Fandom: Once Upon a Time (AU)

Pairing: Swan Queen

Rating: T

Summary: It’s Emma’s 28th birthday and she makes a wish.

Disclaimer: I own nothing beside my crazy mind and my computer… and sometimes it’s more them owning me…

Note: evilneverfeltsogood and obsessivelyaddictive, thanks for beta-reading it and sharing ideas!

Please, dear readers, let me know what you think about it. It’s really important to me.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

“Don’t you want to change into more… adult… clothes?” you don’t think you can talk to her seriously while Winnie is smiling at you…

“Stop avoiding, dear. And my eyes are up here. Now start talking!” you blush a little. Yes, Winnie was distracting…

“Yes… right… the wish… “ you’re fidgeting again. She has that effect on you.

“Yes, dear. The wish.” she says coldly. She is getting upset and won’t wait any longer.

“I kinda… I mean I may have… I wished for love” you say very quickly and in a whisper.

“Sorry… I thought you said you wished for love…” she says in disbelief.

“Yup… that’s the wish…” you wince. And she is up on her feet and pacing again.

“Regina, is pacing like a hobby for you or is it just to dig a hole in my floor?” you try to smooth the atmosphere with a joke but it’s like you hit the Great Wall of China.

“YOU WISHED FOR LOVE?!” great, now she’s yelling again…

“Oh come on, it’s not that horrible!” you smile at her.

“Not *that* horrible?! Do you know who I am?! Do you have any idea of the things I’ve done?! I don’t even understand why I’m here! Why me?! If you truly wished for love, I wouldn’t be here! You’d be talking to Charming or that werewolf Red, whoever suits you. BUT NOT TO ME! So either you are lying, or you kidnapped me using I don’t know which kind of magic to trap me here! SO TELL ME, WHICH IS IT?! NOW!” she has you up against the wall now. She is angry and threatening but there is a sadness in her eyes. How can someone have so little self-esteem that she denies love to herself? What happened to her? And what were those horrible things she’s done… You put your hands on her shoulders and gently push her away from you. Then your hands move up to cradle her face. She is surprised by your action, and you are just happy that the sadness is gone for now. Though you know the time will come when you’ll have to ask her all those questions floating in your mind.

“Regina, I told you the truth. I wished for love then you appeared on my doorstep. Now I don’t know how those wishes work, maybe the Wish Foundation made a mistake, but since last night, since you came into my life, I’ve been… different. I can’t explain how. Or why. But I do. And-”

“No… no… NO! You can’t! This wish… It can never be fulfilled! I am stuck here forever…” she whispers with watery eyes. Before you think about it, your arms are closing around her and you’re pulling her for a hug. A couple of minutes passes. You felt her stiffen at first and then she relaxes in your embrace. Then when the silence and the awkwardness is becoming too weird, you let her go and take hold of her hands in yours.

“If you’re stuck in here, then we better go find you some *decent* clothes…” you joke and you see the beginning of a smile on her lips. Of course, every girl like shopping when they’re sad. She may come from another world or dimension or parallel universe but she is still a girl. No. She is a woman. A very hot woman. No, Swan, don’t go there!
“What is the problem with my clothes?! They’re very appreciated in the Enchanted Forest! It’s the latest fashion!” she moves to hold her clothes in front of her.

“I can understand why…” you mutter… with that kind of cleavage, you can *really* understand why her clothing style is *very* appreciated… You stare at her for a few seconds and then shake the thoughts away.

“Okay, time to dress. I’ll give you some of my clothes so you won’t be the center of attention and get howling in every corner…” you hear her chuckle but you’re out of the room before she can answer.

Not an hour later, you’re both out and off to the shopping center. Half a dozen guys double checkedher out as you both walk down the street and you feel the bite of jealousy hold your heart. You pass your arm in hers and make hast to the shop. You know the perfect one. It has everything and one of your friends is the owner so you always get a discount. And knowing that she needs pretty much everything, that will be well needed.

“Hey Daniel! How are you?!” you say as you throw yourself in his arms. “I have someone I want you to meet, Regina this is -”

“Daniel…” you barely hear her. She looks so pale. And she is shaking.

“Regina? Are you all right? You look like you’ve seen a ghost!” you close the space between you and hold her shoulders.

“Yes… Oh… I’m… sorry… what did you say?” she can’t keep her eyes away from your friend. But it isn’t like she is undressing him with them or anything. She is truly disturbed.

“This is my friend, Daniel! He owns the shop. Daniel, this is Regina. She’s… new… in town. And she needs new clothes…” you turn back to Daniel and you see him captivated. Like stuck in her gaze. He walks in and extend his hand, which she takes without hesitation. You smile to yourself at the memory of last night…

“Hello Regina. You are very beautiful… Oh my God, I’m sorry! I mean… you are but.. I didn’t mean to… Emma, help!” you laugh at his clumsiness.

“Okay, enough you two… Regina, we need to get you some clothes. NOW!” you say gently as you tuck on her arm to a row of shirts and pants on the left. As you make your way to it, you take a quick look to Daniel, he is shaking his head. You know the feeling…

“So, lady… You’ll try this and this… Oh and also this!” you say as you put a white blouse, a pair of jeans and a red tank top in her hands.

“What? Right here?!” she gulps.

“Oh God no! Over there!” you answer showing her the changing rooms.

“And will there be someone there to help me change into those… those… what are those?” she has a look of disgust on her face as she holds the jeans in front of you.

“Those are jeans. It’s very comfy. And no, you’ll be all alone to try them on. You’re a big girl, I have faith in you, you can do it. Now go! I’ll pick up some other things for you to try on and bring them to you.” she grumbles but goes to the changing room anyway.

As you pick another shirt, a skirt and a summer dress, Daniel comes to you.

“Hey Em’… does she… is she?… Do you think I will have a shot? I mean, she’s hot and she looks really nice… I’d like to ask her out… You think she’ll agree?” there comes the green eyed monster again. And you break your own heart as you answer him with a big smile.

“Yeah sure… I mean… she is single and new in town… Just… don’t hurt her okay?” he is your friend after all. And even if it hurts you to say it, you just want her to be happy. Maybe going out on a date will be good for her. She’d get a chance to discover this world. But you can show it to her too, says that sneaky little voice in your head. True.

You leave your friend and head for the changing rooms.

“Regina?! You’re okay in there?! Come out and show me!”

“Yes I’m okay but I don’t know how you can consider those jeans as comfy!”

You can’t help yourself: you burst into laugh as you take a look at her. She put the jeans backwards.

“What now?!” she says putting her hands on her hips.

“You… put them… wrong! That’s the back!” Go back it and try again!” you manage to say between two laughs. As she realizes her mistake, she begins to laugh with you.
A couple of minutes later, she is back. The white blouse is buttoned all the way up and tucked in her jeans. Those jeans which are hugging all the right places. You make two steps to her.

“May I?” you ask as you raise your hands in front of her.

“Yes, please do.”

You watch her swallow hard as you begin to unbutton her blouse down to her chest. You accidentally brush her breast and you hear her gasp. You lose yourself in her eyes for a minute. That’s when it hit you: you are falling for that woman. You are falling fast and hard, even though she has given you no reason at all and it scares the hell out of you.
“There… better…” you say as you take a step back, your voice scratchy and low. She turns around to look at herself in the mirror and nods.

“Yes… better indeed…” she agrees as she looks back into your eyes. You notice a small detail though. Two small details actually.

“Umh… Regina?… this is embarrassing but… do you have a bra on?” she looks down at herself, following your eyes.

“A bra?! No, of course not. I had a corset incorporated in my clothes when I got here but since you didn’t want me to wear it… ” you can feel yourself blush, hard!

“Oh boy… try these on, if they fit, you change back into your original clothes and we’ll go to the lingerie shop.”

Half an hour later, you’re both at the checkout.

“Hi Regina…” Goofy is there too…

“Daniel…” she says politely, her eyes to the ground like we’re back in the 18th century. You keep forgetting that she isn’t from here.

“I was wondering… would you… umh… would you do me the honor to accompany me for dinner tonight?” when did he learn to talk like that?! It’s almost laughable, it’s so much not like him.

“Yes of course.” she answers shyly.

“Great! Where are you staying?” he has a great big smile now. And your heart is sinking.

“I will be at Emma’s cas- place.” is she blushing?!

“I’ll pick you up at 6?” she nods and still as politely bid her goodbyes. You watch her walk to the exit of the shop and wait until she can’t hear you.

“You hurt her and I will destroy your “happiness”… got it?” that sounded more threatening than intended but at least he got it as you watch him nod and swallow hard.

“Hey ‘Gina, wait up!” you yell at her. She turns around and smiles at you.

“Oh it’s Gina, now?!”

“Yeah… like it?” you say as you pass your arm in hers and begin to walk to the next shop.

“Very much” she answers in a breath.

——————-

A/N: just so you know,in my mind, even though FTL Daniel is dead, this Daniel Regina just met is his carbon copy. That explains why she looked so pale and why she accepted the date so quickly.