One important thing. You may or may not read this in my other stories, I don't how many of you are fans of this one and my others, so I'll repeat this message for a third time. Recently I have not been able to use any kind of computer to do any kind of writing whatever so ever due to complicated reasons. Now, I have a computer to write on so I hope I will be able to update more frequently. I apologize for inconveniently long wait and I thank anyone who is still reading this.

Emma eased herself into the hot bath water filling the pristinely white bath tub in Regina's master bathroom. The tub looked more like a Jacuzzi it was so large and she was certain that if she looked around she could find a way to make it pulse like one too. Waster traveled up the expanse of her rapidly warming body, bubbles clinging to her alabaster skin clear to her chin. A long drawn out breath seeped from her lungs into the air of the bathroom followed closely by an appreciative groan. This bath was simply divine. Languidly she stretched her legs beneath the water to feel its soapy heat slide against her skin and hummed happily to herself, closing her eyes and leaning her head back to rest against the lip of the tub. Emma wasn't usually a bath kind of girl. She was more of a shower a 5 minute shower because she was running late kind of girl but when Regina had offered her a bath not long after the kids had left with their grandparents, Emma oddly didn't find herself refusing. Now she was pleased with herself for not refusing. This bath was heavenly. Without opening her eyes she scooped large handfuls of bubbles from the top of the water and rubbed them all along the column of her neck, along her throat and clear across to her shoulders. The bubble bath, she noticed, had a distinct Regina smell to them and it warmed Emma, making her believe she was surrounded by the familiar homey smell of her lover. Warmth from the water was seeping into her bones just as the smell of the soap was seeping into her pores, filling her up with a lazy happiness that would have made her fall asleep in the tub if the click of the door opening hadn't distracted her. She didn't open her eyes to see who it was because she already knew. There was only one other person in the house aside from herself after all. She assumed that Regina was coming in to do something like her hair or some intense oral hygiene routine even though Emma was pretty sure she had done that all already. She didn't mind, it wasn't like Regina was going to catch a glimpse of something she didn't already now intimately. She skimmed another handful of bubbles from the top of the water and ran it down her throat, enjoying the silky texture as much as she did the smell.

"Emma?"

The blond didn't open her eyes but she smiled, "Hm?"

"Scoot back and spread your legs."

Finally Emma opened her eyes and opened them wide, her brows lowered in confusion. Regina stood just an inch shy of actually touching the tub, completely naked and staring at Emma imploringly. The moisture in her mouth dissipated to nothing and in her stupor she couldn't bring herself to do anything except comply with Regina's demand. The brunette put one foot in first, water and bubbles rising clear to the back of her knee, then she brought in another and was standing in the tub with her back to Emma. The blonde's hands itched to reach out and touch what she knew to be lovely smooth skin but she remained too shocked still to move. Regina eased herself into the water and settled comfortably with her entire back pressed to Emma's front. Like Emma had when she had first gotten in Regina let out a long pleased sigh from the warm pleasure of the bath. Unsure of what to do with her hands because honestly, she wasn't sure what proper bath sharing etiquette entailed, Emma just placed them on the lip of the tub near Regina's elbows.

"Gina?"

"Hm?"

"You're in my bath."

"I am."

"Why?"

Regina tilted her head so that she could catch Emma's eyes, jovial mirth swimming in those dark irises, "Do I need a reason to bathe with the woman who will be the mother of my children?"

"No I guess not."

Regina pecked Emma's chin and turned back around, lazing against Emma's body, "Good. Now stop being shy and wrap your arms around me." Before Emma could comply to that Regina had already plucked Emma's hands from the tub and moved them to her stomach, Emma's biceps brushing against Regina's ribcage. Her hands lay splayed over Regina's steadily growing stomach housing their children. A warm content feeling unlike what the bath water created welling inside her, filling her heart to the brim with unbridled love. She peppered kissed across Regina's shoulder while her fingers began tracing no real patterns across the smooth expanse of Regina's belly. The brunette hummed her contentment, relaxing further into Emma as though her bones couldn't support her anymore and she needed Emma to do all the work for her. Tentative hands rested over the top of Emma's, small thumbs rubbing circles into the backs of both, and somehow Emma knew this was Regina's silent way of encouraging Emma to continue her ministrations. Her kisses moved from Regina's shoulder to the crook of her neck, the vibrations of Regina's quiet moan making her lips tingle as she did so.

"So I was thinking." Emma whispered against Regina's ear, her hands straying from her belly to the tops of her thighs.

"Yes?" Regina choked out, her voice hoarse.

Emma nipped at Regina's neck, earning a lower, louder moan from the smaller woman, "I don't really feel like taking a bath anymore. Do you?"

"What are you suggesting Miss Swan?" Emma chuckled lowly and pressed her parted lips against Regina's ear to whisper a slew of words she was suggesting. Regina shuddered in her arms and lightly dragged her nails up both of Emma's forearms.

"Suddenly," Regina growled out, "I don't feel like bathing either. Let's dry off and find…something else to do."

Emma grinned mischievously and couldn't hide the giddy glee she was feeling if she tried.

Xx xX

Gwen sat at her brother's elbow in the booth of Granny's, licking the chocolate from the spoon she had a vise grip on. Sugar was already rushing through her veins straight to her brain, making her bounce slightly in her seat from the extra energy she suddenly felt like she had. Once the spoon was clean of chocolate and sparkling with bits of her saliva, she dipped it back into the ice cream for another massive sugar loaded bite. Beside Henry had already finished his ice cream and was working on his cinnamon bun, bits of the stuff clinging to his face as she stuffed it into his e3ager mouth with little regard for messes. Across from the children Snow and Charming sat nursing cups of coffee and wondered what massive mistake they made by agreeing to give them all this sugar so early in the day. The kid's pupils were already blown and they swore they could see the kids vibrating in their seats. Charming gulped another swallow of black coffee, hoping Regina wouldn't kill them when they brought the kids back but knew she probably would.

"So," He began, "You guys ready to talk now?" Both children lifted their heads, eyes wide, and mouthed ringed in their desserts. Snow grimaced and leaned across the table with a napkin to wipe both of the mouths clean. Gwen fought it, twisting away and glaring at Snow while she wiped the rest of it off on her sleeve. Something she had learned from Emma no doubt because Snow could never imagine Regina would allow her child to do such a thing. Henry huffed and tore the napkin from Snow to do it himself. He was far too old to be having his grandmother clean his face in a public place.

After the debacle of self hygiene was attended too, Gwen glanced up at her brother, "Are we ready?"

Henry popped the last piece of cinnamon bun in his mouth and nodded. He flicked the hood of his jacket up over his head and leaned back in the seat with his arm draped over the back of the seat. Gwen gave him a strange look.

"What are you doing Hen?" She asked. He met her eyes and pursed his lips.

"Looking intimidating. Duh." He whispered back, brown eyes flicking from Gwen's small face to their serene grandparents. Gwen giggled sweetly and poked Henry in the side.

"This isn't an interrogation Hen! They're just grandma and grandpa. Harmless old people." Gwen grinned and flicked the handle of her spoon so it would spin in circles inside the tall glass. Snow looked affronted at Gwen's comment about being old, her lips parting slightly and slapped a hand over her heart. David's lips quirked up into a slight smile.

Henry glanced at them then acquiesced, knocking his hood off and drawing his arm back to himself, "I guess your right. Okay we're ready to talk. What do you want to know?"

Snow leaned her forearms on the table with her hands clasped tightly together before she addressed the children, "Okay so, what is the reason you came here Gwen? What are you trying to stop?"

Gwen sighed and flicked the spoon handle again more aggressively this time, "Mommy's death."

Snow's eyes widened to the size of a 50 cent piece and the hand over her heart clutches at her shirt, "Emma dies…?"

Henry shook his head with a sad look in his eyes, "Not Emma. Mom."

Charming leaned forward in his seat, an intense look on his face not unlike the ones he wore when he was busy slaying dragons, "Regina?"

Snow wasn't sure how that made her feel. For the longest time all she could think about was killing Regina and ending her rein of tyranny over her good people but now that she was being told Regina dies in the future instead of feeling any modicum of goodness, she felt a painful put open in where her stomach should be. Perhaps it was the small bit of affection for the Regina Snow had known that Snow had already held close to her heart through all these years but she didn't think so. Seeing Regina with Emma this morning, so happy and so different, had changed something in Snow that the woman couldn't quite put her finger on. Regina wasn't the woman full of anger and a lust for vengeance like the one Snow was so familiar with but instead a woman warm with love and glowing with happiness. Just like the one Snow had known and secretly held a hope for. To hear that this Regina, who had kicked and clawed and screamed for someone to give her the love she craved since birth, had finally gotten everything she ever dreamed of only to be killed some short time later into the future sent a webbing of cracks through Snow's frantically beating heart. David, sensing his wife's distress through their mental link, placed a comforting hand on her knee beneath the table. It helped still the tears burning at her eyes and she sniffed her thank you.

"How do we stop it from happening?" Charming asked for Snow because his wife was trying to pull herself together, he could tell.

Gwen looped her arms around Henry's and hugged the boys arm to her chest, resting her cheek on his shoulder, "We have to make Mom promise to never drink again."

Snow sniffed again, rubbing the tip of her finger against her tear duck, "Mom is Emma right?"

Gwen nodded, "Yes."

David pressed his palms together forming his fingers in a steeple and pressed them to the underside of his chin, "And to prevent Regina's death we need to ensure that Emma promises to never drink again?"

Again Gwen nodded, "Yes."

Snow frowned deeply, "Are you saying that Emma is responsible for Regina's death?"

Gwen fidgeted in her seat, hugged Henry's arm tightly and her little lower lip began to tremble. She looked up at her big brother with big, shining eyes to silently plead for his help. He nodded and gave her a soft pat on the head. He went on to explain the entire story that Gwen had relayed to him in all the detail he could remember, occasionally Gwen would speak up to correct something or add a small detail she found to be important. When he finished both David and Snow looked stricken with sadness for little Gwen and the rest of the family; even for themselves as they found out what would happen to their daughter and their apparent soon-to-be daughter-in-law. David rubbed at the ache behind his jaw that was making his throat tight with emotion. He let out a trembling breath and looked to his wife find her near tears and twisting her ring round and round her finger the way she always did when she was truly upset.

"But," Gwen brought his attention back to his sad eyes, "If we can get Mom to promise it will prevent any of that from taking place."

Snow swallowed the piercing lump of emotion in her throat, hoping the ache in her heart would dissipate quickly, "I'll talk to her."

Henry glanced at Gwen who looked right back at him, the both of them speaking silently as only siblings could, "We actually don't think that will work Grams."

David sputtered, placing a hand over his wife's, "Why not?"

Gwen sighed, a sad little sigh that tore at the hearts of everyone at the table, "Because Mom is stubborn. She won't listen to you. She'll think she can prevent anything from happening because her love for Mamma is stronger than any possible thing that could ever happen. She'll think she can protect her even from herself."

Charming nodded desolately, "Family trait I'm afraid."

Snow clenched her jaw to stop the flow of tears she was on the verge of from happening, "So if she won't listen to me or her father then who will she listen too? You?"

Gwen let out a huff and flicked the spoon a third time, watching with shinning eyes as it went round and round the cup, "Maybe but it wouldn't matter because once I leave, everything I've said or left behind her will vanish along with all of your memories of ever knowing I was here. So if I make her promise me then that promise becomes void the second I leave."

Henry nodded sadly and shifted so that he was low enough in his seat that Gwen's head could be resting in the crook of his neck and he could rest his head on hers without it pinching the muscles in his neck. Gwen whispered a thank you for his astute observation of her need for his comfort. Silence fell over the group as they pondered their options. Gwen continued to flick at the spoon and Henry watched, the cadence of the spoons trek round the glass a comforting one. David was lost in his heroic thoughts of saving everyone without a tragic ending, wondering if maybe locking his princess in a tower would be the logical answer for everything as only a fairytale character could. Snow seemed to be the only one thinking up logical resolutions. She watched Gwen while she thought, not really intending to watch her as it just seemed her eyes fell on the child. The sea green color of her eyes reminded Snow so much of Emma but everything else about the girl aesthetically was pure Regina. From the soft waves of chestnut brown hair right down to the complexion of her skin she was every bit Regina's child. Yet she looked like the kinder, younger version of Regina Snow had known before Regina had studied magic and despaired wracked her sensitive heart. A gasp ripped from Snow's lungs. Her spine went straight and her eyes went wide. That was it! It was so obvious why didn't she think of it before?

"Magic!" She whispered still looking at Gwen who was now looking right back at her because she thought she heard something.

"What?" David asked.

Snow grinned at him and in her excitement planted a sloppy kiss on his lips. Both the children groaned and mumbled words about PDA grossness. Snow laughed lightly and reached over to grab one of each of their smaller hands.

"Magic," She repeated, louder this time, "We can use magic to repress Emma's urge to drink. We can make her abhor the taste of any alcohol that way she won't even want to drink!"

David leaned against the table in thought, keeping his eyes on his wife's face, "But where will we get the magic?"

Snow gestured towards Gwen, "Gwen has magic. That's how she got here."

Henry pursed his lips, "But she already said that anything she left behind will disappear when she leaves. That means magic spells too."

Snow deflated like a balloon with a leak, "Oh."

David starting shaking his hand and grinning manically, "Yeah but Regina has magic. We can get her to do it!"

Gwen shook her head vehemently, "No she wouldn't! Mommy would never use magic to take away Mom's freewill. Never."

Now everyone at the table looked as deflated as Snow did. With their magic options narrowed down to basically nothing, they were beginning to loose hope. Henry looked at everyone with sadness in his eyes that matched theirs. Gwen was right though, he knew his Mom wouldn't do something like that to Emma. He use to think his mom the most vile and evil creature in existence but he knew her better now, he loved her better, and he knew his Mom would never do something like that to the woman she loved. Only one person would so something like that with little thought to Emma's freewill.

Henry took a deep breath and scooted out of the booth to stand on his feet. Snow lifted her chin from her fist to regard Henry with inquisitive eyes. David and Gwen gave him the same look. He straightened his jacket and combed his fingers through his hair.

"Well we have only one option guys," He looked to each of them in turn, "We have to go talk to Mr. Gold."

Gwen let out a long breath, "Oh geeze."

Well that's it for now. I decided to leave you a delicious cliff hanger. We'll talk next chapter lovelies! Have a wonderful day (night)!