Chapter 45
The pain was constant and unyielding, but she was awake. Coraline knew that meant she was alive. She didn't know about the rest of the crew that had shown up in the clearing and right now that didn't really matter. She wanted her mothers. She wanted comfort.
She turned. She saw Will and realized that they were in the cloisters at the Abbey. It was actually the same room that she had been in when she landed there months ago. The pain she felt was almost the same and she felt some sort of ironic completion in it. She couldn't describe it.
There was a calm to her being in pain. It reminded her of the dungeon cell. She knew that she had to be there and that she would find a way to defeat the Black Queen. She just didn't realize that it mean that the Black Queen was her own mother. That slight bit of information derailed her entire mission from destroying the Black Queen to preventing the Black Queen and the Blackness from existing. She just didn't know if she had been successful in her endeavors.
She looked at Will again. There was a fear in her eyes. She sighed inwardly. There was no reason for Will to be scared. She had defeated the dragon. She remembered that much. And, she knew that she would get better because she had the Resurrection Blanket on top of her. She could feel its magic power pouring through her. So it didn't stand to her reasoning why the Vulcannonian was sitting beside her afraid.
She stole a glance around the room. Her moms weren't there. Blue and Tink seemed to be having and argument in the corner. She couldn't make out what it was about. It seemed to be too quiet then. She saw Snow move to stand with Will. They spoke to each other and hugged, but still she couldn't hear it and they were only steps away.
This thought alone about not being able to hear should have frightened her, but it didn't. She chalked it up to the injuries that she had suffered and knew that with time she would alright. She shifted slightly on the bed. She felt it creak and saw four pairs of eyes turn to her.
The deeply wounded sapphire of Wilhelmina broke her heart. She opened her mouth to tell her that she would be fine, but nothing came out. No words were said. She tried to blink in order to make some sort of contact, but nothing worked. Fear began to form in the back of her head. She took stock of what she knew at that moment. She'd defeated the dragon. She was in the cloisters in her old room from months ago. Tink and Blue were there. She was under the Resurrection Blanket. Snow and Will looked like they were keeping a vigil over her. Henry, David, Regina and Emma were noticeably missing. Even Belle and Red weren't there. Something was terribly wrong and she couldn't figure out what it was.
She tried to move and couldn't. Her body was just too heavy and too pain riddled to move. She tried to shout, but her mouth and lungs would produce no sound. She tried to alter her breathing hoping that she could do something with that to communicate, but again nothing happened. She was at a loss. There was nothing that she could do. She was at the mercy of the blanket and whatever magic the fairies could give her. She couldn't feel her own.
That is why the fear became real. She could always feel her magic, even when she was little and it was bound. She knew that she was special. But, now, she couldn't. It was like it had been sapped from her and it was just gone. She didn't like the feeling. She loathed it and then she realized that this is what her mother felt when she left Storybrooke.
She felt heavy, like she was in water and weighed down. Her breathing shallowed out and her body screamed out for relief. She felt herself give in to it all. She let her body sink into the abyss. The pain was just too much. She couldn't fight off the sleep that her body demanded. She closed her eyes and fell into the darkness.
Will sat beside her. The tears ever present in her eyes. She knew that pain Coraline was feeling was great and she was angry with herself that she couldn't do more. She refused to leave her side. When they left the make shift hospital room hours ago, Will was the one who carried her out, bridal style, to this room. She wouldn't let anyone else touch her. She was afraid if they did, it would spoil her somehow. She was also afraid to leave her side.
She watched as Tink bathed her wounds and changed the dressings. The sticky black ooze that flowed from some of the wounds reeked of magic. She knew that the fairies were doing their best to ease her suffering, but they were all hoping that the blanket would heal her quicker. But, that was the problem they were facing. It was healing her, but not as fast as they hoped.
Will realized then that the magic that Rumple used to conjure that dragon was dark and deadly. He didn't really know what he was doing. She wondered how he faired, but then she hoped that he was dead. She knew that if she saw him again, that it would be too soon.
"Any change?" Snow asked her.
"No."
Snow gave her a weak smile. She remembered days like this when they were both younger. The wars had been vast and long, but Snow had been untouched by them. She didn't know the lengths that her father went through to keep his throne and extend her lands. But, Snow knew her own horrors of war thanks to Regina's need for revenge against a child. They had both learned the tolls that war brought with them, especially when magic was concerned.
Blue had gone to waving a wand over Coraline's body. They were pulling the magical toxins from her blood but they had no idea what lasting effects it would have on her. She still had yet to wake up and tell them what she had seen.
"Did you slay the dragon?" Snow asked her.
"No, Coraline did."
"By herself?"
"She is accomplished knight, Snow. She was trained by the best that survived the Black Curse. Hell, even Henry taught her to use a bow like you. She's as good a shot as you are. I've seen her. She practices like you do to clear her head," Will told her.
"She does?"
"She does. She is as much a Charming and a White as she is a Mills. She has the Charming hope and strength, the White resilience and leadership, and the Mills magic and fierceness. She truly is the Swan Princess. She is her mothers' daughter."
"Why hasn't she woken?"
"I don't know. The magic that Rumple used was strong. The fairies are doing their best. It will just take time. I am sure that as soon as Emma and Regina can they will be here to help."
"And, if they can't?" Snow asked.
"Don't ever give up hope, Snow. Ever. You can't and do you know why?"
"No," Snow replied almost sounding defeated.
"Because you are Snow White, Queen of the Summerlands and you are as much as survivor as your daughter and your granddaughter are. They will pull through this. You will see."
No sooner had Will finished her words then Regina and Emma came into the room. It had only been a day, but Emma looked brand new. They both looked ragged. It had only been at Will's insistence that they go home to rest. Charming had taken Henry and Neal with him. Snow refused to leave, but kept herself busy outside of Coraline's room for the most part. She wanted to be near just in case she was needed, no matter the reason.
"How is she?" Emma asked.
Blue and Tink stopped and looked up at the Saviour. She was ragged, but her eyes burned with a new clarity. They could see her becoming herself again. It was the same fierceness that Emma possessed when she realized who she really was after she broke the Curse years ago. Regina on the other hand looked slightly defeated. Her eyes were dull and hollow. The rest she had taken was obviously fitful. She felt useless as her child, her own blood, laid there next to her hurt.
"She's responding. Whatever magic that Rumple used with that dragon, it was dark and deep. It had crept inside her and is trying to hide. We've pulled a lot out, but there is a lot more."
"And, the blanket?" Emma asked, trying to process what they were telling her.
"It's keeping it from her heart," Tink told her.
Emma looked straight at her at the words. Green eyes bored into her hazel trying to find some more information from the statement. Not getting the answer she wanted, she just asked.
"And, what will happen if it reaches her heart?"
"She'll die," Tink told her.
Regina sobbed and fell to the floor. Snow was immediately at her side, helping her back up and whispering words of encouragement into her ears. This was not how Coraline was to die.
"That is not her fate," Emma said resolutely.
"Emma…" Blue started.
"NO! NO! I refuse to believe that she came all the way back here in time just to die. I refuse! So someone better start looking for some answers. I will not let her die like this!"
Regina looked at Emma. She saw the fire burning behind her eyes. She'd seen it before and it wasn't going to pleasant if that fire was unleashed.
"We are doing everything that we know," Tink said.
"Get more fairies then," Emma demanded.
"Emma…" Blue tried again.
"What?!" Emma hissed.
"You need more rest. The Darkness tried to take you. Some of it…well, is still inside you."
Emma glared at her. Snow gasped at the realization of what happened to her eldest child the day before. Regina reached out for her arm, hoping to anchor Emma's rage and pull it into herself.
"You don't know what you are talking about," Emma stated.
"I can still see it around you, Emma."
"Emma…" Regina started, pulling slightly on her hand.
Emma turned to face her. Regina wavered for a moment and then found herself. She dug deep into the Evil Queen. She needed her to face Emma right now. They both needed that darkness in order to help their daughter.
"Let them work, Emma," she commanded.
Snow backed up and away at the sound of her voice. Will stood up and took notice. Tink grinned and Blue went back to work. Emma was the only one that didn't seem to be affected by it at all.
"I…"
"I know, Dear. The Blue bug and the Sprite are doing what they can. Wilhelmina is guarding her body. She isn't going to let anything happen to her. We need to go find Red and the Bookworm. They may have more information on how to help her."
"We can't just leave her like this!"
"We aren't. We are fighting. That is what we do. We fight. Snow, please keep in touch with the family. We might have to leave the area for a while. You are to be the point of contact until further notice. I am leaving you in charge," Regina told her.
Snow could see the fury in her eyes. She knew that whatever Regina was about to do with Emma was going to be huge, but it would necessary. She also understood what it meant to leave Snow in charge of the town and the family. She knew what it took for Regina to ask her that. She nodded in affirmation and took a seat near Coraline.
Before Emma could disagree, Regina pulled her out the room. She would have magicked them back to town, away from the Abbey, if she had only known where Red was at the moment. In the end, she poofed them to the well. She knew that Emma would need to see it for herself.
When Emma realized what Regina had done, they were already in the woods near the well. She looked up and saw Red pacing beside it. She wasn't in human form and that told Emma enough. If she was in Wolf form, there was something that was agitating her into it.
"What can you tell me, Wolf pup?" Regina asked her.
Red nosed her hand. Regina buried that hand into Red's fur and let her pull her along. Emma followed them, suddenly upset that she didn't have a weapon of some sort to defend them with. They neared the well. They could smell the magic and Emma had to admit that is smelled dark.
She couldn't explain it, but she knew that wasn't good. She took Red's appearance and Regina's wariness and it put her further on edge. She felt the darkness creeping in and taking over. She needed an outlet and Regina could tell. She was tugged further up to the well.
Regina conjured a bucket and wheel. She dropped the bucket into the well and drew it back up full of water. Red inched forward and sniffed it. She didn't give Regina any negative indication that Emma could see and before she could stop Regina, she had ladled herself some to drink. When nothing happened, Emma just continued to watch her with rapt attention.
"The water won't hurt you, Dear," Regina told her.
"I am not so sure of that," Emma replied.
"Do you think that I am that daft? I wouldn't have drunk any if it were harmful. There are no spells in it. The water is clean. This water is also not from Storybrooke."
"The lake was dry," Emma stated.
"It was. It seems that Rumple might have actually created some good from his spell. It seems that the lake was reborn. The water has restorative properties, Emma. Drink some," Regina urged her handing her the full ladle.
"Coraline needs this. I don't. Why don't you take it to her?"
"I will, but you first."
Emma didn't know if she could trust her in that moment and she didn't know why. So much had changed in her heart and head the moment she crossed…the line, both the town line and line between reality and the abyss…that she couldn't reason correctly and she knew it. She wanted to snatch the ladle from her and drink her fill, but there was something nagging her about it. Then she realized that the darkness of the abyss was still in her. Rumple hadn't completely failed. She had poisoned both her and her daughter.
"Will it stop the rage growing inside me?" Emma asked as she fell to her knees.
"It will if you let it, Emma. Let your rage go. It will only destroy you."
She stood up, unsteadily. Her brain was still reeling and trying to process the information that she had quickly received back at the abbey. Emma took a step back. She stared into the dark eyes of her lover and wondered if this was some trick. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she wondered if she was still asleep. She wasn't sure if she had actually escaped the abyss that the darkness had thrown her in.
"Emma?" Regina asked, still standing before her holding the ladle.
She turned back to Red and met her yellow eyes. She saw the compassion and the fear that the Wolf had for her at the moment. Her mind wanted to desperately believe what they were telling her, but the darkness still lingered. She shook her head, trying to dislodge the thoughts and fell back to her knees.
Regina dropped the ladle and was at her side before she hit the ground. She held her as they were both kneeling beside the stone well. She gathered Emma into her arms. She pulled her blond head into the crook of her neck and held her there. She felt Emma sob. She tried to soothe her, but she didn't know what was really wrong with Emma.
"Emma? Love? Can you tell me what's wrong?" Regina asked as she gave Red a look.
Before Emma answered, Red came closer and curled up next to them. She was taking a defensive position. Once she was hunkered down near them, she laid her head on Emma's leg. It was to show Emma that she was there for them and that Emma could break down.
"I couldn't fight it…"
"You did, Dear. You beat the darkness. You didn't give in," Regina told her.
"But, I did. I did just long enough to give up. That was all it needed. I failed you."
"No, you didn't, Emma. You fought for so long. You opted for death when you knew what the darkness wanted. I don't think that I could do that."
"But, you were angry with me…"
"Because you left. I wasn't mad because of why you left, Emma. I was mad because you did and I was going to be alone. We are each other's happy ending. Coraline is our proof of that. I need you to be here with me. I don't want to raise her alone. I want you to be there for us. I don't want you to die. I don't want you to become the Dark One and I will fight for you. Can you fight for yourself?" Regina asked her.
"I don't know."
"Can you fight for me, then?" Regina questioned, knowing that Emma's self-worth was still low.
"I will always fight for you," Emma declared.
"Then drink," Regina commanded, handing her the conjured ladle.
Emma took the ladle and drank. She emptied it and handed it back to Regina. She swallowed the cold water and felt it coating her insides. Then there was an odd sensation. It was like a light came on inside her and started to radiate outwards. She felt warm and free.
"Gina?"
"Yes, my Love?"
"We need to take some of this to Coraline. It will help her, right? I mean, it will help expel the darkness in her, right?" Emma asked sounding more like a wounded child than the Saviour.
"It won't hurt to try, Emma. We'll take some back and I'll send Red back with some for Coraline. First, we are going to home and you are going to rest."
"But, Coraline…"
"Is in the best hands that she can be at the moment. She needs both of us, Emma and she needs us to be well. You aren't well and I'm extremely tired. We both need rest."
"Red, you'll watch over her until we get back?" Emma asked the Wolf.
She nodded and nipped lightly at Emma's pant leg. Emma knew what she meant. Their eyes met again and they shared a silent conversation. Red got up off her haunches moments later and took off back towards the Abbey, leaving Emma and Regina by the well.
"What about the water?" Emma asked her.
"She has it, trust me on that," Regina told her.
"Where?"
"You'll have to ask Ruby next time you see her. That Wolf is amazing, but she has the right to some secrets too, Emma. Now, close your eyes and drink. When you wake, we'll be at home."
Emma did as she bade. The want to fight had subsided, but the quiet rage was still burning. She hoped that the rest and relaxation that Regina was demanding that she take helped. She didn't like the feelings that were possessing her and she knew that Regina would do everything in her power to keep from going dark. Emma could only wonder if it would be enough. She loved Regina and she didn't want to do anything to jeopardize that. Her family was her life and like she thought while was she was the dark reaches of that abyss, she would give up life to protect them, even if it was from herself.
She allowed Regina to put her to bed once they appeared in Regina's room. She didn't fight her as she removed her boots, jacket and jeans. She settled relatively quickly on the bed and found that sleep wasn't far behind. She smiled up at Regina, who kissed her sweetly, like one would kiss a child goodnight, and allowed slumber to overtake her.
Once she was asleep, Regina went down to her study. She was curious and afraid. Emma had fought off the darkness of the Dark One, but was it the same as the Blackness that encompassed the future for Coraline. She needed to study. She needed to figure out how to help Emma control the darkness that possessed her.
The darkness had consumed her mind and soul for hours, feeding on her light until it was gone, too. But, it was Regina's love that gave Emma's light a new spark, a renewed passion, and a vigorous return to life. There was nothing else that Regina could have done in that moment but love her. The joining of their hearts kick started Emma's and forced the Saviour to admit her weakness to the Queen. It was that moment that made Regina love her more. True, she had been hurt by Emma's free choice to die to protect her and Coraline, but she knew that Emma had a hero complex. She couldn't help it. She was a Charming after all.
"She asleep?" Belle asked, slowly walking into the study.
"She is."
"You'll have to watch her."
"I know."
"You'll have to love her now, more than ever."
"I do."
"I am serious, Regina. You'll have to pull down all your walls around her and let her into deep recesses of your heart. You can never let her go. Your hearts are joined. You are one love. And, it is that love that will save her from the curse that Rumple tried to give her."
"So he did curse her?" Regina asked, watching the librarian as she sat down.
"He didn't directly, no. It was the Curse of the Dark One. It tried to possess her, but her light was too strong. Her love for you and her family is too great. But, in the end, the body and the mind can only battle for so long. Her mind was vigilant, but her body could no longer fight the strength that such darkness possesses. She had a choice and it is a choice that no many can make. She is the first in a long line of successors to have defied the powers life," Belle said.
"How?"
"She didn't give in to it. She chose death rather than give in to the rage and fury. She knew that the warmth you were giving her would fade if she accepted the darkness and took with it its power. The only option she saw in the moment was sacrifice and the purest form of sacrifice. It was the Sacrifice of Self," Belle told her.
"So giving her life force up, destroyed the Dark One?" Regina asked.
"No, that power cannot be destroyed. There will always be evil in the world, but it won't be Emma. She is flawed and misguided, but she is pure in the ways of light and dark. She banished the darkness to an abyss that only she knows. It is no longer with us. We have tried summoning it and will not come."
"So Rumple?"
"Doesn't matter anymore. He has no power and he cannot regain it. Whether he is here or out there on his own, he is a coward and his fate is his own making. The dagger had no power any more. So even if he were to come back to Storybrooke, by some crazy magical miracle for himself, the dagger couldn't help him. It is just an ugly knife now."
"There is no name on it?" Regina asked her.
Belle dropped the black handled dagger on her desk. Regina tentatively picked it up and turned it over and over. There was no name etched into the blade. It was remarkably blank except for the filigree carvings that had always been there. It was just another blade. Regina dropped it back onto her desk.
"He is gone?"
"There is no trace of him. But, what I am about to say will anger you, but trust me when I say it was the only way the time that we could make sure. He suggested it…"
"He who?" Regina asked, suddenly very on edge with the Bookworm.
"Henry."
"What about Henry?" Regina questioned, her ire rising.
"He crossed the town line to…"
"He what?!" Regina shouted, standing from her desk and rounding it as Belle stood, taking a few steps away from the advancing Queen.
"He's fine, Regina. He was never out of my eyesight. I would have willingly crossed if need be to help him, but I didn't. He searched the immediate area and came back home. He needed to see for himself what his Grandfather almost accomplished. He saw the scorch marks from their dueling magic. He saw the blood on the pavement. He saw the tuffs of fur from Red that had been singed off due to the town line. He needed to see it."
"Why?" Regina asked her.
"So he could help. He has no magic. He isn't a knight, but he is still a member of this family. And, unfortunately like all the Charmings, he is willing to die to protect his family. He knew that you wouldn't leave Emma's side while she was fighting. He knew that Will wouldn't leave Coraline's. He also knew that Red would go on patrol. David would make sure that the town was safe and the dwarves would help him. He knew that I would start researching the magics needed to make sure that everyone was okay and try to find any information on the Dark One's Curse. He also knew that no matter what history you shared with Snow and however she felt about you being with Emma that she wasn't going to abandon either of you when you needed her the most. She has been running the town, in your stead, for the last few days. Everyone came together in order to fight and defend the town using their talents to the best of their abilities, but Henry is the author without a pen."
"That was his choice. He knew that having that pen carried a lot of responsibilities and he didn't want to have the capability to ruin someone because he could control their will. I applauded him for that," Regina replied.
"He knows that. But because he couldn't simply just write Coraline and Emma better, he feels somewhat responsible for their state. He needed to know that it wasn't his fault. I know that you've told him as much and so has Snow. But, he needed to do something and crossing the line was the only thing that he could think of."
"He couldn't have gotten hurt. What if Rumple had done something? We wouldn't have been able to do anything. Doesn't he understand the risk he took in doing that?" Regina asked.
"He did. That is why he did it. But, now we know that Rumple has hovelled off somewhere. He truly has no power. He is just a man with no past, no power, and no help. He will either learn to survive out there or he will succumb."
"You're sure?" Regina questioned.
"Ask your son, he called the Dark One and no one came. The Dark One is no longer in our realm, Regina. The darkness did touch Emma. It was enough to affect her, but not enough to claim her. Her emotions will be everywhere and she won't know how to deal with the rage and fury. She needs you and your love. She needs to know that you aren't going to abandon her. She needs to know that you don't fear her because of what she has done. Because if you can't do those things, she really will be lost to us. The darkness will find root and it will manifest and grow. The only problem with that is that it will consume her whole. She won't be able to fight it because she won't have the will to do so. She will succumb and she will die," Belle explained.
"Then, I guess I will have to make sure that she knows that she isn't alone and that she will always have my love. I will not lose her, Belle. I will not let her become what I was."
"Then, love her, Regina. Love her the only way that you can. Completely," Belle told her.
Regina stared into her blue eyes and watched them dance. She knew what Belle was telling her. Emma's innocence maybe lost, but her purity wasn't. She needed the balance that Regina gave her. They were like yin and yang, Emma the light to Regina's darkness, but their balance worked. They were stronger together and everyone could see it. Emma needed her, now, like she had needed her before. The give and take would never end, and neither would her love.
Regina showed Belle out. She knew that the librarian would keep her informed and if she didn't, then Red would. They were the royal houses of the Enchanted Forest and they were the still leading even in Storybrooke. Someone would eventually step forward and let them know what was going on in the town. The main part of the town still looked to them for advice and they didn't have a problem with them being the mayor and sheriff. They were protected and cared for. Regina had made sure that the town would prosper and thrive as long as they worked together. Her magic gave them a home and jobs, but it was up to the town folk to thrive. She wasn't surprised to see that they had. And, now, during their time of need, the town had stepped up and was protecting itself. It continued to thrive even in the face of annihilation and magical destruction. The town never gave up. And, she knew that she couldn't either.
She slowly made her way up the stairs to her bedroom. She hoped that Emma was still asleep. She hadn't been gone long, but she wondered if it had been long enough for Emma to realize. She, herself, had been sleeping fitfully for the last few days and not having Emma beside her wasn't an option. She'd slept in that chair touching the Saviour because she had to. Her love wouldn't let her leave and her heart needed the connection.
"Regina?" Emma asked groggily as she rolled over in the bed at the sound of door opening.
"Yes, Dear," Regina answered as she crossed the room towards the bed.
"Come lay with me?" Emma begged.
"Of course, Dear," Regina stated.
She quickly changed out of her normal dress pants and silk shirt before she climbed in bed with Emma. When she got in and settled, Emma rolled over into her warmth and snuggled. It wasn't their normal position, but Regina didn't mind. She knew that Emma needed her. She circled her arm around Emma's body and held her close. It didn't long before her breathing evened out and she could a slight snore from her. Regina smiled down into Emma's blond hair.
"Sleep well, Emma. I've got you. And, as much as it pains me to say it, your mother has the town and our family protected. We'll be alright. Everything will be alright," Regina whispered into Emma's hair and gave her another good squeeze.
Later in the afternoon, Regina woke up to a cold bed. Emma had gotten up and not woken her. Normally that wouldn't bother her, but with everything that had happened in the past few days, it gave her a little start. She got out of the bed and grabbed her grey silk robe. She wrapped herself up in it and made her way downstairs. As soon as she reached the bottom of the stairway, she smelled the coffee that Emma must have made. She stopped just outside the kitchen when she heard David talking with her.
"I know, Dad," Emma said.
"Do you, Emma?"
"I do. I love her more than anything. I am willing to do anything for her."
"Then, why do you need my help?"
"Well, you and Mom are known for your romantic sides," Emma started.
"Yes?" David asked, not sure where his daughter was going with the conversation.
"I need some help. I screwed up. I mean, I really screwed up, Dad. I broke a promise that I made to her and I don't know how to fix it. I don't know that I can."
"What was your promise?" David asked wondering how bad it could have really been.
"I promised that I wouldn't ever leave her or Henry. I did, Dad. I died. I gave up."
"Did you give up, Emma or did you sacrifice yourself?" David asked her.
"I…I…I let go in order to protect her," Emma stammered.
"Then you didn't leave her. You both share True Love. Your hearts are connected. I mean it isn't like your mother and I where we share a heart, but it is close enough. Have you talked to her about it?"
"We did, but we decided that we both needed rest before we finished it. I was so tired and I felt broken inside. I wasn't completely healed when I woke up. Regina knew it. She…"
"She?"
"Held me," Emma replied defeated.
"You don't always have to be so strong, Emma. I know that you and Regina don't have a conventional relationship, but it works for you. It is the give and take that makes it work. You can be weak and let her be strong. I know when I felt my worst it was your mother that made me feel better. She's never let me down. We hold each other up. That is what love does."
"I do love her."
"I know, Emma. I've seen it. Anyone can see it in how you look at her."
"I just want my family to be safe, Dad," Emma stated.
"That is all anyone wants."
"I love her so much, Dad."
"Then tell her."
"I have, but I want to do more," Emma stated.
"Like what?"
"I don't know. I…I have an idea, but I am not sure that she'll agree. You might know her mindset on the subject better than I do. But, then again, I might need to talk to Mom. I am not sure that it would be an easy conversation, though," Emma told him.
"You won't know until you try," David mused.
"I don't think she is ready. I don't know if I am ready. I know that we do it. Coraline has told me as much, but I don't know how we go about it," Emma started.
"Whoa there, Emma. I don't want to know about your sex life with Regina. You're my daughter and there are some things that I don't need to know about your life. You love her and you have a child with her. That is all I need to know that makes you happy," David told her.
Regina gasped. She knew what Emma was hinting at when he idiotic father didn't catch on. She wanted to marry Emma. She did. They loved each other and they were good team. She just didn't think that Emma needed that to prove her love. Regina would have been alright without it, but it seemed that Emma was a little more traditional than she thought.
She rubbed her belly absentmindedly. Regina knew that marrying Emma would make Coraline, or Remy, legitimate in the eyes of the Laws of Succession should they end up back in the Enchanted Forest. She smiled. She knew that Emma was worried about her and what she thought simply because of her marriage to Leopold and the aftermath of it. She had to admit to herself that made her wary of marriage, but marrying Emma wouldn't be like that. She knew that. She loves Emma, so their marriage would be entirely different.
Regina stomped her feet a little to let them know that she was awake and nearby. She heard David clear his voice and Emma went completely quiet. She walked into the kitchen. She got herself a mug of coffee and went to stand beside Emma.
"Feeling better, Emma?" Regina asked.
"Yes, thank you, but now, I want to go see Coraline," she told her.
"Yes, Dear. We'll go relieve your mother. I am sure that she needs to eat."
"I'll see you both there," David told them and he took his leave.
Regina wanted until she heard the front door close before she said anything else to Emma. By then, Emma had David cup in the sink and was rinsing it out before she put it in the dishwasher. Regina stepped up behind her and wrapped her arms around her. She rubbed her nose in the crook of Emma's neck, nuzzling her.
"Regina?"
"Yes, my Love?" Regina asked.
"I love you so much," Emma told her.
Regina leaned forward. She knew that Emma was a bundle of nerves at that moment. She took pity on her. She kissed her just beneath her ear, then licked her earlobe, knowing what it would do to Emma. Of course, Emma spun around in her arms and looked down at Regina.
"The answer is yes, Dear," Regina told her.
"To what question?" Emma asked her confused.
"To the question that you are afraid to ask me."
"Really? You want to…but I just thought…Really? Oh my God, I have to tell someone. Really? You want to be my wife? That is amazing. You're amazing," Emma stated.
"I think you should tell Henry first," Regina told her with a smirk.
"You mean I should ask him first," Emma replied.
"Why would you need to ask him about marrying me, Love?"
"Because he would be the one to give you away," Emma said.
"Then, you'd better ask Wilhelmina, too," Regina added with a cocked eyebrow.
"Oh, shit…"