside her. Her hand placed along her back.
Regina waits until she steps up on the porch to turn to Emma. "Here's your jacket-" She attempts to remove Emma's jacket from her shoulders, but it surprises her once Emma holds out her hand, reaching for her arm.
"No. Keep it." Emma smiles sweetly. "You can always give it back to me some other time."
"Okay." Regina leaves Emma's jacket along her shoulders. Feeling more composed than she had before. So much that she decided to grace Emma with a little smile. "Thank you again. For bringing me home and sticking up for me back there."
Emma gave a small smile of her own, and through her hand aching she said, "You have nothing to thank me for, Gina. I'd do it again in a thousand lifetimes."
Regina smiles this time, her heart aching inside of her chest. "Bye." She waves and turns to open her door.
"Hey, wait!" Emma calls out, seeing Regina turn back. Her nerves traveled along her heart, causing it to beat loudly against her ears. "Uh… I want to- I want to ask you something." Emma draws in a slow breath of courage as Regina waits. It was now or never. "W- would you go out with me on Saturday night?"
Go out? Saturday night? Regina would love nothing more, except- "I'm sorry, I can't." She frowns apologetically.
Emma's hope vanishes from her eyes before Regina, "Oh. What, do you… Do you have something else going on with someone else or-?" The thought of Regina already being involved with someone else crushed Emma's heart into dust.
"No." Regina quickly shakes her head. "It's not that. It's…" Her teeth capture her bottom lip, and Emma is tempted to pry it free. But doesn't.
"What is it?" Emma waits, patient as ever.
Regina avoids Emma's gaze for a second before she gives the blonde another apologetic look. Her eyes filled with sadness. "I'm not allowed to date."
Not allowed? "Oh." Despite nodding in understanding, Emma couldn't accept that. She wouldn't accept that.