Emma woke up, feeling groggy and thirsty. She got out of bed, only to be met with a shot of pain in her head - and only then realizing there was already a glass of water on her night stand. She gripped the glass and gulped as much water as she could in one go. Memories of the previous night seemed to merge together into one blurry image.
She picked her phone, which was placed next to the water, and groaned when she met the blank screen - an indication that her battery was flat. Emma connected the phone to her charger and went to take a steaming shower.
Regina, on the other hand, was also sporting a hangover. Her eyes widened when she saw the time - 10:57am. She hurried out of bed and into the bathroom for a quick wash.
After she managed to brush her teeth and at least comb her hair, Regina opened the cabinet. She scanned It's contents until she found the orange bottle containing her painkillers. Regina popped open the lid and tapped the neck of the bottle onto her palm, stopping when two pills fell out. She took them in her mouth and drank a sip of water to wash it down.
"Mom, you okay?" Henry knocked on the door, "It's almost lunch time."
"Good morning, my little prince," Regina opened the door almost immediately.
"Uh-oh. What happened?" Henry eyed her suspiciously.
Regina shook her head, keeping the secret of the previous days events locked away. She descended the stairs, the memory of her Swan tripping hitting her like a ton of bricks.
Henry stopped her, "Mom, if you're not okay, we can talk about it."
Regina turned to face him, tears threatening to spill. She sat on the step beneath her and covered her face with her hands, "Emma and I broke up."
Henry froze for a moment before sitting beside her, "Why?" His knees were close to his chest, so he opted to wrap his long arms around his legs to pull them in closer. He rested his chin on his knees and faced his mother.
"The relationship caused too many problems between the Charming's and Emma. I don't want to be the reason she loses them," she paused, removing her hands from her face and looking Henry in the eye, "Again."
"But ma, you were a different person back when you enacted the curse. You've come so far - you've changed," the glimmer in his eyes gave Regina hope that maybe she and Emma could work out.
x x x
Emma sat outside for the rest of the day, soaking in the winter sun. She was laying on the grass with her cup of coffee on a coaster next to she could think about was Regina and the night before. She opened her eyes, looking up to the sky and concentrating on the detail of each cloud in an effort to think of anything else. She eventually fell into a deep slumber.
Emma was in her childhood room, combing her long blonde hair. She fixed the birthday sash around her body, today she turned 8. Emma then continued brushing through her hair. She heard a knock on the door and stopped.
"Are you ready, dear?" The voice sounded all too familiar. Regina.
Regina was at her foster home, standing at the door of Emma's room. Emma looked into the mirror again - an adult now.
"Ready?" Emma questioned.
She then took her seat at the head of the dinner table, watching Regina dish out food for the kids.
Regina looked down at Emma, when she stepped next to her, and smiled, "Do you love me?"
Before Emma could answer, one of the kids dropped the chandelier in the middle of the table. All eyes drifted to the child. Henry, who looked around 5 years old.
When Emma looked to her side, Regina was no longer there.
"Emma," she heard Regina calling. "Emma? Could you give me a hand?"
She turned to face Regina. They were now in Regina's house. "I miss you," Emma started sobbing.
"But I'm right here, dear," Regina embraced Emma.
Emma woke up. She dusted the grass off of her face and propped herself on her elbows. She downed her now cold coffee and walked into the kitchen. The coffee mug was the only dish she had to wash, yet she spent over 10 minutes soaping it up. Emma stared out her window. She felt the mug becoming warmer and before she could register what had happened, it exploded in her hands.
"Seriously?" She rolled her eyes, now annoyed with the blood seeping out of her palms.
x x x
Henry and Regina finally ate their late breakfast before Regina resigned to her bedroom. She felt sick today. It wasn't the alcohol or the flu and she knew it. Not having Emma around anymore made her feel like she didn't want to move. She thought about seeing Emma with Hook. What really happened between them last night? Was their relationship that meaningless to Emma that she jumped on the Hook wagon that fast?
Henry was right about her being a different person now. She didn't know whether to take more time away from Emma and get over it completely or just apologize and have the woman in her arms again.
She decided on the latter.
Regina didn't bother to open the curtains. She felt gloomy and hated the positive connotations brought forth by the sun. She snuggled further into her sheets before unlocking her phone and typing a message to Emma.
Can we talk?
She didn't want to face Emma. Her pride wouldn't be too happy about what she was about to do.
Love changes people, right? She would never have considered texting or even seeing someone she broke up with. Not like she has much of a dating record, but hypothetically - she let out an exasperated sigh. She anxiously checked her phone every five minutes for the last half an hour until she finally saw the little notification on her messaging app, followed by a soft ding.
I don't think that's the best idea.
Of course. Why would Emma want to see her after everything that's happened? She bet that if Emma knew how sorry she really was, the blonde would definitely be more than open to the idea of talking.
Regina waited patiently. She wasn't sure for what reason she was waiting but it seemed like the right thing to do, compared to acting on impulse and responding with a heavy heart - which would ultimately end with her saying things she doesn't really mean anyway.
She was right. Waiting does help. Her phone dinged again, not more than eight excruciatingly long minutes later.
Fine, but I'm a bit too hungover and my car's at The Rabbit Hole. Poof here?
Regina's heart fluttered. She smiled so wide that she was sure she looked like a teenager with their first crush.
She calmed herself down. Talking can end in two ways. With Emma, without Emma. She decided not to get too ahead of herself. Emma wasn't at fault here after all, it was Regina. She broke up with her and it was now up to Regina to play her cards right with a solid apology.
Regina rushed to the kitchen, after getting dressed, and downed a tall glass of water. She wanted to feel less hungover and more like herself if she expected things to go smoothly. Regina knew that her hungover mood swings weren't the best thing for anyone, especially at a time like this.
She poofed herself to Emma's doorstep. Regina pressed down on her black pencil skirt with the palm of her hands, trying to press out any small creases - a fidgeting habit she had ever since she was in the Enchanted Forest.
Regina knocked.
"Come in," she heard Emma's faint voice call out.
"Hey," Emma forced a smile. Regina could see her puffy red eyes but didn't comment on it - as least she'd give it some time before she did.
"What the hell happened in here?" Regina questioned. She noticed the blood stained cloth on the counter that Emma was sitting on.
The sheriff smiled weakly, "Small mishap, no biggie."
Regina pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a chuckle, "Why are you so prone to accidents?"
The small talk was getting them nowhere. Both women didn't want to be the first to open that can of worms.
Emma wrapped a bandage around her hand and secured it with a pin. She hopped off the counter and picked the soiled rag, tossing it into a clear bag and then into the trash.
"You wanted to talk?" Emma walked around the island and lead Regina to the living room.
Regina hid her pain. She hid behind her built up walls like her life depended on it. After a while of silence, Emma spoke again, "Look, about last night," she started but Regina cut her off.
"Forget it, Emma. You don't need to explain yourself," Regina crossed her arms around her torso, subconsciously protecting her heart.
"No, I have to. We're adults and I owe you an explanation," Emma took a seat on her couch.
"Adults? You were inebriated to the point of no return," Regina tried not to make this about something it clearly wasn't. She let out a breath, "Emma, you don't owe me an explanation. In fact, I owe you an apology."
Emma scrunched her face in confusion. She was sure when Regina messaged her that this conversation was going to be about last night.
"What? So you're not gonna give me shit about my behavior?" Emma's eyes widened.
Regina shook her head, "I was wrong for lying to you in the first place. I told you we need to communicate, no more running. But I was being a hypocrite. I ran when I should've allowed you the opportunity to speak. You asked me if I was happy with our relationship," she paused and looked down at her fingers. Regina toyed with her ring, "I am happy."
Emma moved further back into the couch, putting a bit of distance between herself and Regina, "Present tense?"
Regina nodded, "Present tense." Regina leaned forward, "Emma, last night made me realize that I tend to get a bit antsy if you're not with me. My mind had been racing when I got that message about you drinking your liver to extinction. I truly am sorry for breaking up with you. It's not what I wanted."
Emma took time to absorb Regina's apology, "If you were happy, why did you break up with me?"
"I was stupid and selfish. I came to the conclusion that I'm the reason for the tension between you and your parents."
"That's not your call to make. We really should've spoken about it. I spoke to Mary Margaret after the meeting, we found common ground."
"And if you didn't find common ground? Would you have still gone down to the Rabbit Hole?"
Emma knitted her eyebrows together. There it was. "This is about Killian, isn't it?"
The realization dawned on Regina. She didn't intend on bringing it up - not now, at least.
"So you figured that you're the one in control. You make decisions for this relationship, if you're not happy then I can't be? If you can't have me then no one can? Is that why you're apologizing? To make sure that I stay in line and not go running back to my ex husband?"
Regina narrowed her eyes, "What? No, Emma. It's not like that."
"Then? Pray tell, what is it like?" Emma's ears began to get red. She thought about the audacity Regina sported - asking to speak to her but with ulterior motives.
A tear slipped from Regina's eye, "I love you."
The seal broke. The duo promised not to say the word until they were sure and ready. Although they've both felt it, 'love' was the most difficult word in their vocabulary.
"Regina?" Emma's tone was softer now, "You can't just say that you love me and treat me like you don't."
"I know. I'm an ass, please forgive me?" Regina pleaded. She could feel the lump in her throat getting bigger.
Emma thought for a minute before placing her hands in Regina's, "I love you, Regina." She leaned forward and captured the brunettes lips between her own.
Regina let go of the tension she held in and melted into the kiss. She missed this just as much as Emma did. "Are we good?" Regina broke the kiss and knelt her forehead against Emma's.
"Mm-hm. We're good. But you're not off the hook, Missy," Emma pulled away and grinned.
"Speaking of Hook," Regina bit back playfully.
"Fine, you're forgiven," Emma smiled and bopped Regina's nose.
"What happened to your hand?" Regina finally asked.
Emma shrugged, "Mug explosion."
"You seem to be losing a lot of blood lately," Regina noted, "Something isn't right."
"Besides the fact that I'm a total clutz?" Emma laughed, raising an eyebrow.
Her face fell when she saw that Regina was serious, "Regina? It's alright. I'm just clumsy."
"No, no. It isn't that. Emma, when was your last period?" Regina stood. She was onto something. Emma couldn't quite understand the relation and mirrored Regina's action.
"I'm not pregnant. I just had my period like 2 weeks ago."
"Right," Regina turned on her heel and headed to the front door.
"Is there something wrong? Where are you going?" Emma followed.
"To my vault. No one is this accident prone. Something isn't right," Regina poofed herself to her vault, leaving Emma confused.