Don't Ms. Swan Me

Chapter 8

"Regina, I think it's time to tell people the truth." Emma said. It was a Friday afternoon, and the two of them were at the ice cream shop, in the same place where everything had started. Regina had come here in hope that maybe nobody would see the two of them. Luckily, nobody had.

She gave Emma a soft kiss on the lips before sitting down. "Emma, I would love to," she told her girlfriend. "But I think we both know exactly how that one would end."

"Like what?" Emma asked. "My parents disowning me? I'm fine Regina, I'm almost thirty. And plus, my mom calls my dad 'Charming' for a reason."

"He's been more like 'un-charming' lately, though," Regina muttered.

"It's not like he's going to kill me," Emma said. 

Regina gave a small laugh. "No, of course not. They'd kill me instead. Saves the heartache." Emma glared at her. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding," Regina added quickly.

"Regina, please. We can't keep this a secret forever," Emma told her.

"I know that's true," Regina said. "But Emma, everyone I've ever loved has died. If we tell everyone, this relationship becomes real, and you are put in danger. Even if you don't realize it."

"Well Regina, that's where I am different from all the people you've been with in the past," Emma told her. "Everyone I've ever loved has died or our relationship didn't work out. If I tell everyone, you are threatened too."

"You lost me at died," Regina muttered. "Ms. Swan, I don't understand what you are saying."

"I'm saying that us, Regina, our relationship isn't like anything you--or I-- have ever had before. And I'm saying that no matter what, it's worth the risk," Emma whispered.

Regina hesitated. She knew that Emma was right. But if there was one thing she wasn't willing to sacrifice, it was Emma. "Okay. Tell your parents. Just maybe, have me out of sight when you tell them."

"Deal." They shook on it.

The rest of the evening was great. They spent another hour at the ice cream shop, and then had to go home to finish up some final work stuff. They'd already had dinner with Henry, so there was no point in going out to eat. 

Regina flicked her wrist, and the two ended up home in a second. 

"I'll tell my parents in the morning, okay?" Emma told Regina. 

"How is everyone else going to find out?" Regina asked. "It's not like you're yelling to the whole town 'Hello world, I'm Emma Swan and I love Regina Mills.'"

Emma gave her the look. "Telling my mom is as good as that. Even if I told her to keep it a secret, we both know that she wouldn't. And word travels fast around Storybrooke."

"What are we, Hogwarts?" Regina muttered under her breath. 

Emma laughed. "Good night, Madame Mayor." 

"Good night, Ms. Swan."

Their lips touched and they went in different directions.

It was almost one in the afternoon. Emma had been delaying the walk to her parents house as long as possible. She'd planned to get takeout from Granny's and meet them at their house an hour earlier. Instead, she'd blamed work to give herself more time to figure out how she was going to say what she wanted to. However, Emma was getting to the point where she knew it was just time to face her parents with the truth.

She went to their house, after picking up Granny's and Snow answered the two.

"Sorry I'm late." Emma said, handing her mom the Granny's bag. 

Charming came in too. The three of them set the food out on the table. It was really an enjoyable meal. Eventually, Emma was at the point where her eggs were almost finished, and decided to tell them.

"Look, there is something I need to tell both of you guys." Emma admitted.

"It's okay, Emma." Snow gave her a smile. "You can tell us anything."

"I'm gay." Emma admitted before she could admit anything else. Baby steps.

Charming grinned at his wife. "Told you! You owe me fifty dollars."

"Are you two betting on me?!" Emma asked, surprised. This was the last thing she'd expected.

"No!" They both said instantly. Emma didn't need a superpower to know that they were lying.

Snow glared at David. "Wait, Emma, is there anything else you want to tell us?" 

Emma paused for a moment. She knew that now there was no turning back. "I'm dating Regina."

Now it was Snow's turn to turn to her husband and grin at him. "I told YOU. Ha. Now you owe me fifty dollars."

Shaking her head, Emma stared at them. "Would one of you two please explain exactly what is going on? When did you figure it out? We've only been together for a few weeks."

Snow told her about how they'd noticed them at the hospital. Emma couldn't believe this. Her parents had been betting on her?

"Are you mad?" Snow asked. In hindsight, it hadn't been the best parenting move.

"No, no, of course not." Emma said quickly. "But that wasn't really how I had expected this conversation to go."

David looked at her daughter, suddenly wanting to make something clear. "Emma, you can tell us anything. It's your life, not ours. We missed our chance to have control over your choices when we sent you through that wardrobe. And either way, we support your choices."

"So...you're not angry or upset or anything about me and Regina?" Emma asked.

"No, of course not!" David told her. 

"Did you think we would be?" Snow asked.

"I mean...I didn't really know what to think," Emma answered honestly. "But I didn't expect...this to happen."

Snow and Charming looked at each other. "Emma, I know we didn't raise you, but we want you to know one thing," Charming said. "Be who you are, and don't ever be afraid to hide it. If you and Regina are together, nobody wants to see you hiding between tree branches."

"Take her to lunch at Granny's." Snow said. "And don't hide it anymore. At least tell your son."

Emma nodded. "Thank you."

This time she was ready. This time she wasn't going to mess anything up.