Lighting Fires is the story of how Emma Swan and Regina Mills begin to bond and fall in love during their days of struggle and triumph in Neverland. It is between the scenes fic, which means you have to watch the show Once Upon A Time to truly "get it."
Chapter 1: Lighting Fires
Why was it that Neverland was so cold at night?
Was it the shadows, which seemed to pass ominously, yet almost imperceptibly, overhead? Was it some strange marine layer which, not present at day, appeared suddenly just off shore at night? Whatever it was, Emma was sick of it. Sweating all day in pursuit of the Lost Boy’s camp and Henry, freezing at night on the cold, hard ground. And now… the fire was out.
What did Regina tell her? Use her anger? That’s how she ignited flames before. Or was it use her emotions? She couldn’t remember. But, the fire was definitely out. Mary Margaret and David were safe and warm in each other’s arms. Hook… where was he? Nowhere to be found this late at night around what used to be a campfire. Suspicious that he was gone, she mused.
Emma shivered slightly to shake off the memories of her kiss with him. “That was just weird,” she told herself. She sat up and rolled her head around her neck to work out the kinks that sleeping on the ground had worked into her muscles. It was then that her eyes fixed on Regina.
Regina, with her little blue jacket rolled up beneath her head for a pillow; the same jacket that would be, miraculously, free of wrinkles the next day! Regina, sleeping soundly, without a shiver in the chilly night air and on the cold, hard ground: what was her secret? Magic?
Emma crossed the remnants of the cold fire between them and sat down gently beside her. She studied her face. How angelic she looked! How could such a beautiful, peaceful face belong to the “Evil Queen?” It was hard to believe.
“Hard to believe,” Regina murmured without opening her eyes.
“What?!,” Emma stammered amazed.
“Hard to…” Regina’s voice trailed off, back into sleep.
“This is not fair!” Emma thought. “Here she sleeps, all peaceful and warm, while I freeze with a pain in my neck!”
Besides, she was worried about Henry. I’m the savior? I can’t even find my way to him on this island. What if he’s wrong about me?
Emma used both hands to rub up and down her arms in an attempt to warm herself up. “Not fair.”
Regina shifted slightly in her sleep, sighing somewhat as she did.
Wow… she looks beautiful. How does she do it?
“Okay, Swan, okay… this is Regina, the Evil Queen. She is not the innocent beauty she appears!”
“That’s it,” she thought. “This bitch is sharing her evil keep-warm, sleep peacefully secrets with me!”
Emma placed two fingers across Regina’s lips. “Wake up,” she whispered.
As if on command, Regina’s eyes opened suddenly. She looked panicked for a moment, so Emma placed her entire hand across her mouth.
“Be quiet!” she commanded in a stealthy voice. “It’s only me.”
Regina grabbed her wrist firmly and pulled her hand away from her mouth.
“What in the hell are you doing?” she spat out.
“The fire’s out. I can’t remember how to start another one.”
Regina was clearly irritated. Her eyes narrowed as her lips curled into a sarcastic grin.
“Go into the woods and gather some wood,” she purred coyly. Her tone changed. “After that… light a fire!” she hissed.
“Shhh…,” Emma put a finger to her own lips. “Don’t want to wake everyone up.”
“Clearly not. Just me, apparently. What is it that you want?”
“Show me again… how to make a fire… with magic, I mean.”
“Seriously? You woke me up for that?”
Regina flicked her wrist and the flame on the dormant fire reignited.
“Satisfied?,” she yawned as she lay back down.
“No! I meant for you to teach me… magic! This fire will only last so long. But you are lying on the ground here, somehow… warm. Waking up the next day looking as if you just walked out of a boutique.”
“And you’re convinced this is magic?” Regina deadpanned. “I happen to have style, a je ne sais quoi.
“I don’t even know why I woke you up if you’re going to spout French at me!” Emma scowled. “I was right. You are evil!”
Regina was just beginning to shake the cobwebs out of her head. She wakes me up, accuses me of being evil for having style and I’m the bitch? She eyed Emma curiously. “What’s wrong with her,” she pondered. She studied Emma’s face. “She looks so terrified. Like a child.”
Emma began to stand up, but was halted by Regina’s hand on her upper arm.
“I’m sorry, Emma. Sit down.”
Emma hated to admit it to herself, but she had a weakness for Regina when she appeared vulnerable, such as now: apologizing and full of sleep. She sat down beside her.
“What’s bothering you? And don’t tell me it’s the fire!”
Emma hesitated. Was she really going to share with Regina? Okay, this was about Henry. And as much of a monster as the Evil Queen was, she did love Henry. She couldn’t deny that Regina had been a good mother. Henry was a good kid. But, this was about her… her insecurity.
“Emma?”
“What if I’m not the savior? What if I can’t save Henry?”
Regina’s response surprised her. She propped her head up on her hand as she leaned on her elbow.
“Why would you question that? You saved me enough times and you don’t even love me. In fact, I think quite the opposite.”
“I don’t hate you, Regina.”
“No. You just think I’m a monster.”
“I said that out of anger. You were pissing me off.”
“I pissed you off on purpose.”
“Duh.”
“So you could access your magic to help save Henry.”
“I get that. I just don’t know if I can do it. I’m cold, I can’t sleep, I kissed Hook… I’m a nervous wreck!”
“You kissed Hook?” Regina recoiled. “What, in the hell, is the matter with you?”
Emma smiled at Regina’s revulsion. She had to admit that it pleased her that Regina was as upset about it as she was.
“I’m just worried about our son,” Emma said softly.
“Yeah… but kissing Hook?”
Emma wasn’t sure, but Regina sounded vaguely jealous. No, couldn’t be, she told herself.
“Get over it, Regina. I am.”
Regina reclined her head on her “pillow” again.
“I miss him, too.”
“Hook?” Emma knee-jerked her reaction.
“Henry!” Regina shouted as she bolted upright.
“Shhh…” Emma admonished as she turned to look at her parents. Mary Margaret and David shifted slightly in their sleep. “Be quiet.”
“Yeah, right,” Regina huffed, “Can’t bother Mom and Dad.”
She settled back down propped up on her elbow and eyed Emma. She could see distress reflected in green eyes. The sad face reminded her of her son when he was disappointed.
“Emma,” she whispered, “We will not lose our son. I promise you that.”
Emma couldn’t quite identify why, but Regina’s words reassured her.
“Really?”
“Really. I will do whatever it takes, believe me.”
These words greatly comforted Emma.
“Thank you, Regina,” she stated honestly. “I just wish I could sleep.”
“Aah,” Regina smiled. “But I have a magic little blue jacket.”
She extended her “pillow” slightly so that Emma could lay her head upon it. Emma’s eyes widened.
“So your jacket is magic?!”
Regina laughed out loud. Emma was struck at how remarkable it was to witness her in an unguarded moment of sheer mirth. She had thought her beautiful before, but in this moment she was extraordinary! Was there ever such a smile? She felt a tug at her heart. Why do I always fall for her moments of grace? They were few and far between, but when they happened, Emma felt almost powerless before them. Yet… her experience taught her to be guarded.
“What’s so funny?” she blurted awkwardly.
“It’s a jacket, Emma.”
Regina fluffed a part of her coat for Emma to place her head.
“Lay down. Fall asleep. I’ll keep you warm.”
Although her words seemed sincere, there was a trace of a smirk crossing her lips. Emma remained suspicious.
“But… I’ll be right next to you!”
“Suit yourself then.”
“What is your game, Regina?”
“No game. I offered you a warm place to sleep… you declined.” Regina hesitated and given time to reflect upon what she had just proposed, her brow furrowed. “You didn’t seriously think I had ulterior motives, did you? Really, Ms. Swan, you delude yourself!”
“I… um,” Emma stuttered.
“Eloquent, as usual, go sleep where you will. I could care less!”
“No! I want to sleep with you!” Emma could not believe what she had just said. How could she ever recover that statement? But it was true! She wanted to be close to the one person who could feel the same pain and loss as she did. Nobody understood, but her. Too late… Regina’s eyes were bedroom serious: half lidded and seductive. She just knew the other woman was going to have a sultry, sarcastic comeback: probably in French. The Queen’s lips parted slowly.
“Duh.”
Regina broke out in a broad smile.
“I never would have guessed you to be so conventional. It’s simple science. Those two,” she nodded somewhat disdainfully towards Emma’s parents, “are warm because their bodies are close together. Hook is out there keeping warm with God only knows what… some thing with fins and feathers and eight legs, most likely.”
This image drew an unguarded laugh from Emma. The two women smiled at each other, momentarily sharing a moment of mutual amusement. Regina wriggled a few inches back and patted the ground in front of her.
“I won’t bite or think less of you in the morning. I promise. I just want you to get a decent night’s sleep so you’ll be rested and ready to go tomorrow. Besides, why is it that we shouldn’t keep each other warm? It’s not like anyone’s watching.”
Regina pondered her own words. “Why is it I want her next to me?” she thought. It was not just to keep warm. She craved human contact, at this point. She had been alone for so long. And this woman, the daughter of her worst enemy, ignited something within her: a desire to be close… physically close. She had already shared with her more than she could remember sharing with anybody, not out of choice, but necessity. Yet now, she was choosing. I want her near me. She gazed into sleepy, green eyes. I need her.
Finally, Emma acquiesced. She laid her head down on Regina’s jacket with her back to the other woman. She could smell the subtle scent of the queen’s expensive perfume still clinging bravely to the threads. She felt immediately warmer as she pressed up gently next to her. They were barely touching as her exhaustion took over and her lids began to flutter. Somehow, she had to admit, this felt right: Henry’s two Moms snuggling together to protect themselves against the cold of night in this God-forsaken place. She could feel Regina’s warm breath on her shoulder. She heard her own voice, as if in a dream, whisper, “Hold me, Regina.”
Regina’s arm reached around and pulled her close.
“Good night, Ms. Swan,” her sleepy utterance trailed off into Emma’s neck.
As the flames of Regina’s fire crackled reassuringly, both women drifted almost immediately into sleep.
Neither was aware of the dark, flickering shadow cast slowly over them.