The dogs growling echoes in their ears, Regina's sensitive lobes were less than comfortable from the sound. Cautiously they move as one, hoping to drive the dogs back into the shrouded forest surrounding them. But their plan didn't seem to be catching on with the pack, the animals snap at them, making the group shuffle back to the Jeep every few feet.
"This isn't working. We need to rush at them." Neal whispers.
Keeping her gaze locked on a pair of mythical mutts, Emma shakes her head. "No, that's too risky, we're completely outnumbered." She risks a glance to her right to Regina, "Any ideas?"
Regina pauses, clutching her rifle tightly. "I could distract them while you two get away." She chews on her lower lip thoughtfully.
"I'm in." Neal's voice noticeably octaves a much cheerful tone. The pack emits a bone-chilling growl at the sound. He flinches.
But Emma didn't like the sound of this plan. "Then how will you get back to us?" Regina doesn't reply. "No, we just started this mission and you're who I'm protecting." One of the dogs in front of her bares its teeth. "We're sticking this out together." Neal rolls his eyes.
"Fine." Shouldering her gun strap to the side, Regina takes a step forward. The pack immediately backs away from her. "But we do this my way." She fans out her hand, a ball of fire sparking from her palm.
Emma's eyes widen. "No, that's too dangerous." Her concerned eyes flick between the dogs to Regina.
"For you maybe, but for me," She juts her palm forward and steady stream of fire bursts towards the dogs, making them whelp and scramble for safety. "This is child's play." She grins.
"Regina!" Emma tries to take a step forward but the dogs surrounding her bark furiously, forcing her back. "Don't do anything stupid."
The vampire glances back at her, lifting an eyebrow. She tosses a fireball at the pair, igniting them instantly. They race around in circles trying to extinguish their flaming tails.
"With you two stupidity just seems to follow." She offers a hand out to the slightly impressed blonde. "More him than you." She nods to Neal, who is trying to ward a trio of mutts with his crossbow. She and Emma exchange a glance. "Do I really have to save him?"
Emma smirks, still wary of the dogs stumbling around behind them. "Yes, we'll need him." He lets out a scream and she cringes, "Eventually."
Sighing, Regina flicks her wrist to shoot a flame at the dogs. Neal watches, wide-eyed as they yelp and run into the forest. "You're welcome." Regina smirks, turning to fend off what's left of the pack.
Running a shaky hand through his hair Neal stumbles his way to Emma. "I don't think a confidence boost is really what she needs right now." He mutters.
Emma smiles, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I think you owe her. She could've missed the dogs and just burned you."
"Yeah, right." He mutters. The pair watches as Regina almost lazily shoots flames at the pack, dogs stumble back into the trees rapidly, nearly stepping on another to get away from the flames. "Now I think she's just showing off to look good." Neal grumbles, not liking the way his partner was watching the vampire.
"Maybe." Emma bites her lip. "But it's working."
"Emma, you can't be serious. She's a vampire for Gods sake."
"I know what she is." She reluctantly turns her gaze from Regina. "That doesn't mean I can't admire her skills. If it wasn't for her we'd both be dead."
Neal huffs out a breath, leaning against the Jeep. "Just don't let your schoolgirl crush go to your head."
Emma's eyebrows rise up. "Schoolgirl crush? Is that what you think this is?" She frowns, turning to face him. "I'm just doing my job, but unlike you I can set my differences aside. What's your problem with her anyway?"
His face flushes. "I just don't like the way she looks at you."
"The way she-? What the hell are you talking about Neal?"
A menacing growl forces Neal's mouth back shut. They turn to see a large, raven black dog glaring at them with the reddest eyes either had ever seen.
"I'm almost positive that isn't a Laelaps." Neal whispers. Emma shakes her head in agreement. "Get behind me."
"No, I'm sure if we move we're dead." Emma whispers back. Her blood freezes as she realizes that Regina was oblivious to this new threat, completely wrapped up in torching the Laelaps. The odd new mutt seemed to come to come to this conclusion as well, turning its bloody gaze to the vampire. Drool drips from its mouth as it tenses itself into a leap. "Regina!" Emma races out to grab the brunette just as, in a panic, Neal fires his crossbow.
Regina turns, eyes wide, to see the arrow slide against Emma's waist, piercing her skin before hitting the hound in the neck. The last of the pack scurries at the sight of the midnight dog and Emma hitting the ground simultaneously.
"Emma!" Human and immortal shouts, racing to her side.
"What the hell did you do that for!?" Regina's gazes down at the blonde in a panic.
"I was aiming for the black…dog…thing! How was I suppose to know she was going to run to you!?"
Regina groans in frustration, gently flipping Emma onto her unwounded side. She whimpers in pain, tightening her hold around her wound. "Emma, I'm going to need you to move your hand, okay?" Regina speaks softly, as if talking to a small child with a scraped knee. She slowly intertwines their fingers and pulls Emma's hand away.
Blood flows from her waist evenly, a large gash peeking out from the tear in her shirt. Regina's soft brown eyes assess it carefully, pulling back the cloth covering it. "It's not as bad as I thought. She's lucky; if you had shot any closer we'd be pulling that arrow right out of her." She tosses Neal a sour look.
He returns it evenly. "If you had been paying attention she wouldn't have had the insane notion to go save you." He grumbles.
"I'm sorry, I was a bit preoccupied saving your ass!" She snaps back. "I knew I should have left you for the dogs." She mutters.
Neal grinds his teeth together, ready to rant, but Emma coughs, causing them both to quickly focus back on her. "Guys…..don't fight the dogs might come back…" She whispers.
"Emma, try not to speak, alright?" Regina's voice turns back to the soothing tone. "Can you move?"
Emma nods and begins to slide her torso upward but quickly hisses in pain. Neal and Regina's hands instantly fly out in assistance. "I'm fine, it just hurts." She looks up to Regina, who stares back intensely. "You shouldn't be here."
"What?"
"The blood. Doesn't it bother you?" Emma coughs again.
"No, not since you allowed me to ah..taste you…" Regina feels her face heat up and Emma takes note of the action.
She lightly touches her cheek. "You're doing that weird warm thing again." She smirks.
Regina slides her hand away. "It tends to do that at times, as I've told you." Glancing at Neal, she clears her throat. "Now be honest, how much pain are you in?"
Emma's eyebrows furrow. "Not that much as along as I don't move too quickly."
Regina huffs out a breath. "Then it's safe to relocate you." Looking to Neal, she stands. "You might want to move."
He frowns. "Why?"
"I don't want you to be in the way when I pick her up."
"What? No, no way am I letting you pick her up in this condition. Or in any condition." He stands as well, fingers curled into fists.
Regina rolls her eyes. "Do you want her to get well or not?" He nods. "Then move." Before he could protest, the vampire squats down and in one swift motion, scoops Emma into her arms.
Blinking rapidly, Emma looks up at her. "Wow, I-I don't think this is necessary, Regina…" But in truth, she felt perfectly content in the woman's arms.
Regina smirks down at her. "Relax; I'm not carrying you over the threshold. But I hardly think you're in any condition to be walking, no matter how short the distance." She carefully sets the huntress down on the hood of the Jeep, grabs the first aid kit from the trunk, then swiftly returns in front of the slightly dazed blonde. "Neal, why don't you go pretend to be useful and gather some firewood?" Regina orders, keeping her eyes on Emma.
Grumbling, Neal shoulders a rifle and walks into the forest, keeping his eyes out for any threats.
"If I didn't have to deal with it, I would think your banter would be comical." Emma smirks.
"One of the perks of traveling with a vampire." Regina smiles then allows her features to harden in concentration. "He nicked you pretty well but it's nothing I can't take care of."
"Does turning into a vampire come with a P.H.D?"
The brunette chuckles. "Sadly, no. But I do know a thing or two about patching someone up." She flicks her eyes to Emma's briefly. "You're going to have to remove your shirt." She bashfully admits.
Feeling herself turn red Emma bows her head. "Oh. I'm…going to need some help." Her cheeks heat up further. "With my waist and all…."
"Right, of course." Regina quickly takes the hem of her shirt and lifts it carefully over her head Casting it aside, her eyes sweep over the blondes torso. "Did I hurt you?" Emma shakes her head, trying not to feel self-conscious. "Good. Ah…now the wound." Feeling a bit flustered Regina gently places a hand on Emma's side "Does it hurt when I touch the skin surrounding it?" she asks softly.
"No…" The blonde keeps her head bowed as the vampire gently slides her fingers up her skin. She waits for the pressure against her wound but instead feels fingers slide around her chin, forcing her gaze upward.
"Keep your head up. Your hair is getting in the way." Regina explains, brown eyes now matching the blue they were staring into. She quickly drops her chin and focuses back on her task at hand.
"Why do your eyes do that?"
Regina sighs, straightening to face the blondes gaze once more. "They reflect what I'm feeling." She begins to bend back down, reaching into the first aid kit when Emma wraps her fingers around her arm. "Emma, you're hurt. If I don't act soon it'll get…" Her voice trails off at the sight of Emma staring up at her. Her hair frames around her face, the sun illuminating around it like a halo, making her look purely gorgeous. "Infected…" She breathes out.
Emma's bright blue eyes shine brighter as her grip on Regina slowly loosens. "What are you feeling now?" She inquires, honestly intrigued.
"I um," Regina blinks rapidly knowing her kaleidoscope eyes would reveal any emotion that might be sweeping through her baffled mind at the moment. She looks away, thankful her hair was creating a thin barrier, giving her time to rein in any confusing feelings. Looking back to the curious blonde she hardens her stare. "I feel like you're trying to distract me so you won't have to get any stitches." She pulls her arm from Emma's grasp and reaches over to the first aid kit.
"Regina…" Emma pouts. "Can't you ever give me a straight answer?"
Pulling the needle and thread through her skin, Regina sighs, flicking her eyes to Emma's briefly. "No."
Emma groans then flinches. "Why not?"
"Because this is not the time or place to have a Q&A session."
"This is the perfect place. We're both here and not completely preoccupied. For Gods sake Regina, you're three inches away from my face!" she huffs. "I just want to figure you out."
Regina pauses. "Figure me out?" Her eyebrows rise. "Well that's different…." She mutters. "Then again, you're different." Teeth begin to chew thoughtfully on her lower lip.
"How am I different?" Emma's heart flutters at the thought of finally getting somewhere with the closed-off woman.
Regina hesitates before putting the equipment aside. "Did you know I had gone to three other hunters before finding you?" Apparently the blonde did not, according to the wide-eyed expression on her face. "They took one look at me and kicked me out. I never even got a chance to tell them what I was there for. When I saw how you reacted once I entered the room I prepared myself for yet another ignorant mortal who wouldn't give me a second thought because of what I was. But…" She meets her gaze intently, "You didn't send me away." A small smile flits across her lips.
"No human has ever given me a chance before. But here we are, you wounded from trying to protect me…" She searches her eyes thoughtfully. "Thank you for that by the way." They smile shyly at another. "Why is it that whatever seems to happen to you is partly my fault?" Regina asks quietly, letting her smile fade.
Emma's eyebrows pull together, "This isn't your fault. You were protecting us so it's only fair that I protect you. I mean, that's my job." She hesitates a moment before slowly lifting her arm to touch Regina's cheek. "I've always had this urge to help the helpless. I could have just met you on the forest road but I would have done the same thing I did today."
Using every ounce of strength not to lean against Emma's hand, Regina gazes down at her silently. She had never come across a human who would risk their life for her -or any vampire. But apparently there was someone crazy enough to do so and she was lucky enough to be the one to stumble across such an attractive good fortune.
"You're doing that warm skin thing again." Emma whispers, pressing her fingers closer to the vampires' skin. "Are you going to tell me how that works?"
Regina could feel the heat of both her skin and Emma's hand against her cheek. Averting her eyes from the blonde, she slowly removes her hand back to her side. "No." She softly responds, turning her gaze down at the hood of the car.
Swallowing down a groan, Emma sighs. "Why not?"
Regina struggles to pull her focus back up to her. "Your side is bleeding." She quickly begins to work intently on her wound.
Emma watches her carefully as she works. "How long have you been alone?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"I mean, I'm just assuming you're alone. From how you act, all closed-off and sullen whenever someone tries to get to know you." She shifts her position atop the hood. "Your guard is always up."
Eyeing flashing, Regina looks back to the huntress. "I find it difficult to put my guard down, seeing as my own clan wants me dead." She snaps. "I am not alone. I always had my clan, ever since I was turned. And eventually I had…him." Her voice softens.
A flash of jealousy at the vampires tone slices through Emma. "Right." She mutters, lowering her gaze. "What's his name anyway?" She looks back up to see Regina shaking her head.
"Names have power. If they ever found out his name, they would track him down in seconds." Her skin visibly pales with fear. "Then they would have no trouble coming for me." She glances at a terribly confused Emma. "It's a bit difficult to explain but overall a vampire thing." She shrugs.
Emma nods, her hair tumbling in front of her face. "It's hard to keep up with what's a common vampire trait or a Regina thing." She mutters, making a mental note of the new information.
Regina's eyebrows furrow. "A….Regina thing?"
Peeking up at the brunette through her curtain of hair Emma flushes. "Oh. Um, yeah it's what I call those little weird traits you have that no other vampire seems to have." She shrugs.
"What a scientific name you've thought up for it." She smirks. "'Regina thing'."
Emma rolls her eyes as she slides her shirt slowly back over her head. "It's the best I can do." She unconsciously begins to rub her side, forgetting momentarily of her wound.
Regina reaches out to stop her. "For an experienced hunter you certainly have a tendency to get into trouble quickly." She smiles softly at her. "It's like watching a child."
"Gee thanks." She ducks her head further, allowing hair to fall over her pink face.
Regina resents the golden locks in that moment, wishing the woman would look back up at her. "I didn't mean it in a rude manner. A lot of people love children." She bites her lip, feeling as if she'd made it worst. She was out of her element trying to comfort a human. "I'm sorry if I upset you."
Emma shrugs. "I'm not upset. I've heard worse." She starts her rub her side again but quickly stops herself.
Unsure how to proceed, Regina reaches out for her but quickly pulls back. "I'm sorry." Emma shrugs again. They keep this position for a long moment, Emma staring at the ground, Regina staring at Emma. Gathering up her courage, Regina gently pushes back the golden locks, tucking them behind a shocked Emma's ears. "For what it's worth, I'm sure they were assholes with no future." She smiles softly; happy to see the blondes face again.
Returning the smile Emma meets her gaze. "Close. They were my foster brothers."
Oh. Regina hadn't been expecting to hear that. "I'm sorry, I had no idea…."
"I know. Most people don't. But it wasn't as bad as you would think, not every family is horrible." Her voice grows soft. "I just had a tendency to be put in the worst ones. After the first…" She pauses and clears her throat.
Wanting to comfort the obviously hurting woman Regina quickly changes the subject. "Do you ever think about curling your hair?"
"What?" Emma's eyes grow round.
"Your hair. Have you ever thought of curling it?" She takes a strand and wraps it around her finger. "It would look pretty."
"No. I have to move around a lot so hair isn't my top priority." She watches the strand twine and untwine around the woman's slender finger. "Why?"
Regina shrugs. "Just curious." She glances out at the forest. "Your friend's been gone for a while."
In all honesty, Emma had completely forgotten that she even had a partner. "Should we go look for him?"
"No. That would only create more chaos if he returns and finds us both gone. Not to mention he would blame me for trying to seduce you away." She smirks.
Emma chuckles. "True. But I don't like the thought of him out there alone. Especially with things like that walking around." She looks over to the black dog still lying lifeless a few feet away. "Do you know what it is?"
Regina looks at it for a moment then shakes her head. "I've never seen one before. But I do hope it was just lost in the area."
"Is the big bad vampire scared?" Emma grins.
Regina rolls her eyes. "Not for my safety as much as yours. I'd rather not have you as my patient again. You're awfully squirmy." She smirks.
"I'm a model patient. I can't help it if I don't like needles." She swings her legs in a childlike manner. "Do I get a lollipop after this, Doctor 'Gina?"
Regina chuckles. "No. But if your friend comes back in one piece with the firewood I can go hunt. Which means you get dinner."
Emma's eyes widen. "You're going to hunt for our food?" Regina nods. "Can I come?"
Huffing out a breath, Neal staggers out the forest, an armful of logs in his possession. Quickly sidestepping the dog, he drops the pile in the middle of the road. "I got the wood." He breathes out heavily.
"So I can see." Regina grins at his staggered breaths. "You actually managed to carry quite a bit, good job." She claps him on the back, causing him to stumble forward. Stifling a laugh, she looks back to Emma. "And to answer your question: No."
Emma and Neal groan in unison. "Why!?"
"Because you're injured and will become a liability for me, which later will turn into a meal for whatever is out there." Regina points to the darkening trees.
Neal places a hand onto the Jeep, resenting the vampire more and more. "Why would you want to go with her?"
"I've never seen a vampire hunt before." Emma explains.
"Nor will you ever. It's too dangerous for you to stand close while I hunt." Regina chews on her lip. "I tend to get…carried away."
That only made Emma's will to go increasingly stronger. "Please?" She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. Why she choose the route of action, she had no idea. In fact she was sure Regina would just roll her eyes and walk into the woods alone.
Instead Regina rolls her eyes and holds out a hand. "Come along." Neal's eyes bulged at the sight of their fingers intertwining.
"I don't think this is a good idea." He begins to walk after them. "I mean, the vampire already said it's too dangerous and I'm sure it's not even that intriguing to watch." His tone turns pleading. "Why don't you just stay here and we can hang out?"
Regina pauses, turning to smirk at his frazzled state. "If you want to join us Neal, I'm afraid you'll just have to wait your turn." She pulls Emma closer to her side. "It's actually quite the experience." She winks at him before continuing her way to the forest.
Neal sighs, giving up. "I'll just get started on the fire." He reluctantly makes his way back to the pile of wood. Gazing out at the pair just as they disappear into the trees he huffs and looks over to the still black dog, sighing. "Guess it's just you and me."
The unlikely pair makes their way deep into the forest, Emma leaning on Regina to avoid any of the stitches to come a loose. They travel silently, both still in a bit of awe at the agreement for this trip. Regina was completely baffled as to how or why a simple gesture of hair tucking could melt her heart and break down her walls.
Regina's muddled thoughts are interrupted when Emma stumbles over a fallen branch, nearly taking them both down. "Could you be a bit more careful?" She snaps.
"Sorry…but we don't all have super senses."
Regina rolls her eyes, coming to a stop. "I knew you shouldn't have come along." She mutters. "Apparently this is only way I'll ever get anything done…" Sighing, she meets Emma gaze irritatedly. "Get on my back."
As expected, Emma's eyebrows rise. "Wait, what?"
"Get on my back and I'll carry you until we find something suitable to eat."
Emma's lips twitch. "How very Edward Cullen of you."
Regina rolls her eyes. "I'd like to think I'm a bit more practical than a sparkling vampire. And I'd have better taste in women." She appraises the woman in front of her. "So Miss Swan, you have two choices; either wait here or climb on."
It was a painfully easy decision. Emma adjusts her stance before hopping onto the vampires back. Her arms wrap around her neck as the brunette slides her hands onto her thighs.
"I'm not too heavy?" Emma asks, trying to decide where to rest her head.
"Emma, I've carried people three times your size. You're incredibly light." She starts to move forward at a brisk pace. "You might want to hold on tightly." Emma wastes no time to press her body closer to Regina's, gripping her at waist with her thighs. Clearing her throat and hopefully her mind, Regina begins to jog through the trees.
Breaking into a sprint, the pair flies through the forest, pausing only to make sure Emma hadn't tumbled off along the way. The feeling of absolute freedom pulses through Emma's veins as she clings to Regina past a blur of green and black. She wonders if this is how it usually looks for the vampire, everything moving at such a fast pace that when told to slow down it becomes infuriating. She assumes Regina isn't one to slow down often.
Coming to a stop, Regina slides Emma off her back, the mortal's chest rising and falling from adrenaline.
"That was…new." She huffs.
Regina smirks as she scans the area intensely. "Not your idea of fun?"
"No, don't get me wrong that was awesome. I'm just not use to moving at those speeds." She rests her head against a nearby tree to catch her breath. As she holds her stomach while taking in deep breaths she feels a sticky substance clinging to the fabric. Glancing down at it she sighs. "The stitches came a loose."
Regina whirls to face her, eyes zeroing in on the blood soaking through Emma's shirt. "See? You just don't listen, I told you you should've come." She sighs. "Take your shirt off again." After Emma does so she moves in to look at the fresh wound. "I suppose stitches won't hold it, plus there's the trip back…" She mutters to herself. "I guess I'll have to."
Unable to stand being left in the dark any longer, Emma pipes up. "You'll have to what?"
Regina purses her lips at the woman, irritated that she couldn't seem to follow directions. "I'm going to have to perform a vampire healing."
"Which is…?"
Regina licks her lips as she takes in the blonde. "I'm going to have to directly touch the wound." Emma still looked adorably lost. "If you can recall how I receive my form of power…"
That rang a bell in the blondes head. "Oh. Oh! Then do it." She offers her torso to the woman.
"No. It's a bit more complicated than that. I wouldn't kiss the wound itself." She bites her lip lightly.
Emma's mouth forms a perfect 'O' once she realizes how this works. She clears her throat and straightens herself up against the tree. "Then do it." She repeats, sounding more confident that she felt. "We have hunting to get to."
Regina rolls her eyes but gingerly places her hands onto Emma's waist, applying light pressure onto the wound. "Try to not move too much, it can only work if I keep direct contact on the wound." Emma nods, tensing herself for the kiss.
As they lean in, it occurs to her that since the woman arrived she seemed to be having some kind of physical contact with her, it was a bit odd to think that just weeks earlier the very idea of kissing a vampire would have been utterly repulsive, but now she felt a bit…anticipated at the thought of red stained lips against hers.
Their eyes flutter close as lips softly make contact, Emma's hands hover over the woman's body before resting on her waist. She was wary of the effects this kiss might have on her, the vampires' powers were still unfamiliar territory and she couldn't afford to lose control.
But Regina was making it extremely difficult. Unsure if it was professional or otherwise Emma couldn't exactly say she was protesting when she feels the brunettes tongue slide into her mouth, tasting a light mixture of apples and lilac. Emma leans back against the tree, pressing Regina closer to her, her mind becoming foggier by the minute. She slides her hands up the vampires' body at an infuriatingly slow pace.
At least that's how it felt to Regina. The vampire knew it was dangerous to be enjoying herself so much, she had to concentrate. But those damn hands caressing her body so perfectly….She curses mentally, reminding herself that she had a task at hand. Using every ounce of willpower she possessed, she blocks out the burning sensation between her thighs and the maddening urge to toss aside the black bra creating a thin barrier between them. She channels her power to focus only on the hunters' waist, feel the gash begin to close and the blood to evaporate.
She had almost gained complete control of the process when a sensual clutch much too close to her upper chest causes her to release a soft moan. Her breathing turns uneven as hands slide slowly upward, beginning to enclose around her breasts. Gasping, she quickly takes ahold of Emma's wrists and holds them a respectable distance from her chest. Her eyes pop open to see Emma slowly meeting her gaze.
The blondes' eyes shift from her shackled wrists to Regina's body. Her skin fades into a soft pink once she realized what had occurred.
"Sorry…."
"It's fine." Regina quickly interjects, feeling her skin heat up as well. She releases her grip from the blushing blondes' wrists. "How is your side feeling?"
Emma glances down at her exposed torso, feeling oddly self-conscious. "It's fine. I guess your healing works." In more ways than one. "Thank you."
Eyeing her work, Regina nods. "You're welcome. Glad you're feeling well." Her eyes pass over her chest then swiftly move to the leafy background behind the woman. "Might we hunt now?"
Emma nods, chewing on her lower lip. "Uh, yeah. Go ahead." Gesturing out to the vast forest, she lifts her left foot, resting it on the tree trunk and folds her arms across her chest.
Regina doesn't move, keeping her stare steadily on Emma. They hold another's gaze for what seems like an eternity. Flicking her eyes up and down the blondes stature Regina's lips twitch slightly. "You do realize you can put your shirt back on?"
Re-dressing was the last thought on Emma's mind, but she wasn't about to let the vampire in on that. "Yes. I don't feel like putting it back on." She replies stubbornly, adjusting her arms beneath her breasts. "So go hunt, I'm not going anywhere."
Regina rolls her eyes. "Fine." She turns around to scan the area for any signs of life nearby. Her eyes zero in on a trio of rabbits sitting in a patch of grass some distance away. "Try not to forget to put it back on before we leave." She smirks at her over her shoulder.
"I'm sure you would enjoy that." The huntress counters, flushing.
Regina adjusts her stance into a low crouch, eyes locked on her prey. "Perhaps I would." She mutters before shooting off towards the rabbits in a silent sprint. Emma's eyes widen, not expecting the vampire to be so graceful.
She leans off her tree trying to get a better look at the blur of brown flying through the trees. Knowing better than to follow her, Emma cranes her neck to peek around a large oak blocking Regina's acrobatic leap into the air, landing on the branch of a tree.
Shaking her head clear, Emma quickly scoops up her shirt and tugs it over her head just in time to see Regina zig zag her way just above the rabbits, crouching down against the branch.
Emma's breathing picks up as she anxiously watches both Regina and the rabbits. Seemingly oblivious, the furry family hops from one patch of sweet flowers to another, unaware that their death was looming ominously overhead.
Emma locks her eyes onto Regina, praying she wouldn't be detected by not only the rabbits but any other creatures lurking nearby. With her heart pounding in her ears, she clutches onto the bark of the tree, reminding herself that Regina was fine and even in danger could handle herself.
But the feeling of protectiveness hovered over Emma's head like a storm cloud, she wished the woman would hurry and kill the rabbits already so she return safely back to their tree. Regina however, was taking her sweet time circling her prey, multicolored eyes fading from midnight black to soft brown and back again.
She tenses herself in the tree, ready to pounce on the unsuspecting family of four. Her thoughts idly wander to Emma back at their tree, wondering if she could see her from this angle. She wondered if the blonde found this appealing or repulsive. With a quick shake of her head she reminds herself that she doesn't care what the blonde thinks.
But did she still have her shirt off? Regina silently prays the answer is yes as she gracefully leaps from the tree, hitting the ground on all fours. The rabbits had frozen in fear, muscling tensing to flee. But Regina was faster, swiping out for two of the rabbits and magically binding the others.
Though none of the rabbits were dead just yet, all were in a critical state. Grinning, Regina scoops them up by their ears and starts back to Emma, traveling by tree just for fun. She hadn't felt this carefree in a long time, almost like a child. She realizes it's because she had an audience to show off for, hunting alone was never as much of an enjoyable experience.
With their tree in her line of sight Regina slows to a light jog. Emma was standing right where she'd left her, shirt back on, despite her slight disappointment. Regina drops the rabbits and smiles.
"I see we're all in one piece."
Tugging at her shirt, Emma smirks. "More or less." Her eyes casually appraise Regina, making note of any injuries. She breathes out in silent relief when not having found any.
"Are you done examining me?" Regina flips her hair from her face, smirking at the pink blonde.
Emma nods bashfully. "I thought you were going fall off the tree or something…" She bashfully admits.
"Well I didn't. But thank you for worrying." She adds this to the rapidly growing mental list of things Emma Swan does/feels that no human has ever done/felt towards her. "We should get back." She adds softly.
Emma nods. "Neal is probably tripping over himself in worry over us."
"Over you." Regina corrects, holding out a hand to help the woman onto her back as she tosses up the rabbits. "I thought we had established that he doesn't like me."
Wrapping her arms tightly over her shoulders, Emma grins. "Not now, but this mission is still young." She finds a comfortable position. "Maybe he'll end up feeling the same way I do."
Despite her best efforts, Regina's heart flutters. "And just how do you feel?"
Emma chews on her bottom lip. "Well I don't hate you."
"Only a few more stages to go until you confess undying love." Regina teases, starting off into a slow sprint.
Emma laughs, gripping their dinner tightly. "We'll just see about that."
