Why did it take so long, you ask? I have just one word: School.
Happy belated V-Day for those of you who care! (I had wanted to have this up the day of, but I got sleepy.)
Disclaimer: What can I say? This show has some good dialogue, and incredible characters. Some of the storylines, however… well, that's what we come here for.
SSS
"WE WERE CURSED!"
Emma winced as her parents' arguing drew the attention of everyone at Granny's.
She was hiding out in the back. Regina had finally surfaced from her mansion and was currently seated at the bar, nursing a coffee - presumably topped off with a little something extra.
Everything in Storybrooke had been awkward since the morning after the Spell of Shattered Sexuality was broken.
Her parents were slowly working past this latest obstacle in their relationship. Their arguments were gradually turning into throwaway comments, not unlike what they had done when it came to Wale. You know what they say; what happens under a curse stays under the curse.
A few stools down from Regina Emma spotted Belle with a plate of breakfast food in front of her. She was moving some eggs around her plate, staring at them morosely. From the other side of the counter Ruby placed a comforting hand on her arm. Belle glanced up at her, smiling gratefully.
Emma blushed at the contact.
Naturally Belle was still hurt by everything Gold had put her through. Their whole marriage had been built on a lie. Ruby had been there for her during the past few weeks, for now as just a friend. She would wait as long as Belle needed.
Still, every time Emma spotted the two of them touching, even in the most innocent of ways, it made her red in the face as she remembered the rather vivid images that had sprung to her mind that night in Gold's shop.
Turning away from them, she noticed Aurora and Phillip seated in one of the booths, eating in silence while their baby slept soundly in his carrier. Things had been uncomfortable and tense between the prince and princess. They never discussed where she went that day. However, Phillip could guess, and she knew that.
Aurora felt beyond guilty for leaving her baby alone, although it turned out that Phillip had returned only minutes after she left. He didn't meet with anyone under the curse on account of him not knowing anyone else, in town or otherwise. (His curse was a night spent watching gay porn on one of those moving-picture machines.)
And so Aurora chose to stay with Phillip for the sake of their son. She presumed it was the only way they could be a family, and the following morning she had told Mulan as much. The warrior hadn't made any attempt to change her mind. She knew this was something the princess needed to figure out for herself.
In the meantime Mulan had been put in charge of the Merry Men in the wake of Robin Hood's departure, seeing as she was a natural born leader. The men needed someone to follow, and she needed something to distract her from the pain in her heart.
"Why don't you just go talk to her?"
Emma was startled out of her observations at the sound of Hook's voice behind her. She glanced over her shoulder at him to catch his uncertain smile. They hadn't really talked since the night he broke up with her.
"I'd never given the idea much thought before, but I think I'd like to explore this part of myself. And, judging by the way you've been since the curse, I'd guess you'd like to explore that part of yourself as well."
She couldn't blame him. He had a shipload of rugged men who respected and admired him. She was actually surprised it hadn't already happened during the last few hundred years.
Emma sighed, turning back to stare at Regina. "She doesn't want to talk to me."
"And how would you know that if you haven't even tried?"
It's true. They hadn't spoken since that night. Their son had noticed of course and asked about it, but he'd answered his own question after thinking on it for just a few seconds; a grimace came over his slightly green face. He hadn't brought it up since.
Emma had spent the last six weeks going over every interaction she and Regina had ever had, wondering how the hell they ended up as each other's Gay True Love. It didn't take long for her to see it. In fact, she had smacked herself right on the forehead for not having seen it sooner. She chalked it up to hindsight.
Still, she was hesitant to approach the other woman. Clearly she had some reservations about what had happened, if her hasty departure was anything to go off of. The endless avoidance on Regina's part only proved to further convince Emma that she regretted what had happened. The fact that she herself was avoiding Regina – and she definitely did not regret what they had done – didn't even occur to her. Because that would make sense.
Emma sighed, running a hand through her already tangled hair. "I think the fact that she took off that morning instead of facing it says enough."
"Perhaps. But you can never really be certain unless you ask, right?" Emma glared at him. Of course he would start being rational after they'd broken up. She turned back to Regina once more, the look of longing returning to her eyes. "I think you owe it to yourself, and to her, to find out."
Emma's shoulders fell in defeat. He stepped around her to leave through the diner. "Thanks, Killian. You know, you're a pretty good friend." He smirked at her, knowing how hard it was for her to pay him such a compliment. She rolled her eyes. Then a thought occurred to her. "Hey, you never did tell me who you left me for that night."
Hook's face paled. He glanced around behind him, but the man in question had left at some point during the course of his conversation with Emma.
"I told you Swan, I left you for myself. Who I was with that night was merely an eye opener to a world of possibilities."
Emma nodded her head, pretending to understand. She was certain it was a member of his crew. Why couldn't he just tell her who it was? Whatever. She'd let him have his secrets. She knew how much he liked to maintain an air of mystery.
With one last nod in her direction, Hook was out the door, leaving Emma in peace to gather her courage for what she was about to do.
SSS
Regina was just swallowing the last sip of her special coffee when she felt a presence behind her. The sound of solid footsteps was quick to follow. She looked up in time to see the one person she'd been hoping not to run into seat herself in the next chair over.
Their eyes widened as they faced each other for the first time, their heartbeats speeding up as the same thought crossed both of their minds: I've seen this woman naked.
Their faces reddened simultaneously, Emma's noticeably more obvious against her pale skin. The tension built quickly, and they broke their gaze to stare instead at the top of the counter.
"We need to talk," Emma spoke in a low voice.
"I cannot imagine what about."
Emma scoffs. So that's how she wants to play it?
"Oh come on, Regina."
"Okay, say perhaps I did know to what you were referring. Do you really think this is the appropriate time and place to discuss it?"
"Considering you haven't left your house in over a month, I'd say this is the only time and place."
Regina huffs; annoyed with Emma's persistence, but even more annoyed that she had a valid point.
"Again, I have no idea what you and I have to talk about." Emma opened her mouth protest, but Regina held up a finger. Lowering her voice to just above a whisper, she continued, "That night was merely a product of a powerful, dark spell. Nothing more."
"I know that's not true. And you know it to." Brown eyes rolled away from blue. "What was it you told me? That spell wouldn't have worked on us if we didn't both feel something."
Regina's complexion darkened, her cheeks flushed at being confronted with the thing she was too scared to acknowledge, even to herself.
"Look, I'm not proposing marriage or anything here." Regina's head snapped to the blonde in disbelief, eyes wide and face darkening yet another shade. "But I would like to figure out what this is between us." Regina swallowed nervously, but remained quiet. "Maybe we could start with drinks?"
She seemed so hopeful, not unlike how she'd looked in Regina's vault the night she admitted she wanted them to be friends. It was impossibly… cute. Regina felt her heart melting at the sight.
Unable to form words, she could only nod in the affirmative at the blonde's request. "Yes?" Emma asked tentatively. Regina's head bobbed a little harder. Emma's mouth split into a grin so wide, Regina couldn't help but return a small smile of her own.
Emma ordered two drinks before turning her gaze back to the woman next to her.
Lost in each other's' eyes, their moment was shattered when the door to Granny's burst open, Henry sprinting over to their stools gasping for air. "Mom! Mom!"
After everything she had been through with him, Regina was incapable of ever showing annoyance with her son, no matter how inconvenient his interruptions could be. Emma had no such reservations, and pursed her lips in frustration. They both loved and adored their son immensely, but sometimes his timing really sucked.
"Whoa, kid, slow down!"
"You've gotta come quick! Someone's attacking the town line!"
Regina's sigh was drowned out by Emma's groan of aggravation. "Of course they are." She laid some money on the countertop to cover Regina's coffee and the drinks they hadn't even had the chance to touch. "Rain check?"
"Yes," Regina answered with certainty. Whatever reservations she had were overpowered by the warmth she'd been feeling throughout her conversation with Emma. She truly wanted to discover what they could have together, anyone else's opinion be damned.
They shared another quick smile. Henry grimaced as he tried to block out what was happening, what he knew had already happened, as he dragged his mothers out the door.
Their work was never done.
SSS
We've reached the end of the road, kids. I realize I neglected to mention last time that this chapter would be the final one. (Though I did say in the first chapter that this story would only be three or four long, so if you were paying attention/have a super memory, this shouldn't come as a surprise to you.) Thanks so much for all the love and support, ladies and gentlewomen! It's been real.
~ Jen