Disclaimer: I own nothing no matter how much I wish I did. I just took them out of the cupboard to play.
A/N: Many thanks to my beta, Jo, who has done fantastic work making sure this story is good enough to see the light of day :)
o
Emma groaned as she rolled over, the incessant ringing pulling her from a restless sleep. Throwing her arm in the direction of the sound, she hit her alarm clock with a satisfied 'thump' and prepared to let herself drift back in to unconsciousness. Her pleasure at hitting the alarm clock lasted only momentarily when she realized the ringing had continued unabated. Blearily she opened one eye and looked at the bright red numbers displayed, groaning again. She pulled the pillow over her head, clamping out the noise of what she had since discerned was her phone. No person in their right mind would be calling now - she had no family to worry about; whatever this was could hold off until a more respectable hour of the day.
She waited until it had stopped ringing before she allowed herself to relax once more, waiting for her slumber to pull her back under. It was just as she was on the precipice of tumbling back in to a dreamless sleep that her phone started up again.
"Oh for Christ's sake," she mumbled as she reached over to her phone, irritated. Checking the caller ID didn't help ease her irritation as she finally answered it.
"Eddie, what the fuck? It's barely 5am."
"Whoa, good morning to you too, princess," came the deep southern accent on the other end of the line.
"Seriously, Ed, what the fuck?" She lay back against her pillows, throwing an arm over her eyes to block out the sun's first rays coming through her window.
"Well, to get straight to the point, Cara called in sick this morning, Adrienne is god knows where and Samantha is on some hippie retreat and un-contactable until next week."
"And what exactly does this have to do with me? I haven't worked for you in six months, Ed; you know I'm working at the diner now." She was aching to go back to sleep for another few hours; her head felt like it was filled with cotton candy and now that she was at least partially awake, she realized she was thirsty. Fantastic, she thought.
"You know this cafe inside and out, Em. You know I wouldn't call if it wasn't an emergency."
Emma let out an impatient grunt but didn't answer.
"C'mon Em, double time rates. The breakfast crowd is gonna be here in less than an hour."
She sighed again, realizing even if she did get off the phone now, she probably wouldn't be able to drift back in to blissful unconsciousness. "Triple time," she said.
"Are you trying send me broke here, Em?" Eddie whined through the phone.
"I'm hanging up now, Ed," she threatened.
"Ok ok, you got me. Triple time." He paused, waiting to see if he was going to be interrupted. When no sound from Emma was forthcoming he added, "so you'll be here then?"
"Yeah Ed, why the hell not," she answered with resignation. "I'll see you when I get there."
Hanging up she tossed the phone on the other side of her bed. It wasn't exactly the distraction she was searching for this weekend, but at least it would help pay the bills.
o
Regina's alarm sounded at 6am sharp, only to be turned off before it made its way through its first sequence of synthesized sound. She'd had a restless sleep and decided at 4.30am that trying to attempt to do so any further was both a waste of time and effort. As she had on many occasions prior, she'd been flipping through the folder detailing every scrap of information her pooled sources had been able to find out about Emma. She'd been searching for a clue, a sign, any hint of something that she could pinpoint and have her 'a-ha' flash, that god forsaken Oprah Winfrey 'light bulb moment' when last night would make sense. Even as the sunshine wended its way through the hotel windows it refused to cast any light on the subject matter at hand.
She had stared at the photo of Emma solidly for the past twenty minutes as if by some divine miracle it would provide her the answers she sought; stubbornly it declined to comment. No matter how many times she went back over all the things she knew, it refused to come together and show her. She should not have felt that - not with her. The spark, she knew, was only supposed to happen once in a lifetime and she had felt it with Daniel. She had been down that road already and countless empty years had followed; a loveless marriage, early widowhood and more than enough time of meaningless vengeance. And that spark, she knew, she absolutely knew, would never be felt again.
Yet here she was in a land without magic and, even in the harsh light of day, she couldn't make herself believe last night had been purely the effects of alcohol.
She stretched as she climbed out of bed, padding over to the hotel safe and putting the folder back inside, locking it once more before she made her way to the bathroom. She figured she'd have breakfast in the hotel restaurant and maybe spend her day looking for a gift for Henry's birthday before heading back to the bar this evening in the hopes of finding Emma once more. Just to be sure, she reminded herself. She knew from the file that Emma spent a good chunk of her weekend nights at the bar and was a regular fixture at the pool tables; if Regina was going to chance a second meeting, this would be the place.
Happy with her course of action for the day, Regina sighed contentedly as the hot water rushed over her body leaving a cleansing, revitalized fire in its wake.
o
Emma yawned behind her hand as she looked around the cafe. The morning rush had come and gone and the lunch time crowd was dwindling; less than an hour and she'd be free of this place once more. While she hadn't been particularly thrilled to be working this long weekend, it had been nice to see Lou and Eddie again; although she admittedly was somewhat surprised Lou was still working in the kitchens here. Any observations she had on that matter she kept resolutely to herself. Just one shift, Em, she kept telling herself as each hour had continued to drag.
She'd filled them both in on the last six months of her life, a surprisingly short tale even to her own ears. Yes she was still working at the diner, no she still wasn't seeing anyone, yes she was still shooting pool, no she would not give them lessons. Nothing really changed much in six months it seemed. If she took the time to think about it, her whole life seemed to be stalled in time, unmoving, unchanging. It was a depressing thought and she supposed that's why she seldom let her mind linger too long on those lines.
Tiredly she turned back and began to clean out the coffee machine whilst there was a lull in customers. Her mind barely registered Eddie's greeting as a new customer entered, telling them to sit anywhere they liked and someone would be over shortly to take their order.
"Christ Eddie, when was the last time you cleaned this?" she asked as Eddie turned back from the counter.
Eddie grinned at her, a lopsided smirk on his face.
"What?" she asked with not a small amount of annoyance.
"You still batting for the other team?"
"Eddie!"
"Well are you?" he asked, pressing her for an answer.
"It's none of your goddamn business."
Eddie held his hands up in mock surrender. "Hey look, I was just gonna say as a bit of a thank you that you should take the next customer if you were swinging that way - if not, hell I'll try my luck. The lady is quite the looker."
Emma wondered why it was all of a sudden that her friends were trying to set her up with a .. a .. she wasn't really quite sure what they were trying to set her up with, but she wasn't sure she liked the attention.
"I don't need your help, Ed," she said with resignation.
"Didn't say you did." He grinned again and started to push Emma out of the way of the coffee machine. "Now, go do your job and wait some tables."
Emma grumbled under her breath as she headed over to the booth by the window, taking her notepad out of her apron pocket and a pencil from behind her ear. The occupant had her back to Emma and was looking out through the window to the park across the street. Emma couldn't help but look out as well, seeing a handful of children playing on the swings and the slides; the knot in her stomach that formed moments before the clench in her heart was enough to make her turn her eyes away.
"Welcome to Parkside Cafe. Can I take your," her breath hitched as the brunette turned around, "order?" The last word came out in a barely audible gasp, Emma only just able to stop herself from dropping the notepad on the floor in front of her. Her eyes locked on to the brunette's for the briefest of moments.
"Regina, right?" she said as she noticed a look pass so quickly across the other woman's face she was almost sure she had imagined it. Play it cool, Em. Regardless how this looks, she is not following you. This is purely coincidence and.. oh screw it. Her inner voice was playing unfairly and she had to hope her imagination didn't run away with her again.
"Right. And you are," Regina's eyes flicked to Emma's chest, a slight frown upon her face as she lifted her eyes back up, "Cara?"
"I'm.. what? No.. no why would you think I'm Cara?"
Regina motioned to Emma's name badge.
"Oh, right. Yeah.. no, I'm just filling in for Cara. I'm Emma." Idly she wondered if she should shake Regina's hand after introducing herself, but she soon gave that idea up as being socially awkward and potentially stupid.
"So, um, can I get you anything?"
"Just a coffee, thanks."
Emma started to scribble it down on notepad, her mind working overtime. Could she be so bold? Fuck it, her mind told her in no uncertain terms.
"Honestly, you don't want the coffee here. There's another place a few blocks down which serves fantastic coffee, probably the best in the country." She bit her lower lip before deciding to take the plunge, one last time. "I'm off in twenty minutes; I could buy you one if you liked." She winced slightly as she heard the hopeful tone in her voice. Gods, Emma, you sound like an idiot. She's not the first pretty lady you've set eyes on.
Emma realized she'd started fidgeting with the hem of her apron and quickly stopped. She waited for a snort of derision and the inevitable rejection that was to follow; she was out of this woman's league and both of them knew it. She should have just cut her losses last night at the bar.
What she wasn't expecting was the brief flicker of emotion that crossed the woman's face before her, how her eyes searched once more for something in Emma's own; what she wasn't expecting was for this woman to tilt her head to the side and agree.
o
To say Regina had been shocked when Emma had stepped up to her table was an understatement. She had known, for a fact, that Emma no longer worked here and for the second time in as many days she had been completely unprepared. Still, she reasoned with herself, an accidental meeting was on the agenda for today; it might as well be now. With that thought in mind she agreed to coffee with this woman at the end of her shift.
She'd watched with no small amount of amusement as Emma had gone back to who she assumed was the owner of this establishment and had words with him. Whatever was said was out of earshot, but Emma's face had turned a crimson red; she'd had to tamp down a grin at the sight. Briefly she had fought with herself, argued that this woman was the birth mother to her child; that having coffee with this person was absolutely not what she had been planning when she'd arrived. But her other side, a side she thought long forgotten and buried, argued just as loudly that the impossible spark had to be tested.
With some surprise she noticed Emma coming back to her table not more than five minutes later, no longer wearing an apron.
"Are you ready?" Emma asked as she approached the table.
Regina nodded as she slipped out of the booth, letting Emma take the lead through the doorway as they exited the cafe. She took a moment to graze her eyes over the form of the blonde before falling in to step beside her. Idly she wondered how, exactly, she was going to find out if she truly had felt something last night or whether her over-wrought imagination had finally caught up with her, placing illusions where no truth lay. If she were completely honest with herself, in this moment, she wasn't sure which possible scenario she would prefer.
"I hadn't expected to see you again," Emma had said as they made their way across the street.
"Maybe it was fate," Regina offered as a response.
Emma snorted softly. "You really believe in that?"
Regina shrugged as she contemplated that very question. Had she been asked that question 24 hours ago then she emphatically would have denied the existence of fate, written it off as the delusions of the weak or lovesick. Perhaps even both. But here, now, she was walking with the one woman on the planet with whom she should have no contact, had bumped in to her in a place she did not work, on a day when she just happened to be filling in for someone else. If fate did not exist, then coincidences were running rampant through her life this day.
"Just this way," Emma said as she motioned down an alley between two buildings.
Regina paused briefly as she took in the sight of the alley, looking at Emma with some concern.
"Trust me," she said, grinning. "This place is the best."
Regina swallowed, then nodded her agreement as she followed the blonde woman. She hoped that she had not seriously miscalculated the situation.
It was only as her fear began to seep into the base of her mind that she realized Emma had stopped before an open door, the smell of coffee wafting out.
"Here we are," Emma said, motioning Regina to step inside first.
What greeted Regina's eyes was nothing that she had expected to see as she had set foot down this alley. The coffee shop was quaint, no more than a dozen or so tables spread out around the room, all with very comfortable looking chairs surrounding them. Against the back wall was a bookcase, crammed full of books covering many genres and on the side was the counter for placing orders, a heavy set, grey haired woman behind it, watching as the pair entered. Upon seeing Emma walk in behind Regina a smile had broken upon the older woman's face and she had rushed out from behind the counter, embracing the blonde beside her. Hmpf, Regina thought, this wasn't in the file.
"Emma!" the old woman said with a thick Italian accent. She grasped Emma's hands tightly in her own, then proceeded to kiss each of Emma's cheeks in turn. To Regina's surprise, Emma returned the gesture happily.
"Mama," she had said fondly, "how could I stay away?"
The older woman laughed and pinched at Emma's cheek as if she were a wayward child. "I would have had to track you down if you had!" she had replied, the quip light hearted and warm. "And who is this?" she asked, turning her attention to Regina.
"This is Regina," she said before turning her attention to the brunette beside her. "And this is Luciana D'Angelo, maker of the best coffee in the country."
"Mama, please call me Mama. Everyone does."
To Regina's surprise, the older woman grasped her hands in the same way she had Emma's and planted a kiss to each cheek. "Any friend of Emma's is a friend of mine. Now come, sit, sit. I shall bring you my best." With that the older woman motioned for them to take a seat as she moved back behind the counter.
Regina sat down in one of the comfortable leather chairs as she watched the blonde take a seat opposite her. The irony of the situation, of being seated across the table from the mother of her son, was not lost on her - but she felt its importance slipping slightly.
"She has quite the... presence," Regina commented.
Emma laughed softly and Regina couldn't help the slight twitch of her lips as they threatened to break in to a soft smile.
"She certainly does. I probably should have warned you before we came in," Emma said before interlacing her fingers and resting her hands on the table.
"How do you know her?" Regina asked, surprising herself for actually wanting to know the answer.
Emma shrugged and fidgeted slightly, rubbing her thumb along her hand in a self-comforting motion.
"When I first arrived here I didn't know anyone. Eventually I made friends with Joe, the bar owner, and after I had complained for the millionth time about needing a good cup of coffee, he let me in on the secret that the best coffee in town was at Mama's." She sighed softly. "They've been like the parents I never had."
Regina felt her heart ache just slightly. Perhaps this was the reason she had broken her 12 month moving rule, maybe this blonde before her had finally found some semblance of home and was desperately clinging to it. Surprising herself for the second time in as many minutes she found she wanted to lean across and comfort this woman. The thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to find out if the spark had been real floated through her mind briefly.
As she reached her hand out to hold the blonde's across from her in sympathy, Mama arrived with two coffees and two slices of apple pie. Regina eyed the pie warily.
"Thanks, Mama," Emma had supplied as her hair was ruffled slightly by the older woman.
The pair sat in comfortable ease, chatting quietly with each other, getting to know one another. Regina found that the files she had were severely lacking; that copious amounts of information about the actual personality of this blonde woman before her had never been included. In a way she reminded Regina of a younger version of herself; damaged and broken and thrown away. But this woman before her had pulled herself back together, had taped up the wounds and pushed forward. In a small way, it was inspiring.
Regina found herself almost mesmerized as she listened to Emma speak, watching her mouth as she formed each word, the slight rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Mentally she tried to kick herself and remind herself why she was here, but fate had dealt this woman in to her hands and against the plan she had bargained with herself that morning. If fate was leading down this road, well, what harm would following it a little ways really do?
After two of the best coffees Regina had ever tasted she took a chance to look at her watch. She was amazed to notice that it was now creeping in to early evening; they had been talking now for the better part of three hours. She hadn't felt the time go by.
Emma noticed the slight movement and sighed internally, things had been going so well.
"I guess it is getting late," she remarked, nodding her head at Regina's watch.
"I had a wonderful time," Regina said, and found she actually meant it.
Regina stood and waited whilst Emma paid for the coffees and pie, watching with something akin to wonder at the banter between the blonde and the older woman behind the counter. Motioning for Emma to go first, she followed the blonde out the door of the small coffee shop.
It was at this moment that fate once again intervened. In the waning light of the alleyway she had failed to notice the second step as she moved out of Mama's, misjudging where her foot was likely to land. As she stumbled forward, ready to brace herself for the inevitable impact of her body on the solid concrete, time seemed to slow for her. The absurdity of the situation almost caused her to laugh, her mind seemed to sigh in resignation and the only thought she had was how incredibly ridiculous she must look now, her arms flailing for the balance she clearly lacked.
It was in that moment that she felt the strong arms of Emma wrap around her, steadying her, holding her; and it was in that moment that she thought she would collapse.
There it was, that impossible spark shooting through her like lightning, igniting a slow burning fire in her mind as her breath caught in her throat. She locked eyes with Emma, her breath becoming shallow as her heart began to race; she had to see it, had to see if the thread was there, if Emma felt it too. She searched the blonde woman's face in the rapidly fading light; saw how her forest green eyes had momentarily glassed over, how her lips parted ever so slightly.
"Do you feel that?" she asked softly, exhaling, as if too much sound would break the momentary spell cast over them. She searched her eyes as she lifted a hand to Emma's cheek, running her finger tip along her jaw-line in a mirror image of how she had traced this woman's photo the night before.
"Can you feel it?" she asked again, the sound of her voice tinged with desperation, with such a sound of want as she had not heard from herself in decades.
Instead of an answer she felt Emma's hand slide up her back, tangling itself in her hair as it pulled her head closer. Regina surrendered to the touch and was rewarded with Emma's lips crashing against her own, the blonde woman's tongue demanding entrance to her mouth, entrance she was more than willing to give. This, Regina supposed, was her answer.
o
Regina wasn't sure how they had managed to make it back to her hotel room, how they had walked the two blocks, or how they had managed to do so without drawing too much attention to themselves. However, the moment the door was closed behind them she felt herself pushed back against the wall, the cold of the plaster seeping through her clothes. She felt Emma's mouth seek out her own, lips and teeth crashing together, tongues dancing their own duel of dominance; she wondered if she could get lost in the taste of this woman.
She slipped her hand under the hem of Emma's tank top, sliding it up over warm skin, feeling her shiver slightly at her touch. Her own arousal was threatening to overwhelm her as she felt Emma push her jacket down and off her shoulders, felt her lips latch on to the pulse point in her neck, teeth biting down against her soft skin. She groaned in response, another ripple of arousal shooting through to her core.
She pulled at Emma's tank top, allowing a small sound of frustration to slip from her as she tried to pull it up over Emma's head. Gods how she wanted to feel this woman writhing beneath her; wanted to do so many delicious things. The impossible spark was shooting fireworks through her mind as the offending tank top was finally removed, allowing Regina to unclasp her bra and throw it away haphazardly.
Her hands wasted no time as they cupped a breast each, her mouth quickly following to one as she laved kisses upon the porcelain white skin, so smooth to her lips. Her tongue flicked against a hardened nipple, eliciting a moan from the blonde as she felt fingers wrap tightly in her hair, holding her head in place. She slipped her hands to the waistband of Emma's jeans, popping the button before sliding the zip down, pushing the denim pants down as far as she could, the hand still entwined in her hair keeping her head exactly where it was.
Emma groaned as she felt her pants slide off her, and with no small amount of regret she pulled Regina's head back up, her body missing the brunette's mouth almost instantly.
She unbuttoned the blouse of the older woman, saw the arousal of this woman in those beautiful, dark, chestnut coloured eyes; knew that her own would be reflecting the same. Growling softly she gave up trying to be gentle and ripped at the remaining buttons, hearing one of them hit the tiled floor of the entry way. Any protest the brunette might have given was lost as Emma slid her hand up underneath the brunette's skirt, feeling wet panties against her finger tips. She almost shuddered at the thought.
"Bed. Now," she said, her voice thick with desire.
Any remaining clothes were divested before the pair reached the bed, Emma once again pushing Regina back. She watched with a predatory grin as Regina moved up the bed somewhat, saw the lust in her eyes as she slid up along her body, planting kisses against the delicate skin on the stomach of the brunette beneath her. She let her hand work its way slowly up the older woman's leg, feeling the slight tremble beneath her hand as her fingers danced against the sensitive flesh of her inner thigh. Trailing kisses lower she was met with a dark patch of hair and a soft keening noise from Regina.
"Please," she heard the other woman say and she needed no more encouragement than that. The one word alone causing her own arousal to increase.
She slipped two fingers up along the wet folds before pushing them inside, feeling Regina instantly raise her hips and push back against them. Gods, Emma thought, this woman is beautiful. She felt Regina's hand on her head, fingers beginning to tangle themselves in her hair. She lowered her head further, allowing her tongue to swipe over the length of the other woman, tasting her for the first time. A soft moan escaped her lips as another shudder of arousal shot through her body.
Emma flicked her tongue over Regina's clit before sucking it in to her mouth, the brunette's hand never leaving the back of her head - alternating between soft caress and something akin to a demand. There was no doubt in her mind she was addicted to this woman.
It didn't take long before she felt the first wave of an orgasm crash over Regina, her inner walls pulsing against Emma's fingers, thighs clamped over her ears. She didn't ease up until she felt the brunette push her head back, her body twitching slightly from the aftershocks.
Regina looked down at the woman between her legs, saw the wetness on her face as a reflection from the light coming in through the barely open curtain. She pulled Emma up over her body, claiming her lips with her own, tasting herself on them. The blonde lifted herself up, legs straddling over Regina's hips, and began to rock against her.
As Regina looked up at this woman above her she could feel the spark inside her, tethering itself to Emma's thread. For the barest whisper of a moment in the heartbeat of time panic seized her, but was dispelled almost as quickly at the soft moans coming from this beautiful woman. Her hands trailed along the inner thighs of Emma, slipping one hand between them as the other sought out a hardened nipple, pinching at it softly. The groan from above caused a smile to tug at the corners of Regina's mouth and she slipped two fingers inside Emma, feeling the blonde rocking harder as her breath started to come out in shorter gasps.
As with her own, it did not take long for the blonde to throw her head back in a silent cry of hedonistic pleasure and Regina knew she was completely taken over by this woman; could spend her lifetime watching her unravel so beautifully before her. Any other coherent thought was summarily dismissed as the younger woman lay down against Regina, planting soft kisses against her collarbone.
Idly Regina ran her hand along the other woman's back, tracing lines against the silky skin beneath her fingertips. She was so lost in the feeling of this woman laying moulded against her body that it took her a few minutes to realize Emma's breathing had slowed down, her body relaxed against her own. Smiling softly to herself she pulled the covers over them and held the blonde woman to her, a feeling of rightness washing over her as she closed her eyes to sleep.
