Archive of Our Own

It starts like this (which isn't unusual for them, honestly):

“We need to talk about this."

Regina huffs in response. “We most certainly do not." Crisp, decisive, leaving no room for argument. She walks around her desk, her heels clipping against the marble floor as she crosses over to the cabinets to search for the paperwork she needs.

“Regina, come on, we can't avoid this forever,” Emma pleads and even to her own ears it sounds whiny. She winces and tries to figure out how she can recalibrate this conversation. How she can get Regina to take this - them - seriously? Because quite clearly and plainly, there’s something going on, and there has been for quite a long while now.

Not that Regina has any intention of facing it. Which, honestly, isn’t that much of a shock.

Regina is brave in so many, many ways, but when it comes to her heart and the intense fear she carries within it (of abandonment, of rejection, of losing those who have inexplicably chosen and dared to love her in spite of her past), she can falter. 

“Emma, don’t you have things to be doing besides pestering me over meaningless..." she waves her hand around to highlight the nebulous nature of them, presumably. "We have a blizzard about to hit and we’re not even close to ready. And that doesn’t even begin to address the disturbance that keeps showing up on that Magic Radar Thingee of Henry’s.”

“It’s probably a troll,” Emma shrugs. 

Regina raises an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Well, if so, then shouldn’t we do something about it? Sheriff?"

“Why? It’s not doing anything besides making that thing ding now and again."

“Isn’t prevention of problems your job? Stopping problems before they happen? Or have I entirely misunderstood your job duties?"

Emma rolls her eyes, amazed as always by Regina's ability to acerbically make her point. “Okay. Fine. Let’s go over the known information, Madam Mayor. There’s a snowstorm bearing down some time this evening. My dad has the town prepping for it.”

“So, someone in our nepotism infested sheriff’s office is doing their job. Excellent,” Regina drawls. 

Ignoring her, Emma continues with, “Our kid, perhaps in an attempt to keep his reckless mother from rushing blindly into danger, created some kind of super radar that supposedly detects magical baddies. Only, we don’t know how or if this device actually works because it’s never actually been tested … so the fact that it’s suddenly saying there’s something in the middle of the Storybrooke woods is actually only a little bit worrisome and maybe also funny.”

“Go ahead and tell Henry that,” Regina urges.

“Can’t. He ran off to the Enchanted Forest to chase girls.”

Regina makes a displeased face at that and snatches the file from the cabinet, slamming the door shut as she petulantly marches her way back to her desk and throws herself behind her desk, slapping the file unnecessarily loudly on her marble desk.

“That was very mayorly,” Emma tells her, eyes decidedly on Regina's legs. 

“You really do have better things to be doing right now,” Regina insists.

“Well, we could be talking about you kissing me.”

“We’re never going to talk about that,” Regina fires back. 

“Regina…”

“You have a job to do. Go do it.”

Emma holds up her hands in defeat. “Fine. Whatever. But eventually, we will talk about it.”

Regina shakes her head in exasperation, walking over to the window and glancing out of it, nothing the faint outline of the moon in the sky. It’s supposed to be a blood moon tonight which will only make all of the other problems Storybrooke (and she herself has) all the worse as blood moons tend to always increase supernatural energies. Just what they don’t need.

“You know I can be just as stubborn as you,” Emma promises her with a smirk. “You know it.”

“Job.To.Do, Sherriff”

“As you wish, Your Majesty.” And then she turns and walks out the door of the Mayor’s office, swinging it widely open behind her.

Regina groans, a hand weaving into her dark hair as she watches the door slowly swing back and latches loudly into place. Life was easier when she didn’t give a shit about others, she thinks wryly as she looks out the window and watches as Emma casually crosses the street towards the little yellow Bug, hands in her pockets. Swagger as always on display. 

Less satisfying and infinitely less joyful, sure, but far easier. And yet, as she watches Emma drive away, she realizes that she doesn’t regret having fallen in love with these people. 

“Something on your mind, Kid?” David asks as he passes her a mug. 

“Just this storm,” she shrugs as she takes the mug from him. Hot cocoa, she sniffs and smiles gratefully, thankful for both the sugar and the warmth. She sips it and then runs her hands against the sides of the cup, allowing the heat to sink into the cool of her palms. “It’s going to hit us really hard and drop a shit-ton of snow onto Storybrooke. You know this town.”

“We can handle it,” David assures her. “Your mother and Belle are out with Leroy and the others making sure everyone is battening down and we’ve down everything we can to secure the buildings and ensure vital supplies are nearby. Firewood is plentiful as are blankets.”

“I know,” Emma nods.

“But?”

“This is Storybrooke. Shit happens. Shit always happens.”

David chuckles. “Is Regina worried?”

“Curiously? No. She is strangely worried about Henry’s Magic Radar Thingee.”

“Wait. She actually thinks that thing works?”

Emma shrugs. “Probably not, but if anyone could create something that could figure out how to detect magical disturbances, it would be Henry and you know Regina doesn’t dismiss anything Henry comes up with. Even if he’s not around to see her do it or not do it. It’s just not a great time to focus on it. The thing keeps beeping, and we don’t have time for it right now.”

“No,” David concurs. Then tilts his head. “Is there something else going on?”

“Hmm?”

“Between you and her?”

“Hmm?”

“Besides the usual, I mean?”

Emma sighs. “I really don’t want to have this conversation. Especially not with you.”

“But with your mother, maybe?” David asks, wriggling his eyebrow suggestively.

“Definitely not with her.”

David nods sagely. “You should tell Regina how you feel.”

“I’ve tried. It’s complicated. She’s complicated. And ridiculous. You how how she is.”

“Fear can be a strange thing.”

“Still not wanting to have this conversation with you.”

“Does she know you broke up with Hook?”

“He left town a while ago, Dad. Regina’s the smartest woman I’ve ever met...”

“So that’s a yes,” Snow says as she enters, Granny and Belle behind her. “We’re using the Library as a shelter for anyone whose house is damaged during the storm.”

“It’s pretty resilient and should hold up even if the blizzard gets severe,” Belle notes.

“That it is,” Emma agrees. She gestures towards the cupboards on the far wall of the station. “There are blankets over there and over there and a lot more supplies under the tables including water bottles and granola bars. Feel free to take whatever you think you’ll need.”

“Thank you,” Belle says and makes her way over with Granny to start gathering. 

“Are we talking about you and Regina?” Snow asks chirpily as she comes to stand with them.

“We are absolutely not,” Emma groans before taking another sip of her cocoa. 

“We absolutely are,” David corrects. “Regina is still being Regina.”

“You guys, please. This isn’t helping.”

“We know,” Snow admits. “It has to happen on your time.”

“Or not at all. She’s not…we’re…we’re friends. Just friends. Partners. Co-parents. Whatever.”

“But you said she kissed you. That means something.”

“Regina kissed you?” Granny asks, eyebrow shooting into her hairline.

Emma shakes her head urgently. “No, no, she didn’t. Mom -“

“She didn’t,” Snow clarifies quickly.

“So she did,” Granny nods to herself. “Interesting. Well, about damn time.”

“Oh, God,” Emma groans. “She’s going to kill me. Actually kill me.”

“Don’t worry,” Belle soothes. “None of us will say a word. Will we, Eugenia?”

“Not a word. We have bigger concerns,” Granny confirms. “This storm is going to slam Storybrooke and that’s if we’re lucky. No time for magical lesbian moms gossip hour.”

Emma winces at the description. Not that it’s particularly inaccurate.

“We’ll get the blankets,” Belle says and then gently leads a protesting Granny over to gather them, lightly scolding the older woman on better ways to have said the same thing.

“Sorry, Emma,” Snow offers her red-faced daughter.

Emma drops her face into her hands. “She really is going to kill me. Creatively. Slowly.”

“I suppose the upside is, that will tell you that it does mean something,” Snow insists. 

“Eh, I’m not sure that’s true.”

“Emma -“

“She’s my friend. And my partner. That’s what matters most and what I will protect most, okay? Which means -“ and Emma looks at both of her parents, her blue-gray eyes intense now. “If she wants to pretend it never happened, then that’s what we’re going to do. Okay?”

“That doesn’t sound like you,” David notes.

“But it does sound like Regina,” Snow concedes. 

Emma sighs. “Guys.”

“Hey, we’re bulls in a china shop, Kid,” David reminds her. “That’s the family way.”

“Right, which might work great if she didn’t have the biggest horns in the pasture. I’d rather not get gored, thank you very much.”

Snow mutters, “This metaphor feels like it’s going someplace I don’t want to think about.”

Emma chuckles, then leans over and kisses both parents on the cheek. As she walks towards the doors leading to the street, she calls back, saying, “I’m going to go do a last drive-through check of the town. We’re about t-minus two for the storm. Start getting everyone inside.”

“On it,” David assures her. “Be careful. Stay on radio.”

She holds up her walkie and wiggles it for her parents to see. “Will do.”

She’s just about out the door of her office when she hears the chimes again. They’ve been going off all afternoon and frankly the timing couldn’t be worse. Scowling, Regina spins around and walks back towards the strange metal device sitting on the counter. It’s an odd-looking thing, really. A ceramic bowl with a panel meant to receive signal and a bell to relay them. 

Utterly preposterous, honestly. She really shouldn’t be giving it the time of day right now.

And if Henry hadn’t built it, she wouldn’t be.

Even though Henry is off in another realm, and it’s not like he would know.

But…it’s Henry and she’s never been good at disregarding him for any reason.

Sighing, Regina walks over to the device and runs her fingers over it, frowning as it continues to chime. She thinks about her son and his green eyes and how much he looks like his other mother and how much she’d really like to not think about that woman right about now.

Because Emma Swan brings all kinds of complications that she doesn’t have time for at the moment. Especially considering how much time she doesn’t have.

“You know, I was really hoping I was wrong about you still being here,” she hears a voice say from the doorway - the voice of the very person she’d been thinking about, for that matter. She steadies her nerves. Scolds herself for being as anxious as she is and reminds herself of all she has been through in her life. Reminds herself that she can absolutely face this woman. She turns and forces a toothy, overly large politician's smile onto her face. “Miss Swan,” she greets. “I didn’t know you were coming back for me.”

Emma, hands tucked into her pockets, tilts her head, utterly unimpressed by Regina's attempt at cool detachment. “I’m making sure you get out of here before the storms kicks in.”

Regina's shoulders sag slightly. “You didn’t need to, but I suppose I…appreciate it.”

Emma narrows her eyes, trying to feel out Regina’s curiously turbulent and rapidly altering emotions. “Whatever is going on between us right now, we are still friends, right?”

“Of course. Why would you think otherwise?”

“Because you’ve been kind of an asshole ever since you kissed me.”

Regina opens her mouth as if to protest and then snaps it closed. That’s the way it had to be because she can’t go there, not now, not ever. Grabbing her peacoat, she pulls it on over her lithe frame, trying to give herself something to do that isn’t paying attention to Emma.

“Anyway,” Regina says, her back to Emma. “Give me a town update, Sheriff.”

Emma nods sharply, choosing not to mention Regina’s habit of barking orders (she’s used to it; also it’s vaguely attractive - something she knows better than to ever admit to). “All buildings are secured and boarded up. We have food stocks for three days at the ready. Blankets have been distributed. The library and the rec center at the ready to be used as needed in case of evacuations. We have deputized all of the dwarfs…’ she grins impishly when Regina snorts at that “… As well as several other volunteer members of the town. Whale has the medical center on standby in case of any emergencies. We’re as ready as I think we can be considering.”

“Good job, Sheriff.”

“Wow, that kind of sounded like a sincere compliment.”

Regina smirks. “Well, you’re not hideous at your job.”

“Thank you?”

“Mm. That said, I assume you came to get me out of here before the storm hits, yes?” She glances towards her window, noticing how dark the skies have gotten.

“Yes, Madam Mayor, I did.”

Regina gestures loftily towards the door to her office. “Well, then, lead on.”

They’re about to step out when the chimes go off again. Regina frowns.

“We’ll check out your troll friend after the storm,” Emma insists. “Promise.”

“Of course,” Regina agrees, but the look on her face is one Emma has seen a hundred times before, one that never bodes well for the likelihood of Regina being patient.

“After,” Emma reiterates because Regina is still staring at Henry’s device thoughtfully.

Regina nods and yet that same unsettling look remains in her dark eyes.

“Regina,” Emma soothes, reaching for her wrist. Her fingers close around it and squeeze and that’s enough to get Regina’s attention and make her look up at her, dark eyes refocusing. 

“I agreed,” Regina says softly, a slight tremor in her voice.

It’s just enough to tell Emma that something is bothering Regina and not just a little bit.

“Hey, you know you can talk to me, right?”

“I do,” Regina affirms and doesn’t offer anything more. Which doesn’t actually surprise Emma.

Because whatever is it that’s bothering her, it’s clear that Regina isn’t quite ready to tell her yet. 

“You’re not going out in this nasty storm chasing trolls, right?” Emma presses, only half-joking.

“No one said it was a troll,” Regina corrects. “It could be anything.” Which isn’t exactly denial and that sets its own alarm bells ringing in Emma's head.

“Fine. You’re not going out chasing magical fairies. Or whatever.”

“I don’t chase fairies. That’s something you would do, not me, Swan.” The words are said teasingly, but they don’t quite land and it’s obvious that Regina’s more than a bit anxious. 

Emma frowns. “Probably right.” She gestures for Regina to go through the door, glancing back once more at Henry’s magic tracker before she then follows Regina through the open frame.

In the distance, the snow begins to lazily fall.

As they step outside together, she puts her hand on Regina’s left bicep and squeezes tightly, meaning to provide some kind of comfort for whatever is upsetting Regina, offering her an impish smile, the kind that Regina secretly (not so secretly) finds charming and adorable. She says again. “I’m here. Whatever this is - whatever is bothering you, I’m here.”

“I know you are,” Regina says softly, affection warming her tone. “Let’s get inside.”

Emma nods and pulls the door to the Bug open.

Somewhere deep in the middle of the forest, a creature neither troll nor fairy begins to stir, its diamond blue eyes opening as ice breaks apart and allows it to rise from its slumber. 

“You know, you’re more than welcome to stay with the fam at the farmhouse,” Emma tells her as she drives toward the house on Mifflin. “I hate the idea of you holed up all by yourself.”

“I’m not riding out the storm playing Monopoly and Charades,” Regina retorts.

Emma chuckles. “We have wine. And regular cards. I know you  play a mean Bridge.”

“True, but I have some books I’ve been wanting to read. And actually good wine.

“I don’t like you being alone during something like this.”

“But I won’t be alone. Zelena and Robin will be there with me.”

“You know they’re always welcome to come as well.”

Regina looks out the window, the look on her face unmistakably sad.

“Regina -“

“Emma, please.”

“Okay,” Emma agrees. “Okay. I get it. I guess. I mean I don’t get it, but…I guess I do.”

“You don’t.”

“Then help me understand what’s going on here because you’re right, I really don’t. I don’t understand why you’re suddenly pulling away from me. Like I’ve somehow upset you."

Regina takes a deep shaky breath and then turns back to face her. “What are you doing?”

“What?”

“Emma, what are you thinking?”

“What?”

“Can’t you see, Emma? You’re worth more than the people you keep chasing. So much more.”

“I…Regina, I don’t understand what’s happening here.”

“We’re here.” She points ahead, her hand slightly trembling.

Emma blinks and sure enough, they’re at Regina’s mansion. “Wait, we’re not done.”

“We are. Go home. Stay inside and be safe. I’ll…I’ll see you. You did good work, Emma. You always do. I hope you know that.” And then she’s getting out of the car and shutting the door.

“Regina!”

She gets no response so desperately, frantically, she tries again.

“Regina!”

The door to the mansion closes leaving Emma to stare open-mouthed and stunned after her.

Wondering as usual what the hell is going on with Regina.

“You look upset,” Zelena notes as she watches her sister step into the kitchen and pour herself a tall glass of red wine. Two large pulls from it and another pour and it’s clear that she is.

“I’m all right,” Regina shrugs. “Just…trying to make better choices in my life.”

“Ah, so we’re talking about Emma Swan, are we.”

Regina downs the rest of the glass. “I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to. This is about the kiss.”

“I never should have told you about that.”

“No, you probably shouldn’t have, but you did so no point in denying it now.”

Regina pours herself another full glass of wine. “No, I suppose not.”

“For what it’s worth,” Zelena says, gesturing to the bottle, “That’s why you told me.”

“Ugh. Probably true.” She puts the glass down. “Where’s Robin?”

“Sleeping. I expect the storm will wake her so I’d like her to get in at least a few hours.”

“Right.” She looks around at the windows, which are starting to rattle. “We should be all right.”

“We could always join the Charmings. Have a nice…family outing.” She rolls her eyes.

Regina chuckles. “We actually do like them.”

“We do,” Zelena agrees. “But then you’d probably have to address your feelings for Emma.”

“No,” Regina says simply.

“Right. Because that would be too easy,” Zelena agrees. “And we Mills women don’t do easy.”

“In this case, it wouldn’t be too easy … it would be wrong,” Regina counters.

“Regina -“

“She deserves better and we both know it,” Regina states and empties the glass.

“No. You deserve to be happy,” Zelena declares, eyes blazing defiantly. 

“Do I?”

“Do I?” Zelena lobs back. “Because we both know you’d say I do. So why don’t you?”

“It’s different.”

“The hell it is. You deserve to be happy and if I have to team up with Snow-Fucking-White myself to make It happen, then I bloody well will. You’re going to be happy, Regina. You will.”

And then Zelena is stomping up the stairs, red hair flying behind hair.

Thankfully, upstairs is nowhere near Emma Swan, or Snow White for that matter.

Regina sighs and sits down. She reaches for the wine and pours herself another glass, hoping to forget about magical machines, snowstorms, and kisses for just one night.  

But as she raises her glass, she hears the faint sound of chimes carried in the howling wind.

As it turns out, Regina Mills has herself a secret.

Well, truthfully, she has a lot of secrets, hidden truths from her past that she tries not to tell all at once because that’s a lot for any one person to take in (though she suspects the Family Charming could probably handle it). But this one is a bit strange for even her. This one isn’t Evil Queen bad or wake up screaming bad. No, it’s more like…she actually knows there’s something not-quite-right out in the forest bad and she’s deeply uneasy about it bad. 

You see, she’s been having dreams - well, more like nightmares -  about it lately and the dreams all end in the same terrible way: with her family shoveling dirt over her very dead face.

Which normally, she’d long ago come to accept the fact that everyone - even someone who stopped time for thirty years - eventually dies one day. She just had hoped that maybe she’d gotten past the part of her story where she would die horribly at the hand of a magical creature tearing her apart while everyone looks on sadly for a while, then goes on with their lives. 

At east she managed to kiss Emma once before dying she thinks morosely and then laughs.

Okay, but that hadn’t been the plan. She genuinely hadn’t meant to kiss Emma. Doing had just thrown more complications into her life and she really doesn’t need any more of those right now. Especially not with her death-day clock now apparently ticking down to zero.

But…they’d been walking side by side and Emma had been cracking stupid jokes and then Regina had tripped and broken an ankle and Emma had been so stupidly chivalrous after she healed her, beyond how she always is and Regina had felt her self-control waver as she’d thought to herself, “there may never be another chance so why not now” and it’d honestly been complete madness but then Emma’s lips had been so insanely soft. Soft and lush and full and then kissing her back and one kiss had become two and three and then Emma had -

Regina had pulled rapidly away after that and walked away without another word.

Which probably hasn’t at all been fair to Emma, but the stupid kiss never should have happened and exactly how can she ever begin to explain to Emma that she’s pretty sure that within a few days, Emma is going to be burying her and none of this will matter, anyway.

She doesn’t think Emma will respond too well to any of that and will want to fight for her.

But the dreams…those chimes…Regina’s not entirely sure any of this can be changed.

Something is out there and it wants her. She’s not sure why, but it feels inevitable.

Maybe this is fate. Maybe this is her past finally catching up. Seems a bit twisted to go this way, but then why should the former Evil Queen be spared consequences at the end?

Still, her heart breaks.

For her son that she will never see grow up and marry. 

For the family she’d finally found.

For the sister she’d embraced.

And yes, for the woman she’d fallen in love with, who she’s never truly told.

Regina touches her lips, feeling the memory of a fading kiss and sighs.

She hears chimes once more, just as the bell from the clocktower rings out a warning that the storms are coming and for the townspeople to get indoors immediately. And as those sounds swirl together into one ominous yet oddly melodiously sound, Regina knows her time is up.

She thinks she could hide inside, behind the storm, but knows it’d be pointless. 

It feels like the sound of chimes are swirling around her. Louder. More insistent. 

In her mind, she sees a creature standing up. Looking at her. Waiting for her. Taking a step towards her town. A town that is already about to get destroyed by the natural elements.

She laughs and thinks of the irony of it all - of what she’s about to do; thirty years ago, she’d never have sacrificed herself for these people. Now. Now she’s about to walk into the middle of the snow drenched woods in the middle of a catastrophic snowstorm where she’s just as likely to freeze to death as to be mauled to death by some kind of magical creature all to save towns people who will never really mourn for her. But she’s going to do it, anyway.

For the people she loves. For Snow and David and Zelena and Robin.

And for Emma.

She picks up a piece of paper. Writes out a short letter for Henry, tells him how much she loves him, how proud she is of him and how much she will always be watching out for him. Writes out one for Snow telling her how she’s glad they fixed things and became family once again.

She writes out for her sister, apologizing for leaving her but telling her how proud she is of the path Zelena has chosen and urging her to stay upon it and to embrace the good within her.

And then…because she needs Emma to actually know, she writes a note for Emma, pouring out the words she needs Emma to know. The words she’s never actually been able to say.

Grabbing her peacoat and her gloves, she pulls them on, takes a deep breath and says, “All right, then.” Quietly, to herself. Defiant, eyes blazing furiously, like the Queen she is.

If she’s going to die today, she’s most certainly going to do it with her head held high.

“Emma!” Snow breathlessly calls out, rushing into the living room where Emma is rather restlessly playing with her little brother on the ground. David is sitting with them, a dice mug in his hand, repeatedly dumping it over on its side, making the toddler giggle and clap his hands together. It’s low-grade amusement, but for the time being at least, it will suffice. 

“Mom?” Emma says, looking up and catching the wild-eyed look on her mother’s face.

“It’s Regina.”

“What’s Regina?” Emma says, immediately on her feet, one hand reaching for her leather jacket. Because she knows her partner pretty damn well by now and she knows the stupid crap that Madam Mayor tends to do and the way Regina has been acting as of late, well…

“Zelena just called and said Regina went out.”

“Went out where?”

“She didn’t say, but Emma…Emma, she left notes. For me, you and Henry. Goodbye notes.”

“What?!? 

Snow holds up the cordless house phone. “She’s still on the line. Zelena, I mean.”

“Yes, I am,” Zelena huffs. “And thank you so much for the long drawn out intro. It’s not like we’re in a rush or anything.”

Snow opens her mouth to protest but Emma waves her away. “You can bitch at each other later after we’ve gotten Regina home. Zelena, focus. Where did Regina go and why?”

“Hell if I know, but she left you a love letter, Swan so you’d better find her before she freezes to death, and then you can kill her yourself for not telling you.”

Emma groans as she leans over and starts lacing on her insulated boots, specifically choosing the ones capable of plowing through deep snow. “Goddammit, Regina.”

“Where do you think she is?” David asks, standing up, Neal in his arms.

“Where else would a reformed Queen with a self-sacrificial streak go in the middle of a blizzard besides the fucking woods,” Emma growls as she pulls her sheriff’s parka and beanie on.

“Emma, where are you going?” Snow gasps, grabbing her arm.

“Exactly where you think I’m going; to get Her Royal Ass out of the new mess she’s in.”

“The storm,” Snow points out needlessly.

“Hasn’t hit yet and won’t fully for another hour or two. If I can get to her fast and get her back here, we’ll be okay. My magic has always been skilled at seeking hers out. We have time.”

Slowly, Snow nods, stepping back. “Do you want one of us -“

“No, it’s already going to be two of us out there. Let’s not make it worse.”

“My magic,” Zelena offers. “I can help.”

“I know you can,” Emma offers. “But I need you here. “If both Regina and I are out there, that leaves you as the only magic user besides Gold and well -“ both she and Zelena exchange a knowing look at that -“In town in case anything weird comes through with the storm. We need you here to protect the town. Don’t worry, we’ll be back before anyone knows it and then over cocoa with Kahlúa, we can all take turns yelling at Regina. Me first and then me again.”

“Be safe,” David urges, squeezing her arm. “Check in every fifteen minutes.”

“As long as I’m able.” She holds up her walky-talky again. “But chances are, the storm is going to interfere before too long. No matter what, though, promise me you won’t send anyone else.”

“Emma,” Snow protests.

“Mom, if something goes bad - it won’t but if it does and we get stuck, sending more people out there will just make it worse. After I leave, I want you to seal the doors until we return. The storm is coming in. I’ll be back in an hour or it may take a few hours. But I’ll back. Okay?”

“Fine, if you want me to promise you, you have to promise me,” Snow demands. 

Emma hesitates. “Promise what?”

“Promise,” Zelena echoes, her accent making her words all the more urgent. 

“Wait, can I see the letter Regina left?” Emma asks, changing the subject.

“Are you sure you want to?”

 “I think I should probably understand her headspace.”

“Emma, do you know why she went out there?” Snow asks as she hands her daughter a sling bag. When Emma unzips it, she sees extra pairs of gloves inside, several warming hand packs, two bottles of water, matches and four trail mix bars as well as a couple gummy bear packs.

“Thanks,” she murmurs. “And yes, a little. But every bit helps.”

Zelena hands her the letter. “Find her.”

“I will.” And then with that said, Emma slings the bag over her shoulder and is out the door, the screen slamming shut loudly behind her. 

It’s not until after she’s left that they that no one had agreed to any of the requested promises.

“We’re going to have to go find them in the morning, aren’t we?” Zelena asks.

Snow and David look at her, look at each other and say nothing.

Emma doesn’t bother with the Bug this time; even with chains on her wheels, she won’t make it a mile in this snow and it’s not like she can maneuver in the dense Storybrooke woods, anyway. That said, she does stop by the Bug for just a few more supplies she needs.

Flipping open the trunk, she rifles through a box in the back and yanks out a small silver package - part of a bigger box she’d bought years ago for stakeouts: a thermal blanket. Thankfully these things just about dehydrate and fold up absurdly small and so she’s able to toss it into the sling. She grabs a flare and the small first aid kit and then moves around to the front seat and removes her service pistol and places it into the back of her jeans.

As always, she hopes she never has to use it, but really, she has no idea what she’s walking into or what this night is going to bring on. This storm is likely to hit quick and hard and that’s the relatively good news, but it also doesn’t take long at all to freeze and that’s the bad news. 

“Hang on, Regina,” she mutters. “I’m coming for you. You’ve got some explaining to do.” 

It’s cold. Really, really fucking cold.

No, the storm hasn’t fully hit yet and won’t for another hour or so (though the flurries have started), but the temperatures are starting to drop dangerously and the wind feels like it is cutting right through you, and that’s scary enough.

What’s deeply worrying, though, is just how much she doesn’t understand about Regina’s mental state right now. She knows Regina’s been oddly distressed over Henry’s weird magical tracker for a few weeks now and there’d been the out-of-nowhere kiss (which she really rather enjoyed, but that’s another matter, entirely). But it’s Regina’s reaction to it that has been mystifying, far beyond what she would have expected it to be. She knows Regina can be painfully repressed at times, but she’s also felt like there’s been a certain tension, a chemistry between them for years, so it didn’t make sense that Regina pulled back so quickly and went into such sharp denial - even stranger still considering the letter she’d left behind. 

The letter. Right.

The letter.

Emma reaches into her pocket and pulls it out, fumbling to open it while wearing her oversized thermal gloves. She hadn’t read it at the house in front of the others because she’d felt like it was a deeply personal moment, not something she wanted to share with her parents right now. Opening it now, she takes a breath (marveling at the way it crystalizes in front of her) and then starts to scan the sprawling, very Regina-like handwriting. Equal parts old-world and modern calligraphy, it can be maddening illegible at times but she’s had more than a little bit of practice at deciphering Regina’s words over the years so she knows what this loops means and that swoops suggests and well … she knows Regina.

She knows Regina.

Biting her lip, she reads:

“Oh, Emma, I’m sorry this is how I’m saying this to you. You deserve better, but this is what fate has handed me. Frankly, you deserve better than me, but I couldn’t leave you without telling you what I think you already know. I love you. I have since the first time I met you. I thought we had more time. I hoped that maybe we had a chance to…well, I don’t know who I’m kidding…It’s me. But more than anything else, I want you to be happy. We may have battled with each other along the way, but you and Henry and Snow taught me what real love looks like. I’m sorry I’ll never get the chance to know what it’s like to really experience a life with you, but I hope that whatever your next chapter is, it’s worthy of the amazing woman you are, Emma Swan. I hope that somewhere along the way, I’ve made you proud. I love you. Your Regina.”

Emma closes her eyes tight against the tears, willing them not to fall. She tries to breathe back the heartache. Fingers crumpling against the note, she bites down on her lip, refusing to cry.

Refusing to break down. Because right now there are other things to be done.

Her head lifts up. She raises her walky-talky and pushes the button. “This is Emma, checking in at mile marker…” she looks ahead for the position markers Regina had long ago positioned throughout the woods. If Regina tries to help Emma find her, these will be useful, but for the time being, they’ll be good to help her communicate with her parents. “Six. By the creek.”

“We hear you, Emma,” David replies, his voice breaking up. The storm is starting to drop more and more snow and while these radios are strong, there’s going to come a point where the interference will likely be too much. She wonders about her magic - and about Regina’s - and how much their magic will be able to cut through the elements. In the past, they’ve had some success, but equally so, Regina’s shown some issues with her magic when she’s been under duress and it’s quite clear right now that she’s going through something extremely intense.

But also? This storm is going to be a son of a bitch and who knows how much it’s going to screw with all of them before everything is said and done. Right now, out here directly in the elements and not inside curled up front of a roaring fire with hot chocolate and a hearty beef stew, they’re already at its mercy and all the Swan style bravado in the world can’t change that.  Emma sighs, clutching the letter. “I’m going to find you,” she mutters. “Bet on that.”

And if Regina were in her right mind - if she is at all herself through whatever this mess is - she would, in fact, bet on Emma, because the one thing Regina knows best about Emma Swan is that she does dogged and determined better than anyone. Especially when it comes to Regina.

Regina is beginning to think this was not one of her better ideas.

Actually, she knew it ranked up there as one of her very worst ideas even before she left the house, but she also knew that she had no choice. The moment she could hear those infuriating chimes, she knew that if she didn’t go out looking for the creature, it would come for her and then the people she loved most would be in danger and she couldn’t, she wouldn’t allow that to happen. She would rather die than force them to experience that pain.

And so here she is. In the middle of the woods, the temperature rapidly falling as the snow falls and white descends all around her. The trees are starting to droop and her steps are becoming heavier and heavier, each one a struggle as she pushes towards the sounds of the chimes. 

Still, she persists.

This will all be over soon, she tells herself.

And then when the storm is over and they find her…well, she doesn’t want to think of that.

Soon…soon, she won’t have to.

Soon, she will be in the Underworld worrying about what she needs to do to move on. She wonders what that will be for her. Probably something to do with Henry or Emma.

Naturally. 

Scowling, Regina takes a step forward, her boot sinking down into the snow and it’s then that a tree branch over her head snaps, sending a clump of snow right for her; instinctually, she lifts her hand to put up a shield to stop herself from getting knocked out, but all she sends back is sparks and that alone stuns her long enough for the debris to slam full-force into her face.

She hits the ground hard, flat on her back. For a moment just lying there marveling at the snow smeared sky and watching the red moon disappearing behind the white of the blizzard.

 That is until she feels warm, sticky wetness around her nose.

“Fucking great,” she mutters, her hand lifting to her nose. She can’t really touch it with her glove on, but she’s pretty certain she’s bleeding. Lifting it away and sure enough there’s red.

Wonderful.

Bad enough some giant stupid magical snow yeti is going to kill her but now trees are attacking her and her magic has entirely deserted her. This day really couldn’t get worse.

“Ah, there you are.”

Apparently, it could.

“On your back. Bleeding. Of course.”

Regina makes no move to sit up or even look up. “What are you doing here, Swan?” Exasperated, annoyed, as only she can properly sound.

“Saving your Queenly ass as usual. God, you’re really bleeding a lot.”

“I’m not and my ass - Queenly as it may be - did not request or require saving.”

“The letter you left behind suggested otherwise.”

Regina looks startled for half a second before recovering and retorting, “You weren’t supposed to see that yet. I should have known Zelena would snoop around after I left.”

“Don’t get mad at your sister for caring about you. Regina, in spite of what you think, people really do care about you. Here…take this. Put it on the bridge of your nose. I know it’s cold, but it should help.” She wads up a ball of snow and hands it to Regina - an unfortunate bit of irony in the middle of all of this - to stop the flow of blood down her face. Reluctantly, Regina acquiesces.

Taking the snow from her, Regina groans and sits up, the blood still streaming down her face. “Emma. Go home,” she hisses as she gingerly places the snow on the bridge of her nose. 

“Looks like you need my help,” Emma tells her, observing just how odd a visual it is to see Regina - the Mayor-Queen of Storybrooke - sitting forlornly in the middle of the dirty/bloody snow. “ So here I am, Your Majesty, as usual, your knight in…well for once, not red armor.”

“Thank God for that, at least. But in case you hadn’t noticed, Emma, there’s a massive storm coming about to drop a lot of snow on all of our heads. If you stay out here with me playing Savior, you’re going to freeze to death. So please, just go home and keep your family safe. They’re what matters most right now. Not me.”

“In case you hadn’t noticed, Madam Mayor, you are my family. We go together or not at all.”

“Emma.”

“Regina.”

“Please, Emma. Go home”

“You said you love me in that letter. Present tense.”

“I…I know.”

“Then talk to me.”

“You can’t stay.” 

She steps closer to Regina. “Here’s the thing.  You didn’t expect me to find out about your letter until after whatever stupid sacrificial thing you’re planning to do tonight, did you?”

“Emma,” Regina pleads. 

Another step forward and then Emma is leaning down and into her space. “Guess what?”

“Please -“

“I’m in love with you, too.”

“No. Don’t say that.”

“I…I don’t think you get make that decision for me. Queen or not.”

“Yes, I can.” Regina starts to stand up, trying to look determined and in charge, “You have to get out of here -“ the words catch as dizziness overtakes her. Immediately, Emma is at her side, an arm at her elbow.

“Maybe we hold off on scolding me until you’ve gotten your head checked out. We both know it’s hard, but even you can only take so many knocks before it cracks wide open.”

“I’m fine,” Regina growls and pushes her away, wobbling slightly. “I have a job to do.”

“Yeah? What job is that? Besides trying to get yourself killed?”

“You don’t understand,” Regina growls and then tries to walk away, but the dizziness gets her again and she stops, leaning heavily against a tree, her hand resting against her forehead.

“Okay, okay, easy,” Emma says, her voice growing gentle. “Let’s…we really need to get your head checked out. So why don’t we just turn around and -“

“I can’t,” Regina insists. “There’s something out here.” Her eyes close and she forces a breath through her nose. She waves her hand in the vague vicinity of the forest. “It’s out there.”

“Okay,” Emma nods, her frustration clear. “Okay. But I’m damn well going to be with you the whole way and you know I’m just as stubborn as you are so you’d better just accept it.”

Regina’s eyes snap open. “No, this is my battle to fight … mine not yours,” she hisses. She pushes herself off the tree and then, despite her obvious head pain, she starts to stomp away. 

“Ours,” Emma corrects as she trails behind her. “Together. We’ve agreed on it a thousand times before and we’ll agree on it a thousand more.” Then she picks up her radio, lifts it up and says, “Dad, I found Her Royal Crankiness at Mile Marker Nine. It’s going to be a really long night.”

“Be careful, Emma,” he sighs, his voice crackling as it breaks apart. 

“Oh, I’m well past that.”

“Don’t I know it,” he chuckles and she knows he’s thinking back on his own story.

Because as it turns out, in this family, love is both dangerous and more than a bit crazy.

“So are you going to tell me why we’re out in the middle of the goddamn snow instead of inside sipping warm brandy and watching Die Hard -“

“For the fiftieth time,” Regina grunts. “It’s a dumb movie, Emma. And not a Christmas movie.”

“Well, it’s not Christmas so you shouldn’t mind.” Off the withering look Regina sends her, she holds up hands and says, “We could watch Spaceballs; I know you like that one better.”

Regina’s eyebrow arches imperiously and it’s clear that she’s not going to justify her lowbrow humor (but she also quite likes Monty Python and she won’t justify that, either). 

“Either way, are you going to explain why we’re out here and not inside?” Emma pleads.

“No.” Arms crossed, absolutely unapologetically petulant. 

“Great. So we’re just going to freeze to death because -“

“You don’t need to follow me out here,” Regina mutters.

“You left me a letter.”

“Which you were supposed to find tomorrow.”

Emma reaches for her arm and turns her. “Are you serious right now?”

“What?”

“You left me a letter telling me you love me and I’m supposed to not care that I wasn’t supposed to find it until after you were dead? Regina?!? You do a lot of bullshit things but you have to admit, this is at the absolute top of the list even for you. Enough. Talk to me. Now.”

Regina just stares back at her, her dark eyes blazing with defiance.

“I’m already out here and I’m not leaving without you. Dead or alive, Regina. You get it? We’re in this together.” She takes a step closer to her. “So please…please, just talk to me.”

“I keep saying it: there’s something out here. I’m hunting it so it doesn’t harm…better me than everyone else, right? That’s why I’m here. That’s my job in this town right now.”

“No,” Emma says without hesitation. “Dying is not your job. What the fuck, Regina?"

“Emma, come on. We both -“

Before she can say more than that - before she can actually say what she might have been willing to say - a loud chime sounds and then…and then a growl. 

Regina sighs. “There’s no more time.”

She reaches for Emma’s bicep and turns her and then they’re both staring at what can only be called some kind of magical snow monster. Monstrous in size, gleaming silver and covered in sheets of snow and ice with bright blue eyes. It has icicles for its teeth and fingernails.

“Holy shit,” Emma gasps. 

“I’ve been dreaming about that thing for…weeks. Well…kind of.” She doesn’t elaborate that she’d mostly been dreaming of falling and dying upon the snow as opposed to actually seeing what had attacked her, but that distinction hardly seems important at the moment. 

“What? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Regina just shakes her head sadly, wincing as she does so, the concussion she appears to be struggling with causing her pain. “Look, I don’t have much of my magic available to me. I don’t…I don’t know why, but I might have a little. I’m going to try to distract it. When I do, I want you to run. Run back towards town. I think it just wants me. You should be safe. If -“

“Shut up.”

Regina pulls up straight, having been told those words so very seldom in her life. Perhaps only by a few people. Her mother. Snow. Rumple and yes, Emma.

“Emma, use your goddamn head for once.”

“I’m Charming and Swan, I think I’ll stick with my heart. I’m staying. With you.”

“I was right. No jokes - you actually are a goddamn idiot.”

“Yeah, well, it’s what I’m good at,” Emma shrugs as she tosses magic at the creature. It howls in fury and swings one of its paws at them, sending a great blast of snow and ice back at them. One of the clumps just barely misses hitting Emma square in the face, a rather violent collision that probably would have given Emma a bloodied-up face to match Regina’s.

“That will be very useful when you’re down in the Underworld with me,” Regina hisses.

Emma looks over at her, her gaze furious and hurt. “Do you really think I could live with myself if I just left you to die? Do you think I could face Henry? My mother? Myself? Do you?”

“I think you’d get over it in time.”

Emma just shakes her head. “Put your goddamn hands up, Your Majesty and let’s try to stun this thing enough to get to those trees over there; if I remember right, one of the old mine entrances is just behind it and I think we can maybe take shelter in it for at least a few hours.”

Regina frowns thoughtfully, remembering all of the old mine hubs that still exist around town. Most of them had been sealed to stop anyone else from venturing down into them, but a few still have some entry areas existing. Like this one. “It’s not really deep enough to hide us from this storm. The cold will still encroach - it might keep a us a few degrees warmer, but not much more than that,” she muses, more to herself than Emma. 

“No, but it’ll stop that thing from being able to get in.”

“You realize we’re just delaying the inevitable. Either it mauls us to death or it traps us in a cave in sub zero temperatures where we freeze to death. Either way -“

“I know,” Emma says softly. “Regina, I know. But it’s something and we gotta do something.”

“Please go home. Please. I want more for you than this.”

“There’s honestly no point in this argument. I’m not leaving you. I’m not. But…I also don’t think we can get past him without your magic at full power,” Emma admits.

“No, I don’t think we can,” Regina agrees. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Emma nods and then lifts her hands up and takes a deep breath and then throws her magic at the creature. A moment later, Regina tosses what little she has left. It’s so very little, but the moment it touches Emma’s, it curiously bubbles to life, emerging enough to push the monster back and allow the two women just enough space to rush past it and towards the small mine.

They run inside the entrance, just managing to get beyond its reach as it recovers, howling as it sweeps its long icy paws at them. The run has warmed them, made their cheeks pink with adrenaline and energy and they’re both laughing in spite of the horrible situation.

“Well,” Emma says as the creature angrily retreats, its confusion clear as it paws its way along the icy embankment around the mine. “We really need to go somewhere better for a date.”

“You think this is where I would take you on a date? The middle of an icy wasteland?”

“I really hope not,” Emma chuckles as she pulls out the walky-talky and frowns at it. She smacks it against her palm a few times and sighs, not at all surprised to find that it’s not at all getting a signal this deep in the forest as well as well as buried beneath the mine beams.

Score one more against the good guys and their chances for surviving the night. Of course.

“I promise you, Emma, if we get out of this and if you aren’t totally repulsed by -“

Growling impatiently and desperately needing a win, Emma cuts her off by leaning across the gap between them, placing a gloved hand on Regina’s face (admittedly not quite the tactile feel she’d prefer) and leaning in, kisses Regina as firmly as she can manage, her slightly snow-chapped lips pressing lightly against Regina’s, earning a soft gasp from the older woman.

When they break apart - too soon for both of their liking, to be honest - Emma cheekily asks, “How’s that’s for an answer, Madam Mayor or do you require further proof of my interest.”

“I -“ Regina’s hand lifts to her lips. 

Emma blinks in surprise. “Wait. Are you…are you actually surprised?”

Seeming embarrassed at having her feeling be so blatantly exposed, Regina quickly recovers from her shock by pulling away from Emma. “We should start a fire. We need to get some warmth in here and fast. That thing will come back for us eventually, and I’m sure it’s looking for a way to cave this mine in on us, but in the meanwhile, let’s try not to die first.”

Emma bobs her head in agreement, her blonde curls jumping. “Right. Absolutely agree. And we will. After you answer the question: are you actually surprised that I have feelings for you?”

“Can you try to focus on what actually matters at the moment?” Regina answers snippily. If Emma didn’t know Regina as well as she does, she’d be offended, but the thing is, she does know this woman and well; many years of having fought and stood beside her have taught Emma that when Regina is feeling vulnerable, she hides behind her snark and attitude. 

And right now, Regina is feeling about as vulnerable and exposed as a person possibly can.

There’s a lot Regina isn’t saying and hey, Emma figures they have nothing but time.

Frowning, she looks out at the blinding white that’s starting to come down; as much as she wants to try to be optimistic about their situation, she knows how dire it is. They’re trapped behind some kind of strange snow creature, inside of a tiny mine that hardly insulates them from the bitter cold and they have meager supplies that will do little to help as temps drop.

It’ll take a miracle for them to survive.

But…well, her life has been a string of miracles if you stop to think about it and so she’s going to hope for a few more and choose not to give up just yet because the alternative…

Honestly…what’s the point?

“Let’s get a fire going,” Emma agrees, reaching into the bag Snow had sent her with. She pulls out the matches and then looks around. There’s enough twigs in here that she thinks they can probably put together something fairly useful to keep them warm enough. It won’t be great but maybe it’ll be enough to keep freezing away at least for a few hours and that’s the goal, right?

Just…survive.

She takes a breath. Reaches for Regina. Says softly, “Hey.”

Regina turns to her, face so honest and vulnerable. Something only she and maybe Henry and occasionally Snow get to see. An expression only she truly understands. Fear and exposure.

What happens if she isn’t strong enough?

Emma does something absolutely insane, then. Just for a second. 

She takes off one of her gloves. Takes off one of Regina’s. Interlaces their fingers. Squeezes.

“We’re going to make it through this.”

“Promise me, Swan,” Regina says, dark eyes so open, so trusting. “Promise me.”

It’s the second time today someone has asked her to do this; she’d refused to make that promise to her parents and Zelena and she absolutely shouldn’t make it to Regina now.

So naturally: “I promise.” Then she smiles. “I want to see what date you will plan for us.”

Regina chuckles. “Okay. Put your glove back on, Swan. If we have that date, it’s highly likely that I will be needing your hands. And your fingers. All of your fingers, Emma.”

Then she turns and walks away, head high like she’s had the final word.

And well, Emma thinks with a smirk, perhaps she has.

Pulling her glove back on, Emma starts to gather the meager scraps of wood that spot the mine hub, resolute that one way or another, they’re going to survive this cold night together and she is going to find out what going on a date with Regina Mills would be like.

The fire that Emma manages is…well, bleak, but it’s still better than nothing. It’s little orange flames are doing their best to kick warmth into the chilly evening air, but the temperatures around them are continuing to drop and though neither of them have said it yet, both of them know that this fire isn’t going to be of much help for very long. For now, though, it’s something.

“We have these,” Emma says, holding up the hand warmers. 

“Hold onto them for now,” Regina suggests. “There’s a lot of this dreadful night left.”

Emma nods, glancing out towards the mine entrance. “Do you think it left? Our friend?”

“No. I think it wants me dead.”

“Why? Why you?”

“I don’t know. I just know that for the last several weeks, I have dreamed about it killing me every single night and…I have to believe that’s meaningful. That thing is here…for me.”

“A giant snow yeti is here for you. Why? Did you steal its baby?”

Regina turns and stares at Emma, thoroughly unimpressed. “For someone who claims to have feelings for me, you have a very low opinion of me. I was not in the habit of stealing babies.”

“Hey, I don’t have a low opinion of you at all. Quite the opposite. I’m just trying to figure out why this thing is pissed at you so we can maybe make nice and then get home for poker?”

“Don’t think that’s happening tonight, Sheriff. And besides, Zelena cheats.”

“Yes, she does. Think she picked that up from Hook before he bailed.”

“Great, not bad enough he cleaned out all the alcohol stores before he left town, he had to teach my sister how to cheat at cards,” Regina drawls. “You have terrible taste in lovers.”

“Well, maybe it’s looking up.”

“A thief, a pirate and a despot,” Regina states. “I’d say your streak remains terrible.”

“Redeemed despot, now beloved Mayor/Queen.”

Regina makes a face at that. It’s something of an odd look considering the bruising around her nose (the blood has thankfully been cleared away).

“What? Beloved too much?” Emma chuckles as she pokes the fire. “How about respected?”

“I can live with that.”

“Good,” Emma agrees and tosses another stick on the fire, leaning in to blow on it. “As for our pissy friend out there, I’m not convinced this is personal. Or that this creature is…aware. While it was angry when I threw magic at it, it seems more reactive than anything else. It may not be entirely after you. As much as everything is usually about you, it might not be for once.”

“What are you thinking?”

“Don’t know yet. Not sure it matters if it’s the difference between us and freedom.”

“No,” Regina agrees, leaning over to fish through the bag. “Figs and whole grain.”

“Totally healthy,” Emma drawls. “Probably right up your alley.”

“Could use a chocolate bar,” Regina grouses.

Emma reaches into the pocket of her jacket and extracts a  full-sized Hershey bar, holding it out. “Turns out that I do know you pretty well after all this time.”

Sighing affectionately, Regina takes it from her, unwraps it, breaks it in half and gives half back to Emma, who grins at her and happily (and thankfully silently) takes it. 

“How’s your head?”

“I’m alive.”

“Alive with a compound skull fracture. Sounds amazing.”

That earns Emma a snort of derision. 

"But you're...you're okay?"

"I'm okay, Emma. Really."

"Okay."

A few minutes pass in silence and then, “Why didn’t you think you could tell me?”

Regina looks up. “Hm?

“About the dreams. Why did you think you had to come out here alone? I don't get it. We’re a team. We’ve been a team in so many different ways for a long time now, you and me. We’ve been through so much together. You say you love me - you tell me you’re in love with me…” 

“Emma -“

“Wait. Just wait.” Emma puts a piece of chocolate in her mouth and chews thoughtfully, giving herself a moment to get her whirling thoughts in order. Then, “You leave me a letter behind telling me you’re in love with me and I believe you because …because I feel the same way. I do, but what I don’t understand is why you would leave me to deal with that kind of grief and guilt. Do you think I could have handled knowing you’d died and I did nothing to stop it? Do you think I could have handled knowing I let the person I loved be hurt? Could you have?”

“No. If it were you…I’d have been devastated.”

“Then why would you do that to me?”

“I didn’t…I didn’t think -“

“No. No, you didn’t.” Emma stands up, then and starts pacing. The mine area is frankly too small for this and every motion causes the meagre fire to flicker in protest. “Damn it.”

“Emma, please -“

“Why?”

“I didn’t want you to get hurt. That…that was all I was thinking about.”

“Losing you would hurt me!”

She’s answered by the sound of a growl from just outside the cave, the snow creature responding loudly, reminding them both that it’s still there, still waiting from them to come out.

“Well, I guess that answers that,” Regina sighs.

“I guess it does,” Emma echoes, slumping down in defeat, dropping down next to the little fire. 

“Emma -“

She just shakes her head. “Forget it.”

“I’m sorry. I really am.”

“For what, Regina? For being like everyone else in my life when you’re supposed to be the one person who isn’t like everyone else?”

“Why? Why am I supposed to be that person? We may - inexplicably - have feelings for each other, but we’re not together. Why am I that person for you, Emma? Why wasn’t Hook?”

Emma laughs humorlessly, derisively. “He was never that person. He was - he wasn’t. You’ve always been the one who has actually seen me. More than Snow White and Prince Charming’s princess. More than the Savior. More than the Dark One. More than Captain Hook’s girlfriend.”

Regina huffs at that.

“You’ve always seen me as just…Emma Swan. So when you think that I could just…not care, that I could just…get over something…that it wouldn’t mean anything…that I could just soldier through without you…then I wonder if maybe you don’t see me.”

Regina shakes her head. “No. Emma, no.” Her shoulders deflate. “I guess I’ve just never really thought anyone could ever care about me. Not me. It’s…“ she smiles sadly, awkwardly. “It’s ….”

“You know I get it.”

“But I still don’t get it,” Regina protests. “I still don’t understand how all of this has happened. How we - how I - ended up in this family. That I am loved. It’s…it’s incomprehensible, Emma. You know it is.”

“It’s all pretty hard to understand, but I don’t just mean for you. I mean it is for all of us. Look at the crazy family we have. It’s all pretty weird, Regina.” Emma says with a bit of a laugh. “But maybe instead of letting it drive us crazy, we roll with it -“

“You’re saying stop fighting it.”

“I’m saying stop fighting the good things in your life. Believe it or not, you’ve earned them.”

“Have I? Really? After all I’ve done? Can I ever really?” She winces, a reminder of the concussion that they’re pretty much stuck with for the time being. The first aid kit Emma had in her pack provided a minor treatment, but Regina really does need to see Whale.

One more thing to add to the “if we survive the night” list.

“I believe in you,” Emma tells her. “I’ll say this a hundred times, a thousand, a million until you believe it as well.”

“And until then, I’ll remind you that you’re a fool to believe in me.”

“That doesn’t change what I feel about you.”

“No, it doesn’t.” Regina agrees with a slight smile, not bothering to hide her affection.

After indulging in the smile for a brief moment, Emma glances back towards the door of the cave. “Hey, that thing out there, it’s not Frosty, right? Please, tell me it’s not Frosty.”

“As in Frosty the…Snowman?” Regina asks almost indignantly. “I thought Frosty was a loved by all the little shits in the neighborhood singing happy Christmas…thing?”

Emma laughs. “Well, yes, in some versions. As long as everything is going well. In some, you steal his nose and he’s a little bit of a bastard. I don’t know…ice covered monster, bad attitude, appears during a storm, has magic…I can kind of make a case for it if I squint hard enough.”

“If I die by Frosty the Fucking Snowman, I swear I’m coming back from the dead for revenge,” Regina vows. “I know I did really horrible things, but I’m not sure even I deserve anything so degrading as being taken out by…“ Emma’s hand slides over hers to offer comfort. “Frosty.”

“Frosty would totally suck,” Emma concurs.

Regina scowls. She fumbles into her pocket and extracts her phone. The cell signal has effectively dropped to the point of being useless, but it’s still allowing enough to get weather data, which shows that the temperature has dropped to under freezing and continues to fall. 

“Any chance I can convince you to leave,” she tries to again.

“You know better.”

“I do,” Regina admits with an expression that’s caught between relief and sadness. “So I think we’d better figure out how we’re either going to try to fight our way past Not-Frosty or try to stay warm in here. Because those are our options as I see them. Unless you have another.”

“I don’t.”

“Okay. So. Either you prefer?”

“We’ve always been good fighters,” Emma notes, snapping her fingers. “And maybe doing something right now would be good to keep our blood flowing. If we take that little fucker down, we can maybe use the adrenaline boost to get the rest of the way back into town, right?”

“Makes as much sense as anything else today has,” Regina agrees, though the exhaustion in her voice suggest she has her doubts. “HIs skin appears to be made of jagged sheets of ice. If we can focus our magic on blowing past that to whatever is beneath it, then maybe -“

“But your magic is -“

“Struggling especially with my head being as…in need of a good night of sleep as it,” Regina sighs, looking down at the fire and frowning. She picks up a stick and stirs it, causing sparks to flicker into the air. Looking up at Emma, she asks, “Perhaps if I distract it -“

“With what?”

“Fiery pinecones?”

Emma chuckles. “You’re going to throw fiery pinecones at it?”

“I have an excellent arm,” Regina protests. 

She holds her hands up in defense. “I don’t doubt you, but let’s remember you have a concussion so your aim might be a bit off.” Seeing Regina’s glare, she amends, “Okay, let’s say you hit Frosty in the head and then I nail him in the face with my magic and -“

“There’s no chance that will be enough” Regina admits.

“No,” Emma concedes. She reaches across and takes the stick from Regina and weaves their fingers together., sparks crackling. “It has to be both of us or it’s not going to work.”

“I suppose not,” Regina admits weakly. “I’m so sorry for bringing you into this. I -“

“No more apologies. We’re going to figure out a way to survive. We are. We just…we just have to figure out a way to stay warm, okay? This fire will help, but -“ she smiles weakly.

“What?”

“You’re shivering.”

“Yes, it’s cold out. I thought we’d covered that what with us being in near blizzard temperatures.”

“Right, but you were in the snow.”

“We both were,” Regina reminds her.

“Actually, you were on your back in the snow,” Emma corrects. “You’re wet.”

Regina looks down at her black coat. Then says softly, “Oh.” She looks up. “Hypothermia.”

“Yeah. We need to get your wet clothes off.”

“I don’t -“

“I could try magicking you dry ones, but -“

“The magic you have is limited out here,” Regina tells her. “Mine is gone but yours isn’t as unlimited as you think with nature in upheaval. Magic comes from nature and the more it’s out of balance as it is tonight, the more yours will struggle to cooperate.” She points to Emma. 

“What? Try?” She flicks her hand at the fire and sure enough, what had been easier earlier - creating sparks - now seems much harder. Now, she thinks they’ll need to use matches. She’s never been as organic with her magic to begin with, always had to think harder and focus more, anyways, but throw in the elements beings askew as they are tonight and well…well.

“We are on our own,” Regina tells her. “We need to survive on us. That bag of yours and being in the mine. That’s what we have tonight, Emma. It’s all we have until morning.”

“Well,” Emma says with a grin that can only be considered defiant. “I’ve dealt with worse odds and come out ahead.” She starts digging through her bag. “Did I ever tell you about the time I knowingly and rather stupidly went up against a really pissed off but beautiful Evil Queen -“

“Emma -“

“Did I tell you that in spite of how pissed off she was, she ended up falling for my charms?”

“She did not.”

“She did,” Emma grins and extracts the small pouch with the thermal blanket. “Now, strip.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re wet and not in the good way.”

“She most certainly did not fall for your charms,” Regina grouses through chattering teeth.

“Sure, sure, you’re shivering your ass off and I’d really rather we stave off hypothermia as long as possible. Which means, we need to get real soap opera like about things.”

“Ah,” Regina says, distinctly uncomfortable.

Which shifts the mood instantly.

“I’m sorry,” Emma says softly, her joking gone because she knows in this moment that what they’re dealing with now isn’t their difficult feelings and emotions for one another, but rather Regina’s very complicated past with having been pushed into intimacy against her will. 

Regina closes her eyes and exhales. “I…I know. And I know…I know it’s you. I know.”

“Then you know I’d never do anything to hurt you. You know that, right?”

“I do.”

“I’m going to take the blanket out and then I’m going to turn put it around my shoulders. This…what we need to do is body heat transference. We…we need to keep each other warm, okay?”

“Skin to skin,” Regina clarifies, swallowing hard.

“Yeah,” Emma says, reaching up and brushing frost away from Regina’s eyelashes. 

“Emma?

“Yeah?”

Regina’s only response is put her head on Emma’s shoulder, light against the dark fabric of her peacoat, her dark hair hair lined with flecks of snow. Emma does nothing, just lets them exist together like this for a long few seconds, skin to skin even if it’s so very cold, in this space before they’ve shed their clothes and had to admit just how very dire and critical things are.

“We’ll make it,” Emma finally tells her and then kisses the top of her hair, inhaling her soft scent. Vanilla and cinnamon with a hint of the woods that she’s been traipsing through. 

Regina nods and steps away. Starts to remove her coat.

That’s Emma’s sign to do the same. She turns away and tears open the package, removing the blanket and shaking it out and then bringing it over her shoulders while she undresses herself. Once she’s naked, she curls up on the ground and turns away, giving Regina privacy to get in.

Giving her space to choose when she wants to curl in next to Emma and share their bodies. 

It takes her almost two minutes - not because she doesn’t want to - she very much does want to be this close to Emma, she has for a long time (to the degree that this doesn’t quite feel real) but because some of this feels surreal enough to make her doubt that she’s not hallucinating. 

But then Emma is reaching back her hand and Regina does what she has for so long with Emma - even as she shakes and trembles beneath the concussion and the hypothermia, she reaches for Emma’s hand and trusts that this woman will protect her as she has promised to.

Skin to skin now, so unimaginably, unbelievably close, Emma whispers, “I’ve got you. I need you to stay with me. Stay awake with me. Okay? Keep your eyes open. Stay with me.”

She turns into Emma, then and Emma turns into her and they pull the blanket around them.

Outside, the storm rages on.

Deeply worried about Regina’s concussion, Emma tries to keep her conscious for as long as she can manage to and that means that she tries to keep her talking. 

They talk about Henry and his studies.

They talk about his journeys in the Enchanted Forest.

They talk about Emma’s youth.

They even talk about the bits of Regina’s past she’s willing to talk about.

It’s around that time when Emma realizes that they’re starting to lose the battle.

It’s horribly cold and she’s getting desperately heavy and tired, her own body temperature getting dangerously low. They’re holding onto each other for warmth and it’s helped but it’s not enough and unless there’s a miracle, they’re not going to make it through this night and -

Regina turns towards Emma, “Kiss me.”

“What?”

“Warmth.”

“I -“

Regina leans up and kisses her, then, her lips cold, but the press of her body warm enough to send sparks flying through Emma and then she gets it. Immediately, she puts a hand out. 

“Wait. Wait, no. Not like this.”

“We’re going to die. Like this. So we can either make love like this or freeze like this. Choose.”

“I don’t want to be another choice taken from you.”

“I -"

Emma lifts her chin. “Do you know who I am? Right now? Right here?”

Teeth chattering, shivering fiercely, lips blue, she replies, “Yes. The mother of my son. My best friend. The person who challenges me more than anyone. The woman I…lo..love. Emma.”

Emma leans in and kisses her back. “Promise me you won’t regret this.”

“No…no…no mo…more regrets. Ki…kiss me. Please.”

This time, Emma does as her Queen commands.

“Do you…do you think if we’d met…in a different world…we’d have had a chance?” Emma asks, her voice an almost dull, drowsy slur. 

Regina lifts her head slightly, as much as she can, which isn’t much between her exhaustion and the pain echoing through her skull. “You mean the Ench… Enchanted Forest? No…no. My mother never…never would have allowed it.”

“But could you have loved me?”

“You? Yes. In every world I think I could have and would have loved you, Emma.”

Emma smiles. “I’m not cold, anymore.”

“You’re a hopeless romantic idiot,” Regina teases.

“Probably, but I mean it actually.”

“O..oh. That’s…that’s bad.”

“I think so,” Emma agrees and presses the heating packs between their palms, pulling the blanket tightly around them. She may not feel cold and her brain may feel fuzzy, but what little part of mind is still working understands that this is the dangerous part of hypothermia and if she gives into it, they’re both lost.

A chime dings suddenly, abruptly and Regina looks up, mumbles, “Hear that?”

“What?”

Outside, Regina hears the snow monster outside growl. She turns her head. “Oh, you. Okay.”

And then she’s standing up, naked as the day she was born and stumbling out towards the entranced of the mine, her hands extended out, readying herself for one last fight.

“No,” Emma murmurs, but nothing is working, nothing is moving. 

But Regina is still ambling forward, almost as if possessed, muttering something about how if she’s dying, she’s taking Frosty with her and it’d almost be comical if they weren’t both as close to dying as they are. “Hey, I can see the blood moon from here. It’s so…” She stops suddenly, then, her head turning to the side in confusion and then in understanding. 

“Regina,” Emma murmurs, eyes drooping.

“I did this,” Regina says in horrified disbelief. She turns back, then, gazing over at Emma, and seeing her shivering under the blankets, ice tinged tears on the blonde’s face matching the ones on Regina’s frostbitten cheeks. She takes a step closer, a hand outstretched. “I’m so sorry I did this to you. To us. I love you so much. Forgive me, Emma. Forgive me.”

And then she collapses into a heap, eyes rolling back, unconscious.

“I could use fire to warm them up,” Zelena offers, wide-eyed and desperate. Her hand is rested on Regina’s forehead and she’s gently pressing what little healing magic she has into her.

“Yes,” Rumple agrees as he leans over the women, both of them now covered by blankets, their blue-tinged skin alarming to say the least. “If you’d like to cook them, that is. Which would do absolutely nothing to thaw them and save them from near-death state of hypothermia.”

David, miraculously calm given that this is the second time in his life he’s seen his daughter like this (two times too many as far as he’s concerned), says softly, “Hospital, Gold.”

“Indeed. Their magic may be deleted, but mine is not.” And then he’s dramatically snapping his fingers and all of them are disappearing and reappearing in the middle of the Storybrooke ER.

“Help,” David pleads, lifting up Emma even as Zelena drops down beside Regina.

Victor, who has come out from behind his desk starts waving his hands. “Let’s go. Now! Now!”

The snow crunches under her fashionable fur-lined boots as she walks through the forest, sticks crackling beneath the treads. It’s been several days since the storm now and much of the snowfall has melted away leaving signs of the dirt path that usually lies beneath. 

“What are you looking for?” Snow asks after they’ve walked in silence for almost ten minutes.

“What made me almost get your daughter killed,” Regina says blandly and keeps moving, as always her steps purposeful and driven. There are still signs of her ordeal, the frostbite visible on her cheeks and hands. Everything will heal eventually, but she hasn’t slept more than a few hours since she’d woken up in that hospital bed, surprised to have woken up at all. Only to be told that Emma hadn’t woken up yet.

And still hasn’t. 

“Victor is certain she’ll be okay,” Snow soothes. 

“Victor is Frankenstein. He’s a hack,” Regina shoots back.

“He’s also our best doctor.”

“That’s hardly a ringing endorsement,” Regina retorts before wincing and rubbing at her head.

“Regina,” Snow says, grasping her elbow. “Stop. Look at me. Stop.”

“Snow, I -“

“Why are we out here? You should be back at home resting. You’re still hurt. You need to take it  easy and let yourself have time to heal.”

Regina takes a breath. “I’m fine. And I am...I’m healing. I can’t…I can’t just sit at home with Zelena staring at me like I'm about to break. I need to understand why I was so driven by those dreams about a creature that never existed -“

“You’re sure it didn’t?”

“Rumple didn’t see it when David and Zelena dragged him out here to find us.”

“No, he didn’t,” Snow concedes. “Zelena’s been out here to check several times since.”

“Right and when I went out to face it…it just looked at me and wandered away.”

“So maybe -“

“Snow, I think I made it up. I think -“

“Or maybe it had been sated or -“

Regina shakes her head. “I heard chimes. Emma never did. But she saw the creature.”

“Then it was real.”

“Or I made it real.”

Snow frowns, trying to keep up. “Is that even possible?”

Regina scowls but doesn’t reply. She pushes branches aside and looks beyond them, as if searching for Frosty. Then points. “There’s the mine we ….tried to take refuge in.”

“It helped.”

“It helped,” Regina agrees. As they’re walking towards the entrance to the mine hub, she asks, “I never did ask, did they tell you how we were found?”

“Emma naked under a blanket. You naked in the entrance of the mine.”

“So I should probably explain -“

“You don’t have to. I don’t care.”

“You…don’t?”

“Whether it’s because you were keeping each other warm as friends or because you too finally got your shit together -“

“Snow!”

“I’m just glad you’re both alive. Both of you. And you are. You are alive. That’s what matters.”

Regina nods but says nothing, just leads them into the mine, looking around. What they left behind is still there - the blanket, Emma’s bag, the remains of the fire, some wrappers.

But no signs of Frosty. No indication that her dreams had been anything but dreams.

“I don’t understand,” she admits, running a hand through her hair. Her head hasn’t stopped pounding since she’d been rescued (“concussions take time to heal, Regina,”), but she’s scarcely given herself time to think much about that and is feeling the effects of that now.)

Snow squeezes her hand. “We’ll figure this out.”

“I’ll settle for Emma waking up so I can apologize to her.”

“If I know Emma, she won’t want one.”

“That’s because she’s a stubborn, heroic idiot.”

“It’s a family thing,” Snow tells her, picking up the bag. “Let’s get out of here. I’m about done with cold for a very long while.”

“Ugh, I have a stack of damage reports a mile high I should get to.”

“If you promise to go home and rest afterwards - and promise not to tell Zelena I helped you sneak out of the house -  I’ll help,” Snow offers, looping her arm with Regina’s and leading her from the cave.

“Deal,” Regina accepts, smiling in gratitude, before, glancing back over her shoulder.

Wondering if she really had made everything up.

Which somehow makes this whole nightmare that much worse.

“Mom,” Henry says softly, scratching at the stubble on his cheeks. “You look tired.”

"That's what I keep telling her," Zelena says as she enters the bedroom with a cup of tea. She hands it to Regina and then blows Henry a kiss. 

"Who would have ever thought a loving Zelena would be more overwhelming than an evil one," Regina chuckles. 

“Family is everything," Henry reminds her.

“Don't I know it. Which reminds me: when do I get to meet Ella?"

“Eventually. How’s Emma doing?”

Regina shrugs, her smile dropping away. “She’s stable.”

“You’re scared.”

“I owe her my life, Henry. A hundred times over, but especially for that night. If she hadn’t come for me, I most certainly would have frozen to death. And now she’s the one -“

“She’s going to be all right,” Henry insists.

Regina nods jerkily. Then, desperately needing to change the subject. “Henry, I was hoping to ask you about something. About the magic radar of yours. How does it work? Exactly?”

He lets out a short laugh. “It doesn’t.”

“What?”

“Mom, it was a joke for you and Emma. I’m so sorry. I thought…I thought you both knew that. It just chimes randomly every now and again. It was supposed to be an inside joke about how there’s always some bullshit ranting bad guy crashing its way into Storybrooke at the most inconvenient of times. There’s no real rhyme or reason to how it works. It just does its thing.”

“Does its thing,” Regina repeats.

“Yeah. It’s Storybrooke in a nutshell. Why? Is something wrong?”

Regina opens her mouth, then closes it. “No…it..it’s fine. And it’s…it’s clever.” She smiles slightly uncomfortably and knows he sees through it so she pushes on. “Tell me about what you’ve been up to there. Tell me about your adventures. I hate missing so much of your life.”

“I write often,” he reminds her, gazing at her suspiciously, like he’d like to return to the previous conversation but know she won’t allow it. “I know the letters get to you thanks to Hook -“

Regina rolls her eyes. “He’s been a capable if annoying courier. Especially now that he's grasped that he and Emma are truly over. He could use a bath.”

“Plumbing over here is…questionable,” Henry admits. "And speaking of Emma and Hook...or maybe you and Emma."

"Stop talking to Zelena; honestly, she's as bad of a gossip as Snow," Regina grunts.

"That she is. I just want you both happy. I won't apologize for that."

"I know, honey. Right now, I just want Emma awake. Everything else...anyway, enough about that." Then, her expression turning into a broad smile, “Tell me ... everything.”

After convincing Zelena that she won't do too much work and will call if she needs help, Regina heads to her office and makes her way over to Henry’s gift.

A gift she now knows is just an elaborate non-functioning toy.

Only that doesn’t help her to explain the dreams she’d had before the storm, nor the chimes she heard during the storm (and she’s pretty sure Emma had heard them, too) nor does it help to explain the strange snow monster.

Emma had seen it, she’s sure of it. 

“You’re not going crazy,” she mutters to herself, running her fingers over her face and then into her short dark hair. “Yes, you’re talking to yourself in the middle of your office which in and of itself makes a case for being crazy, but you’re not actually crazy.”

“Crazy, no. Not this time at least, Your Majesty,” Rumple says from the doorway. He taps his cane on the door, presumably his way of knocking and then lets himself inside, anyway. 

“Gold,” she greets dryly. “What do you want?”

“Can’t old friends just say hello?”

She snorts. “I find that we’re only ‘old friends’ when you want something from me.”

He smiles humorlessly at that. “In this case, that’s true, but it’s nothing harmful.”

“We’ll see.”

“I was hoping you’d tell me about your snow creature. The one I didn’t see when I saved you.”

“Still holding that over my head, are you?”

“Well, I was comfortable in bed with a cuppa when your sister and Charming pulled me out.”

“Despite the fact that it’ll probably cost me down the line, I appreciate the save,” Regina says softly. “As for my snow…whatever. I’m not sure it’s real. Or that it ever was. I…dreamt of…something for a few weeks before the storm. Something…I thought was going to kill me -“

“So naturally, you walked right towards it, did you?”

“I wasn’t going to let it hurt…” she trails off. “Yes, I know I’ve changed and you think I’m soft.”

“Oh, I think we’re both soft, Your Majesty. You just happen to be in love with the Savior – and for you, loving someone comes with its own complications.”

“Does that include prophetic death dreams and snow monsters?”

“Not that I’m aware of, but I do believe severe anxiety might cause such morbid dreams.”

“Are you serious? You think my feelings for Emma made me dream of dying?”

“I think it probably runs deeper than that, but that’s what the cricket is for. I’m more concerned about potential supernatural causes for our snowy friend. And how you may have given it life.”

They both hear a chime sound.

In her mind, Regina hears that growl once again.

“What?” Rumple asks, dipping his head. 

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Need I remind you of our history?”

“Fair point. That chime? It came from Henry’s alert system over there. Which is just supposed to be a joke meant to remind everyone that Storybrooke is a catastrophic dumpster fire. Only, every time I hear it, I also hear or see…Frosty…in my mind. I just did right now. And that night, I could also hear the chimes from my house and deep in the forest. Warning me that it was coming for me. So tell me, how that’s possible?”

“You could be crazy,” he supposes.

“I could be crazy,” she admits.

“But for once, I don’t think so.” He taps his cane on the ground, then turns to leave.

“Where are you going?”

“To do what you would be doing if you weren’t so exhausted or blinded by love and fear.”

“Research,” Regina murmurs. And then she scowls. “I am not -“

He waves his cane at her to dismiss her objection before it’s even out of her mouth. “We have a mystery, Regina. Whether it’s your mind or your heart or your magic or some mix of all three together, whatever is happening out in the woods has something to do with you.”

“And Emma is paying for it.”

“She’ll wake up,” Rumple assures her. “Worry not.”

“How do you know?”

He chuckles darkly. “She’s a Charming. They’re cockroaches.” And then he turns and leaves.

Regina frowns, not exactly loving comparing Emma to a cockroach.

Though, she’s fairly sure she’s done it a time or two herself.

Behind her, her office phone rings. Sighing, she picks it up. “Mayor Mills.” A pause. “Snow?” Another pause as she listens. Then she mutters, “Speaking of. Oh? Nothing. I’m on my way.”

She hangs up, then, grabs her coat and is out the door seconds later.

Even as the chime sounds again.

Emma’s sitting up in the bed when Regina rushes into the room, finding Snow and David already inside. Snow is on a chair right up next to her, clutching Emma’s hand in hers.

“Hey,” Emma grins, looking up at her. “My favorite Queen.”

“As opposed to?”

“Well, Maleficent is kind of hot.”

“She hates us,” Snow reminds Emma.

“Yeah, but Regina hated you for a long time too, and look at you two now,” Emma reminds them, eyes still on Regina. It’s clear she’s teasing, trying to reassure Regina and loosen the tension in the room.

Emma is alive and Regina almost can’t believe it, Regina plays along, “Trust me, she’s not your type. Runs a bit too warm in bed and tends to be quite the biter.”

“That’s never been a problem for me.”

David clears his throat. “I’m going to get some coffee. Snow, come with me?”

“I don’t need coffee.”

“Yes, you do,” Regina assures her. “Bring me back a cup too?”

“Fine,” Snow grumps and then lets David lead her away.

“Don’t traumatize my parents,” Emma teases. 

“I’ve been doing that our whole lives, why would I stop now?” Regina retorts. She glances down at her phone, then and frowns. “My sister already knows you’re awake. How?”

“She and my mom have become thick as thieves,” Emma chuckles and then grimaces.

Which immediately causes their mutual humor to dissipate. “Are you hurt? Do you need -“

“No. I’m just…really stiff. Everything feels a bit…out of body still. Whale said I’ll start feeling more and more like myself over the next few days, but right now I just feel…off?”

Regina nods slowly, looking down. When she looks up, she’s steeled her nerves. “Emma -“

“I don’t want to hear it.”

“What? You don’t even know -“

“I don’t want to hear apologies or regrets, okay? If you want to talk dates on your back porch with a bottle of red wine and one of your best beef stews, I’m all in -“

“That’s all it takes?”

“I’m an easy date and I hate formal dinners. But if you want to do something down by the creek over on Eagle Pass, I’m not opposed to that. I like it over there. It’s nice and -“

“Quiet,” Regina agrees, thinking about the little area near the far edge of the creek, where it’s secluded and peaceful. “So…you still want…to be involved with me?”

“I wasn’t suffering from hypothermia when I told you I was interested in you.”

“But you were when we -“ she trails off, still not entirely sure that had happened, either.

“Look, Regina, I feel like shit -“ Regina starts to take a step back but Emma catches her wrist. “But the one thing I know has always worked for us - the only thing really - is all cards on the table so here it is: I am interested in you. I have very strong feelings for you. When I said I’m in love with you as much as you are with me, I meant that and I’d like to see where we could go.”

“Okay.”

“But…we both have to be all in. If you’re not -“

Regina takes a breath, and then leans in and very gently kisses Emma, allowing it to linger for just a few second, their lips soft against each other. “I am,” Regina breathes in confirmation.

“Good. Now tell me, did we stop Frosty?”

Regina huffs out a laugh and sits down on the edge of the bed. “Oh, let me tell you about that.”

 “This is not how I thought our first date would go?” Emma mutters under her breath as they walk, shoulders bumping, through the woods together, trailed by Snow and David as well as Gold and Belle. "I was thinking something more private and quiet and perhaps involving wine and chocolate and some nudity."

“This is most certainly not a date,” Regina whispers in response as she makes her way through the snow that still remains several weeks after the major storm (there’s been a few days more of snowfall since, but thankfully nothing as bad as the original blizzard had been.)

“It would have been back in our world,” Snow says from behind them, her voice far too cheerful. “In fact, if I recall, Regina, you went with me on one of my very first dates.”

“I did. It was excruciating."

“Sounds like a fun story,” David chimes in.

“For when I’m not around to be bored silly by it,” Gold states, reminding them of his presence. 

“Rumple,” Belle sighs, in that same placating tone she always uses.

“Never mind that,” Gold dismisses with a wave of his hand, purple magic trailing behind him. “We’re out here on this wonderfully crisp day to see if we can find Regina’s snow monster.”

“What did your books say?” Regina presses. She glances down at her phone while she speaks, rolling her eyes at the texts from her sister. Because of Robin, Zelena isn't quite as able to adventure out with everyone (she's also grousing about how she'd somehow been saddled with Charming Jr) but she's reminding Regina to be careful, nonetheless but to also *wink wink enjoy her day out wink wink*. Which is about as subtle as a house dropping on a witch, really.

“The same yours did,” he answers cryptically.

She rolls her eyes at that. He’s not wrong, though; once Emma woke up from her coma and she had the mental peace to be able to focus, Regina went to her vault and spent time with her books, digging into all the volumes that had anything to do with illusionary beasts and dreams. She came across all sorts of information about near death hallucinations and gifted visions by genies and fairies and all sorts of other creatures, but nothing felt like it quite fit.

So honestly, she’s a bit confused as to why they’re out in the woods today.

“Speak plainly for once, Rumple,” Regina demands.

“Well, that would be dreadfully dull.”

“Yes, but it would get be home in time for the football game,” David states.

“And to think, you were once a King,” Gold sighs and then he’s walking ahead.

Belle just shakes her head. “He does actually have information. I promise.”

“He’s not your fault,” Regina assures Belle. “Anymore than I’m..any of theirs.” And then before anyone can say anything else, she follows after Gold. “Rumple, wait. Did you find anything?”

“Yes, I did,” he says, still walking, tapping his cane against the ground. “You said your dreams started right after Henry gave you the toy, yes?”

“Yes, but it’s…just a toy. It wasn’t meant to do anything.”

“And it doesn’t, but it woke up something in your mind. Fear itself, really.”

“Of death?”

He inclines his head.

“Absurd,” she huffs. “I’ve nearly died a dozen times over.”

“Three or four dozen times, really,” he corrects with a wry chuckle. “But perhaps you’ve never had so much to lose before. And…you’ve never cared so much for the sins on your soul.”

Regina looks away, her eyes drifting back towards Emma. 

“How long have you been aware of your feelings for Miss Swan?”

“How is that relevant?”

“Well, for one, I’m fairly certain you were processing your feelings through your dreams and created…Frosty to deal with her. Which tracks considering her both unwanted and wanted presence in this town has been your complete undoing … curse-wise that is.”

Regina grunts in annoyance. “Oh, please, do explain.”

“Yes, please do,” Emma says as she catches up. “How is this one my fault? Because I was entirely content to be warm and inside for the storm instead of getting frostbite on my ass and nearly freezing to death.” She smiles over at Regina. “No offense, Your Majesty.”

“None taken,” Regina shrugs. “And your ass is in one piece still.”

“So not hearing this,” Snow sing-songs.

“You dreamed that you were attacked and killed, but you couldn’t see by what. You just knew that it happened in the middle of the woods during the storm and figured dying that way protected those you loved most. So like the chivalrously good and stalwart hero that you’ve quite unfortunately turned into by becoming part of the Family Charming, you suicidally marched into the middle of a blizzard, used every ounce of your magic to create a monster to kill you and then waited to die by it.”

“But -“

“However none of that would have worked without the help of the blood moon which just happened to occur on the same night as the blizzard which is why Miss Swan was able to see your lovely Frosty the Homicidal Snowman when she showed up to save you.”

“Oh my God,” Regina murmurs, frowning, scratching at her forehead. 

“Wait. For having all of Regina’s magic in it, it was sure…underpowered,” Emma notes.

“That likely has to do with the concussion Regina suffered. It greatly impacted her ability to access her magic, which…likely saved both of your lives. So, congratulations, Your Majesty, on your inability to protect yourself from a simple tree limb. It’s why you’re alive today.”

“You really are such a dick,” Regina mutters.

“He is, but he may not be wrong in this case,” Emma says, stepping forward to stand next to her. “We were both commenting on how Frosty just kind of…hung out there and waited.”

“Great so my guilt nearly got both of us killed and my poor footwork saved us. Amazing.”

“Wait, can this happen all the time?” David asks. “Like…no offense, Regina, but you have a few things to feel guilty for -" he ignores the gaze from his wife, the one that always tells him that she sees no point in kneeling on what's already well known and yet despite the much warmer relationship he and Regina have nowadays, he finds that he thinks it's important that they always know exactly where they'd come from to get to this point they now are at. "Are we going to end up with a town full of snow yetis?”

“No. This required a very specific natural and supernatural phenomena. The blizzard as well the blood moon. The two don’t need to merge together terribly often. Even here in Storybrooke.”

“Thank God for that,” Snow murmurs. She looks over at Regina. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” she says tightly.

“Regina.”

“The mystery is solved. I still have a stack of paperwork to get through and David has his game. I think we’re all about done here.” And with that, she turns and walks away.

“No thank you for solving your not-so-friendly snowman mystery, then?” Gold wonders aloud.

“We’re going home now, Rumple,” Belle tells him, grabbing his hand and leading him away.

“I’ll -“ Emma starts.

“Give her a few minutes,” Snow advises. “Let her collect her thoughts. You know her.”

Emma nods, frowning as she watches Regina disappear between the trees. 

Deciding that she’ll let her have a few minutes, but not more than that because yes, she really does know Regina and left to her own thoughts, Regina seldom finds the light on her own.

She finds Regina sitting by the still snow-filled banks of the creek at Eagle Pass about an hour later, just staring at the cold blue water as it turns white before it tumbles over the weathered rocks. “Hey, there you are,” Emma says softly, ensuring that she doesn’t startle an already badly rattled Regina. She gently seats herself next to Regina, just barely stopping herself from reaching out and taking the Queen’s shaky hand.

“Here, I am,” Regina sighs, putting her cell phone (and Zelena's many inquisitive texts away; she's thankful for her sister's adamant if slightly forceful advocacy and support, but at times it can be suffocating - especially when she herself is still just trying to figure things out and doesn't have any answers to give).

“Would you prefer to be alone?”

Regina turns her head slightly. “My preferences have rarely been a concern of yours.”

“That’s not true. And…if we’re gonna be a thing, that definitely can’t be the case. So if you want me to go, I will.”

“Why now and not then?”

“Because you might be upset right now, but you’re safe. If you want space, I respect that and I hope you’ll come to me or let me come to you when you’re ready.” Emma stands to go.

“Wait,” Regina calls. “You…you still want an us?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“You just found out my inability to deal with reality nearly got us both killed?” She gestures towards the remaining clumps of snow littering the banks. “I invented a rabid Frosty to kill me.”

“But he didn’t.”

“We nearly died of hypothermia because of me.”

“But we didn’t.”

“We had sex in a dirty mine because of me.”

“That we did. I’d prefer a bed next time,” Emma chuckles.

“Yes, me, too. And to…actually remember most of it.” She rubs her temple. “Concussion.”

“Yeah. Can I kiss you?”

“You want to?”

“I do. I really do.”

“Then…do.”

Emma leans across and places a hand under her chin, gently lifting it and then leans in and presses her lips lightly against Regina’s, enjoying the lush texture of the Queen’s mouth. It doesn’t take long for the kiss to grow in passion and desire, their arms encircling. 

When the kiss ends, Emma presses her forehead to Regina’s and murmurs, “I want this.”

“Why? I mean…I know why I want you. Anyone would. You’re brave, beautiful, foolish -“

“That’s not a good thing -“

“Shh -“

“And a lot of other wonderful things. None of which should doom you to -“

“Stop right there.” Emma puts her hands on both sides of Regina’s faces. “There’s no point in seeking redemption, Regina, if every day is a misery. You’re allowed to find happiness and joy. We don’t want you to die for us. We want you to be with us. Find love with us. Live with us.”

“Emma -“

“Love with me. Love me.”

Regina closes her eyes, takes a shaky breath, opens them again and breathes out, “Yes.” And then she leans in and kisses Emma with as much love and want as she has in her.

“So,” Emma says, when the kiss is over. “How about we do the next date on your back porch like we talked about?”

Eyebrow arched. “With wine and beef stew?”

“Exactly. And then maybe, we can try your bed instead of a dirty mine floor. Bet I can make sure you remember that."

Regina laughs and draws Emma back to her for another kiss. “I see nearly dying did nothing to cure you of your irritating smugness."

"Nope,” Emma grins and then she’s falling into Regina’s arms.

It ends (well, this story, perhaps...there are so many others still be told for them), like this:

Two women wrapped together, holding one another as the sun shines down on them and continues melting the snow all around them.

-FIN