Chapter 9.
"I'm what?" Emma questioned in disbelief, her head swimming.
Regina closed her eyes for a moment before reopening them and meeting the blonde's own, swallowing hard before she whispered, "Snow White's daughter."
Moments earlier…
"Figured out what?" Emma asked breathlessly, jogging to keep up with the older woman and slipping her hand back into Regina's in a fruitless effort to slow her down.
Regina shook her head, wordlessly, clearly battling something internally, but battling what, Emma had no idea.
"That was Snow White?" Emma continued, trying to make some semblance out of the situation.
Regina snapped her eyes to the younger woman for a moment, sighing "Mary Margaret," she answered monotonously. Emma could see it in her eyes; when she retreated back into her thoughts and still pulling Emma along faster than her legs liked.
Well, Snow White. That made things a little clearer; Emma knew the two women had an unpleasant history. At least, that explained that cold edge Regina's voice had taken on earlier, but why was it getting to her so much? And how had the school teacher somehow recognised her? Had Regina's magic somehow failed? It had seemed to work on everyone else that they had encountered that day; nobody else had recognised Emma, and Emma hadn't recognised any of them. Why was this woman different?
"Regina…," Emma started, hesitating, "What's going on? Did something go wrong with the spell? Is that why she could remember me? Is that why – "
"Please, just shut up for a moment, Emma," Regina snapped, immediately regretting how harsh she had sounded but returning to her silence as she pulled the other woman up the driveway, only letting go to dig around in her bag for her keys and open the door. Regina threw her bag down and lent against the wall.
Emma chewed the inside of cheek for a moment, unsure of where she stood or what to do. She wanted to comfort the woman but she really looked like she needed her space. She decided to busy herself by making a cup of tea, giving Regina some time to compose herself. She didn't understand what was happening but she could see in Regina's eyes that she was in the room, but she wasn't really present. She was deep in the abyss of her own mind, thinking about god knows what, and Emma just had to trust that the older woman would talk to her when she had figured it out herself.
Regina was rubbing her temples, trying to compose herself. She took a deep breath and pulled her slumped body away from the wall and over to where Emma was now sitting in the arm chair, sipping a cup of coffee. She was so patient, Regina thought sadly, as she bent down in front of her, taking the coffee out of her hands and placing it on the table behind her. She couldn't help cupping the blonde's cheek with her hand, running her thumb over pale skin slowly.
"Are you okay?" the concern was evident, almost heart-breaking in Emma's voice as she leaned into the hand on her cheek whilst still nibbling her bottom lip.
Regina's shoulders dropped; this was about to get very complicated, "I don't know, honey," she replied sadly.
Emma let her teeth release her lip, "What is it? Is it your magic, did it wear off – "
Regina put a hand up to silence the younger woman, and shook her head, "The magic is fine," she pulled her hand away from Emma's face, with the intention of breaking all physical contact with the other woman but Emma quickly took her hand and ran her fingers over her upturned palm. Regina had broken eye contact too, until Emma next spoke and she forced herself to meet the younger woman's forest green eyes, and once she had, she couldn't have looked away if she'd wanted to.
Emma frowned, "So how…?"
Regina swallowed, "You're her daughter," she barely whispered.
"I'm what?" Emma questioned in disbelief, her head swimming.
Regina closed her eyes for a moment before reopening them and meeting the blonde's own, swallowing hard before she whispered, "Snow White's daughter."