Disclaimer: I own no part of Once Upon a Time. If I did I'd be happily at comic-con right now, not to mention SQ would be canon.

Four

Another length of rope went flying across the deck, followed by a small barrel and a clump of seaweed.

"Regina, you have to try and talk to her, this is ridiculous," David complained.

The dark haired woman looked up from the book she was reading, "Why should I care?"

The Prince stuttered with annoyance, "No one else can get through to her and you two seem to be getting along so well these days."

Regina scoffed at that, snapping her book shut. "I will talk to her, only so that you two will stop pestering me."

"Thank you," Snow breathed sincerely, "Please help her."

Regina dismissed them with a regal wave of her hand and made her way tentatively to the blonde's side.

Emma sat with her knees up, her forehead resting on them and her hair spilling about her in a protective cocoon.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, startled at the spark of electricity she felt, but shrugged it off nonetheless.

"Emma," A soothing husky voice prodded her to look up.

"What?" She ground out.

"There are things flying about this ship, you're disrupting the peace." Upon seeing the look on the younger woman's face Regina sank down beside her.

"It's not real. There is no peace. Everyone is so fake. Including me," The blonde replied shortly.

"What's changed dear?" The older woman studied Emma closely, taking in the clouded pale eyes and almost ashen skin.

"Nothing's changed, that's the point." Emma dropped her forehead back to her knees.

A large canvas went flying by.

Regina shook her shoulder again, "For god's sake, control your magic. Have we really gotten nowhere?"

Tear filled eyes looked up to meet dark ones, "No, we haven't."

Across the deck David and Snow struggled to catch the canvas, tumbling over each other and other strewn objects as they went.

Regina tried to go for the humor she knew the blonde so loved, "On second thought, keep doing whatever it is you're doing as it's rather amusing."

Emma returned a small watery smile. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"I'm only here so your parents would stop talking to me." Regina answered, almost convincingly.

"Really?"Emma prodded.

"Now, I'm here for you. What's wrong dear? We have to be strong for Henry."

Emma sighed; she ached to lean against the other woman, lay her head on her shoulder. Still, she took comfort from her closeness. "I'm just tired of waiting. We've been here over a week now, practicing magic, fighting and eating copious amounts of admittedly delicious food. But," She groaned, "It doesn't seem like we've gone anywhere. Look at the ocean, it's just the same! We could be going in circles and have no idea! We're no closer to Henry and I'm no closer to being prepared to fight for him if we do find him…"

"When-" Regina interrupted.

"What?"

"When we find him, not if."

"Right," Emma agreed sadly.

The older woman took her hand, something that was a more and more common occurrence for the two of them, "You can't give up hoping."

"Why not?" The blonde held on tightly to the smooth skin. "How are you so positive?"

"That little boy saved me when I held him in my arms the first time. And I have to hold on, no matter how hard, to save him. I owe him."

"That's it? You have a debt to pay," Emma sneered, pulling her hand back.

"Stop," Regina spoke softly, sharply. "You know very well it's more than that. I love him as I know you do. And he loves us…or at least you…"

Emma took back the small hand, "He loves you too, I know. "

"For love, for family, for change, for growth and for the future. We have to hold on to hope, to knowing that we'll save him."

"It's hard."

"It is, "Regina admitted, "Now when you first arrived in Storybrooke, I wouldn't have believed you could do it. But now, you're stronger, you can and you will save him. "

"We will," Emma nudged the other woman playfully in the ribs. "I guess he saved me too, changed me into a better version of myself."

"Clothing choices excluded," Regina pushed back against her shoulder, looking the other woman up and down.

"Hey, we're on a ship. My choices are limited!" Emma protested, grinning for the first time that day.

"Speak for yourself." Regina tossed her hair.

"You look beautiful," Emma admitted sincerely. The light, short dress she'd fashioned was unlike the dark, strict clothes she normally wore. Her dark hair was slightly curly without the help of a blow dryer and the added benefit of sweltering humidity. The combined effect had her looking young and girlish, it was refreshing to see. Even more, it let Emma see into the past; let her see what the young Regina had been like before her life had spun cruelly out of control.

"Thank you," The older woman replied, surprise clear in her voice. She steered away from the comment, "Now shall we get back to Henry. What shall I teach you today?"

With a final longing glance at the other woman, Emma pleaded, "Can we play hooky today? " She flexed her hand, bringing the strewn objects back to their rightful positions, "I'm tired."

"I'm sure you are, you were quite busy this morning. Really, Emma, I thought I taught you something about control."

"You did, I just didn't feel like it today," The blonde shrugged. Abruptly, she turned fiercely to face the other woman. "How do you know he's alive?" She asked desperately.

Regina reached out, settling her hand between Emma's breasts.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I can feel him in there," She nodded at her chest, "In my heart. Focus Emma, you can feel him."

She concentrated on the warm hand over her heart, centered herself and let herself be drawn into the rhythm of the organ. She felt another beat start up in harmony with her own, smaller and faster.

"Henry," She gasped.

"Yes," Regina breathed.

Emma reached over, slipping inside the light material to place her hand over Regina's heart. Her eyes fluttered as she felt the connection, a third heartbeat in a perfect synchronization. A surge of white energy connected the three, a perfect circle or family and love.

"Thank you," Emma swallowed visibly.

"No problem," Regina's cheeks were flushed and she struggled to gain her composure, "Though if you'd kindly stop manhandling me." She looked pointedly at the pale hand on her tanned skin.

"Oh right, sorry." The blonde pulled her hand back as if it were on fire. She shook off the remaining cobwebs of seductive power and turned to the book lying at Regina's feet, "Whatcha reading?"

She grabbed at it, much to Regina's protests, flipping it open. "Regina," She whispered conspiratorially, "There are naked people in this." She flashed the image at the other woman.

"Yes dear, honestly people are such prudes in this world. That's something I could never understand."

Emma shook her head, flipping through the pages with glee, "Well excuse me your majesty, but I do recall last week you asked me to cover up."

"That was different."She pulled the book out of the other woman's hands, "Besides, I'm reading it for the story."

"Sure, like you read playboy for the articles."

"I do." Regina turned her attention to the words on the page as the blonde looked at her in awe.

The older woman pleasantly surprised her and surprisingly aroused her. Long time to be without any privacy, that was all, Emma shook her head. She leaned closer to Regina and began to read alongside her, asking softly, "Can I?"

"I have my doubts that you can actually read, but yes you may read with me. There will be no snickering at the pictures," She reprimanded like she would a child.

"But Regina, the engorged melons," Emma giggled.

She was answered with a sharp look, fit to break glass or stop a heart.

"Fine," Emma gulped.

They bent their heads to read, connected by the flowery words and by the thin silvery string that encircled a family.

A/N: I hate to beg but I'm begging for reviews- I'd love some feedback. Their time on the ship is coming to an end and I'd love any input on the adventure to come or any comments in general. Thanks for reading and following the story : ) Happy comic-con weekend!