"I don't understand."
Emma rung her hands together uncomfortable with the fact her son had just caught her making out with his adoptive mother. "I kissed her. What's there to understand?"
"But why? You hate each other? You're both girls. She's like your grandmother!"
Emma felt the wine lurch back up her throat. "Oh man! Eww Henry that's not... she's so not my grandmother! Jees, we aren't actually related. Don't make it weird, kid."
"How am I making it weird? You kissed her. Its gross. Did she put a spell on you?"
"It's not gross and no! She didn't technically put a spell on me. I might have... accidentally wished... oh forget it. The thing is... it's. .. it's none of your business who I kiss!"
"Wait a minute. You wished to kiss my Mom?"
It was at that point in the conversation that Regina chose to appear. "You did what?"
"No! That's not what I. .. Henry can we do this tomorrow I really have to talk to your Mom. Regina I didn't wish that no. That's not what I wished. I swear, I didn't even mean to wish for real it was just stupid Nova not getting figures of speech."
"Henry go to your room." Regina ordered.
"But..."
"No buts. We will all sit down and talk tomorrow. Miss Swan. Living room please."
Henry stomped off to bed and Emma stomped behind Regina into the lounge.
"Explain." Regina barked menacingly. 'Should have known magic was involved. God forbid someone should ever just like me for me.'
"Okay but before I do answer me one question." Emma reasoned.
"I think not. I owe you nothing! I welcome you in to my home, against my better judgement I should add, I indulge you in your games, which I had no intent on doing in the first place and then, then I find out it was all a rouse. To what ends Miss Swan? What are your intentions?"
"I just wanted to understand you. I wanted to... make you happy." She sobbed as the words left her mouth and the rest of the story dribbled out of her.
"At first it wasn't that. I was angry. I was so pissed at you and I just said I wished I knew what you wanted. Next thing I know, I'm hearing your thoughts all the time. I didn't know it was that. I thought I was going crazy making shopping lists and ordering falafel which after eating, I still don't know what it is. Then I heard some things I shouldn't have about Maleficent and stuff and your nightmares became mine and then what you thought about my ass and..."
Regina felt invaded and raw. She knew it wasn't Emma's fault but she was going to kill that little fairy.
"Please don't. Don't be angry at her. She said it would wear off soon."
"Stop reading my thoughts!" 'Get out of my head it's so dark in here.'
"I wish I. ."
"EMMA SWAN do NOT finish that sentence!" Regina warned silencing her with magic.
Emma reached for her throat panicking that her muteness was permanent and relieved that Regina had had the foresight to silence her when she did.
'Now that's better. Why can't you just stay quiet and look pretty all the time?'
Emma fluttered her eyelashes at Regina in response and stuck her tongue out. Regina kept forgetting Emma could hear her inner dialect and the blush crept down from her cheeks to her chest.
"I'm going to give you your voice back now because I want to hear everything. This is a delicate situation and as unnerved as I am about you knowing so much about my inner workings, it's done now. Just, don't go wishing for anything else."
Emma nodded and felt her voice come back to her.
"I'll ask the questions."
She nodded again not trusting herself.
"How long?"
"About a month."
Regina grimaced.
"What do you know about my past?"
Emma hesitated.
'Just say it.'
"I... am sorry. I didn't mean to and I hoped that we could be closer before we talked about those things. I know you are a private person Regina and I would never reveal anything to anyone. I tried to tune out anything you wouldn't willingly share with me but I couldn't. We don't have to talk about any of it until you are ready, if ever."
Regina nodded. "So you say you shared my nightmares? Well congratulations Dear. You know everything there it's to know about me." She flopped onto the couch and felt a tear slip down her cheek.
Emma heard the stream of thoughts and worries Regina was projecting and even though she knew she was overstepping some boundaries, she decided to answer every one she could.
"It's none of my business Regina. I'm truly sorry. But I don't think any less of you no. I don't and never have seen you as a monster. I don't think you are weak and I wouldn't call you evil. You had your reasons. You had to deal with everything by yourself because nobody ever stood up for you. Yeah okay that was pretty disturbing. No! You are not the same as you were then. Because I see you! I can't stop and you don't want me to so stop Pretending you hate me. I am not my grandfather. I am not like her either. I can keep secrets. I do know what you're capable of! I'm looking forward to it! Yes I do have an answer for everything. Why wouldn't I? Are you serious?! You are so stunningly beautiful. When you opened the door that first day. Really? I see. Well I'll be sure to put that on rotation in my closet. If that's what you want and you ask me nicely with my actual name, I can totally do that with pleasure!"
"Emma." Regina used her words. It was useless trying to pretend when the woman could clearly hear her every thought. "I need you to do it. I hate being in this position and not knowing the minimum about you. Before we can..."
She didn't need to finish. It was a very scary thing for Emma to agree to but she knew if she had any chance of redeeming herself or having Regina in her life, she'd have to let her in her own head.
"Do it. Do it now before I change my mind."
Regina summoned her magic and plunged her hand into the Saviours chest. "It'll only work if you succomb for me."
Emma laughed. "Succomb? Sure but I thought that was later.
Regina scowled not getting the reference and then got it fully as her fingers made contact with Emma's heart. 'Oh you have a dirty mind Dear! Good thing I like it like that too.'
Now was Emma's turn to blush as flashes of her deepest darkest fears, secrets and memories came flooding out in waves.
"Not that one Regina!"
"I can't stop it Emma."
Waves hit Emma again but this time it was flashes of Regina's life. Everything she'd experienced since birth.
"What's ha..happening?" She stuttered as though she was living through the images, feeling them as if they were her memories.
"I don't know Emma this shouldn't be possible. It hurts."
The women had tears dripping from their eyes as they relived every trauma and wrong doing, nightmare and real or imagined. It was torturous and unstoppable. Regina tried to release her hand from the Saviour's heart but the magic wouldn't let her. Neither knew how long they had been like that but it felt like an eternity. Emma's gut wrenched and emptied it's contents on the floor in front of them. Regina's eyes stung from the cruelty of Emma's troubled past. It was almost as bleak as her own. No wonder they had been drawn to each other. The underlying tone that shackled them together was one desire for happiness and as the magic made its crescendo, they were forced apart by a blast. Both weary and raw from the shackled up emotions, they let their eyes meet.
"I think we broke something." Emma said bluntly.
"I think I broke you Emma, and you let me."
