Epilogue
Early December, twenty one months later.
Emma jogged up the steps to her home, swinging the door open widely.
"Honey! I'm home!"
Regina rolled her eyes from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel as she made her way to the front entrance. She stood with her hands on her hips, staring down at her girlfriend as she unlaced her boots.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to shout in our home, Emma Swan?"
Emma grinned up at her as she kicked off her winter boots. She stood and hung her coat before responding.
"You love it."
"I do not."
"Yes, you do," Emma challenged, walking over and pulling her into her arms. She pecked her on the lips before continuing. "I do too. I love when you come greet me at the door."
"As though I were a dog?"
"Oh, Regina. It's been years since I've called you a bi-hi Henry!"
Regina smacked her shoulder.
"Hi, ma. Did you have a good practice?"
Emma smiled down at the boy, letting go of Regina and pulling him into her arms. She wasn't sure what had prompted Henry to shorten her name from Emma to ma just over six months ago, but she loved it just as much now as she did the first time she heard it.
"It went really well. The kids are improving. How was your dance class? I'm sorry I missed it."
"It's okay. You don't have to come every time."
"Yeah, but I like going. I didn't want to miss it."
"You're the coach of the soccer team, ma. You can't exactly miss the practices. You can come next time. And you'll be there for my recital, right?"
"Yep. Wouldn't miss it!"
"Good. Mom, can I go to Nick and Ava's now?"
"You may. Be careful, however. Don't talk to-"
"Any strangers, I know. There's no strangers in Storybrooke, mom. I've done this a hundred times. I'll call when I get there, I promise."
Henry hurriedly put on his boots and coat, yanking on his hat and mitts before then hugging both of his mothers on his way out the door.
"He'll be fine, Regina," Emma soothed, as she always did when Henry left their house unaccompanied.
Regina bit her lip as she watched her little boy race down the driveway. They'd only recently allowed him to walk alone to the twins' house, and it still made her anxious every time.
"He knows to call us. He's a smart kid."
Regina sighed, turning to her lover as they closed the door, Henry having disappeared around the block.
"He's just-"
"Still your little boy, I know. Not so little anymore."
"Don't remind me."
Emma pulled Regina into her arms, kissing her temple.
"He's come a long way. Crazy to think he once hated Nick."
Regina hummed in acknowledgement.
"Did you hear what happened at school today?"
"No?" Regina frowned. "What happened?"
"Nick punched out a kid who teased Henry for being in a dance class."
"He did not!"
Emma laughed at Regina's scandalised face.
"He did. You might get a phone call from Mary Margaret later."
"Did Henry hit anyone?"
"No, he didn't need to. Nick hit the kid pretty hard. I might have snuck him a candy bar later for it."
"Emma!"
"What? He defended my kid from the little shit who was making fun of him."
Regina didn't condone violence, but she stayed quiet, too distracted by the fluttering in her stomach when she heard Emma describe Henry as her child. Emma had been doing so for the better part of a year, but Regina still reacted this way every single time.
"So, how'd it go today?"
Regina looked at her, smiling.
"It went very well. Come to the living room with me," Regina prompted, taking Emma's hand and leading the way.
"What happened?" Emma asked, dropping onto the couch and pulling Regina into her arms.
"It was actually very anticlimactic. My mother did not come, though her lawyer was present."
"And?"
"She agreed to the offer. She signed the divorce papers and she's accepted everything my father put in the settlement. I was certain she'd have argued to get more."
Emma snorted, kissing Regina's temple.
"She'd have been an idiot to. There's no way, if this had actually gone before a judge, that she'd have gotten anything. She's lucky with what your father offered to her, especially after the truth of the affairs and the amount of money she stole from your dad came out."
Not long after the party, Cora had left for Europe, her reputation damaged beyond repair. Regina had found it incredibly satisfying to see the stares she had had to endure for years had suddenly shifted towards her mother, who had fled in less than two weeks of the eyes turning in her direction.
In his wife's absence, Henry Senior had begun taking a closer look at his finances, something Cora had taken care of during their marriage. He'd pulled up the details of their accounts, and it had quickly become apparent that there was a lot of missing money. He'd hired an accountant to go through years of bank statements, credit card bills, loans, seemingly endless purchases, as well as countless business transactions, ultimately learning that his wife had spent (or lost) hundreds of thousands of dollars, mostly through shoddy investing (in the start-ups her lovers had begun, which had all ultimately failed). She'd also spent tens of thousands on gifts for said lovers, as well as other lavish gifts for herself (the biggest being an island in the Caribbean).
It had taken over a year to sort through the financial nightmare she'd left, and they'd been corresponding with Cora's lawyer for months now trying to settle the divorce. Henry Senior had not wanted to go before a judge; he'd wanted to settle things out of the courts, so after everything had been sorted out, he and his lawyer had presented Cora with an offer (a bribe, in all honesty, to stay away for good).
"Can't believe he even offered her anything," Emma said, pulling Regina from her thoughts.
"Yes. But I understand why he did it. He wants her to leave and never bother him again. Or bother us. Hopefully by offering her this money, she never contacts us again."
"She hasn't been in contact anyway, has she?"
Regina shook her head.
"Not unless it's been through the lawyer. And it's part of the agreement that she never contact us again or else she agrees to pay my father back all of the money she stole."
"She'd never be able to."
"No."
"So, basically, we're never gonna hear from her?"
"Precisely."
"Good. Hopefully it stays that way. How was your dad after he found out she finally accepted?"
"He was relieved. He's been amazing through this entire process, but I believe now he can finally relax."
"And he said he's still gonna continue working? Even after all this?"
"Yes, but because he wants to, I think. He's only working a few days a week, and he's told me it's because he's bored at home. It gives him something to do."
Henry Senior didn't need the money. He certainly wasn't as wealthy as he had been due to his ex-wife's spending, but he had had his own private accounts during their marriage, to which Cora had never had access, so he hadn't been ruined entirely. In addition, he had sold most of the properties his wife had purchased in an effort to recuperate some the money she'd spent (he'd kept a couple of places in Spain, not wanting to disrupt what turned out to be two very kind couples who had been renting from them for years).
But even if he hadn't been able to sell the other properties (including the island), he'd still have never needed to work another day in his life. He was a simple man, who led a simple life, entirely uninterested in travel or in material possessions. He did drive to Storybrooke, but that was the extent of his travelling.
"He should get a hobby. Get out. Do what makes him happy."
"In a strange way, I think working does make him happy. And visiting us, of course."
Henry Senior had been making weekly trips to Storybrooke, and now that Cora was no longer around, the man spoke to his daughter exclusively in Spanish, much to Regina's delight. Emma had struggled at first, trying to keep up with three native speakers, but she had pushed through and she could now follow conversations with little trouble. She still struggled to respond as fluidly, but she was improving every week, even if she was embarrassed at still making silly mistakes. It was all worth it, however, just to see how happy it made Regina that she was trying. It was worth all the effort in the world, worth every single mistake that turned her cheeks pink, just to see Regina look at her so adoringly.
"Of course," Emma finally replied. "How are you feeling after all of this?"
"I'm alright. I'm happy it seems to be over. I wish it hadn't taken this long, but I'm glad it's now settled."
There had been a lot of back and forth between the lawyers, and it had finally taken Henry putting his foot down and giving Cora an ultimatum: sign the papers with the offer or go before a judge and get nothing at all. She'd ultimately agreed, obviously, too afraid of Henry going after her for all the money she'd taken.
And Regina had done a lot of healing since her mother had left, helped in no small part by her therapist and her mother's absence. Regina was unbelievably relieved at the thought that she'd never see her abuser again. She and her father had been going to joint therapy as well, and although Regina was still working through her own feelings towards her father and his absence in the face of her mother's abuse, Regina loved him dearly and it was incredibly apparent that Mr. Mills was consumed with guilt, as well as being beyond remorseful. He hadn't stopped apologising since the separation, and he had been in therapy himself for his own issues with his ex-wife, as well as for the regrets he had regarding Regina and her upbringing. But he was trying, and Regina could see the effort her father was putting in to mend their relationship. He was human, he was flawed, he'd made mistakes, but he was trying, and for that, Regina was grateful and loved him all the more.
"I am too. Hopefully now we can all move on."
Regina nodded against Emma's chest.
"Thank you for being such a support in all of this."
"Hey, I love you. You're not alone in anything anymore."
"Nor are you, my love."
"I know. And- and I appreciate that. This is the first time Christmas isn't such a horrible thing for me. And that's all because of you and Henry."
Emma had had a few sessions with her therapist in the last few weeks, given that the Christmas season was upon them again. It had just been a precaution, Emma knowing what this time of year usually did to her. Last Christmas had been tumultuous, Emma having both good and bad days, and she'd struggled some. Regina had been there every step of the way, as had her therapist. Emma hadn't run, hadn't hidden from her girlfriend, but it had been a difficult season, even though it had also been the best Christmas she'd ever had. They'd created new traditions, ones they'd repeated again this year, and the knowledge of what was coming had helped Emma greatly, as had Regina's presence.
Emma had reached out to her therapist a few weeks ago, but it had only taken two sessions (along with a third and final one for good measure) to realise that… they weren't necessary. Emma hadn't actually had any bad days this season, and it had freaked her out, if she were entirely honest. But she felt safe, she felt at home with Regina, with Henry. They made her feel safe, loved, and she felt like she finally had a family, like she was finally home with the two Mills. So, she was okay. For the first time in her life, Emma was good. So the therapy had stopped, and Emma was thriving.
Regina stayed quiet as Emma worked through whatever thoughts she was having, gently stroking her thumb against Emma's palm. She smiled when Emma finally looked at her, closing her eyes as the woman bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.
"Thank you for being such a support, sweetheart."
"I say the same to you," Regina replied, reaching up to stroke Emma's cheek. "You've been wonderful."
"So have you. You don't know what it means to me that you've been here for me, especially during Christmas. What you've done to make me feel safe. The reason I even feel okay right now is because of you and Henry. And everything you've done for me… I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. Even just this Christmas dinner that you're planning, it means a lot to me. The fact that you're inviting Mary Margaret, because you know what she means to me… no one's done stuff like that for me before. Ever."
Emma leaned down and kissed Regina again, nuzzling her forehead affectionately.
Regina smiled softly. She had promised Emma that she'd try. It had been her own idea to attempt a civil relationship with Mary Margaret because she knew what it would mean to Emma. And Emma was putting so much effort into the things that meant the world to Regina (her son, her culture, her language), as well as into their relationship, that Regina wanted to do the same. So she'd been trying, and to her credit, Mary Margaret hadn't pushed. She had let Regina set the pace, as had Emma. They weren't friends, per se, but they spoke infrequently now. Always about Emma or Henry, or David – which had become a go-to topic now that the two were engaged, but it was a start.
Regina had no desire to become friends with the woman (and she wasn't sure that would ever change), but she did want to get to a point where they could be in the same room and not feel the need to lash out or argue, for Emma's sake. And they were getting there, slowly.
"You mean the world to me, Emma. And I know what she means to you. I want you to have all of the people who care about you, and that you care about, around you whenever you want them. I never want to be the reason you don't have your full support system."
"Yeah, but I don't want it to come at the sacrifice of your own comfort and safety."
"It's not," Regina reassured her. Taking things slowly, moving at her own pace, and talking with her therapist had helped that greatly.
"Okay. Because those things are really important to me."
"I know, darling. I wouldn't do anything I'm not comfortable with."
"Okay, good."
Emma kissed her temple, squeezing her middle gently.
"So, did you manage to get that… what the hell is it called? Barbie closet fashion-" Emma stopped when Regina started laughing.
"Barbie Fashionistas Ultimate Closet, Emma," Regina sassed. "Get it right."
Emma rolled her eyes, squeezing Regina's middle again.
"Yes, that. My apologies, your majesty."
Regina nodded.
"Better. And, yes I did. Along with the dozens of outfits that come with it. I even found little hangers that I'll surely be vacuuming up in a few weeks."
Emma chuckled.
"It's amazing there's even still room in that damn dream house to put more stuff."
"There isn't. Barbie needs to have a yard sale. She's become a hoarder."
Emma laughed.
"I can't wait to see his face. I can't believe he still plays with that thing."
Regina shrugged, a sad smile forming on her lips.
"He wanted it so badly and for so long..."
"He did. I still remember his little face. He was so excited when I told him we'd get it for him. I almost dragged him from that fucking party just to go get it."
Regina's belly churned with guilt. Her little boy, who had agonised for so long over that toy. She wished she had known. They had had this discussion multiple times, and she'd thanked Emma repeatedly, but still, it never felt like enough. Emma had reassured Henry, had made him feel so safe, and she had responded in the exact way that Regina would have. Perhaps even better than she would have. Regina had already loved Emma at that point, but after they'd talked, after Emma had told her what happened at the party, how she'd responded to Henry, Regina had fallen even harder for Emma.
"Thank you, Emma, again. For talking to him then, for coaxing the truth out of him and for telling him that he is allowed to play with whatever toy he wants."
When they'd discussed what had happened in the toy room the following day, Regina had cried, her heart clenching when she realised how sad her son had been, and the guilt had consumed her. She had allowed her mother to have access to her baby and Cora had made him feel wrong for wanting a toy, when he was just a child. After learning what had happened, Regina had apologised to Henry repeatedly for his grandmother's negative response, but he had appeared almost confused at her earnest apology, it's okay, it wasn't a big deal, mom. She just said no, that's all. But still, it had hurt Regina, knowing how sad and disappointed her son had been, and she'd had no idea.
Henry had been far less confused, however, when they'd sat him down a week later and told him they would no longer be seeing his grandmother, that she was no longer welcome in their lives.
"Is it because grandma isn't very nice to you? Or is it because of what happened at the party? I know something happened."
Regina and Emma had both exchanged glances after that comment.
"I'm not blind, mom. And I'm not deaf. I hear you guys talking. And I can hear her too. She's mean to you. And she's kinda mean to grandpa too. I see things, you know. And I know something happened at the party because you guys are being like, super secretive. You didn't even want your party, did you?"
He'd thought it over, a lot, in the days that had followed the party. He'd thought about the way his mother had been agitated, stressed, before the event. And he had caught her crying a couple of times, but he had thought it had just been something else because surely you'd be excited to have a big party with all of your friends? He would be. So it had to be something unrelated. But then when he'd thought about how she acted in the car on the way to the party, and the snippets of conversation he'd overheard between Emma and his mom in the days that followed, it was like a veil had been lifted. The pieces fell into place and it all made sense.
"She lied to me, didn't she? Grandma said you'd like to have a celebration."
Regina took a deep breath and reached out for his hand.
"You meant well, mijo. And it was incredibly thoughtful of you to want to do something to make me happy."
"But it didn't."
"The thought behind it made me happy, Henry."
"But you didn't like the party."
Regina swallowed back a sigh. Her son was relentless and far too perceptive for her liking.
"I didn't like the part that grandma had in it, no."
"Which was like, all of it. She did most of the planning."
Regina then pulled Henry into her arms, looking to Emma for what to say. She had no idea how to respond.
"What happened after I left? Why was Emma's hand all swollen?"
Then Henry turned to Emma.
"Did you hit someone? Did you hit grandma?"
Emma looked at Regina for what she was allowed to respond.
"Stop looking at each other! I just want the truth."
"Henry," Regina reprimanded. "You will watch the tone you use."
"I don't want to be lied to. You're trying to lie."
"We are not lying to you, Henry. However, you are still too young to know some things. Would you prefer we told you nothing? Because if you're unhappy with what we are sharing, we can also choose to share nothing."
"No. But I should know the truth."
"You are being told the truth, but you needn't hear every single detail. There are some things that are not meant for your ears, Henry. You will understand more when you're older. For now, you must trust that Emma and I know what's best."
Henry pouted. The women exchanged a small smile over his head. For being so mature in some ways, he was still a little boy in so many others.
"Shall we resume this conversation another time, Henry?" Regina asked.
"No. I wanna hear what happened."
"Well, you got two choices, kid: either tell us how you're feeling so you can stop being angry and talk to us respectfully or swallow it down and drop the attitude. If we're gonna have this talk, we need it to be with you not being cranky."
Henry gave Emma a look.
"Hey, it's your choice, kid. But I have all sorts of news about what happened after you left and if you don't wanna hear it-"
"I wanna hear it!"
Emma grinned at Henry's eager tone.
"Well then?"
Henry sighed and uncrossed his arms.
"I'm sorry. I just don't wanna be lied to."
"We aren't going to lie, kid."
"Okay."
"Attitude good now?"
"Attitude good now," Henry confirmed. "So what's the news? Is it about your hand?"
Regina and Emma both chuckled at his childish enthusiasm before then sobering up. Regina allowed Emma to take the lead on the conversation, the emotions from that night, from seeing the man who had assaulted her, still too fresh for her to speak easily. She didn't trust herself not to break down. And after hearing how Emma handled the conversation about the Barbie Dreamhouse, Regina's confidence in Emma was even further solidified, so she felt more than comfortable allowing her to take the reins on the conversation.
"Remember when I talked to you about always trying to use your words to communicate? And that even though they say violence isn't the answer, sometimes you have no choice?"
Henry nodded.
"Well, your mom tried using her words, but someone wasn't listening to her. We never want to be violent and you should always try to use your words, but sometimes people don't listen. And that's what happened. Someone didn't listen to your mom."
"So you hit them?"
"I did, but I did it to keep your mom safe."
"You protected my mom?"
"Hen, I will always protect you and your mom, and anyone else who needs it. But your mom did the right thing first, trying to use her words. But sometimes words aren't enough. Sometimes you need to defend yourself. But you should always try to talk it out, first."
Henry turned to his mom.
"I'm glad Emma was there to keep you safe."
"We kept each other safe," Emma responded. "Your mom was very brave."
Henry beamed up at his mother, who stroked his hair affectionately.
"Are you okay?"
"I am, mijo. However, I am concerned about how you're feeling. We won't be seeing grandma anymore, and I know you were close."
Henry shrugged, leaning back against his mother and looking at Emma's jeans rather than the two women who were watching him closely.
"I'm sad, I guess. But… mom?"
"Yes, darling?"
"I didn't like how mean she was to you. Sometimes I wish I had said something. I wanted to. I don't like how she made you sad."
Regina's heart broke.
"I'm so sorry, mijo. I didn't mean for you to see any of that."
"It wasn't your fault. But why is grandma like that? She's always mean to you."
Regina rubbed his back, looking at Emma, who gave her an encouraging smile.
"I don't know. I don't think we'll ever have an answer, my little prince. Some people are just not good mothers, and that's all there is to it."
Henry snuggled in close.
"You're a good mom."
Regina closed her eyes, biting hard on her trembling lower lip. It was always her greatest fear to be just like her mother.
"I love you very much, Henry. I never want you to be afraid to tell me how you feel."
"I'm not."
They sat like that on the couch, cuddling, for several moments. Emma reached out at one point and squeezed Regina's shoulder, who leaned her head over and rested her cheek on the back of Emma's hand. The women made eye contact, smiling softly at one another.
"Did anything else happen after I left?"
Regina hesitated before finally speaking.
"Yes. It's important to always be yourself, Henry, and not to change for anyone else. You should never hide who you are. It took me a very long time to learn that lesson, and even longer to put it into practice."
"Your mom was very brave," Emma said encouragingly, waiting for Regina to continue. She knew where this was headed.
"I told your grandmother, as well as the town, that I am a lesbian and that I love Emma very much."
Henry scrambled off of her lap, eyes wide. That was HUGE. His mother never told anyone she liked women. It had taken ages for even Henry to get her to say it to him, and she'd made him promise to keep it to himself as 'my private business is private, Henry'.
"You told everyone?!"
"I did."
"You love Emma?!"
"I do, very much."
Henry then turned to Emma.
"Do you love my mom?"
"I do, kid. A lot."
"Are you gonna move in now?"
Henry was so excited he was practically vibrating. The women simply laughed.
"Slow down, kid. One step at a time."
Henry launched himself at the two women, pulling them in for a group hug. He held on tight, the two women grinning at each other from around his shoulders.
"What did everyone say?" Henry asked, pulling away.
"Well, we left fairly quickly. However, Belle and Ruby were very proud."
Henry nodded.
"Me too. I'm happy everyone knows."
"As am I. I should not have been hiding, mijo. I should have been proud. I am proud, and I am proud of Emma. I was… I was simply afraid."
"And you don't like people talking about you."
"You're correct. I despise the gossip."
"Do you think there's gonna be lots of gossip now?"
"Yes. However, much of it will be about your grandmother."
They provided a very light overview of what happened with Cora, about what Regina had revealed to the townspeople, giving an incredibly censored version to Henry. Regina's heart broke as she watched her little boy's face fall as he learnt even the briefest details of his mother's past. It broke her heart to see him hurt, knowing that it was because he was hurting for her, but when she'd finished, he'd hugged her and said he was proud of her for standing up to her mother and for telling everyone the truth.
Regina had felt a little guilty about the fact that they hadn't shared the other truth, the one about the way his mother differed from other mothers. Regina knew that that also needed to be discussed with their son, but Regina needed a little more time before broaching such a complex topic with her son. He was still so young, and Regina needed time to process before having that conversation as well.
So, instead, they'd then talked about his feelings, about how sad he was for Regina, and for himself as well. Regina had been glad he felt safe, felt comfortable opening up, but it also broke her heart to see him hurting, and to hear about the times he, too, had been inadvertently hurt by his grandmother. It had been a good conversation, a great moment of connection between mother and son, but still, it hurt Regina's heart to see her little boy in pain.
"Hey," Emma soothed, pulling Regina from her thoughts. She knew exactly where she'd gone. "None of that. He's happy, he's safe, and he doesn't hesitate to ask now. She's gone; she can't hurt him anymore. He knows he's safe with us and he can tell us anything and he can ask us for whatever he wants. And he does, so she clearly didn't have a lasting impact on him. I mean, did you see his Christmas list?"
Regina chuckled, wiping at her eyes.
"I did. Obviously, Ava has been helping him."
Emma grinned.
"Nick too, you know."
"What?" Regina asked, surprised.
Emma nodded.
"In class, I saw Nick pull out his phone, so I walked over. They're twelve, so you never know what they're showing each other on their phones. But it was nothing explicit. You know what he was showing our kid? These sparkly purple tassels for his bike. Said he thought Henry would like them."
Regina's heart melted.
"He did?"
"Yep. Coulda kissed the kid right there. Although that's like, fifty shades of illegal. Also disgusting," Emma made a face. "Whatever, you know what I mean. I'm not sure how Henry's dinosaur bicycle is gonna look with purple tassels on the handles but hey, if that's what he wants…"
Regina turned, straddling Emma's lap to look at her.
"Do you think they're…"
Emma shrugged, settling her hands on Regina's hips.
"I don't know. He hasn't said anything to me yet but after the hand holding last week, it does make me wonder."
Regina nodded, biting her lip.
"I'm not ready for this."
Emma chuckled.
"Me either. Dating," she said, exhaling heavily. "Why do they grow up?"
"I don't know, but I don't like it."
"Nor do I."
Regina dropped her head on Emma's shoulder.
"I'm so glad you're here with me, through this. You've made my life so much easier, Emma. I'm so happy you're with me."
"Told you I wasn't going anywhere, sweetheart. You're stuck with me."
"I wouldn't have it any other way. I love you, Emma."
"I love you so much, Regina Mills."
Emma turned her head, kissing Regina on the temple. She looked up at the ceiling, thinking about the little box hidden away in her underwear drawer, which held a very special ring for a very special woman. Regina had no idea, Emma taking extra care to be discreet, not wanting her girlfriend (soon to be fiancée, if everything went according to plan) to suspect for even one second what was coming later on tonight.
Emma wrapped her arms tighter around Regina, smiling when the woman exhaled contently in her arms. She loved Regina, beyond all measure, beyond all reason, loved her more than she'd ever thought she could ever love another human being. And she loved her son, who had eagerly, excitedly shouted for joy just a few days ago when Emma had told him what she'd been planning, throwing himself in her arms and nodding vehemently when she'd asked him if he was okay with it.
"Yes, Emma! Yes! Mom is going to be so happy!"
"And you, kid? Your feelings are important, too."
Henry squeezed her tighter, nodding rapidly.
"You're already like my mom, Emma. I want you to be my ma too. I want you to marry her and stay here forever."
Emma took a deep breath to push back the tears that memory brought up. She kissed Regina's shoulder, unbelievably eager to get down on one knee after dinner, to propose, to make Regina her wife.
Her wife. Her son. Her home.
Yeah.
Emma really liked the sound of that.
End
A/N: Thank you so very much to everyone for their patience, especially to yukiheart19, who originally prompted this story YEARS ago and has been nothing but incredibly kind, patient, supportive, and understanding as I have taken far too long to finish this story. I hope you liked it, and thank you to each and every one of you for reading.