Hey everyone!
How's it going? Hating the direction the show is going? Yeaaaah me too. But damn if that promo image with Regina licking that sword is not just jaw-dropping.
Anyway here's the deal. The day before yesterday, I was on tumblr and armedevilregal made a post saying that they wanted a fic where Emma and Regina get locked together for when the Shattered Sight spell hit and tadaaaa!
I wrote a short drabble which goes to the first line break, and then decided to continue it...to the absolute surprise of no one.
Close Quarters
Drama
Summary: Regina wants Emma to leave the vault so she can lock herself away before the Shattered Sight Spell hits. But when Emma gets stuck with her and the spell takes effect, it's going to be an interesting time for them both.
Prompted by: [technically not prompted, but indirectly] armedevilregal - can someone please write a fic where Regina and Emma get locked up together while the curse is coming?
Warnings/Notes: None really, but SS!Regina spits acid and goes right for the jugular so y'know, insults and all that jazz. Oh and sexy Evil Queen. Although neither Emma nor Regina are dating each other [idiots are too afraid of admitting their feelings] Scurvy and Ash Borer are NOT existing as love interests because I think we've all had enough of them on the show.
"Emma you have to leave now!"
"Regina…"
"You seriously are an idiot. Or do you truly think that your magical ribbon will give you immunity from me attacking you?"
Emma tilted her head a bit and said, "Well…."
"This curse…it'll bring out the worst in people. And for me, that's the Evil Queen, and I can't…I refuse to let you see that part of me." Regina couldn't let one of the only people who believed in her, who gave her a chance to just be Regina, see her at her lowest.
"Well you forget, I kinda did crash that party in the Enchanted Forest and get myself arrested by you. And I don't know how amped up on evil you were at Midas' party, but I survived it once and I can do it again."
Regina sighed. Why in the world did she have to fall for the most stubborn-headed idiot that had ever lived. It clearly was a genetic thing. "But this isn't like that, you were an inconsequential nobody to me then-"
"I think you called me a street rat. Kinda reminded me of Aladdin," Emma wistfully said, trying to recall that night in more detail.
"The point is," Regina continued, trying to not get lost in the adorableness that was Emma Swan pouting as she thought; "that you need to leave. Your parents will probably need to be detained…"
"Elsa and Anna took over, they thought that it was best I wasn't there, and I wanted to make sure you were fine."
"Well I'm locking myself up in a vault full of dead hearts and other magical oddities, so I'll have plenty of things to do to pass the time."
"Oh yeah, polishing hearts until this curse blows over, sounds like a blast," Emma deadpanned.
"Please, just leave," Regina pleaded.
"Alright, alright, fine, I'll go. Just be careful, okay?"
Regina merely nodded, and stepped inside the room, and began on creating the enchantment that would seal her inside. Once Emma left her sight, Regina let out a sigh of relief. Emma was safe.
When she saw Emma return after a few minutes, her arms fell to her side in resignation. "Please don't tell me you're lost."
"Actually, I think your vault entrance is locked."
"What?!" Regina screeched, deciding right now that fate clearly had it out for her and her misery.
Emma held her hands up in front of her in a placating gesture, "Look I went there, I tried to leave, but the stupid thing wouldn't budge!"
They heard a rumble come from the outside, and Regina looked at the blonde with panicked eyes. "Emma, run."
"Regina-"
The brunette looked up, and saw little glass crystals falling through a vent, right towards her.
"Duck!"
Regina barely had time to do anything before she felt the blonde rush through her half-formed barrier, and push her by her shoulders onto the ground, using herself as a cover, trying to block the brunette from the shards.
"Close your eyes and don't open them!"
It was too late, she could already feel the shards somehow seek her out from underneath Emma, gathering at her eyes until they began to water and she was forced to open them.
"Emma Swan, if you don't get off me right now, I swear to everything I will rip your heart out and choke you with it."
Emma jumped off the brunette as if she had been burned. Tentatively, she asked, "Regina?"
When Regina looked up, Emma saw that she was officially fucked. For the woman that looked back at her was glaring at her with malicious glee. "Yes?"
"So, any chance our friendship will get me a 'get out of this vault in one piece' card? Because then I'll just go get the Ice Queen to erhm... extract those ice shards and we can get back to our blossoming friendship." Emma said, slowly getting up to her feet.
Suddenly Emma felt the air leave her lungs as what felt like an invisible freight train slammed onto her at full force, pushing her backwards.
"You know, this garb really doesn't fit me at all now does it?" Regina rhetorically asked, a cloud of purple smoke engulfed her and there was the Evil Queen standing there, looking regal as ever in her dress. "Much better. Now where were we?"
Emma futilely tried to fight against the force, but managed to let out a pained huff before tersely saying, "Blossoming friendship and you letting me go?"
"Oh you poor naive woman. Did you honestly think you'd be able to befriend me? I'm the Evil Queen, there is no befriending, just like there is no happy ending for people like me."
Emma struggled as she was pinned by the wall, watching as Regina approached her, hand outstretched. "That's where you're wrong Regina, you can have a happy ending, and damn it if I won't try my hardest to help you find it."
Regina let out a mirthless laugh. "Oh Swan, and here I thought you were just trying anything to get me to forgive you. You truly are pathetically naive, just like your parents."
"Heard that it's a genetic thing, sue them not me," Emma retorted, knowing that Regina didn't truly mean it.
"Oh I intend on doing much worse than that to them. They ruined my life, and your mother was responsible for destroying my happy ending, I suppose that you can be the victim in my revenge."
"You wouldn't do that."
"You sound very confident, Swan," Regina said, stalking over to grasp the front of Emma's face with her left hand. "Especially for someone trying to gamble by seeing if I'm bluffing."
Emma met the brunette's gaze full on, and responded, "I'm not gambling. I know you Regina, I know the caring mother that took care of Henry, and gave him his best chance. This? This isn't you. Don't let some magical curse destroy all those years that you spent, making yourself a better person-"
"Enough!" Regina commanded, voice terse as she let go of the blonde's jaw and paced around the room, still keeping Emma pinned to the wall with magic. "You do not get to try and trick me with your 'good guys' schpiel. I have tried okay?" Emma looked up and saw Regina glaring at her with a fire in her eyes. "I've tried to buy in to your whole noble lifestyle, seeing if fate will grant me the good will of perhaps making me deserving of a happy ending. But guess what? That's not the way the world works for me! I'm a villain, so it's high time I accepted it and stop fooling myself and everyone."
The blonde vainly strained against the invisible bonds, hoping for some kind of leeway that would allow her to do something for Regina. "Regina, please, don't think like that. This world, it's not all black and white like in the Enchanted Forest. It's not just divided into good guys and bad guys. You know that as well as I do. There isn't a magical solution nor a happy ending. I mean look at my parents!" Seeing Regina's glare intensify, Emma hurried to explain, "Sure they found their true love and all of that, but they have their trials and issues! They're probably bickering at each other across cells even now! Look at Belle and Gold! He told me he'd always choose power first, despite anything. Finding your true love isn't going to be a 'be all, end all' happy ending where from then on in everything will go right. All you need are people that, when you're down and feel like crap, you know that they'll be there for you to pick you up and most importantly, will love and support you. And you have plenty of those Regina."
It was quiet for a few seconds as Regina pondered those words. For a hot second, Emma thought she had gotten through the curse and to Regina. But seeing the brunette glare at her once again made her sigh. She would need to try another tactic.
"You lie! Sure those true love couples might have their bumps in the road, but we all know that those roads will lead to eternal happiness. Meanwhile I'm stuck in a winding forest without a map or an exit in sight."
"Well then, I'll join you and we can both figure it out together."
"Oh please, don't insult my intelligence Swan. You and I both know you're trailing right behind your parents, and you'll cross paths with a wonderful prince who will whisk you off your feet."
Emma made a doubtful face as she responded, "Considering my current track record with romantic interests, I'm not going to hold my breath."
If anything, Emma could at least say she got a snort of mirthless laughter from Regina for her quip. "Well I'm glad to know the blind faith isn't entirely genetic, at least in this aspect of romance."
"This world breeds cynics; you can't exactly blame me for it," Emma said, before adding, "Look Regina, the point is that I meant what I said. I'll find you your happy ending one way or another, you just have to let me help you."
"And why the hell should I trust you? What do you get out of this?" Regina tersely demanded.
"I just want to see you happy, Regina. Look, I know that your life has been one shitty run after another, but I want to help change that. Hell, I'm sure Henry will be happy to help you."
Regina's eyes instantly softened at the mention of their son. "Henry?"
Emma nodded, a smile spilling onto her face, "Yeah, think how happy he will be when he finds out that you not only kicked this curse's ass, but also want him to help you find your happy ending?"
"Operation Mongoose," Regina breathed.
"What?"
"Henry and I...we had an operation where we were going to go find the author of his book, and try to convince him or her to let me get my happy ending," Regina explained, looking down. "But it is futile. There are no happy endings for people like me."
"No, no Regina. Please look at me," Emma pleaded. Once Regina looked up, Emma saw that the fire in her eyes was gone. The rage had just been a cover to what she was truly feeling. Resignation to her fate. "Please don't give up on this. I know that it seems like a long-shot, but I promise you, one way or another, you'll get your happy ending."
Slowly, she extended a hand to gently cup Emma's cheek. "You should fear me, why don't you fear me?" Regina whispered, more to herself than to Emma, but due to their close proximity, she heard it loud and clear.
"Because I know you, Regina."
The brunette shook her head. "No, that can't be all of it."
Emma bit her lip. "No it's not...I care a lot for you Regina, and I think you deserve better, actually scratch that, I know you deserve better. But you can't do it if you're just resigned to this."
"You...care about me?" Emma could see the real Regina from behind the seemingly glassy cover in her eyes.
The blonde nodded fervently.
"No, you hate me," Regina said, shaking her head and looked away.
Emma sighed, and tried to focus her energy on the magic holding her to the wall. Maybe with a little bit of concentration, she could free one of her arms from its confines. After a few seconds, Emma manged to free her right arm, and tentatively reached out to the pensive brunette's shoulder. She didn't dare touch her face for fear of getting singed with a wayward fireball.
At the touch, the brunette's first instinct was to flinch. Regina set a glare on her face at the touch, trying to decipher what it was that startled her. Seeing that it was Emma, she locked eyes with the blonde and looked intently. There was something there that she couldn't quite identify within the hazel eyes.
"I'm sorry for startling you," Emma gently said. It was a strange position they found themselves in. The two women were just inches away from each other, Emma being seemingly being held by an invisible force against the wall a few inches from the ground, except for Emma's right arm, which was resting on Regina's shoulder, while the other woman was decked out in some medieval garb that resembled a mix between a dress and a pantsuit.
Regina scoffed, looking away. "You don't startle me."
Emma gave a shaky smile in response and gently caressed her thumb over the other woman's shoulder. She felt the brunette's shoulder relax under her hand; it was now or never. "I like you."
Regina looked up with such speeds that Emma was worried she'd get whiplash. "What?"
"I like you," Emma repeated gently.
The brunette moved a few paces forward until their breaths were mingling. Regina's right hand went to caress Emma's face, while the blonde's right hand was still on the other woman's shoulder. "If this is a trick..."
"I promise you Regina, the last thing I would do is trick you," Emma said, keeping her eyes locked with the brown ones, searching for a sign that told her that she should either back off, or close the distance.
Seeing only confusion, Emma held off. But then was mildly surprised when Regina took charge.
Emma closed her eyes as she felt plump lips meld with her own, and behind her eyelids she saw a burst of light, but right now she was too busy to care.
After a few seconds, Emma gave a muffled yelp as she was released from the magical hold, but Regina quickly moved to help her stay standing. Their kiss broke with the move, but they wasted no time in getting back into it, after all, they had found their happy ending.
Tadaaa!
So the kiss breaks the curse and everyone lives happily ever after! [the irony after the whole speech Emma did above, oooops].
I didn't include this in the Road to Recovery because it's technically not a rewrite, just me going away with what previews and the like.
Also there is nothing worse than losing some 300 or so words and then having to recall everything and not being able to.
TWICE.
Made me want to give up on finishing this more than once. But I think I managed to at the very least, find a pretty similar alternative to what I had originally written for a good chunk of the end.
Next up will be another chapter of Kissing Booth, followed by Such a Heavenly View!
Let me know what you thought!