AN: So here is chapter 4… and the last chapter.
Trigger warning for eating disorders, child abuse and marital abuse.
Disclaimer, I do not own these characters or the show of Once Upon a Time.
I don't have a beta, so all mistakes are mine.
Bold means a flashback or dream sequence. Italics are thoughts.
(3 months after the last chapter)
Emma woke up groaning at the sound of her alarm just to receive an accidental slap to the face as Regina rolled over to also turn off the blasted alarm.
"Reginaaa… You forgot to turn off the alarm!"
Regina lightly slapped Emma in the arm at her complaining.
"Emmaaaa…"
Regina chuckled, imitating Emma's groans,
"I forgot? Dear it's Friday, you do have work!"
"UGH, damnit!"
And with that Emma rolled off the bed onto the floor and stole all the covers, to Regina's horror as she shrieked at the cold. With a glare on Emma she quickly recovered the blanket using her magic, which of course led to Emma doing the same and then they were laughing out loud.
Emma proceeded to jump back on the bed pick up a pillow and hit her fiancé with it, Regina gasped and then repeated the action a huge smile on both of their faces.
"Now Miss. Swan, it seems I have made you late for work, or I guess, you made yourself late."
The older woman said with a smirk on her face, Emma rolled her eyes at Regina and got of the bed going to her side of the closet - picking up a pair of skinny jeans, keeping the tank top she had slept in on, and rushing out the door grabbing one of her many leather jackets.
Not before Regina managed to slap Emma's butt though, Emma jumped at the contact, she turned and kissed Regina quickly before running out the door shouting "I love you!" as she left.
Regina sat on the edge of her bed and smiled, she stood up and walked to the bathroom she cleaned her face and then opened the medicine cabinet to get her moisturizer, foundation, blush, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, and lastly her famous red lipstick – putting it on swiftly and meticulously.
Once finished she walked around to her side of the closet- which to be completely honest was mostly all of the closet, and picked up a simple grey and black dress, deciding to add some color to her wardrobe she grabbed some red jewelry and put it on, once that was done she went to the bathroom once more and collected the mousse and sprayed a small amount onto her hands before tousling her hair to give it volume.
Satisfied with her look – well as much as she could be - she walked down the stairs to find Henry sitting at the breakfast bar eating honey nut corn flakes and a piece of toast.
"Good morning Henry."
Regina said softly while grabbing herself one of the power bars. Henry saw that that was all she was eating and asked quietly,
"Mom? Is that all you're having?"
Regina - who had just bit into the bar - looked at Henry a fierceness she hadn't intended came out of her,
"Yes Henry. This is all I'm having, and I'd appreciate if you not question me about it again. Do you understand?"
Henry taken aback nodded and in a small voice said,
"Yes ma'am."
"Good, now off you go to school, I love you."
"Love you too mom, bye."
Regina slumped in one of the stools at the breakfast bar and started to cry she hadn't meant to talk to Henry that way, it just happened when the crying stopped she went to the lounge and called her assistant telling the woman that she would be late, picking up the wedding magazines on the coffee table she started to flick through the pages, unfortunately this was not a good plan…
"Mother. He is twice my age, he is as old as father! Surely you do not expect me to – "
And with that Cora cut Regina off,
"Ah, ah, ah, stop your protest Regina, you will become a queen, if it is the last thing I do."
Cora smirked and walked away as Regina stood rigid in position, she no longer needed to be held physically or magically she knows to stand and take it, if she doesn't worse would happen.
Regina awoke hearing people bustle about the room, she then looked towards the dressing maid nearing her with a wedding dress, it hit her that moment and she started to cry involuntarily.
Cora walked in and slapped her harshly across the face.
"Pull yourself together child! It will be a good day today! Won't it?"
She finished with a glare towards Regina.
"Yes mother, it will be good day."
Regina nodded her face down, wiping her eyes. She stood and looked towards the chamber maids as they held up the wedding corset and she got ready for the day she had been dreading.
Shaking her head swiftly she pulled herself out of her thoughts and dried her eyes. Grabbing her phone, she called someone, the least likely person – Snow.
Snow answered her ringing phone, seeing the name and picture, she paused, Regina rarely called for herself, it was always about someone else, and if Regina needed help it was Henry or Emma to call.
She answered swiftly, a concerned tone within her voice,
"Regina? Is everything okay? Is it Henry? Emma?"
There was a pause where no one spoke and Snow spoke again,
"Regina? What is wrong?"
Now a gentle tone lacing her voice, confusion growing on the woman's face (though Regina couldn't see this). Regina gained her voice hearing the gentleness in her - step-daughter, nemesis, mother-in-law-to-be?
"Sn-Snow? Could you come over? I need to talk to you. Please?"
"Of course, Regina, I will be right over!"
Snow hopped in her car and drove straight to the house, getting out of the car and walking to the door she stood for a moment preparing herself for whatever was wrong with Regina then she rang the bell.
Regina stood up hearing the door bell, she tried to dry the remaining tears on her cheeks to no avail since they just kept coming. Walking to the door she opened it wide to let Snow in, with her face down she quietly spoke,
"Thank you for coming over Snow. I didn't know who to talk to."
Snow nodded and lightly placed a hand under Regina's chin pushing it up so she could see into Regina's eyes.
"Regina I am here. What is it you want to talk about?"
Snow asked as she lightly swiped at some of the woman's tears. She was confused as to why Regina had called, but whatever it was she obviously needed to be here.
It took a few minutes, but Regina made some tea for Snow and grabbed some water for herself. The two sat side by side – but slightly facing each other – on the couch. Regina picked up the magazine she was reading before the flashback and slowly spoke.
"Snow, I am not sure how much you know of what kind of man your father was. But. He-he wasn't a good man."
Snow looked taken aback but tried to hide this.
'I do not need to hear this. What is she talking about?'
Snow thought to herself.
"He. My mother. I. I. He."
Regina just kept repeating herself and Snow leant in to rub her back. But as Snow's hand landed on Regina's back, she collapsed into herself and started weeping and sobbing.
At this point Snow had no idea what to do so she sat there, not touching the older woman and speaking softly,
"Regina, breathe. Please breathe. You are safe. I am sorry I scared you. Let me call Emma."
That last statement seemed to get through to the distraught woman as she slowly nodded, still holding herself. With that Snow picked up the phone.
Emma's phone began to ring as she was making her third paper airplane and Charming was playing Tetris on his phone.
"Mom? What's wrong?"
As soon as Emma picked up the phone and said mom, Charming looked up from his phone.
"Okay, I will be right there. Tell her that Leopold isn't there. Keep repeating that it is only you. She will be okay. Thank you for calling mom."
Charming looked increasingly confused at the one side of the conversation he could hear. Emma grabbed her leather jacket from the back of her chair and the keys on her desk before she decided that driving would take too long, so with a flick of her wrist she was at home in the living room.
"Thank you for calling me, mom."
Emma said to Snow as she took her place beside her fiancé, sitting right beside Regina careful not to touch her, yet all she wanted to do was wrap the mayor in her arms, reaching out she put a hand just above Regina's thigh, making sure the brunette was aware it was there and then she began to speak in a gentle and soft tone,
"'Gina, hey baby… It's Emma. Not Leopold. Emma."
Regina grabbed the hand that was above her thigh and a sob escaped her body shoulders shaking.
"Not. Not Leopold… Emma, it's you. Emma…"
Regina cried looking up to see in her fiancée's eyes. Emma nodded and ran a thumb back and forth over the back of Regina's hand.
Snow watched the interaction from behind the couch and smiled, she didn't want to believe her father the man she trusted so much and loved so deeply could be so awful but seeing Regina's visceral reaction to the mere mention of him solidified it.
Watching the way Emma calmed down the older woman so quickly and sighed, speaking up slowly,
"Em' I think I'm gonna head. I am sorry Regina."
Both women looked up towards Snow and nodded,
"thank, thank you for coming Snow… I, I am truly sorry about this…"
Regina gestured to herself, a sad smirk on her face. Snow shook her head and sighed,
"there is nothing to apologize for Regina."
And with that she left to go get her own comfort in the arms of her husband at the station.
"Gina, sweetie?"
the brunette simply shook her head and Emma sighed; she was not exasperated she just wished her soon to be wife would speak. Regina pointed to the magazine and immediately Emma knew what was going on, smack dab in the middle of the cover a 'how to lose 10lbs for your big day' was in yellow beside a skinny blonde "bride to be".
Two things, Emma thought, wedding and the weight.
"Do I need to call Archie?"
Regina shook her head and Emma slid slightly closer, letting her fiancé fall into her.
"It was supposed to be a good day."
Regina spoke up,
"I had to look perfect for him. Had to be just right for the king."
She says in a mocking tone that is almost covered by the tears that choke her. Emma runs a hand up and down the brunette's back
"you don't have to be perfect for me. You are already perfect to me"
she said softly, hoping to cheer the woman up.
"I may not believe it for myself, but I don't think you would lie."
And that was the most Emma could ask for, that was progress she was happy to see.
"Let me call the office, you and I won't go in today, we will stay here and lounge, talk about the wedding - or not, maybe practice for the honeymoon."
Emma said slyly a smirk covering her face and Regina smacked her lightly on the hand with a "yeah that sounds good."
Henry came home from school expecting to be coming home alone, not expecting to see his mothers, barely clad on the sofa.
"MOMS!"
He shrieked as he walked in, quickly covering his eyes and subsequently crashing into the kitchen wall.
Emma and Regina both looked up in shock, Emma's head appearing to look up at Regina's face from between those toned thighs and both of them laughed heartily while covering up,
"Sorry H! We lost track of time!"
The blonde mother yelled out and Henry just responded with a
"get an alarm then"
and ran up to his room.
As they set down to dinner that night Henry struggled to look at either of them, they however couldn't keep their eyes from each other, mumbling under his breath
"you excited for tomorrow?"
Emma and Regina's eyes both gleamed, and simultaneously said
"yes!"
Followed by Regina asking,
"Is your suit pressed and ready to go, my prince?"
and him rolling his eyes with a
"yes mom"
All smiling and laughing passing food to each other and finishing their plates. Putting them in the dishwasher and saying goodnight to each other.
Emma smiled and ran to the room to grab her dress from her side of the closet hidden in the black dress bag and kissed Regina, before her soon to be wife stopped her,
"Where do you think you're going Miss Swan?"
"To mom and dad's! I can't see you before the wedding 'Gina, its bad luck!"
Regina just shook her head but smiled and let her go.
Regina lay in her bed staring at the ceiling and pulling thread on her blanket, Emma mirroring this in her small bed at her parents' house, minds racing of marriage thoughts, happiness, fear, love, terror, joy.
By the time the two woke up the next morning they had maybe gotten 4 hours of sleep.
Getting ready Henry helped his mom, and Emma got Snow's help. And both looked equally beautiful.
Regina stood at the end of the aisle, Geppetto standing to officiate the wedding, Archie smiled at her and she saw her friends and family over these months who had seen her downfall and subsequent recovery. Henry gave her a thumbs up and Snow sat beside him, looking at Regina with pure love that was of family, she heard the wedding march play (she won that argument for tradition) and everyone stood.
Emma and Charming walked down the aisle,
"She looks beautiful"
Charming whispered to his daughter and she could not speak just nodded and thanked the gods that Snow had waterproof eyeliner and mascara.
As Emma reached the end and Charming placed her hand in Regina's it took all of them to not kiss right there and then. I love yous exchanged and Geppetto cleared his voice to speak,
"Witnesses, guests, family and friends. We are gathered today to witness the love these two share for each other, they have asked we do traditional vows and they each have small vows at the end for each other,"
He smiled and both of them looked at each other,
"Please repeat after me, Regina."
"I, Regina, take you, Emma
to be my wife,
to have and to hold
from this day forward;
for better, for worse,
for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
to love and to cherish,
till death us do part."
He smiled as the brunette finished and turned his head to the blonde,
"Emma please repeat."
"I, Emma, take you, Regina
to be my wife,
to have and to hold
from this day forward;
for better, for worse,
for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
to love and to cherish,
till death us do part."
"And now for your own words, Regina."
Regina coughed lightly hoping to cover the happy sob and spoke up,
"Emma, you have seen me through hell and walked through a lot of it with me, for that I can never be more grateful than I am today. You have shown me true unchanging never-ending love and I hope to show you the same. You came to my life and we may have fought but I know now that you will fight with and for me. I thank you for agreeing to be my wife."
Emma wiped away a tear and nodded when Geppetto nodded towards her.
"Um I can't really remember much so" she chuckled as she pulled a few notecards from the cup of her dress,
"Gina, you let me into your life, and into our son's life when you did not need to when you had so many things fighting against you. You said yes when I asked you to marry me - despite your horrible past and for that I adore you. I don't know much else to say, you love me - I hope. And by god I love you with every ounce of me."
Regina and Emma leaned forward before Geppetto chuckled and both women flushed,
"Do we have the rings?"
He asked and Henry jumped up and gave them over,
"With this ring, I thee wed"
Regina spoke up, her voice shaky but firm.
"With this ring, I thee wed"
Emma repeated, sliding the ring on slowly.
"By the power vested in me by the mayor of Storybrooke"
Everyone chuckled a little bit at this,
"I know pronounce you wives; you may kiss each other!"
And everyone cheered, a few huzzahs erupted, and they smiled into the kiss as Snow and Charming shared a small one of their own, and Henry and Archie shook hands both eyes shown with tears.
Regina was finally at home in her body, with her wife, with a son, and she was loved.
Final Authors Note:
Here it is, the end of this. I can't believe it is over even if it was only 4 chapters, I started this at the beginning of my own recovery and that is a lot of why it took me almost 4 years from start to end.
I thank you, for those who have favorited, followed, and reviewed and I appreciate every one of y'all.
Once again, I do not own any of the songs used, or the show Once Upon a Time.
Thank you again, and I will see you on the flip side with some other fics, multi-chap fics and one-shots alike.
-KH Scribes