Author's Note: Thanks once again for the reviews! This chapter is the first part of Emma and Regina's first sleepover, a.k.a. the one where Emma finally freaks out. The night will be continued in Chapter 10. To the people wondering about Cora's mysterious trip to Portland...don't worry, it will be addressed, probably in one or two chapters.
Happy reading!
xx
Chapter 9: Sleepover (Part 1)
Emma walks out the door of the apartment, terribly confused. For some reason, Regina suddenly doesn't want her around anymore, and even though, rationally, she knows that there are probably any number of perfectly valid, inoffensive explanations for that, she can't help but wonder if she said or did something wrong. Maybe it's because she told the secret about Zelena. Or maybe it's what she didn't do: she's the one who's supposed to be Regina's friend, yet she did absolutely nothing to protect her from Zelena, and Mary Margaret is the one who actually stepped up and knew how to comfort her. She supposes she always knew that at some point, Regina would realize her new friend wasn't worthy of her - but she had allowed herself to hope it wouldn't be for a while.
The second she enters the diner, she's ambushed.
"Darts with the gang" turns out to be an entire crowd of Storybrooke High students, most of whom Emma doesn't even know. They're all getting in her personal space shouting questions about Regina and Zelena, and Emma has absolutely no idea what to do. She's about to turn and flee when Graham and Mulan pull her into the back room.
"I thought we were supposed to play darts," she hisses. "Who are all these people?"
"Sorry," says Graham. "Word got out you were coming, and, well...it's a small town. I think they also figured you'd bring Mills with you, since you've been pretty much attached at the hip lately."
"We're not attached at the hip."
"Debatable," Mulan smirks.
"Anyway, as you may remember, she fell out a second-story window today, so maybe you could show a little concern instead of debating our Siamese twin status."
"Yeah, I was there, but rumor has it that you healed all her injuries."
"Who the hell spreads these rumors?" Emma asks angrily. "But, it's true; she's fine."
Mulan stares wide-eyed at Emma. "That's crazy. You've been studying magic for, like, less than three weeks. You must be really powerful. People train for years to be healers."
Emma shrugs uncomfortably. "I don't even know. I had no idea I could do it until I did it, if that makes any sense."
"It does," Graham reassures her, putting a friendly arm around Emma's shoulders. "And we're both glad to hear Regina is okay. Who knew Zelena was such a psychopath?"
"Or Regina's sister," Mulan adds. "I just got back from soccer practice, and it's all anyone can talk about."
"Well, people need to mind their own business." She shouldn't have come here - she doesn't need to listen to all this ridiculous gossip.
"I mean, the mayor having a secret illegitimate child is kind of big news, especially in a town this small. If it makes you feel any better, though, I think at least nine out of ten are on Team Regina."
"As they should be. But I still don't like rumors, which I guess looks bad for my chances of staying in Storybrooke long-term." Emma grimaces and then suddenly looks around the diner, realizing that someone is missing. "Speaking of rumors, where is the biggest gossip of them all?"
"You mean Rubes? She's off tonight - she's gotta run free in the moon's pale light."
Emma stares at Graham in confusion. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"It's a full moon. She's doing werewolf stuff," he says dismissively.
"You didn't know?" Mulan asks, taking in Emma's flabbergasted expression. "She's usually pretty open about it - she doesn't like secrets."
Emma feels like she's about to pass out. This town... "No, she told me, I just...I have to go," Emma stutters before running out the door, practically shoving aside the curious students still barking questions at her.
Out in the fresh air, she struggles to breathe normally. She remembers Ruby mentioning that she was a werewolf once before, but she's shocked all the same. Of course, it's the end of an awful day, when she already thought she couldn't handle any more surprises. She wonders, not for the first time, if her time in Storybrooke has all been part of an extremely vivid dream, but she doesn't seem to be waking up. Maybe she's in a coma?
Her feet are itching to run, and though the incredibly small part of her that's still sane tells her it's a bad idea, she begins jogging aimlessly down the street. It feels good to turn off her brain for a little while, and before she knows it, she's standing at the town line.
It would be so easy to keep running, she thinks longingly. So easy to leave this absurd town behind her and never look back. To never have to think about werewolves or witch fights or magic ever again.
When she was younger, she loved reading about magic. She used to imagine she was Harry Potter and some day someone would show up at whatever crappy foster home she was living in at the time and tell her she'd been accepted to Hogwarts, and she could go live in a world with talking portraits and Chocolate Frogs and get what she wanted with a wave of her wand. Magic seemed fun, exciting.
Now that she actually has it, she knows it's the opposite. Magic is dangerous - she wonders why she never picked that up from the number of people at Hogwarts who ended up dead. She's only been at this for a little over two weeks, and she's already seen Regina almost die twice.
Regina. If she leaves now, she'll never see Regina again. Or Mary Margaret. Or Graham or Ruby or Mulan or Tink or Henry, or any of the other people she's surprised to find she actually cares about. She never forms attachments this quickly - she never forms them at all - and maybe that's a sign that she should get out now before she inevitably screws up one or more of these relationships like she always does. Like she may have already done with Regina.
Or she can do what Regina would do, and go back into town and face her demons.
It's then that she realizes she's standing alone at the town line, with no other human around for at least a mile, and the woods are apparently overrun with werewolves tonight. Plus, nobody knows where Zelena is, and while Emma's instincts tell her that the witch is only interested in killing her if Regina is there to watch, she doesn't feel especially motivated to put those instincts to the test.
After a moment of reflection, she turns around and runs back to the apartment as fast as she can.
xx
She's not sure what she expects to see when she opens the door to the apartment. Maybe a shouting match. Maybe a tearful hug and confessions of forgiveness. Maybe just two people calmly making dinner together. If they still need some time alone, maybe she can go into her room and put on some headphones.
She certainly doesn't expect to see Mary Margaret practically yelling at someone on the phone and Regina - still clad in Emma's pajamas - beside her, practically cheek-to-cheek, straining to hear whatever the person on the other end is saying. There are tears streaming down her face, and her hands are shaking more than Emma's ever seen before.
The second she walks in, she finds herself being mauled. She has to lean against the wall so she force of Regina jumping on her doesn't knock her to the ground.
"Where were you?" Regina demands, quickly checking every inch of Emma's body for injuries. "What happened? Was it Zelena?"
"What?" Now she's confused. "No, nothing happened. Calm down."
"You were gone for almost an hour," Mary Margaret informs her seriously. "Now, I know we talked about trusting each other and my giving you freedom, and under normal circumstances, this wouldn't be a huge issue, but..." her voice trails off and she gestures to Regina, who is crying and clinging to Emma so tightly it might take surgery - or magic - to remove her.
"I called Graham," Regina sobs. "And he said you left the diner after five minutes, and he didn't know where you were, and...and..."
"It's okay, Regina," Mary Margaret soothes, stepping in to rub the other girl's back. "Look - she's fine. Take a deep breath."
"I'm sorry," Emma says quietly. "I wasn't really feeling the diner scene, so I decided to go for a run, and I guess I lost track of time." Her friend and foster mom give her equally unimpressed glares.
"Maybe next time, tell someone where you're going," suggests Mary Margaret. Releasing her hold on Emma's waist, Regina hiccups and stalks over to the couch, where she continues to shoot the blonde angry looks.
"I'm really, really sorry," whispers Emma. "I didn't...I mean, she told me to leave, and I figured you two needed...I didn't realize..."
"Emma, come talk to me in the bathroom," Mary Margaret says firmly, worried eyes still fixed on Regina, whose rage would be a little more believable if her hands hadn't resumed their violent trembling. Once the door is shut, the teacher takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, mouthing the numbers one through ten. "Do you remember when I talked to you about unintentionally hurting Regina?" she finally asks.
"Yes," Emma says guiltily.
"The reason I was worried is that it's a pretty easy thing to do. Regina...she doesn't talk much about the things that cause her pain. It's something I think you two actually have in common."
"Yeah, I guess."
Mary Margaret sighs. "Regina told me a little bit about what happened today."
Emma looks down at the floor. "Did she tell you about the part where I was useless?"
"She told me about the part where Zelena tried to rip out your heart."
"Oh, is that what she was doing?" Emma stares at her foster mom in shock. "With her hand? How is that even possible."
"Dark magic. I gather that Zelena has been studying some things on her own, outside of your class with Mr. Gold. At least, I hope he's not teaching that kind of magic in school."
"What would happen then? If Zelena ripped out my heart? I would die, right?"
"Well, she could use it to control you, and have you do her bidding. If she decided to crush it, then you would die."
Emma shudders. "I guess you guys had a right to be worried about my safety, then. I didn't even know that was in the realm of possibility."
Mary Margaret looks extremely uncomfortable. "That's...I mean, yes, but that's not all. There's something you have to understand...about Regina. Before I start, you should know that I have her permission to tell this story, but I'm not going to go into too much detail because I want her to be able to tell you on her own terms when she's ready. But I do want to tell you a little bit, because I think you need to know where she's coming from."
"I...um, okay." If the look in her foster mother's eyes hadn't already made her apprehensive about hearing this story, that introduction certainly did the trick.
Mary Margaret takes another deep breath. "Okay, so, about two years ago, maybe a little under two years ago, there was someone Regina...really cared about. And- " here, the teacher squeezes her eyes shut "-she saw that person's heart ripped out and crushed, right in front of her."
"What the hell? Who would even do that? And why...wait a minute." Emma is suddenly even more horrified. "It wasn't her mother, was it?"
Mary Margaret's silence tells her all she needs to know. "And she's still the mayor? Why isn't she in jail? Why didn't anyone do anything about it? You can't just let someone get away with murder!"
"She has magic - she's the most powerful magic user in this town, except maybe Mr. Gold. She could make the death look natural, and no one's ever been brave enough to question her."
"This fucking town!" Emma exclaims angrily. "I hate magic! This entire place is fucked up. I mean, I like you, M&M, but I'm telling you right now that if I didn't care about what happened to Regina, I would be out of here, like...yesterday."
Mary Margaret's eyes are sad, but maybe just a little bit proud, as she looks at her foster daughter. "But you do care about what happens to Regina," she confirms.
"Of course I do. She's the best friend I've ever had."
"Then fix this," Mary Margaret says, opening the door and gesturing to the girl who is now in the fetal position on the couch, her entire body shaking.
"How?"
"I don't know, but I know you can."
Mary Margaret returns to the kitchen to make a salad, and Emma steels her nerves before walking over to the couch.
"Hey," she says quietly, sitting next to Regina and awkwardly stroking her foot. "I'm really sorry about tonight. I shouldn't have scared you like that."
Regina's face is buried in her arms, so there's no way to tell from her expression whether she's even heard. Eventually, a very muffled voice says, "Then why did you?"
"I don't know," Emma answers honestly. "I was at the diner and there were all these people gossiping, and suddenly Graham started talking about werewolves, and this entire day - or really, everything about Storybrooke - just caught up with me, and I couldn't handle it and I just wanted to get out." She hadn't meant to say that much, but it all came tumbling out before she could stop it.
She looks apprehensively at Regina, who partially uncovers her face and regards the blonde with red-rimmed eyes. "You were trying to run away from Storybrooke," she says slowly. "Without even saying goodbye."
"Yeah, I...God, Regina, I'm so sorry. And then I decided to come back, and I didn't realize you guys would be so worried, because you pretty much told me to leave, and I thought..." Her voice trails off as Regina buries her face again. "Look, I get it. You have every right to be angry."
"I'm not angry," insists a voice thick with tears.
"Yes, you are, and it's fine. I'm a fucking idiot."
"At least you're right about that."
"But I'm an idiot who wants to do everything in her power to make it up to you."
"Whatever."
"No, really," Emma insists, leaning over to gently lift the brunette's arms so she can look her in the eyes. "We're in this shit together. Tell me what you need from me, and I'll do it."
There's a moment of consideration, during which a thousand different emotions Emma's too scared to try and identify pass through Regina's eyes. Finally, she whispers, "Never leave me again."
"It's done. I promise."
"You can't promise that," Regina argues. "Zelena-"
"Zelena's got nothing on me." Emma helps her friend sit up before pulling Regina onto her lap. "I, Emma Swan, promise that I will never leave you, Regina Mills, ever again, of my own volition. And if someone else tries to do it for me, I promise that I will put up one hell of a fight. How's that?"
Regina can't speak, so she just nods.
"Pinky swear?" Emma asks. The two girls link pinkies momentarily, and then Regina throws her arms around Emma's neck and whispers something unintelligible into her shoulder. Emma pulls her friend's body in closer before saying one more time, "I promise." And she knows she means it.
xx
Dinner is a quiet affair. No one is actually hungry - Regina eats maybe five bites, and Emma cleans her plate but barely tastes anything. Mary Margaret just pushes her food around her plate and looks like she wants to say something, but every time she opens her mouth, something stops her.
"So," Emma says, finally breaking the silence while they're washing the dishes. "Seems like we're having an old-fashioned sleepover tonight. What do you usually like to do at these things?"
"I've never had one before," Regina mumbles.
"As your teacher, I'm obligated to suggest that you complete at least some of your homework," says Mary Margaret. "Regina, you're probably a week ahead in every class, so maybe you can afford a night off. Emma?"
"I don't have much due tomorrow, actually. Just some reading and a couple problems left for your class."
"I can help you out with Pre-Calc, if you want. You seemed a little confused in class this morning."
"Yeah, that would be great." Emma nods in gratitude - she doesn't even remember this morning's class - before turning to Regina. "Maybe while I'm finishing up, you could pick a movie to watch? Or, I think M&M has some board games."
"They're in the hall closet - I think you remember where that is."
"Actually, I...I'll just stay in here with you, if that's okay. I have a biology test on Friday that I should study for." That she doesn't want to let Emma out of her sight remains unspoken, but it's understood.
As the two girls retrieve their backpacks from the living room, Emma asks, "How come you do all your homework so far in advance? Do you not believe in relaxing or hobbies?"
Regina fidgets uncomfortably. "It's just old habit, I guess. You never know when something might come up."
She's being cryptic as hell again, but Emma just shrugs. "Seems responsible."
"I like to think so."
And then the homework is all spread out on the kitchen table, and Mary Margaret is reminding her of things she seems to have forgotten from basic algebra while Regina writes and rewrites her detailed notes and color-coded diagrams, and if Emma allows herself to turn off her brain for a second, she can pretend they're normal people living in a normal town, and it's just been another ordinary day.
And then Regina looks up from her textbook and smiles cautiously, and Emma thinks that maybe, for now, it's okay that none of that is real, as long as her friend is.