Having retrieved her clothing and helmet from the loft without issue, Emma headed back to Granny's to drop everything off before going to the house to check for damages. She was worried she may have given herself more work to do than previously thought.
Her conversation with David weighed heavily on her mind because she had not responded after his comment about Regina. Her instincts had thundered through her mind, the wolf demanding that she put David in his place for speaking out of turn, but she could understand his position as well. Unwilling to fully examine why she was so defensive of the sultry brunette, Emma had simply taken her keys and left, pretending not to have heard him.
Now she was alone with her thoughts and was unsure as to what everything meant.
The past two days had been a whirlwind of information, new instincts, and emotions. She had essentially married two of her best friends, been disowned by Snow, given a conditional blessing from David, and been kicked out of the only home she had known in Storybrook.
Granted, she had already been planning to leave the apartment, but it hurt to be turned out that way. She would not try to force Snow to change her mind, and knew that it would be best if they had some space to both calm down for a while, but it still hurt. They were supposed to be her family, the people she had searched for her entire life, and one of them just threw her away like trash for being who she was.
All she really wanted was to go back to bed and curl up with Ruby and Belle; but she also knew that they both had work to do right now and needed some time to themselves to sort out their own part of this new relationship. Having already been together for a year, it was a very big adjustment to suddenly have another party share your lives and beds.
Emma knew that they loved her but her deeply seeded insecurities were still niggling at the back of her mind, telling her that this new happiness that was being offered was too good to be true. Not to mention the fact that there would eventually be yet another person to share with as well; which could bring up another set of issues all on its own. Especially if Belle was right about Regina.
Not paying attention to where her feet were taking her, Emma found herself at the pier looking out at the rolling waves. The rhythm had always soothed her and today was no exception. Taking a seat, she allowed her mind to wander over everything that had occurred.
She was not angry at Ruby for biting her because she knew it was an accident. And to be honest, she was really enjoying the new strength that was flowing through her, as well as the control that she now had over her magic. It had always taken a great deal of concentration for Emma to call her magic forth but since she'd been bitten, it had been almost effortless, instinctual.
She had also always had a crush on both Belle and Ruby, but she'd been too afraid of being rejected to ever approach either in a romantic capacity when they had been single. When they had gotten together, she had just settled for being the best friend she could be. Being there for both women in any way possible felt like the best she could do in the situation, and although it had hurt at first, she was truly happy for them.
Ruby was a surprisingly gentle soul, under the flirtatious front she put up. She truly cared about people, especially those she was close to. She would do almost anything for her friends, regardless of the personal cost. Hence why she had defended Snow from her own mother, and then left the pack behind to stay with her. And now Snow was casting that loyalty aside with snide comments and contemptuous words.
Belle was the polar opposite to Ruby, while still being a genuinely good person. She was quiet and reserved around the general public, but her passion and sarcastic wit was hard pressed to match. Her gentle disposition was very deceptive and Ruby had often warned Emma that she was a very different person behind closed doors. Having finally seen for herself how polar Belle's personality could be, Emma was all the more captivated by the seemingly shy librarian.
Emma had always feared Snow's reaction to her orientation as there had been hints of her disapproval throughout their relationship, both before and after the curse had broken. Snow had made small comments here and there that had led Emma to not bring up the topic.
When Emma had been dating Kara, they had always spent the night together at Kara's place, or occasionally at the inn. They only stayed at the loft one time, when Snow and Charming were on a second Honeymoon for a week. But this wasn't a fling for Emma and she was not ashamed of her mates or who she was, and she would not hide it from anyone any longer.
David had offered her support but Emma knew that he would never go against his wife openly, and she would not put him in the position to make him choose between his True Love and his child. He had said he was okay with her making her own choices in her life, but his off-hand comment put her on edge. Would he still be accepting when Snow put pressure on him? Or what about when she found her 3rd mate? Especially is Belle was right, and it was Regina? Would he still love and support her then?
And what was she going to tell Henry about the entire situation? Would he accept the new prophesy and her new relationships? Or would he react as Snow did and not want to have anything to do with her anymore? He was a teenager; and although he was more open-minded than he had been when the curse first broke, he still idolized Snow and David. Would he want to have a room in their new house? Or would he simply want to stay with Regina? Or worse, would he side completely with Snow and rush to the loft to stay in her now empty room?
The house was only half done as she had been doing the repairs manually herself. She had worked a number of different jobs in her life; and although chasing bail jumpers paid well, she had always enjoyed restorations work. It gave her a feeling of accomplishment to see something returned to its former glory and by her own hard work. But now Emma wanted to be with her mates and staying at the inn really wasn't an option if the drives of the past two days were anything to judge by. Their apartment was located in the middle of town, and they had already gotten noise complaints from the finicky neighbours for just having a movie a little loud one evening. How would they take the new level of noise coming from them all? It wasn't fair to the neighbours, even if they were touchy, so magic would have to complete the work early on the house, and she would need to find another project to work on to keep her occupied.
And when it comes to her magic, Emma was still unsure if she was up to the task alone. She had struggled until the previous evening to control her magic, often receiving mixed results from her efforts. Although she thought that she would be fine, given her new instincts, she felt supervision would be a good precaution to take. Regina was the only magic user in town that she was confortable seeking out but given Belle and Ruby's theory about their other mate, she was unsure if she should still ask for Regina's help.
Regina had told her about Robin, the Lion Tattoo, and Tinker Bell's spell when she was younger. If he was Regina's soul mate, her happy ending, Emma would not interfere in the slightest with it no matter how much she despised the man. So long as he treated her with proper respect and care, she would hold her tongue, for Regina's sake.
Robin was everything one would expect from a medieval noble or prince. The only problem with that being that they now lived in the modern world and women did not need men to do everything for them anymore and they were worth infinitely more than just a warm body to fill his bed with. His opinions about women were that they were better suited to running a household and raising children, and should let the men take care of the rest. He did not view women as equals in any fashion, and on the few times Robin had spoken with Emma, she had struggled to stop herself from smacking him or outright throttling the man in her disgust. How Regina, a strong, independent woman tolerated his attitude she would never know.
Robin had firmly planted himself in Emma's bad books when he had cornered Belle at the library after the news about her and Ruby's relationship had broken to the town. He had made several 'suggestions' about how she could be fixed so she could be a proper lady again, offering both his and his merry band of men's services. It had left Belle in a quiet rage and Emma with a seething werewolf to calm. She had been able to keep Robin away from Belle and Ruby since then but after the previous evening, she was sure he would be making a reappearance to once more try his hand.
If anything did happen, Emma was sure she would end up in a very physical confrontation with Robin and that did not sit well with her either, but neither she nor Ruby would stand for him abusing Belle again. Emma knew it would upset Regina too, if she attacked him, but she also couldn't let him manhandle her mates or any other woman for that matter.
As her thoughts continued to race through her mind, Emma slowly became aware of her surroundings again. Breathing a heavy sigh, Emma noticed a new scent was approaching her from behind. Apples and bergamot mixed with coffee and leather. Inhaling deeply, the scent soothed her raging thoughts before Emma heard the telling click-clack of over-priced high heels. Emma knew that Regina was the only one who would wear the hard-soled shoes to the pier.
"How did you find me?" Emma asked, not turning as the woman soundlessly took a seat next to the blonde on the bench.
"You always come to the pier to watch the waves when you are overwhelmed. Henry did the same thing at his castle before it was torn down," Regina said, waving her hand dismissively. "I understand you are responsible for the magic wave from last night?" A perfectly sculpted eyebrow raised, daring Emma to deny the truth. It wasn't accusatory, just questioning.
"I'm guessing from the cup you are holding, you have been to see Ruby this morning." Emma replied, attempting to avoid the coming conversation for as long as possible.
"I have. And she told me some very interesting information regarding the Prophesy of the White Wolf." Regina stated, mild annoyance coloring her tone. "Would you know anything about that?"
"Maybe a little, given that it is apparently about me. What did Ruby tell you?" Still unsure of how to proceed with regards to Regina, Emma tried to draw out the conversation for as long as possible.
"That you are going to be the Saviour of the werewolf race, refound a kingdom in the Enchanted Forrest, and that you have more than one mate. She said if I wanted to know more, I would have to speak to either Belle or Granny about it later." Taking a small sip of her coffee, Regina continued. "Congratulations by the way. I am happy you have found your True Loves."
Noting that Regina didn't seem to have the whole story, especially the part that concerned her possibly being their mate as well, Emma decided to steer the conversation towards the more pressing topics for the day. She could wait for things to settle before dropping that bomb on the unsuspecting brunette. "Thanks. And yeah, the wave was from Ruby and I last night. We didn't know anything like that could happen. Sorry for all the trouble and for anything that got damaged last night."
Seeing the slight blush on the blondes face, Regina couldn't resist teasing her just a bit about the situation. After all, teasing each other was always their favourite past time. "Nothing on my property was damaged, aside from the slight aural trauma I had to endure."
"You were hurt?!" Emma snapped to attention at the statement, instantly worried about the woman. She did not smell any injuries but her instincts had flown into a frenzy regardless.
Noting the yellow glow to Emma's eyes, Regina quickly realized that the blonde had taken her statement literally and was clearly very distraught at the idea that she had been hurt. 'Ever the White Knight. Ruby and Belle are lucky women,' she thought wistfully. Clearing her throat to gain Emma's attention back, Regina quickly corrected the misinterpretation, "The clearing you were in is very close to my home. Only about 150 yards to be precise. The trauma was only to my own cognizance as I could hear everything. Very. Clearly."
At the deep crimson blush took over the blonde's face, Regina noted that Emma's eyes immediately faded back to their usual striking green. Having averted the potential problem, Regina continued to tease the blonde sheriff, not concerned with pressing her luck. "I will say that I am very impressed. Ruby sounded like a very happy lady last night and was still beaming this morning. And given the grumblings I heard while on my way to the diner, Belle was feeling very much the same way."
Hearing about her mates being satisfied had the opposite effect from the one Regina was expecting though. A predatory grin slid into place as a deep growl built in the back of Emma's throat. Locking her eyes with Regina's, Emma rasped out in a low timber, "Wouldn't you like to know?" Her eyes were again glowing a vibrant yellow, as a pink tongue sneaked out to wet her lips slowly.
Shocked beyond words at Emma's behaviour, Regina chose to instead take a deep sip of her now cold drink before attempting a reply. "R-Ruby, ahem. Ruby said you had some things to speak to me about?"
Shaking her head to clear the haze of lust and instincts, Emma took a deep breath before slumping back into her seat on the bench. 'Where did that come from?' she thought before replying to Regina.
"Well, since I was bitten, I have had much better control of my magic. And with all the damaged property from the wave last night, I thought we should call a town meeting to reassure people about what it was and to let them know that I will repair the damage. I was hoping you would be open to supervising me and possibly helping me do the repairs, in case my magic goes wonky again?" Rushing through her request, Emma tried to ignore the urge to fidget.
"Well, that is very reasonable of you Sheriff. I think the meeting would help stop the town from accusing me of some random plot. And it would save the town a great deal of time and money if we use our magic to repair the damages. But what would I get out of helping supervise, hmm?"
"Well, what would you like?" Thinking over anything Regina could want, but didn't already have or have the resources to get, Emma found the list very short.
"Well, I think a public apology from your father would be a great start." Grimacing at the memory of David accusations and threats from the previous evening, she continued. "He was rather direct in his line of 'questioning', again."
Biting back a growl at having to hear again how David had immediately jumped to the conclusion that Regina was up to something, Emma offered a tight smile. "He should actually be done with the written apology he will be giving you tonight at the meeting. I think also making it a public show shouldn't be too much trouble."
"Written apology?" Regina could not hide the confusion in her voice at Emma's statement.
"When I got to the station, David launched into his version of things. We got into it a bit and he admitted a bit of what he said to you. I told him he would be making a personal apology to you, under my supervision, as well as giving you a written apology. He has been warned and the only reason he wasn't charged with misconduct today was that I don't think the town would react well to him being tossed in a jail cell during what they think is a crisis." Running her hands tiredly over her face, Emma could feel her frustration with her deputy mounting again. "I think I will be looking for a couple of new deputies at the meeting tonight. Maybe giving him some more downtime will help him cool his heels a bit."
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Regina could not help but feel truly touched at the gesture Emma was making. Having David apologize is one thing, but having him do it in writing, without her having to ask, meant a lot to Regina. "I think that would be a wonderful idea, dear. Was there anything else you wanted to talk to me about?"
Feeling sheepish, Emma sat up straight before addressing the mayor again. "Well, a few months ago, I actually bought a house. I wanted somewhere that was away from Snow and David, but still close enough that Henry could come and visit whenever he wanted or stay at whichever house he wanted. I have been fixing it up by myself and was saving to have it finished by a contractor. But since Snow threw me out this morning for refusing to leave Ruby and Belle, I need to get it finished as soon as possible. Living at Granny's isn't a bad thing, but I don't want to overstay my welcome, or cost her more business, and their current apartment isn't really an option for the same reasons."
"Wait. Snow threw you out because you found your True Loves?!" Incredulity dripped from every word.
"More that it was not one but two women specifically. She wanted to take me to Blue to 'fix' me and break whatever spell or curse I was under, because I must be to be so 'confused'. She doesn't believe that Belle and Ruby have True Love, and thinks it's impossible for all of us to share it." Failing to hide the hurt in her words, Emma shifted to face the waves rolling in from the ocean once again. "Some of the way she was acting made me think she might have been a bit jealous, too. It was really weird, even for her."
"It's hypocritical, but unfortunately not surprising. Her father was very rigid in regards to sexuality, as most royals and nobles in the Enchanted Forest were." Thinking back to when Snow was still a child, Regina knew where a great deal of Snow's reaction had likely come from. "When she was 14, her father caught Snow kissing one of her hand maidens. He had the poor girl whipped in the yard and forced Snow to watch. After she was whipped, she was taken to the dungeons for several weeks and left to the guards' mercy. Snow was made to participate in 're-education' lessons for weeks with one of the priests from a local church. After the lessons, Snow would always be very quiet for several days, refusing to speak about the lessons. This went on until the priest deemed her cured. The girl was brought before Snow and the King again and Snow was made to shame the girl for trying to corrupt her."
"Whoa. That's crazy. I guess I can kind of see why she reacted like that. That's terrible." Not surprised that something like that had taken place but still saddened by it, Emma knew she would have to be patient with Snow. A trauma like the one Regina described was not something you just forgot about.
"Still, she shouldn't have turned you out like that. I'm sorry she did that to you, dear." Gently squeezing Emma's arm, Regina was surprised that the smile Emma gave her in response was so full. "But what does the house have to do with it?"
"Ahem, well, you see, I was kind of hoping you would also supervise me finishing it up. I was hoping to move in this weekend." Flashing a hopeful grin, Emma tried to tamp down the excitement that bubbled in her chest at the thought of living with her mates in their own home. 'Home. Our home.'
"And where exactly is this home of yours, hmm?"
"150 Mifflin Street?" Feeling sheepish at having not told the woman earlier, Emma began to watch her own hands as they twisted in her lap.
Letting out an amused laugh, Regina was startled by her own excitement at having the wolves living so close to her own home. "The last house on the block, right on the forest. Why am I not surprised?"
"Well, at least you are taking it well that we are going to be neighbours. So, is that a yes to helping me finish the house?"
"Yes, dear. I will help you finish your home." Smirking, Regina could see the blonde relax before tensing at her next statement. "But I do have one condition for my help."
"And what's that?" Unsure of the mischievous look the mayor had levelled her with, Emma was cautious of whatever condition the mayor had in mind.
"Since Henry will no doubt be over frequently and I know at least Ruby and Belle enjoy cooking, I get to design your kitchen."