Cause and effect linked the chaotic pieces of Regina Mills' life. Regina knew that whatever curse had been thrown on her by her mother, years ago, was now lifted because of Emma Swan. Regina knew that the only reason she had been able to let Emma in was because of Emma's link to Henry. Regina also knew that had the Curse never been enacted, she herself never would have met Henry, much less spent ten years with the boy raising him.

Of course without the Curse, she would not be standing in front of Snow White, practically begging for her forgiveness. Causality. Odd sort of idea.

"Emma, your attention please!" Snow spoke angrily as Emma slumped in a chair and closed her eyes. "What…I mean…what the hell were you two doing?" Snow fumed. Behind her, there were gasps. Snow turned and addressed her audience. "That's right! I said 'hell'!"

"We were partying with uhhh…Regina's guards, I suppose." Emma shrugged helplessly.

"Yes, yes, you were, weren't you." Snow's face reddened in further rage. "The same guards who once tried to kill you. Who tried to kill you as a baby! A helpless infant!"

Realization dawned. Emma looked at Regina whose expression could only be described as defensive.

"I never would have let them hurt her…" Regina said.

Emma grimaced. "I need a shower. Can you yell at me later?"

Snow straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath. "I no longer wish to yell at you. And I apologize." She turned her attention to Regina in silence for a long minute. "Regina, I would like to speak with the former Royal Guard at their earliest convenience. Will you please arrange a meeting?"

"Of course." Regina nodded and stifled a yawn. "They are, however, technically your Royal Guard now."

Snow sighed and rolled her eyes. "We'll see. And Emma," She added, "We have work to do today. The school has organized a softball tournament and you're overseeing security."

"Security for a sporting event?" Emma groaned.

Regina leaned over and encouraged Emma to go along quietly. She promised dinner and patted the other woman on the back softly.

"Snow," Regina walked to her former nemesis and spoke in low tones. "I had an idea…for a monument. I was wondering if you might help me to organize…"

Emma got to her feet and walked back upstairs before she could hear the rest of what Regina was on about. She had a feeling that whatever it was, the event didn't involve her. And thank goodness, because she was tired of all the Storybrooke 'Royal Family' responsibilities.

Emma showered quickly and when she entered her room, wrapped in nothing but a towel, Regina stood demurely by the bed. Emma smirked.

"Not now dear," Regina laughed. "Later." She stepped closer and traced a finger over droplets of water that still clung to Emma's shoulder.

Emma kissed Regina goodbye with a grumble.

"Don't worry, we'll have time alone soon." Regina whispered in Emma's ear.

"We still haven't…you know!" Emma whined, pulling Regina closer.

Regina just laughed and stepped back. "Patience, darling, patience…"

Patience or not, Emma had little time to worry about her nuisance of a libido. One thing led to another, and soon Emma found herself working through most of the weekend and then early on Monday. She managed to have a quick dinner with Regina one night, but otherwise ate most of her meals standing up or on the run.

Finally, it was Friday and Emma stormed home after a day spent separating a group of teens from one another. Apparently, they had some old feud going and had chosen an impromptu game of paintball to settle the score. Unfortunately, their paintball 'arena' was the entire town, which they ran through and shot up at random.

"Don't say it." Emma grumbled in Snow's direction. Snow and James were dressed really nicely—as in really nicely, like they were on their way to a fucking ballroom or something. "Cinderella's fucking wedding?" Emma joked. "Or maybe Belle's debutante ball? I don't care," Emma ran upstairs, two stairs at a time. It was already 6pm and she wanted to go to Regina's. She also wanted to get laid. More than that, she wanted to see Regina naked. Totally naked. Tonite would be the night. After a bit of dry humping and a whole lot of making out, tonite would be the night when Emma got to bury her face between the Queen's thighs for hours at a time. Emma laughed out loud.

"Emma, you and Regina are…" Snow shouted after Emma when her daughter ran past her and out the door.

"…are spending the night together! Don't wait up!" Snow finished. She stopped and turned. "Hey, uhhh…Henry…do you two mind watching him?"

"Granny is watching Henry, but Emma, wait…"

That was all Emma needed. She grinned widely and waved goodbye before running backward and nearly killing herself on the front step.

When Emma arrived at Regina's (after stopping quickly to pick up a bouquet of the least wilted flowers she could find), she found Regina all dolled up and fixing her hair in her bedroom.

"Nice." Emma smiled, watching Regina adjust the black lace skirt which showcased her amazing ass. Emma did not want to know about designers, but she did at least fight the urge to tell Regina how incredible the skirt made her butt look.

"Your dress is over there," Regina said absentmindedly, interrupting Emma's ogling.

Emma scowled at the ironed red dress that hung on the bathroom wall.

"I've asked Snow White to help me with a charitable cause this evening," Regina explained as she shuffled Emma into the bathroom to shower. "You'll attend as my date."

"No." Emma shook her head and walked back out again. "I'm staying in with you."

Regina bit her lower lip and smoothed her hands over Emma's chest.

"We are raising funds for the revitalization of the old town library," Regina explained with a worried look in her eye. Emma's mouth fell open. Regina rushed ahead. "It will also act as a…kind of monument. To an old friend. Only you, and now Snow, will know who the monument is for. The rest of the town thinks that we're making something of the old library. Which is fine, because it is mostly the truth. I couldn't tell them—you have to understand, they hated Maleficent more than they hated me even."

"It's a lie, Regina." Emma sighed and peeled off her jacket. "I mean the library, do we need it?" She had to admit, the building was unique. Maybe they could make something of that weird elevator thing. Nonetheless, there were dead dragon remains in the basement. The basement was an enormous cave—no way to childproof that shit. Emma chuckled to herself. She decided to get really naked in front of Regina, to see if that might convince her to stay in.

"Not quite a lie," Regina continued to explain. Regina blushed brightly as Emma continued to disrobe in front of her.

Emma smirked. She was down to her underwear and her bra by the time Regina stopped yammering. When she stepped out of the former, and unclasped the latter, Regina just said something that sounded like "huh" but with a whole tortured feel to it.

"Sure you don't want to stay in?" Emma asked. "I mean…fine, whatever. The new library. Snow can open it. Do you need…"

"I need to say goodbye." Regina licked her lips and shook her head. She stepped forward and placed a hand over Emma's chest. Her nails scraped lightly. "Then, later…"

"Later?" Emma gasped as one of those nails traced the side of her breast. "Not now?"

"Can you wait?" Regina sounded oddly concerned.

Emma laughed, not unkindly, and shook her head. "I can wait. Jeez. I'm not a total maniac." She took two calming breaths and kissed Regina quickly, eliciting a gasp. "Two minutes to shower, then five for makeup, ten for hair, and we're off…"

Emma's first reward was the smile on Regina's face. Her second reward was a swat on her ass. "Cheeky…" Emma muttered on her way to the shower.

Regina was oddly moved when Emma took her hand on the way into the library. Her eyes shone as she watched Emma work the room, greeting people, still holding onto Regina without any shame. Red told them that they made a striking couple and gushed over their dresses. Archie made pleasant, if slightly awkward small talk. He offered two boxes of his psych textbooks as a donation to the library, reminding Regina that the whole project might actually turn into something more. She whispered in Emma's ear that she would be right back, and quickly moved through the room to find Snow. It was nice—really nice—to see acceptance from people. Not only had Regina managed to win them over, it seemed, with her shows of affection toward Emma, but Snow's quick greeting also drew positive responses.

Emma, for her part, just wanted to find more food. People were wandering around with trays of apps. The drinks were way too small, so Emma took two glasses of white wine, downed them quickly, took two more, and then finally snagged some cheese and avocado mini-wrap thingys. Red was saying something about how hot Emma and Regina looked again, which made Emma choke on her food with laughter.

"Dude." Emma swatted her friend on the arm. "You're my mother's best friend. You're not supposed to be talking about me like that."

Red grinned cheekily and then joined Emma in her quest to capture the wandering food trays. They watched from a corner of the room, perching precariously on a long, narrow bench, as Snow and Regina talked.

"Think they're ok?" Emma craned her neck and spoke around a mouthful of ham and cheese and baguette.

"They're fine." Red said with a shrug. "I bet they're talking about royal pacts and the Fall festivals."

"Oh come on. Fall fests? What are those?" Emma asked.

Red smiled. "You'll like them," She said, "They involve drinking, eating, and burning stuff—fields and brush and old houses…maybe a rabbit or two."

"Rabbits." Emma sighed. "Always with the rabbits."

Snow and Regina stood and addressed the crowd at 8pm. As it turned out, the new library would have a special section dedicated to the magical arts, with numerous volumes donated by Regina herself. This earned a few gasps, but a whole lot of enthusiastic clapping. Ever since magic had returned, things had been a bit chaotic in Storybrooke. Regina was one person who could lend structure to the chaos.

Emma was pleasantly surprised after that, to see more and more people talking to Regina. She continued to perch on her bench, admiring Regina's grace as she worked her way through the room.

Finally, Regina stood at Emma's side. She leaned down, kissed Emma on the cheek and whispered, "Time to take me home my darling…"

Emma did not have to be told twice.

She practically yanked Regina out of the room, waving at everyone who stood in their way. "Gotta go, gotta go, the Queen has had a long, long night…"

"You both have only been here for an hour and a half," James protested as they swept by. Snow elbowed him and grimaced.

"Nevermind, have a good night you two." Snow smiled strangely—as though she had eaten something sort of off—and waved the two women away.

"Guess that was awkward for her." Regina quipped as they made their way to Emma's car. Emma laughed and stopped in her tracks.

"Yeah, no kidding." Emma replied with a sigh. She took two calming breaths and took Regina's hand. "hey…"

"Yes?" Regina whispered. She liked the way Emma was tracing her palm with one thumb, even while their fingers intertwined.

"I just ummmm…" Emma looked at their hands. "I just want tonite to be really special for you." She smiled, suddenly shy, and leaned forward. Regina met her halfway and they kissed beneath what seemed to be a nearly full moon.

"Red." Regina replied, brushing her lips again and again over Emma's.

"Huh?" Emma hummed as Regina's tongue darted out and met hers.

"Red…will have to be chained up tomorrow. In time for the full moon." Regina replied, suddenly pulling away and looking up."

Emma sighed and rolled her eyes. "Always with the town business, huh?"

Regina smiled happily.

It turned out that both women had funny ideas about the best place to have their 'first time', and so they wasted a good hour discussing it upon their return to Regina's house. Regina drove way too slowly, but she argued that it was important for them to savor every moment together.

Once home, Regina disappeared in the cellar in search of her best bottles of wine. By the time the bottle had disappeared between them (Cotes de Rhone, 'really love' Regina kept saying), Regina just wanted to do it on the kitchen floor, while Emma wanted to bring her back out to the car, to do it in the back seat.

"Silly." Regina muttered against Emma's lips as she unzipped the red dress that clung so deliciously to every curves of Emma's body. "Kitchen…right here…now…" Regina leaned back and undid her own dress, suddenly putting on the sexiest—and only—striptease Emma had ever experienced.

Regina worked the dress off and dipped down to the floor, spreading Emma's knees before standing again—brushing against Emma's stunned face on her way up. Emma may have muttered, 'your boobs are amazing', but what Regina heard was, 'you sure are amazing', and so just said 'so sweet'. Then Regina climbed onto Emma's lap, and they proceeded to awkwardly try to undress totally while staying completely together.

However it happened, Emma finally had Regina where she wanted her; naked, writhing in her lap, thrusting slowly against the two fingers Emma had slid into her.

It was perfect. Awkward, fumbling and rushed at times (their teeth scraped together more than once and Emma almost thumped Regina in the eye by accident with her knee at one point) but still—perfect.

Emma could not believe how in love she felt when Regina buried her face in Emma's neck and moaned through her orgasm. She had never imagined feeling so complete with someone.

Regina made Emma stand, however shakily, still with her heels on, and spread her thighs while she lay on her back on the table.

"Using a chair. Floor is stupidly hard." Regina muttered against Emma's thigh and then ate her slowly and thoroughly.

Finding themselves in bed, after the rushing urgency in the kitchen, gave them time to kiss and touch and talk about the random things that came to mind.

"So…um…this past life thing…so we've done all of this before…" Emma asked, watching Regina's hand as it wandered over her breasts.

"Not a past life thing so much as a parallel reality. We've been here, done that, but now we're in this time. In this place…" Regina replied. By now, she already knew that Emma liked gentler touches than she herself did.

"I've loved you for a very long time." Emma whispered, rolling over atop Regina again.

"You have. Oh, you have. And so have I…" Regina whimpered as Emma's hips moved against her own. She reached down and palmed Emma's ass, pulling her harder and faster, so that they nearly touched, nearly rubbed perfectly together, Regina's legs spreading apart to make room for Emma.

Later, Emma watched the sky through opened windows. Regina's cheek lay on Emma's chest, her hand rubbing Emma's stomach.

"You should get a swimming pool." Emma said, breaking the reverie. "It's sort of warm out today. It would be nice to sit by a pool."

Regina planted small kisses against Emma's neck. "This place is luxurious enough," She replied. "The townspeople might take it from me if I indulge in any further opulence." Regina smirked as Emma's breath hitched. Regina's tongue flitted out to press lightly against Emma's neck where her pulse fluttered.

"I do love you, very much…" Regina repeated her sentiments of earlier, wanting Emma to really understand.

Emma felt her lip tremble, looking into Regina's eyes which were so lovingly focused on her own. She vowed then and there to be more patient with Regina, and to deal well with all of the mood shifts and emotional highs and lows that seemed to be plaguing the other woman.

In the morning, they woke at the same time, and simultaneously had the idea to fetch their son together. A quick shower and phone call to Granny and then they were off to the diner to have breakfast with Henry.

Of course nothing was simple in Storybrooke any longer. Outside the diner, Granny was shouting orders are people and waving a strange wooden weapon.

"What's going on?" Emma asked as Granny rushed about with a crossbow, slamming windows closed and hollering.

Regina realized it first.

"She's gone, isn't she." The former Queen whispered.

"Off with some stupid boy." Granny fumed. "Forgot again! Tonite's the night! You all have to lock up while I go after her."

Emma sighed and slumped over. "I uhhh…"

"What's that my girl? Speak up." Granny spoke firmly but not unkindly.

"…guess I'll help you." Emma finished weakly.