Hop In

A road trip a flight and a Dimensional shift. That was what it took to find Merlin. That was fine on it's own but she insisted on coming with me. and On our Road trip to follow our first clue, we stayed in her car for the night. "Emma… I don't think this is quite safe."

I snorted. "what is going to happen to us here, that has not already happened to just Regina." I sighed and shifted the seat back and rested my eyes. That was all I ever did anymore, because I couldn't fucking sleep.

"Maybe if we drive further, we can find a hotel or something. I looked over at my… what Friend? Co- Parent? Ha… my baby mama. At that thought a chuckle leapt out of me. It was such an inappropriate time, but my mind did things like that now. It couldn't focus. If I wanted to I could let all of the images that pass through my mind dictate how I dealt with Regina. I supposed I somewhat did, because I tried so hard not to show what my minds eye told me about us.

"There are no vacancies in this podunk town in fucking West Virginia." I growled.

"How do you know?" she asked. I quirked a brow and rolled my eyes. "Right… You know Rumple wasn't always right."

The hell he wasn't. He just used to lie a lot to get the outcome he wanted. "Fine. I said throwing her car into gear and driving up to a motel ten miles down the road. it had a fucking vacancy. the Honeymoon suite. It was dingy and dank and not the Mayor's cup of tea, but I supposed I could use a comfortable bed to NOT sleep in.

That night, we lay in the bed. It was large enough that we didn't have to touch. She was exhausted because she fell asleep the moment her head touched the pillow. As I lay there at night, slowly but as sure as I was about who I was, Regina moved closer to me as if drawn to me by magic. she was heat seeking… and I was comfort seeking. She comforted me.

She wrapped herself protectively around me and I let her hold me.

When she woke up that morning, it was with a start. My eyes were half lidded I didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. She extricated herself from me, and slid out of the bed and padded to the bathroom.

Once she was in I sighed and walked over to the door, looking out at the sun that was just managing to peek out from behind the mountains.

The next time we shared a bed, was when we landed in Europe. SOme Serious Feasting was happening in london, and we couldn't' get our way out of the City until the next day. There was also a shortage of rooms in the Hotel Regina had wanted. She sprung for the sole room they had which was almost a grand a night to stay there. She said it was worth it though, and I had to agree.

Since we had no real choice in the matter, we stayed in that night and we talked. We talked of things, we would never have before. But she said. "I am afraid that if we fail, I'll never get a chance to say this to you."

And what she said, made so much sense to me, because it was exactly how I felt. Because she was much more to me than my rival, my baby mama. she was also my friend… no… my best friend. some one indispensable and completely irreplaceable to me. She held me that night and she fell asleep that way. Her body wrapped snugly around me as if she were trying to protect me from the darkness already within me.

The next morning I shifted in her arms to face her. Her eyes opened slowly. She didn't startle this time. she only looked back at me with the same intensity I gave her. Then she lowered her eyes and leaned forward slightly letting our lips meet in a sweet soft kiss as though she were gaguing my reaction.

My arms wrapped around her more securely and she intensified the kiss. We stayed like this for god knows how long I no longer have any concept of time. I don't know who ended the kiss, but neither of us let go. she wrapped her arms around me and rested her forehead against mine. "We should go…" I whispered.

She nodded, and let me go.

The third time we shared a bed, was not because we had no other choice. We had returned home, I was weakened because of the darkness extraction, and I lay in my loft bed. I had been asleep it felt like for days. There were times I am so sure that I felt her there with me. but I was unconscious, so I don't count that as sharing a bed.

I lay awake in my bed. The sounds of Henry, and my parents and Neal going about downstairs. There was another voice, It was muted and subdued, then there were steps climbing my stairs. There were distinctive sound of Awesome fucking heels. my heart fluttered as a dark head appeared from the lower level of the apartment.

She stopped at the top of the stairs and looked at me. "I hope you are happy…" she said her tone I couldn't' decipher, was she mad at me because what could I have done to her in my sleep.

"Um… What?"

"I can no longer sleep without you next to me." She said coming closer. I couldn't help the smile forming on my lips. "For three nights, I have spent them here with you, and teleporting home before anyone is the wiser."

"oh…" I breathed.

"Our son saw us last night, and has teased me the entire day about kissing in trees." Her lip quirked slightly and I couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh. I scooted over in the bed and patted my side. She took her place and wrapped her arms protectively around me. "I am so in love with you Emma It Hurts." s he whispered.

"I love you too." I said, there was no hesitation in the return of the sentiment. She smiled and claimed my lips and I reciprocated in kind. Then there was a chuckle at the steps.

"Mom and Emma sitting in a tree…" Henry said with a boyish giggle

"Seriously Hen?" I asked. "Come here!" I opened my arms wide, this had been the first time I had seen him since the Darkness left me and I needed to hold my son. He moved to me… us and held us close.

"This is the best thing that could ever happen." He mumbled into his mother's hair. I smiled because If it weren't for him, this would never have been possible.