Whatever This Is (Once Upon a Time; Regina/Emma)
TITLE: Whatever This Is
CHAPTER 22: Forever
FANDOM: Once Upon a Time
PAIRING: Swan Queen (Regina/Emma)
SPOILERS: AU from beginning of "The Cricket Game"
RATING: PG-13
SUMMARY: Whatever this is, it feels like... healing. It seeks out the void in her heart left by Daniel and fills it with love and companionship. It seeks out every dark spot that bloomed from a kill and injects it with light. It finds every vengeful thought and wraps it in forgiveness.
*****
Henry's greeting to them both is bright and happy. "Hi, Moms!"
Regina chuckles. "Hello, Henry." If he has any idea what's going on, he gives no indication whatsoever.
He does, however, glance between the three of them and sighs heavily, wincing up at Emma. "Grown-up talk time again?"
"Yeah," Emma sighs, her glance apologetic. "Sorry, kid."
Henry shakes his head and trudges past them, dragging his backpack. "Man. When do I get to start sticking around for these?"
Smiling, Regina tousles his hair as he passes and she tells him, "In another seven years," before watching him head upstairs.
An awkward silence settles as she, Emma, and Snow wait for Henry to get to his room. When they hear the door click shut, their eyes are back on each other.
Snow looks to her daughter. "Emma, I have something I need to say."
Emma nods, as though she's suspected as much, and says, "I know."
Regina reaches out, her hand touching down on Emma's shoulder as she tells her quietly, "I'll just give you a moment," before she turns to leave.
The voice of the princess stops her in her tracks, her tone firm and sure. "Regina, I'd prefer it if you stayed for this."
She turns back, slowly, searching her eyes. She looks a cross between angry and scared; it's always been an interesting expression on Snow. And though Regina has not once feared her, she knows to proceed with caution when that expression appears. So she nods once, replying smoothly and regally, "Alright..."
And then she takes her place beside Emma, folding her hands in front of her. Emma turns to look at her, questioning, but she doesn't meet her eyes. She's not yet certain what the princess has planned for discussion, but she will not display weakness in front of her. And if she looks at Emma, she knows the love will be written all over her face -- her greatest weakness exposed.
"Emma," Snow begins. "I'm sorry for asking you to leave this morning."
Regina raises her brows. So the all-accepting, love-not-war royal threw her daughter out?
She knew when Emma arrived that something had happened -- it was in her eyes -- but of course, there hadn't been time to discuss it.
But now, Emma shows no signs of resentment -- just understanding on her features as she shrugs facially. "I'm not. I figured you needed some time."
"I did. And, I've had a lot of time to think things over."
Regina smirks, preparing herself for what's coming. She's seen over the years that Snow can handle a lot -- but her daughter falling in love with an enemy? That's a bit beyond reach -- even for her.
"Regina."
The sound of her name draws her attention, and this time the princess is focused on her. She blinks expectantly, tilting her head.
And Snow still hasn't come inside, but she takes a step forward -- nearly at the threshold. "I want this feud between us to end."
One eyebrow lifts, and Regina slowly shifts her stance, folding her arms in interest. Part of her wonders if she'd heard correctly. "I beg your pardon?"
"For so long, Regina, we have been punishing each other. Over a mistake made by a child. And I came here, ready to tell you to stay away from my daughter."
Regina swallows and lets her eyes drift to Emma, who by now is looking apprehensive.
"Mom..." Emma calls cautiously, and by the look on Snow's face, she's never heard the title.
"Emma, it's okay," she exhales her smile, and looks to Regina once more.
Regina straightens her spine and readies herself.
"I came here ready to start a war, but then I realized -- we're already in one. And it has gone on far too long." Snow shakes her head, emotion taking over and turning her voice tremulous. "And despite what you think, Regina, I have always cared about you. Always."
She swallows hard once more.
"Even when you banished me, when you poisoned me, I still cared about you." Tears well in Snow's eyes. "I knew that the vengeful person you became was not who you really are. I knew you were capable of goodness, and of love. Because it was what you showed me when we first met."
Shifting beside her, Emma reaches for her hand, renewing Regina's strength. Regina squeezes back and keeps her eyes on the princess as she continues.
"All I wanted was for you to find happiness. My wanting you to be happy was what started this mess in the first place! I saw how happy you were with Daniel and I knew you wouldn't have that with my father. So I tried to get your mother to see that too. I had no idea what she was going to do, Regina, I promise you."
Regina can feel the tension whipping through Emma, the sensation traveling through their connected hands. She can feel a transfer of magic from Emma to her; though this feels much more controlled than anytime passion has sparked it between them.
Whatever this is, it feels like... healing. It seeks out the void in her heart left by Daniel and fills it with love and companionship. It seeks out every dark spot that bloomed from a kill and injects it with light. It finds every vengeful thought and wraps it in forgiveness.
She doesn't know if Emma's even aware she's doing it. One surreptitious glance confirms the thought that it's just occurring without intent. Emma's repairing her while being none the wiser.
So Regina looks up. She meet's Snow's eyes and the forgiveness choking every vengeful intention causes her to finally reply, "I know."
Both Snow and Emma react with surprise, though Snow's is more on the side of shocked. Emma's hand drops hers but the waves of warmth and light and purity remain, traveling through her bloodstream.
"I know that it wasn't your fault, Snow," she tells her again. "I perhaps didn't wish to see it then. But..." She looks over at Emma and smiles. "I see it now."
Emma regards her as if she's crazy. "You do?"
She nods, then turns back to the princess. "And I'd like this feud between us to end as well."
Snow exhales a big smile -- it's the kind as bright as the sun, the kind she's projected as long as Regina's known her. And she knows they'll never be the best of friends, nor will Snow just willingly accept and encourage this unorthodox relationship between she and Emma.
But hopefully, they can learn to co-exist.
*****
The co-existence turns out better than she could have expected. Even two years later, things are still going strong. She and Snow are not the best of friends, just as she predicted, but then again they were never meant to be that to each other.
The whole situation with Neal, and with Gold, seemed to have resolved itself. After some rumblings of Gold unleashing hell on Storybrooke, his son threatened to leave and never speak to him again. Not to mention, his bookish paramour apparently threatened the same, and the combination was enough to get him to back down.
Whatever he'd been planning, he instead opened a portal between Storybrooke and the Enchanted Forest -- a portal that could be accessed through the mines that would allow the citizens to easily pass between realms. Regina no longer had a stronghold over Storybrooke, nor did she want one. She still acted as mayor and Emma kept her reign as sheriff. David and Snow began to split their time between realms, wanting to rebuild their kingdom -- a few went with them, but Regina was surprised to see how many citizens opted to stay in Storybrooke.
Ruby stuck around and she and Emma got together with her on occasion. Within that first year, Regina became less and less a social pariah. She was by no means a town favorite, nor was she an outcast.
Henry began to sprout upward over the past two years and he practically towers over both she and Emma. He has been the biggest supporter of their relationship, and continually gives them grief over every small display of affection. Though she has noticed, as he gets closer and closer to starting high school, that he doesn't give them as hard a time about it as he used to. Not only that, but she's noticed he's begun spending time with Jefferson's daughter, Grace, his cheeks and freckles darkening whenever her name is mentioned.
Around month six was when Emma began moving some of her belongings over to the estate. First it was just a few small items -- toiletries to keep in the bathroom. Then Regina began to notice the array of leather jackets suddenly taking up space in her closet, then her rapidly declining amount of room in her dresser. By the time their first anniversary rolled around, they were unofficially living together.
And now, on the eve of their second anniversary, she and Emma have the estate to themselves. Henry is in Manhattan for the weekend with his father.
Neal is still a fixture in his life, and though Regina can't say that she's pleased, things seemed to have ironed themselves out there. She still enjoys making Neal squirm and her intent to do so only worsens when Emma gives her a hard time.
Though as much as she can't stand him, she has to admit to herself -- particularly on nights like tonight -- that sometimes it's useful having him present in Henry's life.
"Your turn," Emma tells her, drawing her from her thoughts with a smile.
Regina meets her eyes and gives a grin back, easily claiming a white pawn with her black rook. Then she grips the glass of wine in her hand and raises it as she says, "Never have I ever gone clubbing."
"That's it?!" Emma balks at her, then takes a large gulp of her wine. "That was lame, Regina."
"I'm certain you'll come up with something better, oh worldly one," she teases.
"Shut up," Emma smirks, and points a finger at Regina's glass before it fills again, seemingly on its own.
She's taught Emma a great deal about magic over the last two years, though her grasp on white magic was always tenuous at best. Perhaps it's more apt to say that they've learned together.
A saying that holds truth on many different levels.
"Your turn," she tells Emma, and grips the stem of her glass.
"Alright alright."
Emma looks nervous all of a sudden, and Regina can't quite fathom why. They've played this game often in the past two years -- mostly when they're drinking together and mostly the topics of the game have steered into the sexual realm, which always results in them falling into bed together.
Not that she minds.
Tonight, though, Emma looks apprehensive about taking her turn. "Alright," she sighs, and Regina wonders how much more she'll use that word before she actually takes her turn.
To her chagrin, Emma moves her knight into the perfect position to claim the black queen as her own. But instead, she looks up. The green in her eyes is particularly intense this evening as she murmurs, almost too quietly, "Never have I ever asked someone to marry me."
As she says this, a wave of her hand produces a ring, encircling the top of the black queen. Regina's mouth goes slack and she stares. The low light in the den catches in the marquise-cut diamond solitaire and she raises her eyes to the sea of green again.
"Emma..."
Emma swallows. They're sitting adjacent to one another, splitting the corner of the marble table where they first kissed two years before. The blonde slides closer and begins to fumble over her words.
"Here's the thing," she begins in that perfectly 'Emma' way. "I've spent my entire life running -- running from my past, from getting close to people, from everything. And when I first came here to drop Henry off, I was ready to run again. But there's one thing that made me wanna stay, and it wasn't him."
She meets her eyes.
"It was you. And maybe I stayed for the wrong reasons in the beginning. I stayed to piss you off, to make things hell for you, whatever. But the longer I stayed because of you, the more I felt like I belonged here. You're the only person that's ever made me wanna stay in one place, and you're making me wanna stay forever."
Regina swallows though her mouth has gone completely dry. Emma's eyes are bewitching her and she can't look away from them. "What are you saying?" she rasps.
Emma tilts her head. "I'm saying that this..." She grasps her hand. "Whatever this is... I think it's forever." She smiles. "Marry me, Regina."
And then there's only one thing left to say. And it's said with a year of frustration, months of turmoil and loneliness, and then two years of bliss with the promise of more. It's said with tears and laughter and so much love, she thinks she'll splinter into pieces.
And as a first for her, it's said without hesitation and with complete certainty...
"Yes."
FIN
{x-posted to onceupon_fanfic and regina_emma}
CHAPTER 22: Forever
FANDOM: Once Upon a Time
PAIRING: Swan Queen (Regina/Emma)
SPOILERS: AU from beginning of "The Cricket Game"
RATING: PG-13
SUMMARY: Whatever this is, it feels like... healing. It seeks out the void in her heart left by Daniel and fills it with love and companionship. It seeks out every dark spot that bloomed from a kill and injects it with light. It finds every vengeful thought and wraps it in forgiveness.
*****
Henry's greeting to them both is bright and happy. "Hi, Moms!"
Regina chuckles. "Hello, Henry." If he has any idea what's going on, he gives no indication whatsoever.
He does, however, glance between the three of them and sighs heavily, wincing up at Emma. "Grown-up talk time again?"
"Yeah," Emma sighs, her glance apologetic. "Sorry, kid."
Henry shakes his head and trudges past them, dragging his backpack. "Man. When do I get to start sticking around for these?"
Smiling, Regina tousles his hair as he passes and she tells him, "In another seven years," before watching him head upstairs.
An awkward silence settles as she, Emma, and Snow wait for Henry to get to his room. When they hear the door click shut, their eyes are back on each other.
Snow looks to her daughter. "Emma, I have something I need to say."
Emma nods, as though she's suspected as much, and says, "I know."
Regina reaches out, her hand touching down on Emma's shoulder as she tells her quietly, "I'll just give you a moment," before she turns to leave.
The voice of the princess stops her in her tracks, her tone firm and sure. "Regina, I'd prefer it if you stayed for this."
She turns back, slowly, searching her eyes. She looks a cross between angry and scared; it's always been an interesting expression on Snow. And though Regina has not once feared her, she knows to proceed with caution when that expression appears. So she nods once, replying smoothly and regally, "Alright..."
And then she takes her place beside Emma, folding her hands in front of her. Emma turns to look at her, questioning, but she doesn't meet her eyes. She's not yet certain what the princess has planned for discussion, but she will not display weakness in front of her. And if she looks at Emma, she knows the love will be written all over her face -- her greatest weakness exposed.
"Emma," Snow begins. "I'm sorry for asking you to leave this morning."
Regina raises her brows. So the all-accepting, love-not-war royal threw her daughter out?
She knew when Emma arrived that something had happened -- it was in her eyes -- but of course, there hadn't been time to discuss it.
But now, Emma shows no signs of resentment -- just understanding on her features as she shrugs facially. "I'm not. I figured you needed some time."
"I did. And, I've had a lot of time to think things over."
Regina smirks, preparing herself for what's coming. She's seen over the years that Snow can handle a lot -- but her daughter falling in love with an enemy? That's a bit beyond reach -- even for her.
"Regina."
The sound of her name draws her attention, and this time the princess is focused on her. She blinks expectantly, tilting her head.
And Snow still hasn't come inside, but she takes a step forward -- nearly at the threshold. "I want this feud between us to end."
One eyebrow lifts, and Regina slowly shifts her stance, folding her arms in interest. Part of her wonders if she'd heard correctly. "I beg your pardon?"
"For so long, Regina, we have been punishing each other. Over a mistake made by a child. And I came here, ready to tell you to stay away from my daughter."
Regina swallows and lets her eyes drift to Emma, who by now is looking apprehensive.
"Mom..." Emma calls cautiously, and by the look on Snow's face, she's never heard the title.
"Emma, it's okay," she exhales her smile, and looks to Regina once more.
Regina straightens her spine and readies herself.
"I came here ready to start a war, but then I realized -- we're already in one. And it has gone on far too long." Snow shakes her head, emotion taking over and turning her voice tremulous. "And despite what you think, Regina, I have always cared about you. Always."
She swallows hard once more.
"Even when you banished me, when you poisoned me, I still cared about you." Tears well in Snow's eyes. "I knew that the vengeful person you became was not who you really are. I knew you were capable of goodness, and of love. Because it was what you showed me when we first met."
Shifting beside her, Emma reaches for her hand, renewing Regina's strength. Regina squeezes back and keeps her eyes on the princess as she continues.
"All I wanted was for you to find happiness. My wanting you to be happy was what started this mess in the first place! I saw how happy you were with Daniel and I knew you wouldn't have that with my father. So I tried to get your mother to see that too. I had no idea what she was going to do, Regina, I promise you."
Regina can feel the tension whipping through Emma, the sensation traveling through their connected hands. She can feel a transfer of magic from Emma to her; though this feels much more controlled than anytime passion has sparked it between them.
Whatever this is, it feels like... healing. It seeks out the void in her heart left by Daniel and fills it with love and companionship. It seeks out every dark spot that bloomed from a kill and injects it with light. It finds every vengeful thought and wraps it in forgiveness.
She doesn't know if Emma's even aware she's doing it. One surreptitious glance confirms the thought that it's just occurring without intent. Emma's repairing her while being none the wiser.
So Regina looks up. She meet's Snow's eyes and the forgiveness choking every vengeful intention causes her to finally reply, "I know."
Both Snow and Emma react with surprise, though Snow's is more on the side of shocked. Emma's hand drops hers but the waves of warmth and light and purity remain, traveling through her bloodstream.
"I know that it wasn't your fault, Snow," she tells her again. "I perhaps didn't wish to see it then. But..." She looks over at Emma and smiles. "I see it now."
Emma regards her as if she's crazy. "You do?"
She nods, then turns back to the princess. "And I'd like this feud between us to end as well."
Snow exhales a big smile -- it's the kind as bright as the sun, the kind she's projected as long as Regina's known her. And she knows they'll never be the best of friends, nor will Snow just willingly accept and encourage this unorthodox relationship between she and Emma.
But hopefully, they can learn to co-exist.
*****
The co-existence turns out better than she could have expected. Even two years later, things are still going strong. She and Snow are not the best of friends, just as she predicted, but then again they were never meant to be that to each other.
The whole situation with Neal, and with Gold, seemed to have resolved itself. After some rumblings of Gold unleashing hell on Storybrooke, his son threatened to leave and never speak to him again. Not to mention, his bookish paramour apparently threatened the same, and the combination was enough to get him to back down.
Whatever he'd been planning, he instead opened a portal between Storybrooke and the Enchanted Forest -- a portal that could be accessed through the mines that would allow the citizens to easily pass between realms. Regina no longer had a stronghold over Storybrooke, nor did she want one. She still acted as mayor and Emma kept her reign as sheriff. David and Snow began to split their time between realms, wanting to rebuild their kingdom -- a few went with them, but Regina was surprised to see how many citizens opted to stay in Storybrooke.
Ruby stuck around and she and Emma got together with her on occasion. Within that first year, Regina became less and less a social pariah. She was by no means a town favorite, nor was she an outcast.
Henry began to sprout upward over the past two years and he practically towers over both she and Emma. He has been the biggest supporter of their relationship, and continually gives them grief over every small display of affection. Though she has noticed, as he gets closer and closer to starting high school, that he doesn't give them as hard a time about it as he used to. Not only that, but she's noticed he's begun spending time with Jefferson's daughter, Grace, his cheeks and freckles darkening whenever her name is mentioned.
Around month six was when Emma began moving some of her belongings over to the estate. First it was just a few small items -- toiletries to keep in the bathroom. Then Regina began to notice the array of leather jackets suddenly taking up space in her closet, then her rapidly declining amount of room in her dresser. By the time their first anniversary rolled around, they were unofficially living together.
And now, on the eve of their second anniversary, she and Emma have the estate to themselves. Henry is in Manhattan for the weekend with his father.
Neal is still a fixture in his life, and though Regina can't say that she's pleased, things seemed to have ironed themselves out there. She still enjoys making Neal squirm and her intent to do so only worsens when Emma gives her a hard time.
Though as much as she can't stand him, she has to admit to herself -- particularly on nights like tonight -- that sometimes it's useful having him present in Henry's life.
"Your turn," Emma tells her, drawing her from her thoughts with a smile.
Regina meets her eyes and gives a grin back, easily claiming a white pawn with her black rook. Then she grips the glass of wine in her hand and raises it as she says, "Never have I ever gone clubbing."
"That's it?!" Emma balks at her, then takes a large gulp of her wine. "That was lame, Regina."
"I'm certain you'll come up with something better, oh worldly one," she teases.
"Shut up," Emma smirks, and points a finger at Regina's glass before it fills again, seemingly on its own.
She's taught Emma a great deal about magic over the last two years, though her grasp on white magic was always tenuous at best. Perhaps it's more apt to say that they've learned together.
A saying that holds truth on many different levels.
"Your turn," she tells Emma, and grips the stem of her glass.
"Alright alright."
Emma looks nervous all of a sudden, and Regina can't quite fathom why. They've played this game often in the past two years -- mostly when they're drinking together and mostly the topics of the game have steered into the sexual realm, which always results in them falling into bed together.
Not that she minds.
Tonight, though, Emma looks apprehensive about taking her turn. "Alright," she sighs, and Regina wonders how much more she'll use that word before she actually takes her turn.
To her chagrin, Emma moves her knight into the perfect position to claim the black queen as her own. But instead, she looks up. The green in her eyes is particularly intense this evening as she murmurs, almost too quietly, "Never have I ever asked someone to marry me."
As she says this, a wave of her hand produces a ring, encircling the top of the black queen. Regina's mouth goes slack and she stares. The low light in the den catches in the marquise-cut diamond solitaire and she raises her eyes to the sea of green again.
"Emma..."
Emma swallows. They're sitting adjacent to one another, splitting the corner of the marble table where they first kissed two years before. The blonde slides closer and begins to fumble over her words.
"Here's the thing," she begins in that perfectly 'Emma' way. "I've spent my entire life running -- running from my past, from getting close to people, from everything. And when I first came here to drop Henry off, I was ready to run again. But there's one thing that made me wanna stay, and it wasn't him."
She meets her eyes.
"It was you. And maybe I stayed for the wrong reasons in the beginning. I stayed to piss you off, to make things hell for you, whatever. But the longer I stayed because of you, the more I felt like I belonged here. You're the only person that's ever made me wanna stay in one place, and you're making me wanna stay forever."
Regina swallows though her mouth has gone completely dry. Emma's eyes are bewitching her and she can't look away from them. "What are you saying?" she rasps.
Emma tilts her head. "I'm saying that this..." She grasps her hand. "Whatever this is... I think it's forever." She smiles. "Marry me, Regina."
And then there's only one thing left to say. And it's said with a year of frustration, months of turmoil and loneliness, and then two years of bliss with the promise of more. It's said with tears and laughter and so much love, she thinks she'll splinter into pieces.
And as a first for her, it's said without hesitation and with complete certainty...
"Yes."
FIN
{x-posted to onceupon_fanfic and regina_emma}