SQ Fix 6

You've been Swenned!

Regina Mills and the Princess

One, two, multiple footsteps reverberating through her not-so-secret vault.

"Mom". Worry tainted her son features. "There's something wrong with Ma."

Sixteen missed phone calls on her screen. Five from Mary Margaret, four from David, four from Hook, three from Henry.

The phone rang again.

Seventeen, she thought, but then heard the familiar ringtone from Star Wars and hesitated.

It was Regina.

Her heart clenched in her chest. Should she answer? She wanted to be alone right then, but, what if something else had happened while she was away and-?

A red dress strutting through the foliage caught her eye. She lowered the passenger's window in order to speak to the newcomer.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, eyes hard and guarded.

"The question is, Miss Swan, what are you doing here." The brunette opened the car's door and sat next to the Sheriff. "Our son, who by the way is terribly worried about you, filled me in about what took place at your department. Are you okay? Are you hurt?" The sorceress surveyed her looking for bruises or other wounds.

Her guard dropped a little bit. "I'm ok. David is the one that got hurt... because of me." Hard eyes again, gazing into the horizon.

"Emma, you don't look ok. Walk me through what happened."

Maybe it was their recent heart-to-heart, or the way Regina's voice had softened at her name, or the look of concern in her eyes, or maybe Emma was tired of facing everything life threw at her alone and she needed a friend right then; but her defenses lowered a bit more and she started talking.

"Ingrid got into my head. She was sayin' some stuff about my family not really understanding me nor loving me, but being afraid of my magic instead. I played right into her trap; she triggered me and I blew up one of the Station's walls by accident. Then everyone appeared and I told them to stay away because I was scared of my magic reacting like that without my command, but Hook reached for me anyway and then the lightbulbs lining the street exploded and a lamp-post came crashing down and hurt David. Then Mary Margaret looked at me like I was the worst daughter ever and I just... ran." The princess' tale filled the air with a mix between guilt and hopelessness.

Regina listened to her intently before speaking again. "Emma, I am sorry to hear that. Magic can be difficult to control, especially when it has just recently made itself known. It takes time and practice to master it. Maybe we can pick up our lessons where we left them." She offered.

The blonde nodded almost imperceptibly, her mood unchanged.

"Do I really need to state the obvious about your parents loving you and always finding you and all that Charming-Family idiocy?" The brunette huffed; it got her a smile from the other woman.

"Yeah, I know they love me. But sometimes it's like I don't feel it. Too many years an orphan, I guess." Regina felt her throat constrict upon hearing that last word. "Pan was right about exploting my", she air-quoted, "'lost girl' weakness. And now the 'Villain of the Week' is doing the same. Should've known better by now." She made a pause. "They were afraid today, though. They've never seen me out of control like that. I certainly hadn't."

Emma had had time to process the day's events and spoke in an even, almost monotonous tone. It seemed to the former mayor that she was trying to emotionally detach herself from the situation. "They may be a couple of idiots but they love you with all their hearts." She sighed. "Their shared heart. God, your parents make me nauseous sometimes." Lifted eyebrow. "Most of the time. But I digress. They are your family and they love you; our son also loves you, and Guyliner pines over you like a lost puppy." Her voice tinged with disgust. "You were an orphan and I am partly responsible for that; I would say I'm sorry, but I cannot, as being one made you the person you are today and brought us Henry and... " a long pause and a troubled brow. "What I'm trying to say is that you have people who love you and you are not alone anymore." Deep, meaningful stare.

"You missed one." The blonde said with a smirk. Regina waited for her to continue. "You. I also have you."

The red from her dress spilled up to her neck and cheeks. "We may have a tentative friendship at most, but I've never said that I love you, Miss Swan."

"I don't love you either." A full-on grin this time, as Emma loved messing with the former queen.

"Fine." She huffed.

"Fine." Emma was making an effort not to burst out laughing.

"Did you have clowns for breakfast? I fail to see the humor in all of this." The brunette complained, all crossed arms and evasive eyes.

"It's you. You get so wound up about things like this." The Savior was looking at her like she was the cutest thing in the world. And she absolutely loathed it. "You say you don't love me and you get all defensive but friends love each other and at the end of the day..." Silence.

"Your dramatic pause is getting tiresome." Furrowed, furrowed brow.

"... You are here." Sincerity swept through her voice. "You are here, and you have my back." Another meaningful stare. "Thank you."

Epic eye roll. "I'm still not braiding your hair."

"Your loss. I have awesome hair." She shook her head to emphasize her point, and that seemed to make her remember something. "Hey. How did you go about finding me here?"

Regina awarded her a derisive snort. "I have my means."

"Come on. Spit it out."

"Magic." she waved her hands in the air for effect. Emma kept staring. "All right. I know you come here when you are upset. I had Sidney following you back when you first arrived, remember?" She avowed.

Emma puckered her lips in thought. "I don't know if I should feel angry in retrospective or pleased that you remember. I think I'll go with the last one. Not loving me: you are doing it wrong." Teasing Regina made her enjoy herself almost too much; her cheerful grin was a testament to that.

The brunette blushed some more, but then striked back, grabbing Emma's phone. "Really? You are doing it wrong also." The blonde tried futilely to get it back, as Regina kept her at an arm's length by pushing her by her breastbone. She manouvered with her other hand until she was able to dial Emma's phone from her own. "What is that ringtone I hear, pray tell? Sure sounds like a love song to me."

Emma was mortified to hear her "Han Solo and The Princess" track from the Star Wars Original SoundTrack. "It's not what you think." Disbelieving brow raised at her. "The Imperial March starts a little later. That's your ringtone. I, huh... I accidentally deleted Darth Vader's theme and..." she struggled with her sentences.

Regina regarded her full of amusement, her Cheshire cat grin in place. "Please, dear, tell me more." It was Emma's turn to huff in annoyance. "Or maybe you shouldn't tellme more, maybe you should tell Handless Wonder to leave you off his hook, considering you clearly swing the other way. My way, to be more precise."

"You sure are full of yourself. Who says you're my type?" Emma defied.

Regina lifted another sculptured eyebrow, mildly surprised about Emma not denying her varied interests. "Am I not?" She challenged back.

The woman was a vision in a figure hugging, totally fitting red dress, for God's sake. Who was she kidding? She couldn't pull off such a huge lie, could she?

Regina smiled seductively. "I thought so."

No, she couldn't.