640"What are you doing here?" Regina asked, and Emma watched her face change in a way she wasn't sure she'd seen before. She thought Regina had looked out of her element as they'd made their way through the maze of hallways to get to the registrar, but that was nothing compared to how she looked now, like her entire world had just turned upside down.
"I could ask you the same thing," the blonde woman - Mal - shot back, in a sort-of-teasing, sort-of-serious kind of way, and Emma felt a knot forming in the pit of her stomach. Whoever this woman was, Emma was really wishing they hadn't just run into her.
"I just drove…" Regina's voice trailed off as she motioned toward Emma.
"Emma?" Mal asked, and Emma's eyes snapped to her face. Mal cocked her head to the side and observed her with curiosity.
"Do I know you?" Emma asked, hoping her voice didn't betray her nerves. She knew she had no real reason to feel nervous, but her trepidation only rose as she spoke.
Mal smiled, but it did nothing to reassure Emma as she asked, "you don't remember?"
"No, she doesn't remember," Regina answered before Emma could even open her mouth, and there was something odd in her tone, and the way she suddenly looked at Mal with intensity, like she was giving her a warning.
For her part, Mal just continued to smile. "I suppose you wouldn't," she said, as her eyes scanned Emma's face. "But you look just like your parents, and you're the same age as my daughter."
"Your daughter," Regina repeated, and it wasn't a question, but it was clear that her interest was piqued.
Mal nodded and motioned to a dark-haired girl who stood at the counter where Emma had just been moments ago, talking to the same person Emma had just been speaking to. "Lily. She starts school here in January."
"Lily," Emma said, realizing that was the first name listed on the letter informing her of her placement in residence, and she wondered if it was the same girl.
She didn't have to wonder long, as Mal continued, "yes. You know, her roommate is named Emma. We haven't met her yet, and now I'm wondering if it's you."
Emma swallowed. "Yeah, I think maybe I was supposed to be, but… well, I had to withdraw from the program. Family emergency."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Mal replied, and she sounded genuine, but Emma still looked away. She didn't want to get into details with a stranger.
"Yeah, so that's why I'm here. I had to sign some paperwork, and Regina drove me."
"That's a bit of a drive, isn't? You're still living in Maine, aren't you?" Mal asked, turning her attention back to Regina suddenly.
Regina raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't aware you were keeping tabs on me."
Mal shrugged, as though it were nothing.
"Yes, I still live in Maine. Emma and I are going to get a room for the night and drive home tomorrow."
"Don't be silly," Mal said, a smile spreading across her face. "You can stay with Lily and me. We have more than enough room."
"You live in Boston," Regina said, and again, it wasn't a question. If Emma hadn't have known any better, she would have sworn it was an accusation.
But Mal seemed unfazed by Regina's tone, and nodded. "I do. Fifteen years now."
"Well, I suppose you know the city then," Regina said, and Emma couldn't read the emotion on her face. "Maybe we should stay with you, if we're not going to put you out."
It felt like a punch to the gut, and Emma barely registered Mal telling Regina it would be no problem, and that they had so much they should catch up on. She didn't even know why it was affecting her, but suddenly she was overcome with jealousy and so unbelievably angry at this woman she'd just met, waltzing in and stealing Regina's attention away from her.
She pursed her lips and tried to maintain her composure, but she really just wanted to grab Regina by the arm and pull her out of the room, out of the school, back to the car, and far, far away from this-
And then it hit her.
How had she not realized it before? This woman from Regina's past, who Regina clearly hadn't seen in at least fifteen years, who seemed to have rattled Regina in a way that Emma had never witnessed before.
It had to be her.
Emma jumped, startled back into the present when she felt Regina's hand on her arm, and her eyes snapped up to meet Regina's face, overcome with concern suddenly.
"What?" Emma asked.
Regina's eyes widened for a moment. "What?" She repeated. "Emma, I just said your name three times. You looked like you were in a trance."
Emma shook her head quickly. "No, I'm fine. I just feel a little light-headed."
Regina frowned, rubbing her thumb back and forth on Emma's arm in a way that made her feel calmer in an instant. "You probably need to eat. It's been a long day."
Emma watched with mild trepidation as Regina and Mal exchanged phone numbers, and Mal promised to call as soon as Lily was done at the school so they could go over to her house, and after what felt like an eternity, they were finally on their way back to Regina's car.
"You're sure you're just lightheaded?" Regina asked, as she started the Mercedes.
Emma nodded. "Yeah, just… I don't know… reality hits me every now and then, I guess. I'm fine."
Regina watched her for a moment, before finally seeming to accept that answer, as she put the Mercedes in reverse.
"Who was that?" Emma asked as they pulled out of the parking lot.
"Just an old friend," Regina replied.
"She knows my parents?"
Regina gave a small shrug. "I think she met them once or twice. Before you were born."
Emma nodded, and slumped back in her seat, silent for the rest of the drive.
"Emma," Regina started, as Emma sat and picked at her food, barely eating. They'd found a little bistro on the drive, and to Emma's relief, it had been completely empty, and they were now the only customers inside. She wasn't ready to run into any more of Regina's old friends. "Are you-"
"It's her, isn't it?" Emma asked, not looking up from her plate.
"What?"
"Mal," Emma specified, her eyes snapping up to meet a confused look on Regina's face. "That's her, right? Your ex? The one who was supposed to come with you to Storybrooke?"
"What? No. I told you, she's just an old friend."
"Your face says otherwise."
"Emma, it's-"
"Come on, Regina," Emma cut her off. "That was the most awkward reunion I've ever witnessed. I've never seen you so shook up before. And, she's met my parents? So she's been in Storybrooke, but then you just lost contact? She's been living four hours away for fifteen years and you didn't know? That doesn't just happen for no reason. It's her."
"Just drop it, alright?" There was a hint of warning in Regina's voice, but Emma wasn't ready to let it go. She wasn't sure why she needed to know so badly, but she knew she wouldn't be able to relax until she knew the truth.
"You can tell me. I won't tell her I know. I won't tell anyone."
"Emma, enough! Why can't you ever just leave things alone?"
Emma drew in a sharp breath, her eyes widening as she saw a spark of fury in Regina's eyes like nothing she'd ever seen before.
"Sorry."
Regina shook her head quickly, her face softening again in a moment. "No. No, Emma, I'm sorry. I'm just…"
Emma watched Regina's face as she seemed to be fighting some sort of battle inside herself.
"I didn't expect this," Regina continued, finally. "I never expected to see her again, least of all out of the blue, here, today. You're right, it did shake me. Maybe… going to Mal's place might not be a good idea. Maybe I should have said no. I don't know. But I shouldn't be taking it out on you."
"We don't have to go," Emma offered.
Regina shook her head again, letting out a sigh. "No, we do. I need to talk to her."
"Okay," Emma said, looking down at her plate again.
To her surprise, Regina reached out, placing her hand over Emma's, drawing Emma's eyes back up to her face again. "It will be fine. It won't take the whole night, I promise. There's just some things that… that I've never been able to ask her, and I never thought I'd get the chance. But it will only take a little while, and all the rest of my time is yours, I promise."
Regina sat stiffly on the couch as Mal shut the door to the living room, and came to join her. She'd called just after they'd finished eating lunch - well, Regina wasn't sure that Emma had actually eaten anything, which was unlike her. But when they'd gotten to Mal's, Lily and Emma had seemed to hit it off quickly, and Regina wasn't quite as worried knowing that they were now watching a movie and eating junk food. It was probably exactly the kind of distraction Emma truly needed, and it bought her some time to talk to Mal.
"Regina, what are you doing?" Mal asked, after a long moment of watching her in silence.
Regina tensed up. She really wasn't in the mood to explain what was going on between herself and Emma to Mal. She wasn't sure she could, even if she tried. "Nothing," she said, sounding more defensive than she'd intended. "I just came with her to Boston, because she's never driven this far, and, you know, her mother couldn't."
Mal rolled her eyes. "I'm not talking about that. I don't care what weird relationship you've… developed with Snow White's daughter. I do know what it's like to be obsessed with the offspring of my enemy, you might remember."
Regina shook her head. She'd never quite understood Mal's obsession with Aurora, or her mother, for that matter, and she'd never particularly cared. "So, what then? What are you asking me?"
Mal let out an exasperated laugh. "What am I asking you? You came to my palace, when I was grieving the loss of my child-"
"I didn't know that," Regina cut in, and Mal held up a hand to stop her.
"You stole back the dark curse, and then, you didn't cast it. But sixteen years later you what, changed your mind again? And now you're here, with the savior, acting like nothing is strange about any of this."
"Well, a lot can happen in sixteen years," Regina said, with annoyed sarcasm in her voice. "Or, eighteen, I guess, if you count the last two."
"Regina," Mal said, looking at her incredulously. "What part of this are you not understanding? She's the savior. You understand what that means, don't you?"
Regina rolled her eyes. "That she can break the curse?"
"That she will break the curse. It's her destiny."
"Unless it's… not?" Regina said.
"You know Rumple orchestrated this entire thing, Regina. There's no loose ends. The savior will break the curse. You're going to lose everything."
"The savior could break the curse, yes. But… Emma can't break the curse if she's not the savior." Regina bit her lip as she waited for Mal's reaction.
"She is. You know she is."
Regina shook her head. "Not anymore."
"No, Regina, that doesn't make any sense. I spent years studying that curse. There are no loopholes. You couldn't have removed the savior."
"Oh, I didn't. But, as it turns out, Emma can't be the savior if she cast the curse herself."
Mal gaped at her for a moment, and Regina could tell that, in spite of how much time she had invested, learning about that curse, she'd never considered that someone else would cast it. "Emma cast the curse?" Mal asked, all the bold confidence lost from her voice now.
Regina nodded. "She cast the curse, and that makes me the savior. Rumple confirmed it. And now… I wouldn't know how to break it, even if I wanted to."
Mal shook her head quickly. "You… you can't break it. Regina, do you have any idea what you've done?"
"I didn't want to let Emma cast the curse. I didn't want it to be cast at all. I didn't have a choice. I was about to be executed. It was the only way."
"No, Regina, listen to me," Mal said. "You're never going to be able to break the curse. Don't you get it? It's the darkest curse that has ever existed. It can only be undone by the lightest of light magic. Emma's. You can't do it."
Regina gave a half-hearted shrug. "So I won't, then. I don't care about any of those people. I don't care if they are cursed for an eternity. I'll have Emma and that's all that matters."
Mal sighed. "You would have had her either way."
"What do you mean?"
"Emma was made to break this curse. It's the only reason she even exists. She was created to be your polar opposite: all good, the perfect complement to your darkness. And there's only two ways it could have gone: either, she killed you, or she fell in love with you. She would never be able to kill you; she's a hero. So she would have fallen in love with you instead, and broken the curse."
Regina shook her head. "So? It doesn't matter. She doesn't need to break the curse. She can still fall in love with me."
"No, Regina… the curse has an expiration date. If it's not broken, it will…" Mal sighed, shaking her head. "It will implode on itself."
"Implode," Regina repeated. "And then… what? We got back to the Enchanted Forest?"
"No. We all die."
"So then I'll figure out a way to break the curse then. All curses can be broken. I saved Emma from death with true love's kiss. I can break a curse."
"I'm not sure a kiss is going to suffice."
"I'll figure it out," Regina said, nodding decisively. "I still have ten years."
"Have you talked to Rumple?" Mal asked.
"I try not to."
Mal let out a small laugh. "Well, he might be able to help."
"Maybe. I'll worry about that when I get back to Storybrooke. But Mal, let's step back a second. What did you mean that the only reason Emma exists is to break the curse?"
"Well, I'm sure that's not why she was conceived, at least in Snow and Charming's minds," Mal began. "But, it's why she is the way she is."
"You mean, it's why she has magic?"
"It's why she has magic… it's why she's drawn to you like a goddamn magnet. It's why you've been obsessed with her since the day she was born. It's why you've probably spent years trying to figure out if you want to be her mother or her lover, because you can't figure out her hold on you, but you need her like you need air."
Regina shook her head. "How could you possibly know that?"
"I told you. I've been doing my research. And you have no idea how far back this all goes."
"So enlighten me then."
Mal sighed, and leaned back against the cushion behind her. "God, where do I even start?" she asked with a small laugh.
"The beginning would be nice."
"The beginning," Mal said, nodding, "right. Okay. Well, I guess the beginning, insofar as it pertains to you, and Emma, was Queen Eva."
Regina's lip curled up in distaste at the mention of Eva's name. It wasn't that Regina harboured any feelings of jealousy over how much Leopold had adored his first wife; it was more that Regina resented her for dying, and putting her in the position to have to be Leopold's second wife in the first place. "What could she possibly have to do with any of this?"
"She's just a piece of the puzzle, but an important one. You know that Rumple foresaw you casting this curse, long before you were even born."
"Yes, of course I know," Regina said, through gritted teeth.
"He also foresaw the savior, and I'm not sure exactly why, but he has a vested interest in this curse being broken. I'm quite sure it was the only reason he wanted you to cast it, so that Emma could break it. You weren't the only one he manipulated."
"What did he do?"
"What he always does. He made a deal," Mal replied. "I know the King wanted to have children with you, Regina, and I know you always thought it was your fault it didn't happen."
"I'm glad it didn't happen," Regina cut in.
"I know. But that's not why I brought it up. It wasn't you; it was him. He couldn't have children with Eva, either."
"Except, he did," Regina said, casting an annoyed look at Mal. "You recall that ever present thorn in my side, Snow White?"
Mal smiled. "Not his daughter."
"What?"
"Eva went to Rumple to make a deal, and he provided her with what she wanted: a pregnancy."
"Don't tell me Rumple's her father."
Mal laughed. "No. Well, I doubt it, anyway. Honestly, I don't know exactly how he did it, but Snow was created with magic, to be the vessel that would produce the savior. He couldn't have his own darkness infused in there, or he may have just created another..."
"Another villain," Regina guessed. "But if Snow was created by magic, why doesn't she have magic?"
"Why would she?"
Regina shrugged. "Emma does."
"Emma has magic because she needed to have magic. Rumple orchestrated every single detail of this."
"And what did he get out of it? The deal, I mean… other than Eva creating his… his savior vessel. She must have given him something. He must have asked for something in return, or she would have seen through it."
Mal nodded. "Well, according to her diary, he told her that her granddaughter would be important, and he instructed her to make sure Snow grew up good and pure, and the rest would come to pass long after Eva was gone."
"You read her diary?"
Mal shrugged. "Maybe you should have. The King didn't keep tabs on her the way he did on you. He didn't read what she wrote, and she was the key to me figuring the whole thing out. You didn't have to go into all of this blind."
"You could have mentioned it," Regina shot back. "I had no desire to learn anything about her."
"I read it after you didn't cast the curse," Mal clarified. "By that point, you and I weren't really on good terms, you may recall."
"Why did you read it at all?"
"Why? Because Snow White and Prince Charming tossed my child through a portal to another realm, and I had to figure out how to get here. I knew the answer must lie with you… or, with the things in your castle, at least."
"How did you get here?" Regina asked. "You couldn't have come over with the curse."
"There was a portal in Emma's nursery. A wardrobe. I first learned of its existence when Lily was two, and I used it to get here and find her."
"A portal, of course," Regina said, nodding. "That's how you remember. You bypassed the curse. That's… that must be how Seth did it. It was in the castle."
"Who's Seth?"
"No one. Doesn't matter." Regina sighed. "So Rumple manipulated this entire thing. He set Emma's creation into motion, and I screwed everything up by not casting the curse."
"I wouldn't have found my daughter if you did," Mal pointed out.
"But now it can't be broken, and we're all doomed. And all those idiots in Storybrooke don't even know. Some curse."
"Maybe you can break it."
"You were pretty emphatic that I can't."
"I know," Mal said, observing Regina pensively. "But I'm not entirely sure you're the same person I once knew."
"What do you mean?"
"You've changed. You're softer now. You've lost your edge."
Regina shook her head. "Defeat will do that to a person."
"I don't think it's defeat. You didn't give up because you couldn't get revenge. You abandoned it because you finally discovered something you want more."
Regina nodded. "Emma."
"Can I tell you a story?" Regina asked, looking at Emma hopefully.
They were in the guest bedroom at Mal's, where they'd gone after having dinner with Mal and Lily. Regina could tell that Emma was still a little unsettled, and truth be told, she was too, and they needed time alone, to talk. The day had been a whirlwind of information, and she couldn't bring herself to try to process any of it right now. But she needed to say something, to explain herself to Emma.
"About a queen and a princess?" Emma asked, a small smile creeping onto her lips.
"No. A story from my past. About…"
"About your ex?" Emma's smile was gone in an instant, replaced by a more deflated look that Regina hated to see.
"I don't… I know if that's the right term. We didn't break up; we were never really…" she sighed, trying to find the words. "We just… lost each other."
"You could tell me her name?"
"No."
"So, the princess then."
"Okay. The princess. But, this does not mean I'm saying you were right, about the other story. Just so we're clear."
"Of course. Crystal clear."
Regina smirked. "You're a terrible liar, you know that?"
"I thought you were telling me a story."
"Right. Well, once upon a time," Regina started with an exaggerated expression that elicited a small laugh from Emma, "the princess, as you call her, was staying at my… palace."
"Oh, a palace. I like the commitment."
"Don't mock me, or I won't tell you the story."
"Fine. I'll be quiet. Let's go back to your palace, your highness."
"Your majesty," Regina corrected. "Anyway, the princess was at my palace, and we'd had a nice evening together, talking, you know… actually, I told her a story, while she was curled up with me, kind of like this."
Emma snuggled in a little closer.
Regina reached over to run her fingers through Emma's hair, studying her face. They'd spent so much time together lately that touching her didn't seem as out of place as it had before. Momentarily, it felt like nothing had changed, and no time had been lost at all.
After a brief pause, Regina spoke again. "You remind me of her a little, you know?"
"Really?"
Regina nodded, noting the way Emma's eyes lit up.
"Yes… just a little." Regina stroked Emma's hair again. "Maybe more than a little."
Emma smiled.
"Like you, my princess just couldn't leave anything alone. She was always so curious, and she wanted… well, I guess she just wanted to know me. To understand me. But… I'm not very good at letting people in. I… well, when you get hurt too many times, you learn to keep your guard up. But, like you, she had never had her heart broken. She'd never been betrayed. And she had nothing but good intentions, and I couldn't understand that. Not at first."
"You didn't trust her."
"No. And it wasn't her fault. And that night, I woke up, and she was gone."
"Was this when you came to Storybrooke?"
"No. This was long before that. Before we ever really got close. But I got scared when I woke up alone, because I assumed she'd taken off. And it brought back all these old memories and ripped open all these old wounds and by the time I realized she hadn't left, she was just out in the hallway, I couldn't even bring myself to be relieved. I was livid. And I reacted so badly. I lashed out at her and it… it wasn't fair. And she didn't deserve it. And, amazingly, she didn't even hold it against me. Never in my life has someone seen the worst parts of me and just… accepted it. Without question."
"Mal says that I've gone soft," Regina continued, "and maybe she's right. I think my princess did that to me. After that night, I swore to myself I could keep my emotions in check, and I was not great at it, but I did try. She made it easier. And it occurred to me today that I never apologized to her; but I can apologize to you."
"To me? For what?"
"For snapping at you this afternoon. You looked at me the exact same way she did that night."
"Well, I was pestering you."
"No, you weren't. You were just asking a question. And, you know, I've been thinking about that a lot tonight. I never let her in. I never let her know me. I kept so many secrets and where did it get me?"
"It got you laying here, talking to me."
Regina smiled. "That it did. And I decided, I don't want to make the same mistake again. So if you want to know me, you can."
"Really?"
Regina nodded.
"So will you answer my question then?"
"Well, I'm pretty sure I already did, but no, it's not Mal. She's really, truly, just an old friend. And before you try to argue," Regina said, holding up a finger as Emma opened her mouth to say something, "you should know I'm telling the truth, because if it had been her, I would have taken her in my arms and never, ever let her go again. But I didn't. I'm here, with you."
"So if we did run into the princess, I would know?"
"We won't. I can promise you that much."
"But, hypothetically?"
"Sure. Hypothetically, yes. You would know."
Emma's face turned serious, as she studied Regina's. "And you really think there's no chance you'll ever get together with her again?"
Regina shook her head, knowing that the only way that could happen would be if Emma woke up, and discovered that she and the princess were on in the same, but there was no way to explain that to her, so instead, she just said, "no, there's no chance."
Without a moment's warning, Emma moved closer, closing the distance between them. Before Regina could even process what was happening, Emma's lips were on hers, and Regina was melting into the kiss. She weaved her fingers into Emma's hair, holding her there as she kissed her back with fervor.
She hadn't expected this now, but she'd been waiting for so long. She kissed Emma back hard, trying to pull her closer as though they could just meld into one and never be apart again.
This time, Regina knew she wouldn't have to push her away.
This time, she was going to get it right.
