Chapter Text
Killian eventually showed up, and Emma frowned when she saw him running towards them from the direction of the warehouses. That was the complete opposite direction to come into the ceremony, but Killian brushed it off, saying he was checking for Regina again because he thought he’d heard something.
Everyone nodded and even gave him pats on the back, thanking him for being so worried about Regina’s safety.
But Emma, and Henry, were glaring at him and their gaze constantly wandered to the warehouses.
Eventually, everything was settled. Emma was still ‘hiding’, Henry standing next to her with the ring. He looked extremely bored and like he wanted to be anywhere else but here.
Emma sighed and looked to her side at the warehouses again, and that’s when she saw her.
She saw Regina.
Emma’s face dropped as well as her heart and she dropped her bouquet and began to run towards the brunette woman.
“Holy shit!” Emma practically yelled when she was almost in front of Regina.
Henry’s head whipped to the side and his mouth flew open.
Regina bursted out in tears and she stopped for a moment, just watching as Emma and Henry ran towards her. She heard the other woman cuss a few times as she tripped on the dress on her way over, and she chuckled, wiping at her eyes when Emma and Henry stopped directly in front of her.
Regina flung herself towards Emma and sobbed into the other woman’s shoulder, her arms squeezing tightly around Emma’s middle.
“What the hell happened? Where have you been?! ” Emma sobbed. Her fingers gripped at the back of Regina’s hospital gown. She felt as though at any moment she would be ripped away again.
Regina shook her head, but didn’t speak. Her legs felt wobbly and her head heavy. Regina grasped Emma’s biceps and slowly lowered herself onto the ground, inhaling sharply.
“I just need…. a moment.” The brunette whispered, her fingers slipping into and tangling with Emma’s fingers. Her free hand moved to hold her face in her hand, her fingers absentmindedly rubbing at her tired eyes.
Emma nodded and knelt on the ground beside her, her free hand moving to rest on Regina’s shoulder.
Regina looked up and then past Emma, finding Henry kneeling beside Emma. She watched as a group of people started running towards them. Regina started crying again and she sat up a bit and used Emma’s shoulder to help lift herself.
“Henry.” She whispered, smiling widely.
Henry flew into her arms and buried his face in her neck, his breath coming in short sobs and his arms wrapping tightly around Regina’s neck.
“Mom.” Henry whispered, “I missed you so much.”
“I missed you too, Henry. I missed you so much.” Regina flinched a bit when she felt a hand on her back, but relaxed and even leaned into it. She knew Emma’s touch.
She saw Emma move to stand in front of Regina, blocking her from the crowd. She wanted Regina to have a moment of privacy to herself.
Emma turned her head to the side after a moment and watched as her mom, dad, Ruby, Belle, and several others walked up. Snow’s hand was covering her mouth and David’s hand was rubbing soothing circles on Emma’s back now.
Regina sighed and pulled away from Henry, but kept him close to her side.
She looked up at Emma and smiled softly and then looked around at all the people. She frowned a bit and then looked past Emma, finding a very confused looking Killian walking up to them.
“What?” Emma asked. She could feel Regina’s vibe change.
Killian stopped behind Emma and leaned to the side a bit, trying to see what it was that everyone was looking at.
“What’s the matter, love?” He questioned.
His voice made Regina flinch and everyone who was next to Regina saw it. Emma frowned and then turned towards Killian, her body revealing Regina as she did so.
Emma watched as Killian’s face dropped and then he put on a fake smile, “Oh. You’re back.” He plastered on his signature smile and walked a bit closer. Regina could tell he was moving in for a hug, but she refused to let that happen. She stood and pointed an accusing finger in his direction.
“Don’t you dare act like that.” Regina yelled, shoving him backwards. She walked back, slowly inching away from him. She bumped into Henry and then grabbed at his arm, gently tugging him closer to herself.
“Stay away from him.” Regina muttered to Henry. He looked utterly confused, but just nodded.
“Regina?” David asked, causing the woman to flinch.
Her head whipped up to look at the man and she raised her eyebrow questioningly. “What?” She snapped.
“Regina, what’s the matter? What happened? You can tell me.” Emma gently whispered, grabbing Regina’s hand again.
Regina looked back at Emma who was way too close now, her worried eyes felt like they were burning through her skin.
Regina shook her head and looked back at Killian.
“So you’re just going to pretend like you didn’t do anything?” She asked, her voice low and hoarse.
Killian scoffed and tried to make himself look as innocent as possible. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Regina nodded, her lips morphing into a sort of amused smirk. It was silent for a few moments, eerily silent. Just everyone’s heads looking between Killian and Regina.
“You son of a bitch!” Regina yelled, reaching for Killian. Regina shoved past Emma and the rest of the crowd, her hand reaching out for his neck, but it was stopped. Long fingers curled around her wrist and then an arm wrapped around her waist. Regina practically screamed as she was tugged backwards and away from Killian.
She fell back into open arms, her face falling. In that moment, everything that happened to her rushed back all at once. The memory of when she fell into the arms of someone when she was first kidnapped hit her like a truck.
All she could think about was how she was alone in that room, that dark, dark room.
“Regina?”
She heard her name distantly, but she couldn’t react. Regina flinched when the memories of being hit, of being shocked came back. She let herself shrink, falling back into whoever was holding her.
“Mom?”
“Regina?”
Regina blinked and she turned her head to look up at Emma. “I’m fine.” She whispered, shaking her head.
But she clearly wasn’t. Tears were streaming down her face now and she had bit her lip so hard that there was blood slowly coming out of her bottom lip. Her breaths were coming in gasps and her chest was heaving. She looked so, so tired.
Emma frowned and furrowed her brows. She didn’t like seeing Regina like this. The woman looked so utterly broken and exhausted. It made her heart pound inside of her chest. Her anger only grew. She looked back up at Killian.
“What the hell did you do?”
“Nothing. I didn’t do anything, I don’t know what her problem is.” Killian said. Emma knew he was lying. He was frantic and he was practically sputtering his answers.
“I’m going to ask you again and you aren’t going to lie to me, do you understand?” Emma asked, stalking towards the man.
She had completely forgotten about the wedding now, only worried about Regina and what happened.
“What. Did. You. Do?” Emma asked, stepping directly in front of Killian.
Killian huffed like a petulant child and then rubbed his hands over his face. His arm flung out to point towards Regina.
“She was going to ruin our wedding!” He shouted.
“What?” Emma asked, her eyebrows shooting upwards.
“She made you have feelings for her! She made you like her! I had to make sure she wouldn’t ruin this wedding.” He said, trying to place his hand on Emma’s arm.
It was swatted away and Emma reared her fist back before letting her fist fly forwards and hit Killian straight in the jaw, delighting in the pained yelp he emitted.
“Do not touch me.” She murmured. “What did you do to her?” Emma asked once again.
Killian ground his back teeth together, his hand coming up to rub at his jaw. “I just hid her in the warehouses. I didn’t do anything. I just had to make sure she wouldn’t ruin this wedding. I worked too hard for this to be messed up because of the likes of her!” Killian snapped.
“You worked hard? You didn’t do anything!” And everyone was surprised to see Snow step forwards, her voice a mixture of anger and disbelief. “ I did everything. You sat on your butt the entire time, complaining. In fact, Regina and I did everything. Emma helped, but of course she couldn’t help with everything. You did nothing .” Snow bit out.
She looked down towards Regina whose face was now hidden in her hands. Snow knew Regina hated attention and this was all probably embarrassing for the woman. But everyone just wanted to help.
Regina reached up to grab Emma’s hand. Emma looked down at the other woman, lacing their fingers together.
“It’s okay now.” Emma whispered.
Regina nodded. “I know. I just want to go home.” She whispered back.
Emma nodded and looked back towards Killian, throwing him another glare.
“Put him in a cell until I figure out what I’m going to do with him,” she instructed. “I’m going to take Regina and let her get freshened up and eat and take a nap and everything.”
Everyone nodded. Emma slid her hands underneath Regina and lifted her bridal style, hiking her up into her arms further. Regina’s head dropped onto Emma’s chest and her arms wrapped around Emma’s neck, holding onto the blonde as tight as possible.
“I’m so tired,” Regina whispered, weakly.
Emma nodded and pressed a kiss to Regina’s forehead.
“It’s alright, close your eyes. I’ve got you.”
.
When Regina woke up again, she was laying in a bed she didn’t recognize. But when she looked around the room she quickly found that it was Emma’s. The picture frame on the stand to her right showed Emma and Mary Margaret encasing each other in a tight hug.
She rolled onto her side and flinched when she came face to face with Emma.
Regina’s eyes flitted over the woman’s face. She had missed her so very much.
Her eyes trailed over her blonde hair that splayed out on the pillow, her long eyelashes that were resting against the tops of her cheeks. Her mouth was curved down, but she looked peaceful.
Regina couldn’t help it, her hand moved up to gently tuck Emma’s hair behind her head and then her fingers gently traced down the side of Emma’s face and then along her jawline.
Emma sniffed and then slowly, very slowly, her eyes fluttered open. A smile spread across her lips as she too realized she was face to face with Regina.
“Morning,” Emma whispered.
Regina smiled. “Good morning.”
“How are you feeling?” Emma queried, her hand grabbing Regina’s. She tangled their fingers together and placed their hands in between the both of them.
“Fine. Just a bit achy.” Regina shrugged.
“I think we can get Blue back here. She got the cuff off of you, but maybe she can help a bit with the pain.” Emma offered.
“I’m fine, Emma, really.”
“Alright. Just want to make sure you’re okay.”
“I am… I am now.” Regina unconsciously moved a bit closer to Emma.
Their arms wrapped around each other eventually, Regina’s head moving to rest on Emma’s chest. They stayed like that in silence for a long time.
“Are you still awake?” Emma asked after several minutes.
Regina nodded against Emma’s chest, “Yes.”
“Are you hungry?”
They both sat in the kitchen, Regina on a stool and Emma flipping pieces of bacon on the stove.
“What are you going to do with Killian?” Regina asked, quietly.
Emma’s back tensed and then she shrugged, “Probably just like… I don't know… banish him or something. I was gonna leave that up to my parents or you.”
Regina nodded again, and then stayed quiet.
Later that day, Regina got to see Henry again. The boy kept crying. Not full out bawling, but enough to cause tears to spring up in Regina’s eyes. She hated seeing Henry sad. She whispered soothing words to him and made sure he knew nothing was his fault.
Emma had explained everything that happened while she was gone for the month. She explained how Henry felt guilty, how he had grown to be a mopey teenager. But all of that changed once Regina showed back up.
Regina cuddled closer to Henry on her own couch. She had been brought back a few hours after she had breakfast with Emma. Snow and David were at Regina’s house, watching Henry for her. Henry had fallen asleep on her shoulder after watching one movie.
They had all sat in the living room for hours just talking and catching up. Everyone, except Emma, had of course asked about what happened during Regina’s time away, but she had refused to talk about it in front of Henry. Besides that, the discussion would have her shaken up.
Emma had later bitched Snow and David out for even bothering to ask. What Regina went through was traumatizing and awful to experience and they should of course address it and make sure Killian is given a proper punishment, but that needed to happen when Regina was ready, on Regina’s time. Not anybody else’s.
Emma sat on the opposite side of the couch on Henry’s side, playing games on her phone. She understood Regina would want space, but she refused to leave the other woman. Besides the fact that they probably should talk about the words that were exchanged before everything happened, Emma felt protective. And the thought of leaving Regina right now hadn’t even crossed her mind.
Emma lifted her head when she felt a tapping on her shoulder. Regina smiled softly at her and gestured for her to come closer. Emma smiled back and moved a bit closer, leaning into Henry’s side. Regina’s arm wrapped around the blonde, tugging her even closer. They stayed like that for hours until eventually Emma carried Henry upstairs to his bedroom.
When she came back downstairs, Emma started to panic when Regina was no longer occupying the space on the couch where she had been just moments before.
Emma walked into the kitchen and Regina’s office plus several other rooms before she felt a draft coming from the back door. She walked back there and opened the door, smiling when she found Regina lying on the grass, staring up at the stars.
She walked into the backyard, making herself known so she didn’t frighten Regina.
Emma laid down next to Regina, scooching a bit closer until their hips touched.
“Did you mean it?” Emma asked, softly.
“Mean what?”
“That… that you loved me?” Emma asked. She felt a bit insecure as nobody else had truly loved her besides Neal. But even that had turned out to be a mess in itself. It ruined her trust.
Regina rolled over onto her side and stared down into Emma’s eyes, her hand moving to rest on the other woman’s cheek.
“Of course I did. I still do, Emma. If anything, being away from you and Henry has only made my love grow stronger. For the both of you.” Regina whispered, her thumb gently stroking circles on Emma’s cheek.
Emma smiled, her hands reaching out for the back of Regina’s neck. She gently, tentatively, brought the woman closer. She wanted to make sure Regina could back out at any moment. She didn’t want to push the woman, especially after what she had just gone through.
But, Regina was the one to start the kiss. She leaned forwards the rest of the way and closed her eyes as their lips met. They both stilled for just a moment, making sure this is what the other person wanted before they melted into each other. Their hands slowly crept up to the sides of each other’s faces, their hands pulling each other impossibly closer as their lips moved against each other’s.
When they had to pull away, they were both left slightly breathless and Regina was just staring at Emma with a soft smile.
“What’s wrong?” Emma asked.
“Nothing,” Regina whispered, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind Emma’s ear, “Absolutely nothing.”
Regina laid her head down on Emma’s chest and resumed looking at the stars, her fingers absentmindedly toying with a blonde curl.
“I’m safe now.”
Emma heard Regina whisper this, but it was so quiet she hardly heard it. Emma pulled Regina closer into her chest and kissed the top of the brunette's head.
“Yes. You’re safe and you’re home.”
Regina lifted her head. “I love you. And you don’t have to answer me right now, I just want you to know that I love you.” She laid her head back down on Emma’s chest and closed her eyes, basking in the moment.
A few moments later, she felt Emma’s fingers threading through her dark hair.
“I love you too.”