That's How You Know | Emma Swan

XXiV. CheckMate

Storybrooke. Present-day.

PANIC AND FEAR flared in Gemma's chest as she was put down by Regina Mills who then stormed out and she coughed trying to get air into her lungs as she looked at David. An uncomfortable feeling set in their stomachs. They needed their friends and family back but they needed to be careful about how she went about it as any wrong move they could risk losing everything 

It was like a game of chess, you had to play the right moves at the right time or you could easily get checked-mate and right now they were playing against a master of chess someone who had twenty-eight years to set up the board and plan what moves she was going to make in her head 

But right now they had other things to worry about, they would get to the Evil Queen eventually -- and Gemma must admit she wasn't exactly thrilled with going toe to toe with the Evil Queen again. Not after what happened last time but she digresses

While David went to square off with Regina and find a way to get back to his wife and children Gemma was left with getting the citizens of Storybrooke to stay calm and not cause any more trouble than what they were dealing with by freaking out and causing unnecessary panic, because after twenty-eight years and getting your memories back it can all be a bit jarring. 

Fortunately, most of the people of Storybrooke had their friends and family to be with (even if they hadn't found them yet) but Gemma had built a life outside of the Enchanted Forest in New York and what had happened to them? She had promised Robert that she would be back when she had helped Snow White, that they didn't have to put off the wedding for long and she would be thinking of him every second of every day there were apart

And then she had been captured by the Evil Queen

And then, in a blink of an eye, it had been twenty-eight years

"Giselle!" A voice shouts, pulling her from her thoughts as she was attacked in a hug by the she-wolf and she awkwardly patted Ruby's back, as Gemma she was used to physical contact -- she enjoyed it actually before she was kidnapped by the Evil Queen, now every touch set her on edge even if they didn't mean it 

She supposed she would have to go to Archie and sort out her head because when she found a way to get back to Robert -- and she would -- she would be just as he remembered her. Nothing about her to have changed at all

Then with hot irritation that rushed through her body, she realised that more than twenty-eight years had passed and that Robert wasn't the man that she remembered -- only a fool would've thought that and would he still remember her? Would he still remember the life they planned together, the future that was there's to build?

And Morgan she was only ten...

"I-I have to go, I'm sorry!" Gemma chocked out, feeling the sting of tears that wet her cheeks as she untangled herself from Ruby and ran across the street into her house, slamming the door behind her and sliding down it and letting the sobs rack through her body as she cried over a future that almost was but now never could be 

How was it possible to cry without a heart?

* * * * *

New York City. Then.

Kissing Robert was electric, it was as if she could get drunk on his kisses, he made her feel like every time she kissed him was the first and the last (like if he disappeared it would be okay because at least she had the memory of the way his lips moulded against her own) and the way he kissed her was almost dizzying. He knew exactly how to touch her to make her body respond to him and when they pulled away Giselle was flushed in the face and giggling like a schoolgirl.