"Just shut the hell up okay?" she fumed as she attempted to block out his voice and focus only on the road ahead of her, she wanted to go faster, to go all out, pedal to the metal and be there already but she couldn't, it wouldn't do to get pulled over right now, not with the state of both herself and her son.
"Careful Swan," came his smug reply, "there are little ears in the car"
She ignored him then, thinking of her son was enough to allow her to do so. Her green eyes flickered up from the road and onto his reflection in the rear view mirror. Her heart ached for the same reason his did…they wanted to see her, longed to see her now they knew who she was.
The mysterious brunette who had been haunting their dreams, always just out of reach but a definite constant. Henry had almost started going to bed earlier in the past few months, it was as though, on some level, he knew he was safe around her, safe, protected and loved and now that they had their memories back it was easy to realise that they had been right.
Emma was glad when it seemed that, after so long driving already, Hook seemed to have gotten the hint and finally ceased talking. She couldn't fault him for his persistence, if he'd have just given up on her then she'd probably be sat in her apartment right now making her son breakfast…something she thought she'd done everyday of her life but of course, before they had escaped the curse, she'd only ever made him cereal at most…it hurt to remember but it was nice to have had it.
It wasn't long after when the sign came into view, Welcome to Storybrooke they were home.
As they rounded headed down the long road she could feel the humming in her veins returning, the awakening of her natural magic as they crossed the town line for the first time in 13 months. A deep breath of air left her lungs at the sensation yet it caught in her chest audibly when they rounded the corner into the town she had come to love.
"Wh-what happened?" Henry's small voice came from the back seat of the bug, "what happened…"
Hook sighed deeply from beside them as he too looked out to the town, lush green lawns had yellowed and dried, buildings had faded and darkened just as the sky had. There was a deep rooted feeling of despair that struck all within their hearts, it was unnerving and Emma couldn't help but dread the answer the pirate was going to give.
When he didn't answer right away, when he seemed to hesitate her heart clenched in her chest as she turned to look at him, "where is she?" she questioned, he didn't need to ask who for she had told him of her feelings when he had tried to kiss her once more upon returning her memories.
"That is something certainly not for the ears of the young m'lady," he tried as he watched the blonde looking around once more. This seemed to gain Henry's attention as he looked away from the place he had grown up in and, until just over a year ago, the only place he had ever called home.
"Where's who?" he questioned, "can we go to the mansion please?" he continued on, not realising that the person he wanted to see most was the veiled topic of discussion now. Ever since his reawakening he had been desperate to see her, to fall back into her warm embrace and feel her love surrounding him once more. He knew Emma loved him, he loved her too but to awaken and find that the memories they had together, the times they had shared over the span of his young life weren't Emma's to own…they were Regina's and she had given them up for the blonde and for him…he had to see her.
"Your mother is not there my boy," the pirate breathed, his eyes not moving from those of Emma's when her head snapped back around.
Henry's brow furrowed as he sat forward in his seat, his small hands coming to rest on the back of the blonde's seat, "well then, where is she?" his voice was hesitant, he could sense the shift in tension, the ominous way Killian spoke did not sit well with him, what had happened?
"She…" he looked from one to the other, both with similar expressions of worry on their faces as they waited for his answer, "she has been placed in her family mausoleum…your parents thought it best she be next to her father"
Twin gasps filled the air as both considered his words, Emma's hand instantly moved to cover her mouth, her eyes filling with tears as Henry remained frozen where he sat. When the blonde finally regained her composure enough to talk, she looked once to her still son before looking to Killian once more. "She…Regina she's…"
"We believe so, when we found her she didn't seem to be breathing and her skin was ice cold…" he trailed off sadly before looking up to her, "the Queen's…the Queen's death was the last straw, we knew we had only one choice and that would be to ask you to return, to help us once more…"
"I want to see her," the two in front startled at the voice from the back seat, both turned to look at the boy, his eyes were downcast and his shoulders shaking slightly though it seemed he was trying to hold himself together, "I want to see my Mom"
She would have protested, would have told Henry he should remember his mother as she was…but she wanted to see her also.
"She has been placed within a glass coffin, her body preserved by Rumplestiltskin's own magic…it will look as though she is merely sleeping" Emma nodded her understanding before starting the car once more and making her way over to where she knew the mausoleum stood.
It seemed the whole town had been affected by Regina's death, not just the people she could see had left beside or on the building, but the actual place seemed to be grieving, it was the brunette's creation after all…
There were lilies and roses adorning the pathway up to the grand white structure, the grass here seemed to have preserved it's health yet neither noticed that. They only had eyes for what lay ahead, what they would find inside.
The door to the building was cold to the touch, the heavy set stone difficult to move at first but, with the aid of his mother, Henry managed to get it open. He remembered this place from his childhood, it would be on certain occasions that Regina would bring him here to pay respects to her father. She would tell him stories of the gentle man, tales of his kindness and unrelenting love yet even at a young age he could sense her sadness, her regrets and her bemusement. He didn't know it but she often found herself wondering why he was unable to protect her, to save her from Cora when she knew, without a doubt in her mind, that she would give her life for the small child in her arms, her child, her son.
His grandfather's coffin, the guard of Regina's lair, had been removed, the steep stairway open and adorned with flowers once more. "They moved it to allow those who wanted to come and pay their respects," at Emma's surprised expression he couldn't help but laugh softly, "a lot changed in the months after the breaking of the curse, she allowed others to see her…and what a sight it was"
His use of the past tense when referring to Regina was like a punch to the gut every single time, she closed her eyes briefly to push back the oncoming tears before she felt small fingers lace with her own. Looking down she found Henry could only stare at the ground before him beneath which his mother lay, the woman who had raised him, had loved him unconditionally and sacrificed everything for him just to ensure his happiness…and now she was gone.
She couldn't remember when they had started moving, she had just heard Hook's reassurances that he would wait for as long as they needed, that he would remain upstairs until they were finished and ensure they weren't disturbed.
The air was cold as they moved through the corridors of the place, neither knowing where they were supposed to be going but both drawn to the same place. At the sight of the grand double doors, both stopped next to one another simply looking.
"She…she's in there?" Henry asked, his voice still so innocent in tone, the thickness suggested he was holding back his tears already, Emma nodded her reply but didn't look down at him, she couldn't look away. A small tug on her hand brought her back to the present, "together?" he breathed as he caught her eyes.
A few tears managed to escape as she nodded at her son but he didn't comment, he only led her forward towards the place in which Regina Mills lay.
She was breathtaking…that was the only word for it as Emma moved closer to the glass tomb and looked in at the woman laying as though in slumber. Her fingers instantly moved to touch the glass encasing her and she gasped to find it to move easily.
Henry moved to stand beside her then, "can…can we?" he asked gently, his own hand moving to touch the lid of her coffin.
"I don't see why not kid," Emma replied, the first words she had spoken since the revelation of Regina's death. Carefully she placed a hand on the other side and began to lift the glass away, a choked sob escaped her throat when the brunette's familiar scent washed over her, preserved in all senses of the word.
After placing the lid gently on the ground at the end of the room, she moved to find Henry still standing tentatively next to his mother. His fingers were flexing as he seemed to be deciding on something, "you can touch her you know Henry" she whispered so as not to startle him out of whatever thoughts he had fallen into. That seemed to do it though as he slowly reached forward for the hand laying across her chest, he gasped upon initial contact but only pulled the hand down with him, her palm facing upwards.
Emma watched in fascination as he began to draw soft patterns on the naturally creased skin. She could hear sniffles growing more frequent as Regina's hand became dotted with grief stricken moisture. "She used to do this for me when I was scared…" he breathed out, "when I had a nightmare she would get me in her bed, cuddle me real tight and do this for me…it's how I knew that she was there, even when I was sleeping she wouldn't stop so I wouldn't feel alone" he looked up at Emma then, his dark eyes so strangely like Regina's were brimming with tears, "I don't want her to be alone Emma"
His cries were audible then as he moved to interlace his fingers with the brunette's, his forehead moved to lay on her chest just as he had always done, it was his own way of seeking comfort. Emma watched with her own tears streaming down her face, tears both for her son and for the woman they had lost.
"I keep expecting her to just…I don't know, wake up and tell me to stop being silly, 'Mills are made of stronger stuff'" Emma laughed softly at his tear filled imitation of his mother, she caught Henry's small smile in return before his face turned dark once more. "I just want her to wake up…"
"Me too kid…" she whispered.
She didn't know how much time had passed but the silence now replacing Henry's heartbroken sobs suggested what her eyes were telling her was true, he had fallen asleep where he still remained with his head on Regina's chest. A deep, plushy throw was folded on a chair in the corner of the room, perhaps for when others remained as they did, keeping the Queen company even in death.
Gently, she picked Henry up and moved him to lay upon the thick material, her fingers moving through his hair in a comforting gesture that was not her own, she knew that now for she could remember all the times that she had watched Regina do it.
"Thank you…" She was standing before the woman now, her eyes trailing over serene features that seemed merely to be relaxed in sleep, how she wished that were true. "Thank you Regina…not just for giving me this past year with our son but…but for all the years before that when I wasn't around, when you were the one to look after him, love him and raise him…I know what you did now, I can see it all and I'm sorry I ever doubted your love for him…"
Her hand that had been inching along the surface holding Regina finally made contact with olive skin. She gasped at the sensation of electricity that shot through her system, the spark of life that shocked her…the brunette remained exactly the same though Emma could almost swear there was an underlying glow to her skin.
Slowly, she reached forward again, her hand remaining now even as the same current shot through her veins for it felt too good to let go.
Emma couldn't be sure whether it was the Charming in her or just grief stricken madness but she knew she had to try it. Her fingers trailed up Regina's bare arm, moved up over a dress clad shoulder and into soft dark locks before moving to hold the woman's neck. She used her free hand to caress a soft face as she tilted the woman's head towards her, inching closer, she hoped with all of her heart that this was right, that she hadn't just been driven mad in her need to have Regina alive…"just, just trust me on this okay?" She whispered onto full red lips, "if this works, I promise you can fireball my ass into next week but please…please wake up Regina because I think I love you" and with that, pink lips melded over full red.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she waited, her brow creased with emotion as she tried to convey just what she felt. She didn't feel the pulse of air, didn't hear the small gasp beside her, all she could feel was the warmth of lips that began moving tenderly against her own, the nimble fingers that used the aid of her golden curls to flex after so long of laying still and the heaving chest of the woman beneath her.
She didn't want to stop, didn't want to open her eyes and find that it had all just been a dream, some sort of fantasy her brain had concocted in order to cope with Regina's death. No, even as they pulled apart for air, even as soft hands moved to cup her cheeks, to tilt her face upwards in question, her eyes remained tightly shut. "Emma?" She could feel the hot breath dancing against her lips, "Emma, please…look at me"
"I can't," she realised she was sobbing now but she couldn't find it in her to stop, "I can't, this needs to be real, I need you to be here…"
"I am here Emma," the voice was most definitely Regina's but still her eyes remained shut. She gasped when her head was pulled down and soft kisses were placed on her closed eyelids, "open your eyes…"
It was merely a whisper against her skin but slowly she began to comply, her hands were on either side of Regina's head in order to remain upright and balanced, the feeling of gentle hands still remained on her face and as her gaze finally locked onto dark eyes her heart almost stopped beating, "you're here…"
"I'm here," the brunette reiterated, "you're here" her thumbs stroked tender lines against tear marked skin as Emma nodded, a mixture of sobbing and soft laughter escaping her mouth as both simply looked at each other.
"I'm here too!" came a desperate voice from beside them that had Emma pulling Regina up with her into a sitting position, her head buzzed for a few seconds after, the change in position after laying down for so long was strange yet as her sons small frame moulded into hers and Emma's arms came to encase them both, she found she all but forgot.
The sun had just about risen over the town of Storybrooke when many moved from the warmth of their homes and out into the slowly crowding street, some were pointing, others merely staring in wonderment but all were finally beginning to believe that they could in fact win this fight for there, on the golden lighted horizon, stood their hope.
Three unmistakable silhouettes moving closer to them, the Queen, the Saviour and the Truest Believer.
The Swan-Mills family.