AN: Alright, here's the next chapter. I hope you guys like it. Have a great day!

Day 215:

Emma's POV

"I wanna tell Henry," I blurted softly.

Regina paused her unhurried endeavor braiding my hair. "Tell him about me, or about us?"

I started to pull away from her, so I could turn around, "I don't know, exactly. I-"

"Wait a moment." Regina stopped me from moving any more, finishing the last few weaves of the braid. "Ok, I'm done."

Turning to face her, I sat cross legged on my bed as she stood next to it. "I just feel so guilty every time he talks about you, about how much he misses you. I mean, I miss you, too-" I shot her a shy smile, "But, I get to talk to you almost every night. I get to feel you throughout the day. He doesn't. He doesn't even know you're alive. I feel incredibly selfish and awful keeping it from him."

Regina sighed, folding her arms in front of herself, "I know, I've felt it. I just don't want to get his hopes up, or distract him. I already feel terrible about you spending so much time here, and monopolizing you..." Regina trailed off and cleared her throat, lowering her eyes.

Uncertainty, insecurity, and regret pulsed out from the beautiful brunette standing in front of me. "Hey. Stop. I'm here because there isn't anywhere else I'd rather be. I don't care that it's inconvenient or unconventional. I want to be with you, so I'm here. No regrets." Her eyes found their way back to mine, warm and sparkling despite the lingering guilt swirling within her.

"And, as far as telling Henry, I understand your concerns, I share them. I truly believe that we will find a way to bring you home...but...if we-" My breath caught at the thought about to be expressed. Swallowing hard, I continued, "-if we don't, neither one of us want him obsessed or stressed out because he knows you're there, but can't get to you..."

Regina nodded grimly, "Precisely."

"...but, I still think he deserves to know you're alive. As for telling him about us...maybe that can wait until you're home." I pressed again. I hated watching him everyday, saddened by the absence of his mom.

Regina shifted and I felt anxiety radiate from her, "And, what do we tell him? About us?"

I started to answer, then managed to decipher the mass of emotions rolling in her. I slapped her arm, "Regina Mills! Are you trying to trick me into having 'the talk'?"

Regina rolled her eyes, "First off, I can't feel it when you slap me."

"It's the thought that counts," I smirked.

"Secondly, stop being so dramatic. I wasn't trying to trick you."

I grinned, "Whatever you say, Your Majesty."

When several seconds passed with a heated stare sizzling between us, she huffed, "You're not going to answer my question, are you?"

I bit my lip, "Nope. We'll tell him whatever feels right when the time comes."

"I despise your lackadaisical approach to serious matters." Regina pouted.

I laughed, "No, you don't. And, this isn't that serious. You know how I feel about you, and I know how you feel about me. There's no need for some sort of label or explanation right now. When there is, I'll happily provide my input."

She rolled her eyes again, but un-crossed her arms. "Fine. And, I'm alright with telling Henry about me, if you think we should."

"Good. I'll tell him soon. He may figure out the 'us' part on his own, anyway. He keeps asking if I'm seeing someone and that's why I seem so happy. And, mom saw me all dressed up for you a few weeks ago and knows I'm seeing someone." I picked at the quilt on my fake bed, already planning what I might say to Henry.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw her hands land on my shoulders. "So, you're happy then?" Even if I couldn't feel the amusement swirl from her, her teasing tone gave her away.

"Eh. I'm not unhappy." I replied casually, but ensured she caught my shallow smirk letting her know it was merely banter. Though my skin couldn't detect the presence of her hands, my back and core muscles tensed as if battling a resisting force. When I realized that the brunette meant to push me back on the bed, I allowed the action. Folding my arms behind my head, I watched as she slowly lowered her knees to each side of my hips, straddling my thighs. Long fingers came to rest on my waist; my gaze traced their doodles on my thinly covered hips. Warmth began to boil and surge, starting in my stomach, and settling between my legs. I groaned as she settled herself more securely on my lap. There was no friction, but the vision carried its own weight.

"I am, too, you know. Happy." The woman above me whispered. Arousal mirroring my own, flashed from her, intensifying my desire.

"I'd be more happy if you didn't insist on working me up like this." I grumbled in a thick tone, squirming between her and the bed.

Regina grinned devilishly, "I'm not doing anything."

I whimpered when her gravelly tone inspired sharp spikes of want, "Yeah, and every time you 'don't do anything', I wake up and have to take care of myself."

A very brief spurt of guilt tainted the air, but was quickly replaced by doubled desire. She leaned down, bracing her arms on the sides of my head, "You could take care of yourself here."

Blazing shivers wracked down my spine at her suggestive drawl. Squelching down the temptation, I nodded shakily, "I could...but, I won't." I chuckled at her immediate, confused frown.

"But, you're the one that said we'd have to get creative in that area..." Regina practically whined. I would have laughed again, but I could feel her vulnerabilities start to leak through her libido.

"I did. But, I also kind of feel like as soon as we take those steps, we're accepting that being together in that way is not a possibility for us. We're accepting this as a permanent situation. I'm not ready for that." I attempted to explain my thought process. Her face was so close to mine, we were breathing the same air. Dark, silky locks fell around our faces, creating our own little world.

Shining brown eyes searched mine, "I understand that...but, Emma, you have to understand...with the exception of Henry, I'm not sure I've even wanted something as much as I want to kiss you."

I think I literally melted a bit at those words; words enhanced with the tidal wave of affection that accompanied them. I forgot to breathe for several seconds, then let out a whoosh of air. "Yeah, I've got some of that going on over here." Once again, her deep, brown eyes rolled, but she pushed herself up to a sitting position again. Desperate to ease the tension between us, I licked my lips, "I'm going to need proof."

Her head cocked, the haze of arousal reluctantly dissipating. "Proof? Of what?"

"Proof that you're alive. Henry's a smart kid with great instincts, but I suspect he'll just think I'm insane if I come at him with all of this. I need you to tell me something only you know about." She shifted a little on my lap, her face crinkling as she considered my request. Taking in her casual clothes, and her adorable expression, I felt myself heat up again. "Also, you need to get off me, before I reconsider my stance on relieving the pressure."

Regina smirked, a dark flash illuminating her eyes, but she slid off and propped herself against the headboard. When I mimicked her, settling next to her, she hummed thoughtfully, "When Henry was six, he randomly became enamored with Armadillos. Everything was about Armadillos. He wore one Armadillo shirt everyday for seven months." Regina half snarled in disapproval and half grinned with fondness.

I nodded, picturing little Henry in an Armadillo shirt, "That's adorable, and I'll definitely tease him for that. But, it's not quite good enough. That's something you might have told me at any time."

"So, it has to be something that I would have otherwise never told you?" Regina mused to herself.

Smirking, I nodded, "Yep." I waiting patiently as she mentally shifted through memories. After about a minute, her cheeks suddenly tinted, and small swell of embarrassment and annoyance rose from her. "Yeah, tell me that one."

Regina cleared her throat then sucked in a breath, "When he was seven, I decided to treat Henry to a trip to the circus that was visiting just outside of town."

"Circuses are terrifying." I offered with a furrowed brow.

"Yes, so I discovered after dealing with two weeks of nightmares."

"Ah, poor kid. Scared the hell out of him, huh?"

"Oh, no. He loved it. The nightmares were mine." Regina stated resentfully. When I laughed, she elbowed me, then continued, "Anyway, when it was over, we were walking out in the parking lot and this clown approached us. I stood between him and Henry, recognizing that he was intoxicated-"

"Oh, no..." I groaned, holding my breath in anticipation.

She raised her eyebrows in agreement, "So, he starts attempting some sort of comedy routine, very sloppily. I continually tried to convince him that he was very good, but we needed to go. However, Henry kept laughing at his antics, so he wouldn't leave. Suddenly, he grabs my shoulders and says something about me needing to smile because I'm such a pretty lady-"

I snorted a laugh. When she shot me a glare, I held my hands up, "I whole-heartedly agree."

Rolling her eyes, she sighed, "Well, he didn't value the sentiment too seriously, because literally two seconds after telling me that he vomited all over me."

I clamped a hand over my mouth, my eyes wide. I tried not to giggle as I mumbled, "Oh, my god."

"Yes, well. It gets even better." She ignored my eager gasp, "As I was unwilling to wade back through all the people and re-enter that insipid place, I decided to get cleaned up and changed in my car. We were parked on the edge of the lot, it was dark, and I had Henry hold up a blanket we kept in the trunk-"

Covering my face with my hands, I groaned, "Who saw you?"

"Two animal trainers, three acrobats, an elderly couple...and the drunken clown."

My head snapped up, jaw dropping, "What?! How did that happen?"

Regina shook her head in resigned amusement, "They were heading to the staging area behind our car. Henry...well, Henry was seven and easily distracted from concealing me. So, the charming group witnessed me hunched in the back seat in only my undergarments. And, two of them had flashlights."

I couldn't hold back any longer, deep belly laughs began bubbling up from within me, and I was powerless to stop it. For her part, Regina waited patiently for me to stop laughing, only growling when I gasped, "That's somehow both awful and amazing!"

"Alright, that's enough Miss Swan. The point is, Henry is the only other person that knows that story, and that was how I planned to keep it and he knows that. So, he'll- oh, for heaven's sake, stop laughing already." The mayor huffed, crossing her arms.

Composing myself, I laid a hand on her thigh, "Ok, ok. I do have one question, though." Regina arched a brow for me to proceed, "What color were your undergarments?" I purred the last word just for the hell of it.

"Black lace." She answered with a smug smile, eyes darkening.

My jaw snapped shut, my mind's eye filled with delicious images. Swallowing the growing moisture in my mouth, I grunted, "Well, that sounds nice."

Regina laughed, then readjusted herself to lay her head on my lap. "As much as I dislike it being at my expense, I do love hearing you laugh."

Grinning, my hand fell on to her shoulder, "I'll do it more, then. I have one more question."

"You're worse than Henry."

Flashing her my signature puppy face, I grinned when she caved and motioned for me to ask. "You said you wanted to kiss me more than anything. If you could kiss me or get revenge on Snow White, which would you choose?"

"To be fair, kissing you would likely give Snow a heart attack, so it's really a win-win." She glanced up at my pout, then added, "But, I'd choose you. Always you."

Day 227:

Regina's POV

"You have some explaining to do." Emma's voice drifted from behind me, an obvious frustration pouring from her.

As she stomped up to me and opened her mouth to continue her rant, I held up my hand, "Wait." I stalked up to her with matching determination. Grabbing the front of her tank top, I pulled her into my body, wrapping my arms around her. "It's been over a week since I've seen you. I've felt the turmoil you've been in. So, before you go on about whatever you're about to go on about, just let me hold you for a moment." As a burst of, what might cautiously be called love, came from the blonde, her body relaxed and gently swayed mine. I may not have been able to actually feel her in my arms, but I could smell her, hear her breath in my ear, feel what she feels about the idea of embracing me. It was almost enough, or at least, better than nothing.

"You're right, I'm sorry. Hi." The pulses of emotion coming from both of us sputtered and spiked until they matched a contented rhythm.

"Hi." Soaking in a few more moments, I finally blew out a breath and pushed away, "Okay, what do I need to explain?"

Emma studied my face for a few seconds, savoring my presence. Then, she spoke, "Explain to me why you never told me you have a sister."

Furrowing my brows in confusion and surprise, I answered slowly, "Because I don't."

"Well, there's a wicked witch flying around town looking for her sister, Regina. She says you have a score to settle."

"Wicked witch? Like from OZ?" I asked, my mind whirring.

"Yeah, flying monkeys and all." Emma sighed, rubbing a hand over her face.

"You look exhausted." I said quietly, leading her to lean against our tree.

"It's been a long week."

"What does she want?" I asked, clasping Emma's hand.

"As far as I can tell, you. But, she's up to something else. She managed to get a hold of Rumple's dagger and is controlling him. There's flying monkeys taking people at the town line, and I think she's after Mom's baby. And, she's powerful, Regina. Really powerful."

I noticed her wince and shift against the tree, pain radiated from her. "Are you hurt?" I demanded, panic fluttering in my chest.

"No."

"Emma Swan, not only do I know you very well, but I can feel everything you're feeling. So, I'll ask again. Are you hurt?" My tone left no room for her to lie again.

"Yes."

"You fought her, didn't you?" I asked, my voice cracking at the thought of her fighting someone that sounds so much stronger than her.

"Yes."

"Why?" I asked grimly as I motioned for her to allow me to inspect her. Lifting up her top, a large, dark bruise came into sight around her ribs. I swept her hair to the side, a healing gash spanned from her shoulder blade to the base of her neck. Examining whatever skin I could reach, I discovered several smaller cuts and bruises littering her body.

"Because she's threatening the town." Emma shrugged, brushing away my questing hands.

"And, that's it? It's that simple? You'd put your life in danger that easy?" My voice was rising as my panic grew. Wisely choosing to stay quiet for the moment, she watched me closely as I yelled at her. A sudden memory occurred to me, "Three days ago. I hadn't felt much from you in the days before, then I started feeling fear and pain. It was a short, intense burst, then faded away. And, then soon after I felt you hug Henry. Was that when you fought her?"

Emma nodded, "Yeah. She tried to take Henry. She was convinced that if she had him, you'd have no choice but to come back and save him. She won't believe that you're dead. So, I fought her to protect him. Plus, we found out that only light magic can defeat her. So, that falls to me." I bit my tongue, trying to calm myself. She didn't need me laying anything else on her.

Pulling her legs up, she folded her arms on her knees, and laid her head on them. "Gods, Regina...I'm just so tired. I'm on guard all the time. Everyone is looking to me to fix this, and I don't know if I can. It's these times that I almost can't handle how much I need you. Not only could we seriously use your magic right now, but I want so much to be able to come home to you. To just let you hold me until it all goes away. I want to eat dinner with you and Henry and bunk down on the couch with a movie. I just...I just want-" A sob cut off her words, shoulders starting to shake as stress, pain, and longing overwhelmed her.

Instead of trying to hold her, which would have been futile, I choked back my own tears. I filled my heart and mind with visions of holding her, of feelings of keeping her close to me, feelings of family. When I felt her start to calm, I murmured a thought that unearthed itself from murky depths, "That's why you haven't been to see me. You're mad at me."

Blonde curls bounced with the sudden movement of looking up at me, "What? Why would I be mad at you? It's not your fault she's there."

Licking my lips, I uttered, "You're mad at me because I can't be there for you." She opened her mouth, likely to rebut my claim, but I cut her off with a raised palm, "Not mad like you blame me, but mad because you resent needing me and resent me not being there. Everyone in your life that you've needed has left you alone, and you're adding me to that list." Again she opened her mouth, and again I stopped her, "I get it. And, I'm not blaming you or accusing you of anything. You're more than allowed to feel that way, and I can't tell you how much I wish I wasn't one of many letting you down." My stomach rolled with disappointment and an intense yearning.

Emma remained silent for several long moments, staring thoughtfully at me. When she did speak in was a low croak, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to abandon you when I got mad. For the record, though, I'm mad at myself, too. Mad that we didn't figure this out sooner. Mad that I left you here. Mad that I haven't been able to save you. Mad that I'm not strong enough to defeat the Wicked Witch."

I leaned close to her, whispering, "You can do this, Emma. You're so much more powerful than you know, especially when you're protecting someone you love. And, I may not be able to physically be there with you, but I can help you with the magic part." Slowly, the icy despair began to thaw, eager sparks of hope breaking through.

"Yeah?" The single syllable cracked, but glittered with anticipated relief.

"Yes. I could teach you how to harness your natural talents. Actually...I may be able to help more than that..." My brows knitted as a thought occurred to me.

"Really? Ho-" Realization flicked over her face, and flooded through her. "Magic is emotion," she breathed.

"Exactly. If you can focus your magic, and also tap into my emotions, you should be able to conjure more than enough power to defeat her." Gulping shyly, I added, "And, the...type of emotion you'd be sharing with me would ensure that it would be light magic."

Finally, her lips twitched, threatening to smile. A warm, tittering surge tickled my insides, "And, what type of emotion would that be?"

Arching an eyebrow, I grinned, remaining silent. I allowed her to access my feelings, but refused to assign labels to them. When I got off of the island of insanity, I'd happily use all the words she longed to hear, but would hold off until then. Foolish logic led me to believe it would create some sort of fail safe, a barrier to keep us from being completely consumed by our torturous situation.

Emma nodded, returning my grin. "Alright, Your Majesty." She pushed herself to her feet and held out a hand. "Help me focus my magic, and we'll beat this wicked bitch."

AN: Well, what did you think? Also, just a heads up, I think there's only going to be two more chapters.