A Second Chance

Chapter 1

Regina's post coronation party was in full swing. Everyone was celebrating the newly crowned Queen. Regina had made the rounds, talked to everyone who had wanted to congratulate her individually. She'd smiled, and nodded, and shook at least a hundred hands. After about halfway through the party, Regina looked around the room, and finally no one was standing in line waiting to say their piece. She looked at all of her family and friends. She finally had everything...well almost everything.

From across the room she could see Emma with Hope...and the pirate. She subconsciously cringed when she kissed his cheek. She'd almost forgotten how hard that was to watch. When she'd come up with the idea to merge the realms, she could only think of how much they all missed their homes and families, and it never occured to her that coming home might be this hard. But she had to stand here and continue to smile, and nod, and except everyone's kind words, because if she didn't they might figure it out. The secret that she'd been keeping for so many years now. They would figure out she was, in fact, in love with Emma Swan. A fact she hadn't even been able to admit to herself until recently, nevermind other people.

It had hit her hard the day they returned to Storybrooke. When she first saw Emma again. It had been so long, years really, by her time of course, for Emma it had only been months, but the second she locked eyes with her beautiful green orbs again after so long, her whole world froze in that moment, and she was home. Having been away from her for so long certainly gave her perspective. She had been in her life long enough that she'd become used to burying her feelings. So when she hadn't had to for awhile, they came at her like a ton of bricks. Had it always been like this? Did the mere sight of Emma always make her stomach jump into her throat? Did her heart always beat faster? Her mind frantically searched her memories to try and remember when this feeling had begun. She couldn't remember the exact moment...but yes it had been this way for quite some time. How? How had this happened without her realizing...she'd known something was there...but she hadn't realized just how strong that something was...until now. Now, all of the sudden, she had forgotten how to hide it. How on earth had she done that for so long when she felt as though she might explode after only a few moments with her now?

Her mind pulled itself back to the present, and as soon as she thought she'd be unnoticed, Regina slipped out of the party and into a smaller room. She'd wanted to run out the second Emma had suggested she'd gotten her 'happy beginning' to be honest, but she had to make a show of it. How could she be really, truly happy without Emma? And for her to use that particular phrase, the thing she used to describe her wedding to guy liner, and all while holding his one good hand...it was almost too much for her. If she hadn't been a bit high on just having hugged her she might have shattered into little peices right then and there. No wonder she hadn't hugged her often before...it was a bad idea...because it gave her bad ideas...ideas like kissing her or running her fingers through her hair...very bad ideas. She'd always kept her distance, but now that hugging was on the table, she couldn't just take it off the table again without it seeming weird. Boy was she in trouble.

After a few minutes, she could hear footsteps coming from behind her.

"So, does this mean I have to like, curtsey whenever you walk in a room now, cause let me tell you now...I have no idea how to do that." Said Emma as Regina turned to meet her gaze. Of course she noticed her absence. She always had. She was the only one who had for the longest time. She half smiled at Emma's quip, trying to seem normal.

"No, Miss Swan, I think I'll spare you the humiliation of attempting it." She answered.

"Why aren't you out there? I mean this whole shindig is for you after all? Are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm...I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?...I just needed some space. A break from shaking all those hands." Regina explained. Emma was unconvinced, but recognized her closed off body language. She wasn't going to get anything out of her at that particular moment.