The Feud

Chapter 22

Emma looked worried at Regina, almost too afraid to turn around and see what Regina had just witnessed. Regina, seeing her girlfriend's hesitation, turned Emma around and the woman gasped.

She saw her daughter looking through the gigantic window. Belle stared at her with utter confusion and a hint of anger, but she didn't move the slightest bit.

Regina and Emma exchanged a look, before Emma slowly walked to the back door to let her daughter in.

Belle looked as her mom slowly walked towards her and didn't know what to say. "Come inside, honey," Emma said softly, not knowing what else to do.

She was on the verge of a mental breakdown and wasn't ready to handle this now. She'd already been nervous enough to tell the children about it later, but at least she'd have had some time to prepare.

"Why were you kissing Regina?" Belle asked in utter confusion and then her face fell. "Are you with her, now? Is that why you and daddy divorced?"

Emma grabbed her daughter's hand and led her inside before she replied. They took place on the couch and Belle didn't keep her eyes off Emma for one second.

Regina didn't know whether she should stay or go, so she'd been standing nervously in the open plan kitchen, looking at Emma and Belle. Though when she saw the heartbroken girl, she wished she wouldn't have stayed.

Belle looked at her mother who was struggling to find words, waiting for some sort of explanation of what she'd just seen.

"I wanted to ask Regina if I could do an interview with her, for a presentation at school," Belle decided to start. She saw that her mother wasn't saying anything and thus she started talking herself. "Because she's the mayor of Storybrooke," Belle continued. "And I thought she wasn't home, because no one answered the door, but then I heard someone scream her name and I figured she must be playing hide and seek and found someone, but I really need to do that interview and she hadn't fixed her hedge yet, so I figured I'd just get in the garden one last time.." Belle stopped talking and looked at her mother.

Emma saw tears forming in her daughter's eyes and briefly shared a look with Regina. Emma scooped her daughter on her lap and ran her hand through the girl's locks.

"Honey, uh.." Emma inhaled deeply and held her daughter close. "I was about to go home and tell you and Ashley that, uhm.." she felt herself becoming sweaty and looked at Regina for help, "Regina is my girlfriend, now."

Belle stayed quiet. She didn't move and didn't say anything. Emma looked worried at her, but the brunette's face was buried in her mother's neck and she couldn't see any expression.

"She's your girlfriend girlfriend?" sounded Belle's muffled voice.

"Yes," Emma replied and closed her eyes for a moment. She hated that this was so hard to admit.

"But why? You still live with daddy and you still love him." Belle didn't bother looking up and Emma slumped on the couch. She'd so hoped that the fact that Killian and she got along so well had only positive sides, but apparently it made it harder for the children to understand that they didn't love each other romantically anymore.

Emma slowly rocked Belle in her arms and leaned her head against the brunette's. "Do you remember what your dad and I told you about different types of love?" Emma inquired carefully and she felt Belle nodding.

"Are you going to go away with Regina? Is she the reason you two are divorced?" Belle asked and looked up to meet her mom's gaze.

The blonde shook her head with a sympathetic smile. "No. Your dad and I both felt we weren't meant to be a couple anymore. But we lived together for your and Ashley's sake, to make the change less difficult for you."