Part 10

Apparently they were only gone for two days, David said, but Emma felt like months had passed. Upon arrival, Regina took Henry and Lucy to her place, and Emma had no choice but to return to her "home" that she shared with Killian. And here an unpleasant surprise was waiting for her. Her husband clearly didn't miss her when she found him in their bed with Tinkerbell. Maybe if she really loved him, it would affect her more than just another unpleasant disappointment from a loved one.

"Emma, wait!" Killian ran out of the house after her, pulling on his pants as he went. "Swan!" He finally caught up with her and grabbed her hand.

"What?" She said tiredly, now realizing she hadn't slept in days.

"You're leaving? You've been gone for two days, Swan! Go home!" Hook growled, increasing the pressure on her hands.

"You've found something else to do while I've been gone. Don't pretend, Killian. I've had enough. I'll divorce you."

"Because of one stupid mistake?!"

"It's more of a conscious choice and it's not the only reason... we should never have gotten married in the first place." Emma added, jerking her hand away.

"I thought you felt good! We can try again! I know how to please you." The man smiled cheekily at her.

"Oh come on! Grow up! You can't make me happy, not everything is about sex!"

"Because you never care! You don't care about my well-being! You're always gone and I'm sitting at home alone!"

"Because I'm working! You could try it too sometimes, instead of looking for adventure!" Emma burst out, seeing them attracting the attention of passersby, she said emphatically, "It's over, Hook."

She turned on her heel and left.

It was already dusk when she finally, after many hours of walking, went to the police station. It was the only place she could rest for now and ignore her mother's calls and Henry's text messages.

Two days passed and Emma hid from people. She asked David not to tell anyone that she was at the police station. The most persistent one was Killian, who walked around the city drunk, looking for her. The blonde knew it was time to face the world. She didn't change her mind about her marriage and David supported her. However, she was afraid of her mother's reaction. She preferred not to think about Regina. She buried her feelings for Madame Mayor deep for now. She had to deal with Hook first. On the way to her parents' house, she stopped by Archie and asked him to prepare divorce papers for her. The cricket seemed unsurprised by her request and promised to have the papers ready the next day, which Emma was grateful for. She also met with Belle, who operated Gold's store, and canceled the lease on the house, asking the girl to find her a small apartment. Finally gathering her courage, she went to her parents' house.

"Emma!" Snow White exclaimed, immediately pulling her in and hugging her. "We've been looking for you everywhere! Killian is losing his mind from worry."

"Probably not from worry, but from rum." Emma sighed and went inside the house.

"Emma, you should be more understanding, he's trying so hard." Snow White spoke, placing cookies and tea on the table as Savior sat down on the couch. "He came here a few times, asked me to talk to you. He said some ridiculous things about divorce."

"It's not ridiculous, Mom. Killian and I are divorcing." Emma said calmly, looking at the steaming mug of tea.

"Emma!" Snow White gasped. "You've only been married a few months. The first year is always the hardest. Killian loves you! Look how much you've been through!"

"Mom... you know best that Killian isn't the one I'm meant to be with. And yet you pushed him onto me like he was the only one in the world who would make me happy. Come on... I wonder if he told you what he did while I was gone." "

"Like what? He was helping your father at the police station!"

"I'm sure..." Emma chuckled. "Do you still talk to David sometimes, or do you just comfort and listen to Hook?" Emma sighed. "Mom, Killian cheated on me with another woman. That alone gives me grounds to consider this marriage."

Snow White shook her head, sitting down opposite him.

"I'm sure there's an explanation. Your father also slept with Catherine."

"They were married when you all were cursed. You don't mean to tell me that Dad would knowingly cheat on you with someone else! That's ridiculous!"

Emma became irritated and put the cup down, using so much force that it broke. She removed the remains with a wave of her hand.

"I'm fed up with you not listening to me!" She continued. "You want to keep me away from true happiness at all costs! I know you and Regina have a past, but I have a different attitude towards her. She raised Henry! I could always count on her! What can I not say about my own husband... and recently also about you." Emma finished and left, leaving a crying Snow White behind.

Emma was hurrying towards the bar when the phone rang.

"Henry?"

"It does. Can we talk? Lucy and I are at the ice cream shop."

"I'm on the way."

She turned on her heel, trying to calm down her emotions and disappointment after the conversation with her mother, but as usual, she had trouble controlling them. She wanted so badly to hit something or get drunk.

She immediately noticed her son, who looked much better than a few days ago. Freshly shaved and with short hair, he looked more like the Henry she remembered. Lucy was sitting next to her father eating ice cream.

"Hi," Emma murmured, kissing her son on the cheek and Lucy on the forehead.

"Sit down and talk. Archie has the papers ready?" Henry asked immediately.

"I just asked him. How did you know about it?"

"It's Storybrooke. Everyone knows everything about everyone here."

"Are you also trying to tell me that I should stay with Killian?" Emma huffed angrily.

"Wow, wow, Ma... take it easy, actually I just wanted to say that whatever you decide, I'm with you."

Lucy smiled serenely at her and Emma relaxed a little.

"How are you doing?" she asked.

"Is fine." Henry sighed. "I need to get used to life here again. I've enrolled Lucy in school and we're looking for a house."

"Why?"

"I thought we should live separately."

"And Regina?"

"I think my mother has come to terms with the idea that I want to become independent. Besides, this town is so small that we will run into each other all the time." Emma didn't like something about Henry's tone.

"What are you planning?"

"I'll tell you when the time comes. For now, I want some stability for me and Lucy, and then we'll see."

Emma nodded, knowing she wouldn't get anything out of her son until he wanted to tell. She wasn't talking to a teenager, but to a grown man. The change happened so quickly that the blonde felt a twinge of regret in addition to all the emotions that were tormenting her and she felt like she was suffocating, she felt the urge to run away again.

"I have to go." She stood up and before she knew it, her legs carried her to the town hall, straight to Regina's office. She entered without knocking, finding the brunette standing by the window.

"People who come in here without knocking may end up being incinerated by a fireball, Miss Swan." She said without even turning around.

"Do you also feel like everything has changed so much lately that you don't know where your place is in all of this?" Emma sighed as she leaned back on the couch and closed her eyes.

"Do you mean Henry or the divorce from Hook?"

"Both. They both surprise me, and not in a good way."

Regina hummed and Emma felt Madame Mayor move to the other side of the room and Savior saw through half-closed eyes that she was pouring them drinks.

"Drinking before noon? Could you take a cue from the pirate?"

"Don't insult me Miss Swan. Everything I do, I do with grace."

"That's true." Emma muttered, sitting up and opening her eyes. Regina looked at her carefully as she handed her her drink.

"He looked terrible."

"Thanks. After talking to my mother, you would look like that too."

"I think I'd puke rainbows."

Emma burst out laughing, immediately feeling much better. She noticed that Regina looked as tired as she was.

"You can not sleep?" She asked, sipping her drink.

"Too much thoughts."

"About what?"

Regina hesitated.

"About my heart." She finally said. "I'm considering wearing them again.

"Good idea." Emma said carefully. "Why now?"

"Maybe it will help me understand what I feel." Regina said quietly.

"I thought you preferred not to understand it." The blonde said bitterly. She couldn't help herself. She took another sip and continued. "You effectively denied everything I said, in fact, you took a potion of oblivion so as not to accidentally reveal that you were my soul mate. You allowed me to marry a man who would never make me happy, knowing that you are my true love!" Emma spoke louder and louder. "What were you thinking? You made me look at you and Robin! You practically pushed me into Hook's arms! Am I such a pathetic candidate for your heart that you did everything to push me away? And Mal?! Do you know how I felt when I heard about you two?!"

Regina looked at her with guilt written all over her face. The glass trembled in her hand as she placed it on the table.

"Emma... it's not like that..." She shook her head. "It's the other way around. I'm the last person you should be involved with! Imagine! Evil Queen and Savior?! Your family will never accept this."

"I haven't cared for their acceptance recently. Ever since I found out that what I feel isn't just my imagination!" Emma's voice cracked.

There was silence for a moment, Regina pursed her lips, holding back a sob.

"I know you Regina, I know your history. And you know mine. We both have a past that we are ashamed of. I don't care. I care about what I feel for you." Emma looked up at her with tearful eyes. "I love you."

Regina sat there transfixed, not expecting such a declaration from Savior. Emma didn't usually show her feelings, and neither did she. And the declaration of love shocked Regina.

"Give me some time, please. I want my heart back." The brunette muttered and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

REGINA

She couldn't remember how long she sat on the cold stone, turning her heart over in her hand before putting it back in place with a loud sigh. When she felt all the emotions that had only appeared through a foggy window before, Regina took a deep breath and burst into tears. Above the shame, anger and disappointment, another feeling clearly reigned supreme - love for Emma Swan. She was undeniably there. Along with a physical desire for closeness that almost drove the queen crazy. If Emma could confess her love so easily, what else was holding Regina back?

Fear... she felt it crawling under her skin and how the Evil Queen, somewhere deep inside her, wanted to find this threat and destroy it. But it didn't make sense. How could she run away from Emma when all she wanted was to be with her? Before her conscious mind could stop her, she followed her heart. It was the middle of the night when she materialized at the police station, right in front of a stunned Savior who was about to throw a dart at the target.

"You can not sleep?" The brunette asked, only to notice that Emma was wearing a tight tank top, jeans and socks. Her hair was messy and her eyes were red. There was a half-empty bottle of whiskey on the desk.

"I just kicked my ex-husband out of here because he was starting a brawl in the street so everyone could look at us. My father took him home." Emma muttered, putting the dart down and looking at Regina.

"You got your heart back." She noticed.

"How do you know?"

"Because you have feelings written all over your face." Emma replied, smiling slightly.

"Yes? And what do they tell you?" Regina asked, walking up to the blonde and winking flirtatiously.

"That I won't sleep alone tonight." Emma said bravely, although her voice trembled.

"Not today or any other day." Regina purred, kissing her passionately.

Emma didn't hesitate. Everything is gone. It was just them and waves of magic between them, sparking like power lines.