Regina turned to face Emma, her face was softened from the letter with tears welling up in her eyes. She walked slowly towards her, placed a hand on either side of Emma's face and spoke softly.

"Yes."

She looked at her ring as it glowed fiercely with Emma's, a warm feeling spread through the bands and through her chest.

Regina leaned in and kissed her wife passionately, knowing consciously that she was her True Love.

Chapter 11: Cubed

"Wow…that was unexpected."

Emma pulled back slightly to catch her breath, taking a second to smile against Regina's lips. The two women held each other close and leaned in once again melting into each other's kiss, languidly moving their mouths against one another. Emma was the first to deepen the connection, gently guiding her tongue against red lips, tilting her head slightly to pull herself closer. Regina pulled herself in, moving her tongue against hers, tying bows and tasting every moment. She guided her hands from her cheeks and wrapped her arms around the Saviour, while the blonde's hands moved around her hips. The two stood there immersed in the feeling and losing track of time, because to them it felt like the entire world stopped spinning.

"Emma…" Regina spoke softly, finally pulling away to break the kiss. She pressed her forehead against hers, breathing deeply. "The piece of you heart that you kept hidden…it's the diamond in my engagement ring."

Emma brushed her nose against Regina's before leaning in one more time to give her a chaste kiss. "Well, I guess this means you literally have a piece of my heart?" She smiled against the former Queen's lips.

"I guess it does." Stealing one last kiss, she picked up the box that Emma sealed the crystal in. "We should put this back where we found it."

They moved apart reluctantly and transported themselves back to the loft.

"So, does this mean that your heart crystal is in my ring?" Emma asked while putting the ornate black box back into the vent.

Regina leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed, affectionately watching the Sheriff place the cover back on the vent. "It appears so. Henry had told me a few things about how you gave me your ring, but I have no idea how I gave you mine."

Emma stood up and dusted jeans off, "Well I guess it's gonna be a surprise for me then." She winked at the Mayor and followed her out of the loft.

The two walked in silence to the car, both getting in without a word. They drove for a few minutes before the awkward silence got the best of the Sheriff. "So are we going to talk about what happened in the vault?"

Regina started to spin the rings on her fingers while she stared blankly on the road in front of her. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to quell the questions running through her mind. Emma has no idea she's my True Love…she probably still thinks it was just an act of True Love between family…how will I ever be able to tell her? If I tell her, will that alter this future? She thought about the letter in her vault then took a deep breath and responded to the Sheriff, "No."

"Okay." Emma gave a gentle pat on the brunette's knee before returning her hand to the shifter.

The Mayor was surprised at how swiftly the blonde had conceded to her wishes. She expected sarcasm, or incessant questions or teasing, but she did nothing.

"Hey, I know that look," Emma's voice broke through the silence again, "I'm not bugging you about this because I know you have a lot to think about. We'll talk about it when you're ready." She turned to her for a moment and smiled, "So… wanna grab dinner? Because I'm pretty sure my stomach is trying to eat my intestines."

Emma rushed to the door so she could hold it open before Regina could get to it, swinging it open causing the bell to ring.

"Oh geez, can you guys not be so adorable?" Ruby gave a wolfish grin, "Let me get your usual table cleaned up." She sashayed over to the table and began to wipe it down.

The waitress who once wore crop tops, short skirts and a heavy layer of make-up was gone. Emma leaned to Regina and whispered, "Well, it looks like she took a page out of your guide to sexifying pantsuits, eh? I guess she's taking the whole managing the diner thing seriously." They both looked over at the wolf who now wore a well fit pair of charcoal grey slacks, a white v neck top and a simple blazer to match.

With a final swipe, she was done cleaning off the table, "Here you guys go! Did you want your usual orders?"

"Yes, that would be greatly appreciated." Regina sat gingerly into the booth while Emma flopped down unceremoniously. The Mayor looked around the diner noting that there were a few eyes staring their way. Of course people in this town would still love to gossip. "I believe we should apply the brunch rules to this dinner, don't you agree, darling?"

The Sheriff raised an eyebrow quizzically then followed the Mayor's line of sight around the diner noticing the stares of the town gossips. She reached over the table taking Regina's hand in hers and started to brush her thumb over the back of it. "Why of course, honey, I think that is best. No talking about work or anything like that. Just you, me, and whatever I just ordered."

Regina leaned her face in her free hand that was propped up with an elbow on the table. She continued to let Emma gently caress her other hand, causing the diamond to start to shimmer and warmth beginning to build in her heart again. The two of them sat for a few minutes in companionable silence before Emma broke the silence once again.

"Have you ever been cubed?" She moved slightly to intertwine their fingers together pulling her wife's hand closer and brushing her lips across tanned knuckles.

Regina blushed and let out a small chuckle at the action, "I can't say I have, dear Sheriff, what exactly is being 'Cubed'?"

"It's sort of a test, and you kinda have to use a bit of imagination." Emma began to talk with excitement, "But if you wanna be cubed, you have to promise me that you will say the first thing that comes to your head. You can't overthink your answers, and you also can't question the validity of my questions or requests."

"This better not be some ploy to try and extract information from me, Sheriff" the brunette replied wryly, "Because you know very well that I prefer other methods for that."

"Hey calm your tits you two, not in front of the children." The wolf returned, holding the plates of food while she motioned her chin over to a table with a young family. "If you really can't wait till you get home, I can get Granny to comp you a room in the B&B. Just don't break any lamps this time?" She placed the food in front of the two women, "Roasted chicken with salad, light dressing for you, Regina. And for you Emma, grilled salmon with steamed veggies, no salt."

The two pulled their hands apart and moved them from the centre of the table. Emma's eyes nearly bugged out of her head when she saw her food, "Uh, thanks Rubes." What the hell has future me been ordering? This looks like the diet of an 80 year old woman…ugh.

"You're very welcome; how's the blood pressure doing now anyways? Better?" Ruby placed a gentle pat on the blonde's shoulder.

"Uh, yeah it's getting better." Emma smiled back, "All this healthy food has helped sooo much that I feel like I'm five years younger!"

Regina silently kicked her under the table.

Ruby placed two glasses of water on the table, "That's great, Emma, so does that mean you'll finally join me and Madam Mayor over here during the next Boston Marathon?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Rubes." Emma reached for the salt shaker but Regina knocked it out of her hand and placed it onto Ruby's tray.

"Well, let me know if you guys need anything else." The waitress stifled a laugh and walked back behind the counter, leafing through ledgers.

Regina looked over at the blonde's plate, "I told you that your diet would be your undoing. Keep this in mind for future reference because I will not have my wife succumb to heart disease." She paused for a moment, realizing what she had just said.

"Alright, so are you ready to be cubed?" Emma asked while spearing a few slices of zucchini on her fork, "You can back out y'know, if you don't feel like you can handle it."

Not one to back down from a challenge Regina ceded, "Alright, cube me."

The Sheriff shoved the fork in her mouth, only wincing slightly at the taste before swallowing. "Alright I want you to close your eyes and picture a desert. It could be large or small, hilly whatever…"

Regina knit her eyebrows together, "What does this ha—"

"Nuh-uh," the blonde interrupted, "No questions allowed. You just gotta trust me…so where was I? Right! Close your eyes and imagine your desert, got it?"

The brunette nodded, her eyes pressed closed.

Emma waved her hand in front of Regina a few times making sure her eyes were actually closed, "Okay, now I want you to picture a cube, is it large? Small? What is it made of?"

Regina took a moment to think, "It is a fairly large cube, probably five feet on all sides, it has a metal frame but the sides are made of glass. It is hollow on the inside."

The blonde nodded at her answer, "Hmmm, interesting…now I want you to picture a ladder, same questions, how big is it? What is it made of? How many steps? And where is it in relation to the cube?"

She took a deep breath in contemplation, "It's new, brand new and it's made of metal. It's not very tall, about 6 steps and it's leaning against the cube but it's a little too heavy for it. It's causing it to crack under the weight."

"Now picture a horse. What colour is it? Where is it in relation to the cube and the ladder? Is it a large horse?"

She was certain she would picture Rocinante, but the image of the horse was different from her horse from so long ago, "It's… a white stallion with a blonde mane, it's a little bigger than the cube, and the horse is beside the cube. The ladder is leaning against the horse now as if the horse is relieving the weight so the cube doesn't break."

Emma leaned back in the bench surprised by the answers so far. "Oh wow…interesting….only two more questions. I want you to picture a storm hitting the desert, how does the ladder, the cube and the horse react?"

The brunette furrowed her brows for a moment, "The ladder has fallen over, but the horse seems to be protecting the cube from getting damaged by the sandstorm. The horse is unaffected from the storm."

Emma smiled at the answer and continued, "Last question. I want you to picture flowers. How many are there? How did they react to the storm? What do they look like?"

"There are three flowers, two identical in height, however one is blue and the other is red, and there is a taller flower, it looks like an orange lily. The flowers have only bloomed after the storm has passed." She let out an exasperated sigh, "Can I open my eyes now?"

"Yes."

Regina opened her eyes to see a blushing Saviour across from her, she took a sip from her glass of water on the table. "Why are you blushing? Those questions seemed awkward and irrelevant. But then again, it is probably meant to symbolize your thought process." She pushed her fork into a few leaves on her plate and began to eat.

"Actually, I think I've learned a lot about you." Emma shoved a piece of salmon into her mouth, "Sho…thish ish a—"

"Please finish chewing before you speak, dear." Regina chided.

Emma shied a bit before she gulped at her food and drank a bit of water to wash the bland taste down her throat. "So this is an ancient Sufi personality test. The cube represents yourself, the ladder is your friends, the horse is… well the horse represents your partner, the storm is how you perceive and handle turbulence in your life."

Regina's mouth gaped open as she recalled the answers she had given the Sheriff, comparing it to the new information of what they symbolized. She thought about the accuracy of the cube, how despite being held together well, it was cracking at the sides. The ladder as her friends, how it was a new concept to her, and that she was also buckling under the pressure. The horse, Emma, and how she was hell bent on protecting her through any storm they had to weather together and supporting her with her new friends.

"I see," she thought for a moment, "What about the flowers? What are they supposed to represent?"

Emma looked away to the side for a moment before returning her gaze to Regina's. "Your children."

Regina flinched, but regained her composure putting up walls. "Well I'm glad it was just a silly game then, although there is no truth in it."

"Oh come on Regina! There is totally a bit of truth in it. It wouldn't have survived thousands of years if the test didn't work a little bit." Emma smiled at her, reaching out with both hands to hold hers, "Regina, I believe there is a speck of truth and possibility in every word you said."

She pulled her hands away, "Miss Swan, it was a game, don't look into it to deeply."

Emma chuckled a bit then leaned back against the booth, "Alright I won't. Maybe this just means there is a literally a white horse in the stables waiting for you."

"WHAT?! Miss Swan, I certainly hope you did not get a white horse for me for our anniversary!" Regina practically yelped, prompting her to lower her voice to avoid making a scene.

"No of course not, pookie, I just wanted to see your reaction." Emma responded with a cheeky tone.

The brunette rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, "Parfois, je crois vraiment que tu es une idiote…"

"Yours," Emma replied as she smiled back at her.

Regina froze, caught off guard from the response. "Wait, you understood what I said?"

Swallowing another piece of salmon the blonde snickered a little bit, "Honestly, no. I just heard 'idiot' and figured that was the appropriate response. What were you speaking anyways? Spanish?"

"French, actually." She responded after daintily taking the last few bites on her plate.

"Huh…for some reason I always pictured you speaking Spanish." Her cheeks reddened a little, "Like you have the look for it, before the curse broke I honestly thought you were part Hispanic or something."

"And I thought you were the type to have a half broken guitar singing songs like 'Falling Slowly' while travelling the country by train with your stray cat." Regina leaned forward a little with a smirk drawn across her lips, "Because I always thought you had the look for it."

Emma leaned in close, her eyes darting to her lips, "Oh? And what look is that, Madam Mayor?"

Regina moved an inch towards the blonde, "Well it—"

The Mayor's phone began to ring, Emma recognized it as the Victory Fanfare from Final Fantasy VII. The screen lit up with a picture of a teenaged Henry holding Charming's sword with apples skewered on it earning another sigh from the brunette. "You two will probably continue to wreak havoc on my phone for years to come." She slid her finger across the screen, "Hi Henry."

"Hey Mom, Gram wanted me to ask you if you wanted cookies? We're baking some with Little Uncle right now, so she just wants to know if she should make more. She said she's making your favourite: white chocolate macadamia."

Regina was startled at her former nemesis' considerations, "Oh, yes that would be wonderful. Please tell your Grandmother thank you."

"Sure thing! Oh, I almost forgot, I ran into Mother Superior today. She was hoping you could drop by the convent sometime soon. Since the town officially bought the convent from Mr. Gold, she wanted to talk to you about the restoration project that you have planned."

"I will, thank you for reminding me, Henry."

"No problem. Love you guys."

"We love you too, Henry."

She tapped the end call button and looked back at the Sheriff, "Well, I guess I have some research to do tomorrow at the office."

"What about?" Emma tossed a few bills onto the table and slid out of the booth.

Regina got up from the table, "I have a project regarding the restoration of the convent." She looked over to the main counter and gave a nod of thanks to Ruby, before turning her attention back to the Sheriff, "I have a meeting with 'Mother Superior' tomorrow."

"Oh right, we have to go back to work tomorrow. I always get spoiled by long weekends," Emma offered her hand to Regina, who took it in return. The two walked out of the diner and back to the car hand in hand.

Emma pulled the passenger side door open for the Mayor. "How chivalrous of you, Sheriff." Regina acknowledged her with a touch of sarcasm in her voice.

"Well a woman like you should be treated like a Queen." She snarked back, earning her a playful smack on the forearm.

"Hey why are you still up?" Regina tied her grey silk robe around her waist as she walked over to the couch in the study.

"Oh, I couldn't sleep. I hope I didn't wake you." Emma looked up at the brunette with one of her infamous puppy-eyed smiles. "I was slightly worried that some magical barrier would shock you until you woke up or something."

"No you didn't wake me, I just noticed you weren't in bed." She moved to the front of the couch and sat beside her wife pressing close to her, "I…slightly missed you."

Emma shifted slightly, pretending to be hurt, "Oh just slightly? I see how it is."

Regina pursed her lips, "You know what I mean. Something on your mind?"

"Yeah, it's about the cube thing earlier." The blonde leaned forward and picked up the glass of scotch she had on the table. She took a sip. "And I was also thinking about the fact that we've been married here for a year…and we have no memories of it."

"We'll find a way to figure this all out." Regina motioned for the glass and took a sip after Emma handed it over, placing it back onto the table.

"Yeah, but I should tell you…I'm a disaster." She looked over at the brunette with melancholy eyes, "I—I keep thinking, what if we can't go back? I know I promised you we'd find a way, but we haven't really gotten anywhere have we? It's not that I don't want all of this, but I wish I could have lived those years with you." She paused for a moment before continuing, "I—I don't want to take your choices away from you. I want you to fall in love with me, not because of some curse or spell or whatever this is, I want you to fall in love with me because we spent those years together. That we fought and lived side by side, that we overcame every obstacle thrown at us. That you opened your door every time I screwed up and that I would bring you dinner when I knew you were working late. I want my heart to jump every time I hear your key in the door, and I want to make you smile every time you walk into the room." Emma took both of Regina's hands and held them tight in her own, "I want to be there when I ask you out on our first date, I want to be there when I can't figure out how to propose to you, and I want to be there if you say yes."

"Emma..." Regina brought her wife's hands to her lips placed a gentle kiss on each one, "Even if we can't find our way home, I want to be here with you. We could make new memories, we can find new milestones to reach. We can start a family…"

"Regina…I…" Emma began to speak, her voice cracking at the tears that began to slip away from her eyes, "I…I can't have children anymore…after Henry…there were complications."

The brunette pulled her into a tight embrace, "We'll figure this out. I'm here with you and I want to be here ….always."

The first rays of dawn were peeking over the horizon through the window of the study, lighting the sky with a growing blanket of orange. Regina pulled away slightly from Emma, placing a comforting kiss onto her forehead. "Here, come with me." She got up from the couch and held out her hand which Emma took. Regina led her through the house and into the backyard.

She sat on the steps of the deck, motioning for Emma to sit beside her. "This side of the house faces east. There's not much to look at except for a few fields, but it does have the most amazing view of the sky."

Emma sat down beside her and the two women watched the sunrise over the clear Maine sky.

AN: WOW! Over 350 Kudos on AO3 and over 400 Follows on FFN! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST! Oh and happy Canada Day to my fellow Canucks, may your day be filled with craft beer, Tim Horton's and maple syrup.

Thanks Guest Reviewer for pointing out the masculine/feminine error with my french - *blushes* I'm really only conversational (also it's Canadian French sooo...)

We're about halfway through the fic right now. As always I love to hear what you liked/didn't like about the chapter! I LOOOOVE REVIEWS they make me super happy and motivate me to write more! Please feel free to say hi to me on tumblr! (reighne-sq) I loooove questions and comments there too!