"What do you think?" Emma asked Gold.
They were standing at the window in Granny's Diner, looking out at the couple as they strode arm in arm down the street towards them.
Regina's face was aglow, as much from her own budding happiness as from the frost of the morning. She was dressed in form-fitting black, and stepped out with poise in the chill winter air. At her side, Caerys laughed at something she'd said, flinging her head back and setting her starlight hair to dancing. Although it was still strange to see the Red Queen in normal clothing, she cut a fine figure in a long red coat buttoned over pale grey slacks.
"What do I think about Regina dating the person who tried to kill her?" Gold mused as he watched them, "I don't think she'd settle for anything less. They make a handsome couple."
Henry knelt up on the bench beside them, seeing for himself.
"She looks so happy," he smiled. He flopped back in his seat the right way around, satisfied, and Emma smiled down at him and ruffled his hair.
"What do you think about it, kid?" she asked him. She turned her gaze back outside.
"I think it's awesome!" Henry exclaimed with a grin. He leaned back to look over his shoulder again. "Mom's happy, and Caerys is cool - even if she is a bit scary..."
"Well," Mary-Margaret cut in, grimacing, "I, for one, don't think she should be dating that woman." She ran a hand through her short dark hair, glowering at the pair in distaste as they turned to the entrance of Granny's. The others stared at her incredulously.
"I never took you as one to be judgemental, Dearie," Gold sneered, "What does it matter if she dates a woman?"
"I didn't say a woman," Mary-Margaret rolled her eyes at his insinuation, "I said that woman. Don't you think having one evil witch for a stepmother is enough...?"
The others fell about laughing just as the door swung open, and Regina regarded them icily as she preceded Caerys inside.
"Someone like to share what's so funny?" she asked. She snapped off her gloves, glaring.
"Nothing," Emma bit back a smile. But her eyes fell upon Caerys, and she succumbed to laughter again as she saw Regina's suspicious expression mirrored on the Red Queen's face.
The two Sorceresses exchanged a dark look, and then stood side by side with their hands on their hips, waiting in silent challenge for an explanation.
"You see!" Mary-Margaret groaned. She sank back into her chair with the back of her hand pressed to her forehead.
"Two evil witches, indeed," Gold smirked, under his breath.
Henry got up from his seat to engulf Regina in a bearhug.
"Hi mom," he said, beaming up at her. She hugged him back, and then he looked politely across at the starlight figure at his mother's side. "Hi, Caerys."
"Hello, Henry," Caerys smiled at him. Her face melted at once from suspicious frown to a soft vision of gentleness. "Do you mind if we join you?"
"Of course not!" Henry beamed. He took them both by the hand and led them to his side of the table. He sat happily between them and smiled up at Regina. The Evil Queen spared a smile for him in return, but then schooled her features and turned her glare back on the rest of them.
"Well?" she demanded, folding her arms, "What's all this ridiculous merriment about?"
Henry nudged her impishly with his shoulder. "Snow's upset because she has two wicked stepmothers to deal with now, instead of just you."
"Henry!" Mary-Margaret and Emma both admonished at the same time.
Regina's thunderous gaze swept to Snow White, who paled considerably, but the tension was interrupted by an outpouring of melodious laughter from Caerys. Henry grinned, joining in with her laughter immediately.
Despite herself, the Evil Queen broke into a smile of her own, and she turned airily to Mary-Margaret. "Oh, I'm sure we'll all get along, dear... As long as you stay away from the apples."
"Regina..." Mary-Margaret entreated, a look of panic in her eyes.
"Relax," Regina huffed, "I'm kidding... Obviously."
She sat back and put an arm around Henry's shoulders, gracing him with that special smile she reserved only for her son.
"Well, what'll it be, Henry?" she asked, flourishing a menu.
"Hot chocolate," he grinned, "With cinnamon!"
Regina threw a pained expression at Emma. "Why do I even bother to ask?"
Emma grinned back from the other side of the table as the Evil Queen turned back to their son and ruffled his shaggy hair. Henry was right, Emma thought, Regina really did seem happy. And Caerys was the embodiment of a Queen in company - graceful, friendly, pleasant. She was definitely easier to talk to than Regina; Emma smiled to herself at the thought of the Evil Queen's rather acerbic nature.
She watched the Sorceresses ordering hot chocolate and chatting to Henry, and she was struck by how noticeable they were when they were together. When they were in the same room they exuded a forceful magnetism that radiated tangibly around them. Frankly, their combined power was frightening, and she spared a fleeting grateful thought that Regina was on their side. To have to take on those two together would be all but impossible...
Her thoughts wandered as she watched them; she knew very little about Caerys Halloran, but the woman had certainly completely seduced Regina.
After the final battle with the Netherworld Beast, and once Emma had recovered from her shock in seeing the Evil Queen locked in an enamoured embrace with the recent object of her deadly wrath, she had finally heard Caerys' side of the story. The Red Queen had spoken softly and earnestly, and her unembellished tale had made sense, most of it anyway – some of it was hard to come to terms with, like being the daughter of a Goddess, for example. But her frank, unadorned recounting of her whole story from the beginning had made Emma reconsider her opinion of her. And although Mary-Margaret had bantered about having two evil stepmothers, Emma actually didn't get the impression that Caerys was necessarily nefarious - rather, she just seemed to live by her own set of rules.
She might be reserved and aloof, but that was to be expected from any Queen. She was calm and friendly, with a mild demeanour miles away from being called evil. In fact, the only thing that Emma had so far seen set her to dark and terrible wrath was a direct threat to Regina. Emma smiled to herself. It was also certainly true that she'd brought out Regina's dark side again, but to be honest, it seemed to be for the best. Secretly, Emma was pleased for the Evil Queen. It appeared that in Caerys' company, Regina was finally reaching her own conclusions about herself, and in doing so, had finally tripped the switch on her Happy Ending.
Thinking about Regina's dark side, Emma remembered briefly what Gold had said to her earlier that morning, about the snowstorm the night before that had turned supernatural at around midnight. He'd risen from his bed to investigate, and seen parti-coloured fireballs careening through the air. Emma had gone out to inspect the damage herself just after dawn, and found the devastation in the depths of the forest far superior to anything ever caused by a mere snowstorm. She suspected beyond a shadow of a doubt that the two Queens sitting nonchalantly across the table from her were responsible for it, but she held her tongue. If they were keeping each other occupied, that was their business, and it would do Regina good to have a reasonable outlet for her immense power at last.
Emma turned back to the enigma of Regina's Hero complex, or Villain complex, depending on which way you looked at it.
The Evil Queen had tried so hard to be good, to turn to the light, but in doing so she had lost part of herself. She'd retreated into a realm of shaky confidence, second-guessing her instincts as she tried to turn away from the darkest parts of herself. As a result, she'd left herself wide open to attack from the savage beast that had eventually closed in on the scent of her wounded darkness like a hound on a bloody carcass.
Emma had long ago suspected that Regina's disavowal of one or other side of her true nature was the problem, but now she was sure. Scrutinizing Regina carefully while she was distracted, Emma found that she could see the Evil Queen in Regina's demeanour plain as day, but the woman was still there too, alive and well, and happy. And she was also certain that, somehow, it was Caerys who had revived the Evil Queen and Regina Mills both.
Across the table, Regina laughed brightly at something Henry had said, and Emma smiled to herself as she watched her. Regina Mills was a complex fusion of darkness and light, and one aspect sickled without the other. She appeared to have finally come to terms with the fact that the darkness was part of who she was, but not all of who she was. The light was there in equal measure, and each had their place in her nature. The result of her acceptance was an indescribable liveliness that stemmed forth from her in an enigmatic glow. Doubtless, Emma thought wryly, they'd all have a few more adventures whilst Regina figured out when to use which part of herself, but the important thing was that both halves were now on even terms, meeting in the middle at last.
Still lost in her own thoughts, Emma suddenly became aware of the prickle of magical eyes analysing her face. She broke out of her reverie with a start, and looked up sharply to see Caerys watching her intently with a raptor gaze. Apparently, even thinking about Regina was enough to set the Red Queen to vigilance, and her uncanny moonlight eyes never seemed to miss a thing. But Caerys simply smiled at her, as though acknowledging that they were on the same side, and Emma dipped her head in acquiescence.
Indeed, the Red Queen truly was something otherworldly. Emma couldn't think of a better match for the Evil Queen. Regina had discovered her true nature, and, with it, her true soulmate.
She had found the start of her own Happy Ending, at last.