Regina Mills sighed as she looked down at the steaming cup of hot coffee in her hands. It had been a very long weekend. She wanted to leave it all behind her, but her emotions were all over the place, making her skin crawl.
“You look awful.” Emma Swan slid into the stool next to her. Maybe coming to Granny’s right now was a mistake. She wasn’t feeling company at the moment, but the idea of being alone was also depressing.
“Thank you for your very unhelpful observation, Sheriff.” She knew Emma didn't mean it as it sounded, but her mood was getting the better of her.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean it to sound so harsh…” Emma looked like a kicked puppy, and Regina felt awful.
“I’m sorry, Emma. I just had a very emotional weekend…” She trailed off as she remembered the previous few days. It shouldn't be getting to her the way it was, but she couldn't shake the new feelings building up inside her.
“Did something happen? Why didn’t you call me?” Regina couldn’t help but smile as Emma’s savior instincts kicked in.
“It’s a bit complicated to explain.” Regina pinched the bridge of her nose. Oh, sweet Emma.
“Try me.” Emma had a look of determination on her face, and Regina knew she wasn't going to let this go.
“Okay.” How was she going to explain all this to Emma? “Well…” Regina shook her head; this was going to be difficult. “Zelena and I decided to have a sister’s movie night on Friday.” Off Emma’s nod, Regina continued, ”I went into the kitchen to get some snacks and left her to pick something out.”
“Sounds all pretty normal so far.” Emma gave her a smile of encouragement.
“When I returned, Zelena was looking at the television curiously, and I saw that she had the movie Wicked up on the screen.”
“Oh.”
“Yes, oh, indeed.” Regina paused to sip her coffee, “I don’t know why, but I didn’t say anything as she hit play. I settled on the couch beside her and handed her a drink and a bowl of popcorn. Soon, the very first song of the movie started to play, and it’s called ‘No One Mourns the Wicked,’ and as you can imagine, the emotions from that point on were raw and exposed…” Regina got lost in her thoughts for a moment.
“It’s not Zelena’s story, though?” Emma's sudden speaking made Regina jump slightly. “Hasn’t Zelena seen The Wizard of Oz before? It’s also very different from her own story, right? Just like all the various Snow White stories are different than yours?”
Regina nodded slowly before finishing her coffee. The chime of Granny’s front door opening caught her attention, and she turned to see Grumpy walking in. This would all be very hard to explain to Emma, and the middle of the diner didn’t seem like the best place. “Can we finish this conversation elsewhere?”
“Of course. Do you want to head to your office?” Her office wasn’t where she wanted to have this conversation, either. This conversation needed to happen somewhere Regina could feel comfortable and safe.
“No. Are you the only one on duty today?”
“Nope. Mulan is working as well.” That was perfect. Now, they could have a moment to themselves.
“Can you maybe take the day off?” Regina saw the concern wash over Emma’s face. This was a highly unusual request from the Mayor to the Sheriff.
“I can do that. I just need to check in with Mulan to let her know.” Emma looked Regina over. “You are okay, right?” Always the concerned friend, looking out for her. Regina was so lucky to have Emma in her life.
Regina did her best to smile. “I’m fine, Emma. I’ll explain it to you soon. How about we meet at mine around 1? I’ll make lunch.” Cooking sounded like a lovely distraction at the moment.
“Sure. I’ll see you then.” Emma grabbed her to-go cup of coffee and gave Regina a little wave. Regina watched the savior walk out of the diner before she took a deep breath; this conversation would be difficult, but a slight sense of warmth washed over her as she thought of what could come from it.
Regina paced back and forth in the kitchen while waiting for Emma to arrive. She’d been over how to explain things in her mind probably a million times since that morning, but she still wasn’t sure how to describe the emotions she’d been dealing with. Damn, Zelena and that movie. That brilliant, stupid movie. The sound of the mansion’s doorbell stopped her in her tracks. She stopped and fixed her hair out of habit before opening the front door. To her surprise, Emma stood there with a bouquet of flowers. “What’s this?”
“You looked like you needed a little pick me up.” Emma held out the flowers, and Regina took them and smelled their sweet fragrance.
“Thank you, Emma. Please, come in.” Once inside, Regina led Emma to the kitchen, where she had lunch waiting for them. Regina placed the flowers in a vase before they settled in to eat. The conversation started with small talk about the town and Henry. It was nice to keep things light while they ate. Once they were done and the dishes were cleaned up, Regina led Emma to the den.
“I feel like our conversations in here are always pretty deep.” Emma settled on the couch as Regina walked over to her mini bar. “Hitting the hard stuff already, Madam Mayor?”
Regina smiled as she prepared two drinks. “I need a little liquid encouragement right now. Besides, it’s well past noon now.” She gave Emma a little wink as she gave her the drink. The slight blush that tinted Emma’s cheeks did not go unnoticed.
“Fair.” Emma took a sip as Regina took a position beside her on the couch.
Regina took more than a sip as she contemplated where to start this conversation. “Have you seen Wicked, Emma?”
“I haven't seen the movie yet, but I did see it on Broadway once.” Regina nodded as she finished her drink. She contemplated getting another one but knew it was a bad idea.
“Well, you have a general idea about it then. I’m not too familiar with how they may vary, but I’d imagine they are pretty similar?” Emma nodded but didn’t say anything, so Regina continued. “Zelena sat and watched it in dead silence. It was rather odd. The film has many funny moments, and she just sat there, entranced.” Thinking back, Regina realized she had been just as entranced as Zelena.
“Hit a nerve?” Emma was looking at Regina curiously.
“Something like that, I suppose.” Regina looked down at the empty glass in her hand. “I think Zelena seeing this story from Elphaba’s point of view made something inside Zelena,” Regina paused and smiled. “For lack of a better word, melt.”
Emma laughed, “If I heard correctly, that doesn’t happen until the second movie.
“Spoilers, Emma!” They laughed; the light-hearted moment made Regina relax a bit more. Or maybe her drink was kicking in? She wasn’t sure.
“Sorry.” Emma held her hands up in a mock surrender.
“It’s perfectly okay. This is an unusual situation. Being so affected by yet another form of fairytale…” Regina drifted off in thought for a moment. Was there an Elphaba and Glinda out there somewhere? She already knew one Wicked Witch and Dorothy, so the possibility was there.
“Hey,” Regina felt Emma’s calming hand on her forearm. “You still with me?”
Regina rose quickly. The sensation of Emma’s warm touch sliding away immediately gave her a sense of loss. She took her glass to her mini bar and considered pouring another round. Instead, she just placed her glass down before returning to the couch. “Elphaba and Glinda have a fascinating relationship in the film. I don’t know if it’s the same in the play.” Regina looked over to Emma, and the blonde had an odd look on her face.
“Um, there’s been a lot of debate about that for years, actually.” Emma scratched at the back of her neck before suddenly gulping down the rest of her drink.
“I’d imagine so. Zelena saw it differently than I did…” Regina looked down at her empty hands and wished she had grabbed that drink to have something to hold on to.
“How so?” Regina looked up to see Emma looking at her expectantly. A panic washed over her, and then she noticed Emma’s empty glass.
“Would you like another?” Before Emma could answer, Regina grabbed the glass from her hand. She knew she was delaying the inevitable, but she needed this moment of distraction to calm her jittery nerves. She prepared the drinks with her head down, unable to look Emma in the eye. It was all so silly, wasn’t it? It was a movie, of all things, making so many things more apparent to her than ever before.
“Regina?” Looking up, Regina saw Emma smiling warmly at her. “Leave the drinks and come back over here, please?” Emma held out her hand, and Regina immediately walked over to Emma and took it into her own as she sat back down. “Can I ask a question?” Regina could only nod. Her voice was suddenly gone. “I’m getting the impression that the movie hit you a little harder than Zelena?”
Regina felt Emma squeeze her hand, surprised to find she was still holding on quite tightly, but she didn’t let go. Now, it was time to share how she was feeling. Emma was so calm and understanding. That helped. “Zelena saw herself and I in Elphaba and Glinda.” Another squeeze of her hand from Emma enabled her to continue, “I can see what she sees there. I told her as much as we discussed the film once it had ended.” Regina felt a tear slide down her cheek. “Their relationship is something special. An outcast and a woman who has everything she could ever want.”
“Who is who in Zelena’s eyes?” That question made Regina laugh, causing more tears to fall.
“I am the privileged one, of course.” Regina shook her head. Only Zelena would cast Regina in that light. Everyone else would make her the outcasted witch in a heartbeat.
“I can’t really see you in pink if I’m honest. You do pull off red quite nicely, however.” Emma gave her a little wink, and it was Regina’s turn to blush. Emma’s free hand came up and cupped Regina’s cheek. Slowly, Emma wiped away Regina’s tears with her thumb. “How did you see their relationship, Regina?”
This was it—her moment. Regina shut her eyes and took a calming breath. “I saw it as a beautiful love story between two courageous women. It crushed me that hate and deceit tore them apart at the end.” Regina was afraid to open her eyes. She hoped Emma understood what her words meant, but she wasn’t positive her thoughts would be returned in kind.
“Regina, look at me.” Slowly, Regina opened her tear-filled eyes. Emma’s equally tear-filled looked back at her. “I just want to clarify one thing before this conversation continues.”
“Ask anything, Emma.” Regina’s heart felt like it would beat right out of her chest.
“Do you really see me as Glinda in this situation?” Regina burst out laughing and fell into Emma’s arms; It felt so warm and safe there. Emma’s strong arms held her tightly as her laughter turned to more tears. “Hey, hey… You’re okay. We’re okay.” Emma’s calming voice and her hand rubbing her back helped Regina's emotions settle down. They sat silently for a while, just holding each other.
Soon, they slowly parted, but their hands intertwined between them. Regina did her best to find her voice again, not wanting this moment to slip away without ensuring Emma knew precisely how she felt. “Emma, you mean so much to me. More than I think I can ever find the words to describe. I’ve felt like this for so long, and I’m sorry it’s taken me this long to have the courage to tell you.” Regina could see Emma start to speak, so she put a finger over Emma’s lips. “Let me say this, please?” Emma nodded, and Regina returned her hand to Emma’s. “I now know I was afraid to lose you. Your friendship is everything to me, and I was, well am, so scared that letting this become something more could take that from me…from us. But that’s not fair. That’s just not fair to any of us, is it?” Regina could see the fresh tears forming in Emma’s eyes, so she squeezed Emma’s hands tightly. “I’m about to do something a bit corny, but I need you to let me get through this. Can you do that for me?”
Emma nodded and smiled shyly, “Yeah, I can do that.”
Regina couldn’t believe she was about to do this but she took the leap, “Something has changed within me. Something is not the same. I’m through with playing by the rules of someone else’s game. Too late for second-guessing. Too late to go back to sleep. It’s time to trust my instincts, close my eyes, and – oomph - -”
Emma's lips crashed into Regina’s before she could finish. Inwardly, Regina was grateful because she knew she would never live that moment down, but right now was not the moment to dwell on that. The sensation of kissing Emma Swan was drowning her in a way she never dreamed possible. The passion of this kiss was something Regina didn’t even know was possible. If there had been a true love kiss burst of energy, she wouldn’t know. How had they not done this sooner? A million reasons danced in the back of her mind, but they disappeared when Emma deepened the kiss, pressing Regina back into the couch.
Things were getting increasingly heated when Emma suddenly stopped and pulled back. She hovered above Regina, arms on either side of her body, a giant goofy grin on her face. "It's time to try defying gravity.” Emma raised one of her hands and snapped her fingers, taking them to the bedroom.
“You idiot.” Regina pulled Emma down on top of her and kissed passionately. Soon, clothes disappeared, skin pressed against skin, and Regina truly knew what it was to fly.
The sensation of Emma reaching for her vibrating phone disturbed Regina's blissful warmth and made her pout.
“Hello? She did what?!” Emma’s raised voice made Regina jump slightly and raise an eyebrow in concern. “Was anyone hurt? Turned to water? That’s good, I suppose. She’s just flying around town now? Interesting. Well, keep everyone calm. Okay, I think she’s just having a moment. Call me if she turns anyone into a flying monkey. Thanks, Mulan.” Emma placed the phone onto the nightstand and cuddled back into Regina’s side.
“Oh, gods, what is my sister up to now?”
“She crashed through the face of the clock tower on her broom and started singing. No worries about the glass hurting anyone; it turned to water before reaching the ground. Oh, and she’s green again, apparently. Also, it sounds like her cape is fabulous!” Regina hid a giggle into Emma’s shoulder.
“I suppose the movie hit her in her own way. I’m glad no one is getting hurt.”
“It sounded like everyone was enjoying the show, honestly.” They smiled at each other warmly and shared a tender kiss. “Regina, I haven’t really said it yet, but I think it’s pretty obvious at this point I love you. I think I had the same mindset as you. Afraid to lose what we already had. Thank you for having the courage to help us get here finally.”
“In my bed?” Regina wiggled her eyebrows.
“No, silly!” Emma gave Regina a playful shove.
“I must admit I do feel silly. That a movie, of all things, opened my eyes to what we could be.”
“Hey, sometimes we just need our eyes opened for us. I wish I had found the courage to tell you about how I felt years ago.” A sadness washed over Emma’s face.
“I know, Emma. I love you so very much. Let’s not dwell on how long it took us to get here. Let’s just look forward to where we go from here. Okay?”
“I like that plan,” Emma kissed Regina sweetly on the temple. "However, just so you know, I will never be wearing pink.”
“Never?” Regina looked at Emma coyly.
“Nope.” Emma crossed her arms and shook her head.
“We’ll see about that, Princess.” Emma mocked a gasp before pulling Regina into her arms and kissing her deeply.
The sound of the front door opening downstairs made the kiss stop instantly.
“Henry!” Regina jumped from the bed and dressed them both with magic before Emma could say anything.
“Hey, it’s okay. I think the kid is gonna be thrilled, honestly.” Emma pulled Regina in and hugged her tightly. Regina melted into the embrace.
“I know. Sorry. I didn’t mean to be so panicked about it…” Regina felt her emotions settle back down as she let Emma's warmth wash over her. It was true; Henry would be thrilled by this news.
“Well, it is good that he’s not going to find us naked together in bed. No one wants to see their parents like that. Trust me, I know.”
“Ew.” Regina didn't want any details there.
“Yes, ew. Let’s go see our son and give him the good news that I’m moving in!” Emma was adorable, and Regina felt like she was living in a dream.
“That’s a little presumptuous of you, isn’t it, Miss Swan?” Regina couldn’t hide the smirk on her face.
“Yup!” Emma laughed, grabbed Regina’s hand, and pulled her to the bedroom door. “Oh, and Regina? Remember, together, we're unlimited.”
“Ugh, I’m never going to live this down, am I?”
“Oh, no, you are not. I hope you're happy?”
“I most certainly am.”
The End