Underneath The Surface, Chapter 10: Purple Flood
By Carolyn McBride
Regina opened the door and smiled. "Good morning, Callie, we were just coming downstairs."
Callie smiled at Regina, "Oh good! Mom's making something special for breakfast."
Emma stepped out into the hallway and flashed a small smile at Callie, then turned to shut their door. "It smells good, even from up here."
Callie preceded them down the stairs and replied, "I think it's blueberry pancakes with wild berries. You look nice this morning, Regina."
"Thank you."
There was no time for any further conversation as they had already come to the bottom of the stairs. Callie stumbled as she was shoved aside by a guest Emma hadn't seen before. He was a big man, easily six feet tall, wide in the shoulders with arms that reminded one of tree trunks. His head seemed large too with wild hair that stuck out at every angle. He shot the teenager a withering look and she stepped back onto the staircase.
Regina heard the sound of someone coming down the hall from the kitchen, but this man trying to intimidate the girl woke something inside of the former queen and she stepped forward and around Callie.
Right into the big man's space.
"Excuse me, but perhaps you'd like to apologize to the young lady."
The big man looked Regina up and down and only sneered in response.
Emma watched that familiar, regal mask slip down over Regina's features as she drew herself ramrod straight. Emma leaned forward and put one hand on Callie's shoulder and whispered into her ear. "Watch and learn."
Regina stepped slowly closer to the big man, curled her upper lip and enunciated every word. "This is Callie's home, sir, and you are a guest. Perhaps you were raised by wild animals, but where I come from, guests show respect to their hosts, no matter their age. I believe you owe the young lady an apology."
"I don't apologize to punks." He snarled. "And who the hell are you to tell me what to do? Do you know who I am?"
"I certainly do." Regina's voice dripped with scorn and sarcasm. "You are no better than a pig for the way you treat girls, and I have to assume that you treat grown women the same way."
Emma saw Patty move forward, and she put a hand on her arm to stop her. When Patty looked at her, the fear was plain on her face. Emma smiled slightly and shook her head.
"It does not do anyone any good to behave like a wild boar." Regina drew the last word out contemptuously as the man stepped back a pace and halfway out the door. "Surely your father did not teach you to be such a lout towards women. In this day and age, you will find more success by treating people with respect than if you treat them as the insect you are." Regina pressed her advantage by taking a step further into the stranger's space. "You will apologize, and mean it, to both Patty and her daughter, respectfully, or I will personally ensure you are no more welcome in this town than a sexual disease. Do you understand me?" she snarled.
The guest backed up another step and nodded vigourously. Emma saw genuine fear in his eyes and marvelled at the power Regina still wielded, until Regina turned to face them.
Her eyes had turned purple.
Two words flitted across Emma's mind, 'Oh, shit' and she shot off the step. She took Regina's elbow in her hand and turned her toward the door. "Could I see you outside for just a second, dear?"
The powerful brunette looked all kinds of pissed off, and for a moment Emma wondered if she would literally rip her head off, but she guided her out onto the porch regardless. She kept Regina turned away from the house as she slipped her arm around Regina's waist and murmured in her ear. "Listen to me, I know what you're feeling right now, but you have to put a lid on it. Your eyes are purple."
Regina's gaze snapped from the street to Emma's face. "What?"
Emma rubbed Regina's lower back, not caring that the others were watching. "We can talk about this later, but you have to get it under control, okay?"
Regina inhaled deeply and let the breath out slowly. She shut her eyes and did it again, and then looked up at Emma. "Gone?"
"Gone. We're okay. It must have just been the light in the stairwell, right?" Emma smiled.
They turned as one back to the house. "Absolutely." Regina agreed.
As they came back to the door, the big man was stammering and looking at the floor. "Umm..."
Regina poked him in the lower back with a long finger. "It is polite to remove one's hat while apologizing to a lady."
He jumped, and stood straight as he snatched his hat off his head. "Callie, Patty, I'm sorry for the disrespect I showed. I should have behaved better. Please forgive me."
Then he spun on his heel, shot Regina a fearful glance and nearly ran to the street.
As Emma held the door open for Regina to re-enter the house, Callie was still standing on the bottom step, eyes wide.
"Are you all right, my dear?" Regina put her hand on the girl's shoulder.
"Yeah, I'm ok. Thank you. No one's ever defended me like that before." Callie's head cocked slightly. "Why'd you do it?"
Regina smiled at her. "I cannot abide a man that treats others as if they were lower than he. I have some experience in the matter, and I've learned that is a slippery slope. Now, how about those blueberry pancakes?" Regina turned a bright smile on Patty and the four of them went into the dining room.
By the time the pancakes were consumed, the uneasiness had been put aside. No one had mentioned the purple hue that had taken over Regina's eyes, even though Emma had a ready excuse for it.
"Regina, would you like some coffee?" Patty asked.
"Yes please. Emma brought us some back from the diner after her morning run, but I'm afraid one isn't enough for either of us. Emma's going to need some for her morning of wood chopping, I think."
Emma glanced up and smiled in agreement.
"How long have the two of you been together?" Callie asked suddenly.
"Umm..." Emma stumbled over an explanation she thought she had ready.
Thankfully, Regina was much smoother. "It's a relatively new relationship. We're still navigating our way through it I think. Isn't that right?" She turned to Emma.
Emma nodded and tried to look settled, even though her pancakes were doing flips in her stomach. "I'd say so, yeah."
Callie smiled at Emma, sly and knowing, despite her age. "You act like you've been looking out for her for a while."
"Callie! Hush! It's not our business!" Patty admonished.
Emma put her cup down and put her hand on the back of Regina's chair. "I guess I have been. It's become second nature for me now. Would you believe we hated each other when we first met?"
Callie looked first from Emma and then to Regina, then back to the blonde. "No way, really?"
Emma nodded. "Really. It was a while before we could see past our first impressions of each other, but we did. Somehow I went from hating her, to defending her, and ... well ... here we are."
"That is so cool." Callie breathed.
Emma glanced at Patty, who was studying Regina with a smile. "Indeed."
Regina returned the smile. "Patty, Callie said these were wild blueberries?"
Patty nodded as she poured herself coffee. "Callie and I picked them ourselves. The first batch of the season. We like to use wild foods when we can. I've been meaning to put in an edible garden, but I never seem to have the time."
Emma reached under the table and nudged Regina's thigh gently.
"Perhaps I can help you with that. I have a few gardens back home." Regina wiped her mouth with her napkin and reached under the table to take Emma's in her own.
"Could you? That would be wonderful! I wouldn't want to keep you from anything..."
Emma exchanged a look with Regina and said, "I think we'll be here for a little while if you don't mind, Patty. It's going to take a while to get Regina's I.D replaced before we can cross the border. Just let me know how much the room is and..."
"Did I hear you were chopping wood later?"
Emma nodded. "Charlie and I talked this morning and she offered a trade. Lunch for a pile of wood split and stacked. It seemed fair."
Patty sat back in her chair and studied Emma wordlessly for a minute. Then she said, "You don't look like you're afraid of a little work."
"She's our town's Sheriff, back home." Regina boasted.
"No way!" Callie exclaimed.
Emma blushed a little and nodded.
"Callie, would you clear the table, except for our cups, please?" Patty looked to her daughter. "I'll make you ladies an offer then. In return for Regina's help with the gardening and landscaping, and your help with a few repairs and renovations, Emma, I'm prepared to let you stay as long as you need, no charge."
Emma looked at Patty, waiting.
Patty continued as she refilled their coffee cups. "I appreciate what you did on Callie's behalf, Regina. Turk has been an ass every year he comes bear hunting. He swaggers around like we owe him something, just because he's some wrestling star. He's been a thorn in my side for five years, and frankly, seeing him take his hat off and apologize was priceless. I'm no fool, but I don't have the kind of backbone you do. You did us a huge favor by taking him down a peg. So discuss my offer between you and let me know. Callie, show them how to get out to the backyard please, so they can enjoy sun with their privacy."
Regina and Emma followed the teenager down the hall and out the backdoor.
"So this is it. I know it's not much right now, but maybe you can help Mom change it some?"
"It has a lot of potential." Regina smiled.
Callie left them alone and they studied the yard. It was nice, if a bit plain. The grass was obviously healthy, lush and a dark green. The deck was concrete and held two white Adirondack chairs and a small table between them. They each took a seat and looked at the empty yard.
"Well, what do you think?" Emma asked.
"About the yard or the offer?" Regina smirked.
Emma rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically.
Regina chuckled. "Relax, dear, I was only having a little fun. In all seriousness, I think it's a good offer, and in line with what we were discussing upstairs. I think we should accept. What are your feelings?"
"I think we're accepted, here at least." Emma reached out and took Regina's hand and allow their joined hands to form a bond between them. "I agree with you, we should accept. It would benefit everyone."
Regina nodded and they drank their coffee in companionable silence.
Once Emma had drained the last of her coffee, she gave Regina's hand a small squeeze. "As much as I'm enjoying this, I should get going. I'll be back to take a shower and pick you up for lunch."
Regina chuckled as she stood up. "Why, Miss Swan, are you asking me out on a date?"
Emma stood as well and smiled. "Yes, Ms. Mills, I believe I am."
Regina smiled that thousand watt smile that Emma loved to see, then leaned over and kissed Emma's cheek. "I'll be waiting."
Neither of them saw Patty at the kitchen window, watching with a broad smile of her own as she rinsed the dishes at the sink.