Tell-Tale Hearts. Swan Queen/OUaT fanfiction. ch. 15-16

[helebette]

Chapters 15-16.



Chapter 15.

Storybrooke: Post-Curse Haste.

Regina is shouting in her dreams.

"It isn't how children should behave!" she tries to make this point to Emma, who stands in front of Henry. In Henry's hands are two toys. One is a plastic gun with an orange piece on the end. The other is a reproduction of a nuclear warhead.

There is a pregnant pause. And then Emma says,

"I agree."

Regina wakes up slowly, to soothing words and a warm hand stroking her shoulder.

"Nightmare." Regina mutters, turning to grasp for the glass of water she always leaves on Emma's side of the bed. She is covered in a light sheen of sweat and doesn't allow herself to touch Emma as a result.

"I figured." Emma sighs, relieved, and slides down to lay fully on her back. She is naked, they both are, though they didn't have sex. It is too hot to touch, so they have barely touched all night. Emma lets herself feel the brief thrill of Regina's presence when a hand reaches out and strokes her chest in the darkness. Emma sighs with contentment and then Regina falls asleep again.

Regina has been under house arrest for two years by this point. And a few things have changed. Alliances have shifted. Snow White no longer spends all of her time with the Dwarves. She instead spends much of her time with James, with Henry, and with Emma; and she keeps a close watch on Regina. In a strange way, the surveillance is comforting to Regina. It makes her feel cared for. She knows how abnormal that is.

Emma leaves just after an early breakfast of cold black tea and a cake that Regina concocted to force her into healthier eating habits. The cake is sweetened with maple syrup, so Emma can ignore the grains and berries. Maple syrup, Regina has decided, is the greatest thing about this supposedly Cursed world.

They kiss goodbye at the door and Regina resolves to talk to Emma more. She feels distant and doesn't like it. But her dreams seem, often, to take her far from this place.

Emma, for her part, can tell that something is wrong. Instead of trying to figure it out, she has officially (according to a cricket turned psychiatrist) regressed to somewhere around the age of fifteen. This was a bad year for Emma. It was the year she lost her virginity in the backseat of a much older man's car. Sort of how Regina lost hers. With shady consent and painfully frozen motions. Fifteen was also the year when six of Emma's foster placements broke down. Six homes, six new families, and ultimately, six rejections. She had thought it a record, but her best friend Stacy motored through seven homes.

Emma has been trying not to tell Regina any of these things, and doesn't really want to tell Archie either, but she has basically been begged by Mary to talk to somebody. Emma's mother is as stubborn and persistent as Emma herself, so despite her thirty years (which apparently translate to fifteen at the moment) Emma tries to listen.

Emma walks home, which takes almost an hour.

She isn't in the mood to deal with the person she finds in Mary's kitchen. Person or…whatever the hell he is.

Gold-Emma cannot call him by his real name, it's just too creepy-is eating eggs and toast with Henry like they're old friends. Mary is still Mary, but now Emma is the only person who calls her this. Emma takes Mary aside and they speak in whispers.

"Whatever crisis we're in now, it's bad. Worse, even, than before. And despite the psychotic tricks Regina and Rumpel have pulled in the past, we have to keep them both near. Not only Regina-and not because you have feelings for her." Mary pauses and glances over her shoulder. "I've said it before." Her eyes are intent on her daughter's. "It's better to keep enemies…" She waves a dismissive hand at Emma's objection and finishes, "…close."

Emma spends the rest of the day inside, watching Henry play his video games, helping the kid with reading and math-basically creating a homeschool day even though it's not technically her strong suit. It's a good day though. It's good to just have some normalcy with Henry.

Gold is told to return for dinner. He takes off sometime around noon. Emma does not have a chance to talk to Mary about her concerns for most of the afternoon.

Finally, Mary and Emma have a chance alone again. Mary has stopped all of her obsessive cleaning, to reassure her rather stressed daughter.

Emma breaths hard through her nose and leans back on her heels. "Gold." She mutters. "That man…"

"Is right behind you dearie." His voice grates less on Emma's nerves than before, but the shrill tones have returned despite his utter fatigue with this life.

Dinner is an odd affair. But Gold is polite and inquisitive-caring, even-when the subject of Regina arises. He hopes that she is well. Worries about her mental health after so many decades of loneliness. Emma wants to stab him with her fork but resists the urge. She looks at Henry with a frown. Henry slumps in his char when the subject of Regina's wellbeing comes up.

Emma leaves the adults at the table and ushers Henry upstairs sometime after tea is served. It is only 10pm but Emma can see the kid-he'll be a kid to her until he's an old man, she decides-yawning, bored with the adult's incessant chatter. Emma clutches her wine to her chest.

"I'd like to see her more often," Henry decides. He's been over at Regina's once a week since he and Emma rescued Regina from the woods and from Gold's last little memory charm. It isn't much, considering the fact that Regina raised him. And there are things that Emma can't do on her own-things she suspects Regina better understands. Emma knows that Henry and Regina went through years of therapy together, and there are things about Henry that Emma just can't figure out. Like how he freaks out when his socks aren't folded properly or when his books are not in a particular order.

Henry is reading the latest angst-ridden tale about young people eating each other or killing each other or turning into werewolves (Ruby gave him a halfway decent book on that particular subject recently) or whatever, but on this night Henry isn't interested in delving into his gory story just yet.

"Rumpel…I mean Mr. Gold thinks he did her a favor, you know." Henry says matter of factly. "He figures…a memory charm would make her feel less guilty. Help everybody to move on."

Emma finishes her wine with a gulp. "yeah?" She nods and then shrugs. "That sort of makes sense. As much sense as anything."

Henry scrunches his face in confusion about something. Emma waits.

"I had a dream the other night." Henry starts. He picks nervously at his blanket. Blue, plaid-sometimes his taste in décor is like a much older man's.

"Yes?" Emma encourages after silence stretches between them.

Henry nods. His eyes are intent on a tree branch which scrapes his window lightly. Before sleep he'll get Emma to knock it away, but for now he continues. "You and my mom, you were living together, with me. But I was really little. I mean I saw myself-as really little. And I kept trying to ask you what was going on. You both seemed really angry."

Emma remembers what Regina said once, about layers of reality, about alternate pathways they could have taken-did take, in some cases. Jeez, did it scar their kid or something…

"It's kinda cool." Henry adds thoughtfully, interrupting Emma's thoughts. "I mean everybody deserves a second chance, right?"

By the time Emma leaves Henry's room (it takes twenty minutes to knock the branch down so that he won't have nightmares about somebody climbing in his bedroom window) she feels a lot better than she has in a very, very long time.

"Hey Pops!" She quips at David who smiles sweetly at her. He's such a nice guy-too nice, at times. It's usually his downfall. But for tonight, Emma is relieved that she can just relax and leave Mary and David together to deal with something she just doesn't feel like facing. Not yet, anyway. She's sure she'll have to soon.

Before Gold leaves, he turns his attention to Emma briefly.

"I'm sure that Ms. Swan could use a ride." Gold smirks around his words but his eyes do not give away anything but polite interest.

"Fine." Emma snarls, grabbing her jacket and nodding at her parents. "I'll be at Regina's. If you both need me."

"Will you be back by morning?" Snow asks. But her hands go up defensively, "Not that you have to be. Just curious."

Emma thinks about it. She picks at a sliver of paint that is pealing from one of the worn out side tables in Mary's living room.

"I'll be with Regina all day tomorrow." Emma decides. "I'll be back to pick Henry up for dinner over there."

"No problem," Mary smiles though there is still that mysterious look in her eye. "I'll drive Henry over myself. I'd like to speak with Regina." She says the words with that air of authority that she and David take on these days. They are becoming the town's leaders, more and more, and in ways that will eventually astound Emma she is suddenly sure.

Emma leaves shortly after, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Mary's request. It isn't her business. Mary and Regina have shit between them to sort out.

Gold, of course, proceeds to start a bizarre conversation about a completely random topic.

"You met him, didn't you?" Gold asks, steering away from Mary's house.

Emma sighs and waits.

"The Hatter." Gold adds. "Regina's idiot savant. Always telling women to speak only when he already agrees."

"Ummmm…I don't think that that's politically correct." Emma racks her brain for information on the term. "But ummm, yeah, I met him. What does he have to do with Regina?" Not that she isn't familiar with Regina's whole thing about Wonderland. How Emma used to live there, how Regina was the White Queen and Emma was her Knight. They covered that nonsense and Emma is still having a hard time with it so she blocks it out these days. Regina gets all teary-eyed and talks about soul-mates and…stuff that is just too much for Emma most of the time. In fact, in many ways, Emma is reverting back to the non-believer she once was. Pre-curse. Pre-Henry. There is a rut in Emma's mind, it now seems, and she is comfortable living in it. The rut of the non-faithful.

Lately, Regina has been speaking more about Wonderland. And one night, she talked about Oz for three hours while Emma tried to distract her with sex which didn't work because Oz apparently has (had?) an incredibly complex system of governance and it is somehow extremely important for Emma to understand.

"Oh, I get it." Emma tugs her leather jacket closed (the red, because it usually gets Regina in the mood as soon as Emma walks in the door) and shivers a little. She turns to look at her driver with a grin. He's wearing what appears to be eye-liner and that makes Emma grin harder. "You want Regina's information about Wonderland. You all do! Even Mary." Emma snickers and faces forward, slumping in her seat. "You're all just trying to one-up each other. Jesus…"

"Ms. Swan, it is about time that you grew up." Gold's voice is…well, sort of menacing. "Yes, we do need information. However, I have been instructed to leave it to Snow White."

"Ok, leave it to Snow White and the Seven Dwarves." Emma snickers. "And then maybe that Maleficent psycho could get involved…"

Now Gold slams on the brakes. His eyes bulge as he turns toward Emma. "Has Regina talked about Maleficent?"

"Huh? No, I just know about her from Henry's book." Emma mutters. "Regina hasn't mentioned a thing about anything." Not true. Gold knows it. He smiles in this really smarmy way and leans over to open Emma's door.

"Have a lovely night, Ms. Swan." Are the last words Emma hears before the car guns away.

She is still a short walk from Regina's house, but decides to stroll leisurely. It's not a bad night. A bit damp, as usual.

Within seconds, Emma sees a shadowy figure emerge from Regina's front yard. As the figure comes closer, Emma realizes that it is Regina herself.

Regina walks quickly down the street, despite the strictness of her sentence. Emma wonders if she'll have to remind Regina about the whole 'not leaving her yard' thing…

Regina is frantic with worry by the time Emma jogs quickly up to her.

"Oof!" Emma laughs as Regina's arms circle her neck. "What's up?"

Regina pulls back and searches Emma's face for…something, who knows what. Emma allows herself to be inspected before grasping Regina's hands in her own.

"What is it?" Emma asks, pressing her lips to Regina's knuckles.

"Gold, was he with you? What did he do?" Regina speaks rapidly as they walk back to the house.

"Nothing, he just gave me a ride. Hey, how did you know?" Emma's face shows dawning realization which leads Regina to look almost sheepish. "Your magic." Emma gasps. "You saw us. How? In what? A mirror?" Emma grows that last word because it brings up old anger-Sidney and all of his manipulations on Regina's behalf.

"No, no mirror." Regina waves her hand. "A dream. Old magic. Nothing you have to worry about. I was napping and I travelled…I ended up hearing some of your conversation. Why does he want to know about Wonderland?"

"Well…" Now Emma's mind is really blown but she realizes more and more that she is going to have to start wrapping her head around this stuff because life with these people is just not getting any saner. "If you were there, you know that I have as much of an inkling as you do." She lets Regina peel off her jacket and turns to look at the former Mayor's outfit which is, as usual, smoking hot.

They are in the living room by now and Emma decides, with a smirk, that she'll bend Regina over the couch.

But Regina is having none of that. She sits Emma down and walks to the kitchen, returning with a bottle of wine and two glasses. It is nearly 11pm but they are going to have to talk, Regina explains.

"It's time you started taking a few things more seriously." Regina states. She leans and kisses Emma's forehead and then settles beside her. The gesture reminds Emma of Gold's wording-grow up. Time to grow up. Well, fuck that. What the hell is everybody even worried about…

Regina is staring at Emma now. "Where did you go?" Regina asks.

"Nowhere." Emma grimaces and scoots lower on the couch. "Nothing. Just, tell me what you think I need to know. I promise to listen…" She feels her anger soothed by Regina's cool fingers rubbing lightly across her forehead.

They end up talking until the early hours of the morning which means that they get to sleep in. Emma doesn't get sex out of the deal, but she does convince Regina to shower with her which is lovely. Emma washes Regina's hair and teases her about the half dozen silver strands she finds.

"We'll have to go to Wonderland, at some point." Regina says, more than once. Emma hums her agreement, though she really isn't sure. They'll also have to go to Oz, apparently, to pick up some grains of magical sand. It all sounds bloody ridiculous to Emma-still.

"There are ways to bring magic into this world." Regina reminds Emma over breakfast. She looks frustrated. "Did you hear a word I said…"

"Yes, yes, I did." Emma tries to smile, but creeping fear has taken root in her belly and she just can't. "I'll go wherever you want me to." She promises, stabbing her fruit with a fork and shoveling it in. Regina seems appeased but it isn't enough for Emma. Emma reaches out and clasps Regina's hand. "I'll go wherever you go."

Regina looks misty eyed as she nods.

Mary arrives at 3pm with Henry. She and Regina exchange oddly pleasant greetings as Mary hands Regina a bag with Henry's homework for the evening.

"He has some biology and botany lessons to review, which are really your strong suit," Mary says. Regina nods, looking weepy again which inspires Emma to retreat. She can hear them from the kitchen. They talk about the weather for at least ten minutes which freaks Emma out completely.

"Won't you stay for dinner?" Regina asks.

Emma and Henry exchange surprised looks at Mary's enthusiastic acceptance.

Storybrooke Futures: Woods Edge.

Emma is running faster than she ever has. The sword she carries clanks hard against her hipbone but there isn't time to remove it.

The spreading cloud of poison is heavier than the air but still moves rapidly.

Emma can see Regina, Henry, Mary and David screaming in the distance. David breaks into a sprint, tries to meet her halfway.

When he does reach her, Emma has developed a stitch in her side, so she is grateful for his arm around her waist.

"I'm not losing you now." David shouts. "Run faster!"

They fly over the dust and rocks and burnt grass beneath a sun hotter than Emma remembers it ever being.

Emma slams into Mary who grabs her before they can fall. Mary's eyes freeze on Emma's before Regina is yanking on the sword.

"Hold this!" Regina shouts, throwing the silver weapon into Emma's outstretched hand.

Emma moves as if in slow motion. Regina stands beside her and slams a black staff into the ground. The ground shakes.

Emma's hand moves as if it has it's own mind, and the sword tip hits the ground as well. Now the staff and the sword make a giant X. The poison is upon them when Regina mutters a series of strange words which seem to put horrific images in Emma's mind. Images like: a skinned person, laughing and buckets of blood falling all around her…

…the words aren't really coming from Regina, but Regina's eyes are glowing red like dripping blood.

"What is it?" Emma screams. "What the fuck is happening?" Her hand grips Regina's elbow, digs in, tries to rouse Regina from what seems to be a trance.

Regina shakes her head. "I don't know. Just…Help me!" She nods to Emma's sword, pleading with her eyes, and then glances back at Henry. Their attention strays to the child they've shared…

Emma nods, her eyes steely on Regina's.

Sword and staff cross and an enormous orb of purple and pink emerge…

…more powerful than it could have been, Maleficent will explain later, if the two women had not focused their energy on their love for their child as well as their love for one another.

Chapter 16.

Storybrooke Futures: A Mind of Gold.

A series of murders and robberies around the outer limits of Storybrooke brings Emma right to Gold's house. He lives deep in the woods and often wanders around acting crazy to keep up appearances. But Emma knows that his mind is well enough-most of the time-to plan a little chaos here and there.

As always, he is avoiding the actual topic at hand. Emma taps her boot impatiently on the wooden floor. Her eyes stray to the woodstove, then nearby to a larger fireplace.

"Tell me Ms. Swan," Gold shifts as he speaks, crossing his legs and leaning back against the heavy material he uses to block most of the light.

Emma rolls her eyes, crosses her arms and settles in for whatever trickery he has up his sleeve.

"Were you and Regina getting along, when her little plan began to unravel?" Gold asks.

Emma's smirk falters. "Ummm, I guess. We were. Well, sort of. Better than before." Before…what? She is uncertain.

Gold examines his nails that seem to shine almost silver in the moonlight that bleeds through the gap between the window and top of the curtains. He speaks slowly, without his usual high pitched mockery. "You may have missed something, Ms. Swan." His eyes bore into hers. "Something in the details of your time with Regina."

Emma leaves shortly after and racks her brain for whatever it is she is supposed to remember.

Storybrooke:

Valentines Hangovers.

Emma runs into a hung-over Mary when she tries to sneak back into the apartment.

"Emma, are you just getting in now?" Mary rubs her temples and squints in the sun that pours into the room.

"Ummm, no, I already left for work." Emma lies quickly. "I forgot something. Be right back." She takes the stairs two at a time and, pretends she's returning to pick something up rather than just arriving. Spending the night with the Mayor had its perks, so Emma only had to throw extra clothes in a bag and sling it over her shoulder before leaving again. Three hours of sleep and a rushed exit to work was a small price to pay for the best sex of her life, Emma decides.

Emma is distracted at work. Henry calls, saying that Regina has officially relaxed her stance on their visits, but Emma-for once-waits for permission before seeing the kid.

Permission comes at 2pm, when Regina calls to 'chat'.

Regina's public persona is closed and cold and cloistered. In private, and even on the phone, she is anything but any of these things. Or, at least this is what Emma thinks when she listens to Regina's play-by-play description of the previous night's events.

In exchange for some heated phone conversation, Emma is allowed to see Henry after school.

Much later, when things have fallen apart completely for Regina, Emma will stretch her memory back to this phone conversation. Because this was a moment that would change how their lives moved forward. Even though Emma and Regina would have to cool things down from time to time, the energy of coming together was going to change everything.

Emma brings Henry for ice cream-twice in one week! She drops him off at his house for dinner. She does not stay and Regina does not invite her anyway. But Emma does return, sometime around midnight, a bit tipsy after a nightcap at Granny's.

She and Regina end up making out in the backyard, an empty bottle of wine next to them. The smell of nearby hanging white flowers perfumes Regina's body from that point on in Emma's mind. Emma lays beside Regina and watches her hand, paler than Regina's skin, as it trails over Regina's belly and hips. Emma tells Regina that she is beautiful and kisses her neck again and again.

In the morning, they are less romantic. Emma splays naked on the bed. She says "give me what I need", as Regina returns from the shower, glistening and warm. Regina rubs cream everywhere, sees Emma lick her lips and then returns to bed and gracefully straddles Emma's face. "Breakfast." Emma smirks crassly. Regina rolls her eyes and tips her hips toward her lover's mouth.

The next day, Regina wants lunch. She instructs Emma to drive to the town's edge, and then touches herself while Emma drives and glances over, squirming and groaning, Regina totally laughing at her. They park deep in the woods and Emma tries not to make obvious jokes about taking Regina in the 'bush' or Regina's 'bush' or anything that stupid.

Emma sighs with relief as she dips her fingers beneath Regina's panties and find slickness and warmth. Emma could already smell Regina and she feels herself moving closer to orgasm somehow, without even a touch. Regina's hands lace through her hair, lips latching onto Emma's neck. It is as though the act of touching Regina is enough to ease Emma's arousal, to drive it onto a constant low throbbing that she'd allow to go on forever…

"Hey, what's that?"

Regina glances over her left shoulder, still clinging to Emma's neck.

Four blue orbs float beyond the town sign. Even Regina, who seems to know everything about the town, looks disturbed.

Storybrooke Futures:

Return to Oz.

Regina finds the doorway without the Hatter's help this time.

"Two go in and only two can come out again." Regina tells Emma, again and again. "And when we go in, we have to be quick about closing the door behind us. We'll mark our path with these," She holds out three silver laser pointers. "The technologies of this world are not easily understood in other worlds."

"Uh huh." Emma is sweating beneath her heavy white shirt. Regina has insisted that she wear a strange layering of clothes, including a leather vest and leather pants. And thank goodness they have the same shoe size, because Regina has also insisted on mimicking Emma's outfit right down to their knee-high boots. "Do you want me to bring the Lightsabers?" She looks around and adds, "Where's Chewie…"

Regina rolls her eyes and clamps her mouth shut. Her jaw muscles bulge. Emma doesn't remind her that grinding her teeth is bad for her oral health. She knows Regina's limits.

The doorway isn't just any doorway. From the moment they step through it, Emma feels nauseous. There are lights all around them. It reminds her of the time she took mushrooms and wandered around a shopping mall.

They don't arrive in Oz so much as they stumble upon it. There are rocks and strange neon green flowers growing at the door. Regina helps Emma to step over the flowers, explaining quietly that they are really just little bells to signal their arrival to whomever wants to leave in their place.

"And plenty of Oz's residents do want to leave," Regina adds in a whisper.

A Fairy Queen in Oz has turned to some sort of trickery, Emma has already been told. Something from the world they just came out of has poisoned other realms, including Oz and its neighboring lands.

Emma is too sick to argue. She doubles over but Regina clamps a hand over her mouth.

"Nothing of you is to stay here." Regina hisses. "I'm sorry, but…try…"

Emma nods and breathes through her nose. The world rights itself and she is able to calm her stomach.

Storybrooke Futures: The Curse Unwinds.

Beyond the poisonous gas, Regina sees an approaching sand storm. "What have you done?" She shouts at Gold who stands at the edge of it.

Gold screams, "you know how it is dear, in one world there are sandstorms, in another…" He thinks it over and spins on his feet to look at them, "nuclear war, perhaps? No, too obvious!" His hands wave and he giggles maniacally in between statements.

Regina yells "Why?"

Gold stops giggling and sighs. "I don't know Your Majesty. If I knew what I did, or why I did it, perhaps I might not do it."

Emma steps forward. "Well, what did you do?"

Gold smiles at her. "I told a very bad story, I did dearie. A very bad story indeed."

The wind picks up and whips Emma's hair in her face. Regina steps closer, protectively shielding Emma from the sand. An orb of some kind sprays from Regina's hands and Emma can see small pieces of sand ping against the circle.

Gold is intent on bothering them for reasons beyond even his own comprehension.

"Do you know how many lives you've both had together, already?" He speaks conversationally, sitting cross legged beside them. "You're quite the philanderer Ms. Swan." He giggles. "Always stepping out on our Mayor with whoever catches your fancy. Or, at least, you've been that way…" He counts on his fingers, "Oh, I'd say, six out of ten times…"

Emma grimaces and begins to feel sick in addition to scared. Her eyes sting with tears and she can see from the corner of her view that Regina's eyes are shining as well.

Gold's hands extend and float inches from Emma's face, so suddenly that Regina cannot react. She is distracted by the task of protecting them from the sand and the wind and whatever else Gold has conjured with his terrible visions.

"Remember, White Knight. Remember it all." Gold mutters from somewhere behind Emma it seems. His voice is surrounding her. "My Curse, to you…"

Emma falls to her knees as flashes of her life roar through her mind.

She and Regina, in a castle, Emma slowly dying, Regina weeping…

Regina screaming at Emma about something in front of Granny's, something about not coming home the night before…

Emma in front of a man who is putting a ring on her hand while Regina watches…

Emma and Regina in the woods, camping it looks like…

Emma, Regina and Henry, all running…

Regina throwing a vase at Emma who is crawling out her bedroom window…

And Henry, being born, with Regina in the room…

"But that can't be right?" Emma screams the question. "Regina wasn't there! No one was there! They left me alone for hours to give birth to him!"

The wind is harder now, all around them, and it tears up the land and seems to bring the sky closer to their heads.

"Emma!" Regina shouts at her. "It's ok! He's tricked us into coming here! We're in a fold between realities. I'm going to get us out…" Her words trail into a series of muttered incantations.

Emma screams and screams and screams, her head splitting with a terrible sharp pain.

She does not wake up for six days.

When Emma does wake up, all that is left of the world are Regina, Snow White, James Charming, and Emma herself, all in a desert of nothingness.