Double trouble 72

A/N: It's finally finished! This is the last chapter of this story but it's very long so hopefully that will make up for the eternity of the wait between chapters. When I started this I had no idea of what it would become and I had every intention of finishing in a more timely manner (sadly those plans went out the window). I procrastinated too much about the ending because I wanted it to be perfect but now I just want to click the Complete button. I've poured so much love (and tears at times) into this story and I'm kinda proud of what I've managed to create here.

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who read, followed, and supported this story in reviews, comments, and on tumblr. You guys have no idea how much it helped me as a writer and saved me from the upsets of whatever the latest fandom fuckery was. Massive thanks to all of the amazing artists on tumblr who made fanart! The SQ fandom is the most talented and creative one I've ever been a part of.

Finally I'd like to say that SQ fans have been treated shabbily over the years by the showrunners and in the general fandom. I stopped watching a while ago. But this ship is OUR STORY and it's a thousand times better than what they managed.

Chapter 72 'The event horizon'

For the first time ever it turned out to be Regina who couldn't keep her own secret. Mostly because the event that she'd been planning involved the entire town so it was impossible to keep the whole thing underwraps. Word had gotten around when flyers were put up around town inviting everyone to:

STORYBROOKE'S FIRST ANNUAL SAVIOUR DAY FAIR!

A magical celebration of the founding of our town

FOOD

GAMES

PRIZES

FUN!

The event was going to be held on Saturday, the same day as the Mayoral election, and was intended to commemorate the first day that Storybrooke came into existence which also happened to be the birthday of the Saviour, the daughter of the Royal leaders of the old realm, Snow White and Prince Charming. Emma had already had her actual birthday during the week but the event was scheduled for the following weekend so that everyone could come.

The Sheriff had been less than impressed about the name of the event. Her surprise party, only attended by close friends and family, had been challenge enough to deal with. But now this! She'd turned up at Town Hall with a flyer she'd swiped from a noticeboard, demanding to know why on earth the Mayor thought this would be a good idea. After all, she'd been a reluctant addition to the town and it had taken her a long time to accept her role here. Celebrating herself as The Saviour™ with an entire day named after her seemed a bit… pretentious.

"Saviour Day?" Emma complained. "I thought the idea of this thing was to distract people from your election. Why did you have to make it all about me?"

"I didn't decide on the name," said Regina with a sigh. "It was the Council's decision. I know you don't care for the attention but it's not really about you. This is for the people of Storybrooke. They're grateful to you, the least you could do is let them show it."

"So I save the town yet again and I still have to play the role of self-effacing hero for them? Well it makes me feel crappy. I was been abandoned by everyone who was supposed to care for me and then ignored my entire life. Now suddenly I'm everybody's favourite princess and I'm the centre of attention for something I didn't even want. They think I'm something I'm not. I can't deal with this."

"Yes you can."

"But I don't want to."

"Don't pout, dear."

"Argh!"

Emma vented her frustration loudly and paced a few steps before moving around behind Regina's desk so that she could sit on it and face the Mayor with a huff.

The problem for Regina was that she looked too inviting sitting there. It probably wouldn't take much convincing for the Sheriff to lean back a little and give access her to her neck, the buttons of her shirt, the zip of her tight dark blue jeans… Regina promised herself that she would offer to provide a distraction to her later that night, one that she was sure would be well received.

Regina smiled to herself and then went back to her paperwork and patted Emma's thigh, as a gesture of either encouragement or comfort or perhaps just to connect with her physically for a moment. She knew the former orphan still had difficulties coming to terms with her hero/Royal Princess/Saviour status. Neither of them would ever be perfect but both women had come a long way. With a little help from their younger selves of course.

"Sorry," Emma said gruffly. "I'm being a snot aren't I."

"Yes," said Regina. "Actually you are."

"Hey, you didn't have to agree with me!"

"I thought you wanted me to be more agreeable?"

"You're impossible. Such a bad girlfriend. Just the worst."

Regina pursed her lips into a moue. "That's not what you were saying this morning when you were begging me for release you from a certain torture. I wasn't sure whether you would enjoy that particular move but you certainly seemed to."

"God yes!" Emma sucked in a breath. "Thanks a lot. Now how am I supposed to get through the day with that image in my head."

"You could go back to work and let me get on with mine."

"In a minute. How's the election stuff coming?"

"Disastrously."

Regina pushed back into her chair, momentarily allowing an air of defeat in her posture which was very unlike her. All week she'd been fielding press questions, juggling interviews, and meeting with concerned citizens over her election issues and plans for continued improvement of the town. She'd been doing her best at being diplomatic and fair but laying herself open to so much criticism was eroding her confidence.

According to Kathryn there was an torrential amount of hate about the former Evil Queen on social media. The focus groups from Thursday had descended into an all-out slur fest with racists, misogynists, and homophobes hijacking every discussion. In addition, the latest polls indicated that if the election had been held yesterday the result would've been overwhelming against Regina Mills officially resuming her position as Mayor.

It was surprising actually just how many irrational reasons people had to hate her and how wilfully they misread her.

Regina knew now that she wasn't going to win.

It had always been a long shot. She wondered idly if she'd ever really had a chance or whether it had been pointless to get her hopes up like a fool. Whenever she caught herself thinking such thoughts her eyes fell upon the silver framed photo of Henry that stood proudly on her desk. It reminded her of why she would not back down. She would accept the outcome of Saturday, whether she won or lost, but she refused to give up without trying. For her son's sake.

"Are you sure you're not being a bit defeatist?" asked Emma.

Regina didn't reply. Instead she just raised her eyebrows and picked up a folded up copy of the Storybrooke Daily Mirror to show Emma the theme of the latest election news coverage. The giant block letters of the frontpage headline read 'VOTE NO EVIL WITCH' and accompanied a full account of all her past deeds. The hard part was that most of it was true.

Emma caught sight of the paper's front page. "Ah. Nice headline."

"For the 16th century maybe," said Regina. "It's Sidney's work but he's not the only one printing such articles. The press is against me. Everyone is against me."

"Hey," said Emma with a soft smile. "You don't know that. The haters are very loud so it seems like there's more of them. They make the world a shittier place and even though it's tempting to want to boot them across the town line - we can't."

"Unfortunately. Sometimes I think it's a shame I don't kill and torture people anymore."

"Yeah, but you have changed. Ignore all of the people who can't see that and trust that there are enough good people out there who can."

Mary Margaret's apartment, Friday night

"Where's Regina tonight?" David asked as soon as Emma walked in the door with only Henry in tow.

"Holding one last press conference before the election tomorrow," said Emma. She heading over to pull up a stool in front of the kitchen bench where her mother was preparing dinner.

Henry hopped up on to the stool next to her though it was clear he was going to be too fidgety to sit still for long.

Mary Margaret noticed him wiggling. "What's gotten into you, Henry?"

"Mom's going to be on TV!" said Henry, excited. "It's on soon. We have to make sure we don't miss it ok?"

"Sure thing, buddy." David chuckled. The boy ran to the TV set to tune the knobs to the correct station so that it would be ready. Storybrooke, though no longer cursed, was still clinging to 1980s technology. The TV even had a set of rabbit ear aerials that might've once began their life as a clothes hanger.

"Do you know what she's going to be saying?" Mary Margaret asked her daughter.

Emma shrugged. "Nope. But she's been writing the speech for days. Wouldn't let me read any of it either. It's pretty much the last chance she's got to win votes. She does like having the last word though."

"I can't see her grovelling for the town's forgiveness but I am sure Regina will speak her mind. Oh, I so hope she wins tomorrow!"

"Yeah, me too."

"Do you think it's likely?" Mary Margaret scrunched her face. "I've seen some of the things they've been printing in the paper. It's not looking good is it."

"To be honest it's a tough call," Emma conceded. "Regina's platform is based on her ability to govern Storybrooke as a safe place for families but unfortunately that just raises questions about her own family values and character. Mrs Gander's cronies have rallied against us and with all their connections at the school they have garnered a bunch of anti-gay nonsense. There've been a few protests and scuffles I've had to take care of. Kathryn's doing her best as campaign manager to get the right messages out there. When you put the politics of it aside Regina's actually a good Mayor in terms of administrating the town. I'm just not sure it'll be enough to counter the hate."

"Well, stranger things have happened in Storybrooke. As we've experienced recently."

"True." Emma smiled and nodded, knowing that her mother was referring to two magical time-travelling teenagers whose presence nearly caused the town to shrink out of existence before they were sent back to the past.

Mary Margaret smiled wistfully. "Is it strange that I miss the girls?"

"Sort of. We're still here. Kinda."

"I know you are. I'm grateful we had so much time to get to know you both when you were young. But now it feels as if it was over in an instant."

"Maybe time is weird like that. Like when Henry twisted our brains into pretzels trying to explain the physics of time-travel to us which I still don't understand."

"It's physics," the schoolteacher said wryly. "Nobody understands it and if you think you do then you really don't. My 8th graders certainly don't."

"Mom! Grandma! Grandpa!" Henry called from the living room. "Come quick. Mom's speech is starting."

The Charming Family gathered around the TV, settling into comfortably distressed lounge chairs together so they could hear what the Mayoral candidate had to say. Mary Margaret and David leaned into each other and smiled, knowing that no matter what happened their grandchild, daughter, and daughter-in-law would get through it together as a family.

Henry turned the knob on the ancient TV set to increase the volume as his mother's face appeared on screen. Regina looked much the same as usual, dressed in one of her impeccably professional suits and seated at the desk in her office at Town Hall facing the camera directly.

Regina looked every bit the professional but Emma knew her well enough to detect the almost imperceptible tension in her shoulders.

"People of Storybrooke," Regina's TV image greeted them. "I think I can safely say without arrogance that all of you know who I am. For years you may have only known me as the town Mayor and long before that as the Evil Queen who cursed the entire realm. It is a little known fact that I did not cast the curse out of jealousy over Snow White's beauty. The truth of it is a family matter between her and myself. Perhaps you feel you deserve answers and will demand to know the full story... but you will not hear it from me. It is my private pain and all I will say is that it involves avenging more than one crushed heart. She and I have made our peace."

Out of the corner of her eye Emma noticed Mary Margaret swipe at a happy tear that started to fall down her cheek and snuggled into her husband's arms as they listened to their former arch nemesis. To think that Regina had tried to destroy their lives so many times and yet had been able to redeem herself to the point where she was now part of their family. It was amazing. Snow White's faith and belief in her former stepmother had not been misplaced.

The broadcast went on.

"The curse to end all curses was not entirely unfair. Each of you was granted a place in society commensurate with your wealth and status in the other land. Your jobs were assigned based on skills already possessed and the appropriate knowledge was bestowed upon you. Now that we all can appreciate the differences between the modern world and where we came from, I'm sure you will agree that the various technologies and conveniences in the fields of health, education, and living standards are not unwelcome. I take full responsibility for raising you from dirty pestilential disease-ridden times to this world, where each of you has rights, a voice, and a vote. You will exercise such privilege tomorrow at the ballots.

"For many years I was the only one who knew the truth. Until my perceptive and incorrigible son grew old enough to notice that something wasn't right here in Storybrooke. I have few regrets about my past, but allow me to admit that the greatest shame I feel is over how I treated my son last year."

It was there that Regina paused and allowed the tiniest discomfort to show on her face. She looked down at some notes on her desk for a brief moment, appearing to collect her composure before continuing on with her apology.

Emma was certain she'd never been so proud of her son's mother as at that moment. Her chest felt as though it were going to burst with pride. She gathered Henry by the shoulder to pull him closer into a hug as they both watched the most important person in their lives open up her heart live on air.

"Henry," Regina spoke to the cameras but it was as though she were facing him in person. "I'm sorry I acted like I didn't believe you and for implying that your beliefs made you crazy. You know me better than anyone alive and that's exactly why you saw through the elaborate lies I created. I offer no justification and seek no forgiveness because there should be none. I failed you as your mother in that regard and again earlier this year when I sought to win you back by magic. Who you love is your choice and I only endeavour to deserve it. I loved you from the first moment I saw you and I always will."

"Love you too, Mom," said Henry, his lopsided smile wide across his face. It was truly adorable how excited and proud he was to see his mother on TV, telling the entire town the very truth that he'd spent so long trying to convince everyone of. Fairytales were real and everyone deserved a happy ending, even Evil Queens.

"As for this town and the people in it, we are all under the protection of someone who is far too modest and embarrassed to call herself a 'saviour' but she is exactly that. I'm sure I'll pay for this later but you all deserve to hear her story since you won't find it in any book of tales. Her sacrifice was to spend her young life alone, devoid of happy childhood memories, bereft of family and friends. It was not her choice. All of that was given up on her behalf in the hope that one day the curse would break. I owe her my life several times over, as I'm convinced there were and still are many who would see me burn for what I've done. But she saw good in me when there was none, she gave me a chance, my last and final chance to change. She believed in me and that was all I needed to save myself. Tomorrow, at our first Saviour Day we will honour the sacrifices that were made so that our lovely town Storybrooke could exist."

At this point Emma was blushing hard with embarrassment, conscious that her parents were also beaming at the words. Her cheek muscles were sore from trying to suppress her dopey smiles. How was she supposed to preserve her tough Sheriff reputation with Regina spouting that kind of sap?! Some of it was pure sweet Ri and some the unequivocal Queen. But she loved her all the more for it.

Thankfully Regina turned the topic back to the imminent election.

"Often in politics or indeed life in general, we are faced with hard choices where we dislike all of the available options. You will be faced with one such decision at the polls. I am your only candidate for Mayor and though I have plenty of relevant skills and experience I also remain a risk to you, moderated only by my own recently-repaired conscience. There is simply no-one else suitable for the job. I am the lesser of two evils, the greater evil being the soft rule of the former Snow White. I assure you she has yet to master civic economics and her time is much better spent enriching the imaginations of our children so that they may grow up believing themselves to be the heroes of their own stories."

The broadcast ended there with the text 'VOTE 1 MILLS for MAYOR' displayed on the screen, leaving everyone in the room in stunned happy silence.

"Well," David grinned. "She's won my vote."

"And mine," said Mary Margaret, eyes shining with tears.

"Mom's going to win!" said Henry. "I just know it. What time is she coming home, Emma? We have to tell her how awesome she was."

Emma rustled her son's dark hair. "I'm sure Mom's got a few things to finish off and then she'll be here as soon as she can. We can tell her congratulations then. Be patient, kid."

Less than an hour later, a cloud of purple smoke and a knock at the door announced that Regina had finally finished work for the night, having done all she could to win as many hearts and minds as possible before the voting began the next morning.

The second she walked in the door she was almost bowled over by her son and her soulmate launching themselves into her arms for a family hug.

Town Hall courtyard, Saturday

Saviour Day and the day of the Mayoral election had arrived and the town was abuzz with excitement.

The voting booths were waiting inside the hall and ever since the doors opened at 9am there had been a steady trickle of people attending to cast their votes. But the real interest was in the fair that had been set up in the large courtyard nearby so that the citizens of Storybrooke could perform their civic duty and then enjoy the rest of the day's activities.

The ostensible purpose of the event was to celebrate Storybrooke but given that Emma's parents had been key organisers of the event it was really a massive belated first birthday party for their only daughter. There was a circus tent and petting zoo in one corner for the kids as well as firebreathers and performers walking around in Medieval dress as a homage to their fairytale origins. There were stalls for games and food of all kinds. Everyone seemed to be having a great time, if the delighted smiles of adults and laughter of children were anything to go by.

Regina turned up early together with Emma and Henry, however, they had to separate soon after so that the Mayor could make herself available to speak to voters with any last minute questions.

"I'll meet up with you both later," Regina promised them, looking over the throng to see Kathryn attempting to catch her attention. She gave her son a quick kiss and passed him some pocket money for the fair games. "Henry, don't let your mother eat too much junk. Someone needs to save the Saviour from herself."

"Hey!" protested Emma. "I'm the grownup here."

"Ok I will try. Good luck, Mom!" Henry waved and then ran off towards the nearest stall where two knights were demonstrating a swordfight.

Regina also gave a chaste kiss to Emma, who was already eyeing the cotton candy stand with interest. The Mayoral candidate shook her head ruefully at her girlfriend's predictable appetite for junk food and then headed over towards where Kathryn and the others were waiting.

Members from Snow White's War Council, including Archie, Marco, and the dwarves were standing along the path towards the voting booths, distributing flyers and speaking to voters about Regina's campaign issues.

"There's a lot of people who want to talk to you," said Kathryn, greeting her with an encouraging smile. "I think your TV appearance last night helped. Great speech."

"If I get any votes today it'll be due to your efforts," said Regina. "Thank you for managing the campaign by the way, it has been more help than I could expect from anyone."

"Of course I'd help my friend! You're very welcome."

Kathryn may have been the official campaign manager but it was Ruby and Ashley who had taken a grassroots approach to politics, appealing to the younger demographic and apparently they'd been quite successful in gathering support.

A veritable army of supporters were dotted among the crowd, noticeable because they were wearing black t-shirts printed with a rainbow and crown. The haters may have been loud in the leadup to the election but their voices were drowned out now by those who believed in fairness and forgiveness who were out in full force on the actual day.

Ashley ran up to them with a small toddler bouncing in her arms. Both she and the little baby girl were wearing the supporters t-shirts, which looked particularly odd on the former Cinderella because she'd paired them with denim pedal pushers and sparkly high heeled shoes. Ashley was also dragging a handsome young man behind her who she introduced as her husband, Sean. Behind them a stately old lady with a cantankerous look on her face was leaning on a walking frame which was parked under a nearby tree.

"Hi Kathryn," said Ashley in her bubbly way. "Hi Regina. Oof, can you hold Alexie for a minute please. She's getting heavy."

Regina's eyes went wide with shock as the baby's weight was unceremoniously dumped into her arms with little warning. The baby gurgled with delight and immediately tried to stuff her chubby fingers into Regina's mouth and Regina playfully pretended to bite them. Babies were much easier to win over than adult electors. Naturally there was a photographer nearby to capture a shot of the Mayoral candidate holding the baby, perfectly depicting the combination of politician and mother for the press.

"Do you like the shirts?" Ashley asked Regina. "My mothers group and I have been canvassing the streets and handing out merch all week. I've been telling everyone I know to vote for you."

"Which is everyone," said Sean.

"Very funny, babe. Anyway, I wanted to come say hi but I can't stay to chat. I promised I'd take my stepmother to see the fortune teller."

"God knows what she wants to hear about," said Sean wryly. "She's so old, it's not like she has much future left. Should she even get to vote?"

Ashley gave him a look even though she clearly wanted to laugh. "Stop it, Sean! She's horrible but she's still family. Come on, let's go. Bye ladies!"

Regina handed back the baby and then watched the young family leave to rejoin Ashley's evil stepmother. A flash of light glinted from Kathryn's hand caught Regina's eye when the campaign manger reached up to tuck her hair back. She was wearing a diamond set into a gold ring on her ring finger. Kathryn noticed her looking and held up her left hand to display the jewell.

"That's new," Regina commented, letting the question in her tone hang loose.

"It is," Kathryn beamed. "Now that I remember who I really am, Tommy and I are engaged again. I'm getting my happy ending - finally!"

"Congratulations."

Regina accepted Kathryn's hug, and in stark contrast to her what her old self's reaction would have been, her well-wishes were heartfelt. When they broke apart she let her eyes fall over the crowd of people milling about, families, couples, and friends united in celebrating the day. These days it didn't pain her to see other people happy. There was no need to interfere when she was being included in other people's lives. Plus she had her own sources of happiness now. She couldn't wait until her official duties were over so that she could spend the rest of the day with Emma and Henry.

"Looks like it's not just me who's getting their happy ending," said Kathryn.

Regina scanned the direction where Kathryn was looking. At one of the closest market stalls a vendor was selling hand-embroidered and quilted clothing in styles reminiscent of Enchanted Forest fashion. There was a young couple examining babywear: a short portly man wearing a beanie and a woman dressed entirely in a lurid pink and black Harajuku-style outfit. The man held out a onesie to his girlfriend's stomach as if to trial the size of it.

Astrid and Leroy noticed Regina looking their way and waved, huge smiles on their faces. The Patron Fairy and her dwarf must have been considering whether to start expanding their family, if they hadn't already done so.

The former queen smiled and said to herself. "Yes. It seems the happy endings are indeed returning to Storybrooke."

It had barely been an hour but Emma had lost sight of Henry already.

"Ok, calm down," the Sheriff muttered to herself. "He's a kid at a smalltown fair, not a needle in a haystack. All I have to do is find him before Regina finds out I lost him or I'm dead. I got this."

The place was packed with kids running around every which way. Finding people was supposed to be her thing but her powers had failed thus far. She'd already checked the coolest and grossest stalls and games first, figuring that those would be the likeliest places to attract an eleven-year-old boy. But no luck so far.

"Excuse me, Sheriff?" said a voice.

"Yeah?" Emma whirled around but didn't recognise who it was calling her name.

It was a young woman of about 19 years old with short cropped blonde hair wearing a sporty hoodie and jeans. "Hi, I'm Jess Meadows. I don't think you know me but my aunt knows your wife."

"My-?" Emma flushed. "Oh, you mean Regina. Well, we're not… yet. She's my girlfriend - partner- Call me Emma. Being called Sheriff makes me feel like I have to be a responsible adult."

Jess grinned. "Ok, Emma."

"Do you need help? I'm not here in my official capacity but if you need something..."

"I'm ok. Actually, I've been to Kidspace a few times lately, I was hoping to run into you there at some point. The Mayor told my aunt who told my Mom that you might be willing to give me some advice. I've been wanting to leave Storybrooke for a while and now that the curse is broken … I was hoping you could give me some tips about living in the outside world?"

"Of course. After all, there's not really anyone else in Storybrooke who can is there."

"Not really, no. Henry says you came here to bring back the happy endings. I think mine might be beyond the town line."

Emma smiled at the mention of her kid. "You know my son?"

"Yes, he's friends with my little cousin. Perhaps we can meet at Kidspace during the week for a chat? Right now I've got to get back to my family before they murder each other."

"Er… is that likely?" said Emma, unsure as to whether to be concerned.

Jess laughed. "Not unless the Queen herself commands it. That's them over there."

Jess pointed out a group of adults and children crowded around a large red tartan picnic rug that had been set up on the lawn. There were several picnic baskets full of food together with bottles of wine and balls and other games for the kids to play with scattered nearby. Two identical tow-headed boys were chasing another blond boy who was kicking a soccer ball dangerously close to where two other pairs of young people were sitting.

"That's my brother with the ball," said Jess. "He's fourteen, and the twins are my cousins, Jason and Jackson, they're thirteen. The girl in the flannel is my girlfriend, Lea Gander, and with her is her little brother, Ethan." Jess gestured to another pair sitting nearby, "And the cute little blondie in the karate uniform showing off to Henry is my cousin, Jenna. They're in the same class at school."

"Henry!" Emma sighed in relief, recognising her son amongst the troup. "So that's where he's been. I'm gonna put a tracking device on that kid, I swear."

Jess asked if Emma wanted to come join the family for a while, since Henry was already there, at least until Regina was free from her duties.

For a second Emma was tempted to refuse but there was no real reason why she shouldn't be open to making friends with these people. She'd hesitated in case they just wanted a piece of 'The Saviour', however, Jess seemed sincere in her offer. It wasn't the kind of social interaction Emma would normally accept but she would end up being glad she did.

The two of them walked over to the picnic setting, where she was welcomed with kind greetings. The first thing Emma did was ruffle her kid's hair and chastise him for running off.

"Are you trying to get me in trouble with your Mom, kid," she groused at him.

"Nope," said Henry cheekily. "You do that well enough all on your own."

Jenna looked up with a serious expression and said to Emma. "You should not enrage the Queen you know. It is ill-advised. She is formidable and does not suffer fools."

Emma bit back a laugh. "Yes, very true."

At that point, Jenna's father called over to the girl to tell her to lighten up in front of their guest. He introduced himself as Richard and explained that he had been one of Her Majesty's Elite Royal Guards in the other realm. The whole family in fact had been supporters of the Evil Queen, not her less savoury actions of course, but of the fact that she'd given them employment in a time of destitution. With his well-defined muscles obvious through his casual clothes this guy definitely looked dangerous even here; apparently he was now a personal trainer.

Jenna hung upon her father's every word as he told war stories about his former role as an Elite sparing few of the gory details. "Dad, tell us about the Ogre Wars again!"

"Once upon a time," Richard puffed up, ready to tell his tale of bloody battle. "There was this huge hideous monster who-"

"For heaven's sake, Richard, lighten up!" his wife Janet Meadows said in a voice of exasperation. "Excuse my strange family, Sheriff. We've met before, I'm Janet."

Emma had met the Meadowses before when she'd located little Jenna after the girl had disappeared the night she'd lost her memory. "Yeah, I remember. You're Regina's friend."

"I wouldn't presume to call myself her friend," said Janet, humble as ever. "But I did support the Queen in the other land and here I support the Mayor. We were first in line to vote for her this morning."

"I'm sure Regina's grateful. You have a lovely family by the way. Thanks for um, letting me and my kid intrude. He kinda invited himself over."

"It's no intrusion at all! You're both very welcome."

Janet then started plying her guest with as much picnic food as she could persuade her to accept. Before long Emma's plate was piled up with pizza rolls, BBQ skewers, and pasta salad. The second best part of all that awesome food was going to be triumphantly bragging to Regina that she hadn't stuffed herself on fair junk.

Just when she was really starting to feel comfortable their picnic was interrupted by pleas for help.

"Help! Help! I need a Saviour!"

A man dressed in rags as a medieval plague victim coughed melodramatically and then collapsed onto the picnic rug right in front of where Emma was sitting, now in shock and wondering if she ought to call for first aid. He continued his act of moaning in pain calling for 'a Saviour'.

"Uncle Miiike," said Jenna in annoyance. "Stop pretending. You're not sick, you're just being silly."

Janet reached over to slap her brother Mike's arm. "Stop trolling our guest, you idiot. Where's Peter?"

"Here." Another man arrived, dressed as a medieval doctor in robes and long curved beak, and apparently he was resigned to his role of plague victim-keeper. Peter joined them and apologised to Emma. "Please excuse my partner, Sheriff. Unfortunately he is entirely unaware of just how unfunny he is. It's sad really."

"It was only a joke," said Mike. "You know I've been dying to meet the Queen's Consort."

Emma choked on a mouthful of pizza roll. "C-con-... what?"

"What I mean is we're big fans of you, Sheriff Swan. I served as the Queen's Master of Horses in the other land and here I run Storybrooke's Fable Stables. Not that I ever dared to approach her but I saw the aftermath of the young Queen's heartbreak and it is marvellous to see her happy now. I myself have had to hide my relationship for decades simply because I committed myself to another man. Now that the curse is broken and you and the Mayor are flying the rainbow flag … let's just say that we've personally benefited."

"We can live more openly," finished Peter with a smile. "Everyone can."

Emma didn't know quite what to say to that. It was humbling to have had an effect on other people's lives in such a way, without even knowing what she'd been doing at the time. Maybe saving people wasn't only down to grand feats of magic but also small acts of everyday bravery.

Henry climbed over the rug to snuggle up to his mother. "See, I told you you'd bring back the happy endings," he said smugly.

Emma smiled. "You sure did."

"Can I have your attention please?" Archie's voice came over the crowd from a handheld loudspeaker. "If everyone could gather in the main courtyard in front of the podium. The count is complete and we'll be announcing the result shortly. The votes are in."

"Do you think she's ok?" said Emma, eyeing Regina up on the podium as they waited in the crowd. "She looks nervous. Do you think she looks nervous. I mean, I don't know. She's wearing her Mayor face, which is fine, she's beautiful, gorgeous actually. But maybe she's worried. What are we gonna do. Oh my god, what's taking Archie so long. Hurry up!"

Mary Margaret and David exchanged a look that said they knew exactly who the nervous one was. Emma was fretting, her every thought spilling out of her, and Henry was bursting with excitement as they waited for the election result. The rest of the crowd was also abuzz with anticipation, although only the people who cared about hearing the result ASAP were waiting - the rest were still enjoying the fair.

"Ugh, I'm gonna throw up," muttered Emma. "I can't take this. What if she doesn't win. She'll be crushed. Oh god, oh god, oh god."

"Mom, over here!" said Henry, bouncing on his toes. He waved to his mother on stage, proud as punch. When she waved back he started a little jig complete with song. "She's gonna win, she's gonna win, she's gonna win."

"Stop. Don't jinx it, kid."

"I'm not! I know Mom's gonna win."

"Are you sure? How do you know. Argh, I can't tell! It could go either way."

Mary Margaret placed a calm hand on her daughter's arm. "Emma, honey. Breathe. You're taking ten years off all our lives."

Emma scowled and exhaled the breath she'd been holding. "Haahha. It's just - I really want this for her. She's worked too hard to just lose it all again and she deserves to get her job back. Besides, she'll drive me crazy if she has nothing to do."

David placed an arm around Emma's shoulders for a side-hug. "No matter what happens, remember she'll always have you and Henry. You guys have been through much worse than this and won."

"Yeah," Emma nodded too quickly. "It's gonna be fine. Of course it is."

Henry started singing louder. "She's gonna win, she's gonna win, she's gonna win-"

"ARGH, kid!"

As a former Queen, Regina was not disposed towards being kept waiting.

After Archie had called her up to the podium in preparation for the announcement the scatty shrink realised he'd left the envelope with the result in it back at the counting desks. He scurried off, leaving the lone candidate waiting by herself on stage.

Her jaw muscles were sore from clenching her teeth together but she made an effort to maintain a neutral professional countenance. Her posture was stiff and even though it was not a particularly warm day, her suit was stifling. She forced herself not to wring her hands in public view. All eyes were on her, the crowd in front and below staring at her and chattering to their neighbours about inane things no doubt.

What is taking that Cricket so long! How hard is it to keep track of a damn envelope. What the hell am I even doing up here anyway.

Regina derided her own foolish guile. Shortly she would have to bear the embarrassing news of being rejected by these peasants in front of the entire town. They were ready to revel in taking revenge upon her for cursing them and everything else she'd done. Every laugh in the crowd felt like a personal attack aimed at her. This was worse than a public execution in that she didn't even have the hope of a quick death to look forward to.

"Hi, Mom!" The crowd was too loud to hear the voice properly but Regina's eyes fell upon her son as he waved and called out to her. He looked so excited and happy, her regrets about running for Mayor were dashed instantly. She gave him a tight smile and a little wave in return.

When she saw Emma standing next to their son she was hit with a pang of amused pity. The poor dear looked as green as her food cravings had been when she was pregnant. Mary Margaret and David were there too, each with a supportive arm around their daughter. Regina suddenly realised that it was going to 'royally suck' as Em would have said to disappoint her family when they had such faith in her.

Can't this humiliation just be over already!

"Found it!" Archie jogged back up the steps to the podium to rejoin her. "It was in my pocket the whole time."

Regina wanted to strangle him. Don't do it, she told herself.

"How are you doing, Regina. All good?" said the doctor, his ongoing efforts to shrink her mind all too obvious. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Let's get it over with shall we." Regina said through gritted teeth, attempting to be polite.

Archie looked down and adjusted his glasses. "You ah, sound like you're waiting to be executed, not elected. Don't worry, no-one's going to die." His joke fell flat.

"Not yet," she muttered darkly.

Archie went to adjust the microphone's height and turned it on. He fiddled with it, sending irritating screeches through the speakers that making everyone wince and moan. The din of the crowd died down ready to hear the announcement.

"Hi everyone," said Archie, his voice coming out loud and clear now. "Thank you for coming and more importantly thank you taking the time out of this enjoyable day to cast your votes. If you didn't vote don't complain to the rest of us later if you don't like the outcome."

There was a pause to allow for laughter but no-one did.

"Wow, crickets. Anyway," Archie hopped on past the awkward moment. "I do want to say one thing before we move on. The curse wasn't the Evil Queen's fault it was our own."

A hum of shocked murmurs arose through the audience but at least he finally had their attention. It was lucky he was standing forward of Regina, unable to see her eyes narrow at him, wondering where he could possibly be going with this.

"All of us are guilty of the evil of inaction. We were given the rulers we deserved and we let ourselves be ruled by them. In the Enchanted Forest a young girl was forced into an unwanted marriage and we stood by, proclaiming ourselves innocent of any complicity in it. No-one tried to help her. When she grew up and cast the curse it was an injustice to us and we declared that she must have been born evil, rotten to the core. I think it's clear today by her example that everyone has the capacity to change. But what if we created the kind of world where she was never sent down that path in the first place?"

Regina wasn't sure how much more of this she could take. She went to stand beside Archie and leaned into the microphone to interrupt his philosophising. This was no time for moral discourse and she certainly didn't want the experiences of her youth held up as some kind of cautionary fable.

"Dr Hopper?" Regina glanced at the crowd conspiratorially. "Hurry up, please. Some of us want to go get toffee apples at the fair before they sell out."

The crowd laughed.

Dr Hopper nodded and adjusted his glasses with a smile before resuming his speech. "Very well. Normally this is the part where I'd congratulate all candidates on their hard work during the campaign but in this election the only candidate, Regina Mills, has always worked hard for the benefit of this town. Whatever the outcome of this election, on behalf of everyone here I'd like to thank Ms Mills for making Storybrooke the town it is today."

There was a polite smattering of applause.

Archie held up the envelope, opened it, and then removed a single slice of paper from within. He seemed to be taking a million years longer than necessary and Regina was dying to snatch the paper out of his hand.

"Oh," Archie cleared his throat as he read the handwritten outcome to himself. "I can honestly say this isn't what I expected."

Regina's heart sank. She was about three seconds from disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke so that she could go home and drown herself in apple cider or a hot bath, whichever came first. Why the shrink was prolonging her humiliation she had no idea. Maybe it was payback for all of the snark she'd delivered him over the years. If only she could fast forward time so that all this would be over already.

Dr Hopper was speaking to the crowd again but Regina was barely listening at this point. Immediate applause and cheers followed so she knew it'd gone against her. She had a sudden flashback to being tied to a stake and blindfolded ready to be shot to death with a dozen arrows as everyone jeered at her.

Archie turned to her. "Congratulations, Regina," he spoke normally, away from the microphone, giving her his personal message accompanied by a genuine smile. He offered his hand which she shook on autopilot. "You did it. You won."

Regina snapped out of her daze. "Wait, what?"

Archie leaned into the microphone to address the crowd. "People of Storybrooke, by popular vote, I give you your new Mayor. REGINA MILLS."

No, it couldn't be… Could it?

It didn't seem real.

Everything seemed to slow down and quieten as she saw Henry and Emma racing up the steps to the stage. Regina felt herself picked up by the waist and twirled around. An enormous cloud of relief came over her and then nothing else mattered. Her entire world was contained in two people who she made happy and that made her truly happy without reserve for the first time in her life.

108 Mifflin Street, the porch

It was nearly midnight but the fireworks at Town Hall were still going off.

Storybrooke's first annual Saviour Day had been a resounding success and the newly elected Mayor had endeared herself to many by using her magic to create fireworks as soon as the sky began to darken that evening. There was something about lighted rockets exploding into patterns across a black sky that brought people together, oohing and aahing.

Regina sat on the steps of the porch by herself watching the night sky. She still wore her skirt suit from earlier, legs crossed daintily at the ankles and an empty cider tumblr in her fingertips. She'd spent most of the day wishing it would go faster but now she wished it to slow down. The stillness of the cool night perfectly suited her contented mood.

The former Queen still couldn't believe she'd won the election. Archie had said that it had been a very close vote, meaning a significant proportion of the town voted against her, but no matter. She'd won and she had the rest of her next term to administrate her town as she saw fit. Even though she no longer sought revenge it was an undeniable thrill to triumph over those who hated her like the late Mrs Gander's cronies.

Henry had been so excited for his Mom. Her heart swelled and nearly burst with happiness at how proud she'd made him. No doubt he was still hyped up and awake over at the Meadows's house where he was having a sleepover with the twins. Hopefully they weren't rotting their teeth with too much candy from the fair.

The familiar sound of boots on the porch broke her reverie.

Emma sat down on the step beside her with a smirk and two flutes of champagne. "How do you feel about celebrating with a glass of bubbles, Madam Mayor?"

Regina put down her empty glass and accepted the refill. "Like someone's been looting my alcohol cabinet. I don't recall giving you a key."

"I don't need one, remember? I'm like Houdini. Besides, as if I could afford fancy french champagne like this on the pittance of a salary you pay me."

"I ought to pay you in bear claws and cut out the middleman."

Emma burst out laughing and clinked glasses with her. At the same time a circle of glowing gold sparks burst across the sky accompanying by a loud bang!. But Regina only had eyes for the beautiful golden-haired Saviour. It pleased her to no end to see the former orphan smiling and laughing so openly on the steps of the home they were making together. The fact that Emma actually used the word 'home' to refer to 108 Mifflin St now was proof that she finally felt comfortable there.

After the election announcement the two of them had wandered around the fair with Henry and then headed to Granny's diner for dinner, the place where they'd had their first date in both timelines. The two Lucas women came over to congratulate Regina. Ruby, dressed in a skintight red number, started gushing to them about having a date with a woman named Dot whom she'd met at the fair.

Granny brought their meals with her usual lack of fanfare and commented on the new Mayor's victory. "Congratulations. Your mother would have been proud."

Regina raised an eyebrow before contradicting the old widow who had known Cora for many years. "No, she wouldn't."

"Even better." Granny winked and then left for the kitchen.

Regina made a mental note to bring an extra basket of Honeycrisps for Granny this month. It was the least she could do for her former nursemaid.

It was true that Cora probably wouldn't have been thrilled by her daughter's democratic election, she saw power as something to be seized and wrested. She would have considered it weak to lay oneself open to the will of the fickle masses. So many of Regina's choices went against her mother's plans but at least her life was finally her own.

Regina felt that her father would have been happy for her. She was certain he would have loved Emma and his grandson. Daniel too - he was made of the same defiant moral fibre as Emma was - and wherever they were Regina hoped that her former fiance and her father were together.

BANG! BANG! BANG! Three aerial shells burst into a ring of red hearts in the sky.

Regina realised Emma was now staring back at her with a wry smile.

"I voted for you by the way," Emma teased her with the obvious. "Even though you didn't vote for me when I was running for Sheriff."

Regina scoffed. "That election was a sham. Besides, I did vote for you."

"You did not!" Emma gaped in disbelief. "Back then you hated me. You tried to get Sidney to take my job."

"What I did was give you an easy opponent whom no-one liked. A cuttlefish would have won against him. I basically rigged it in your favour."

"No way. You can't rewrite the past because you think it's more romantic. Did you really vote for me?"

"Yes." Regina shrugged one shoulder and looked down at her glass. "I wanted my town to have the protection it deserved. People really seemed to like the idea of someone willing to stand up to Mr Gold - including me. Even when we first met, you were a thorn in my side but I knew there was something about you that I wanted to keep near me. On some level I think I remembered you as Em, the teenage delinquent who stole my heart."

A thumb grazed her chin and gently tipped her face upwards. Emma leaned in to give her a soft kiss. She was going to pull away before Regina leaned in to recapture her lips in a deeper, more passionate way. A frisson of heat raced through her body. She could tell Emma was heating up to, judging by the response and soft moan as Regina threaded her fingers through the tangle of blonde curls at her neck.

At some point, Emma had untucked the new Mayor's blouse from her skirt and slid her arm up under it to caress the bare skin of her waist. Even when the kiss ended she kept her arm there, wrapped securely around her.

They sat there a while in a comfortable embrace, heads tipped together, watching and listening to the fireworks overhead.

"You will always have my vote for the job of hero, Emma."

"Nah, I'm not the hero here."

Regina rolled her eyes, thinking that her girlfriend was only being a sap and trying to butter her up for their later activities.

"You don't believe me? Ok, how do you know someone's the hero of the story. Usually they're the one with the sword or the cool magic and everyone else in the story falls over themselves to help them succeed in their quest to save the day. The good guys always win. Look back and you'll see it. This time the hero of the story was you, Regina."

"I'm no hero."

"Yeah, you are. Everyone thinks I'm the Saviour but it was you who saved Storybrooke: you made the True Love potion that broke the curse for good. The threat to the magic border and to everyone's memories is gone, and now there can be no more curses. You did that. Everyone's happy endings are returning - including ours."

The question niggled at the pit of Regina's belly, determined to be outed. Inside her Ri was begging her to remember her final wish for a happy ending. There was only one thing left to make it all perfect. But did she have the nerve to do it?

"Kathryn's engaged," Regina said, seemingly out of the blue.

Emma nodded. "Yeah, Mom told me. She said Kathryn wants you to be a bridesmaid and if you disagree they're both going to fight you on it."

"It would be nice if one day I get a choice about being part of a wedding." Regina frowned.

Emma squeezed her hand and gave her such a look of concern that Regina realised she must've betrayed more bitterness than she felt. In actuality she wouldn't mind standing up with her friend, it was a small deed in comparison to how much help Kathryn had given her with the campaign. But she couldn't help thinking about the question of her own happy ending whenever the topic came up though.

Regina shook her head once, as though clearing some memory cobwebs. "Sorry. It's fine. I'm happy to be in Kathryn's wedding."

"You alright with it?"

"Yes."

"Sure?"

"Yes, Emma. I was just thinking..."

"About what?"

"You." Regina let her eyes wander over Emma's form settling on specific aspects that left no question about her intentions later. "Naked. Tied to my bed. Writhing in ecstasy underneath me, begging me to release your hands so that you can grip my hips as I ride you."

Emma just about choked. There was definitely some dirty flirting going on now. "Wow… uh, I hope you're going to kiss me with that dirty mouth."

"Only if you're good."

"Well, when you untie my hands I'm going to flip you over and show you just how good I am."

In the dim light, the Queen's eyes darkened before she grabbed Emma's face and pulled their lips together in a hard kiss. Already Emma was squirming, pressing her denim-clad thighs together, and it wasn't long before she managed to break the kiss.

"C'mon," Emma said breathlessly. "Let's go upstairs."

Then Emma grabbed her hand and yanked her to her feet, ready to pull her through the mansion's front door.

"W-wait!" Regina faltered, her body screaming for her to let herself be taken to bed. But there was one thing she wanted to say to Emma first. One thing she wanted to ask. "This is where we first met. As adults, I mean. I felt something then. You remember?"

"Of course. How could I forget the day my whole life changed."

Emma waited, observant enough to realise that Regina was trying to tell her something. She held her hand tightly, letting her know she would wait and hear what she had to say. The world around them went quiet. The only thing Regina could hear was the hammering of her own heart in her throat.

"Emma Evelyn Swan," Regina started, her mouth instantly going dry with nerves. "Daughter of my enemies, pain in my ass, mother of my son. The Fates must've had a sense of humour when they made you my True Love. Twice I've fallen in love with you. I loved you in the past, I love you now, I'll love you forever."

Emma's eyes went wide for a second as she realised where this speech was heading. But she didn't want to run. All she did was take Regina's other hand so that she was now holding both as they trembled. Perhaps it was only wishful thinking, but it certainly felt like magic coursing between them.

"There's something I still wish for, something that I've wanted since I was a teenager. I wished back then to find True Love but now I want even more than that. I want you to formally adopt Henry, I want you to put your name on the deed to the house, and I want you to be my wife. Indeed, one day soon. Will you marry me?"

Emma nodded hurriedly and blurted out her answer. "Yes."

"Yes?" Regina let out the breath she'd been holding and nodded too. They both began to smile giddily, only stopping to laugh and kiss each other's lips.

And the princess and the queen lived happily ever after.

EPILOGUE, some time later

In the middle of the night Regina bolted upright in bed. The mansion was cool and quiet, Henry slept down the hall undisturbed. She reached over to the snoozing lump underneath the covers next to her and shook her awake. "Emma, Emma. Miss Swan!"

Emma groaned, still half asleep. "Wha-? 's not my name n' more," she complained.

"There's still something wrong in town!"

"Mmgh?"

"We figured out how our teenage selves got here and what was happening with the shrinking border. But there's one thing that's still unaccounted for… the clocktower! It's still hasn't come back according to Belle. It disappeared and it was the first hint we had that something was wrong in town."

"Yeah, that was me."

"What?!"

"I made the clocktower disappear. I told you I'm like Houdini."

Regina stared at her wife, wondering whether she was full of shit. The teenage catchphrase had led to them both getting into trouble more than once, but that was long ago now. Emma rolled over, her messy blonde curls surrounding her head on the pillow, and even with the lights off she could see blue eyes waking up with a hint of mischief.

Regina narrowed her gaze, squinting in the dark. "But I specifically remember you saying that you didn't do it. You freaked out because everyone we asked couldn't even remember the clock being there in the first place and we thought everyone was losing their memories. It wasn't just some illusion, it was real."

"Nah," Emma sat up lazily, reaching out to graze the back of her fingers down her wife's bare arm. "We only asked people that I had previously coached to say exactly what I wanted them to say. Archie and Marco, Mary Margaret and David. When I told them my plan to annoy you everyone jumped on board."

"You did it to annoy me? But you knew it wasn't true and it only confused matters. Why would you do that."

"Because." Emma shrugged, becoming increasingly smug. "When I was worried about the future getting wrecked and stuff starting to disappear, you thought I was being stupid. You thought I only had rinky-dink little magic powers whereas you're the big badass Evil Queen. So I decided to play a little trick on you and show you what I can do. Obviously it worked. I told you you didn't know what I was capable of. Now do you believe how awesome my powers are?"

"I can't tell if you're serious or legitimately insane. Couch for a week."

Emma groaned and let herself fall back onto the bed. "Geez, I'll put it back ok. Stupid clock."

"You'd better. I don't appreciate anyone messing with my town. Even you."