A/N: Here's a game-changer. And thanks to all who review, you guys rock my world - even if my Portuguese is not good enought to understand the whole message, I'm getting the gist. :) I hope you like.
It was undoubtedly the most beautiful day Storybrooke had seen so far this year. The sun was shining, the sky clear and the people seemed in an altogether better mood than usual. It was actually so nice today that Emma had donned her red leather jacket in an anticipatory mood that she wasn't going to need her winter coat any longer.
She was making her way down main street as she didn't want to spend this beautiful day cooped up at the station. And she congratulated herself on that notion when she saw a certain dark-haired mayor walking on the other side of the street.
"Regina," she called out before she could even think about it and waved at the other woman who looked around at the voice that had called her name.
Regina was smilling when she recognized Emma and the blonde hurried to catch up with her.
"Sheriff Swan," Regina greeted her in their accustomed fashion.
"Madam Mayor. It's a beatiful day," Emma gave back smiling easily. The sunny weather was doing wonders to her mood. She had been full of doubt and beating herself up over stalking Regina the night before but this day looked so much brighter, and Regina looked even more beautiful this afternoon. And she was smiling at Emma and the blonde took this as a good sign.
"That it most certainly is," Regina agreed. She was carrying a basket over her arm, the kind she had given Emma as a house-warming gift.
"This looks like a mission. Is this another house-warming gift?" Emma asked pointing at it.
"It's... more of a... business meeting I'm going to," Regina answered, as it seemed to Emma, evasively.
"A business meeting? Regina, I think I've known you long enough to know that you're not bringing presents to a business meeting."
The dark-haired woman rolled her eyes impatiently but then said:
"Alright, I'm on my way to the library. I wanted to... talk to Miss French."
"Talk to Belle? What about?" Emma asked.
"You know what's most annoying about good people? They think the have a right to know about other people's business," Regina commented but Emma only smiled at her. "I wanted to talk to her about the library. Whether or not she was still thinking about opening it. If she didn't... well, I rented her the apartment on the condition that she would work at the library and if she doesn't..."
"You're telling me, you're thinking about throwing Belle out on the street?" For a moment, Emma felt irritated with the other woman and her anger stirred. But as she looked at Regina she noted that the picture didn't quite fit. Nobody brought a gift basket to an eviction notification. Then there was the fact that Regina had only shown compassion where Belle was concerned. She frowned at Regina.
"Don't make it sound so dramatic, I'm sure Granny will always have a place for Miss French... but I'm not a charity," Regina said trying to force some of her usual snark and aloofness into her voice.
"Is that your strategy? To tell Belle you'll evict her if she doesn't work at the library... which you know she loves doing... which just might give her a purpose or at least something to do while she copes with Rumple's death?" Emma asked and her smile returned.
"You're making these things up as you go, don't you?" Regina asked seemingly annoyed but the sheriff simply laughed at her stubbornness.
"No, I'm just looking through you. It's very sweet what you're trying to do," Emma told the mayor.
"Hm," Regina just made and started walking in the direction of the library.
Emma joined her.
"I wouldn't want this to get around but... I like Miss French. I feel... bad about incarcerating her for so long just to get back at Rumplestiltskin. I used her and I'm sorry. I'd really like to help her if I can. I know what it's like to lose the man you love," she said in a low voice, seemingly afraid that someone could overhear.
"I'm proud of you," Emma said, her eyes on the dark-haired woman.
Regina threw a look and a smile at her as they kept walking.
"I was wondering," the sheriff changed the subject after a short moment of silence. "Do I need to apologize about the other night?"
"The other night?"
"When I was drunk and... invading your privacy?" Emma clarified.
Regina seemed to think about it for a moment then she shook her head.
"No, it was... I wouldn't have invited you into my... privacy if I didn't want you there. I know it makes our friendship... complicated but I... I'm glad we had that conversation. I'm glad you know a little more about me now," the mayor confessed haltingly and Emma nodded.
She was glad, too. That night meant a lot to her. Sure, she had been drunk and not everything about that night was entirely clear but she remembered the intimacy. It had felt right to be there at that moment, to talk to Regina about things they wouldn't under normal circumstances. She was also dwelling on the simple gestures that had gone beyond friendship, she couldn't not interpret them now that she was sure about her feelings for the other woman.
"I enjoyed it, too," she simply said as they crossed the street to the library and stood before it.
"Where're you heading, by the way?"
"Oh, I... I didn't wanna hang around the office all day. Nobody's in the cells, so I thought I go out and have a look around."
"And possibly arrest someone?" Regina asked smiling.
"I hope not," Emma said with a shake of her head.
"I understand, I've been in the office most of the day and was actually looking forward to getting out. That's why I walked here. I'm... noticing you're already dressing for spring, as well," the mayor said with a look at Emma's jacket.
"Yeah, I... I love this old thing."
"You were wearing it the night we met," Regina said thoughtfully.
"You remember." They smiled at each other and Regina reached out her hand touching Emma's arm, feeling the material of her attire.
"It's the ugliest thing I've ever seen," she finally said and Emma huffed indignantly.
"It's not ugly, it's... vintage."
"I'm sorry, Emma, but this jacket... I'll give you the blue one, it brings out your eyes, but this... no," Regina argued shaking her head. She was also smiling.
"The blue one brings out my eyes?" Emma caught the compliment and could watch the mayor blush a moment later.
"Really, this is what you've decided to focus on?"
"It was a compliment," Emma noted.
Regina rolled her eyes at this but then said quite unexpectedly.
"You have beautiful eyes."
Once again, they looked at each other but this time it was like they couldn't help it. They just stared into each other's eyes getting lost for a moment, losing grip on time and place. They could have been back in Regina's bedroom lying side by side as they felt the same kind of intimacy building between them.
A car honking nearby pulled them both back to the present and they looked around a little embarrassed and back at each other awkwardly.
"That was..."
"Your father called me this morning," Regina blurted out as she just remembered that she had wanted to talk to Emma about this.
"Dad called you? About what?" Emma asked but at the same time almost panicking at the implication. Had he noticed something about her that told him about her feelings for Regina? Had he possibly told Regina that he thought she loved her?
"The council meeting," Regina answered and Emma's anxiety vanished leaving only a slight queasiness behind.
"Oh, right. He said that he wanted you there. I forgot to tell you... over what happened at the diner yesterday," she said.
"He said you'd be there, too?"
"I told him I'd think about it. I'm not sure... it seems all so... Enchanted Forest and nothing to do with me. I don't know," Emma told Regina and rolled her eyes over her dad thinking that she would just give in. "Are you going to go?"
"Yes, I've told him I'd come and suggested that he invite Tinkerbell as well," Regina said.
"Tink? But Mother Superior will be there. Shouldn't that pretty much cover the fairy citizenry?"
Regina smiled.
"Fairy citizenry? You just made that up, didn't you?"
"Well, it stands to reason that there would be such a thing. Just as there's a dwarf citizenry, and..." but Emma interrupted herself with her own laugher. "Okay, okay. But why do you think Tink should be there?"
"I thought it would be good to have an ally, or at least a friend there. I also think she wouldn't appreciate being thrown in with the other fairies. I think she's trying to remain independent from the others. And since she's not a nun..."
"You're probably right. It's a good idea... it also might shake things lose a little bit. Maybe we should have someone there who's not from the Enchanted Forest, too. Hook or Whale, just to get their perspective," Emma mused.
"Does this mean you're gonna be there, too? As... a sort of representitive for the American population?" Regina asked smiling.
"Well, I guess there's no need fighting this any longer. I'll be there. Has he set a date yet?"
"Friday at 8 pm, we're meeting at City Hall, conference room," Regina told her.
"I guess that makes it rather official, huh? Very..."
"Charming taking over," the mayor suggested a term.
"I'm not sure that that's what it's about," Emma said but thought that Regina might have a point.
"I've been waiting for this to happen, actually. We'll see...," she mused. Then she looked up at the library. "I should probably go or I'm going to run into Miss Lucas and she won't be happy to see me here, I'm sure."
"Well, I could be heading over to the diner and... keep her occupied."
"A favor? And how will I ever be able to thank you for it?" Regina gave back not even pretending that she wasn't flirting with Emma.
The blonde blushed slightly.
"I'm sure you'll think of something... maybe dinner at the mansion one of these days?"
Regina laughed.
"Well, one of us seemed to have already thought about it. But, why not? I bet Henry will love to have you join us tomorrow night," she agreed and Emma had to laugh, too.
It wasn't quite the setting she had had in mind, that was, if she had actually thought about it. Her idea would have been more intimate, more date-like. But dinner at the mansion with her two favorite people sounded pretty good, too.
"It's a date," she heard herself say and once again blushed.
"No, that it won't be," Regina answered seriously but not really annoyed, as Emma had feared she would be.
"I'll see you tomorrow night, then," Emma said and without thought leaned into Regina, her hand touching the mayor's. She blinked as she realized what she was about to, she was about to kiss her, and she panicked. They both did for just a second, in which their upper bodies touched and they ended in an awkward kind of hug, their cheeks touching, their hands trapped between their bodies.
"Tomorrow," Regina repeated as the parted instantly, even too embarrassed to look around if anyone had seen this awkward exchange.
At lunch that day, Henry had joined Snow White. He did that sometimes, as did some other students. But Henry only joined her if she sat alone. He usually wanted to know more about the Enchanted Forest and since the other children had lived there, he wasn't comfortable talking to her in front of them. She also thought that he'd rather have her to himself but maybe that was mere grandmotherly indulgence on her part. This day he hadn't come to her with a question about her former home, however, today he had asked:
"What is True Love exactly?"
Snow had been surprised to say the least but also didn't see any harm in answering - or try to answer - his question.
"It's... hmmmm, that's a difficult question, Henry. Why are you asking?"
"Oh, just... I've been thinking about it. I mean... mom loved Neal, right? But was it True Love or was it just... regular love? And what about Regina and Daniel? I don't know, I'm just curious," Henry had said.
"Well... I guess, you're right in thinking there are different kinds of loves. I've never loved anyone, romantically, but Charming. But I loved my father and my mother... my friends."
"How did you know that Charming was your True Love?" Henry had asked.
"Hmmm, I think things in the Enchanted Forest have been a little bit more clear-cut. You just assume that the one you fall in love with is the real thing and if time and circumstances confirm it... you're in the clear, so to speak. Charming and I shared True Love's Kiss, it saved my life and I guess, until that moment I couldn't have been sure... only, I was," Snow had tried to explain and had smiled at her grandson. But he had kept a thoughtful expression.
"Did anyone else, like, see that it was True Love? How would they have known?"
"Ruby says that she saw it right away just from the way we looked at each other... but it's easy to say that in hindsight, I guess. But she had a point, it's in the way people look at each other. That's how I could tell about Ariel. But, of course, she had told me about Eric before so... Those are really tough questions, Henry. What made you think about this?"
Henry had shrugged and Snow had assumed that maybe there was a girl... and she had felt almost giddy with the fact that he had come to her for information.
"What do people do... when they're in love?" Henry had asked next and Snow's eyebrows had shot upwards. "I know about sex but that's not what I mean. I mean... what do they do?"
"They spend time together, as much time as possible under the most feeble pretenses. And then they'll look at each other a lot, blush... seemingly without reason. Same goes for smiling and... I noticed that only when I found Charming again here in Storybrooke, one will always want to touch the other person... make contact, hold their hand. Any excuse will do, too. You make them up in your mind," Snow had explained further and Henry had nodded as if checking off a mental list.
"There's only one True Love, right?"
"That's why it's called True Love. I haven't heard of a case where someone had found two True Love's probably because you'll stay with them forever."
"But what if your True Love died... like Mr. Gold? What if Belle found another True Love?" Henry had insisted.
"I don't know... I mean, I know too little about that relationship. I know that Rumple was married a long time before he met Belle to... well, your grandmother, Neal's mother. Then she fell in love with Hook and he claims that their love was... true. Now he's in love with Emma.. I really..."
"So the really complicated part is to decide whether it's True Love because there're so many other kinds of love?" Henry had cut through Snow's embarrassment about the strange relations within their family tree.
"I guess, yeah."
"What about someone who calls, like, really late. And they're not even aware how late it is but just to ask about something another person might like. Nothing important, just something simple, like, favorite color or music, or something?" Henry had specified and had looked at Snow attentively.
"I think... that someone definately has feelings for that other person. Are we talking about someone I know?" Snow had asked and seen Henry blush.
"No, she's... I mean, they're just... made up."
But Snow had known better and was now on her way home, thinking about that conversation and smiling. She was sure that Henry had his first crush and just in time for spring.
Snow just reached main street and was about to turn left when she noticed Emma talking to someone in front of the library. She wanted to wave and call out to her but something made her stop in mid-motion. There was something... in Emma's look, in her smile. She seemed absorbed, completely unaware of her surroundings. Her eyes, her face, her... self seemed to glow with... love, Snow recognized and blinked to diffuse the picture. But it wouldn't go away and she now noticed who her daughter was talking to and it left her standing open-mouthed.
Regina?
Snow blinked her eyes and blinked them again, trying to unsee what was now obvious to her. And suddenly Henry's curiosity about True Love got a new meaning. He hadn't asked because he was in love, he had asked because he had seen what Snow was seeing now - two people in love. Or at least one, her mind reminded her when Regina reached out to touch Emma's arm. It stunned Snow.
Henry had said that he had wondered about love because of his moms... and their loves, Neal and Daniel. How could she have been so blind as not to see this coming? Was this... happening? Had it already happened? What was she supposed to do about it?
But she knew that there was nothing she could do. If this was love - if this was True Love - it would find a way, no matter what she did, wanted or felt about it. And there was the fact that Emma looked happy. She was smiling at Regina, there were so many emotions crossing her features and then she laughed and Regina laughed and, although Snow couldn't see the other woman's face, she was sure she looked just as... absorbed and wide-eyed happy as Emma did.
Snow reached up and touched where her heart beat under clothes and skin and ribs. She knew there was a blackened part on it that wanted this thing that was happening between Emma and Regina to stop. But she also knew that most of her heart was beating wildly now because she was as excited for her daughter as she had been hours before when she had thought Henry was in love. And there was another part, too, that was happy for Regina.
Snow shook her head a little. She saw how Emma and Regina parted... it looked like they bumped into each other more than hugged. They were so awkward and yet so adorable. And Snow felt it, she felt... very conflicting emotions. There were two things she knew, however. One was, that this wasn't about her and definately not about her feud with Regina, one that had gone on too long already. The other was that this was the beginning of a struggle for Emma and Regina because no one, she herself included, would just let them be... happy together.