Stopping just outside the door of Regina's office, Emma took a deep breath, double checking that she had dressed herself properly in her rush. Confirming that all her clothing was indeed on, and properly buttoned, she raised her fist to knock on the door, before remembering that she was missing something crucial: her paperwork.
Concentrating, Emma managed to poof her paperwork into her hand just as Regina opened the door. "On time and with your paperwork. Colour me impressed Sherriff." Moving aside, Regina gestured for Emma to come in, before closing the door behind her.
Moving over to the desk, Regina took a seat, ignoring all of Emma's attempts to get the brunette to meet her eyes. "We have a number of things to discuss. Shall we begin?"
"Your paperwork has improved over the past few months, and you have been meeting all of the deadlines for submission. Over all your performance over the past few months has been exemplary. For your review, I am listing you as satisfactory in each area. Is there anything further you wish to include in your review?" Regina had remained monotone throughout her speech, looking only at the file she had open on her desk.
"Seriously? That's why you called me here today?! For my annual review?" Emma was shocked. She had been worried that she would be met with screaming, or worse, more stony silence. But this hurt her far worse than being ignored for months on end. "I thought you were finally going to let me apologize."
"Sherriff Swan, why would I bring you here for any reason that does not pertain to our working relationship, or Henry? I believe I have made it quite clear that I do not wish to engage you beyond either of those two avenues, have I not?" Standing up, Regina pressed her hands on the desk, glaring down at Emma. "What on earth ever gave you the idea that I would ever forgive you?"
Jumping up to mirror Regina's stance, Emma leaned over to look her in the eye. "I thought you would have been able to see just how badly I feel for hurting you, and would have realized I would do anything to take that pain away. I forgot you can't see that you aren't a reviled villain anymore, and that people give a damn about you. How silly of me."
"After what you did, you think I should feel bad about how you feel?! You ruin my happy ending! I was happy and you took that from me just like your damn mother."
"I saved someone's life. Someone you had killed for no fucking reason. So I'm sorry that Robin chose to go back to his wife instead of staying with you. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, but it's not like you were really all that invested in your two week relationship, no were you?! You had a year together in the Enchanted Forest and you barely tolerated each other. Just because you were desperate enough during the second curse to sleep with anyone with a stupid fucking tattoo doesn't make it my fault your life is over! "
The slap echoed through the office. Emma's face was turned away from the force of the blow. Wiping the trickle of blood from where her lip had split, Emma stood straight. "Feel any better now?"
Staring in open mouthed shock, Regina continued to look back and forth from her hand to Emma's reddened cheek. "Emma, I-I"
Cutting Regina off, Emma worked her jaw as she ground out her question again. "Do you feel any better?"
Shaking and pale, Regina slumped gracelessly into her seat. Taking several breaths in an attempt to stave off the sobs that were threatening to erupt from her chest, she simply shook her head in answer.
"Didn't think you would, but it was worth a shot." Moving around the desk, Emma moved the paperwork aside before perching on the edge. "Feel up to letting me apologize now for real?"
When Regina did not respond, Emma took her silence as permission and carried on. "It doesn't matter if the relationship lasted 2 minutes or 2 centuries, when you love someone and lose them, it's the singularly most painful experience in any world.
"You have been closed off for more than 3 decades to any kind of romantic love, and just when you finally opened yourself up and let yourself love again, something comes along to ruin it. I'm not saying that I have no guilt in what happened, because believe me there is more guilt than you can possibly imagine. But it wasn't done to hurt you. I would never dream of hurting you.
"I care about you, and seeing you in this much pain has been killing me. I care too much about you to just let go and forget what I did. Whatever it is that I need to do to make this right for you, I will do it. No matter what.
"If its waiting a day, a year, or a decade for you to give me the chance to make this right, I will. If I have to sit through you screaming at me on a daily basis, I will do it. I just want to make this right, in whatever way I can, to try and bring you back even just a bit of that happiness. Because you deserve it. I'm sorry Regina. I would give almost anything to take your pain." Shaking her head, Emma nervously began rubbing the back of her neck. "That came out sounding way less corny in my head."
The office remained quiet for several moments, until Regina broke the silence. "You almost sounded like your mother, dear. Be careful or you will be talking to tiny, furry woodland creatures next."
"At least it's not 'I'll always find you!'?" It was the first time that they had spoken in months, and although nowhere near their usual banter, it was comfortingly familiar. "I am sorry that you were hurt by what I did."
"I know dear. I haven't really been angry with you for weeks. What you said was right, even if it was painful to hear. We only started a relationship when we were here because I saw the tattoo. And as much as I enjoyed having someone dote on me the way that he did, we really did not have that much in common to talk about."
"Then why did you ignore me for so long? If you weren't that upset I mean?" Emma's tone was the most childlike that Regina had ever heard from the temperamental blonde. When Regina looked up, she was shocked to see the tears that had gathered in her eyes.
"Because anytime that anyone has gotten close to me, they have either hurt me, or been hurt. The number of times that you have saved me, and not lost your life is a miracle. You fell through a portal, again, and risked your life again. You met me at my worst…" Trailing off, Regina wiped delicately at her own eyes. "I was angry, and I needed someone to be angry with. Yes, you brought her back, but you didn't do it to hurt me. I am more upset that he left."
"If you asked me, I'd tell you he's an idiot. If he can't see what he's giving up, it's his loss." Kneeling down, Emma locked her gaze with Regina's before speaking. "You deserve to be loved as much as anyone else, and you deserve your Happy Ending too. It's out there for you; we just need to find it."
Looking away with a blush, Regina straightened in her chair, forcing past the awkwardness of the moment. "We? I thought you had already found your own with the wolf and the bookworm?"
Unsurprised that Regina would deflect the conversation, Emma felt her own cheeks heat at the mention of the women she loved. "Most of it, yeah. And Henry mentioned that you explained things to him, about how love is love. Thanks for that, by the way."
"Think nothing of it, dear. Now, as wonderful as all of this has been, I really do need to get your yearly review out of the way. Please have a seat Sherriff, this is going to take a while."
Sitting at the kitchen table, Belle watched Ruby as she moved through the kitchen, pulling ingredients from their various places in the cupboards with practiced ease. After watching Emma poof away in a panic, it had only taken a few moments for Ruby to suggest making something to eat.
Belle was much calmer, knowing now that Rumple hadn't harmed Emma or Ruby. She was still worried about what would happen in the future, but that was something she would avoid thinking about for as long as possible.
"I have to be at the diner for 5 o'clock, so I'm putting something together that can slow cook until Emma gets back from her meeting with Regina." Speaking without looking up from what she was doing, Ruby was completely at home in the kitchen making something for Emma to eat later. It had become a common occurrence after she had moved in with Emma, making meals that would be there whenever she was ready to eat them.
Smiling to herself, Ruby missed the appraising look that Belle gave her. Belle knew there was something different, but she wasn't able to quite put her finger on exactly what it was. "I know you enjoyed watching Emma panic before she left, but there is something else going on. Something's changed."
"Oh. Um… well…uh, Emma and I spoke yesterday, and we decided that it was time to make things a little more official with us. We told Henry about our relationship." Blushing heavily, Ruby put extra force behind each of her motions with the knife as she spoke. "We didn't really have to tell him much. Seems he forgot his school book here on a weekend a while back and he came by to get it. He saw all of us in bed together."