Chapter Text
"Are you sure there won't be any problems?" Regina asked as they walked towards their car. After arguing with Emma for weeks until she could convince the blonde that the bug was not an option for this trip, they had finally teamed up and bought a new car; a Chevrolet Traverse. Then came the argument about the color. Regina wouldn't let Emma get a yellow one. In the end, they agreed to buy the red one. Honestly, Emma had almost driven Regina crazy over that car, but it was worth it. She shook her head and a smile played on her lips.
"I'm sure, Regina. Not a single problem!" Emma smiled reassuringly. "We’ve been planning this trip with the kid for a long time and I won't let anything or anyone ruin it."
The firmness with which Emma spoke, combined with the softness in her eyes, sent sparks through Regina's body and she groaned internally.
Emma easily placed their luggage in the spacious trunk and Regina bit her lip to prevent a moan from escaping her mouth as she wistfully watched Emma's biceps flex when handling the weight of the suitcases. Honestly, would it kill that woman to put on a shirt that covered those perfect arms? Regina took a deep breath and called out to Henry, who was saying goodbye to Zelena and Robyn on the porch. She waved goodbye to the redhead and got in the car. This was going to be a long road trip, she sighed to herself.
She thanked Henry when he handed her a takeaway coffee and took a long sip. Even though she had had two cups before meeting up with Emma, Regina still felt tired. She had been unable to sleep and decided to pay a visit to Maleficent.
If she were honest, Regina didn't think that she and the witch would fall into that routine again. But then again, they had done it when Cruella and Ursula were in Storybrooke, although this time, it was totally different. Still, Maleficent quickly realized way back then that Regina's heart belonged to someone else and that someone else was not Robin Hood. After hours of wild sex, Maleficent had stayed with her in bed and talked for ages. Aside from Emma and Zelena, Maleficent was the only person who really knew her and didn't expect her to be perfect.
But then everything had happened. Once Robin came back to Storybrooke, they had stopped meeting like that. Afterwards, Emma had become the Dark One and then the Camelot mess went down, Killian Dark One, a trip to the Underworld, Robin's death, her separation from her Evil half and finally Emma's wedding.
It was all too much for Regina and she was about to break down completely. So when Maleficent showed up on her doorstep that night, Regina decided to just cave and fall into that routine again. It was a way for them to unwind and still have some fun. Maleficent knew about her feelings for Emma, and was kind enough to never say a word whenever Regina called the other’s blonde name during their time together.
Still, it had been a bad idea to do that on the eve of her trip with Emma and Henry. Regina was too nervous and couldn't sleep, and Maleficent knew how nervous she was about the whole thing. It was not difficult to teleport to the woman's home after Henry went to sleep and spent hours releasing the energy in the best possible way. However, when Maleficent insisted that Regina use that spell, she should have been stronger and not let her lust take over her common sense. Now, she was stuck with that thing between her legs. She shook her head slightly and looked out of the window as Emma drove.
"Hey, you okay?" The blonde asked, pulling Regina out of her thoughts. She was staring at her with her brows furrowed and her lips pursed in worry.
"Yes, just a bit nervous that we don't know how our magic will work outside Storybrooke." She licked her lips - she was being honest. Last time they were outside Storybrooke, they were able to use magic but this time was different. "Honestly, I don't know how I let you convince me to take this long car ride instead of taking a plane to Florida." Regina chuckled.
"You almost never leave Storybrooke, and every time you do, you are in a hurry. Henry too. I want to give you and the kid some good memories." Emma smiled softly, her eyes locked on Regina's as always happened with them. 'It's only for a few weeks. You'll survive this. You can tamper down your unrequited feelings for Regina for just a few weeks. You're happy now. You're married to a man who loves you.'
"Sure, use me as an excuse." Henry grunted under his breath.
"What’s that, kid?" Emma looked at him in the rearview mirror, and Henry quickly looked away.
"Nothing." He grunted and took out his cell phone.
"And honestly, don't worry. We don't have magical monsters or villains in the real world." Emma laughed. "It's just us for a couple of days."
"Yes, just us." Regina said in a shaky breath and cursed herself for it. She could feel Henry watching them from the backseat but she didn't dare to look at him. She forced a smile to Emma and if the blonde knew something was bothering her, she didn't say anything.
Regina once again got lost in her thoughts, thinking about how she was stuck in this situation; not the trip, but with that thing between her legs. She would have to find a way to get rid of it, otherwise she wouldn't be able to put on a bikini. There was no way Emma or Henry wouldn't notice that . She sighed louder than she’d intended to and it attracted Emma's attention.
"Are sure you're okay?"
"Yes, Emma. I'm just tired."
"Why, Madam Mayor? Didn't sleep well last night?" Emma wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "I know you were looking forward to our trip, and I know I’m the best company to travel with, but you didn’t need to stay up all night."
Regina snorted at that and shook her head. "You would do well to keep your eyes on the road, Miss Swan."
"Oh, someone is moody." Emma teased but turned her attention to the road.
"Oh, God, kill me now." Henry groaned and bumped his head against the backseat rest. At least this new car was more comfortable than the bug or his mom's old Mercedes.
"What did you say, dear?" Regina turned to him with a raised eyebrow.
"Nothing, mom." He grunted and put on his earphones.
She looked at him for a moment then turned her attention to the road, lost in thoughts once again as a song played on the radio.
So you're leavin'
In the mornin'
On the early train
Well I could say everything's all right
And I could pretend and say goodbye
Got your ticket
Got your suitcase
Got your leaving smile
Though I could say that's the way it goes
And I could pretend you won't know
That I was lying...
Cause I can't stop loving you
When she paid attention to the lyrics, Regina nearly opened the door and jumped out of the car. The universe must be playing some kind of joke on her, right? She groaned out loud this time. This whole trip was a bad idea. Emma’s been married to that damned pirate for three years. Three years since that fateful day. That day when she lost her chance forever. Three years since Maleficent showed up at her door with two bottles of whiskey and they fell into that routine again. It was nice to have someone who helped her to not think of Emma 24/7, but as good as that arrangement between Maleficent and herself was, it didn't change how she felt about Emma. She was fucked. Fucking fucked. Spending almost a month in Emma's company all day every day would be torture.
Regina was so lost in thought that she didn't notice Emma pulling off the road to park the car in front of a roadside diner. Regina jumped in her seat when she felt Emma's hand on her arm.
"Okay, you're going to tell me what's wrong now." Emma said seriously, her big green eyes shining with concern.
Regina looked like a deer caught in headlights and swallowed hard. She looked at Emma and then to the back seat. "Where's Henry?" She nearly squealed.
"I told the kid to get us something to eat," Emma sighed. "Talk to me, Regina, please," she asked again, softer now. "I know something’s bothering you, or worrying you. I'm not sure which."
Emma frowned and Regina thought it adorable. She felt her friend down there twitch and her eyes nearly bulged. Yep, she was royally fucked.
"We've been through a lot," Emma licked her lips. "We've been friends for a while now..."
"I know," Regina smiled softly. "I'm just worried, Emma. I've never been outside Storybrooke for longer than a weekend and now we're about to spend nearly a month away. It's not just about us not having magic here or the magic being wonky. It's about Storybrooke. What if a monster or a new villain appears?" She wasn’t even lying; she was worried about all those things too.
"I think Storybrooke is more than safe now. We have two dragons, your sister, my parents, the fairies..." Emma said, counting on her fingers as she spoke. She stroked Regina's arm gently. "And we haven't had any threats in ages. We're going to be okay, Regina. They're going to be okay," Emma smiled warmly. "Try to relax a bit, okay? That's the purpose of this trip."
Regina nodded shakily. She could feel her heart racing against her chest and swallowed. They hadn’t even been on the road for two hours and things were already like this. If she didn't get her shit together soon, this trip would be a disaster. "Tell me, how did you convince your parents not to come on this trip?" Regina asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"I didn't need much, to be honest," Emma said thoughtfully. "I just said that I would be traveling with you and the kid for a few weeks and that it would just be the three of us, as we never really had a chance to spend time together and I know how much Henry wanted it from the moment things started to change. From then on, my mother couldn't wait for this day. I thought she was going to make us travel right away when I told her about our plans."
Regina frowned at that. Why the hell was Snow so anxious for them to leave Storybrooke? Was she up to something? Regina narrowed her eyes and began to mentally go over the latest interactions with the princess and when everything clicked into place, her eyes widened comically. Luckily for her, Henry chose that moment to return to the car with food, distracting Emma.
"Hey, Ma, I brought you the donuts you asked for, Mom's sandwich and something for myself." Henry grinned as he got into the car. He loved this car and although the bug and the Mercedes had important meanings in their story, he preferred this one, but he would never admit it if his mothers asked. He also knew that the only reason they bought this car was for him. Henry knew that Regina would never let them travel for so long in anything she didn't consider safe enough. He pushed those thoughts aside and handed them their snacks before settling in the backseat. Oh, boy, how he was loving it.
Emma settled in the driver's seat and devoured three donuts before getting the car back on the road. She adjusted the volume on the radio, checked the GPS again - although she knew the way to Boston by heart - and turned her attention to the road. Emma knew they could arrive in Orlando in a day if they drove nonstop, but she wanted to enjoy the journey and the time she would spend with Regina and Henry to the fullest, so they had scheduled stops along the way, the first one being in Boston.
Hook had been angry when Emma told him that she would spend about a month traveling with Regina and Henry, just the three of them. He seemed to know something she didn't, but he said nothing. His blue eyes shone as cold as the unexplored arctic ocean, but she didn’t budge. Not even Hook and all his anger could stop her from making this trip.
She had contacted the building manager of the apartment complex she was living in when Henry had appeared at her door all those years ago (Emma still wasn't sure why she’d kept the place, but now it came in handy) and asked him to send someone in to clean. She had also bought two extra beds and had them delivered, as she only had one double bed and Regina might not be comfortable sharing a bed with her this early in their trip.
"Emma, the traffic," Regina's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
"Sorry," She mumbled under her breath and she set the car in motion again. Emma turned right and then left and in the next moment, they were entering the building's parking garage. "We're here." She smiled and breathed a sigh of relief as she pulled into her old spot.
"So cool that we're going to stay in your old apartment." Henry's eyes lit up at the idea.
"So this is where you ran away to that day." Regina shifted her gaze between mother and son and her eyes were unreadable.
For a moment, Emma almost curled up in the driver's seat, but she knew they were beyond any feuding now. Still, it was probably something that caused conflicting emotions in Regina. "Come on, let's put our bags inside the apartment so we can go get something to eat and then take a walk around the city. I want to show you guys some places." Emma pushed her insecurities aside and got out of the car without waiting for the other two.
Upon entering Emma's old apartment, Regina had to admit to herself that she was surprised. She did not imagine the blonde living in a place like this back when Henry had found her. Aware of the hard life Emma had, she assumed that the place where she lived was much less sophisticated and spacious. Regina felt her cheeks flush violently as she realized how she had judged Emma without really knowing anything about her. Their relationship had evolved so much since then that it was sometimes hard to believe that there had been a time they had wanted each other's heads on a silver platter.
"It's beautiful, Emma." Regina spun on her heels, slowly taking in her surroundings: the wide glass windows that went from floor to ceiling, the kitchen, the living room... and there was a corridor that probably led to the bedroom and bathroom.
"I bet you didn't think I lived in a place like this," Emma teased. Stepping inside her old apartment after such a long time spurred an unfamiliar sensation. This place had once been synonymous with loneliness and a life without love. A life where she believed she wasn't enough for anyone and that she was so hated by her parents that they dumped her on the side of a road. Of course, all that had changed and now. Here she was, in her old apartment, with two people for whom Emma would die. Two people she knew would die for her too.
"Honestly?"
Emma was taken out of her thoughts by Regina's husky voice and just nodded.
"I didn't think you did," Regina looked down, visibly embarrassed by her admission. "I was in a very different place back then and although I knew better than to judge people by their appearance, I was still lost in my pain and my fear."
"Do you want to know something crazy?" Emma laughed, feeling that she needed to break the weight of that moment before things got awkward. "That night, when Henry took me to Storybrooke and we met, I felt that you and I would end up being friends."
"Friends," Henry snorted under his breath and opened the refrigerator door. "Ma, do you have juice?"
The women turned at the sound of his voice as if they had been caught doing something they shouldn't and if it weren't for the awkwardness of the moment, Henry would have burst out laughing. It was painful to watch how his mothers were unaware of how they felt about each other.
"Henry Daniel Mills, I raised you better than that." Regina raised her eyebrow.
"It's okay, Regina," Emma said softly. "It's kind of like his house, too." She squeezed the brunette's arm gently. "I asked the landlord to buy some things, kid. There must be at least one bottle."
"Thank you, ma."
"You're welcome, kid," Emma laughed. "Come on, Regina, I'll show you the rest of the place." Emma went towards the corridor and didn't have to look back to know that the brunette was following her. "So this is the guest room, and apparently Henry has already claimed it." Emma shook her head and a smile spread across her lips. She never thought that one day something like this could happen to her. "Thankfully, there’s another guest room for you to use."
Emma opened the other door and was pleased to see that it had been arranged as she asked. "My room is at the end of the hall. This other door is the bathroom."
Regina just nodded. She didn't know whether Emma's apartment had been furnished before, and she didn't want to assume anything more about the blonde or the life she had before Henry showed up. "Thank you, Emma," She said instead.
"Come on, let's go get something to eat. There are some great restaurants nearby." She grinned and walked back to the living room. "Kid, you better be hungry. I'm taking you to one of Boston's best restaurants."
"I'm always hungry, ma," Henry laughed. "I am a growing boy, after all."
Emma and Regina laughed and the blonde guided them out of the apartment and towards the elevator.
Emma's apartment was only a fifteen minute walk away from one of Boston's most famous streets, Newbury Street. As they walked through the streets of the big city, Regina noticed that people were sparing no more than a disinterested look in their direction; too busy with their own lives to care about strangers passing by. So different from Storybrooke or the Enchanted Forest , Regina thought.
She looked around in awe. All the shops, bars, restaurants and coffee shops next to each other and all full of people of all kinds. Regina imagined what it would be like to live outside Storybrooke, in a place where no one knew them and the past didn't haunt them all the time. Now she understood why Emma wanted to return to New York when Zelena was creating chaos in Storybrooke, after first appearing. It must be so good to live without the weight of the world resting on your shoulders. Running away from Storybrooke might have been better and more efficient than trying to separate from her Evil half only to realize that they had to stay together, because even with everything they had done in their past, the Evil Queen was part of who Regina was and she could never be complete without that part of her. When she realized her mistake, Regina reversed the separation from her other half, becoming complete again.
"Hey, are you okay?" Emma held Regina's wrist gently. "You’ve been distant since we left Storybrooke. Are you having second thoughts about this trip?"
"No, Emma," Regina smiled weakly. "I would never have second thoughts about anything that would make our son happy. Or you." The words escaped her mouth before Regina could help it, and she knew her eyes were as wide as the blonde's before her, but it was true. She would sacrifice her own happiness for Emma's. "I'm just a little tired, I think. I didn't really sleep much last night and now I'm regretting it."
Emma felt her heart race with what Regina had said. They had done so much for each other in the past few years. Sacrificed so much for each other. Damn it, she absorbed the densest darkness to ensure that Regina could get her happy ending.
Not that that had worked out very well, in the end, Emma sighed internally. She wasn't sure what to expect from this trip. Spending so much time with Regina could be a recipe for disaster. Emma took a deep breath and pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. She could think about this when she was alone in her room. Or in the bath maybe.
"Why, your Majesty? Did you spend the night doing naugthy things?" Emma wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and preferred to use humor to ease the slight tension that had arisen between them, trying not to make the moment awkward. Okay, maybe suggesting that the woman who had been inhabiting her dreams ever since she arrived in Storybrooke all those years ago had spent the night having sex with someone else wasn't a good idea, but now the words were out of her mouth and it was too late.
Regina looked Emma up and down, her eyes slowly traveling over the blonde's body and taking in every detail. Shit, Regina swore mentally as she noticed Emma's nipples peek through the fabric of her shirt. Would it kill her to put on a damn bra? Regina licked her lips slowly. Not even twelve hours away from that damn pirate and Emma was already being her old self.
"Perhaps, Em-ma," Regina said before she could stop the words from coming out of her mouth. Oh, this trip was going to be her downfall.
"Mom. Ma." Henry groaned. This was getting out of hand already… and this was only the first day of their trip. Was there still time to just call it a day? "Can we go and eat? I'm hungry."
"Of course, my prince." Regina breathed a sigh of relief that Henry had interrupted. On any other occasion she would be cursing, but now she was grateful.
Emma exhaled heavily and passed by mother and son, taking the lead again. She took them to a Japanese restaurant; Douzo Sushi, and within minutes they were sitting at a table enjoying delicious food.
After their meal, they went back to Emma’s apartment building to grab the car. She wanted to take them to see some parts of the city and it would be easier and faster to do so using the car. She took them to the Public Library and the Museum of Fine Arts, and although Henry didn't like the trip to the museum very much, Regina loved it. When they left the museum, the sun was already setting and Emma decided to take them to Mike's Pastry so that Regina and Henry could taste the delicious cannolis. On the way back, they stopped at another restaurant near Emma's apartment, Giacomo's, where they enjoyed delicious Italian food.
"Oh, my god, I'm exhausted," Regina groaned as they entered Emma's apartment. She fought the urge to just fall on that couch and kick her shoes off her feet. Thankfully, she had decided to take Emma's advice and put on lighter clothes instead of the suit and heels she had first planned on wearing. Not that her current situation wearing jeans was much better, but maybe it would help to hide her friend down there better.
"Oh, come on, Madam Mayor," Emma laughed, "you need to exercise your body."
"Oh, I exercise, dear. A lot ."
"I'm gonna take a shower." Henry grunted and practically ran out of the living room.
Emma was still stuck on what Regina had said and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop very inappropriate images of Regina exercising in the most sensual way possible from invading her mind. Fuck , Emma groaned internally.
"I- I'm going to see if the kid needs anything." Emma mumbled and left the living room like a hurricane. She ran to her bedroom and closed the door, much like she had done when Henry had appeared here that night so many years ago. She took a few deep breaths and then left the room to check if Henry needed anything.
Regina took a deep breath and cursed her big mouth. She just had to go and make a comment like that, didn't she? She was fucked. So fucked. She mumbled something under her breath and went to the guest bedroom Emma had shown her earlier, waiting there for her turn to take a shower. As she waited, she called Zelena to see how things were going back home.
"Hello, dear sister."
"Hello, Zelena," Regina sighed. "I’m sorry for not calling earlier, but-"
"It's okay, sis." Zelena interrupted her with a chuckle. "We’re fine. The town is still standing. No one has tried to kill themselves so far."
"It's good to hear that," Regina chuckled.
"And how are you ?" Zelena lowered her voice and there was something in her tone that told Regina exactly what the redhead was asking.
"Zelena," Regina sighed, massaging her temple.
"Don't Zelena me," The redhead sighed in frustration, "this is your chance."
"The only chance I have here is to spend time with my son without any monsters or villains trying to end our family. Just that." Regina hissed.
"Don't be stupid, Regina," Zelena groaned. "You’re going to be spending almost a month alone with her and your son, playing happy family, pretending there’s no husband to whom she’ll be returning at the end of this. Why not guarantee that she won’t return to him?"
"Because I will not destroy her happiness!" Regina whisper-yelled. "I never had a chance with her. Emma doesn't feel the same way about me-"
"You are truly blinder than a bat!" Zelena screamed in frustration and hung up on Regina.
"What?" Regina pulled the device away from her ear and looked at it as if wanting to incinerate it. "Zelena has completely lost her mind."
"Mom," Henry knocked on the door then opened it slightly, popping his head inside. "I’m finished in the bathroom. Ma said you can go if you want. She's stuck on a call with Grams."
"Thank you dear," Regina smiled softly. "Are you enjoying the trip so far?"
"Definitely!" Henry's face lit up, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. As soon as he’d opened the door, he’d noticed that his mother was upset and he was almost sure it was because of the trip. "Thank you for doing this for me."
"We would do anything for you, Henry." Regina offered a watery smile.
"I know," He said softly. "I love you both." Henry came into the room and kissed Regina on the cheek. "Try to get some rest, mom. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. Ma has a lot of things planned for when we get to New York."
"I will, dear." Regina stroked his face gently. "Try to get some rest yourself, too. And don't stay on the phone too late, okay?"
"Okay, mom," Henry nodded and left for his bedroom.
Regina sighed heavily and tossed her phone on the bed. She got up and rummaged in her suitcase until she found the towel and pajamas, then went to the shower. Regina groaned when the hot water hit her back and slowly began to relax her body. She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against the wall, exhaling slowly as the tension and fatigue left her body. Regina closed her eyes tightly to push inappropriate thoughts away and avoid having an erection. She definitely didn't need that right now. Regina dried her body and wrapped the towel over her head before leaving the bathroom. Hopefully, she wouldn't run into Emma or Henry, since these pajamas did little to hide her friend between her legs. She needed to buy some new pajamas until she found out how and if she could get rid of it during the trip.