Rating: T
Ch. 10 – The Road Less Traveled
A soft knock echoed on the bedroom door making Emma stir from her slumber. Snow poked her head in to see her daughter sprawled out on the mattress, eyes still closed.
"Emma?"
Emma shifted and slowly opened her eyes, "Hey mom."
A grin spread across Snow's face at the name as she glided across the hardwood floor to sit at the end of the bed.
She reached out and placed a comforting hand on the blanket over Emma's leg before speaking, "How are you feeling?"
Emma grunted, "Still tired as hell. Regina did all the work today and yet I feel like I've run a marathon."
Snow nodded her head, "This is new for you Emma and you've been practicing every day this week, it's bound to zap some of your energy."
The blonde groaned and rubbed her forehead, "And just look where it's gotten me, we've accomplished nothing. The barrier is still up, Gold still has Henry, and my powers aren't any better than they were before."
She pushed herself up to rest her back against the pillows, eyes staring down at her hands in contemplation before looking up to meet her mother's gaze, "What am I going to do MM?"
Snow's lips lifted at the nickname that Emma still called her, but she didn't mind. She actually kind of liked it.
"I wish I had an answer for you Em, but unfortunately my knowledge of magic is very limited."
Emma gave a soft chuckle in response, "I thought moms were supposed to know the answer to everything."
The brunette gasped in false hurt, "Of course I have the answer to everything," she said, before adding, "to normal situations, anyway."
Emma rolled her eyes, "What the hell is normal these days?"
At that Snow sighed, "Not a lot."
Her hand absentmindedly rubbed Emma's leg again before playing with a thread on the worn blanket, "But I could have had the answer when you had your first fall and scraped your knee or the answer if there was a bully at school, or I could have had the answer to what dress you should have worn to your first ball."
She blinked back tears only to look into green eyes shining right back at her.
"Mom…" Emma started.
"I know," Snow nodded and looked down, letting out a shaky laugh, "I know."
Looking back up at her daughter, she took her hand and squeezed. "This is hard Emma but after everything you've been through, I'm confident you can accomplish anything, and I will be with you every step of the way. Your father and I both will."
She reached up and brushed a strand of blonde hair from Emma's face, curling it behind her ear, pushing down the thought of all the times she wished she could have brushed and braided that golden hair during Emma's childhood.
"Henry will be alright and Gold will be out of our way soon enough when he leaves to find his son. Everything will be okay in the end."
"What if it doesn't turn out okay?" Emma asked as her shoulders slumped forward.
Snow responded with a comforting grin, "If it's not okay, then it's not the end."
Emma had always been a pretty confident person, but as of late that confidence had been dwindling. However, now as she sat here with her mother, she couldn't help but be warmed by Snow's words. Emma had faced many challenges in her life and this was just another one along the journey that she was most definitely determined to overcome.
XxXxX
It was nearing 9 o'clock in the evening now as Emma walked towards the mansion's front door. She had told Regina she would be back after dinner with her parents saying she needed to fill them in and check to make sure everything else with the town was running smoothly.
What she had told the brunette was the truth, but she also wanted to give Regina some space after what happened at the barrier. Part of Emma didn't want to leave her alone as she could clearly see the woman was quite drained from the event, but she didn't want to hover either, acting like some over protective parent. So instead, she had suggested to Regina she lay down and rest and Emma would return later that evening.
Using the key Regina had given her, which she had been a little more than surprised to receive, she unlocked the door and slid her way in closing it quietly behind her. It wasn't late, but after everything that had happened that morning, Emma certainly didn't expect Regina to wait up for her.
The house was dark and so Emma figured Regina had gone up to bed, but a light in the study caught the blonde's eye. After pulling her boots off, she made her way over to the lightly lit room and slowly pushed the door open.
The first thing she saw was the fire crackling in the fireplace, flames dancing and casting shadows on the otherwise dim walls. The only other light source was from a small lamp on the desk. Swinging her eyes to the right, Emma heard a light clink of glass scraping along a hard surface and found Regina standing in front of a bookcase. Her left hand that also held her drink, gripped the top shelf bearing her weight as she leaned forward staring at an old picture of Henry.
Emma looked back down and noticed the brunette had kicked off her heels but still wore the black pants and sweater combo she had on that morning.
There was a nagging feeling at the back of Emma's mind, warning her something was off. Not necessarily danger, but with Regina herself. Emma had rarely seen her without heels, she never slouched, and usually the ex-mayor could hear Emma approach before she even walked in the door.
She took a slow step inside the study and kept her voice low as to not startle the other woman, "Regina?"
Emma could see the slight jolt that went through the brunette's body at just now realizing someone else was in the room with her. Slowly Regina turned her gaze and Emma's stomach tightened as she immediately knew something was wrong. Regina's usually bright chocolate eyes were now out of focus and red-rimmed from the tears that trickled down her face.
Emma had an overwhelming urge to pull the weary woman into her arms, but bit her lip and instead just took a cautious step forward.
"Regina, what's wrong?"
Regina just shook her head as she closed her eyes, swinging her arm off the shelf, barely keeping the glass from flying out of her hand.
Emma's eyes traveled to the decanter of cider that resided on the mahogany desk on the other side of the room. It was almost empty.
Turning her attention back to the now trembling woman, Emma inched closer still, "Tell me what happened, Regina."
The brunette's head snapped back up her eyes shining for a moment before the cloudiness settled back in, another tear making its escape.
"I don't know what to do," she said in a hushed breath.
Emma took another step, "What do you mean?"
Regina shook her head again, trying to clear her thoughts, "It's too strong, I– I don't know what to do."
"What's too strong, the barrier?"
Regina bobbed her head unevenly, in a way very unlike her usual graceful self.
The blonde took another step, arms now slightly raised in a reassuring motion, "Hey, I know you feel discouraged about this morning but Gold said we need my magic as well to break it. As soon as I practice a bit more, we'll knock it down no problem."
A sudden fire burned behind the brunette's eyes startling Emma, "If my magic isn't strong enough what can yours possibly do?!" she shouted out, taking another gulp from her glass, finishing it off.
She made to walk over and pour herself another but Emma stepped in front, blocking her way.
"I know I'm new to all this Regina but I'm doing the best I can, you think I don't want Hen-"
"DON'T!" Regina yelled, staggering away from Emma's arms that were trying to steady her.
"Don't talk about my son, I am his m- mother, if I can't protect him, no one can."
"Regina," Emma tried again, reaching for the brunette, but she just pulled back.
"No, don't." she held up a shaking hand, "Was this your plan all along Miss Swan? Weaken me, use me, then break the barrier yourself and take Henry away?"
"What?" Emma asked, incredulous, "Regina, no, of course not."
"Do not lie to me!" The fury in Regina's eyes was unmistakable, but it wasn't sharp, it was unfocused and blind due to the alcohol. Emma forced herself not to over react or lash out because she knew the brunette wasn't thinking clearly.
"Regina, stop, you know I'm not lying. You've had a few drinks and you're upset. Please, let's just –"
In the next second Emma barely had time to see a flash of glass hurtling through the air before she ducked out of the way.
The glass smashed into the fireplace behind her, shards hissing in the flames.
She stumbled on the floor and whipped her head back to look at the brunette whose eyes were wide with shock and mouth open, as if trying to comprehend how the glass had left her hand.
Emma wasn't angry but damn that had been close.
Regina stumbled forward before jerking to a halt, "Emma, I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean– " she didn't finish as she spun and rushed from the room.
Blinking a few times, Emma scrambled to her feet and ran out the door. She made it to the foyer before she stopped and found Regina standing in the middle of the vast room, looking very small and very broken.
Regina looked up, regret lingering in her dark eyes, before her gaze fell back to the floor.
"What if we can't get him back?"
Her voice was so quiet Emma could hardly hear her.
"We'll get him back," Emma reassured.
"He's all I have, Henry is all I have… if I don't have him I'll be alone. I'll have no one."
Regina's voice cracked as she curled her arms tighter around herself in a protective gesture, eyes unfocused.
Emma slowly walked over to stand in front of the brunette, keeping her voice low but strong, "We will get Henry back Regina, I promise. You won't be alone."
Delicately, Emma reached out and pulled Regina's arms from around her waist, clasping her small hands in her own. Regina's eyes closed at the contact.
"You will have your son back and if you want," Emma paused and took a steadying breath before looking up, willing to see the pair of deep dark eyes that she had grown to love, "you'll have me too."
Regina's eyes fluttered open as she lifted her gaze from Emma's hands on hers to meet warm green eyes.
Emma saw tears had formed in the brunettes eyes but they looked warmer and more hesitant than the blonde had ever seen.
"I would like that." Regina whispered.
The saying went; a drunk man's words are a sober man's thoughts. Maybe the same thing could be said for emotions. Regina wasn't sure if this is what she really wanted or if it was just the alcohol that was currently running through her system but either way the pull she felt towards Emma was disarmingly strong. All she could focus on were soft pink lips mere inches away. She wanted to feel them on her own. She had to feel them.
Emma felt the pull as well but hesitated, unsure if that is exactly what the brunette wanted. However, before she could put anymore thought into it, the brunette closed the gap. The way Regina's lips pressed against hers, Emma felt like she had never truly kissed before. It was filled with a needy passion and an edge of hesitance as they were exposed to the other in that moment. No walls were up, no masks in place, just welcoming warmth drawing them in and never wanting to let go.
Emma deepened the kiss sliding one hand around Regina's waist as the other traveled to tangle itself in short brown locks. Regina's arms were wrapped around Emma's lower back, holding on like the blonde was her lifeline, the only thing keeping her afloat.
It lasted for only a few moments, but Emma felt like it had been hours as time ceased to have any order when she was embraced with the brunette. They finally broke apart resting their foreheads together and if it was any indication by the deep breaths Regina was taking, Emma was sure the older woman felt the same.
Their breath mingled together as they continued to hold onto each other tightly, stuck in place not quite ready to let go.
Emma was the first to break the silence with a content sigh and a whisper of the brunette's name from her lips, "Regina…"
Hearing her name seemed to shake Regina from her daze and she started to pull away.
Emma feared this would happen, they would have a moment of peace, of happiness and then Regina would throw her walls back up and make some excuse for what just occurred.
Not this time, Emma thought.
Emma was a runner, always had been, but if she left, Emma knew she would just run right back. She realized then with certainty that she wanted to be a part of Regina's happy ending. Emma wanted the brunette to know that she would be there for her; she cared for her and wasn't going to leave the broken woman like everyone else had.
Tightening her hold, Emma pulled Regina back to her causing their bodies to press together once more. She soothed her fingers through the brunette's hair and leaned in farther to whisper against her ear, "Please don't pull away Regina, stay with me."
Regina's mind was reeling and she couldn't focus, couldn't take that final step to make the decision which she always made to close off, to deflect so nothing could break through her walls of steel. She wanted to turn away so badly and tell Emma this would never happen again but another part of her, a bigger part wanted the complete opposite. The warmth and security she felt was overwhelming and suffocating in the best way imaginable. She wanted to drown in it, in Emma's arms, her scent, her comfort, her love.
Love. Could she call it that? Is that what she was feeling? It seemed impossible. She had fought for so hard and so long to find happiness and was never able to reach it; she would get a taste only to have it torn away just before her fingers could take a firm grasp.
But this time she had reached far enough, it was in her grasp now in the form of a strong, confident and caring woman with hair of gold and piercing green eyes. All Regina had to do was let go, let go of her insecurity and uncertainty of having her happiness be torn away from her yet again. Let go of the fear that had plagued her heart for nearly all her life.
"Stay with me," Emma repeated, holding Regina even tighter, nuzzling her face into the smooth tanned skin of Regina's neck, "I won't leave you Regina, I'll keep you safe."
Regina knew this was it; there was no turning back if she gave in. The pull and need for the woman in her arms was too strong and she either had to turn away and never look back or take the road less traveled, one that she had closed off so many years ago, break through the gate and start down a fresh path.
"You, Henry, and I can be a family. I will do everything I can to make you happy, anything for you to have your happy ending."
A sob broke through Regina's lips at Emma's last words. Pain, strength, and love all beat through her heart as it threatened to explode. She hadn't felt the power of these emotions in a very long time and yet in that moment she welcomed them with open arms, allowing herself to be consumed. She had never felt better in her life.
"Emma," she gasped, burying her face into the blonde's shoulder as sobs wracked her body.
"Don't leave," she choked, "please, everyone always leaves me."
Emma's response was to just hold on tighter, rubbing soothing circles on her back.
Regina didn't know how long they stood there in the middle of the room, it could have been five minutes, or it could have been an hour. The last thing she remembers is her knees feeling very weak before the blonde scooped her up into strong arms, her eyes falling shut as she succumbed to calming darkness.