Stormy Weather
Chapter Eight
The storm had passed throughout the night. The sky was a rich blue colour, and the clouds like candyfloss.
Back in the castle, there were shattered shards of glass almost completely covering the Queen's bedroom floor. Emma could feel Regina's hot breath on her neck. Every exhale seemed to set her skin alight, sending a wave of euphoria through her body. She felt so warm in Regina's arms. They had slept like this together, all night. She sat enjoying the moment for a while, the sweet smell radiating from Regina, the calming arms holding her tight.
But she had to come back to reality. "What the hell is going to happen now?" she asked herself. "For starters, where is Hook? I mean it's not as if I can keep this from him...But then how do I tell him that I had all these feelings about Regina back in Storybrooke, I just never acted on them? How do I tell him that I cannot be with him as more than a friend? And... Regina. I mean, this Regina is my Regina, only she's not, as the Regina back in Storybrooke is with Robinhood, and if she does have feelings for me, how am I ever supposed to know? This was a bad idea..."
Emma turned slightly, just so she could see Regina. "God, she looks so beautiful," she thought, smiling. "Maybe it wasn't. But it has made me all confused, now I have a problem." She continued to look at Regina. Her lips were slightly puckered as she rested.
Unknown to Emma, Regina had been awake. She had been thinking about how Emma had looked beneath her all breathless, and how warm the feeling was of finally giving into love, and passion. She was surely mad, she had thought to herself. "I still feel anger towards Snow. But in this future, I don't hate her anymore. And this woman makes me want to believe I can be good again. However, this future won't happen if Emma doesn't go back, and if I don't forget." She had been looking at Emma's light blonde hair while thinking this, and she could just about see the outline of her nose and lips. "Gorgeous," thought Regina.
Suddenly, Emma had started to shuffle, so Regina made sure she closed her eyes. A minute later, Emma whispered in Regina's ear, "Regina, what happens now?" Regina detected a waft of cinnamon as Emma did this, the first time she had properly smelt her. After Emma had done this, she couldn't help it, she moved to Regina's lips and kissed them softly.
Regina's eye lashes fluttered and her eyes flew open, immediately sparkling. "I don't know, Emma," then she proceeded to kiss Emma back. They both sat up. Regina began, deflated, "well, you need to return to whom you were with. What was his name again?" Emma replied, "Hook. Captain Hook." "I see," replied Regina, "well you need to find him. However, I'm positive by now he would have come, surely?" Regina pondered. Emma shrugged, "the last I saw he was running out of the ball. My guess is he overheard what you said and realised the task of saving me wouldn't be so easy. He probably searched for the help of Snow White, she would of been his best bet. And knowing Hook, well, I have no doubt he will come for me at some point. He's pretty into me..." Regina nodded, and tried not to flinch at the mention of Snow White.
Regina continued plainly, "well, when you leave, no matter how, I need to ensure I drink a forgetting potion. It's the only way events can return to what they once were." Emma's eyes started pooling with tears, and even though she knew it was the only way, and she wanted to return to her family and Henry, she couldn't help but hug Regina, repeating, "but what if I don't want you to forget?"
Emma stopped hugging Regina, and instead placed both her hands on Regina's shoulders, looking directly into her eyes. "You don't understand. In Storybrooke, we've always been there for each other, but we've never said a word of what we feel, or at least, I haven't. I don't even know if you in the future feels the same way. Future Regina seems pretty happy with Robinhood, he was destined to be her - your - soul mate." Regina placed her hands on Emma's, fitting her fingers into Emma's.
"So what if he is? It sounds like we have built an amazing connection. If she is anything like I am, you'll fill her with a warmth that simply no-one else can, and maybe one day, you'll get what we both want. But I can't lie to you Emma, I still want revenge for what Snow White did. Even now. Even if I didn't forget, and for some magical reason, you still exist and this still happens, I will still have that inner thirst for revenge. The Regina you deserve is the one who has turned to good. I'm sorry."
Emma was surprised at her apology, and replied, "I forgave you long ago back in Storybrooke, Regina. And I may never tell future you how I feel, but at least, this gives me a glimmer of hope, and a memory to cherish." Emma smiled and Regina cupped her face into her hand, and kissed her softly.
For a few minutes, they sat there, inhaling each others smell and feeling the warmth of each other, hugging each other tight. Regina wiped away the tears that had made their way down her face, and began. "I think we should get ready; I can return you to your ordinary clothes. If that is what you want?" Emma nodded, "yeah, the clothes take a while to get used to..." She was suddenly surrounded by purple, magical smoke, and saw she was in denim jeans and her trusty red leather jacket. "Thanks," smiled Emma. Regina smiled back and said, "you look cute."
Regina strode over to her wardrobe, and picked out the dress that Emma had found so captivating earlier. She put it on, and looked striking.
After perfectly crafting her makeup with a swish of the hand, she turned to Emma. "Do I really never wear anything like this in Storybrooke?" Emma laughed at her, "no, Regina, you don't. You really like the pantsuits." Regina cackled at this, but fell silent, as she knew her time with Emma Swan, the Saviour, had reached its end. She started to make the forgetting potion. When she finished, Emma walked over to Regina, and found herself sitting on her lap, kissing her. Their kiss extended into tongues, and Emma found herself breathless again. As Regina was kissing Emma's neck, she and Emma heard the shouts of the guards and the boom of their weapons falling on the floor.
The Queen's doors flung open, and a distressed Hook saw Emma and Regina immediately. "Hook!" shouted Emma, looking at Hook whose triumphant expression had turned into confusion mixed with anger. "What?" Hook bellowed, walking in with reproach.
"I can explain," uttered Emma, removing herself from the Queen's lap and walking up to Hook. "Thank you for coming for me..." she declared, looking into his eyes, smiling. "It seems, Swan, that my rescue was in vain. I even ditched the safe route, deciding if you were to die, so were I. I thought you were unsafe...But all this time... I don't understand...How? Why?"
Emma shrugged, lost for words, "I lied, I don't think I can explain, Hook. But I've always felt something for Regina, I've just never said it out-loud, and I know she's the Queen here, but she is also Regina, and I am sorry but I will always believe in her, every version of her." Emma was slightly shocked by her outburst, her candour. But she knew Hook deserved to know what she had been hiding from both herself, and those who cared about her.
Hook shook his head, "what about our kiss?" Emma said sorry, then, "but it was just that, a kiss."
Regina coughed awkwardly, even though deep down she was enjoying this, and walked up to Emma, standing by her side. "When you and Emma have left," directing this to Hook, "I am going to take a forgetting potion to make sure the events still happen, the way they were supposed to." Emma turned to her, and hugged her tight.
As they were about to kiss, Hook turned around in upset and disgust. For the final time, she felt Regina's warm, luscious lips on hers. They both had tears streaming down their face again. Regina started laughing, though, and said there was a mark on Emma where her lipstick had stained. "Goodbye," smiled Emma, hugging her again. "Goodbye, Emma Swan." As Emma started to turn away, Regina pulled her by her arm. "Promise me that you'll find your happiness in Storybrooke. That you won't deny this to yourself any longer? Tell her...me...how you feel." Regina said, her eyes urging Emma to follow though with this request. Emma nodded, stroking Regina's face, "I promise."
Emma walked out with Hook, looking back at Regina through the slit of the door, who suddenly had the forgetting potion in her hand, and then she took it, looking through the crack and smiling at Emma, for one last time.
"We'll talk about this later," declared Hook factually. "For now," he continued, "We need to get out of here. Did she just take the potion?" Emma nodded, and together, they ran.