Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Spoilers: References up to 2x14 "Manhattan"
A/N: As mentioned in the previous chapter, everything after 2x09 is AU, but I'm still going to reference some scenes from 2x14, hence the spoiler. Everyone's seen up to the season finale, though, right? ANYWAY, on with the chapter.
"You don't love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear."
Oscar Wilde
Chapter 6: Secrets Revealed
The moment Rumpelstiltskin entered the Charmings' apartment, he felt the magic in the air. Quite literally, in fact. He picked up on Regina's magic instantly, grown accustomed to the feel of it, but the magic accompanying it was a strange one. It was as if it was making the former Queen's magic lighter, while continuously strengthening it. But the most curious thing of all was that Emma wasn't even performing any magic. Not consciously anyway. From what he could sense, the Savior was still asleep, blissfully unaware of that power inside her. Magic coated him and Regina like an aura, the stench undetectable unless by another magic user, which was how he knew she had a barrier spell around the apartment to ward off uninvited guests, but the added power boost by the Savior was something he hadn't anticipated. In fact, the two returning from the Enchanted Forest wasn't something he had anticipated. It was all so…
"Fascinating," he mumbled as he and Bae…Neal, his mind corrected him, sat on the couch. His boy had changed so much since the last time he'd laid eyes on him. He was no longer a boy.
"And Henry's ten now, right?" Neal asked, drawing Rumple's attention back to the conversation at hand. And, it seemed, he had a boy of his own.
"That's right," Snow exchanged a side-glance with her husband, "Henry brought Emma back to Storybrooke about six months ago. She gave him up for adoption when he was born."
A look crossed Neal's face, a mixture of hurt, loss and regret, "It's because she was in jail, wasn't it?"
"It was you who sent her there, right?" Charming responded, his eyes hardening, bypassing Neal's question.
Oh, Gods, Rumple thought with a slight roll of his eyes. I have better things to be doing right now. He regretted not waking Belle and having her accompany himself and Neal. She would've made this all the more bearable. He felt bad, for leaving a note asking her to tend to the shop.
"I know I messed up," Neal growled out, standing from the couch, "but I know better now. I know what I did was a mistake. Listening to August…Pinocchio…was a mistake. But I love Emma, and I want to be a family with her and my son!"
He was expecting either Emma or Regina to come down the stairs at his son's outburst but was pleasantly surprised to hear quiet footfalls and Henry's voice, as he addressed Neal, "I don't know who you are, but I already have a family, and it's not with you."
"Henry," Neal took a step towards the young boy, taking in the similar features, features so similar to Emma that he was nearly floored. Henry had his eyes, but the fire behind them wasn't his. It was definitely Emma's, "I'm your—"
"Did you hear what I just said, or are you just stupid?" Henry cut him off, his eyes angry. "I have a family. You're not part of it."
"Henry," Snow began softly, "If you'll just give your dad a chance, I'm sure he'll—"
"No!"
Regina opened her eyes slowly, trying to determine if the sleeping blonde in her arms was real or if she had dreamt that earlier this morning had happened. Henry wasn't in the bed anymore, but she knew that she hadn't simply sleep-walked up the stairs. The former issue settled, she took in the more pressing matter. Emma had shifted sometime in her sleep and now faced the mayor. Emma's face was mere inches from her own, their breath mingling, and though Regina tried to deny it, she could feel her desire to lean in and kiss the blonde awake growing. She swallowed thickly, her eyes tracing the Savior's face. She reached out slowly, gently threading her hand through tangled, blonde hair, combing it out of the way. She knew she should stop, that if Emma woke the situation would become awkward fast, stuttered apologizes and embarrassed gazes, but she found that she didn't mind if that happened. In fact, even as she envisioned it happened, it didn't seem all that bad. Emma smiled softly in her sleep, and Regina found a smile slipping onto her face at the sight. When Emma had walked into her life six months ago, barging in so suddenly and throwing her world into what seemed at the time as absolute chaos, she never imagined being this close, growing this close. She never imagined…
"Regina?"
The brunette jolted from her thoughts and found herself staring into confused green eyes.
"Emma," She breathed out softly, pulling her hand away from the blonde almost as an afterthought.
Sleepy green eyes gazed into her brown, her face stretched into a warm smile, "Hi."
"Did you sleep okay after you fell back asleep?" She asked quietly.
"Yeah," Emma reached her free hand up, caressing the brunette's cheek, "Thanks to you. What about you? How'd you sleep?"
Regina felt heat begin to bubble to the surface, and her voice came out hoarse, "Fine."
Last night, with Emma so vulnerable, she saw no downfall to falling asleep beside her, holding her through the night. It was something that she would've relished while growing up under her mother's thumb. But now, faced with Emma's sleepy gaze and grateful actions, she realized her grave error: she really couldn't be near the blonde without feeling something, without wanting to kiss her. This is foolish, she chastised herself, Emma was sexually assaulted, and I'm wanting to kiss her.
Emma suddenly shifted against her, pulling the sheets closer around them and scooting down so that she could rest her head against the brunette's chest, "Can we just lay here for a little while?"
"O-Of course, Emma," she replied. Unsure of what to do with her arms, she forced them to stay at her side.
There was a small chuckle, and the Savior looked up at her, smiling softly, "If you still want to hold me, I don't mind."
"You…" she took a breath, trying to keep her voice calm, "you were assaulted by my mother, Emma. You shouldn't want to be anywhere near me. Why are you so comfortable around Henry and I but not your parents?"
She felt her heart tighten at the pained look in green eyes as she spoke, "You're not your mother, Regina. I feel safe with you. I can't explain why. I just do. If you don't want to…to be around me, I get it."
Emma went to roll away from her, and Regina panicked. Her arms moved quickly, wrapping around the blonde's waist, pulling her back, "No, wait, I'm sorry!" She hadn't mean to pull her so close, but they were nose to nose, lips millimeters away from each other, "I'm sorry," she continued softly, "I don't want to make you uncomfortable, Emma. I'm not pitying you. I'm not trying to make you a victim. I just don't want you to think I'm trying to take advantage of you." She reached out and wiped away the tear that slowly ran down a pale cheek, "I'm afraid of what I'm feeling. And I don't want to compromise our…friendship."
Emma leaned into her touch, biting her lip, "What are you feeling?"
She had never really voiced what Emma meant to her out loud, keeping the thoughts that had been growing over these last months strictly as thoughts and nothing more, but she had to try, "I'm feeling something beyond friendship."
Emma smiled, "Me too."
She wasn't sure who moved first, but they were seconds from their lips meeting when Henry's voice shot them apart, "GET AWAY FROM ME!"
They shot from the bed, the thought of a kiss, of using magic, long forgotten in their haste to get to their son.
"Henry!"
"Kid!"
Henry was sure he'd never seen his moms get to him so fast. His Mom checked him quickly for injuries, before nudging both him and his Ma behind her, a fireball suddenly blazing in her hand, "What the hell is going on here?"
For a moment, no one moved, but then Mr. Gold, his apparent paternal grandfather of all things, spoke, "Now, Regina, no need for fireballs. My son just wanted to meet Henry."
"Why?"
"Because I'm his father," Neal spoke up.
He felt his birth mother tense beside him and wondered if what she had said before, about his father being dead, had been a lie. Before he could reply, his adoptive mother doused her fireball and stood glaring at the man, "Oh? You're the bastard who let Emma go to jail for his crime?"
"Yes," Neal answered.
His Mom seemed surprised by the honestly but merely pursed her lips in a thin line, "Henry, go upstairs with your mother and—"
"Regina," the blonde stepped forward, placing a hand on her arm, "you go with him." She fixed Neal with a withering glare, "I've got this."
To his surprise, she agreed, "Very well."
He followed the brunette up the stairs, barely catching what his Ma was saying, "Alright, Neal. Outside, now."
Emma leaned against the Bug, arms crossed, taking in Neal's nervous form. What a way to ruin my morning. She still felt sore, muscles she didn't even know she had were aching, and all she wanted to do was sleep the pain off. Neal shifted in front of her, drawing her attention.
"How did you find this place?"
He attempted a smile, "August. He came and found me after the curse was broken."
Her eyes narrowed, "How do you know August?"
"He's the one who found me. Years ago. After we'd already met."
Emma rolled her eyes, her voice coming out harsh, "You left me and let me go to prison because Pinocchio told you to?"
Neal stepped forward, "I know I messed up. But I can do better now. You, me, and Henry, we can be a family, Emma." She reached her hand up, tugging the swan necklace she wore. He smiled, "You still have the key chain I got you."
If looks could kill, he'd be dead at her feet. With a frown, she tugged the key chain-turned-necklace off, handing it to him, "Yeah. To remind myself never to trust someone again. Get lost, Neal. I already have a family. You're not part of it. You never will be." She shoved past him roughly, intending to go back inside. She wasn't expecting him to grab her arm and pull her back to him. The moment he touched her, she felt her body tense up, "Let me go."
He didn't seem to have heard her, a frown on his face, "Don't you see that I'm a different person than I was? I'm not going to leave you again. We can get an apartment and work everything out. Henry will have everything he ever wanted." She tried to pull away from him, but he gripped her arm tighter, "Stop trying to run away and listen to me, Emma! Henry will have parents who love him! Who love each other!"
"I don't love you!" She shouted. He let go of her arm and she took a step away from him, anger clouding her features, "I may have loved you once, I may have wanted a family with you once, but I don't now, and I don't love you anymore!"
Neal looked at her, hurt and anger clouding his face, "You can't not love your first love!"
"Just get out of town now, Neal. You'll leave eventually. It's what you do."
Before she could even process what was happening, his lips were on hers. She felt her body freeze, a fog clouding over her thoughts. The scene changed around her. She wasn't even outside anymore. Neal wasn't kissing her. Cora was. She was being pressed roughly against the bed, Cora's body pinning hers down, lips moving insistently over hers, drowning her, stealing the breath from lungs; red lips were painted with a predatory smirk, giving voice to the deeds that were going to be committed. Dark eyes watched her as long fingers were forced painfully inside her, curling against inner ridges that would prove her downfall. Magic encased her, taking her will, forcing her to kiss back. It was like she was falling, having no support to save her. Her body felt hot, and pain shot through every nerve ending.
"Emma!"
She blinked, the world coming back into focus around her. Regina stared down at her, dark eyes lit with worry. Her head was in the woman's lap, which confused her. She'd been standing only a minute or so ago. Neal had kissed her and then…she didn't remember. Her parents stood next to Rumple and Neal; her ex looked guilty, but she didn't want to think about him. She had stopped thinking about him the moment she was sent to prison.
Her voice came out hoarse, "What happened?"
Regina let out a grateful sigh and helped her stand, placing a hand on her back to support her. She'd looked out the window to see Rumple's son try to force his tongue down the blonde's throat, and before her jealously could get a tight hold on her, she saw him pull back, worry in his gaze. She couldn't make out what he was saying, but the moment she saw Emma start to sway, she had disappeared in a swirl of magic, reappearing in time to catch the blonde before her head could make contact with the pavement.
She smiled as Henry appeared at their side and gently grasped her hand, "Ma, are you okay?"
She looked down at him, speaking softly, "Yeah, kid, I just need some breakfast. Granny's?"
He nodded mutely, "I'll go get on shoes."
She watched him head into the apartment, turning to Regina the moment he was inside, "Regina, what happened?"
"I think you had a flashback."
"A flashback of what?" Snow asked, stepping forward, worry in her eyes. When the brunette didn't reply, Snow frowned, "Emma, what's Regina talking about?"
I don't want to deal with this. She looked over at her mom, "It's nothing, Snow. Don't worry about it."
"You didn't wake up to your father or me calling your name. Not even Henry." She took a step closer, taking one of her daughter's hands in hers, "Emma, if you and Regina are bonding because of magic, I don't really mind. Magic is something that can be good. But flashbacks—"
"It doesn't concern you," She pulled away from her mother's hold, looking over at the sound of the door to the apartment complex opened. Henry walked back over to them, looking between them, confused.
"Everything okay, moms?"
Emma nodded, grateful for the distraction, and knelt down in front of Henry, "Yeah, kid. Your grandma and I were just talking, but we're done now."
"Henry," both birth mother and son looked up at Regina, "you take Emma and head over to Granny's. I'll meet you shortly."
"Okay," he answered, gently holding her hand tighter, "Come on, Ma."
"But…"
Regina looked over at her, a gentle smirk on her face, "I won't be long. Apple pancakes and coffee, two sugars."
She sighed, allowing Henry to drag her along, chatting away, "Okay."
Rumple watched as birth mother and son walked down the sidewalk before turning the corner and disappearing from sight. The moment they were gone, Regina whirled on Bae so fast that his son jumped.
"You idiot!" She jabbed his chest with her finger, eyes blazing, "When a woman says she doesn't want to be with you, you don't try to force your tongue down her throat. If I ever catch you doing something so juvenile again, you'll be leaving town in a body bag!"
He stepped in front of his son, his eyes narrowed, "Don't threaten my boy, Regina."
She fixed him with a glare, "He should know better, Rumple." Not giving him a chance to retaliate, she waved a hand, allowing purple smoke to swirl around her, and when it cleared, she was dressed in a red button up dress shirt and black pants. "Now, if you'll excuse me, my son's other mother promised breakfast."
He watched her walk away, and motioned for Bae and the Charmings to head back inside before following her, his cane thumping quietly as he walked, "Regina. We need to talk."
She didn't stop, and he sighed, appearing in front of her with a wave of his hand. She let out a sigh of her own, "What about, imp?"
"Your mother."
Just as he suspected, she paled, "Emma and Henry are waiting."
He grasped her arm gently, "You used to have flashbacks while I was training you, Regina. I never thought much about them, thinking they were a result of some kind of magical hold she had on you, but if Miss Swan is having similar flashbacks…"
"Enough," the former Queen growled out, tugging her arm free.
"Regina," he looked into her eyes and asked in a quiet whisper, "did she assault you?"
The regal woman brushed past him without a look back, and he knew the answer without her saying it. He watched her enter Granny's and saw a glimpse of Emma through the window. If Cora had had the audacity to assault her daughter, he didn't doubt she'd done it to the Savior as well. Gods, this was not how I suspected my morning going. Turning away, he began to walk back to the Charmings just as the first of the rain droplets began to fall.
A/N: I wanted to establish a Rumple/Regina father/daughter kind of thing, so I hope I did it justice. I debated having either Regina or Emma punch Neal…but it didn't fit…so sorry InkyBlueMind and LiveLoveLikeMe. Maybe in another chapter. This is going to be slow burn Swan Queen, so be prepared to wait. Let me know what you all thought.
Hime no Kowai Shumi