A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, I received many long and detailed review's offering suggestions for the future of this story, this is the kind of thing I love hearing from you so keep them coming! Also, I am still in need of a beta reader, you'll get access to chapters before they come out and a chance to have your say in how the story unfolds, PM me if you're interested. Now, sit back, relax and enjoy.
"Thanks for bringing me out here, I don't think I could have lasted the entire day with my Mom and Dad." Emma spoke as she looked out the window of Regina's Mercedes, taking in her surroundings as Regina drove in silence.
"It's the least I can do dear…I still can't thank you enough for what you did last week." Regina smiled shyly, taking her eyes off the road for a second to look at her ex-wife.
"It was nothing, I'm just glad that you and Ruby are on good terms again." Emma mumbled as she lay her head against the cold window, the blonde woman was truly exhausted, she had barely slept a wink the night before, her mind too preoccupied with recent 'memory flashes' as Henry called them.
"For all those folks who are only joining us now, the National Weather Society has issued a amber alert, pleading with everyone to take shelter as soon as possible, this storm looks like it's going to be a big one."
"Do you think we'll have enough time to make it back to Storybrooke?" Emma asked, as male reporter moved on to talk about sports.
"I don't think so, the trees are already blowing all over the place. If memory serves me right, there should be a motel a few miles ahead. We can stay there until the storm has passed." Regina suggested as she looked out in worry at the speed of the winds.
"I suppose that's all we can do, I'll call my Mom she can pick up Henry."
The motel room was small and dirty, Regina practically recoiled in horror as she stepped into the room, but after a gentle reminder from Emma, that they had no other choice the older woman quickly swallowed her disgust and relaxed into the room.
"I'm hungry…" Emma moaned from the hundredth time. The pair had been stuck inside the motel room for almost three hours at this point and Emma had the attention span of a four-year-old.
"There's nothing I can do about your hunger Miss Swan, why don't you play one of those silly games on your phone that will keep your mind off your stomach for a while." Regina spoke with annoyance laced in her voice, as she lay on the bed trying to get some peace and quiet.
"Mines dead…can I borrow yours?" Emma jumped onto the bed, forcing Regina to jump slightly and open her eyes to glare at the blonde woman.
"If it will shut you up!" Regina spoke through gritted teeth as she forcefully handed the younger woman her phone. The room went quite once again, allowing Regina to try to relax once again, that was until she felt the younger woman lay down on the bed beside her. Still determined to get some relaxation time, Regina focused on her breathing and not on the heat radiating from the woman next to her.
"Gina…" Emma whispered as she moved closer to the brunette, who didn't move a muscle hoping to convince the younger woman that she was in fact asleep. "Gina…" Emma spoke once again, louder.
"What?" Regina snapped, only opening her right eye to glare at the blonde.
"I don't know the password…" Emma looked apologetic as she held the phone up to show Regina.
"020413." Regina spoke clearly as Emma quickly typed the numbers into the keypad.
"I'm in…so what does the numbers stand for? I know it's not Henry's birthday, or yours…the 13 is 2013 I'm assuming…okay so that was five years ago. What happened five years ago that was so important for you to make it your password?" Emma spoke absentmindedly, as Regina fought back the want to tell her the truth about the date in question. She didn't know how to tell her absent minded ex-wife that her phone password was their wedding day, especially after what almost happened between them at the hospital.
"It's just some random numbers that Henry used when he set up the phone for me, no need to strain your already damaged brain." Regina finally sat up to find Emma smiling like an idiot at the phone.
"What's so funny?" Regina asked as she moved closer to the blonde and more importantly the phone. Peering down, Regina caught a glimpse of what had caught the blonde woman's attention.
"I'm sorry, I know you should go through other people's pictures…I just I wanted to know if you had any from…and well you do." Emma smiled wholeheartedly as she swiped through picture after picture of her and Regina's wedding day.
"I couldn't just delete them, even though we aren't together anymore…that day still means a lot to me." Regina moved to rest her hand on Emma's knee as she looked on in delight at her wedding photos.
"Aww this one is too adorable; can you send me this one?" Emma lit up as she handed the phone over to Regina to inspect the photo. Emma, Henry and Regina over took the screen, Regina in her strapless white wedding dress, and Emma and Henry in matching black suits. All three were smiling brightly as Emma embraced the two brunettes.
"This one was always my favorite too…Henry looked so adorable in that suit…and you weren't too bad yourself Swan." Regina winked playfully as she handed the phone back to Emma.
"You looked gorgeous…I mean, you always look great, beautiful in fact…it's just you look extra beautiful"
"Calm down dear, I understood what you meant…and thank you, you're beautiful too." Regina smiled shyly. "You know, I spied a mini fridge in the kitchen, fancy sampling what this horrid place has to offer?" Regina raised her eyebrow, in a flash Emma was scrambling off the bed to retrieve the best the fridge could offer before Regina.
Four mini bottles of vodka later, Emma and Regina lay top and tail on the motel bed, giggling like teenagers.
"So, you and Ruby. How did that happen?" Emma asked as she sat up on her elbow to stare Regina down.
"Is this your way of asking me if I had an affair?" Regina asked rhetorically, hoping secretly that Emma didn't really think she would have had an affair.
"No! I would never think that Regina, I've just been wondering lately...I would have never imagined you two together that's all." Emma giggled as she moved to lay down beside Regina, face to face.
"Neither did I actually…" Regina confessed, as she reached up move a strand of hair out of her face.
"So how did it happen then?" Emma giggled as moved closer again to cuddle into Regina's shoulder.
"It wasn't long ago, maybe about four months. I was feeling a bit down and Kathryn, you remember her don't you?" Regina stopped her story to make sure that Emma could follow fully.
"My dad's ex, how could I forget? Now dish!"
"No laughing okay!" Regina warned.
"I pinky promise." Emma joked as she held her pinky finger out for the brunette to take, begrudgingly Regina linked their pinkies together, with no desire to let go.
"Kathryn dragged me out to a singles event outside of Storybrooke one weekend when you had Henry for the night. Ruby just so happened to be there catering and I spent the entire night chatting with her and ignoring the actual single women I was meant to be mingling with…and then we just sort of clicked. It definitely isn't the easiest of relationships I've ever had." Regina explained as she ran her finger over Emma hand repeatedly.
"I'm glad you're getting on with your life, marriages end, people move on...I wouldn't dare ask my parents this...but have I moved on?" Emma cringed as she waiting for Regina to answer, normally she would not have imagined discussing her sex life with her ex-wife.
"As far as I know, you haven't been in a relationship of any kind since the divorce...and I don't think you've had any friend's over to the loft, your mother would have probably killed you...she still thinks of you as married." Regina semi-joked, finally letting go of Emma's pinky finger. She hated that she had to be the one to discuss this with Emma, she had lived happily thinking that Emma had not been with anyone since the divorce, either emotionally or sexually and the thought of anything else had caused her blood to boil. Regina knew that it was unfair for her to think these thoughts, think that she could move on and be with Ruby and Emma couldn't, but it was not like she had really 'been' with Ruby, not fully, not yet. She couldn't bring herself to fully give herself over to the younger woman, so she, like Emma, had not technically been with someone since the divorce, which, in the eyes of society was not considered normal.
"So I'm the loser of the group…" Emma sounded defeated, as she sat up against the headboard.
"It's perfectly normal, especially considering your previous living arrangements...and well your current one." Regina laughed nervously as she mimicked Emma's movements.
"Don't worry, I don't plan on bringing random girls back to the mansion while you're at work." Emma joked as she lay her head down on Regina's inviting shoulder.
"It's…it's getting pretty late. We should probably get to sleep." Regina practically jumped away from the blonde and rushed into the dirty bathroom for 'breathing space'. Regina had not prepared herself for spending the night in bed with her ex-wife. She had secretly hoped that the storm would let up after a few hours, but she was ultimately mistaken and forced to share that rather small double bed with someone she thought she would never be in a bed with again in her life.
"You okay in there Gina?" Emma knocked on the door gently as Regina quickly turned the tap on to make believe that she was starting her nightly routine.
"Fine dear, I'll be out in a minute." Emma could tell that Regina was nervous, although she couldn't tell why. They had shared a bed for years, so why this time so different. Maybe she was worried about what Ruby would think? Emma thought to herself, she knew that they had been fighting over her moving into the mansion again, so Regina spending the night with Emma could have a serious impact on their relationship if Ruby took it the wrong way. Wanting to make things as normal as possible, Emma quickly climbed into bed, and tried to force herself to fall asleep before Regina was finished in the bathroom, figuring that if she was already passed out then maybe Regina would relax and they could both make it through the night, awkwardness free. Unfortunately for Emma, however, her brain had a different idea and she was suddenly flooded with her recent 'memory flashes' that had kept her tossing and turning for the past few nights.
It was about half an hour later when Regina finally crawled into the bed, careful not to wake the seemingly sleeping blonde. Claiming her corner, Regina curled herself inward, trying to be a small as possible. She had hoped that the mixture of alcohol and the early start that morning would have been enough to put her to sleep straight away, but she was wrong.
It was the deafening sound of thunder that finally awoke the blonde woman, who was dozing slightly. Unfamiliar to her surroundings Emma jumped up slightly, but quickly remembered where she was and why she was there. Content with this information, Emma was about to lay down once again when she noticed the shaking figure to her right, Regina. Without saying a word, Emma scooted closer to the brunette and gently moved her so that she could wrap her arms tightly around her. Regina, who was still awake, refused to acknowledge the blonde, afraid that if she did then it would stop.
"I know you're awake Regina…you don't have to speak." Emma whispered directly into the older woman's ear as her grip on Regina tightened. "I don't know why you're scared to sleep with me again, I thought we got over this years ago, but it's okay. Just know that I'm not going to hurt you…not anymore that I already probably have…sleep tight Gina…I-I…goodnight." Emma placed a small kiss, just under Regina's ear and carefully snuggled into the embrace that she had created for the two of them. After Regina felt the blonde fall asleep, she began to relax into the arms that had held her close so many times, the arms that she found herself craving as of late, the arms of the one person that could keep the horrid nightmares of the torture that she had endured all those years ago.
