A/N: Happens after the events of episode 04x07. Except in this... Emma actually searches out Regina for help to control her magic, but finds her in the family crypt with Robin and her magic shows itself once more. Regina wants to know what her problem is. None of these characters are mine, they belong to their respected companies (i.e. ABC Studios)
A Kiss Is Just a Kiss, Until It's Not
Chapter 1
The Snow Queen had been wrong; there was another person who would understand Emma, another person who knew the magic inside, and she was going to find her. Regina was the only one who could help her now, Emma thought to herself as she took off in her yellow bug. The blonde tried to control her magic as she felt it still lingering on the tips of her fingers after she almost hurt her family. "Ugh, why did I let her get to me like that?" She growled at herself as she made a turn at the light, angry the fact the Snow Queen manipulated her feelings like she did. She had tried both calling and texting Regina but received no answer from the brunette, though she wasn't surprised. Why would she want to answer the woman who destroyed her happiness? Emma huffed at the thought. Happiness, is there such a thing anymore at this point?
Emma pulled herself from her thoughts as she realized she was already at her destination; she didn't even remember much of the drive there. Turning off the engine she got out of the car and made her way toward the cemetery, hands shoved in her pockets. Why she decided it would be the first stop on her search, she didn't quite know, except that when Regina hid away it was usually the place she'd go. Opening the door, she saw that the crypt was opened and knew she'd made the right choice. As she descended the stairs she began to think of how she should approach the matter of getting the brunette to help her again after everything. Least Regina didn't hate her, so the brunette told her the last time they were together here. That was at least a starting point.
She was beginning to cheer up at the thought, her magic seeming to calm with it, but it didn't last. Turning the corner she was met with the sight of the back of Robin Hood as he was obviously kissing Regina. Or attacking her, one or the other, Emma thought to herself. A shot of anger coursed through Emma at the scene in front of her, though she was unsure why. Before she could even understand what she was doing, and unable to stop herself, Emma found herself walking over to the two and yanking the forest man off and away from Regina. Both looked at her, Regina in shock while Robin with confusion. Pulling her arm back, she swung with all her force and punched him square in the jaw, knocking him back with a blast from the exertion of her magic.
Emma froze in her spot, staring down at her hand in disbelief once again. It's getting worse, she thought to herself. It's the magic somehow manipulating her, it has to be otherwise why would she do that? Regina looked down at the man who had just been kissing her, now crumpled on the floor rubbing his jaw, before lifting her eyes to where the intruding blonde now stood. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" The harsh tone of Regina's voice shocking Emma out of the stupor she was in; she shot her head up to look at the woman she had come to ask for help, definitely realizing it was probably no longer an option anymore. "I knew it was too good to be true, you wanting to help me find my 'happy ending'. That's what you said wasn't it? Lamenting how you were brought here to bring everyone their happy ending, even mine. Is this some kind of sick joke to you? First you bring back Marian to crush me, then offer to help only to destroy me all over again." Emma cringed at the insinuations. She looked down at the man she had just sent across the room and then back to the woman in front of her. "Regina, I… that's not…" She honestly didn't know how or even what to say to make the situation any less disastrous. Instead she turned on her heel and walked out of the crypt, leaving a dumbfounded yet enraged Regina in her wake.
She watched as Emma stormed out, her brow furrowed in both frustration and confusion, wondering what had come over the blonde to do such a thing. Robin looked between Regina and the exit as he managed to prop himself up against the wall a moment, bringing his hand to his jaw as he tried moving it around to see if it was broken. "What was that all about? I don't recall doing anything to Miss Swan." Finding his jaw wasn't broken he then focused on trying to and brush himself off. "I don't know, but I'm sure as hell going to find out. Excuse me." Regina stated before walking off after her, leaving him behind to tend to himself. Robin extended his arm to stop her but was left grasping air as he stood there alone in the crypt.
xxxxxx
Emma sat in her car, hitting the steering wheel once with her fist. "Why'd you do that?" She asked herself aloud as she leaned forward and rested her forehead against the wheel. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to calm herself, she didn't see the brunette fast approaching. A loud knock on her window jarred her to alert as she jumped and looked to find dangerous angry brown eyes staring back at her. "Shit." She muttered under her breath as she carefully rolled down the window a few inches, not daring to go any further for fear of a hand reaching out and strangling her. "Out of the car. Now, Ms Swan!" Regina growled out. Emma felt very small in that moment, fear keeping her rooted to her spot. "I think I'd prefer to stay in here actually." She stated, moving away from the door just a touch; she'd rather not let the brunette within striking distance of her. She'd been on the receiving end of that in their past and it wasn't exactly pleasant. Even with her own magic now in tow, she didn't trust it. Regina sighed in frustration and flicked her hand, disappearing in a swirl of purple smoke.
Emma looked out the window and scanned the environment outside, letting out a sigh of relief when she saw no sign of the woman; that relief, however, was short lived. "What the HELL is your problem?" Emma jumped back toward her driver side door at the sound of the voice, groaning as her head came in contact with the metal edge at the top and her elbow smashing against the lower. There sat the angry brunette in the passenger seat of her bug. So much for escaping that. Emma held her hand to her head rubbing the spot that was certain to now have a lovely knot or bruise one, as her face scrunched in pain. Regina would be lying to herself if she didn't have just the slightest bit of gratification at the blonde's discomfort. "Well, I'm waiting." She stated, when the other woman didn't answer her question.
"Ugh, I don't know!" Emma yelled back at her, both out of pain and anger. Her head was swimming and not just from the bump; she was just as confused herself about why she had done what she did and where her anger was coming from. The tone shocked Regina, her brow flicking up in surprise. "I believe if anyone should be mad about this situation it should most certainly be me." Emma let out a slow breath to try and relax, then looked up at the other woman with concern; her magic was definitely getting out of control. "Is he alright?" Regina thought for a second. "I would assume so, he was on his own two feet when I left. I... honestly didn't quite check on him." Her voice trailing off as she wondered why she hadn't before she stormed out of there after the blonde. Shaking thoughts from her head, her face hardened once more at the realization of why she was here and not there, as she glared at the blonde. "I was too furious at you to think clearly. Don't change the subject."
Emma's brow rose as her eyes widened a bit. "I… I wasn't trying to… look, I'm sorry." She finally apologized as she turned to look out the front window. "I don't know what came over me exactly. The reason I was even there was because I came looking for you. I was coming to ask for help. My magic is becoming unstable." She paused and flexed her fingers but Regina didn't say anything in return, waiting for more explanation. "Then when I did find you, I also found him there, with you, and anger came over me. Before I knew what I was doing I..." There was no need to continue, the other woman already knew what she had done. Emma just reached out to grip the wheel tightly, her knuckles turning white from the grip as she thought of the scene. Why was it making her angry?
"And why would finding him there with me anger you?" Regina took in the blonde's demeanor, drawing her attention to the now harshly white knuckles. Her anger was gradually dissipating, placed instead with concern, as she reached out and pried the fingers from the steering wheel. Emma jerked her hands away and placed them in her lap. "Don't, I… I might hurt you." She look down at them while refusing to look at the other woman. "Where exactly is this anger coming from, Emma?" Regina questioned but the blonde said nothing, afraid of the only possibility that seemed to keep racing through her mind as she batted it away with each attempt it made at moving to the forefront of her thoughts. "I believe I deserve an answer." Regina's patience was on a very thin line, though she was trying to keep it in check. "You also deserve to be more than someone's second choice." That was all the blonde responded with, causing Regina to scrunch her brow in confusion. "And that is a perfect reason to walk up to someone and knock them clear across the floor? Apparently there are double standards where you and I are concerned when it comes to attacking someone. You can, I can't." The aggravated edge returning in her tone. Emma's head shot up to look at the brunette. "What? No! I..." She quickly looked back down feeling it easier to talk without having to look at the other woman. "I don't know what came over me."
"Well, I wouldn't have been a second choice had someone not decided to bring the dead back with them." Regina snapped a little, a touch of venom still making it's presence known but was soon replaced with hurt, reflective in her tone, as she continued. "And maybe... I would rather be someone's second choice than no choice at all." She turned her gaze away from the blonde next to her and stared out the passenger window. Those words snapped Emma out of her self loathing as she looked back over to the brunette. Wasn't that what she was doing with Hook? Settling for her second choice, because she figured she'd have no chance with her first. That's why the anger, the outburst; she had been denying it to herself all this time but, it was true. Seeing Regina with that forest boy like that had finally caused her to break. Before she dared lose her nerve, Emma shifted in her seat, turning a bit more towards the brunette as she reached out and turned Regina's face towards her, crashing her lips against hers.
The brunette reached up with the intent of pushing the other woman away from her but instead, found her hands gripping into the blonde's leather jacket, pulling her closer against her as she kissed her back with just as much fervor. As the kiss broke moments later, Emma rested her forehead against the brunette's as they took a minute to steady themselves. "You were my first choice; you have been for a while. I just… denied those feelings to myself and instead, settled when I thought it wouldn't be impossible." Regina was surprised by the blonde's confession but made no move at a comment at first, simply taking in the words as she felt something physically change within her heart though she couldn't tell what exactly. "I thought nothing was supposed to be impossible for the savior." She finally retorted back in a quiet fashion, a faint smirk playing upon her lips. "Though still again, you were thwarting my happy ending." Emma pulled back and looked up into silky, chocolate brown eyes as hurt began to etch it's way upon her own eyes at the statement. But Regina gazed back with affection as she took the woman's chin between her fingers. "Keeping your true feelings from me." She leaned in and pressed a delicate kiss upon her lips, lingering for only a moment before moving back. Emma's eyes fluttered open as she took in Regina's content face, feeling the anger completely erased and relief soothing over her. "I promise to make it up to you." She spoke softly, moving a lock of hair from the brunette's face. "Good, because you'll need a life time to do so, and I'm going to hold you to it." Regina commented with a smirk as she sild her fingers over the collar of Emma's jacket and down, caressing the leather before gently tugging her back into a kiss.