The Day after Tomorrow

by Thomsen435

Regina is hopelessly in love with Emma. So hopeless that she repeatedly exposes herself to situations that could have been avoided if she just told Emma the truth. But that is easier said than done. "But I crash in my mind whenever you are near, getting deaf, dumb and blind"

I hope you enjoy it :)

Regina can´t even explain when or how it happened. It just did. With everything that had happened, of course this would too. Now that everything was fine again, hopefully, she would have the time to figure things out and as it seems, Regina is hopelessly in love with Emma. Secretly, of course. Not that the brunette was embarrassed by any means, but she just didn't know what to do about it.

One day, when they all had been gathered at the diner after the mine incident, Regina had looked at the blonde woman, like really looked at her. It just clicked in her mind. How obsessed she had become by every move she made, how she noticed that Emma always had that tiny smirk on the corner of her lips, how she tugged her blonde hair behind her ear. How she always bit her lip when she was focused by something or even how she rolled her eyes a little when she was annoyed. Yes, Regina was smitten. It was like birds was appearing when they were together, and in Regina´s mind, they sang a little song. She just wished that now when she had it figured out, she could stop making a goddamn fool of herself when they shared the same space. It had been months with this, and Regina was nowhere near getting closer with the blonde. They still talked as they shared the time with Henry between them, but Regina longed for more. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear the knock on the door to her office.

Regina´s face lit up when she saw Emma standing in front of her in her office. "Em-" She started but silently scolded herself as she corrected herself and let her smile fall. "Miss Swan. What can I do for you?" She asked as she clasped her hands together on the desk in front of her. She hoped Emma hadn't caught onto it and if she had, she ignored it.

"I just wanted to give you this" Emma said and put down the usual paperwork from the station. "And this" A warm cup of coffee also was put in front of the mayor. Regina raised an eyebrow, as Emma normally wouldn't deliver these papers before Regina had asked for it several times. Lately, Emma had been right on time with the papers or a bit before along with coffee or a snack. Which confused the brunette.

"What happened?"

"What do you mean?" Emma asked confused and frowned at the mayor.

"You never bring these on time and here they are, three days before due. So, what happened?" Emma rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms.

"Nothing, I finished them, had some free time, and wanted to bring them to you. What´s wrong with that?" She asked defensively and a bit annoyed.

"I´m merely surprised by your efficiency lately, Miss Swan. It´s not something I see often." Regina said before she could stop herself. Oh, she could slap herself upside down when she saw how Emma´s shoulders fell a little and how she let out a small sigh. Instead of apologizing like she should, she just stared at blonde, keeping her mouth shut.

"Yeah, well… I don't want to keep you away from your busy work, Mayor Mills" With those words, the blonde turned on her feet. "Enjoy your coffee" She muttered and walked out of the office. Regina quickly stood up from her chair, the blonde´s name whispered from her lips as she sighed heavily. She slumped down in her seat and ran a hand through her dark hair. If she just could say what she wanted to instead of making a fool of herself by insulting the blonde when she should be praising her. She bit the inside of her cheek. Tomorrow. She would tell her tomorrow, and then apologize to her. Maybe apologize first and then tell her after. Regina nodded to herself as she focused on the boring documents in front of her.

Regina didn't tell. She didn't even get the opportunity to talk to the blonde, and when Emma had come to pick up Henry, they had been quickly out of the door to do whatever the two of them was doing. It was infuriating for the brunette. And now, three weeks later from the incident and the promise to herself, Regina was no near closer talking to Emma. She had wanted her assistant to get her coffee, but she had the decency to get sick, so now Regina had to go down to Granny's on her own. She wasn't in a good mood. Mr. Gold had been breathing down her neck for the last two days, and she was very much over it. She had another meeting with him today, so she needed her coffee to get through another unpleasant meeting with him. To top it all, the rain was falling hard, and her car was at the mechanic, so she was also walking. She had dug up an old, useless umbrella from the bottom of her office closet, because she had forgotten to bring her own, but it kept her dry.

The bell over the door announced her arrival in the small diner. It wasn't as busy as it usually was, and Regina blamed it on the weather. She briefly looked around, as she waited for her turn, sighing annoyingly as she fiddled with the now broken umbrella, she almost threw it on the floor when her eyes caught one blonde woman sitting alone in one of the booths.

"Fancy seeing you here. The usual?" Regina bit her lip as she watched how Emma was reading the newspaper, how she licked the tip of her finger to turn the paper, how she scrunched up her adorable face as she leaned closer to read something. It was very endearing to look at and Regina couldn't bring herself to look away, making her blush a little. "Hey, Regina?" Regina finally turned to look at Red, who smirked knowingly at her.

"Sorry, yes. The usual" She muttered as she walked away from the desk towards Emma, determined to tell her right then and there. The blonde looked up when she noticed a presence.

"Mayor Mills? Can I do something for you?" Emma asked when she saw it was Regina. She sat down her cup when Regina didn't answer and looked worriedly at her. "Regina?" Regina don't even know why she walked over there. It was gone from her mind, and now she was just standing there. Her heart and feet had had their own free will and had brought her to what her heart desired the most. She had seen the blonde and had immediately been captivated by her presence. She needed to be close to her, to talk to her and to just see her. She wanted to sit down next to her, sharing breakfast, having coffee, laughing about something only they knew about. Sharing knowing looks, soft touches, small smiles. She wanted to be the blondes one. To be a family. The three of them, maybe more. Who knows? A soft hand on her arm brought her back to reality. She looked down at the pale hand and then up at the owner with confused eyes. Worried green eyes were staring right back at her.

"Regina? Can you hear me?" Emma was standing in front of her, holding onto her like she was afraid that Regina would do something unexpected.

"Emma?" Regina blinked a couple of times as she focused on the sweet woman, who looked like she cared so much right now.

"Yeah" Emma nodded and smiled sweetly, comfortingly at her.

"What-?"

"You spaced out a little. Are you okay?" Regina opened her mouth to tell the truth. To purr her heart out, but the bell over the door interrupted her brave moment and she was just a coward. She cleared her throat and looked indifferently at the blonde.

"Yes, Miss Swan. I'm quite fine. Thank you" Emma's smile faded away as she released her hold on the brunette and took a small step back. Regina already longed for the closeness they had before.

"Oh, that's great".

"Have a nice day" Regina replied and turned to leave. As she opened the door, she hesitated briefly, wanting to turn around and talk to the blonde. Instead, she looked over her shoulder to see that Emma had sat back down again and was staring at her cup. Regina bit the inside of her cheek, shook her head, and walked out of the diner. Without her umbrella or her coffee. She's going to tell her. Maybe tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow.

Regina was soaking wet from her walk back to her office. She was dripping on the floor, not that she cared. She wished for the floor to swallow her whole, and for Emma to forget her behaviour today, but she knew she wouldn't. She would ask if she's alright the next time they see each other. Emma would look at her with those kind eyes, so worried about her and she knew she would irrationally lash out on the blonde. For being so worried, for being so kind and caring for her. Because Regina wasn't used to that. Her mother had made sure of that. To her, love was a weakness and every time Regina had been even a tad close to find her forever, her mother had meddled. She wouldn't let her do that to Emma. Emma brough those intense feelings up inside of her. She wasn't used to someone wanting to know about her well-being, for someone to just come to her office to see how she is. Emma always had this look in her eyes, a mix of amazement and just something Regina couldn't quite figure out. The blonde had this amazing ability to calm her, while she simultaneously made her feel like her whole body was on fire. No, she wasn't used to this. Yes, there had been flings and whatnot, but never like this. Never, and she was scared. So scared that she felt like crying. She was afraid that Emma only pities her for being alone. That would be the worst. There was a quick knock on the door before it opened and Regina suddenly remembered that she was still standing the middle of her office, in her dripping wet clothes and her hair clinging to her face, making her look like a mess.

"Mayor Mills. Am I interrupting something?" She closed her eyes and sighed heavily before turning around.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Gold?" The man stepped further into her office with his ridiculous smug smile on his wrinkled lips. One of those that Regina hated so immensely.

"We have a meeting" He replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes. At 2pm. Not right now" She was tired. He scoffed at her as he rested both hands on his cane, looking expectantly at her.

"So? I'm here and you're obviously not busy" He motioned to her attire, and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm postponing the meeting. I'll get my assistant to call you to schedule a new day" Regina told him and walked to her desk.

"You can't possibly be-"

"Leave, Mr. Gold. I'm not telling you again" She told him sternly as she stared at him hard. He scowled at her, before he turned around to leave the office, but not without slamming the door shut. Regina sighed heavily, running her hand through her wet hair. She was going to pay for that when they had their new meeting, but she couldn't care less about that. She decided to take the day off. Documents and everything could wait for tomorrow. It was not like the town was running amok, just because she wasn't there for one day. She needed to get her head straight.

Regina was walking down the street one sunny afternoon. She looked forward to seeing Henry, make them some dinner and then just relax with a good book. She was in a good mood today. Everything had been running smoothly and Mr. Gold haven't called her a thousand times, so yes. Regina was happy. She greeted everyone on her way home, even getting a few small talks in here and there, but nothing special. She turned the corner and almost stopped in her tracks when she saw Emma doing gardening for Mrs. Marsden. She was dressed in only a white top and her tight jeans. She looked gorgeous, and Regina slowed down in her steps. She watched as the blonde struggled with a few difficult weeds before she triumphantly pulled them out of the ground and threw them behind her in an ever-growing pile. She leaned back on her calves and wiped away the sweat the had formed on her forehead, and Regina got a good look on her strong biceps. Those strong, dirty biceps, and it made the brunette feel certain things. It also made her walk straight into a pole, almost knocking herself out in the process. The sound echoed around the neighbourhood, and Emma turned to see the brunette standing all woozy, swaying a bit on her feet from the impact. She hurried up to cross the street, looking worriedly at the brunette. If it wasn't an embarrassing moment for the mayor, she would laugh as it seemed like it was a permanent expression of the blonde's face, whenever they were meeting. Regina just wished it wasn't always her, acting like a moron.

"Regina! Are you okay?" Emma asked, when she stood in front of Regina, looking her over. Regina raised her hand to touch the sore spot on her forehead. She winched.

"I don't know…" She muttered.

"You're not bleeding or anything, but you're going to get a nasty bruise" Emma told her. "What happened? I mean, I know what happened but how?" Regina's face reddened as she remembered why.

"Apparently I went momentarily blind" Regina said and hoped Emma didn't notice how red her face was now. She was so embarrassed. Emma frowned but didn't comment.

"Do you need me to walk you home?" Regina wanted to say yes, to scream yes at the blonde.

"No, I think I can manage it on my own" Her mouth betrayed her. "Thank you, Emma" She said and walked around the blonde. She walked a few steps away, just to turn and find the blonde looking at her with a look Regina couldn't read. "Emma, I-"She started but lost her courage once again when the blonde's eyes lit up and she was looking expectantly at her. "I need to- Thank you, again" She breathed out and almost ran away from her. She groaned out loud, and slapped her forehead annoyed, only to groan out in pain. She was an idiot. She was mumbling to herself all the way home.

"Mom! What happened?!" Henry yelled the moment he sat foot in their home. Regina clenched her eyes shut, as she was sporting a fine bruise and a headache.

"What do you mean?" She asked, keeping her eyes on the stove.

"Emma asked me to make sure that you were okay. She was worried about you and then she told me that you had hit your head pretty hard" he told her, stopping to stand right next to her. She looked down at him with a small smile on her lips. He had the same expression as Emma had, and it warmed her heart to know that she still made sure that she was okay.

"I accidentally walked into a pole. It's nothing to worry about, Henry" He frowned at her as he saw the bruise. "Henry, I'm fine" He didn't look convinced, but he knew better than to keep bothering her about it.

"If you're sure…" He drawled.

"I am. Now, go make the table. We're eating soon" He blew out a tired huff as he waddled to the cabinet with the plates. She chuckled lightly and was happy that he had let it go. Later, when they had finished eating and Henry had done his homework, they were sitting in the living room, watching a movie. They were interrupted by Regina's phone ringing. The brunette frowned when she saw it was none other than Mary Margaret. "What can I do for you, Miss Blanchard?" She asked professionally.

"Hello Regina. I called because I want to ask you if you want to meet me for coffee in the morning?" Mary Margaret replied, not at all fazed by Regina's annoyed tone. Regina frowned, confused by the invitation. She stood up, not wanting to interrupt Henry's movie, and walked into the kitchen.

"You called me to ask about coffee?"

"Yes"

"Do I dare ask why?" She asked dryly as she poured herself some apple cider. She heard a small sigh.

"We need to talk about this Emma situation" Regina stopped what she was doing. Her eyes fluttered a few times as she tried to figure out what to respond.

"I-I don't know what you're referring to" She started, but the woman interrupted her.

"I know, Regina" Her heart sank. If she knew. Then everybody probably knew. "No, everybody doesn't know about it" It was like she had read her mind. "But I want to talk to you about it. Meet me down at the harbour around 8am. I'll bring the coffee" Mary Margaret told her and had the audacity to just hang up before Regina could give any response or protest.

Regina didn't sleep much that night, and even though it was Saturday, she still got up early as usually and was not at all ready to meet with the pixie-haired woman. Mary Margaret was already sitting on the bench when Regina came down to the harbour. The sun was gone, replaced by cloudy skies that was threatening to let the rain fall, and the wind had picked up.

"Here" Mary Margaret said as she handed Regina the Styrofoam cup filled with hot coffee. The brunette accepted it and sat gracefully down next to her, expecting nothing and everything. The cold wind felt like ice on her skin, and she was happy that she had decided to put on her warm coat and a scarf this morning. It was nothing like the weather yesterday. There wasn't much Spring over the weather this day. After a few minutes in silence, Mary Margaret took a deep breath and sighed out loud.

"It can't keep going like this, Regina. One day you're going to hurt yourself gravely because you're not being careful" Regina listened to what was being said. "I know it's just the small things right now, but it can change, and it's always around Emma" Regina turned her head a little to look at the other brunette. "I know what you're going to say. You don't know what I'm talking about, but you do. You're hurting yourself physically and emotionally" Regina clenched her jaw as her grip around the cup intensified. They sat in silence as Regina mulled over what the woman had told her. Usually, she wouldn't let her say anything like this to her, but this wasn't the time to be her usually rude self. Mary Margaret sipped her of her coffee, before clearing her throat again. "Emma talks, you know. Because she's confused. She's confused because you're not acting like yourself, and when you try to be, you're just exceptionally rude to her. I know you're just as confused because I can see it on your face when you're looking at her. I've noticed, Regina and it's okay" Mary Margaret was now looking fully at her. "It's okay to love her" Regina stared back at her, unshed tears in her eyes.

"I just feel so lost and I can't-" She breathed out heavily, looking out on the rolling sea. The weather was starting to get worse. "I can't think when she's close to me. I barely remember to breathe. Should it really be like this? Like she's everything to me even when she doesn't even know it? I tell myself to just talk to her about it, but I just can't" She felt a hand on her knee and looked into Mary Margarets soft eyes.

"What are you afraid of?"

"Are you really asking me that?" Regina asked incredulously. She let her arms fall heavily down in her lap, annoyed by the whole thing. "She could reject me, laugh in my face. I could be so much in the wrong that she'll run away screaming and never want to see me again" Regina stood. She couldn't keep still and began to pace back and forth in front of the teacher. "Besides, I couldn't forgive myself if I was the cause to chasing away my son's mother from this town. I would rather be quiet and let it go" Mary Margaret shook her head.

"She would never do that, Regina" She said. "And I doubt that she would react that badly to what you have to say".

"What do you mean?" The teacher smiled down at the empty cup in her hand before she moved to stand up from the bench.

"If you can't see it yourself, then you're just not looking closely enough" she told the other brunette as she threw away the cup in the trashcan. She looked back at Regina. "Just look at her, Regina. You'll see that maybe you're not so alone in this as you think" Mary Margaret smiled at her before she turned to walk away. "Give her the benefit of the doubt". Regina watched the pixie haired woman walk away from her. She was just as confused as before. What did she mean by that. She was looking and she never saw anything that could indicate that Emma was interested in her. She sighed annoyed as she threw away her own half empty cup of coffee. She needed to get back home, Henry would wake up soon and he wanted his usual Saturday waffles, and she has never missed it.

"They're so good, mom" Henry spoke around a mouthful of waffle.

"Don't speak with your mouth full of food, dear" Regina said smiling affectionally at her son. She was leaning against the kitchen isle, with her own newly brewed coffee. "And you say that every time you get them" He grinned at her as he finished up his plate. He grabbed it, rinsed it, and put it in the dishwasher. She kissed the top of his head as he walked past her. She was very proud of the boy she had raised.

"What are your plans today? Do you-"She was interrupted by the doorbell. She frowned as she didn't remember anyone visiting them today. Henry jumped eagerly into action and moved to the door in such a haste that Regina knew for sure that Henry was expecting someone. Regina put the cup down, so she could follow the boy.

"Emma!" He yelled happily. Regina stopped. What was she doing here?

"Hey, kid. Are you ready?"

"Yes! I just need to get my bag from my room" Henry said and ran excited up the stairs. Regina watched him, before looking at Emma, who was now standing in the foyer, arms crossed while she leaned against the door frame. Regina bit her lip as she watched the woman. She had dropped her red leather jacket for a warmer coat and had put on a warm red beanie. She looked cute, standing there and Regina felt that warm fuzzy feeling in her body. She didn't see the Regina right away as she was looking down, Regina awkwardly cleared her throat, making her presence known.

"Oh, Regina. I didn't see you there" Emma said, now smiling widely. Her eyes had lit up at the sight of the brunette. Emma uncrossed her arms as she took a step further into the foyer. "How are you?" She asked, looking at the brunette's forehead. "Is it still sore?" Regina instinctively reached up to touch the area.

"No, I mean yes. A little, but I'll survive" Regina cursed her awkwardness. She looked away for a second to clear her head. She looked back Emma. "Thank you for helping me yesterday. Apparently, I'm a bit of a clutch" Emma chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, it does seem that way lately, but I'll be happy to be there for you every time" The blonde said, her eyes widening before her face reddened. "I mean- "Regina smiled at her, amused by the blonde. Then she really looked at her. Emma's soft eyes on her, waiting patiently. She saw it this time. What the nosey teacher had been telling her. It made Regina take a small step towards the blonde.

"Emma, I want to tell you something".

Emma nodded and took her own step closer to the brunette. "I'm listening". She had that comforting smile on her lips, but Regina was still nervous, fiddling with her hands. She bit her lip hard before she exhaled and decided to tell her now.

"I- "

"Sorry, I took so long. I needed to go to the bathroom" Henry yelled as he ran down the stairs loudly. Regina involuntarily stepped away from the sheriff, putting some distance between them. Emma was still looking at her. The boy slid in between them with his bag in hand, looking at both women "Are you guys okay?"

"Of course, we are" Regina answered, which brought a smile on Henry's face.

"We're going to his fort and then I'm taking him to Granny's. Unless the weather tells us otherwise, but I'll let you know. Is that alright?" Regina raised an eyebrow. "He told me you were fine with it" Regina crossed her arms, looking down at their son, who was smiling that innocently little boy smile up at her.

"Did he now?" She heard Emma sigh heavily.

"Henry…" Emma scolded. "You didn't tell her? I can't just show up here and get you whenever you feel like it. Your mother must know about where you are" Henry's smile fell, and he looked down at his shoes.

"Sorry" He mumbled. Regina put a hand on his shoulder, making him look up at her.

"It's alright this time, Henry. Just don't make a habit out of it. Go with Miss Swan and have some fun. Just be careful" He smiled widely at her and wrapped his arms around her, giving her a tight hug.

"Thanks, mom!"

"I'll bring him back around seven, if that's okay with you?" Regina nodded and followed them out. Henry skipped to Emma's yellow bug, while Emma stayed behind. "Will you tell me?" She asked the brunette, who looked questionably at her. "What you wanted to tell me?"

"Oh" Regina bit her lip and then nodded. "Yes" She replied and wrapped her arms around herself, as she felt the cold wind on her body.

"Great. I'll be looking forward to it" Emma said and walked to her car, where Henry was waiting impatiently. Regina watched as the car drove away from her and shook her head as she walked back inside. She had been this close. But maybe tomorrow. Or the day after tomorrow. She'll figure it out.

On Sunday morning, the authorities announced that there was a storm warning, just as the storm hit Storybrooke. Regina was furious at the lack of notification, which brought total chaos to the town as everyone had to storm-proof their homes. Regina had asked Emma to make sure to make an announcement that everyone should stay indoors, but that was also the only communication they had had for the past few days. Both were doing damage control, after the storm had knocked down countless trees, the roof of a few houses had blown off and their bell tower had suffered severe damage. She was worried about Emma and has sent messages but all unanswered. She knew the sheriff was busy as several people have seen her running around. Regina herself, was also busy. There was a lot of paperwork involved when such a storm hits and causes a lot of trouble. Most could not wait, as some of the towns people had to be rehoused and Regina had chosen to handle this specific task.

She had ordered Henry to stay at home, since the weather was still a bit unsteady. She didn't want him to run around unattended as well. Hopefully he would be doing his homework, but she believed more for him to sit with one of his games instead. She had handed him money for buy a pizza, but that didn't help that she felt bad for being so absent these past days. She finished the last piece of document for the day and noticed it had gone all dark outside. She looked at the clock and saw it was late. She packed her bag, turned the lights off and slowly made her way down the now empty town hall. As she walked down the first few steps of the stairs, she heard the front door open, and footsteps hurrying up towards her.

"Regina" Emma breathed out as she stopped on the stairs. "I saw the lights and was hoping to catch you before you went home".

"Yes?" Regina said hopefully and Emma nodded, as she took one step up and was now standing in front of the brunette. Regina looked down at her, sporting a little smile on her lips. "If it's related to town business, then it can wait for tomorrow" she said, trying to hold back the yawn that was trying to escape. Emma chuckled lightly.

"It's not, I promise".

"Maybe you can walk me to my car while we talk then?" She asked and Emma quickly agreed, as she moved to give Regina space to get down.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to talk about the other day?" Butterflies appeared in Regina's stomach.

"The other day?" She asked knowing exactly what she was asking about.

"Yeah, the thing you wanted to tell me. I'd admit, I haven't been able to think about anything else" Emma said. "And because of the last few days, you haven't been able to come to me, so I came to you" She added with a small shrug as she skipped down the last few steps. "We've both been busy with that shitty storm, but yeah, I wanted to see you" Regina stopped on the stairs quite abruptly. She bit the inside on of her cheek as she felt a little bit fuzzy. Emma turned when she noticed when that Regina wasn't following her.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Is that so difficult to understand?" Emma countered with a tiny smirk, as she stepped back to stand in front of the brunette, looking adoringly up at her. "I want you to tell me what you're hiding away in that beautiful mind of yours" Emma reached out to take Regina's hands in hers. The brunette looked down at the jointed hands and felt those darn butterflies in her stomach again. "Tell me today, not tomorrow and not the day after tomorrow. Tonight, right now because I'm right here, Regina and I want to listen" Regina swallowed hard.

"I don't know where to start" She whispered. Emma just smiled, waiting patiently for her to continue. "Can I step down from the stairs? I need to not look down on you".

"I would prefer that" Emma smirked and moved to let her down. Regina rolled her eyes playfully and took a step down, only to twist her ankle. She yelped as she made a dive to the floor, only to be caught by strong arms, just before she hit the floor. "Jesus, Regina" Emma said as she held onto the brunette, as she helped her sit down. "Are you okay?" Regina shook her head.

"Not really" She muttered. Emma crouched to look at the foot.

"I'm taking your shoe off" Regina winched as she felt a sharp pain shoot up her leg from her right foot. "Ugh, I'm sorry. I think we need to get that checked out" Regina shook her head.

"No, no. I just need to get home and it'll be fine" The mayor tried to stand up, only to yelp out in pain and Emma had to catch her once again.

"Yeah, not going to happen. I'll take you to the ER and then we'll get them to look at it" Emma stood up and without a warning, she swooped up Regina in her arms. She tried to protest but Emma ignored her as she walked out the town hall towards her car. "I know you have a serious hatred to the yellow bug, but that's the one we're taking" Regina sighed as she held onto her, accepting her fate. Emma chuckled and Regina could feel the vibrations. She would lie if she said it was unpleasant to be in Emma's strong arms. She barely resisted the urge to rest her head on the blonde's shoulder and thanked that the deathtrap was close by. "Here we go" Emma said and shortly out the brunette down, so she could open the door, and help her inside. Ten minutes later, they were at the hospital, waiting for Dr. Whale to come.

"Yes, Henry. I promise that I'm alright. I just need to get my foot checked by the doctor and then I'll be home again. Are Kathrine there?" Regina listened as Henry complained a little but then replied. "Good. She'll be there until I get back" Regina added. She watched Emma skimming through a magazine. They've been waiting on Dr. Whale for about twenty minutes already and she was growing impatient. "No, I'm not alone. Emma is here with me" Emma looked up at her with a smile. Regina smiled back, followed by a tiny blush. "Listen to Kathrine and go to bed in an hour, alright?" She waited for the boy to answer. "Good. I love you" Regina hangs up the phone and looked at Emma. "I hate waiting" She complained. Emma chuckled as she turned the page.

"I'm aware" A voice said from the doorway. "Sorry about the waiting. I had other things to tend to" Whale said and stepped into the room; they've been located to. Regina looked unimpressed at him as she crossed her arms.

"So, you just let your patient suffer and comes when it fits you best?"

"Regina" Emma scolded. The brunette looked annoyed at her. "He's here now" Regina rolled her eyes, as Whale watched the women. He decided not to answer and get on with it.

"Let's see how badly this is" He motioned to the food. He pushed and moved it around. Too much for Regina's likening.

"Are you done?" She hissed as he pressed once again on her foot. Whale looked up at her.

"I want to take an x-ray, just to be sure, but it appears to be a bad strain" He stood up. "I'll get the nurse to take you and then I'll look at the x-rays. I don't now for how long you're going to wait. I'm sorry" He said before she could ask him. "But you'll be on the top of my list" He added and left the room. With the x-rays now taken, Regina was back in bed with Emma sitting beside her. She was happy that she was still there.

"Thank you for being here" Regina looked at Emma, who smiled as she scooted closer to the bed. She looked at her.

"You know, we have time to talk now" Regina chuckled as she agreed but didn't say anything else. Emma kept looking at her thoughtfully.

"You don't have to hurt yourself just to get my attention. You had it from the very beginning" Emma lifted her hand to caress the brunette's cheek. Regina blushed as she felt the warmth from Emma's hand. So, they were really talking about it now.

"I'm not" She cleared her throat. Emma raised an eyebrow, not believing her. "I'm not. Well, it certainly wasn't intentionally. It's like I can't control my own mind or body when you're near me, and I really don't know how to handle it" Regina confessed. Emma studied her before she answered.

"I didn't want to get my hopes up, you know. If I was reading it all wrong and you just were clumsy or a little airheaded from time to time" Regina raised an eyebrow.

"I'll let you know that I'm anything than 'airheaded'" Regina said a bit offended.

Emma grinned, shaking her head. "If you say so, Gina. But I can't say that I'm not a tiny bit flattered that you can't control yourself around me" Emma told her with a tiny smirk. Regina swatted her arm, blushing heavily. They sat in a comfortable silence, just looking at each other.

"I don't know when it happened" Regina started. "You just crept into my world, piece by piece. Suddenly, you were everywhere, all the time and I was afraid that you would take Henry away from me. That you were just causing chaos and trying to make everything difficult for me" Regina took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "But it was me who was difficult and being spiteful towards you for no reason. You were dragged to this town by our own son, and who would blame you for wanting to stay here, to get to know Henry and everyone else around here" She finally looked at Emma, who was still holding her hand, listening to her. "And when you saved Henry from the mine accident, I just looked at you in another light. I felt different. I wanted to be closer to you, but I was afraid. I still am" Regina sighed. "So, I tried to keep you away. By my words, my actions, but nothing helped, and you worried about me, you were there for me when I didn't want you to. You came to my office when you didn't have to, brought me coffee. It was the small things" She looked in Emma's eyes. "I realised that I love you" Regina's eyes widened just as the words escaped her lips. It was painfully silent, it felt like years and Regina was dying in embarrassment.

"I'm not going to lie" Emma began, and Regina's heart fell. She knew it. It has all been in her head. Her mind was spiralling, and it was like Emma could feel it. "Hey now. Don't disappear into your head. Let me finish, alright?" Regina looked at Emma. "You were arrogant, and quite a bitch to me" the brunette rolled her eyes. What a thing to say. "You were and you know it, but you've changed. That's the most important part" Emma squeezed her hand gently. "I was drawn to you the second you opened that door for me and Henry. You were so relieved when you saw him, and I saw how much you love him. Then you looked at me, and I was-"Emma shook her head. "My mind was blown" She laughed to herself. "There was this stunningly beautiful woman, and I wanted to know everything about you and then you just insulted me, in every way you possibly could and I got a bit frustrated with you. Hence your apple tree, which I'm still so sorry for"

"I know" Regina bit her lip. "I'm-"

"No, don't apologise anymore. It was your defence mechanism, and I understand it now, but back then" Emma looked away shortly before turning to Regina again. "It hurt a bit. I'm not saying this to hurt you or to make you feel bad. I just wanted you to know" Emma lifted her hand and placed a soft kiss on the brunette's hand. She put Regina's hand on her cheek, and Regina felt the soft skin. "Regina, I love you too. So freaking much, that it's ridiculous that we aren't a couple yet" Emma grinned and Regina smiled widely at her.

"Alright, when you're done with the declarations of love, maybe we could talk about the results from your x-rays?" Dr. Whale asked from the doorway before he stepped inside. Regina blushed, nodding for him to continue. "Nothing is broken, as I expected, but you got a badly sprained ankle. My advice for you is to put some rest on the foot. Some ice to keep the swelling down and yes, relax as much as possible for a few days. You should be able to recover in no time, but take it slow nonetheless" Dr. Whale closed her chart. "A nurse will come in and wrap up your foot and then you're good to go home. I've written a prescription for some ibuprofen, should you need it. Unless you got any questions, I'll bid the both of you a good night" Regina shook her head and Dr. Whale left without any further words. Regina and Emma looked at each other, still holding hands.

"That means that I get to take care of you and Henry".

"We can-" Regina tried to protest. She didn't want to burden the blonde.

"Nope" Emma said grinning from ear to ear. "While you get finished here, I'll make a quick trip home and pack a bag. I'll be back before you know of it" Emma said and made to stand, when Regina pulled her back.

"I really want to kiss you".

"What stops you?" Emma whispered, a tiny smirk on her lips. Regina rolled her eyes playfully as Emma leaned further into her and their lips connected. It was perfect. The soft touch of the blonde's lips on her hers, the way they fit perfectly together. Regina couldn't have asked for anything better than this. It was just lips on lips, not deepening but the way Emma kissed her. It was amazing. The mayor felt her heart beating out of control, and she felt everything. It was exactly like she had dreamed about. And yes, she had dreamed about this a lot. Regina's hand slipped under Emma's shirt, caressing the smooth skin underneath her fingers, feeling the goosebumps appear. Emma tenderly strokes her cheek with her thumb as she slowly dragged her nose over Regina's, shifting her position. Regina couldn't stop the tiny moan, and she felt Emma smiled into the kiss. It ended slowly, and naturally and Emma rested her forehead against Regina's. The brunette was already yearning for more.

"That was amazing" Regina breathed out. Emma nodded against her, before she pecked Regina lips again and stood up.

"I'll be quick. Henry is waiting on you to come home. He has already texted me several times to check up on you".

"He should be sleeping".

Emma smiled. "You know him. He worries about his mom. See you in a bit" Emma left the room, just as the nurse came in. Regina just wanted it to get over with and be on her way home. With Emma. Together. It was an amazing feeling for the brunette. She felt like she was flying, and no one or nothing could bring her down. Everything she had hoped for was now real and Emma felt the same as she did, even though she felt a bit stupid that she hadn't seen the signs sooner, rather than going alone with it and feeling miserable and being self-pitying. She chuckled as she shook her head at herself. She winched a couple of times as the nurse wrapped her foot up. The older nurse apologized, but Regina knew it couldn't be different. She finished and went to find some crutches for the mayor. Meanwhile, Regina had texted Kathrine. Henry had finally fallen asleep, and she had made sure that he was now tugged into his bed. Emma came running in to the room, totally out of breath, which proved that she had been in a hurry to make it back. Regina smiled at her.

"Are you okay?" Emma was bent over, hands on knees as she was getting her breathing under control.

"I may have been running to get back to you as quick as I could" Emma slowly breathed in and exhaled.

"You're crazy"

"Yup" Emma said, popping the p. "about you" She wiggled her eyebrows and Regina rolled her eyes. "Now, let's get you home".

Kathrine had quietly opened the front door, moving to let them get inside from the cold weather.

"I'll help you" She reached out to grab Reginas hand to help her up the few steps into the foyer, as Emma walked behind, carrying her bag. After Regina had thanked her friend multiple times for helping out, Kathrine had gone home to her own bed.

"I'm so tired" Regina held back a yawn, as Emma helped her out of her coat and put it in the closet while Regina was sitting on a chair. "I'm never getting upstairs with this foot" She eyed the daunting stairs.

"Of course, you are" Emma took off her own jacket, putting it away. Regina watched as Emma moved around her home, like she had been there a thousand times. She knew exactly where to put her things away and weirdly enough; it warmed the brunette's heart. "What is it?" Emma had stopped when she noticed how Regina had been looking at her. The mayor blushed from getting caught.

"Nothing" Emma crossed her arms, waiting for Regina to tell her. "I just like seeing you here. It feels naturally and like you belong here with me. With us" Regina confessed, making Emma blush.

"I'm happy to see your softer side" Emma winked, recovering from the brunette's word. She pecked her lips and Regina looked into green eyes. "I'm happy that you feel like that. For a moment I thought that I had overstepped"

"Not at all" They shared a smile.

"Now, let's get you to bed."

"Oh my. You're moving quite quickly aren't you" Regina teased, making Emma blush profusely as she sputtered out denying words. Regina put her arms on Emma's. "I'm teasing, dear. Please, help me get upstairs before you give yourself a heart attack." Emma shook her head.

"Should've known" She muttered before she without warning lifted Regina up from the chair. Regina's eyes widened, letting out an involuntarily sound. Emma smirked as she quietly climbed the stairs. Again, Regina wouldn't deny that it felt really good to be in the blonde's arms.

"That way" Regina whispered, when Emma hit the top of the stairs. Emma walked the small distance down the hall to Regina's bedroom and put the brunette down when they were in the room. Emma looked around as Regina sat on the bed.

"It feels a bit weird. Being in your bedroom, I mean" Emma said. "I've dreamed about it several times, but it was hard to believe that it would happen".

"You've dreamed about it?"

"Er-yeah, let's not talk about that right now" Emma said, avoiding eye contact. "Can you handle it from here or do you need anything else?"

"Are you leaving?" Regina moved to the edge of the bed. She didn't want the blonde to leave. Not when she just got there. Emma scratched her head confused.

"Not the house" She reassured. "I'll go sleep on the couch or if you have guestroom or something?" Regina sighed in relief and smiled at the blonde again.

"Don't be foolish, dear. You're sleeping in here with me". Emma's eyes widened.

"Are you sure? I mean, I don't care about sleeping in another room. I just thought you would need your own space after a day like this and-"

"Emma, just relax. I want you in here. I just want to be here in this bed with you and maybe we could cuddle?" Emma relaxed and smiled softly at the brunette.

"I like the sound of that". Regina returned the smile, happy that Emma wasn't going. She really looked forward to being in the blonde's arms and if her foot hadn't been an obstacle, she would have been faster, but she did what she could manage to and soon both women was in bed, relaxing after a tough night. "I like this" Emma sighed into the brunette's ear.

"Me too" Regina closed her eyes and snuggled closer into Emma. This was the best that could that happen from many awfully awkward months. She was ecstatic, happy and in love. The woman whom she had never dreamed of would feel the same, does and now a whole new world have opened for them. Henry would probably be confused at first, but they would handle that. Regina was sure that it would still be full of discussions, fights, and everything in between, but she was also sure that they would find each other again. That they would love and cherish each other, no matter what would happen throughout the days. It was just who they were, nothing can change that.