3Emma impatiently drummed her fingers on the dashboard of the cruiser that she'd parked down the street from the hospital. When she texted Dr. Whale he said he'd meet her when he got off his shift at 9pm. It was now nearly 9:30pm and he was nowhere in sight. What's taking him, she thought. It's been a long day and I just want to go home and relax.
A little over a month ago she had happened to come across the good doctor selling weed to Smee while she was out on patrol. Seeing an opportunity she proposed an arrangement. She'd let him off with a warning and 'ignore' any future dealings if he promised not to sell to minors (especially her son), and sold to her at a 'very generous' discount. He'd agreed to her terms and had been her Storybrook dealer ever since.
Finally she saw him walking down the street towards her car. She glanced around to make sure no one was around before opening the passenger door. "You're late."
"Saving lives can't be rushed," he arrogantly replied as he sat down next to her. He waited for her to give him five dollars before taking out a dime bag of marijuana and placing it in her open palm. "There, now if you'll excuse me-"
"Hold on a sec," Emma said as she inspected the contents. "This looks kind of light."
"It's fine," he impatiently insisted. Before she could continue questioning him he got out of the car and quickly strode away.
Emma swore under her breath as she watched him walk down the street. She was sure he had shorted her, and wished she had brought a scale to prove it. She considered going after him, but decided against it. She had her weed, and just wanted to get high and relax. Maybe grab some onion rings and then watch some old Simpsons episodes.
She drove until she got to a secluded part of the park. She pulled out some rolling pagers and set to work on her joint. He definitely shorted me, she thought with annoyance as she saw that it took all the weed to make the joint. She rolled it up and sealed it with her tongue before exiting the car, not wanting the cruiser to smell like weed. She walked a ways down the path before she was sure no one was around. It wasn't as if she had much to fear legally (she was the sheriff of a town that technically didn't exist to the outside world.) But she'd still rather not have the towns' folk catch their savior smoking a J.
She struck a match from a matchbook in her jacket and lit up the joint, taking a long drag. She coughed as the weed burned her lungs, wishing she had some water on her. Soon as I'm done it's off to Granny's.
"Evening Sherriff."
Shit, Emma thought as she dropped the joint and lightly pressed her foot over it as she turned around on her heels. "Regina, hey," she said, trying to sound casual. Of course I run into literally the last person I'd want to find me. Okay, second person after Henry. "How's it going?"
Regina simply looked at Emma as she waved her hand and transported the joint into her hand. "What do we have here?"
"Just smoking a cigarette," Emma quickly stated.
"A cigarette?" Regina said in disbelief.
"Yup. I like them hand rolled. Makes me feel like a cowgirl."
Regina rolled her eyes as she sniffed the joint and made a face, "This is very disappointing Miss. Swan."
"Okay, fine, you caught me. I was smoking a joint," Emma said, already wondering what type of punishment Regina was concocting in that pretty head of hers. While they were friends, she doubted the mayor of Storybrook would let this slide.
"If you're going to smoke weed, at least smoke some good quality weed," Regina insisted as she burned the joint away with a small fireball. "This smells like it was mixed with wet leaves from the bottom of a BBQ pit. Where the hell did you get it from?"
"I got it from, wait what?" Emma asked as she took in what Regina had just said.
Instead of answering Regina rolled her eyes and took hold of Emma's hand before magically transporting them away.
"What the hell," Emma exclaimed as she got her barring's. She looked around, seeing they were in a den. She spotted a recliner and a couch by a TV, along with a couple bean bag chairs strung around the room. The wood panel walls were covered with posters, framed photographs, pictures cut out from newspapers and magazines, and various other items. She noticed a small refrigerator, which Regina made her way towards. "Where are we?"
"My house," Regina said as she took out two bottles of water and handed one to Emma.
"I've never seen this room before."
"Nor would you have. It's barred to keep others from entering. No one will be able to find us."
While the words might have sounded ominous, Regina said them with a purr that made Emma shutter in anticipation. She followed Regina as the brunette opened the top drawer of an end table. "Holy shit," Emma whispered as Regina pulled out four large bags of marijuana. "How much weed is that?"
"Two ounces each bag, so eight total," Regina nonchalantly said, ignoring Emma's wide eyed look of astonishment as she inspected her choices. "Sour Diesel might be too strong if you're used to that garbage crap you've been smoking. Same with Wonder Woman. Let's go with Raindrop Kush for tonight."
"Where did you get all this?" Emma asked as Regina put the other three bags away and took the Raindrop Kush and a crystal bong to a nearby table.
"I'm quite resourceful Miss. Swan," Regina playfully replied as she got to work.
Emma watched in amazement as Regina carefully used some water from her bottle to fill the bong, and then packed the slide. "I never in a million years would have guessed you smoked weed."
"And why is that?" Regina simply asked.
"I don't know," Emma said with a shrug. "I just always think of you as, rule abiding."
"I cast a curse that broke the rules of reality to create this town. The only rules I follow are ones that benefit me. Hand me the small purple container and the small red bottle in the drawer."
Emma looked through the drawer, seeing the two items behind several glass bowls and some rellos. "Here," Emma said as she handed them to Regina. "What are those things anyway?"
"This," Regina said as she held up a round plastic cap the size of a half dollar. "Is Salvia. A rather potent herbal hallucinogen that severely alters your perception of reality. But if you add a tiny bit to your bowl, it super charges your high. Like a steroid for weed." She opened the cap and took out a tiny pinch of the dried purple leaves and sprinkled it on top of the bowl packed weed. "And last but not least," she said as she carefully unscrewed the bottle and added a single drop of red liquid to the bowl.
"What's that?" Emma asked.
"A potion that filters out bad effects of substances. Takes away paranoia and panic attacks and leaves all the good stuff about getting high. What?" Regina asked as Emma looked at her in amazement.
"You're like a guru when it comes to getting high."
"Thank you. Now let's get this show on the road. Get a lighter from the drawer."
"You're not going to use a fireball?" Emma asked as she got a green bic lighter.
"I smoked weed for 28 years before I could create fireballs again. I'm used to getting high this way." Regina carefully brought the bong over to the couch as she and Emma got comfortable. "Here you go," she said as she handed the bong to Emma. "Guests first."
"Thanks," Emma said, touched by the gesture. She lit the slide and took a hit, holding the smoke in her lungs for a few seconds before releasing it. "Holy shit that's good."
"Told yeah," Regina said as she took hold of the bong and took a deep hit, blowing the smoke out of her nose.
"You look like a dragon," Emma said happily, already feeling the effects off of only one hit. She took the bong and took another hit, coughing as a giggle fit took hold of her.
"Easy dear," Regina playfully said as she took a hit, puffing her cheeks as she blew a perfect smoke ring. "Drink some water."
"Yeah, sure," Emma said as she took a gulp. "Am I supposed to see colors swirling around me?"
"Yup. You're perfectly fine," Regina giggled. "Fine. Perfectly fine. Fine. F.i.n.e," she repeated, drawing out the word. She took another hit and concentrated as she blew out the smoke, where it formed into a tiny horse and galloped through the air.
"OH, that's cute," Emma said with a smile. She took a hit from the bong and tried to repeat Regina's trick, but just ended up blowing the smoke out her mouth. "I wanna do that."
"I can teach you some time," Regina said.
"Do you always teach people you bring here how to make smoke animals?"
"You're the only person I've ever brought here," Regina confessed. "You're the first person I've ever actually smoked weed with."
Emma looked at Regina, surprised by this bit of info. "So why did you bring me here to smoke with you?"
"Because I like you," Regina said with a smile. "You're my friend and I like being around you. And I couldn't let you smoke that garbage weed you had. Seriously, where the hell did you get that crap from?"
"Dr. Whale," Emma confessed. "I caught him selling and he agreed to sell to me at a discount."
"Figures he'd only sell crap weed. He probably can't even find any good stuff to sell. The man couldn't find a woman's clitoris if he had to."
Emma, taking a drink at that moment, snorted and inhaled a mouthful of water, causing her to violently cough.
"Easy there," Regina said as she hit Emma's back.
"Damn girl, you're sassy," Emma giggled.
"Just speaking the truth. And for the record, I have no problem finding the clitoris," Regina stated as she leaned back against the couch.
Emma was sure Regina was trying to tell her something there, but her drug fogged brain was having trouble computing. She looked at Regina, taking in how relaxed the woman looked. She smiled as her heart filled with affection for the brunette. "Tell me a secret."
"What?" Regina said.
"Tell me something you've never told anyone before."
"And why would I do that?" Regina asked.
"Because we're friends and it'd make me feel closer to you," Emma explained.
Regina sat up as she thought it over. "Fine. But then you have to tell me something you've never told anyone."
"Okay. But you have to go first."
"Okay," Regina said, wracking her drugged out brain for something that no one knew that she wouldn't completely regret telling the annoyingly adorable blonde. "If I have to do this then…something no one knows about me is…I have been known…on occasion…to pee in the shower," she quickly finished, cringing as Emma let out a loud boisterous laugh. "Shut up!"
"Oh come on, that's not that bad. I'm sure everyone does it from time to time. I do it if I'm in the middle of a shower and am covered in soap."
"Of course you do," Regina said, not surprised in the least by what she had just heard. Although the image of Emma in the shower, rubbing soap over her wet body, caused warmth to spread throughout her body.
"Oh come on. Don't act all high and mighty your high-ness," Emma said as she straightened her posture and waved her fists up and down. "'I'm Regina. I'm the mayor. I tell everyone to eat healthy even though I always steal fries from her friend Emma's plate.'"
"I sound nothing like that," Regina said with false indignity, even though she was laughing from Emma's impression of her. "Henry does a better impression of me then you do."
"Yeah, the Kid's great," Emma replied as she thought about their son. "You did a good job raising him."
"Thank you," Regina said softly, feeling slightly uncomfortable by Emma's statement. "Though I made a lot of mistakes with him. My need for control drove a wedge between us that took a long time to go away."
"Still, you had to have done something right," Emma said, feeling less giddy and more reflective as she thought about Henry. "You did a better job raising him then I ever could have."
Regina sighed uncomfortably over that remark. She knew when they had first met she had chastised the blonde over her decision to give up Henry. But now she knew it wasn't as simple as she'd made it out to be. "You were practically a child yourself when you had him," she told Emma seriously. "You did what was best for him at the time. And I know it wasn't an easy decision for you to make."
"No, it wasn't," Emma said as she pulled her legs into herself and hugged her knees, at the moment looking younger then she was. She shuttered as memories of that time in her life came over her. "You want to know something I've never told anyone? When Henry was born, I didn't hold him. I didn't even look at him."
She glanced over as she felt Regina's hand on her shoulder, gently urging her to continue. She looked ahead, almost able to see the memories in her mind's eye as she continued her story. "When I found out I was pregnant I was terrified. I was eighteen, I was in prison, I had no one in my life to turn to or help me. I knew I couldn't raise a child. So after days of agonizing over what to do, I finally decided the best thing to do was to give him up. That someone else could give him the best chance at a good life. But as the months went by and he grew inside of me, I wasn't sure I could do it. Other inmates who were mothers would tell me, 'once you lay eyes on your child you'll never be able to give them up. You'll form a bond with them that'll last forever.' So I swore to myself that when he was born I wouldn't hold him or even look at him. I kept telling myself 'You're just bringing him into the world. Someone else is that child's mother.' When I went into labor, and was lying for hours in that hospital bed, two sides of me kept battling each other. One side telling myself to give him up no matter what, and the other telling me to hold onto that child and raise him." Emma's eyes pooled with tears as she continued. "When he was finally born, I looked away, forcing myself to ignore his cries. The doctor tried to get me to hold him, even saying I could change my mind and keep him. But I stayed strong, and didn't look until I knew he was out of the room. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. So, that's my secret. That I never even laid eyes on my son until my twenty eighth birthday, when I opened the door and he was standing there in the hallway."
As tears ran down Emma's cheeks Regina looked at the blonde, her heart beating with emotion over Emma's confession. A part of her was ashamed to know that there was a time she would have relished discovering this info. That she would have used it as a weapon against Emma. But now none of those thoughts went through her. Instead she felt gratitude over Emma's choice to give up Henry, and appreciation over just how difficult the decision had been for her.
She wrapped her arms around Emma and held her tight. And as she did she shook as a memory took hold of her. One she had forgotten about until after the curse, and was deeply ashamed over. She swore she would never breathe a word of it to anyone. But considering what Emma just told her, she felt the blonde had a right to know. "I almost gave up Henry," she softly said.
"What?" Emma said as she pulled back.
Regina sighed shakily as she prepared to tell Emma her tale. "When I adopted Henry, I loved him the moment he was placed in my arms. And I was sure I would be the best mother. But then I brought him back here, and he wouldn't stop crying. No matter what I did he just kept crying. Everyone else could sooth him. Dr. Whale, Granny, even your insufferable mother. But not me. I feared something might be wrong with him, so I had Sidney track down his biological parents. And when I found out his birth mother was found as a baby just outside Storybrook, I knew who you were. And that if I raised Henry, you would come for him, and take away my curse and everything I had worked for. So I went back to the adoption agency, fully intending to give him back."
Emma listed to Regina's tale, unsure how to process this. She knew she should feel angry, considering Regina almost did what she had most feared when she gave Henry up. But instead she urged Regina to continue, since she knew how the story ended. "Go on."
"When I got there, everything was ready for another family to take him. The agent gave me a moment alone to say goodbye. And as I looked into his eyes, I couldn't let him go. Even though I knew that raising him might cost me everything in the future, none of that mattered at that moment. Henry was my son, and I was his mother. And that was the absolute truth. So I told the agent I had made a mistake coming here and I left with my son."
Emma tentatively put her arm around Regina, holding onto the woman. Regina shook as she remembered day, and how close she came to giving up the best thing that had come into her life. She had needled Emma relentlessly over her decision to give Henry up when they first met. When in truth Regina herself almost did just that. And unlike Emma it wasn't in Henry's best interest, but for her own.
"So, you knew who I was all along?" Emma asked.
"No. After I brought Henry back I drank a potion that made me forget what I had learned, and took away my fears and doubts. So I could raise Henry without worrying about what was to come. So no, I didn't know you were Snow and Charming's daughter when Henry first brought you here. I didn't even remember almost giving Henry up. When the first curse broke my memories of that terrible day came back to me. And I've carried it with me ever since."
Emma tightened her arms around Regina as she trembled, hoping she could provide some sort of comfort. "You shouldn't hate yourself over it. In the end you held on to him. And you've proven time and time again how much you love him. You're his mother."
"We both are," Regina said. She leaned into Emma, resting her head against her. The two women held onto one another, grateful they had come into each other's lives.
Author's note: while some may be surprised in the direction this chapter went, I can tell you from experience (I smoked weed in college) that there are times that getting high can lead to deep emotional revelations. I promise the next chapter will be more fun wacky stoner hijinks.